Wild Ride

Tyler and I are the only ones I know of who are brave enough to wrangle the race that left our father's butt severly bruised, and made a monkey out of Andrew last year.

We're going for the 100K. Why? Becuase we're crazy, that's why. Besides, Tyler is eager to get his training over with and start his 4 month taper and carb-loading routine before the HHH.

Let us know if you're planning on being there, wear your Team Lloyd Jersey, and we'll conqure this ride together!

Wild Ride Info

Coming Soon... REST STOP POWER!

Long-Distance Hydration Tips

As we all know it gets hot down here in Texas. And it gets especially hot during the Hotter N' Hell 100. So we need to make sure we learn to stay hydrated. Here are a few tips I've pulled together from a few different sources sited at the end of the post.

Pre-race:

• Start hydrating at least by the day before the event. You'll have to use the restroom a lot, but it will pay off during the ride.


• The morning of the race try to get about 12-16 ounces of fluid in you about 90 minutes before the start. Then start drinking as early as 15 minutes into the ride.


• Don't wait until you feel thirsty! Also, don't gulp a lot at a time, which could upset your stomach. Instead, sip small amounts (one or two mouthfuls) frequently.


• On a hot day drink about 1 quart per hour (about a bottle and a half)while riding and more at the rest stops.


• Avoid caffeinated drinks because they're a diuretic that promotes fluid loss.

Race:

• Eat and drink frequently. Reach for your bottle every 12-15 minutes and for your food every 20 minutes or so.


• Get enough salt. Cyclists who ride for hours in hot and humid conditions, or who tend to sweat heavily, run the risk of dangerously depleting their sodium level. A pound of sweat contains 400-700 mg of sodium. If a deficit occurs, the effects can include poor fluid absorption from the stomach, muscle cramps, and general fatigue. The best treatment is prevention - be sure your sports drink contains sodium. If you're the type of salty sweater who finds white streaks on your jersey after a ride, you may need a drink with more sodium. For extreme salt sweaters, try adding 1/4 teaspoon of salt to 16 ounces of sports drink (that's 600mg of sodium). Try this out during training, not at the race.


• Keep it cold. It's easier to drink frequently if you like what you're drinking and it isn't blisteringly hot. Hydrapaks can keep your fluids cold for a few hours if you add ice to them. Plus cold fluids empty faster from the stomach and help reduce body temperature.


• A few good sports drinks: Drinks such as Gatorade Endurance Formula and PowerBar Endurance contain extra electrolytes to help offset large sweat losses and may help prevent cramps. "The longer you sweat, the more electrolytes you lose," says Michael F. Bergeron, Ph.D. Researchers have found that the more salty drinks athletes consume, the less urine they produce and the fewer electrolytes they lose. Gatorade, PowerAde, Gleukos, Cytomax, and GU2O Sports Drink are a few more. Different brands use different forms of sugar, and some athletes find their stomachs can handle one type better than another, see what works for your during training. Again, DON'T TRY SOMETHING NEW THE DAY OF THE EVENT!

Post-Race:

• Recovery drinks, protein shakes, chocolate milk, smoothies. "Combining proteins with carbs increases glycogen stores in muscles and reduces the amount of muscle damage from exercise," says John Ivy, Ph.D., a professor of kinesiology at the University of Texas at Austin. Choose drinks or shakes, such as Myoplex Original, PowerBar Recovery, or Luna Sport Recovery Smoothie, that contain about a half gram of carbs and about .2 grams of protein per pound of body weight. These post exercise carbohydrate-electrolyte beverages replace lost fluid in the blood faster than pure water. To get the full benefits just remember you want a carb-rich sports drink that contains minerals such as sodium, chloride, and potassium.

A Note on non-liquid hydration aides:

Portable packets of gels, beans, chews, and tablets deliver sodium along with carbs to help keep you optimally fueled and well hydrated. Most of these products contain a similar mix of ingredients, so let personal taste preferences be your guide.

• PRODUCT: Gels WHAT YOU GET: Most one-ounce gels contain 100 calories; 25 g carbs; 40 to 120 mg sodium PROS: Easier to digest than bars. Some contain caffeine. The best taste like fruit jam. CONS: They can be messy and some runners don't like the consistency.


• PRODUCT: Jelly Belly Sports Beans WHAT YOU GET: Each one-ounce packet contains 100 calories; 25 g carbs; 60 mg sodium PROS: They are delicious and deliver an effective energy boost along with electrolytes. CONS: The package isn't as easy to handle as most gels.


• PRODUCT: Clif Shot Bloks WHAT YOU GET: Each serving size (3 Bloks) contains 100 calories; 24 g carbs; 70 mg sodium PROS: They're easy to chew. All three flavors are certified organic. CONS: The package isn't as compact as most gels, and the Bloks can be sticky to handle.


