tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25629544596526285022024-03-05T18:33:46.933-08:00John Karrasch Bike Fitting ServicesJohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178268070113930785noreply@blogger.comBlogger154125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562954459652628502.post-80712758266845479302017-07-24T06:20:00.003-07:002017-07-24T06:20:26.139-07:00Professional Bike Fitting ServicesHello and welcome! Look for a new website coming soon but in the meantime you will find everything you need to know about my bike fitting services as you scroll down below.<br />
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A bit about me first. In addition to providing professional bike fitting services, I am also a full time Physical Therapist Assistant and have been in practice for 8 years. I have been racing (ultra endurance MTB focus) and wrenching on bikes for the better part of fifteen years. I have a passion for all things cycling, especially it's interaction with the bicycle. I appreciate you taking the time to visit my site and hope the information here is helpful in your search for a better cycling experience.<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">Every bike rider has their own unique combination of posture, mobility, and coordination. This requires a holistic approach from the bike fitter to see that each rider's fit helps to make their cycling experience the best it can be.</span><b style="text-align: center;">With my combined experience as a therapist, racer, and mechanic I have a unique perspective on the relationship between a rider and their bike.</b><br />
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My fitting method relies on the latest research in the field and careful direct observation of the rider. I have taken multiple fit courses to continue my education including the latest <a href="http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/retailers/precision_fit/" target="_blank">Trek Precision Fit</a> course with Triathlon specialization. During the fitting process I will optimize each rider's position including cleat position and footbed customization, a balanced and stable seat position, and a comfortable yet efficient bar position. This ensures a position truly tailored to the individual rider.<br />
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Regardless of performance level or experience, every rider should be comfortable on their bike. A major part of the fitting process will identify how the rider functions off the bike and how this can be improved through a customized exercise program to improve performance.<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">What to expect during the Fitting</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">Pre fit interview</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;"> to outline cycling related goals and relevant physical issues. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">Thorough <b>evaluation of your strength, posture, and mobility.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">Dynamic assessment</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;"> and adjustment of foot/pedal interface, seat position, and bar setup to improve comfort, handling, and power.</span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">Off-the-bike exercise program</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;"> to improve bike specific strength and mobility.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">Detailed position records</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;"> for future reference.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">Expect to be at the shop <b>2.5-3 hours</b>. Triathlon/TT may take a bit longer.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">Where to go:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "symbol";">·<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">Cahaba Cycles Homewood</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "symbol";">·<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">2834 18<sup>th</sup> Street South</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "symbol";">·<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">Homewood, AL 35209 Parking in front or back (back is usually easier).</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">What to bring</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">Bike(s), shoes, fresh cleats if available, any orthotic devices/insoles you have, any cleat shims or wedges you currently use, cycling riding kit, helmet, gloves.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">Bring your bike ready to ride. Tires aired up, check your suspension pressure for mountain bikes, shifters working properly. Check your cleats and dig out any debris/mud. <u>If you have any doubt as to the condition of your bike, get a tune up a week or two before the fit.