So, for this evening's post I originally planned to talk about resolutions. But, after some deliberation, I decided to save that cliché for tomorrow. Tonight I wanna talk about what we will all have tomorrow. That's right, this post is about hangovers! (no, I'm not talking about illegitimate children or STDs... I hope my readers have some class!)
Almost everyone of age will have at least one glass of champagne this evening, and those of us who have... *ahem* ...a few more might wake up feeling a little rough tomorrow morning. Which could put off your New Year's Resolutions even further! Well, I would say just be responsible, but what's life without a little vice?
Now obviously you have to be smart, if not responsible. Things like drinking water, taking it slow, and not mixing beverages of choice are solid ways to not feel like your head is on an elevator tomorrow. Get some sleep, eat a big greasy breakfast, and go get on with your life!
As a 24 year old and having gone to UW, I have experienced my fair share of hangovers. Now, as a professional athlete, I have commitments bigger than just showing up for class, I've gotta perform physically 19 out of 20 days! What it comes down to for me is this; when you're hungover, you still have to do everything you've committed to, you'll just not want to do them. Get up, get it done, its the only thing that will make you feel better.
However, your track workout will go a lot better if you don't polish off a 5th of Maker's Mark the night before, so think about what you've gotta get done tomorrow, and keep your debauchery as a once-in-a-while thing. Go have fun tonight, but remember your commitments! Until tomorrow, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!
Monday, December 31, 2012
Sunday, December 30, 2012
PowerBar Top-5
As a challenge to myself to bring in 2013, I have decided to write one blog post a day for one month straight. I think this will get me back in the rhythm of blogging more, so that you all can enjoy my steady stream of ranting BS....
In all seriousness, lately I have been slacking in my professionalism; not only in training, but in my commitments and in life in general. Well, I'd say the New Year is a good time to change that, but why wait until Tuesday?? Lets get started now!
To kick this off, I am going to fulfill a sponsor requirement for PowerBar, one of my sponsors for 2012 and 2013. For those of you who aren't familiar, PowerBar is one of the leading companies in the sports nutrition industry. I am glad to have them on board, both because their logo looks SICK on my race kit, and because their patented blend of glucose and fructose (called C2 Max) is shown to deliver 20-50% more energy to working muscles. I will spare you the biochemistry lesson and get down to my favorite things to snarf before, after, and during training!
#5: S'mores Triple Threat Bar
Ok, seriously, I don't feel like I need to go into a lot of detail here. You read the word s'mores, you're already sold. I use these for a quick snack while at work or on the go. They taste great, and with protein and the C2 blend of carbohydrates, they keep you going longer than a candy bar, and taste even better.
#4: Peanut Butter Performance Energy Bar
When I found out PowerBar had their classic bars in peanut butter flavor, the fat kid inside me wiped his Kool-Aid stained mouth with a sweaty hand and jumped up and down with delight... for a few seconds before he got tired. Anyway, I carry at least one of these on any ride longer than 40 miles, and scarfed 2 of them in my last HalfRev race. Again, energy that works, but also tastes great.
#3: Cola Energy Blasts
From the time I first started cycling as a sullen 15 year old, my Dad always taught me that there is no better way to stave off a bonk or bring you back from the dead than an ice cold, real Coke. Well, Dad, I beg to differ. Cola Energy Blasts from PowerBar have that same coke taste, C2 Max blend, as well as caffeine to jump start your dead batteries. A word to the wise; when taping these to your top-tube for a race, consider keeping them in their packaging when in Dallas in June... cleanup gets a little, well, sticky.
#2: Dulce de Leche Protein Plus Bar
Yep, you read that right. Not only does it taste like dulce de leche, its got 30 grams of protein to rebuild muscle, stabilize blood-sugar, and keep you satisfied after a workout or for a meal on the go. More importantly for me, its got a nice chew to it. I don't know about y'all, but I like a protein bar that has just the right amount of chewiness, somewhere between shoe leather and phyllo dough...
