ProLine Sports, Nutrition and Equipment Blog

Getting ready for winter

That time of year is coming. The cold weather is slowly creeping in. In the midwest, it's not too bad yet. But I can start to feel the crisp bite of the cold air on my nose. Especially when I'm up at 4:30 for an early run or heading to the gym for some laps in the pool before work. I go out to start the car and get it warm before my 40 minute commute, and I read my dash... 35º. Yup, getting cold. But, this is a good time of year, too. 

I like to look back over the past year of training and racing and see where I've been. Comparing it to the previous year, I made some really great strides. I think most of all was in my swimming, but the other two components came way up as well. I got in a lot more base training on the bike and my feet, which I paid great benefit from. What about you? If it's your first year racing, how did you progress from beginning to end? It's a good idea to keep a gauge on what you're doing throughout the year and from year to year if you have any hopes of getting better. Which I'm sure it's safe to assume you are! 

Now it's time to start getting back indoors (for most of us) and on the trainer, treadmill, and in the pool. To all you living far enough south, good for you. One of the key things for me personally is to have a good station setup for my trainer at home. Last year I had it in the basement and it wasn't overly inspiring. Just my bike, a fan, a chair and the TV. This year I'm trying to put some more inspiring things around me to keep me motivated. I've rearranged my office/training room so that my bike can face the TV and out the window. But, the big thing is I've arranged my medals from previous races on the wall next to me. A constant reminder that I need to keep pushing. In front of me surrounding the TV I've got pictures of my wife and I, since she's extremely supportive in my efforts to continually improve myself as an athlete. I've also got pictures of my brother. He never got to see me race, but I know he's always been there in spirit for me. Something about family. Even when they're not there, I can still feel them. Like when I finish a race without my brother Ben being there, I can already imagine what he'll say, and it always makes me feel good. Or both my parents, my dad asking what my time was, and my mom asking me if I had fun. Which answers are "I don't know," and "I always do" respectively. Finally, I can picture my sister saying,"Nice race fatty," or something like that. I should have never let her know I raced as a clydesdale. Big mistake.

Anyways, winter is a great time to get reinspired and really dig deep to find out what you want out of your next year of training and racing. Do you want to PR at the same event you did this year? Do you want your crush your bike split? Or do you want to be out with the front pack in the swim and hold on? Whatever it is, it's a great time to start thinking about what you want out of your upcoming season, and write it down. Keep it somewhere close by so you never lose site. I'd tell you mine, but I haven't quite resolved exactly what I want out of this next season. I just know I want it to be big. Hopefully yours is too.

-Dave

Taking some family time

 The last week and a half or so have been pretty tough for me. School has been getting a bit harder and the realization of losing my brother keeps sinking in deeper and deeper as time goes on. I've given training a little bit of a back seat for few days and I think it has helped me mentally. Not saying I've given up altogether. I'm still getting in some good mileage running mostly, but also some good training sessions indoors on the bike, as well as laps in the pool. But, family has really helped me start to tackle some demons plaguing my mind as of late.  

I was able to be at my sister and brother-in-law's place the night they decided to have their two girls carve some pumpkins. After some screaming of who gets what pumpkin and the older one protecting them from the younger (reminded me of Jake and I when we were little), we finally got them settled in and excited about pulling the 'guts' out. It was fun to watch them struggle cutting the pumpkin, but great to watch them learn what was working and not working. It's amazing how fast some kids just start comprehending experiences.

This past weekend I decided last minute to make a trip down to Eastern Illinois University (my alma mater) and meet up with my wife (hers too) for homecoming weekend. Now, I generally don't get too excited about homecoming, especially for EIU, being that it's mostly a frat run town, but it was nice to get back and see some people we haven't seen in quite a while. Plus, it was the 30th anniversary of the volleyball team as a division I program, so my wife got to have a little celebration with some teammates and see some history of the team. (The picture to the left is my morning drive down to campus.)

