Tips and tricks to survive the Hotter ‘n Hell bicycle ride!

Here are some tips and tricks that have worked for the Wheelbrothers over the years. 

We are recreational riders, so if you have other tips and ideas that work for you, please add them in the comments below!

 

1. SLEEP!!!! Make sure you get plenty of sleep from Thursday to Friday night.  The night before the ride folks usually have a hard time sleeping.  So make sure you give your body the maximum amount of rest you can.

2. Pack your gear the night before the ride:  Logical right?  You’d be surprised how many riders freak out in the morning because they realize they left that extra tube at home or are missing their socks. This year we’ll leave at 6:15am… so make a list and check it twice…

Quick Checklist:
– Bike
– Helmet
– Headband/do-rag
– Gloves
– Shoes
– Socks
– Bottles (filled with water)
– Heartrate monitor/GPS/whatever you use
– Sunscreen
– Extra tubes, patch kit, emergency bike tool
– Gu/Shotblocks/whatever you eat during the ride

3. Talking about tubes, make sure you have at least two extra tubes with you on this ride. For some reason, the combination of heat and awesome Wichita Falls road conditions is really tough on them.

4. Whatever you do, do not wear underwear under your riding shorts.  It’s a ‘sensitive’ subject but we speak from experience when we say that saddle sores, ingrown hairs and blisters full of puss… well, you get the picture. Some of the real manly guys use Chamois/Butt Butter.  Yeah, yeah… but it works!

5. Sunscreen: You are going to be in the sun for at least 5 hours or longer at 100+ degrees.  Nuff said.

6. Don’t listen to one of the Wheelbrothers called Wade.  There are more then one gears on your bike. Use them!

7. Find a great group to ride with and draft, if you are experienced enough to do that. Remember to ask for permission to do so before hand. 99% of the time it’s fine but there are anal retentive goobers everywhere. (See the Wheelbrother jerseys? Introduce yourself and come and join us!).   Tip from ‘Mountain Valley Bicycle Racing’:  Don’t be ashamed to suck a little wheel and latch onto a good group, at any time. Just don’t ride tempo or into your red zone. Back off and find another if too fast for you…no shame.

 

8. Draft wisely: If you do not know the folks you are drafting of, be careful. Figure out if they know what they are doing and if they can hold a steady lane.  If not, the potential couple minutes you are shaving of your overall time, might not be worth the road rash.

 

 

9. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate: Read yesterdays story on hydration to survive the HH100.

10. Don’t over-hydrate.. Okay, so a second ago I tell you to drink.. now I’m telling you not to? Wrong. Some really smart folks have figured out you can actually drink to much. Follow the two/three bottle rule from yesterday and you should be fine, just be careful not to over do it!

11. Let’s talk cramps: There are some folks that swear by pickle juice, others LOVE their Mustard and then there are folks that swear by ‘Tums’ or a product called SportLegs?!… Looks like all groups are on to something. Though little research has ‘officially’ been done anecdotal evidence is significant on all of them (for more info read the links). Mustard info,  Pickle Juice info,   little info on Tums I could find.  Some people like Wheelbrother Michael SWEAR by Tums, Big Ken uses SportLegs, Ryan our triathlete loves his pickle juice.  Now, do NOT make this a ‘habit’ just be aware that this MIGHT help and feel free to try it. Do so at your own risk…

12. Squirt water on your head. Yes, dowse the old noggin which will bring an initial and immediate blast of relief. Next, the evaporation effect will continue to help keep you cool, as the water dries by carrying heat away from your body as you continue to ride. Make use of the ice towels they are handing out at the rest stops and put some on your neck. Or you could go really fancy and get you one of these cooling vests!

13. Nutrition, Nutrition, Nutrition:  Make sure to eat about 100-200 calories every 30-45 minutes.  Graze at the rest areas and don’t forget to chow down on a gel/shotblock/stinger every hour you are out on the road.

Most of all- Keep your head up and have a great time!!!

