ProLine Sports, Nutrition Blog

The Raunchy Race for Your Undercarriage

Where do I even begin with this list of chamois creams? It's a veritable smorgasbord of brands that seem determined to make you snort coffee through your nose when you read their names out loud.

Let's start with ASSOS Chamois Cream. With a name like that, you'd think it was formulated by some high-brow European cycling royalty who are far too sophisticated for potty humor. But we all know what a "chamois" really is - a fancy way of saying "butt rag." Maybe they should have called it "Fancy Pants Anti-Chafe."

Moving right along to Chamois Butt'r. Well, aren't they just getting straight to the point? No subtle innuendos here, just straightforward butt lube for when the miles start getting sadistically long. I don't think I'll be able to say that name with a straight face at my local bike shop.

Hoo Ha Ride Glide? Come on now, that's just taking things a step too far into the gutter. I get that it's a play on words comparing the female anatomy to cycling terminology, but whoever named this stuff had a good cackle over it, I'm sure. Makes you wonder if they initially wanted to call it "Taint Treat."

DZ Nuts cracked me up when I first saw it on the list. For the unfamiliar, DZ is how you'd denote "Deez" in a text message, making the brand name basically say "Deez Nuts." Classy! But hey, at least it's memorable for all the wrong reasons.

Finally, Button Hole Chamois Cream seems to be the tamest of the bunch by comparison. Just a straightforward name that makes you think of fragile threads being diligently lubricated for longevity. Although if I'm really being honest, any name with "chamois" in it is kind of inherently silly.

In the end, I have to give props to all these brands for their total lack of shame. They're just out there on the cycling store shelves, swinging their comically named undercarriage potions with reckless abandon. Part of me wants to be offended, but the bigger part of me is just impressed by the audacity. Wherever your next ride may take you, you can be sure there's a lubricated seat waiting with a legendarily laughable name.

Get all of them here through the end of April with an extra 40% off.

Love the Pain. Slap on PAINCAKES

PAINCAKES™ adhere and mold to skin for a hands-free cold therapy experience, revolutionizing the way cold therapy is applied to post-workout aches, pains. Patented Stick & Stay Technology™ delivers targeted relief from post-workout soreness. 

Cryotherapy is used by physical therapists, occupational therapists, hand therapists, athletic trainers, other rehabilitation professionals, as well as patients at home to reduce swelling and relieve pain without medication. When injuries occur, swelling sometimes follows. One of the best ways to both prevent swelling from happening and stop swelling already occurring is by the application of cold to the site of the injury. The use of cold material causes the blood vessels to constrict, allowing less blood to escape, and thus lessening the effect of swelling. Instead of using plastic bags full of ice water, consider the benefits of a high quality cold pack. The cold packs don't leak, they don't sweat, and they are usable over and over. Also, they apply an even level of cold without the discomfort that comes from ice cubes. PAINCAKES are both more comfortable and more effective at swelling prevention and treatment than traditional methods. Whenever pain and inflammation strikes, be sure to have your PAINCAKE ready to help control the pain and take the swelling away.  #PAINCAKES

Re-usable PAINCAKES are an effective cold therapy tool. Pliable and soft, and available in various colors, cold packs are durable and economic.  PAINCAKES™ is the world's first, patented, cold therapy pack that STICKS and has been featured in an exclusive limited-time Zulily event. PAINCAKES are reusable cold packs that stick and stay anywhere on the body. Available from ProLine Sports Nutrition and ships for free.

Who Can Benefit from the Sportlegs Supplement?

When it comes to exercise supplements, you have hundreds of products to choose from to solve each specific performance problem. Making it even more difficult is the fact that some companies only advertise their supplements work for certain types of athletes. Looking for a product that boosts your endurance performance regardless of whether you're running a marathon, cycling 100 miles in one go, or climbing a cliff side this week? Sportlegs is just what you need to control the burn in your legs during those most challenging moments.