</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">Water bottle for hydration, snacks, shock pump, seat mast cutting guide or other tools/spacers/items specific to your bicycle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">If you have any parts that are broken, not comfy, or you are unhappy (folks that hate your saddle, shoes, etc.) with… consult me pre fit for replacement recommendations. Feel free to bring extra parts (stems, seatposts) if you have them handy.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">What to wear</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">Casual clothes and athletic shoes are fine for the off bike portion of the fit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">Cycling kit (jersey, bike shorts, cycling socks). No baggy shorts for riding!</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">What I cannot do</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">Diagnose or treat injuries.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">Perform cleaning/tuning/repair services to bicycles in need of attention.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">*</span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">Be responsible for questionable equipment that fails during a fitting session<b>*</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">Please do what you can to address any ongoing physical issues with a doctor, physical therapist or other specialist. By arriving with any pertinent diagnostics, I will have more information from which to base our fitting decisions. I am <i>part</i> of the equation to help you move/feel better. I do have access to several excellent health professionals able to provide assistance with physical issues. The last point<b>*</b> is to cover just a few “unknowns” that can occur. From time to time we see equipment/accessories in need of repair or replacement that cause problems or fail in the course of a fitting session. Cracked or splintered carbon parts from previous adjustments are an obvious problem. The same goes for incompatible parts, faulty suspension, improperly installed seats, and lack of grease/carbon prep on parts. These are considered pre-existing issues for which Cahaba Cycles/myself cannot be held responsible. Cleat screws that have been over tightened and/or installed without the appropriate thread locker/grease or walked on to the point that the head breaks off while attempting to remove them can present a major time setback during the course of a fitting. I will point out issues with your equipment needing attention that I deem important for your comfort and more importantly, your safety. We have the appropriate tools to handle most jobs safely but encourage you to<i> <b>examine, clean and adjust your </b><b>equipment before arriving.</b></i> <b><i>Prep your machine as though you were about to ride at an important event</i></b> <b><i>so we can focus on the fitting</i></b>. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">Pricing</span></b></div>
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<li class="x_MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">Comprehensive road, cyclocross, MTB fitting - $250. </span></b></li>
<li class="x_MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">Triathlon/TT fitting - $280</span></b></li>
<li class="x_MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">Cleat fit with footbed optimization - $80</span></b></li>
<li class="x_MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">Strength, stability and mobility assessment <i>without</i> bike fit…$75</span></b></li>
<li class="x_MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">Cutting seat masts, ATB handlebars or other necessary “surgeries” with the appropriate equipment – Cahaba Cycles shop rate per hour</span></b></li>
<li class="x_MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">Replacing parts such as tires, chain, cassette or other components necessary to conduct the session – Cahaba Cycles shop rate per hour</span></b></li>
<li class="x_MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">Additional adjustments – free for two months after initial fitting</span></b></li>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">We cannot predict every issue that can arise during a fitting and understand that things just happen sometimes. Minor issues that arise which can be remedied quickly (brake pad adjustment, slight wheel truing, minor derailleur adjustment, rewrapping handlebar) will be handled promptly free of charge as we roll through the fit</span><b style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;"><i>.</i></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;"> More involved (many Tri or aero road bikes) component or cable installations may need to be done post fit at shop labor rate as mentioned above.</span><b style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;"><i> </i></b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">A reminder about bar wrap and grips is important. Be prepared to replace it if your current wrap has issues going back on in a quality manner. Bring your own fresh wrap if you have a specific product you enjoy. We stock some great options for wrap and grips for replacement if need be. Bring or be ready to purchase fresh cleats if at all possible. Footbed options are available if your current ones do not provide sufficient support.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif;">What to expect after the fitting</span></b></div>