ENJOY the ride.  Don’t take it to serious and relish in the experience of riding with 13,000+ other riders in the 30th year of Hotter ‘n Hell.

Make new friends and most importantly, if you see one of the Wheelbrothers say ‘Hi’!!!!

Oh… and of course – LIKE us on Facebook 😉

How to hydrate properly during the Hotter ‘n Hell, Texas bicycle ride!

This is one of the hottest summers on record in ‘recent’ Texas history and you need to prepare well for Saturday’s Hotter ‘n Hell bicycle ride. Last year Brad our team Doctor (Okay, so he is a Doctor that happens to be a Wheelbrother) wrote a great guide on how to properly hydrate for the race. I’m republishing it this week since nothing essentially changed – well, except it being HOTTER this year and the start of this years race being at 6am vs. 7:05a.

HydrationBrad please educate us on how to properly hydrate:

There are a lot of prevailing theories on how best to hydrate for an event such as the HH100 so let’s break it down into its simplest terms:

1. It’s all about the day before:  hydrate your brains out 24 hours before the ride.  Use water or electrolyte solution.  If you are not drinking, then your not allowing the individual cells to retain the fluids that it will desperately need.

2. Avoid all caffeine for 24-48 hours prior to the ride.  Remember that caffeine is a mild diuretic (makes you urinate more) and obviously this is the opposite of what we need to be doing.

3. Take a multivitamin the day before and the day of the race.  If you cramp often, consider adding an OTC potassium tablet (8-10 meq should do) the day before and the day of your race.

4. Complex carbs the day before the ride to eat (pasta, rice, pizza).

5. Hydrate during the race.  I have observed that most riders under hydrate.  I plan on stopping at mile 25-30, 50, 70, and 90 miles.  Bring 3 bottles with you and make sure they are gone before you get to the rest stop.  The desire to drinkdecreases as your cardiac output increases so you have to remember to drink.  What’s the best solution?  There is great debate on this one but water vs electrolytes is probably a wash.  During extreme conditions (of which this will be) electrolytes show a 3-4% improvement in performance in elite athletes only (and we ain’t that except for Ron — Cat Racer extraordinaire).  I start out with 2 waters and one Gatorade and after the first stop I switch to 1 water and 2 gatorades.  Why?  Electrolyte solution doesn’t quench your thirst like water does and therefore your more likely to drink.  Also,  you’ll need the calories during a long event like this.

6. Are you urinating?  If the answer is no, then significantly increase the volume.  I want everyone screaming they have to pee at that first rest stop.

7. Pickle juice?  A trendy pick and has some merit but I wouldn’t try it for the first time on ride day.  It may upset your stomach and that is NOT where you want to be.  Also, it tends to turn off the desire to drink more.

8. Kick some ass…

 

Thank you Brad for clearing this up!

Tomorrow, we’ll publish a little guide with tips and tricks that work for some of the Wheelbrothers but which are NOT scientifically proven and should never be interpreted as sound medical advice.

Be also aware to not OVER-hydrate… try to find BALANCE in your approach (more to come on that topic)

 

In the meantime a quick video by Chris Carmichael – Lance Armstrong’s trainer on hydration for cyclists under ‘regular’ conditions:


 


Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes

Nick Clayton, MS, CSCS, MBA

Owner, NJC Fitness Solutions, www.njcfit.com

Fueling for endurance athletes is critical, not just in the days leading up to a race but throughout your training.  Food should be thought of as fuel for the body and periodized, or scheduled to meet the changing needs of your training plan.  This article will discuss the concepts of fueling your training and some general fueling and hydration strategies.

Periodized Training

A training program should be broken down into cycles throughout the year, allowing you to peak for a given event, maximize results, and prevent overuse injury.  In general, a periodized program looks like this.

Sample Training Year

General Conditioning

Specific

Race Prep

Race

Recovery

Weeks 1 — 40

41 – 45

45 — 47

48 – 52

 

Fuel During General Conditioning — focus of this phase should be low-moderate intensity, building an aerobic base, and maintaining or decreasing body weight.