Lactate Isn't the Enemy

Most athletes are well aware of lactic acid. This is a by-product of the breakdown of glucose, which your muscles use for fuel during intense activity. It's not the lactic acid itself that causes your muscles to burn painfully, but rather that it gets built up because the body can't flush it out as quickly. You do need some amount of lactic acid in your muscles to perform. Managing the amount of acid produced allows you to perform while reducing the discomfort you feel during training or a race. Sportlegs adds lactate to your blood stream to tell your body to wait longer before triggering a major flush of lactic acid.

Who Needs Sportlegs?

Since this supplement reduces pain caused by lactic acid buildup, any athlete that uses their legs can benefit from taking a few tablets an hour before an event begins. Some of the sports in which athletes can most benefit from Sportlegs include:

• Cycling
• Running
• Swimming, both racing and synchronized
• Hiking
• Climbing and rappelling
• Decathlons and triathlons
• Hockey and figure skating
• Rollerblading
• Speed walking
• Soccer
• Football
• Weightlifting
• Mixed martial arts and other competitive fighting formats
• Baseball
• Basketball

Uses for Sportlegs Outside of Athletics

While this supplement was obviously designed for both hobby and professional athletes, it also helps anyone who uses their legs on a daily basis for work. For example, linemen who climb dozens of power poles and towers a day will feel a lot less exhausted at the end of the day if they take Sportlegs in the morning. Even retail employees should keep a bottle on hand for those Black Friday sales and inventory overhauls that leave them walking dozens of miles a day around the store. Any kind of exercise can trigger soreness and burning due to lactic acid buildup, so you don't need to be a marathon runner to appreciate the effects of this safe supplement. If you have restless legs syndrome, you may also find Sportlegs a helpful way to reduce the cramping and sensations keeping you awake at night. It's well worth a try, especially when other treatments are failing to work or lose effectiveness over time.

Ready to give Sportlegs a try? We've got it here at ProLine Sports Nutrition. Whether you want to visit our store in person or prefer to shop online, we can supply you with all the performance supplements you need.

Not CrossFit, Cross Train

It seems the world of 20-30 somethings has been taken over by the 'sport' of crossfit. While I feel there is some merit in some of the things that go on in these gyms, I feel it is of little use to the vast majority of people out there. Especially us endurance athletes.

When you look at a lot of what crossfit WODs (workout of the day) are, they primarily focus around doing lots of olympic, full-body lifts in a short amount of time at high volume. I don't really understand the correlation here. The idea of doing some 25 deadlifts as fast as possible, I am not quite sure what the point of that is. I think the idea is great, but the execution is poor. Crossfit seems like a great way for people to get hurt.

To be honest, I would like to know how many of these crossfit 'teachers' have certification and are qualified to be 'trainers'. When I watch videos that are both on YouTube and from friends who go to crossfit classes, I see lots of things that just rub me the wrong way. The biggest thing being absolutely terrible form. It reminds me when I did a season coaching high school track. Many of the kids were solely concerned with how much weight they could move around, and not care about moving it properly. And honestly, it all came from their coaching. I sat in amazement as I watched the football coaches in the off-season getting these freshman boys in the weight room putting up as much weight as they could. They are just getting started and the coaches weren't concerned abou form, but more about gains. WRONG. The kids are still growing and their body is changing rapidly already...

Sorry, back to my point. So many of these crossfit videos I see, I see no emphasis on form and follow through, but all on how quickly the weight can move and how much you can move.

This is where I step back and concentrate on what I do and what I tell others. I would rather spend my time moving less weight properly than move more weight quickly, in poor fashion resulting in potential injury or long-term degradation and breakdown of my body. You see, when you are cross-training, the key focus, in my opinion, should be to build up that functional muscle and build/repair in the areas that we lack as endurance athletes. Much of my time is spent around the joints. Most of our sports are so one-directional in motion that we forget to move from one side to the other, creating a disproportionate build in muscle.

What we need in our cross training is to develop where we are under-developed and treat our weaknesses so we are more well-rounded. I see cross-training as injury prevention more than building up muscle. Yea, putting on some muscle weight is good and always a great thing to do, but cross-training should be looked at a vital way to make yourself a more well-rounded athlete by doing lifts and exercises properly and within control. Not full-body contortions to move a stupid amount of weight that results in injuries and a t-shirt for joining a crap gym.