• PRODUCT: Super Bites WHAT YOU GET: Each tablet contains 15 calories; 4 g carbs; 5 mg sodium PROS: They're easier to eat than gels, dissolve quickly, and have no messy wrappers. CONS: It takes a lot of tablets to replenish carbs at the rate of 100 calories per half hour.


• PRODUCT: Lifexpand's Lyte'N Go WHAT YOU GET: Electrolyte Tablets Each tablet contains 13.4 calories; 2.8 g carbs; 5 mg sodium PROS: These chewable tablets are sugar-free and less messy than gels. CONS: Same problem as Super Bites (see above).

Drink Wisely By Marianne McGinnis

Have a Drink? By Sarah Bowen Shea

The complete book of Long-Distance Cycling

Hydration Helpers

Paul's Additional Hydration Wisdom:

Here is some other hydration information that is pretty good. It goes through the whole process. I've tried some of the Hammer products....Heed, Perpeteum, Edurolytes, and food bars. The Heed is pretty good not as sweet as gatorade or alot of others. The Perpeteum has some protein that you need for long, over 2 hour rides, or your body cannabilizes the muscle for fuel. The Endurolytes are electrolytes and seem to work well for the cramping problems that I've experienced. The food bars a much better than the power bars. I went about 45 miles last Saturday and didn't have any problems. I also used Recoverlite which is a Hammer recovery drink. The next day I didn't have near the soreness that I've experienced before. I'm going to keep trying them on the training rides. Anyway this was a pretty good hydration article
....Click Here

Nutrition Quick Tips

• If you need to make a midride fuel stop at a convenience store, these are among the best high-carbohydrate, low-fat snacks:

1. Fat-free pretzels


2. Fig bars


3. Milky Way and Three Musketeers (about 2/3rds of their calories come from carbohydrate)


4. Twinkies


5. Toaster pastries


6. Low-fat yogurt


7. Fresh fruit


8. Sports drink


9. Energy bars

• On long rides, conserve valuable muscle fuel (glycogen) by maintaining a steady spin. Accelerate smoothly, avoid blasting up hills, and don't try to stay with other riders who are faster than your best pace.


• Cut your bars and other food into bite-size pieces and store them in plastic sandwich bags. This makes it easier to eat while riding, particularly in cool weather when you're wearing long-finger gloves.


• The best place to keep food is in the rear pockets of your jersey, or in a handlebar bag if you're using one. Before reaching for the food, first grip the bar with one hand near the stem to reduce the risk of swerving. Nibble frequently while riding, then eat larger amounts when pausing at rest stops.


• The food or drink that tastes good and digests easily early in a long ride may not work nearly as well several hours later. Drinks, for example, tend to taste sweeter as a ride wears on. Consider diluting the concentration in the bottles you'll be using in the second half. Learn these things in training, and never experiment with new foods or drinks on the day of the event.


• You must eat and drink early and often. Never wait till you actually feel the need. For a reminder, get a sports watch that has a countdown timer. Set it for 15 minutes. Each time it beeps, take a big swig from your bottle and nibble some food.


• During cold weather, keep energy bars inside your jacket close to your body so they won't become hard and tough to eat.


• Consider using a backpack-style hydration system. a study found that cyclists are more likely to sip frequently from a tube over their shoulder than if they have to use frame-mounted bottles. They also have the added advantage of holding as much as 100 ounces and keeping fluid cool if ice is added.

CAFFEINE:

Well into a long ride, you may want to take a pill, energy gel, or drink a beverage that contains caffeine. This naturally occurring chemical is a central nervous stimulant that perks you up and causes your body to release more fat into the bloodstream. Fat can then be used for fuel by muscles, prolonging your precious glycogen stores. Experiment in training (not in important events) to learn how it works best for you.

ANTIOXIDANTS:

After decades of promoting the benefits of physical fitness, scientists are now warning of a link between exercise and the formation of free radicals. As cyclists, we ingest lots of free radicals - highly reactive, unstable, toxic molecules that are spawned by everything from the air we breathe to the pile of french fries to which we occasionally give in. Free radicals attack and damage the cell walls of the heart, muscles, and blood vessels. These cells' ability to function becomes impaired.

Why is all this important? Free radical damage has been linked to many bad things, including reduced endurance, muscle soreness, and several problems normally associated with aging - a weaker immune system, atherosclerosis, and Parkinson's disease.

Fortunately, our bodies are equipped to fight the ravages of free radicals with substances called antioxidants. They block or inactivate the dangerous molecular by-products and help repair cellular damage. But here's the catch: The more cellular activity there is, the more antioxidants you need.

