ProLine Sports, Nutrition Blog

Riding with Others, HARD.

Since the Triathlon season is winding down a bit, I've been really liking getting out and riding my bike for some more fun rather than a pure training session. I've done a few rides now with other people, and I have to admit, it is getting to be quite enjoyable. I'm learning new things and finding I'm able to push myself harder and recover better in the same ride being able to both take turns pulling on the front as well as drafting off the back to recover and pull again.

The first ride I did a little over a week ago was with two of the tech guys from the shop I work at. We had some Strava KOMs we were going after and so we hit some of those pretty hard. The one tech and I are on a pretty similar level of riding, while the other was a CAT2 rider in Arizona before he moved up here, so he could hit us pretty hard and push ahead on any climb to take the KOM of the group. Kind of frustrating but it brought me down a few notches and helped me realize how much better I can become.

We buried ourselves a few times, on a few flats and a few climbs and put in a good 35 miles of riding and were pretty well spent. I felt more tired after that ride than I do after some of my 50 mile solo training rides.

This past Friday I went out with one of the tech guys and Patrick Brady, a Nationals qualifier and 70.3 Worlds qualifier in triathlon, who's known for his bike and run. Plus, he had just gotten his new Dura Ace 9000 put on his bike, so he was ready to crush it. We didn't plan as many hills this time, but we did hit it hard, taking some good long pulls each, working against the wind, too, to really push our limits. On the way back in, Patrick showed us what he was truly made of. Pulling for 4-5 miles at a time into a solid headwind and crushing it from 22-25mph, while I was fighting to hold onto his wheel.

We eneded up putting in about 42 miles with some insane attacks and pushes from each other. We had a 3-mile stretch where I attacked hard early and Patrick to back over and I spent the reamining two miles fighting to get back to his wheel, which I wasn't quite able to do.

Riding with other good riders really keeps me level headed, but gives me so much confidence as well, that I can get that much better. It also helps to push me to another level that is sometimes hard to get to on my own. So if you're used to solo training and are struggling to get yourself to move up to that next level, I would tell you to find someone slightly better than you and get out and ride with them. Even if it's only occaisionally, it will do you a whole lot of good. Just keep your head up and fight for the wheel and take turns pulling. Because nobody likes a drafting leach!

-Dave

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Some Mountain Biking

Last week I got an awesome opportunity to get out and ride some mountain bike trails. I don't actually own a mountain bike, but working for Trek, I have the ability to use bikes from the HR fleet on the secret trails we have out at headquarters. It's a pretty sweet gig for someone like me. However, when a couple co-workers and I got out there, the parking lot was full of people riding around on bikes so we got curious. We walked over after filling out our waivers and checked out what was going on. It turned out that they were doing demos of some of the new 2014 bikes for dealers, so we decided to join in. What a treat!

They had both the new OCLV Carbon Trek Fuel EX 9.8 and the Remedy 9 29er. Being a bit more of a cross-country style, I chose the EX 9.8. Normally we can use an old Top Fuel 26" wheel, but this was something I couldn't pass up. Both myself and my co-worker who doesn't have a mountain bike were completely stoked to ride some new bikes.

So we got them fitted to our size and got geared up and headed out to the trails. Man, could these bikes move. Being the 29" wheels, once you get them up to speed they just cruise and crush open style courses.

The cool thing about the trails that Trek has built, is that there is nearly every type of terrain, except downhill (since it is in Wisconsin), so you can take the bikes through a range of terrain to get a good feel of how they handle in some open, fast single track, some tight turns through the pines, some technical, rocky sections, some larger, somewhat slopestyle jumps and burms as well as some freestyle kickers. Throughout the area, there are some wood features to ride over that test your handling, putting you up in the air, on a narrow path then dropping back down onto the dirt.

Overall, the EX handled everything well. It definitely excelled in the open, fast sections as well as rolling over any obstacle, and with the full suspension DRCV and full-floater feeling, it never felt like I was going to bottom out the suspension, even without having it properly tuned to my weight and riding style.