-Dave

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Go Home Winter, You're Drunk

Where did Fall go? I mean seriously. It was cooling off for a couple weeks here in the Midwest and then all of the sudden there was snow and it was in the teens. No warning. Mother Nature gave us the middle finger and said "deal with it". So now what? I mean, my wife and I didn't even get a chance to get all the leaves off our lawn and I didn't get to do my final mow of the season. I am not going to lie, it was pretty depressing to not get that done. I was hoping to get in a few more cool rides through the dead trees, chasing daylight and some runs in the morning kicking the frost off the grass. But it seems like that will never happen now. We're dealt a cold hand of bitter temperatures and a dusting of snow that is not even impressive.

Alas, there is hope. For some of us at least. You see, to those who are dedicated to their sport find their way through the dark months of winter and keep pushing on, building, becoming stronger. Though, we all may not have the gear and gumption to ride or run outside, we bring our training inside to keep up with our necessary training. For some of us it's the adrenaline fix, the proverbial high we get from training. We need it. Without it we feel empty and shallow. Days off feel more like torture than some of the hardest training days.

If you're anything like me, though, I love running outside. There's something about the cold bite of the air as it dips below freezing that stings my lungs and makes me feel alive. It's one of those things that you either have or you don't. You can't teach yourself to love these winter months. You just have to learn to survive them. If you want some advice on how to get through them and see the light on the other end of the tunnel that is spring, stay positive. It's as simple as that. The harder you make these winter months, the longer it will feel. Take hold of the time you have around the holidays to spend with family and friends. Use them as motivation to help get you through as well.

If you really start to struggle with winter, never be afraid to take some time off. This is the best time of year to make the excuse and have it actually be worthwhile. Your body needs rest. But don't hang up the training completely. Give yourself that outlet. You need that fix. If you're a member of a gym, try out some classes. Spin classes are kind of lame in my book as I don't like the idea of spending time on a poorly designed bike that will never fit me properly, but it's a good way to take your mind off staring at a bike computer logging miles and recording heart rate data. Mix it up with some basketball or racquetball as well. Feel free to play some other sports that will still keep you active and putting in 'miles' without actually just running. You'll stay fit and be surprised how little fitness you will actually lose. At the same time, you will be building up those muscles around your joints that are often times forgotten in our endurance sports.

Don't look at winter as a time to dread, step back and look at it as a time to grow.

-Dave

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A peek at my last few weeks...

So I have been going at this being coached thing for a few weeks now, and it's been extremely rewarding. A few times it has been hard, but no matter what, I have felt like I have been doing things right. Sometimes getting training in can be tough with two kids and making sure I spend all the time I can with them and help out my wife as much as possible. Especially when she is doing most of the child care being on maternity leave.

Since starting my coaching with Patrick Brady Coaching, I have been all-in. Each workout has been performed to the best of my abilities to fit to the parameters of what has been laid before me. Whether it means pushing my limits or holding myself back. Below you can see an overview of my training and get just a little bit of an idea of how Training Peaks lays out when you are using their premium functions with a coach. Something I highly recommend.

For the most part, I can fit in one training session per day. Usually between 60-90 minutes. With the right game plan, this can work very well. But I have to show up every session and make it count. This week I have been fortunate to have some extra time with my wife traveling to see family with the kiddos I can fit in some extra sessions. I am paying for it on one end. Being extremely fatigued and wanting nothing to do but eat and sleep between sessions has been the norm.