What's the best strategy for fighting free radicals? First, eat lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. citrus provides vitamin C. Two or more servings per day of dark-green vegetables help supply beta carotene. fish and chicken are high in selenium. So are whole grains, which also provide zinc. vitamin E is found in wheat germ, nuts and sweet potatoes. [see D&C 89:10-21]

It may be difficult to consume enough of the foods that are high in antioxidants. Therefore, it's smart to take a supplement containing the vitamins and minerals mentioned.

Bicycle magine's The Complete Book of LONG-DISTANCE Cycling © 2000

100-Mile Training Plans

A few of you asked for some Training plans for the Century distance.

I've been reading a great book called; The Complete Book of LONG-DISTANCE Cycling by Edmund R. Burke and Ed Pavelka. In there they have some really awesome advice for training. I'll break it up into different posts, but they have the following plan for a century ride for riders at our level (sucky to moderately pathetic)

To quickly sum up, these authors believe that a secret to training for these long rides is of course miles and time on your bike, but more importantly interval type training to increase the recovery of your muscles and train your body to use less glycogen and more fat and carbohydrate to fuel your muscles. We'll get into nutrition on another post, but basically your body only has about 2 hours of glycogen stored in the muscles and once that's used up you start to bonk as your muscles stop working and your brain cries for nutrients (glycogen is what keeps the brain working).

Anyway, here's what they say about training for the 100:

"This training [century] calls for additional hard efforts plus group rides. You need to become comfortable around other cyclists. You also need to experience riding in a pace line, a great way to conserve energy without losing speed (or even to gain some). if you follow this schedule for about 8 weeks, adding the magic 10% time/distance increase each week by extending the Saturday ride, you should be able to complete a century with strength to spare."

Sunday: Day off

Monday: 75 to 120 minutes in zone 2, expect for 30 to 45 minutes of sporadic high zone 3 efforts in the from of short time trials, hill jams, pushing into a headwind, and so on.

Tuesday: Day off

Wednesday: 60 to 90 minutes in zone 2, except for one 30 to 45 minute interval in the low end of zone 3.

Thursday: Day off

Friday: 2 to 3 hours with a small group on flat terrain, using a fast pace line. Ideally, you will be at the higher limit of zone 3 much of the time.

Saturday: 2 hours in the hills, climbing in high zone 2 with short periods (2 to 3 minutes) in high zone 3. Between climbs, ride in the lower portion of zone 2

This book really promotes training with a heart-rate monitor and that's where they're getting these "zone" numbers. But here's what they mean:

Zone 1: A leisurely ride for recovery, "easy"

Zone 2: Matching the speed you want to maintain during the century, "pace"

Zone 3: Riding faster than century speed, "brisk"

Zone 4: All out, "relaxed sprint"

Paul has also sent me a good link to a web page article that has a training program for a century. Follow this link if you're interested in this style.

http://bicycling.about.com/od/trainingandfitness/a/century.htm

Either way you go here, you need to be riding your bike to get ready for this.

Drivetrain Cleaning

CLEANING YOUR BICYCLE
Most Cleaning can be done with soap, water, and a brush. Soap and water are easier on you and the earth than strong solvents, which are generally only needed to clean the drivetrain, if at all.
Avoid using high-pressure car washes to clean your bike. The soap is corrosive, and the high pressure forces it into bearing and frame tubes, causing extensive damage over time. If for some reason you do use a pressure washer, never point it toward the side of the bike, which can blow the bearing seals inward; instead, always point it in the plane of the bike.
The best way to set up your bike for cleaning is to put it in a bike stand. In the absence of a stand, you can hang the bike from a garage ceiling with rope. Not good? Turn it upside down so it rests on the saddle and handlebar. Alternatively, you can remove the front wheel and stand the bike on the fork and handlebar, but you’ll need to lean it against something, or it will pivot around its headset.
1. The wheels can be cleaned on the bike. Remove the wheels to clean the frame, fork and components.

2. After you’ve removed the rear wheel, if the bike has a chain hanger (a little nub attached to the inner side of the right seatstay, a few centimeters above the dropout), hook the chain over it If not, pull the chain back over a dowel rod or old rear hub secured in the dropouts.
3. Fill a bucket with hot water and dish soap. With a stiff nylon bristle brush, scrub the entire bike and wheels. Wash the frame first, and leave the chain, cogs, chainrings, and derailleurs for last.
4. Rinse the bike with water from a hose (low pressure) wipe it with a wet rag. Avoid getting water in the bearing of the bottom bracket, headset, pedals, or hubs. Note that most metal frames and forks have tiny vent holes in the tubes; these were drilled at the factory to allow hot air to escape during welding. The holes are often open to the outside on the seatstays, fork legs, chainstays, and seatstay and chainstay bridges. Avoid getting water in these holes. A piece of tape over the vent holes is a good idea, and leaving the holes permanently taped to keep water out is even better.