                

I, on the other hand, spent a little time with the team at their brunch, then went out and did some training. I know the roads pretty well, and figured I could get in about 10 miles or so before I needed to be back to do anything. It was great to get out and away from all the hoopla I generally avoid and just feel the fresh midwest air. As I ran, I remembered all the times we ran through some of these streets on the soccer team, and how much we hated it then, but I loved it now. I ran portions of the 5k loop our coach had mapped out, then down to where we'd run hills. Which doesn't seem as big now. But I'm glad my coach didn't turn left at the bottom and go over another 2 miles. There's another hill that's much steeper and probably 50m longer! Making my way back into town, I saw a new building. It was the Renewable Energy Center that EIU had built. I can honestly say, this was one of my more proud moments to say I'm an EIU Alum. To see how wonderful the building looked and that EIU was taking great strides in minimizing it's carbon foot print is great.

   
After the short weekend at EIU, it's always great to get back to those who love you no matter what. And these two smiling faces always do. These are my wife and my two dogs. No matter how upset, mad, or indifferent I am, they always make me feel better than I did before I saw them. Getting to be around family so much lately has been wonderful. Especially seeing my sister with her family. We've gotten much closer, and I think we both know we need each other to keep getting through such tough times. But we both also have wonderful significant others that are amazing at reassuring us that everything will be ok, no matter how dark it gets inside. 

-Dave

Rocktape Launches new product label with pHast Legs, Alka-Myte®

Rocktape announced earlier this month the release of a product under the label pHast Legs , an alkalizing supplement designed to balance blood pH levels to combat metabolic acidosis and enhance athletic performance.

The key ingredient in pHast Legs is Alka-Myte®, developed by pH Sciences, a patented blend of minerals packaged and shrunk to sizes so small that they easily pass from the stomach into the blood stream quickly and effectively.

ProLine Sports Nutrition has worked closely with pH Sciences over the past several years in numeruous test markets helping develope product awareness. We're excited to hear about the new relationshipship between Rocktape and pH Sciences and look forward to further promoting this performance supplement.

 

 

The World Anti-Doping Agency (“WADA”) has tested the Alka Myte composition for human athletic performance and has certified that Alka Myte is in compliance with all anti-doping regulations and containing no steroids, stimulants, or any prohibited substances.

About pH Sciences
pH Sciences holds intellectual property and patents to manufacture a wide range of proprietary mineral-based, crystalline compositions that can safely control the complex acid/alkaline balance in human and other biological systems.
# # #

RockTape is an international company headquartered in Los Gatos, California. With offices in Australia, United Kingdom and Mexico, RockTape serves the needs of over 6,000 medical professionals. RockTape, PowerTaping, pHast Legs and RockSauce are used by leading competitive athletes to enhance sports performance and by medical professionals to treat common sports injuries.

 

Fall Trail Running

    I'll admit it, I don't get out on the trails as much as I like, or should. But, that's how it goes with a full-time job and weekends that are already jam-packed full of things to do. Training alone is a hard thing to fit in. This weekend, I've got a lot on my plate, but I made sure I got in a run before the weather gets too bad. Running in the Fall is one of my favorite times. The smells in the air, the temperature changing, the colors changing, amongst other things... 

    This is the time of year when road running starts to feel extremely repetetive. You've got your mile markers memorized. You know how hard to go exactly where and for how long on specific routes. All these things make me start falling into a lull in training that dwindles down typically into the Winter. Which is somewhat of an ok thing. The body needs time to recover afte a long and hard season of pushing the limits. But, that doesn't mean we can't get out there and do some fun things that keep us motivated and going strong. 

    I've done so much reading and learning about trail running and the different psyche that goes into it, but I've never really put much of it to good use. I have som easier crushed limestone trails nearby, but they don't get me out to nature and into some secluded woods. Not too far from my house is the Kettle Moraine South trails of Wisconsin. I've ridden my mountain bike up here countless times with my brothers and dad when we were all younger, but it's been a while since I had been up there. So I decided to get back up there and stop wishing away my days of trail running, and falling into the monotony of road running.