Being the 'off-season' I have been able to concentrate on my weaknesses and having this type of feedback from each workout, my coach can really get into what I need to work on as we progress. For now, the sessions are very bike and swim focus with a few easy run sessions for building an aerobic base. Both my swim and bike sessions are leading with a good warm-up and lots of technique styled drills. For swimming I am doing much more kick drills than I ever had, and to have my CSS (critical swim speed) accounted for, he can build sets out on prescribed sets. Or as he puts it, efforts given for rest. Most of my sets are 'leave on 1:45' or something like that. Meaning, the harder I work in each rep of a set, the longer rest I get. On the other hand, for the bike he has had me doing a lot of technique drills. Mostly built around single leg isolated pedaling for 30-60 seconds each leg for 4-6 reps, as well as max cadence drills for 30-90 seconds with rest between. Not max effort and max cadence. The max cadence drills are built for building up the ability to spin naturally at a higher cadence, opening up my muscles to flow more oxygen instead of building up lactic acid so fast working slower and bigger muscles.

Needless to say, I have seen drastic improvements in just the first 2.5 weeks of training, even with no days off yet. Nothing necessarily in the form of speed, but my technique in swim and bike has come a long long way in such as short time. I am feeling much more well-rounded in those two sports and can feel these efforts are going to pay off in the long run.

-Dave

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Testing out the Trek Crockett

Let the Coaching Begin

Last year I talked about deciding on a coach and a little bit on how to go about doing it. This year, I have decided, myself, to ensure I can have the best year possible by spending a little bit of money to get my hands on a high quality coach. For me, the decision was pretty simple: Patrick Brady Coaching. Pat is a friend of mine and an established triathlete not only in the Madison area, but across the United States. He just recently became a pro after a long and hard fought year of training and falling just short on multiple occasions. Having recently raced his first race as a pro at Austin 70.3, he came home with a 12th place finish in his pro debut. Not too bad. Needless to say, he knows what's going on when it comes to coaching.

Being somewhat of a data geek myself, I was lead to him pretty quickly, and his analytical approach to training and racing is something reminiscent of my high school track coach. They way both of them break down training and races into a science helped me to lean towards Pat instead of some other, albeit amazing, coaches in the Madison area.

I just started up with his coaching a few days ago to start off the month of November, and already I can feel my motivation is much higher. The stakes are higher as well. I don't want to be wasting my money and both my and Pat's time by not being committed. So we're all in.

The first thing I have noticed about having a coach is just how organized I need my weeks to become. Before, I was somewhat haphazardly putting together my week of training, solely building it around my schedule for family and work, and honestly, what I felt like doing. Things have changed now.

This is now what my week looks like. Through Training Peaks, Pat is able to setup workout schedules for me in advance. This helps me to organize my week(s) and give him feedback right away should something not fit my schedule properly. Instead of being so focused on cramming in hard workouts as often as possible, I have this laid out for me, giving me a better macro view of my training setup. I lead into each day knowing exactly what I will be doing and won't miss a beat. If I do, I need to talk with Pat about getting things back on track. Should some family emergency arise or something with my gear, whatever it may be. I can have an open conversation about how to readjust my goals for the workout and/or week.

This feature above gives us the opportunity to see what the planned workout is vs what I am actually able to complete. Looking down at the micro view, I can see what I should be hitting for targets and how to go about doing them. As you can see in this session, my main set for swimming is 8x100 yards/meters (depending on the pool) at best effort on 20 seconds rest. There is a good amount of buildup into the main set to get my muscles loosened up and firing properly. Whereas before, I spent too much time in the main sets, and less on the warm up and cool down. Again, just cramming them in.

Pat is able to go in and build each day with notes and ideas for how the session should go, and once I complete the session, I come back and login to my Training Peaks account to log what I completed. As you can see above, I was planned for 1hr of training. However, it took me a little les than that to get through all 2,000 yards. I can also add comments once I am done to give Pat feedback about how I felt about the workout and note any sets he wanted recorded.

This is just the beginning. Expect to see more and more high quality data analysis in the days, weeks and months to come.

-Dave

My First Cyclocross Race: Full of lessons learned

Having spent only a couple hours on the Trek Crockett I had built up, I was 'ready' to try racing. Now, cyclocross racing is setup similar to road and mountain bike racing. You a grouped into categories by skill level. Cat 5-1. Cat 5 being beginners and Cat 1 being pros. I hesitated to do Cat 5 with my other racing background. I wanted to be with people who I knew could handle a bike and contemplated moving up to Cat 4. I'm not worried about getting on a podium at this point. Especially in a Cat 5 race. For me, this is all about experience.