CLEANING THE DRIVETRAIN
The drivetrain consists of an oil-covered chain running over gears and through derailleurs. Sounds messy, doesn’t it? Well, it is. In fact, because the whole affair is generally exposed to the elements, it inevitably picks up lots of dirt.
The drivetrain is what transfers your energy into a bike’s forward motion, which means that you should clean and lubricate it frequently to keep it rolling well and to extend the life of your bike.
Fortunately, the drivetrain rarely needs to be completely disassembled for intensive cleaning. Regular maintenance can be confined to wiping down the chain, derailleur pulleys, and chainrings with a dry rag.
1. To wipe the chain, turn the cranks while holding a rag in your hand and grabbing the chain.


2. Holding a rag, squeeze the teeth of the jockey wheels between your index finger and thumb as you turn the cranks. This procedure will remove grease and dirt that has built up on the jockey wheels.


3. Slip a rag between each pair of rear cogs and work it back and forth until each cog is clean.


4. Wipe down the derailleurs and the front chainrings with the rag.

The chain will last much longer if you perform this sort of quick cleaning regularly, followed by lubricating it lightly and wiping it down again with a s clean rag after that (to lubricate, drip one drop of chain oil onto each chain roller from a squeeze bottle). You will also be able to skip the heavy-duty solvent cleanings that become necessary when the chain and cogs get really grungy.
You can also remove packed-up road grit from derailleurs and cogs with the soapy water and scrub brush. Note, however, that the soap will not dissolve the dirty lubricant that is all over the drivetrain; instead, the brush will smear it all over the bike if you’re not careful. To avoid this, use a different brush than the one you use for cleaning the frame. Follow the drivetrain cleanup with a cloth and wipe down.

CLEANING THE CHAIN WITH SOLVENT
When a chain gets really dirty, it must be immersed in solvent – a nasty task you can avoid by performing the regular maintenance just described. In fact, if you are sparing with the chain lube – if you only drip it on the chain rollers where it is needed rather than spraying it all over the chain – you can minimize, if not avoid, the need for solvent cleaning with its associated disposal and toxicity problems.
If you cannot avoid using a solvent, work in a well-ventilated area, use as little solvent as necessary, and pick an environmentally friendly mixture. There are many citrus-based solvents on the market that will reduce the danger to your lungs and skin and pose less of a disposal problem. If you are using a lot of solvents, organic ones such as diesel fuel can be recycled, which may be preferable to using citrus solvents, as long as you protect yourself from the fumes with a respirator. All solvents suck the oils from your skin, so be sure to wear rubber gloves, even with green solvents.
A self-contained chain cleaner, which is a rectangular box with internal brushes and solvent bath, is a convenient way to clean a chain, but it may not clean well deep inside the rollers. A nylon brush or a toothbrush dipped in solvent is good for cleaning cogs, pulleys, and chainrings, and it can be used for a quick cleanup of the chain as well. To clean a chain thoroughly, though, you must remove it and soak it in a solvent bath. WARNING: Modern ten-speed and even nine-speed chains don’t allow this approach, because each chain rivet is so short that it can pop out of a hole enlarged by removal and reinstallation of the rivet. That said, chains with master links, which are available for all chains, can be removed for cleaning without being damaged.

1. Watch this video to remove a chain with a master link:


2. Put the chain in an old water bottle about one-quarter full of solvent
3. Shake the bottle vigorously to clean the chain. Hold the bottle close to the ground and away from your eyes, in case it leaks.


4. Hang the chain to dry completely, especially inside the rollers.
5. install the chain on the bike (with a master lock):


6. Drip chain lubricant into each of the chain’s links and rollers as you turn the cranks to move the chain past the drip bottle. Drip lube on the moving chain by gently squeezing the bottle with the tip on each top edge of the chain for a couple turns of the crank on each side.


7. Lightly wipe down the chain with a clean rag to remove excess lubricant on the outside, where it is not needed. Don't forget to do this step! If you do forget, your chain will accumulate dirt and debris really quick.
8. After this sorry episode is concluded, wipe the chain and lubricate it after every ride to avoid another visit to solvent city. Keep dish gloves by your bike so you can do it quickly on your return from a ride without having to scrub dirty oil off your hands later.
You can reuse much of the solvent by allowing it to stand in a container over a period of days or weeks. Decant and save the clear stuff and dispose of the settled sludge.


This article was taken from the following book:
Zinn, Lennard. Zinn & The Art of Triathlon Bikes Aerodynamics, Bike fit, speed tuning, and maintenance. © 2007

Wild Ride 2008