  • Eat 5-7 grams per kilogram of bodyweight (to find kg’s, divide weight in lbs by 2.2).  For longer duration training (>4 hours day) bump the carbs up to 10 g/kg.
  • Protein:  1.2-1.7 g/kg
  • Fat:  0.8-1.0 g/kg

Let’s say you train 1-2 hours 3-4 times per week and train longer on weekends.  Eat the 5-7 g/kg carb count during the weekdays and bump your carb count up to the 10 g/kg on the weekends.

Fuel During Intense Race Prep Phase — Multi-day race, Ironman, Adventure Race

  • Carbs:  7-13 g/kg
  • Protein:  1.4-2.0 g/kg
  • Fat:  0.8-3.0 g/kg

Fuel During Intense Training/Racing — Multi-day race, Ironman, Adventure Race

  • Carbs:  5-10 g/kg
  • Protein:  1.2-3.0 g/kg
  • Fat:  0.8-3.0 g/kg

Fueling Your Ride

  • Eat a high carb meal 4 hours before your training session (longer than 2 hours in duration) consisting of 1-4 g/kg of carb and moderate protein.
  • Drink 15-30 oz of fluid 2 hours before training, 7-10 oz of sports drink 15 min before training, consume 30-60 g/kg of carb per hour of training, drink 7-10 oz every 15 min of training.
  • Recovery:  Within 30 minutes of finishing your session (lasting >90 minutes) eat 1-1.2 g of carb and 10-20 g of protein.  At 2 hours, eat 1-1.2 g/kg of carb with moderate protein and low fat.

General Nutrition Tips

  • Choose foods high in phyto-nutrients, beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, and zinc to support your immune system.  Carrots and sweet potatoes contain beta-carotene; vitamin C is found in oranges, kiwis, strawberries, and grapefruit.  Vitamin E is found in dark green leafy veggies, nuts.  Zinc is found in red meat, poultry, beans, nuts, whole grains, and dairy.
  • Choose poly and monounsaturated fats.  Choose olive oil, avocados, salmon, mackerel, tofu, almonds, walnuts, flax products, and canola oil.
  • Use a generic multivitamin with no more than 100% daily value for nutrients.  Fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) are stored in the body and can become toxic.  Same goes for iron.
  • Try new foods early on in training program.  Determine what foods work best for you individually.

—

Have questions or comments?

Just leave a reply below and Nick will answer you in one of his next columns!

The 2011 Goatneck – Cleburne, Texas Bicycle Ride Report

When we talk about the best bicycle rides in Texas, no conversation would be complete without mentioning “The Goatneck”.  It is a must do for any cyclist in the North Texas area and has become legendary for the riders of the Wheelbrothers.

For this years Wheelbrother experience see below:

 

 

The Goatneck is a fascinating tour through the Texas country side with lots of scenery, good rolling hills (especially on the 70 mile route) and great ride support.  The ride got its name from an area about 25 miles south west of Cleburne and we interrupt this cycling report for a quick history lesson:

 “Clem Pierce (C.A. Pierce), one of the early settlers of this Texas area, was asked to describe the piece of land for one of the legal documents necessary to the transfer.  According to legend, he said “It’s just a little ole goats neck out in the cedar brakes along the river.”  The name stuck, and goat’s neck eventually became the Goat Neck.” – Steve Bell, Johnson County History Book (Click here: http://www.ldpierce.com/goatnecktx.html for more fascinating reading)

Continue ride report:

2011 was the 24th year of the Goatneck bicycle ride and we had about 8 Wheelbrothers partake in this year’s fun.  Like the years before it was well supported and lots of great volunteers came out  and made sure riders stayed hydrated, fed and most importantly ‘safe’.