    Trail running for me, is and even greater escape than getting out on the roads to run or bike. You've still got to deal with people, cars, and traffic of any kind. Up at the Kettle, there's minimal people, but they are out there for similar reasons as you. Some go just to escape, and some go for exercise. No matter what they are up there for, there is a mutual respect for those fellow trail blazers. 

    I went into the Nordic loop, locate just a few miles north of the 12 and H junction in La Grange, WI. On that corner is a nice little sandwich shop that carries supplies should you need them of any kind. There's a bike shop attached, and the shop itself carries some nutrition if you've either forgotten or run out and need some for the ride home.

    As you can see, there is a good mix of trails to go out on. The distances range from just shy of a mile, to a little over 9 miles. And there is also a good variance of experience levels as well as you can see in the image below. 

    If it's your first time headed out on some trails, I have a few recommendations for you. The first thing is to make sure you bring with plenty of layers. Not that you need them, or to have them all on at the start. But, the weather can change without you knowing while your back in the woods. Also, study the map. Know where you should be going, and figure out where you can dump back to the start should something happen. Anything from a rolled ankle to a broken leg. Or, if you've just pushed yourself too far or too hard, you need to know the quickest way back. Some other things are to make sure you carry some gear and nutrition. For similar reasons as above. Today I took with my CamelBak Octane XCT that carries 3L of water. Enough for about 3 hours of training depending on the weather and your hydration/sweat needs. I also carried some nutrition: 2 Clif Shot Bloks and a PowerBar. I only ended up needing half of the PowerBar and both the Shot Bloks. PowerBars are hard to take in while running, but the Shot Bloks for me go down easy and seem to get into my system pretty quick. But, it was nice having the extra nutrition if I needed.

     I ended up hitting 2 laps around the long loop. My legs felt fresh through the first lap, which is about 9 miles. My Garmin read it short of 9 miles, but the trail map lists it as 9.2. So I'm not totally sure which is correct. They were almost right on with eachother until around mile 6, then it was consistently off by a couple hundred meters. The best part about this run, was I had no intentions on speed or finishing time. If I was done under 3 hours, I would be happy. Which I was, so I have no complaints. I just ended up getting lost in thought and taking in all of the sights, sounds, smells, and the cool breeze. I was able to wear some shorts and try out my new trail running shoes, some Salomon XR Crossmax, and a nice Stoic long-sleeve that kept me dry and at perfect body temp for my liking. There was a good amount of wildlife out. It was mostly small ground animals. I did see a few blue jays and cardinals which is always a treat, then a few deer as well.

    So, if you're looking to mix it up and not concerned with time, drop the roads for a bit and get out on some trails and have fun. You never know, you may end up getting hooked. And there's nothing wrong with that.

 

    See you out there!

 

-Dave

Like Us, Win First Endurance Pre Race Prototype Capsules

"Like" us and tell us about your fall races or training challenges.  We'll select two random posts -- or really the posters -- Oct. 21st 2011 to receive a FREE jar of the unreleased Pre Race Prototype Capsules from First Endurance. Easy peasy.

 

But we don't just want to hear from you today.  We'd love to learn more about what our customers are doing -- where and when you're racing and how you're training.  We'll be sure to share our own stories as well.

 