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<li class="x_MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">Easy riding (conversation pace) to let your body get used to the position changes. This can take from a couple rides for small changes up to a couple weeks if we have to make large changes.</span></li>
<li class="x_MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">New balance and handling dynamics, so ride often and take it easy on the corners and technical terrain</span></li>
<li class="x_MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">Stay away from sprints, hard group rides, and technical descents until the requisite muscle firing patterns and stability patterns have set in and the bike is feeling normal.</span></li>
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<i><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">I always encourage clients to allow themselves a 2-3 week window of EASY, frequent (at least 3-4x/week) riding post fit. 30 to 60</span></i><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;"><i>minutes is a good ride duration for most rides during adaptation</i>.<i> This is a time to cruise and enjoy the scenery.</i> That is not always possible as some riders come in due to acute issues during a time of heavy activity and I can advise on uncertain scenarios before the fit. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px;">This is a serious investment of your money and our time. I am as passionate about performing quality work as you are about enjoying your cycling experience. Feel free to call at <b>(205) 427-9869</b> or email <b><a href="mailto:johnkarrasch@gmail.com" target="_blank">johnkarrasch@gmail.com</a></b> with any questions. I look forward to meeting and working with you towards a great bike fit!</span></div>
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<b>John Karrasch, PTA </b><br />
<b>Cahaba Cycles Homewood </b><br />
<b>(205) 427-9869 </b><br />
<b> </b><b>johnkarrasch@gmail.com</b><br />
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<br />Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178268070113930785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562954459652628502.post-16568629090945065642017-07-12T06:19:00.002-07:002017-07-12T06:19:58.184-07:00Bikepacking test run by Evan Koch<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So in an attempt to do more epic shit (epic's relative, I'm a 39 year old IT consultant with two kids and lived a sedentary lifestyle up until a few years ago), I signed up for the Delta Epic. I've done centuries and I've done 60+ mile mountain bikes rides, but I've never done any type of overnight rides and it's been at least two decades since I've been camping.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My best case scenario for the Delta Epic is that I do ~100 miles each day and camp out one night - this might change when Jason Shearer finalizes the route for the Delta Epic. To make sure I wasn't biting off more than I could chew, I thought it best to give bike packing a shot before the actual event.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I planned to camp out on a friend's peninsula; if things didn't work out, I could always use their guest bedroom. I left my house around 9 pm on Friday night and headed out to my friend's house. I rode the CX bike on the street, though I did take a different route to avoid spending too much time on the heavily trafficked roads. </span></div>
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leu N " height="405" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/ODWztRO0qDpLM1IpB1rh8hvkPBG8KBK-zDckeVw34b-iLRbFS5PrB2fCS0zkihw5Ffc9iNSb9S6BCxqCXMARlB0HVcc2r8WxvhgLno_05y2Rr9llJ_TgnlF3AX3DRGgIrmLQZgdAF5xRDR9-9w" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="720" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1.5 hours, 13.8 miles, and 1138 ft later, I arrived at my friend's house. Not my best time, but I had ridden in Autauga earlier that day so I wasn't fresh, plus I wasn't used to the weight of the bags. I cleared the sticks away from my intended camp site, spread out a vinyl tarp, and unrolled my Titanium Goat bivvy sack. The sack is water resistant but not water proof, and I wanted to protect it as much as possible, so I put a vinyl tarp on the ground first. I changed out of cycling kit into a long sleeve shirt and shorts, brushed my teeth, and zipped myself up into the bivvy sack.