It's time. The depth of pain we put ourselves through in the wee hours of the morning is...well it's just funny. My old friend Jared once tweeted "what are Type A's running from?". I guess we're always running from something but I like to think I'm running towards something. Even if it's jus a crappy box of Gu's for getting on a podium made out of a bucket in Podunck CO. It's why we do it.

The early AM training is spectacular. Fall is already here at 6:00AM folks. Crisp and cool. The body is just at the door of being able to hum as the blocks are put in and assembled into something stronger. Foundations supporting a season. No gloves on while training. Freezing fingers to get them used to it. The way I look at it, you have to dedicate yourself to feeling like this...

(c) Woldhek.nl

To be like this:

(c) Woldhek.nl

Almost there. Stay on target. Can you hear it comin'?

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

I can.

Come join World's Team member and Cycle-Smart coach Ben Turner, 2x National Champion Brandon Dwight and a gaggle of passionate cyclocross experts including the CLIF Bar Cyclocross Team and member’s of Boulder Cyclesport’s cyclocross squad on Sunday August 30th, 8-11AM. Learn all of what you need to get fast and smooth and ensure that each weekend you pin a number on your back you are smiling wider as you see yourself improve. Get started off right this season!

Meet at Boulder Cyclesport in North Boulder at 7:30AM for check in. All the info you need is right below you! register today at BikeReg by clicking on the BikeReg icon!

It's Better To Drink Beer After Exercise Than Water

Submitted by Julie on November 2, 2007 - 8:47pm.

Researchers at Granada University in Spain have come across a discovery that will undoubtedly please athletes and sports enthusiasts - a pint of beer post-workout or match is better at rehydrating the human body than water.

Professor Manuel Garzon, a member of Granada's medical faculty, made the finding after tests on 25 students over several months. Researchers believe that it is the sugars, salts, and bubbles in a beer that may help people absorb fluids more quickly.

The subjects in the study were asked to run on a treadmill at temperatures of 104F (40C) until they were close to exhaustion. Once they had reached the point of giving up, researchers measured their hydration levels, motor skills, and concentration ability.

Read the whole article here….

300 days of sun a year. That defines Boulder and yes, it’s unbelievable. But when it rains here, it rains…and when it snows here, it snows. And therefore for Boulder-ites, being Type A++++ and cycling mad, a rainy day can’t interrupt ‘precious’ training time and therefore will be moved indoors. And as we know, riding the rollers for an hour or more is paramount to mental torture by way of boredom. Unless, that is, you have something to take your mind away…

Welcome to Global Rides DVD training series….Hawaii Style! I was able to scope out and evaluate this fantastic training DVD series on a few of those remaining 65 non sunny days Boulder gets this spring and was pleasantly surprised with how engaging the product kept me as I spun circles, first longing to be outside in our beautiful town…then suddenly wishing to be transported to Maui given the epic scenery and rides i was ‘taken’ on.

Three DVDs came with my set called ‘Hawaii Rides’ each with a slightly different program to follow:

• Maui Rollers…has you flowing up and down the roller known as the Hana Highway. Undulating and sort of like long interval sets. Gorgeous.
• Oceanside Ride…has you thinking you are going on a flat coastal ride but punches in great efforts to up tempo.
• StrenDurance…is where you get your power on. Climbing and distance in one session that essentially has you wasted after the effort. It focuses on the need for sustained power over long-ish periods.

The neat part about the DVD’s is their production quality. From the very beginning the user is provided tons of options like if you want music or coaching…and if you want coaching, do you want it from an American an Aussie or others!

Once the course was selected, the DVD utilized some modern and ‘web 2.0’ methods to explain the route which was really clever and cool and invariably most people can understand these days…and afterwards be inspired to jump on their Macs and PC’s to go investigate a bit more with Google Maps:

Once set up and you are warmed up, you are treated to maddening sites and sounds. The music was super ambient yet motivating using a pretty quality DJ and not some music by a Fred. The coaching was ‘just intrusive’ enough….meaning its there and gives you a great framework to follow audibly, yet not a cheesy drill sergeant yelling at you incessantly. If you need that…well, you probably would be ostracized from Hawaii for being too agro.

Ultimately the videos had fantastic visuals and it was matched fairly well with what my perceived tempo was as I was on the rollers:

Each of the videos in the Hawaii Rides set were more engaging than the last and had me (re)fall in love with Hawaii…the place my wife and I spent two glorious weeks a decade ago on our honeymoon. So much so that for our 10th anniversary, these videos were inspirational enough to look into a bike tour on the islands! Cross fingers…

MSRP for this three box set is $75 although individual DVDs can be purchased as well for $30. The three seemed to work well together though in terms of weaving together a three day indoor training block if you’re forced to be inside when the weather is foul enough to make it dangerous to ride outside. You can pick them up directly here on the Global Rides Shop Site.

This time of year, for me anyways, is about paying close attention to where I am at physically. I love to drink me the beers, eat well or graze all day at the home office (although my lady is a nutritionist by education so we eat so clean and lean it's nuts). And this time of year it's super easy to stay hunkered down indoors, immobile, jamming work from before sunrise to sundown. But paying attention to 'the balance' even when there are no race targets is immense for me and has to be done. So what am I up to?

• Trail running. Lots. 3-4 days per week. I typically go between 30-45 minutes on trails with a lot of elevation gain. I tend to go hard....at least for me as a non-runner. It's good to get those punches in on the hills, jack the heart, and focus on feeling light. If you can do this, it WILL be remembered come 'cross season when you can take advantage of your running skills on long or technical run ups. 
• Biking: Believe it or not, I try to avoid it...mainly due to my obsessive compulsive disorder for bikes. But, you can't keep me away all week, so I focus on my buds and being with them as OFTEN as possible for the shits and giggles factor. Fall will have enough 'alone time' training. Long MTB's with my boys are exactly what the doctor orders this time of year....e.g. one 4-6 hour ride on a weekend day each weekend (balancing the other day with the family) is immensely helpful for the body and spirit. Keeps the fat at bay given the time you're out there and develops this sick strength and focus thing you need...especially in the 50th minute in a cross race! During the week I'll alternate days when I'm not at the gym or running...mainly recovery rides for 1/2 to 1 hour. One day a week I'll alternate a run for a hill climb on the road bike up one of the notorious climbs around here like Flagstaff, Sunshine or Lee Hill to Deer Trail.
• Gym. 2 days a week. Lots of leg strength and core strength. I'm usually there for ~hour and you can do TONS in that amount of time. I'll alternate sides of the leg with each visit...e.g. hamstrings and calves on one day then leg presses (quad stuff) the next. I'll do core all gym days though to try and be...at least feel...svelte.
• Beer. Arrgh...my nemesis. I have to play games with myself and try to put multiple days in-between my sips. Else, I'll down one of those $12 4-packs pf Duvel before you can say bedankt....every time. So, moderation I guess as it's SO EASY to say hello to your friend nightly.
• Food. As mentioned, it's always clean, but I'm trying to take on more protein and less starches and 'fillers'. In other words, stuff that's going to help me rebuild muscle. And as a guiding rule from my main man Pete Webber: "Take on as many vegetables as you can tolerate." Belee-dat.

Anyways, I was asked about the above from a bud and figured I'd parlay it into ablog post. It's not like I'm winning UCI races but the model I tend to use works with the balance of things I try to maintain in my life. Hope it helps you!

Photo: via Google.