So I lined up after a few warm-up laps where I adjusted my tire pressure and made a minor saddle change. The unfortunate thing about signing up for a race late is you get shoved to the back of the pack. Putting you at a disadvantage at the start. I was right in the middle as they only did two rows of call-ups and we had 4-5 rows once everyone was settled in. Right around 35 people in the group.

I was ready to go, ready to push the pedals, and finally the horn sounded for the start. My heart jumped and I was able to clip in pretty quick and turn the legs over. The start was up a slight climb into a hard right to left turn. I tried to fight towards the front right away to keep clear of those riders not able to handle their bike. I had one rider come in hard from the left, trying to push me off, so I just leaned right back in and sent him into the tape. That gave me a boost of confidence that I could handle anyone coming up on me if we started getting into it.

The first lap was a blur. I worked hard to try to keep the guys up at the head in sight. But once we got through 3/4 of the first lap, they were gone. I had to settle in and work, trying to pick off one rider at a time in front of me. I got stuck in a group of 2-3 guys who were clearly better at cornering than me, but couldn't handle my endurance when the course opened up. So it was a steady back and forth.

In the second lap, I was coming down a steep off-camber turn and got my rear wheel touched, sending me down. I was up quick and ran my bike up the short steep climb and back around the next before I got back on. Immediately I noticed that my shifter hood at been bent inwards, so I tried to push it back out as I rode. I made some headway, but clearly I needed to stop if I wanted it perfect. I decided not to and just kept riding, holding my position.

I came up to the first hill after my crash and shifted into my smaller gearing, and I heard the dreaded 'PING!' from behind me. It was my derailleur sliding into my spokes! SHIT! This meant in my crash, my derailleur hangar had bent and I now lost my climbing gear. This wouldn't be a big deal if I were running an 11-28, but I had my 11-25 rear cassette on, giving me an 11-23 setup for some short steep climbs. Two more laps, only having an 11-23, I just decided to hang on.

I stayed with the guys I was with and we pulled around a few people who blew their load early and moved forward. It was a good feeling.

When the announcer stated we were on our last lap, I tried to push. I gave everything I had at each hill, controlling myself but pushing my limits to move forward more and drop people behind me.

The downfall for me is I am built a little more to out-endure people rather than out muscle them in a short race. So only 30 minutes of racing doesn't quite lead to optimal results for my style of riding.

I finished the race in the middle of the pack and was really happy. I had lots of fun and knew I had a lot to improve upon before I raced again. One thing being my position on the bike. My setup was much to aggressive for my lack of bike handling capabilities.

-Dave

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Cyclocross Race Excitement!

What the heck is cyclocross?

Testing out the Trek Crockett

So my bike has been all built up, by yours truly, and is ready to roll. This was my first complete build from the frame up. The only thing I didn't do personally was install the headset. Something I still have yet to do. Bottom brackets and everything else don't phase me. Even doing internal cable routing is something I don't fear. Yea, I take much longer than a builder or bike tech, but knowing every piece on my bike has been laid by my own two hands is nice. It's a good accomplished feeling.

After getting a little help dialing in the front derailleur, I was ready to rip it. I set the bike up similar to my road bike, not quite as aggressive, but still rocking a -7 degree stem. So I went to take it out to do some off roading and see how it handled.

Despite having to work at 9:45, I was up early and at a local park that was hosting a cyclocross race the next day. I got the the park as the frost was starting to melt and the air was still crisp and cold. A perfect way to break in the bike.

Every Wednesday evening, a bunch of people in the area go out to the park and do cyclocross practice, so I could see where people had been riding and it gave me a good path to follow. I spent a little bit of time in the parking lot, getting ready and feeling out any kinks in the bike. I wasn't sure what to expect once I hit the grass.

I first headed up the hill away from the lot and got started. The bike definitely climbed better than a mountain bike, it still felt like a road bike, but just didn't have the get up and go like I am used to on the roads. Something I would have to adjust to.