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I wasn't quite sure what to expect from the weather - the forecast said it'd be in the low to mid 60s overnight, so I packed a top sheet just in case I got cold. That top sheet ended up being my pillow for the night. I also packed ear plugs but didn’t use them at first - my friends said they liked to leave their windows open at night as they enjoyed the sounds of nature. I woke up multiple times throughout the night due to screeching birds - my friends informed me the next day that the herons on the lake had babies, and the baby herons were very loud. Think of the </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdfOf_gaIaA" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">pterodactyl noise from Joust</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, and then turn it to 11. I tried the ear plugs but I couldn't go back to sleep, so I started packing up around 5:30. I changed into a fresh cycling kit, ate two bananas, packed up my gear, and headed home. Since traffic wasn't an issue at that point at home, I took a more direct route - 9.9 miles, 597 ft, and an hour riding time.</span></div>
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" height="540" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/WEyhaIE-m6PWdilffR0bzpCFcITZOVwzYDqYAlLUa_ixjMtGNYHVPqBIcapxTLhI8X_LPM23APY0Ni-vtyeefnuACwKkShjRy-3EAW-86lhBJPvzbFLFH1LeFHtuQfk-XxTaxbdl2NLDDdf7AQ" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="720" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So now for analysis. My loadout was:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="Machine generated alternative text:
" height="405" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/B4lMTA0gDVdx22bh4ym5c_Bpds_6NlL3lYOByYmqKv7Fxe-Rr2hRMWynMa8xdm-FiHYm-oCHLMf3RVm9BfQEF9HY0qRz9A9AhVe4WEChm6UIYkOXw2csukrkoH14SNOHHcX6PA0a0fKQqOM3gw" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="720" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A Sprocket - Bag that attaches to the Pika, made of mesh netting so the rider can easily confirm that the Spot is active</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">B Pika - Bag to hold the Titanium Goat bivvy sack, extra cycling kit, sleeping clothes, sheet, and vinyl tarp</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">C Jerry can - hygiene items</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">D Tangle - frame pump</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">E Mag Tank - spare inner tube</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">F B-Rad 4 - two water bottles, and spare inner tube (also another water bottle in a Z cage)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The jerry can bothered me - my thighs definitely aren't the thinnest, so I could feel it pressing on my leg sometimes. I think I'm just going to stash my hygiene items in another bag and ditch the jerry can. I also ended up sawing off part of my tooth brush handle so it'd fit in the jerry can. </span></div>
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" height="405" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/4u0B5rurZ_tSwuq5w-kgVFCeLxLcELzLN6SwHrOBWgQA4DBVgu98x_AGgWagkttTFnCrW-u4ZxwQyPeYniPQRWmcqBLOYm68IBKRfbv9BAoUNsFPZ8YY7xOI4yMHvQp_pcxyH4LVpXwgVN1iyg" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="720" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When I do the Delta Epic, guessing I won't need a sheet. I'll put the extra kit in a bag and use it as a pillow. I'll probably do a few more test runs, but I think this one went pretty well.</span></div>
<br />Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178268070113930785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562954459652628502.post-40313146415090415382017-06-08T07:29:00.001-07:002017-06-08T07:29:25.202-07:00Pete Foret's 2017 Dirty Kanza 200<br />
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Dirty Kanza 200 miles in the Flint Hills of Kansas is in the books.</div>
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Thanks to @Joe We at @Bike Link and the rest of the gang for keeping my steed in top notch shape. Also, thanks to our amazing sponsor @ErgoSci for keeping me healthy.</div>
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Dirty Kanza is an amazing race and it goes to show you what can happen when a community gets behind a project. There were 1150 200 mile rides that started the race with 828 finishing the race. The town rolls out the red carpet for all of the racers and makes sure you feel at home.</div>
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I headed to Kansas with @Matt Wa, @Ed K, and @Jack Wh. This was a motley crew that turned out to be one of the funniest bike trips I have ever been on in my life. We never stopped laughing and messing with each other. We arrived in Emporia Kansas late Thursday night and went straight to bed. The next day we went on a 20 mile planned pre-ride through town that we thought was going to include some gravel but it didn’t. So when we were finished with the pre-ride we decided to go ride the first 8ish miles of gravel. Once we finished our ride we checked in to get our numbers and went to a race meeting in this beautiful old theater. Then it was time to eat. Eating was always an event with @Jack Wh and his dietary needs, meaning it consisted of chicken and cheese. Kids today what are you going to do. After lunch we went back to our rooms and used this time to start setting up my bike and preparing for the race before we went out to dinner.</div>
