Jumping back into my series on physiology, I wanted to cover the other side of the coin to my last post. My last post covered the reasons why hydration can affect aerobic performance; the rate limiting step in aerobic metabolism is oxygen movement in the blood, and thinner blood can move faster because it flows … Continue reading Metabolism for Endurance Athletes, Part 3
Metabolism for Endurance Athletes, Part 2
A week or two ago, I published Metabolism for Endurance Athletes, Part 1, which I recommend you read if you haven't. Biology was not something of interest to many of us in high school, but knowledge of human metabolism is very helpful in planning and executing endurance training. Last time, the main topic was an … Continue reading Metabolism for Endurance Athletes, Part 2
Training on an empty stomach;
Running first thing after waking, before fussing with making food, or any other task on the to-do list, is a great mental trick to make sure that training happens. Some may call it "eating the frog", or "putting first things first". By training first thing, there's less risk of interruption, of an infant requiring attention, … Continue reading Training on an empty stomach;
Metabolism for Endurance Athletes, Part 1
High school biology class was not particularly interesting. The topics covered, while not interesting to the average tenth grader, are extremely pertinent to endurance athletes. Endurance sport, for the individual, comes down to the capacity of the body to convert the molecules in food into specific forms of movement. Knowing a bit of physiology and … Continue reading Metabolism for Endurance Athletes, Part 1
Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, and what can be done about it;
Right off the bat, nothing here is medical advice. You should always consult with your doctor before beginning an exercise routine. Delayed onset muscle soreness is a topic requires that warning, because it's a symptom many experience when they first start exercising, especially after a period away. Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) is pain and … Continue reading Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, and what can be done about it;
Aerodynamic Efficiency and understanding the goal;
Bikes have become money pits in 2024. The equivalent bicycle to what I ride (A Felt AR with Ultegra Di2) is $9,000 new, and the cheapest option in that line is $3,500. Now, you do get quite a bit for that money; electric shifting, thru-axles, carbon fiber everything, electric shifting and hydraulic disc brakes. But, … Continue reading Aerodynamic Efficiency and understanding the goal;
Do cool downs matter?
There's a familiar pattern recommended for most workouts. Start with a period of light activity, as a warm up. Then proceed with your workout. Finally, bring the intensity down in a gradual manner, the cool down. Proponents of this method tout the last stage as facilitating recovery, promoting clearing of metabolites from the muscles and … Continue reading Do cool downs matter?
Don’t take your health for granted, talk to your doctor;
Endurance activities like running, cycling and swimming are often cited as beneficial to fitness and health. Exercise is good for the brain, regular exercise improves performance on a variety of physical fitness skills, protects against aging and balance, and has become a general prescription for most of the population. I would not dispute any of … Continue reading Don’t take your health for granted, talk to your doctor;
Race Recap; 2019 Giro Del Cielo
The 2019 Giro Del Cielo was held July 6-7 this year. The series features three stages, a time trail, a crit and road race. The time and trial and crit were scheduled for Saturday, with the road race on Sunday. The events are scored individually, with points award in a general classification for the overall … Continue reading Race Recap; 2019 Giro Del Cielo
Quora Question: What is the advantage of disc brakes on road bikes?
Someone requested my answer to the above question on Quora. My response can be found here, and copied below. Disc brake systems offer two main advantages on a road bike. First, and often overlooked, is that the rim can be manufactured without concern for a braking surface. This enables the rim manufacturer to use different … Continue reading Quora Question: What is the advantage of disc brakes on road bikes?
ABC Endurance 