This was an aweomse day for me. I like the change of pace from road biking. Getting out into the woods, no heart rate monitor, no cadence sensor, no GPS and no worries except going as fast and hard as I could while still under control. Especially having some better technical riders in front of me, I was really pushing my limits to hang onto their wheels, which got me into some trouble a few times. Such as clipping my pedals on some rocks and knicking my handlebars on some trees. I never actually fell, but had a few good brushes with nature that gave my heart rate a good shock.

If you get an opportunity to get out riding in the woods, I highly recommend it. It really makes you appreciate biking all over again in a different light. It's also a good cross-training exercise since you're working lots of different muscles and working on your handling instead of just speed, pace, and cadence.

-Dave

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Injuries Suck

Being injured is a bitch. Sorry, it is. Especially when it's something small and seemingly insignificant.

After my monster 18.5 mile run a few weeks back, I headed out a few days later to do an easy 10 miler, and about 8 miles in, my calf seized up and told me to quit it, it was done and wanted to go home. I hobbled in the remaining two miles and was done running for over a week. Crap. I hate not running. Even if it's only 2-3 miles, it gets the blood flowing and my energy levels up in no time, and doesn't take much planning. Nothing like getting prepped to go out on the bike can be.

So it was back on the bike and in the pool for about two weeks. I wasn't sure what was going on, but the same thing had happened to me back in February. At first I thought it was lack of fluids, so I ramped up my water intake each day. That made me feel bloated, but still a little better. I spent extra time stretching and rolling out my calf as much as I could bare. It wasn't terribly painful, it was a deep dull pain, that on race day I would run through, but to train on it was a bad idea.

I tried as best as I could to stay positive until I could run again, looking at is as another good week on the bike. An area I can always keep improving upon. Especially as I start meeting new people to bike with through the bike shop. I'm hoping riding with some new people will push my game up to the next level. Running will fall into place with it, so long as I put in the miles.

It wasn't a bad injury for me, which actually made it even harder for me. Coming back from a broken bone or a surgery makes it a little easier to ease myself back in, but when it's a pulled calf or maybe a sore ankle, the waiting and resting it is infuriating. This was a great practice in patience and waiting for me. Something I'm not the best at when it comes to wanting to train.

-Dave

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Committed to Commuting

It's been a little while since I've posted anything, but don't worry, I've been keeping plenty busy. There's been work, training, sickness, injury, sickness, work, and just hanging out with my family. So life has been keeping me plenty full of things to do. The actual triathlon season is dwindling down and it is starting to give way to the cyclocross and running season. Not so great to be swimming in open water in the midwest anymore. Let alone getting in the water at a decent time.

One really cool thing about working for Trek Bikes at the bike store is that I actually get paid to commute by bike (or run or walk). It's one thing to be self-motivated to use it as a means to save the planet, save money, and/or get some good exercise. But when a company puts some money behind it, I say why not get on your bike and make some money doing it. So this month I have been extremely dedicated to making it happen. I've put in over 100 miles of commuting miles so far, and there's a week of work left for me.

Beyond the fact that I get paid, I actually use it as some solid training. My route is about 6 miles one way, which isn't short, but it isn't long either. It actually takes some work. The ride there is predominately up hill, so getting there on time, trying to get lights is always a battle. And to add insult to injury, I've added my own segments on Strava for a few places to really push myself. There is one spot that has a helix leading to a bike bridge that is a fun push up, and coming home, it works on my handling skills since it's not a perfect helix coming down, it curves, straightens, curves again then drops right into a busy street. Needless to say it's a fun white-knuckle section if you push it.

 

The long way home from work at night.

 

Commuting on your bike is a different state of mind. There are some days this month I've really wanted to just drive because I'm feeling lazy, but I push that out of my head as quickly as possible, because once I'm out on the road and can feel the air rushing by me, I'm in my element. The hardest part is just getting started. And also figuring out what to bring to eat that fits easily in my backpack.

If you live within a reasonable distance from work, why not give it a try? Especially in the dwindling season we have. Or even if you're still racing, it's a good way to pack on some extra miles on the bike. No mileage goes wasted, whether they're in zone 1 or zone 5, miles are miles.

-Dave

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