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At dinner we met our support Driver gina byrd-stadler. The race allows you to purchase support which means at each rest stop there would be food, water, and if you decided to use drop bags or you could have a support vehicle. We had the luxury of having both. @Gina byrd-stadler, lives in Kansas and for some crazy reason agreed be our support crew. This turned out to be extremely important and I can’t thank her enough. She went well beyond the call of duty to make sure we had when we needed when we got to each stop. After dinner we went back to our rooms and finished up any last minute race prep issues we need to go over and went to bed.</div>
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The race started at 6:00 AM Sat. morning. Before every race I do I set personal goals. The goals for this race were:</div>
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1)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif, EmojiFont; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span>Go for the Race the Sun Patch. This means you finished before sunset. Under 14 hours and 44 mins</div>
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2)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif, EmojiFont; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span>Go for the beat Mid-night patch. You guessed it this means you finished before mid-night. Under 18 hours</div>
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3)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif, EmojiFont; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span>Get the Breakfast Club patch. This means you finished. Under 21 hours</div>
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When the bell started ringing we were off and rolling. People from the community lined the streets. It was really amazing to see people out there supporting this event even though they did not ride bikes. I bet I gave out 100+ high fives on the way out of town. The pace was calm while we were on the road averaging around 17 mph. I thought to myself if we hold this pace I could go for the Race the Sun patch. Man was I dreaming. Once we hit the gravel I estimated I was in the top 300 or so and the pace jumped up to 19+ on the flat sections for the first 20+ miles. My legs were feeling great and I was riding in a nice pace line on the gravel roads. We rolled into the first support station 50 miles into the race with an 18.26 mph pace. I knew this was a lot faster than I wanted to go but I figured I was conserving a lot of energy in the pace line. I immediately jumped off my bike at the paid support station and grabbed 3 PB&Js to put into my feed bag. Then I grabbed my water bottles and started to fill them up and noticed the water was blue. I asked and was told it was power aid. I should have thrown it out and started over but there were a lot of people around and I didn’t want to waste it. This move would come back to haunt me around mile 80. A volunteer helped me finish filling up my bottles and I was off after only spending less than 5 minutes at the support station.</div>
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I started looking at my time and my pace looked like it was going to be fast enough to get the Race the Sun patch. I continued to move at a steady 17.5 mph avg. and was really enjoying the scenes out there. Everything is wide open and green. I ended up chatting with some locals which made the time pass by rather quickly. At this point I was still feeling good and riding strong. Around mile 80 everythign changed. Everything was going great up until this point I was staying on top of my water and nutrition intake. As my good friend Jason Shearer likes to tell people, this is an eating contest on a bike, and he is exactly right. All of a sudden, everything I drank and ate felt like it was sitting in my stomach. For the next 20 miles I tried everything I could to get more fluids and food into me to see if it would make a difference. I was still feeling OK but I also knew something was not right.</div>
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I rolled into the second support station with a 15.26 mph pace and rolled up to our support vehicle. I was still feeling good but I knew something was not right with my stomach. I’ve had this stomach issue before because I ate too much and all of the blood went to my stomach causing me to lose all of my power. The way I fixed it was I took in some caffeine and it helped me clear out my stomach while giving me a boost at the same time. My plan was to get my bottles setup and have one bottle with my caffeine for the ride. At this time Ed and Matt caught up with me. We talked and thought it would be great for us to ride together. We were still on pace to make the Race for the Sun patch so we took off. Within about 10-15 miles it finally hit me. My stomach was not processing anything and I knew it was going to be a long