When we arrived in Cleburne, lots of volunteers made sure you got in quickly and are parking in the designated areas.  If you got there late you had to park a little further out, so I’m definitely missing the field right across the street from the Baseball field that we were able to park on in years past (Yes, I would be one of those ‘late’ folks).

Registration was a breeze but we’ve heard some folks commented, that they wished for a bag to carry the shirt and bottle in. I suggest putting the shirt inside of the bottle but that’s just me 🙂 !  Another comment I heard, was that this year there were no Small or Medium T-shirts available, which was a bummer since not all folks are built like big Ken, Dieter or Eugene.

The race itself is genius and has lots of great volunteers making sure you don’t miss a turn (yes, we can’t say enough about the folks who came out and suffered STANDING in that heat, making sure we would not lose our way) and the Cleburne Police Department was out in force waving us through intersections and re-routing traffic.  As said before, all of the MANY rest stops were well organized and well stocked with cookies, fruit, fluids and lots of shade tents.  Medical support was also widely available.

The good folks from Richardson Bike Mart and Spokes Bicycles Shop (Those are the ones I took notice of, there might have been more) were out there giving ride support, fixing flats, derailleurs and whatever needed fixing (Check for Eugene’s experience in the video).

What we love about this ride is that it has something for everyone.  If you are a CAT1 racer and want to use this as a training ride, you can do that.  Once you are through the initial right turn, folks are flying and the race is on!  However, if you are a recreational rider trying to see if you are ready for Hotter than hell, you can do that as well.  Actually, consensus is that this ride might be tougher then Hotter than Hell due to the hills.

After the ride we were able to chat with Brad Mead one of the Ride Directors for the Goatneck Bicycle Ride:

 

 

Like every year, this years ride was in the TOP 3 must do bicycle rides in Texas and we are looking forward to the 25th annual Goatneck Bicycle ride in Cleburne, Texas in 2012!!!

Please make sure to comment below on your experience this year and send us your pictures and videos from this years ride so we can add them at the bottom.

Cycling tour: My first century – the Trek 100 in Waterloo, Wisconsin

Author: Matt Leuck
Website: http://euclidsbridge.wordpress.com
Ride: Trek 100 in Waterloo Wisconsin

It’s a bit late but I don’t think I ever completely documented this experience, which has been one of my favorite bike weekends ever. In a way this might be more of a bike weekend report, but there are bikes all the same.

Last winter a friend called me and asked if I wanted to do a bike ride with him and some friends. “Sure, sounds great… what’s the catch?”
“Well, it’s in Wisconsin (where his sister lives) and its 100 miles…  but it’s put on by Trek and there’s always free goodies.”
“Well, I’ve been wanting to do my first century for a while now. What the hell, I’m in.”
“Ok, it starts at the Trek headquarters in Waterloo and heads out and back across the rolling Wisconsin countryside. Oh and bring your appetite, because the aid stations are out of this world and there’s free beer!”

About that time I finished up my new bike build (Masi 3VC Carbon, SRAM Rival, etc).  Fast forward to June and it’s time to head out.

Mash Road Bike

Broken down and ready to ship:

I packed up my gear and sent it up to Revolution Cycles in Madison, WI. Great shop, great people and they held on to all of my stuff for me until I got in town. By the way, would you believe that on American Airlines, when a flight attendant asks you to take the bike helmet that’s attached to your backpack via carabiner and put it in the overhead bin they will NOT allow you to just put it on your head. Apparently in this context the helmet is just too unsafe. Anyway, here’s a cool shot of Revolution:


To read the rest of the report click here

(more…) “Cycling tour: My first century – the Trek 100 in Waterloo, Wisconsin”

Arlington Hike and Bike Plan officially passed!!!

Cycling in Texas is getting better - bit by bit!

 

Today the City of Arlington officially passed the Hike and Bike plan!

A huge ‘Thank You’ goes out to all of the folks that supported this effort and we definitely want to give MAJOR kudos to the folks from Bike Friendly Arlington.  These folks worked tirelessly rounding up support for the plan and their lobbying of City Council members was vital in getting this plan passed.