#1: Strawberry Banana Energy Gel
So you get this gel from a vendor at a race right. Its last minute, you tell him your with PowerBar so he hooks you up, and you end up taping it to your top tube along with four of its brothers. At mile 15 on the bike, you throw one down and think you've been given a frozen yogurt with EPO in it... and you pretty much have... minus the EPO, and add some caffeine and C2 Max... Well, that's a nice story, and that's how it happened to me (and its been love ever since!), but don't wait for your next race, go out and buy some now!
Well, this is just a fraction of the great products offered by PowerBar. Check out my favorites at powerbar.com and let me know what you think of them. Feel free to add a few of your favorites to this list and spread the word! Until tomorrow, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!
In all seriousness, lately I have been slacking in my professionalism; not only in training, but in my commitments and in life in general. Well, I'd say the New Year is a good time to change that, but why wait until Tuesday?? Lets get started now!
To kick this off, I am going to fulfill a sponsor requirement for PowerBar, one of my sponsors for 2012 and 2013. For those of you who aren't familiar, PowerBar is one of the leading companies in the sports nutrition industry. I am glad to have them on board, both because their logo looks SICK on my race kit, and because their patented blend of glucose and fructose (called C2 Max) is shown to deliver 20-50% more energy to working muscles. I will spare you the biochemistry lesson and get down to my favorite things to snarf before, after, and during training!
#5: S'mores Triple Threat Bar
Ok, seriously, I don't feel like I need to go into a lot of detail here. You read the word s'mores, you're already sold. I use these for a quick snack while at work or on the go. They taste great, and with protein and the C2 blend of carbohydrates, they keep you going longer than a candy bar, and taste even better.
#4: Peanut Butter Performance Energy Bar
When I found out PowerBar had their classic bars in peanut butter flavor, the fat kid inside me wiped his Kool-Aid stained mouth with a sweaty hand and jumped up and down with delight... for a few seconds before he got tired. Anyway, I carry at least one of these on any ride longer than 40 miles, and scarfed 2 of them in my last HalfRev race. Again, energy that works, but also tastes great.
#3: Cola Energy Blasts
From the time I first started cycling as a sullen 15 year old, my Dad always taught me that there is no better way to stave off a bonk or bring you back from the dead than an ice cold, real Coke. Well, Dad, I beg to differ. Cola Energy Blasts from PowerBar have that same coke taste, C2 Max blend, as well as caffeine to jump start your dead batteries. A word to the wise; when taping these to your top-tube for a race, consider keeping them in their packaging when in Dallas in June... cleanup gets a little, well, sticky.
#2: Dulce de Leche Protein Plus Bar
Yep, you read that right. Not only does it taste like dulce de leche, its got 30 grams of protein to rebuild muscle, stabilize blood-sugar, and keep you satisfied after a workout or for a meal on the go. More importantly for me, its got a nice chew to it. I don't know about y'all, but I like a protein bar that has just the right amount of chewiness, somewhere between shoe leather and phyllo dough...
#1: Strawberry Banana Energy Gel
So you get this gel from a vendor at a race right. Its last minute, you tell him your with PowerBar so he hooks you up, and you end up taping it to your top tube along with four of its brothers. At mile 15 on the bike, you throw one down and think you've been given a frozen yogurt with EPO in it... and you pretty much have... minus the EPO, and add some caffeine and C2 Max... Well, that's a nice story, and that's how it happened to me (and its been love ever since!), but don't wait for your next race, go out and buy some now!
Well, this is just a fraction of the great products offered by PowerBar. Check out my favorites at powerbar.com and let me know what you think of them. Feel free to add a few of your favorites to this list and spread the word! Until tomorrow, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Cancun
Almost 2 months ago (I know, I know super late as usual) I went to Cancun for my first World Cup
race. I was excited about this race for a number of reasons; first off, I
wanted to redeem myself after Buffalo. Also, it was a sprint race on a fast
course, and most importantly, it was in Cancun!!
I don’t need to sit here and rub it in your face with fall
already here and winter well on its way… but I am going to anyway! Cancun is
gorgeous if you haven’t heard, I literally felt like I was in a postcard the
whole time. White sand beaches giving away to clear blue water, palm trees, and
warm breezes welcomed us as we landed.