Ironman World Championships

    On Saturday, my wife and I spent a good portion of our day live streaming the Ironman World Championships and boy was it great. I know for most average sport enthusiasts, watching endurance sports is probably one of the most boring things you can possibly think of. It kind of reminds me of watching soccer. I've played my whole life, but when you talk to someone who has no idea about what's going on and why those who play get excited during certain parts of the game, those who haven't played, just don't get it. And it's not their fault. Same goes for watching endurance sports. Especially one of the magnitude on Saturday. You hear people over and over harping on cyclists for wearing their spandex and lycra suits, and runners for wearing their short shorts, but this just all comes down to ignorance, I believe. Truth be told, some people don't look good in this apparel, I will give them that. But, when you see some of these hard, toned bodies of these freak of athletes, I think you can begin to understand. The more aerodynamic you are, the faster you'll go. Even while running. 
    Now, back to my main thought for today. Watching the IM Worlds was simply amazing. Andy Potts took off from the pack for the men and had a big lead out of the swim. But, that's generally to be expected with his historic swim background. 
    Next came Chris Lieto on the bike. The uber-biker of uber-bikers was absolutely blazing up the roads in Kona. At this point of the race, he seemed unstoppable. A few points he was cruising over 50mph! And to see him get up out of the saddle and attack, in the middle of nowhere, with nobody in sight, it simply made me feel unworthy.

    Finally, in the run, Crowie (Craig Alexander) tipped the race on it's head bytovertaking Lieto early on, and putting the hammer down throughout, leaving nobody a fighting chance to snag his victory. The hardest part to watch, was as he was counting down the last mile, being handed the Aussie flag, it appeared he didn't know he was so close to breaking the record on this course.

The broadcasters were discussing how disappointed he'd be if he put in so much, and was so close, only to take the last few hundred meters casual and be just short of the record. But, it seemed like at some point, you could see someone told him, or he instinctly realized his time and he bolted towards the finish and jumped in the air with excitement upon crossing the finish in 8 hours, 03 minutes, 56 seconds. Just edging out the previous record of 8:04:08 by Belguim's Luc Van Lierde in 1996. 

    In the women's race, it seemed to be a one woman show for the bulk of the course by Julie Dibens, only to have her fall apart and turn it back into the Chrissie Wellington show. Chrissie did what she does best, she just put that smile on her face, dug deep and won. Throughout the race, it seemed like nothing phased her. She was well back on the bike, but just kept working. True spirit and guts for her to win that race. And once she moved into first, it was clear on her face, there was no going back. She was in it to win it. 
   

    Such a great race to watch. Truly inspiring to anyone who understands the world of endurance sports. It takes something else to get up before dawn and be training. It takes even more to put in so many hours of training. If you didn't get a chance to watch any of the race, I highly recommend doing so. Check it out here.

-Dave 

Chicago Marathon: early success but hot, challenging last half

I did it! My goal was to complete the Chicago Marathon -- just to finish it feeling strong -- before I turned 40 and after a seven-year break from marathoning. After training well all summer, I changed my goal to finishing with a PR. My best time was 4 hours and 32 minutes. After a 20 mile training run of 3 hours and 25 minutes, I felt that a PR was in reach if the weather cooperated. Now there wasn't a heat wave or a terrible storm. The day started cool. I wore a sweatshirt until the start. It wasn't really that cold. I was just being a sissy. The first half of the marathon was comfortable. There was a lot of shade through Lincoln Park and Boys Town. (PS Boys Town was kind of a let down this year. Not as much energy as in past years. Good, but not Chicago Boys Town great.) Then, as we moved west of the Loop, the temperatures rose and the shade was less frequent. By mile 16 I was looking forward to seeing my family. I needed kisses from the kids and a big boost from their support. That and help from my running buddy, Bill, kept me going until mile 18 or so. I was starting to exhibit symptoms of heat exhaustion: goose bumps, chills, no sweat. At first I thought that I could push through. Then, my brain turned back on and I realized that finishing strong was my goal. Getting a PR was vain. If I hurt myself, or worse, it wasn't just me. My family would be hurt too. So, I slowed down from a pretty steady 10 minute mile to an 11:30. I did my best to only walk through the water stops, although if you walk from the beginning of the Gatorade to the end of the water, that's about three city blocks. A nice brake. I drank a ton and wanted to cry more than once. My friend Erica was going to meet me at mile 20 to run the rest of the way, but we missed each other. The crowds were so big and my brain was so fried, it was easy to not find friends and family. I saw my dad as I turned the final corner onto Columbus which helped me get through the finish. Just before the end, I saw a man fall. It looked like he had just completely lost control of his body and it just gave up. His body's limpness reminded me of a puppet. I had seen that earlier on the corse as well. The marathon medics were with both men in seconds, but that vision has been with me all day. Maybe I'm remembering it because of the news of one runner's death. Maybe my challenges during the race made more aware of my own limits. Or maybe it's that this is the first marathon I've run as a parent. I'm responsible for more than just myself. No matter how well we train, there are other influences on our race.