Thank you also to District 2 Councilwoman Sheri Capehart, District 4 Councilwoman Kathryn Wilemon, District 5 Councilwoman Lana Wolff, District 6 Councilman Robert Shepard and District 7 Councilman Jimmy Bennett who voted for this plan.

While it is not the ‘ideal’ plan, it is a ‘great’ first step and a major victory for ALL citizens of Arlington.

 

Read more about the council meeting, plan and an interview with Gregg Collins in the UTA Shorthorn > HERE <

Option C which was approved and will now be implemented as a quick overview can be seen > HERE < – 1 PDF Page

The Arlington Hike and Bike Plan that has been signed into law is >HERE< –  Warning: It’s a rather large download

 

Thank you to everyone FOR – AND – AGAINST the plan that made their voices heard. Due to your participation, the City Council was able to make an informed decision.

 

The Wheelbrothers

 

 

24th Annual Goatneck Bike Ride in Cleburne, TX

Goatneck Bike RideThe 24th Annual Goatneck Bike Ride benefiting various Johnson County charities invites you to join their ride on July 30, 2011 starting at Cleburne High School, 1501 Harlin Dr., Cleburne TX

We were lucky enough to be granted an interview with Brad mead, Staff and Ride Marshall of Goatneck Bike Ride to ask some questions about their upcoming ride.

Why Join the “The 24th Annual Goatneck Bike Ride”?

Come push your boundaries. Its a challenging ride. It’s always hot and we have some pretty good climbing around the Brazos River. Besides, it’s better than sitting at home.

How long has the event been around?

As the name implies, 24 years. Just kidding. It has been a great 24 years. We are really looking forward to our 25th year next year. It is a great milestone.

What was the motivation behind starting the tour and who benefits from it?

The ride was started by the Jaycees. I think it was a way to promote Cleburne and get an event started where people would come to the city. The ride is now run by the Goatneck Bike Club.

How have they been able to utilize the funds in the past?

We have many charities here in Cleburne and around Johnson County that benefit from the ride. A few of them are the Child Advocacy Center, CASA of Johnson County, Meals on Wheels, Red Cross just to name some. Most of the groups we donate to also help us by volunteering on ride day. We give out around $30,000 in donations every year. That is awesome.

Logistically, can you give us an idea how many volunteers, finances, and planning it takes to put on this event?

We have about 200-250 volunteers that help us out on ride day. They are great. Of course, you could never do an event like this without volunteers. We are blessed to have so many people wanting to help. If one group has to bow out we always find other groups willing to brave the heat and help us out. We do have a core group of guys in the bike club that do the organizing. We are lucky to have had the same group do it for about 10 years now so by doing it so much we seem to have it down pretty well.

What was the most rewarding experience throughout the years hosting this event?

I’m not sure about one single experience. What we do find so rewarding is how many riders think so highly of our ride. We get great reviews from riders and I think our ride is really liked amongst the riding community. Some of us in the club are actually riders and when we go to other rides and people find out we are with the Goatneck, they always have something positive to say. That is rewarding.

What is the average number of participants per year? How many riders do you assist during the average race?

We average anywhere from 2,300 to 2,500 riders. About three years ago we had 2,700. We hope that next year the 25th Goatneck will be an all time high. I’m not really sure how many riders we assist overall during a ride.

What was the most unforgettable experience or worst accident you had in this event?

The scariest accidents are anytime I get a call during the ride and I find out there has been an accident with a rider and an automobile. My heart skips a beat until I find out what has happened. With 2,500 riders, accidents are going to happen. You just pray that they are not too serious.

What can folks do to support you and your mission?

Just show up and ride. Entry fee money allows us to have another ride next year and funds our donation money.

What is your role in this race and to the success of it?

I am in charge of pre-race day registration, t-shirt and water bottle acquisition and on the day of the ride I am a Marshall on the course. All of our guys do their jobs well and I am thankful for the job they do.