The airport proved to be a lot nicer than Mazatlan (go
figure!) and my parents were tempted by some slippery dude trying to give us a
tour of his hotel, as well as like 7 bottles of tequila, a free day at a spa,
and a free stay there next time we come. Do you smell that bull sh*t? Maybe its
just our generation who has been getting spam emails from the time we were 14, but I am so skeptical of anything like this that sounds too
good to be true… Find some other white people to scam,
dude. Traveler’s tip: When in Cancun, if anyone asks, tell them you’ve already
been there, and that you don’t want to tour their damn hotel! Ok, done ranting.
We stayed at an all-inclusive resort, which was very nice
and perfectly located, if the room was a bit musty. The pre-race meeting was on
Friday, and as always it was good to see my triathlon buddies. Saturday I swam
the course, got a step count on the entry, walked transition, and took a couple
laps on the bike course. The water was very clear and not very deep. Watching
fish swim away as my shadow passed overhead, I now know how hawks must feel
when they fly over mice.
This course familiarization is always an important
preparation for me. I like knowing where I am going to race, even more than who
I am going to race. To quote Frederich the Great, “It is pardonable to be
defeated, but never surprised.” I definitely do not want to be surprised by the
course on race day, although your opponents will always surprise you, one way
or another.
After an easy bike to the hotel (which was only about 2
miles away!) and an easy jog, we ate dinner and were actually able to watch the
Huskers play Ohio State! And it wasn’t even in Spanish! Tragically, Nebraska
did not execute as they should have.
Their head coach, Bo Pelini, always talks about “executing,”
which to me means focusing on doing your job and letting the chips fall as they may. I like this idea, control what you can and don't dwell on what you can't.... and fortunately for me I do not have to rely on 10 other guys on the field to
also execute!
Race day I was actually up early since the race started at
11. I had breakfast and biked down to the course. After watching the women (but
mostly Flora Duffy, whom I’ve realized I have a huge junior-high crush on…)
swim I took a light jog and did a few strides. I watched the women finish and
headed down to the water to double-check my step count and warm up.
Since I have no WTS points, I my number was 50, and I had to
start way off to the right. This meant I had to fight the current to get to the
first buoy, and was not ideal. It also means you can see me at the start, I am
the big gringo in red! Click below for a 3 minute video recapping the race, I've got a couple nice cameos in there, but *Spoiler Alert!* I don't win....
My step count proved solid and I had a great swim to the
first buoy. I was leading the
group to the right, you can see me in like 2nd or 3rd
place in the video, but coming into the buoy the current pushed everyone into
me and I got tangled in the melee. After this, I stuck with the pack and
finished out the swim just hard enough to make the pack.
And make the pack I did! I executed, Bo Pelini would be so
proud! The first kilometer out of transition I pushed my way up to the front of
what had become a massive group. I found myself behind Joe Maloy, and figured
that meant I was in pretty good position.
I think of Joe sort of like my triathlon older brother, largely
because he has been at all the ITU races I have, so he’s been there for my
“growing up” in the sport. I remember the first time I made a pack, in Dallas,
and I caught up to him, grinning like an idiot. Just like my real older brother Will when I told him I'd lost my virginity, Joe gave me a nod and a smile like, "Yeah, its pretty cool huh?"
So there I was, grinning like an idiot again, racing in
paradise, taking a few pulls at the front in a pack loaded with Olympians and
WTS racers. How do you know when you’ve made it? I don’t know, but I feel like I could see it from there. I was living the dream.
Yes, the run was decent, but it was not what I should have
gone or even close to what I wanted to go. Sure, it was hot and humid, but what
it really came down to was losing position into transition (say that 5 times
fast!) and not packing up with the right guys. Still, I look at this race as a
success. I executed everything to plan. I placed top 40 at my first World Cup
which means I got points, and I PR’ed on a sprint course (56:28) and it was in
freakin’ Cancun!
After a couple more days relaxing on the beach drinking Dos
Equis we came home, back to fall weather, and back to training. I did one more race this season, a Rev3 in Florida. I will give a brief recap on that, and then a season recap and a plan for next year! Until then, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!!
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