After that, I headed into some descending. Right after heading up the hill, I was headed right back down towards a few turnoffs. A couple had 'no bicycles' signs so I tried to stay on path. The last thing I like to do is give cyclists a bad name, so I stayed where I knew I was ok riding, I think.

Coming down that first hill, unsure of my bike was a bit unnerving. The wind rushing past me and getting some good speed going I was a little scared, but I just let it fly. Having the disc brakes gave me a little more confidence as I headed into the first turn. I was able to slow down quickly and hit the first turn under control, and actually pretty slow.

I knew this would take some getting used to, but my tire pressure and control are two things I need lots of work on. Most of what I have heard is running 30psi or lower depending on the course and conditions is a good place to start. I was a little over 30 and felt ok. I am like most people and think that higher pressure means faster, but I quickly learned that to have confidence in a tight turning sport like cyclocross, running lower pressure is better to handle the corners more so than the straights.

I spent a couple hours practicing my turns and feeling out the bike, closed up shop and headed home to get ready for work.

-Dave

Building a Cyclocross Bike

A while back I mentioned and talked a bit about how cyclocross season was coming. Well, now it is here and in full swing all across the country. The cow bells are ringing and the vuvuzelas are honking. The frost and mud is being kicked up and we're all getting dirty.

I decided to jump in feet first and give it a go. Problem was, I didn't have a cyclocross bike. I have my road, triathlon and mountain bikes, but nothing sport specific for cyclocross.

What makes a cyclocross bike? Well, it's somewhat of a hybridization of a road bike and a mountain bike, but more of like a 70/30 split between the former and the latter. The look exactly like a road bike on the face, but a few minor tweaks make them much more usable on rugged terrain.

One of the biggest things you will notice first off is the amount of tire clearance. Depending on your braking style of choice (disc or cantilever, more later) you can choose from a wide assortment of tread patters and tire widths. Comparing these brakes to a road bike, the caliper style rim brake provides minimal clearance but gives a different braking feel and more aerodynamic setup. Aerydynamics aren't the end-all in cyclocross, so cantilever brakes are more than acceptable.

When it came to building up my bike, I decided to go the disc brake route. First off, I was looking for a complete build. But with the sport being so hot, and Trek carrying a very resonably priced line of offerings, the bikes I was looking for weren't to be found. Carbon sounded great, The Boone, but it was out of my price range. For the aluminum version, the Trek Crockett, I couldn't find the 9 anywhere in my size. The 7 was out of the question with it's mediocre SRAM Rival build, and the Crockett 5 was kind of sort of. I was going to be ok with the Shimano 105, but I liked the idea of Ultegra much better. And trying to get another wheel set and upgrade a few other components, the cheaper option was to build from the frame up.

 

Trek's Crockett Frameset

Above you can see the amazing colorway of the frameset I was stuck with. This is the cantilever version, but I opted for the disc version. Disc bikes, in general are a bit heavier, but I was looking beyond the weight when building so I could use this bike in inclimate weather and for gravel riding without worrying about my braking surface being compromised being so close to the ground.

 

For the build I decided to go with everything Shimano Ultegra on the drive train. For the wheels I went big with the Bontrager Affinity Pro wheels. They are lightweight, stiff and have reinforced spoke nodes on the rim, something a bigger guy like me likes to hear.

 

Bontrager Affinity Pro Disc TLR

Overall, the build of the bike is one of the best setups I could imagine. I contemplated going with a SRAM drivetrain, something like Force CX1, their 1x11 drivetrain, but I just wan't sure about doing that right off the bat. Now having ridden more, I can definitely see a 1x11 as a great option for the sport. The other feature I could see being beneficial here is Di2 from Shimano. Whether it's Ultegra or Dura Ace, the electronic shifting would be nice as cables get banged and dirty, even though there are no exposed cables on the bike, having a lever swing can be a little troublesome.

 

I'll tell you more about my bike as I go into my first couple races in the next posts.

Dave

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