Do you ride and if yes, what kind of bicycle do you ride and what is your favorite route in your area? Which are your top 3 favorite MUST DO rides in Texas (besides your own)?

I do ride. I don’t ride near as much as I use to. I ride a Giant. May favorite route is to leave my house and go down to the Brazos River and turn around and climb back out. My favorite rides over the years have been, the ride in Italy, Texas, the Shiner GASP, and the ride down in Stonewall thru the LBJ State Park.

You watching the Tour de France this year? If yes, rooting for anyone?

I switched to DirecTV late last year and I don’t get Versus now so I haven’t watched the Tour that much. I have kept up. I have been rooting for the Schlek Brothers. Also rooting against Contador LOL.

Additional stuff you would like the folks to know about this year’s ride?

We are always looking for ways to improve our ride. Just come out and ride. We love having you in Cleburne.

 

Thanks Brad Mead for this quick interview and we hope to catch everyone at the ride!

Click here to view the event details of the 24th Annual Goatneck Bike Ride

The Dehydrator Bike Ride in Duncan, OK

The DehydratorThe 21st Annual The Dehydrator benefiting the Duncan school bands invites you to join their ride on July 30th, 2011 starting at Simmons Center located at 800 Chisholm Trail Parkway, Duncan Oklahoma.

We were lucky enough to be granted an interview with Kent Collins, Ride Coordinator  of The Dehydrator Bike Ride to ask some questions about their upcoming ride

Why Join the “The Dehydrator”?

The Dehydrator offers both a race AND a fun ride. The race is extremely challenging when you couple the hilly terrain, fast corners, and the typical heat experienced in southern Oklahoma at the end of July. The fun ride offers a scenic tour that takes the longer routes near and around Waurika lake and back again.

How long has the event been around?

2011 will be the 21st year of the event.

What was the motivation behind starting the tour and who benefits from it?

The motivation was driven by our local cycling club from a desire to bring cyclists together. For around the last 10 years, the event has been sponsored by the Duncan band boosters organization. Everyone benefits, from the riders to the volunteers, to the community.

How have they been able to utilize the funds in the past?

The proceeds go to support our middle and high school band programs. The funds are used to help buy instruments, supplement travels expenses, and provide scholarships. Our Duncan band programs are among the top ranked in Oklahoma. Also, we ‘give back’ to the community by donating bicycles to our local toy shop program to be used as Christmas gifts for the less fortunate.

Logistically, can you give us an idea how many volunteers, finances, and planning it takes to put on this event?

Vols = about 150+ , finances = $10,000+, planning is year-round.

What was the most rewarding experience throughout the years hosting this event?

For me personally, setting the attendance record last year. A lot of hard work was put in throughout the year trying to make sure that we were doing things right and advertising ourselves in the right markets, and ultimately it paid off. Also, as far as rewarding, was seeing the boosters increase their bicycle gift giving to the toy shop. The proceeds were higher, so they turned around and increased their giving. I’m sure there were quite a few happy kids on Christmas day because of that.

What is the average number of participants per year?

How many riders do you assist during the average race? Average = 400, we set a record last year (2010) of 540 (a 30% increase over 2009 and a 50% increase over 2008). We might sag in 5%, maybe 20 – 30, not really for sure on that.

What was the most unforgettable experience or worst accident you had in this event?

Unforgettable ranges from good to bad. Bad is like when we found out (in the ’09 event) that an older gentleman from Dallas, in the race, had wiped out in one of the fast corners and suffered a broken hip. Also bad is being griped at for lack of medical coverage in a certain area. We have since corrected that because we want a safe event above all. Good is when things go right and you see people having fun and feeling that they’ve gotten their money’s worth and tell you that the event is one of the best around, and that they’ll be back. Good is having people on your team that you know you can count on to come through for you in a pinch. There’s several really great people who stepped up and did an awesome job of coordinating, and they know who they are. Also good is having people like Jari Askins (local girl), Oklahoma Lt. Governor at the time, take time out of their day (2010, the 20th anniversary of the event) to greet the crowd and wish them well.