day. The three of us road together for a few more miles and Matt had a flat. We ended up changing the flat which was a sad sight to see but it got done. After a few more miles I ran out of my water only water bottles and needed some water really bad. Everything else would not go down. So I saw a house and I told Matt to go on without me. They were really nice about letting me use their water faucet to cool off and drink. I ended up drinking 2 full bottles and topping off all of my other bottles then off I went. By this time I knew I was not going to make the race for the Sun cut off time so I focused on making sure I didn’t have any mechanicals and to get as many fluids in me as possible to see if I could fix my stomach. The weather was amazing with a perfect temp, light wind, and no rain. With the limited fluids and food I was able to take in I started to get some cramps in my legs. However, I was able to work through them and make them go away. There were a lot of concrete bridge crossing over small creeks/rivers throughout the race but when I rolled across this one creek the water felt amazing. I pulled over and sat in the creek to cool off my muscles. After about 10 minutes I started hearing thunder so I got back on the bike. Sitting in the water was a good and bad idea at the same time. My muscles and body were cooled off but the chamois padding in my bike shorts were wet. This ended up causing a couple of saddle soars which are painful and make ultra distance races a challenge. About two hours later I came up on this road with a case of water and a 5 gallon bucket. So I stopped and topped off my bottles. While I was filling up a truck pulled up and I asked if he did this. He said yes and I thanked him multiple times. The people from all 3 communities were amazing. You can say what you want about Southern hospitality but I can tell you right now Kansas hospitality is right there too.</div>
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I rolled into Madison, the final support station at 6:40PM and headed to the support vehicle not feeling good at all. Everything was shutting down and I didn’t know how to fix it. Ed and Matt were still there but were about to head out. We talked for a little while and Matt asked me how I was doing. I showed him my stomach sticking out and said when have you ever seen my stomach sticking out this far. It looked like I had a basketball for lunch easily sticking out 5+ inches. I sat down in a chair while I drank some ice cold water hoping that would help my stomach start functioning but it did not help at all. After about 50 minutes of rest I went to the paid support station and grabbed 3 PB&Js to put into my feed bag. Then off I went back out on the course.</div>
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By this time the sun was setting and I might have had 1 PB&J in the last 3 hours plus some electrolytes. I made sure I drank water not matter what so I would not get dehydrated. I knew I need to eat but every bite of food I took in felt like it was about to come back up. The sunset was beautiful and the people of all 3 towns were amazing. I waited until the last minute before I started using my light to make sure it would last until I crossed the finish line. When I got to mile 180 you could start seeing the lights glowing from the city of Emporia, Kansas and my spirits started lifting. They even had those search lights rotating in the clouds. About the same time I came to a crossroad with a truck sitting there with it’s lights on. I hear two little voices saying great job, go go go, only 20 miles to go. It was two little girls around the age of 7 cheering on the riders. While this brighten my spirits more than ever I knew I still had a ways to go. With each pedal stroke I would get closer and closer to the city knowing I was almost to the finish line. The joke however was on me. The race director pulls a cruel joke on you by brining you right to the edge of the city only to send you back out a few miles so you will travel through Emporia State University. With about 15 miles to go my light started blinking meaning it was about to die. The good news is I stopped by Bike Link the week before and bought the new Cat Eye double LED white blinky light. Before the race I mounted the light to the front of my helmet and with 150 lumens I was able to light up the road enough to get me to the finish line. When I came up on anything I thought might be sketchy I would turn on my main light and put it on flash mode to conserve what little battery I had left. Once I went into the tunnel that leads to Emporia State University campus I knew I was home free with only one last obstacle. There is only one significant hill on the campus of Emporia State University and I be damned if the race director didn’t send us up this hill. It’s not too long or too steep but after 205 miles it becomes a lot longer and a lot steeper. At this point in time I was really thankful for bringing my mountain bike with a 1 X 12 gearing. Once we got through campus we were greeted with a people lining the streets cheering us onto the finish line. People were high fiving me all the way to the end. Once I crossed the finish line I was greeted by Ed who looked like he just went out for a nice ride. I grabbed my patch and asked where the medical tent was located. My goal was to get an IV to help with my fluids but they said they would have to take me to the hospital and I was not going to do that. They took my blood pressure and it was 96/56, which told me I was dehydrated. I expected this since my stomach shutdown.</div>