Test Ride: Cervelo P2C

    Over the weekend I had a great opportunity to get on a new(used) bike and see what it was all about. I've been riding a road bike (Trek SL1000) with some Profile Design Aero Bars mounted to the handle bars. These have worked really well. Especially the fact that I got the bike for next to nothing from my oldest brother. He's part of the reason I've gotten into the sport of triathlon, and we both share our experiences and stories with a lot of our training. Mostly since we have similar body composition, albeit he's a few inches taller and leaner, and I'm a bit wider at the shoulders and carry a little more weight (working on that!). The Trek has fared me rather well. But after this weekend's ride on the Cervelo P2C (which is a 2008 model), I can see how much more the bike can give me. Both in terms of power, and energy savings.
     So here we have it. The person who let me try it out, actually had a set of Spinergy Wheels as well as the stock set of Shimanos for me to use. I had never ridden on a set of deeper set rims before, and was rather excited. I've always loved the sound of the higher-end wheels when you coast, you get that nice rattle-type sound. Although the Spinergy wheels aren't the best out there by any means, they are nicer than anything I've ridden.
    But, as I geared up for the ride, I took a step outside to take a close look at the weather and what I should wear and bring with. Turns out, there were some rather strong winds coming out of the Northeast. This changed my plans. I decided against using the deeper rim set. I've never ridden on a pair before, and I wasn't about to crash in the wind on a bike someone was nice enough to loan me over the weekend and test it out. So I stuck with the stock Shimano set. I mostly wanted to see if the bike fit me anyway. 
    So I geared up, switched pedals, since I didn't have proper clips to match, and got out in probably lower 60ºF weather. It wasn't bad, but the wind was definitely noticeable. I had a good struggle for the first 45 minutes of the ride, but right off the bat I knew this bike was fast. Compared to my Trek, I could feel all the power I was putting through the cranks go straight through the drive train and onto the road. It felt good. The stiffness of the bike is great, and the speed at which it shifts is amazing as well. I hadn't used a bike for any sort of ride that has the shifters mounted on the aero bars, so that took some adjusting, but is much nicer overall. Unless you want to go with the wireless Di2, these more than suffice, and are much more affordable!
    On the way back, with the wind giving me a good push, I could just fly! I was able to hold aero just about the whole distance on the return, and I was pushing the limits of the gearing as well. Biggest ring up front (FSA Double) and smallest in back (10 speed). The Ultegra components work so much quicker and smoother than the Shimano 105's I have on the Trek, and locked in instantly. 
    Overall, I really enjoyed the bike. It's super slick and fast, and has great response to power output. The only drawback for me, and the main reason I didn't jump in and buy it, was it didn't quite fit. The frame size is 56cm, which should be close to a perfect fit. However, with the Vision Bar setup up front, the amount of adjusting in the handlebars was minimal to non-existent. I also felt the bars needed to be a bit wider for my wider shoulders. When I was sitting up, I didn't feel I was balance as well as I should be, but that could come with time, too. I just wasn't in LOVE with the bike, like I should be to bite the bullet and make the purchase, so I'm going to wait. I want no regrets when I pickup a new bike. But, this ride definitely gave Cervelo a leg up in my future purchase. Everything felt great. But for now, it's back on the Trek, and more than likely indoors, with the fan blowing through my hair.  It's getting to the time when I need to dust off the DVD player and get my home training center ready for a good off-season. Let's get to it!

-Dave