What can folks do to support you and your mission?

Riders can register and ride the event! Volunteer organizations can help with their time, such as running/sponsoring a hydration station. Local businesses can increase their sponsorship monies and/or products and gifts, to either be used in the event, or given away as door prizes. Bicycle shops or blogs/websites such as yourself can help spread the word.

What is your role in this race and to the success of it?

I became the coordinator in the fall of ’08 to start planning the ’09 event. ’08 was the ‘low water mark’ of the event. From a combination of overspending and a lower attendance, it only made several thousand dollars profit that year. At that time both the boosters and the bicycle club were frustrated with the lack of return for investment and the low attendance. When you think about having a fund raiser, working all year long for several thousand dollars just doesn’t make sense. The ride had been around for a number of years, and although it is a high quality event, it just wasn’t growing. Attendance was almost always the same from year to year. The nature of the boosters, like many organizations, was to elect (or conscript….ha!) a coordinator and that person MIGHT handle it for a max of a couple of years before their child would graduate or leave the band. That person would then get out of that position and hand it to the next person, and the learning process would start all over again. So it was obvious to me that that plan just wouldn’t work over a long period of time; there was no continuity. My position now, in this my third year, is having a better overall look at what’s going on now, and what was going on in the past, combining all that data and trying to organize it better.

Do you ride and if yes, what kind of bicycle do you ride and what is your favorite route in your area? Which are your top 3  favorite MUST DO rides in Texas (besides your own)?

Yes I’ve ridden since I was a child of course, but bought a ‘real’ bike back in ’87; a Specialized Allez. I currently ride a Tommaso. I’ve only done one ride in Texas, and that is the Hotter-N-Hell. But I’ve done that ride multiple times. In fact 19 years ago, my wife and I rode in it on our honeymoon!

Additional stuff you would like the folks to know about this year’s ride?

Well, it’s going to be HOT! That goes without saying due to the current drought conditions we’ve been experiencing. Hopefully we’ll be seeing a break from the excessive temperatures about the time the event rolls around. With that being said, coincidentally, we’ve rolled back the start time by 30 minutes to 7:30 this year. That will help a little with the heat exposure. We discussed it last year and felt like we needed an earlier start. We might even try to go to a 7:00 start in 2012.

Additionally, we will have much better support this year through our medical tents. They will have trained staff and doctors and in an extreme emergency have ice water dunk tanks to cool someone down. We have a local Ham radio club, who has supported the ride for years, that gives us real time tracking of the sag vehicles and status of our hydration stations. They provide us a great service and they are pretty interesting to watch as they coordinate everything. It will be ‘business as usual’ as far as the meal goes. We put on one of the best meals around, and it is included in the entry fee. Also included in the fee, is ‘run of the house’ of the Simmons Center. The Simmons Center (location of the event) is a first-class facility offering a half-olympic sized pool, saunas, weight rooms, jogging track, raquetball courts, etc.. Through the Dehydrator entry fee, riders can enjoy any of these all day long. It costs us some money to rent the center, but it is well worth it to us because we want our event to be the best. Also, riders can experience the ‘Old West’ via the Chisholm Trail Heritage Center, which is adjacent to the Simmons Center. Riders get free admission with their bibs, and can enjoy all the museum has to offer. It’s really pretty neat AND educational.

Furthermore, we are 1 of only 2 rides in Oklahoma that are endorsed by the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. Due to our event date, we typically draw in a number of riders who are training for the Hotter-N-Hell, which is only 1 month after ours. Finally, we absolutely love putting on this thing, and are constantly striving to improve it. We are looking into ways to enhance the technical side through social networks and all that inter-networking offers. You can check us out at www.thedehydrator.org and we have a Facebook presence as well.

 

Thanks Kent Collins for this quick interview and we hope to catch everyone at the ride!