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All in all it was a great experience. I even learned how to control my own leg cramps and make them go away without having to take anything. We have already started planning next year’s Dirty Kansas trip and I’m looking forward to going for the Race for the Sun patch. Thanks to everyone who followed my adventure and sent messages. Special thanks to the person who talked to me all day. Without your words it would have been really hard to finish.</div>
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Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178268070113930785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562954459652628502.post-39549978988343609142017-05-08T12:44:00.003-07:002017-05-08T12:44:41.596-07:00Posture Tips For CyclistsNot the best title, I admit.<br />
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Maybe one day I can be the Bike Fit writer for Buzzfeed.<br />
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Let's accept the bad title in the hope more folks that need this will find it.<br />
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I see lots of advice on how cyclists can correct their posture. Terrible posture. So bad. I tried to find a picture of myself fresh off the bike but came up short. Below is the closest I could find.<br />
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<img alt="Image result for gollum" src="data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAkGBxMTEhUSExIWFRUXFRcXFxcVFxUXFxgVFRUXFxYVFRcYHSggGBolGxUVITEhJSkrLi4uFx8zODMtNygtLisBCgoKDg0OGhAQGi0dHR0tLS0tKy0rKy0tLS0tKy0tLS0tLS0tLS0tLS0tLS0tLS0tLTctNy03Ky0tLSstLS0tK//AABEIALgBEgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xAAcAAABBQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAABAAIDBAUGBwj/xAA6EAABAwMBBQYEBAUEAwAAAAABAAIRAwQhMQUSQVFhBhMicYGhMpGxwULR4fAHFFJi8RVygrIjksL/xAAZAQADAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDBAX/xAAgEQEBAAMAAwADAQEAAAAAAAAAAQIRIQMSMSJBUXET/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwDzytTAasS6ZBWs6rIWbejK6c+xx+LlVmlWGuEKshKyldFx2lL8oJrU8oPRhSTiEEjNRhByLSghovIMqy6vvKqQnDRVLZxNxl6kqVoOCoHvJTUoS3acxkBJGEiEjJSNcowpGNQKkp1FLeVZa0dST7AfRVHCE6q/QcgntPr3ZobKUgaaoMZKtUaYmPdGjtkVgixgK1n7LAAIkk6AZJ9ApaHZ+oTnw+cSizX0pnKzaVtzjnKLqYiZ0A9/37rraHZYFsF7pIjQR145UN12Kqlvhe0gdCJ5TrCXtBquPqHONITIV7aWy6tAgVGkTodQfIhUChcIpqJKJCAalCKCASSSSAUpJQkgN6jbHipKtrIRbXSFddkxmtPOtu1Cps4qjVplpW8+tIVetRBGizy8c/TbDzWfWPKcCjVpwUA1c+nVLKUIFPITYQZiLU/cQKAaSpmGcKGFLb4MpxN+A6geSs2bWZlPuLkRCoFyq6l4ibzneLhewGVWuqgccKKUglctqmGulCfSchKfR1Sir8PeyVD3ZlWi5aWwaAL5do0Ez5eIx1gH5hOxGNvwaXZ5xa0B0PIndcIE6kB0pbK2RUqVe6gtLfikaeatXm0nVKkzAEBoGjQ3Ro9F29ndsfbtqN3WvALHHTEEjzOCB5rPHLrXPCeu4xLmzp0RuNJJA8bjqTyngFRFxwAUm0qZa4t1OpjrmFUt2+LSeg4laZdYY8b2y3f1AT0krpLek0AEmPUyVzlvXFOHE7ztA0cOgV60vKryAD4jMNboBxJOpWdaRrXWyW1Wlr2hzXcCJ/weoXlva7s261fIk0nHBOrXf0ujXmDxC9dtLR7RJeSeE6pu39ki4o1KbjO83BgYcBIdHMFLatPAigCp7mgWOc06tJB8xg+6hVgiUJRKEIBJFJJAJJJJAbTXcU9pkqC0eDgrVbRbwXXh+U28/OetNt6U8FpU7cAaKGlThXBTMLfCOTy5MDaNuN7ATadh4SYWrXaAcp8iCo/5zdbTy2SacdWBBhNaFb2gQXGOagbC4spqvSwy3js0hMIUpCaVKoiSTkWoBoCEKRwRDEBGQgFLumCYMDU5gHkoweqDKE+mIKCIQVWJlatq7dYQOIPuY/8AlZFFaNs/HsjK8LDmSN1THmtK1u3sp7kmTGRzBmQqZtN8gaglarbEtaJEDgpk20yz0jr7VfEO1MyeOU6zdGSJ+yqBgLzybgdT+5W9Y7LBbvEn98grYTQ0qe9DgY8/suh7P0hvlxGgDR9SfZZzKW7j24j0Wx2XbO+6IyMe/vhRkvGOpoWgc5vJTXdCAYif0yIQ2ZWBOvOPIa+uR8lYuxx4fmYKle+vDf4lWLWXXeN0qt3iOT2w13zwfVceQvQ/4q0900x/c4jygLz0lXj8FhqCKSZAkiUEAEkkUBepgzhXWPKr0FcBW/jjk8uXWjQq4Vk3cDVYxrqOrXW/vpzXxzL6dd3hLtVGLswRKpVHJArnvku3VPFNRHUOUxFyCxdMnBLk1OC7HYPYR9WkKtZ5ohxhjSIcRA8RnQZ0gnCCtkcWRw56fkFubO7K3FUb26Gg6B07x9ACR6rudmbGt6J3aIL3Rk8dY8TvwjpjyWlc37LUneMuOjGe28VXr/UXyb+OOodiwxpdWJPl4QOfMlQtdQpgsY0RzIknzJMq7tXblSsfEYbyGAFlu3eIS4U3+yq3GgEEDQRgeWVUqVAcOaPIzCmNGdCoqlLgdUKm1atb0yMAD/aT7yojYDg7PX9E52DClo+nqkfVV9q5vCeolXdl2FV7g0MPiIAnGf3xVijVhu7A45454Suj2Qzcgz43EtB/pYcl08zvFOTabl69LYexC2qe9gtAmQSRrGvoodvXoe5zuGjRwDeC3698CxzW/CAY5mMb3qVyO0YDSOMJ3k1Ey+13WfQqwf3qtOyvjwcQeE/vVY5jjpj5Kx/or3OaaJJ3tGjlznSEp1d/F29lV36Tt74x4mnGnJadhRDGkgZEfLdyP30XE7L2kWO3KhG8x26eRyutZeAl26Rp9VFi5v5Wls663GAHMyfX7ELS/wBUDhBM+WvqFhPzgfpgQoqbN3Gp6GT7qLetscJpxv8AFO5muxkzusk+btPYLh1tdrL4Vrmo4GQCGjyYA2fmCsUrSRkSSKCYBJJBAFJNSQGpRKnLlXGE+VvjdRyZTdFzlFUek5McptPHFHKMpieFm3MIUlGiXODWglziAABJJJgAdZKaAvS/4Wdlw6Lx5MhzhSA/CG+F9U9ZJa3rJ5IFy0v9iex/8ox1zchveRAAhxZzaw6b50LuGg4lS3W1ge8rVejKTNGtAIJPUn7FbnaC6DmYxTbI6YMQvM9r3RfgYA4dZ191fyOfuVPo7YcwGJzxVB9yXEkmVC5s8kxrgpt20k0sOePzURydVFXdnCntW8UjTfyYiZyrDbY8VG/Me6v0ZBAOhU1ePWDtG0LDKq0n5XUXdidxxXItw4jkUoqzS1VdpC0dm3xLjvOzEN6uOPkAsZ1bolTqfNXLpnZt3LGbtN+dGgepyufu2kkzmQr1G83qQE5dE+YACo16wBjUjVGQwVH0HRorWzr2tRBa2d05gjQ8S0/hWjsq9O6Bu6cccCo6m2QaoY4AcJ8lnk3x2wqDHue4wSXFbVltI0/C/pquh2Js0sqb7gDgOnz0wuNvWOrVqjpIJe4wODZ4DjATneFlHYW20mlvxcUNtbUbToVHtcN7dIaP7jge5XLUtn1aTDVDjuAjDtXAnWOgR27VD2Bg1Hid05D7p+s2n21NuXSfThFykqARKqFaroIlApKBIpIIBJJIoDWOVE/CfR5qV72uMLf7HH8qmUxxU1emQYUDlnW+OqaE4JoTwFK6u7HsTWr06WfE4Axru6uPnAK+hmW9K2oNZhg3RgYDWNHhaOn1kledfwy2M1m7dPySC7o1g+EeZInyhXe2m33vOTnJjgJMCPLnzVyfthne6jL7W7f34pswwaDn1K5B9UkynXTyTKrTCm1WM1D6rlSq1iFLUrBVK1TkpXIcLldJY05osJ/ET8hhcnE6cdPNd/UstwUqX9FNgP8AuIlx904M9cUm0CCFp0qJxwwStS32YHsnipqFn4hI4RKzyvWuGKrd0YoE815tcfG7z+i9I7VXjabSOAEY4k4AXC2ViHneqEgHMDXPVPFOVZzgk1dps7Z1JjZFMEnMuEwOGqwajw5sYV4z2ukZX1iOwrnRC7oSMFPptAb14KSm4EJ5Y6LHL2+ILK4IO6cHjylOubVziHCSZkQpaloKjQHEtcAd1w05w4cp4o2tarQI3gCOBBlZtpzrobLalZrG0ntIkgNJIkARK5raNN7ahIBneJEeciFcbfF9QOOI08ypbq9JkpzCpy8kValzUe3cefMe+Y4rNruLZPOVpU6wIiFVvAA2OJC19ZJxhc7lesNzlO1w3IjKru1UtH4XDl9DqobX4gSSQlJQIpJIASkjCSA17NmMp1xREyCo2vhNfXC23JHJZbdxI90gSoaoB0Td9ENlLe1SaR7isWdmaj20xq5wbPKTCZuLoexNlv3Aefhpje/5GWt+5/4paO5PQTcMtrdtFhwAPbA9guA2zeF7ySVq3V13lR7x8LZ+Q0+y5O7rEkk8UZXmk4Tuwq1sKkXkpzyoHOWbaQ5wEKMppKcSherFvYVtv3FJv94Po3xfZdleXe9VPKSud7J0oqOqf003R5uxPuVp0qRcSZ/f+U78Re5f49C7OAPatC8oNYwnisLsO/wOJ4K92ou9yi9w1jHm7A/fRZVs8829W7+sQ3LWmB1doT9lYp2bRug6DXqVmd8KbZ0cTA8zqfQFW6dItqCSXCARKr5Ge+tbaF1u03ECIaT8hj7LhKdZb/aS/inuDV//AFEH6wuXa5VhwspteFfCrNuS09OSG+q7iryu04Y6b+ztqsbIcC6eH6q9/NCoNAANABouTpuWhaXMIw0Xl3rjScGjRRAqoa2Ud5XtlIuVnABV31FXqVVBUfKVqscVepqUG8fJNKSydAASnGmUFNQOQEBWSU9ZuJUCBCSSSQa856iJUndppZCqspoIRDkoSIQrcFpXdbCtzRs3PnLxPlvDdaP/AFk/81x2zLTvKjWcCcxyGv5eq9D2g3wMtW/EXAuHJx4T0bA9FWLLyMm4t20aAkkveJ6AcB5rl7hdf2wod3UDCZcGgYGBjIXJ1QlkWHxnuco1ZfRlGnbGdFLaVULVPQpzhTXVoW5CjYTw1GoSPbe7P057wf2g+gK0NiZkzj8lm7Iqwyq7m0COpMfefRa2zoDY4/ZF+Ina6bsq3D+RnCz+3G0A1gBMDe0/2z9yFqbEYKdMv5+0AmAuG7aPdUqgDMNnPNxPvDW/NTpe+1z9SsalQHQcByE/VdXuRTBdiAc8hCwLHZzhBMLavWmpS3J3ZxMTxzj0RRpye0Lo1Hl3DQeQ0/fVVwtd2wHz4XtPHiNfmqw2TVIkAHyP5wns1MlRlSV6LmGHNLTyP7yoiqAqWm5QohAs2sBxTt5VwUQeqNp9TnOTHuQPmgUlSAkkhCDGE5hgpqQKCWHNwYGIwqhVu1f8hlVn6lAhqSCSDaBaVGWqz3oCGq1sjnmVn6Q7qEqyKYWjsSwZ3zXXBDKbc+IE7x4CBmJS9TmbsewXZzu2d++A94hs/hkTnqBn1HJdHfOt7FneDxVzMF+XSdTHALktp9t2057kyRhpI+HmQD+LiSuRutsPqOL3FzifxGSi3Sdbq/tK4NWo6o50uJkk8ZVCqFELxp4hRPrdcKNrk0u2zATC3bKxBwubpXzWZ18lfo7XOowkem5tLZwxxwueq2DATLgD0yVNc7QqVNXeiqBGhKs0GblIgnLngA40Gc8eCt2VcZA4H18+izrx0FrDwmeOeXunWjIyOnymdEVUd66sDTDAYwPn9/1XJVnGpVc48T7DA9lcsLmcETn5QVSqDde4dT8uHtCnJWMX6dEAIirwhUqd1wQ72DoUoqxdAadeOqgMA8sT/hVu9JOnvxUprcNToPQD8000dqWrazI/EB4Txn8lxRXaPuWtEO1K5C8ZFR4/uPuZ+6cPcQpwcmlJMji5BBJBiUEiggEiAkEkAgE8NCZCexMqTTBUdQZT3JtTn6JBGkjCSDbPcjl9FG6gpu6gfEgxhmSZGq6LI4pb/T7WiG+N2eQP/YqO7uyenPn6clFcXEqqZcYHqot18a4429qNz5KvUaxhGlbgdVMKeFm0tl+KtV4dq1VmOiY48/orpt+SgrWpCRyxWcU4VIymkcE5lIoU0WVsKxbfEHHhn1GnvCgoMwpxShG0eqpd3A3oE7oOpiT1JWjZVRHr9cfNZNw0A45q9s4gtI4winjpq21Utdk6AR6nX5K5tujgVR0B8jofmfdUrb4M9B68Crjj/wCIsPBpjy1CSresthjIT3V9DKyKu0I0UP8ANFyNDbpqNVvnzVWrWAd0Ikev+FRtj1I81I985PT6fqgj6tSTKwq795xPMlaF5VhmOOPQ6rLhMQgEoRShCgARLUoShALdQhOhIhAABGEoRDUAgp2ABM7oqena4mU5KzyymlZw5JjxhSVGQUxJc+IEkUkBpVD0T61QBuE5zTywq947MdFtlxzYTdVy7Uq1aU8TzVOVfY8Qsm2USF0Jweq1R6DXoLWl5lSES8HVUTVS74ILp5aJRY1ROq5SFZJS0HwpTVCz3PTHVEaUnqU8lGg6Exj5anTif3lNLY2VXDhuO4/XotOq7QHlHyXM2lTdM9fdb1y/eaCM8fmpqpXJvpbpgZOfqrFrSjKDhD3E8z9VLTqaplasB+FDU9YRc5MqmAgrVW7fJjkoYTiSgELnwCEoR3UCEGCKRCBCAMpIJIAhKUEkBJvFSsJ5qANPBWKTTxTjPLWkdVvVRhPqwmQiqx+C6hk59kk01Ekh1rVLnGFm1zk8gI+SKS0ztrHxYyK8qanURSWdbkXJNcikgtGnKW4kkgrTdxHdRSQZnqiGIpICSkIU4ZEJJJpp0rQtq/hg8EkkjZl67xn0SpOSSQdHMpt2dAkkmmfVaEikkksCgQgkgyKRQSSIkpSSQZSigkgLFvUU1WoYRSVysc5PZScUJSSUtTpSSST0W3//2Q==" /><br />
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I apologize for those who don't appreciate my sarcasm. I thought it was pretty good.<br />
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I think the importance of posture is pretty overblown. Take a quick look around the internet and you can quickly find any number of articles on "text neck" and other maladies of modern chairs and cell phones.<br />
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Why do I think it is overblown? Give this video a quick watch.<br />
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Fine, I will admit cycling isn't really ideal to cultivate textbook "perfect posture"...of course, if that was the goal we would all quit our sport and be security guards or something like that.<br />
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I think a variety of postures during the day are good and losing the strength or mobility to have options there is probably not a good option. The items I'll go over below are actually applicable to everyone, not just cyclists, which maybe means I AM writing Buzzfeed clickbait now.<br />
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Here we go. Posture Tips. I don't think these are in really any order because importance will depend on what YOU are missing.<br />
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<b>1. Go for a walk</b> - I really think 10,000 steps a day is a great goal. Get a dog. That will help. Maybe walk 30 minutes during your lunch break.<br />
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<b>2. