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Archives for April 2010

Ramp It Up to Make a Difference

04.04.2010 by Ray Niekamp // 4 Comments

Things can turn around markedly in just a week’s time. Last week, I was concerned that I didn’t finish 65 miles, bailing from the ride at about 56. I was sore, tired, out of water, and moving slowly against an unrelenting headwind.

The DNF made me feel bad though, and over this past week, I’ve redoubled my efforts to get into decent biking shape. The day after the DNF, I did a spirited 25 miles with just as strong a headwind as the day before. On Tuesday, I met one of the club members at the Veloway, and he paced me for a couple laps at an intensity I usually don’t ride. Friday, 20 miles of hard work, including three hill loops of a decent suburban residential street with a grade that used to wipe me out after one climb.

Saturday, Pat and I decided to join the Hill Country Ride for AIDS group on one of their training rides. The route was interesting. One circuit covered 23 miles, a good ride for Pat. However, riders had the option of going around on a second loop, for a 40-mile total. I took that option, and even though the loop had a few longish challenging hills, I felt fresh at the end of the ride. My average speed was 15.9 mph, at the high end of my usual averages.

Sunday, I skipped the club ride because of a light rain. I figured I’d wait until the wetness cleared out in the afternoon. Sure enough, everything was dry by 2 p.m. and the temp had climbed to 82°F (27°C). The brisk wind from the southeast didn’t bother me as it did just a few weeks ago.

When I toted up my rides for the last seven days, I rode 108 miles. That’s nowhere near the farthest I’ve ever ridden in a week, but it’s the farthest I’ve ridden this year, and maybe for months before that.

Clearly, things are shaping up for me. And it’s happened in the course of only one week. What caused the improvement?

I pushed myself. Instead of allowing myself to ride at my usual pace, I made it a point to shift up one gear higher than normal and pedal harder. The hill repeats were never a regular part of my riding. I’ve made it a point to get more saddle time (sometimes to the chagrin of my derriere).

Just riding the way you always ride won’t bring improvement. You have to ramp up the effort. I’ve put in more miles and greater intensity this week, and it’s paying off.

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Categories // training Tags // training

Convenience Store Food

04.01.2010 by Ray Niekamp // 12 Comments

Whenever I go on longer rides — more than an hour and a half or so — I take along an energy bar, some Nuun tablets, and two water bottles. I make use of them all, but I usually add another source of sustenance: the convenience store.

Often, our informal rest stops happen in convenience store parking lots. It’s only natural to go inside and make a small purchase. But what to buy?

I start out by looking for G2, the lower-sugar Gatorade. I prefer the flavor to the original Gatorade. I’ll knock off half a bottle, and pour the rest into one of my water bottles. If I don’t want the energy bar I packed — usually a Lara Bar — I can always scour the shelves for a substitute. One of my favorites is the good old Pay Day candy bar. It’s a layer of peanuts, wrapped around a caramel-nougat center. The peanuts are a little salty — just the thing to help replace all the sweat I’ve been losing.

I’ve also noticed that Snickers now makes an energy bar of sorts. It’s still a candy bar, but not the Snickers we’re all familiar with. Good for a quick shot of energy, but I’m certain it provides nowhere near the nutrient replenishment of a real energy bar.

Salty snack food might be a good choice, too. Maybe a small bag of pretzels.

Honestly, I haven’t been riding far enough lately to test all of my in-ride junk food urges, but I think that once my mileage picks up, I might be doing it more often.

How about you? Are you a healthy eater while on a long ride, or do you occasionally (or frequently) give into temptation and pig out on some yummy stuff? And if you do, what kind of convenience store food do you prefer? I’m always open to new ideas.

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Categories // food Tags // food

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