Click here to view the event details of the The Dehydrator Bike Ride 2011

Ask the Trainer – Core Training for Texas cyclists

Nick ClaytonOur resident expert Nick Clayton and now Colorado Wheelbrother has created another article in our series of ‘Ask the Trainer‘.

Resident Wheelbrother Chris asks: What is the best way for us to strengthen our core to improve our cycling performance while preparing for Hotter ‘n Hell and the Goatneck rides?

 

Nick: “Core” is one of the hottest buzz words in fitness.  This article will tell you how, why and what core exercises help and what core exercises are actually counterproductive.

What’s the “Core?”

The core consists of the hip and trunk muscles.  More specifically, it can be broken down into 2 subsystems, the “inner unit” and the “outer unit.”  The outer unit consists of consists of larger, more superficial muscles that aid in movement.  The inner unit consists of deeper, stability-based muscles that provide the foundation and base for all movements.

  • Proper bike setup is critical along with optimal core strength.
  • The typical cyclist, with an average cadence of 90 revolutions per minute, will pedal between 16,000 & 21,000 revolutions during a typical 3—4-hour ride and upwards of 33,000 for a 6-hour ride. The repetitive motion of cycling and the   fixed position of the pelvis & feet require efficient movement patterns to avoid excessive stresses being applied to the musculoskeletal structures of the lower extremity.  In simple terms, when you fatigue in your core you change the way you press/pull on the pedals, which increases stress on the knee and hip joint.
  • In a study looking at the effect of core fatigue on cycling, a significant decrease (30.0—43.3%) in peak torque, total work, average power, maximal repetition total work, and average peak torque was demonstrated when cycling after an exhaustive core training workout.
  • A study measuring the effects of a core training program completed 5 minutes after a cycling workout showed decreased Lactic Acid (LA) levels throughout the entire body.  This clearing of LA helps total body recovery following a ride.

How the Core Affects Cyclists’

  • Stability — the most important function.
    • A stable core maintains proper hip and spine alignment, allowing you to get optimal effort from the legs and glutes.  Without stability more stress falls on the hamstrings, low and upper back.  This leads to decreased performance and low back, neck, hip, and knee pain.
    • Lack of inner unit stability results in outer unit compensation.  Specifically rectus abdominus dominance (most superficial abdominal muscle); it pulls the rib cage down, increasing stress on the upper back and neck muscles, decreases breathing efficiency, and weakness in the glutes.
  • Strength & Power —having a strong and powerful core is important to certain athletes but is not paramount for endurance athletes/cyclists.

Exercise “Do Not Do List”

  1. Crunches – Aside from being a very non-functional exercise, strengthening this muscle pulls your upper body into a kyphotic (increased curve in the upper spine, i.e. bad posture) position, which is detrimental to everyone, especially someone who spends time hunched forward on their bike for hours on end.
  2. Sit-ups — One of the most useless exercises.  Sit-ups primarily train the hip flexors in a very “un-functional” manner.  They are also frequently tight on cyclists and because they insert directly to the lower back vertebrae, result in low back pain and hamstring overuse/knee issues.
  3. Good Mornings — This exercise is done standing with a barbell across your back and rounding down and back up.  Flexing the spine with heavy weight increases the stress to the low back.  This puts tremendous stress on the ligaments and gel-like discs that cushion and support your vertebrae.
  4. Leg Lifts — unless this exercise is done while you maintain and focusing on a neutral pelvic tilt, this exercise is great at overtraining the hip flexors and stressing the low back.

 

Exercise “To Do” List for Cyclists’ (Click exercise for sample videos from Youtube)

  1. Kneeling or Standing Cable Chop
  2. Kneeling or Standing Cable Lift
  3. Plank — Standing Cable Hold
  4. Planks & Side Planks
  5. Kneeling Back Extension

 

Nick is the owner of www.njcfit.com and offers online strength training programs, both generalized and individualized.  Email Nick at njcfit@yahoo.com to receive a link to view a core workout for cyclists.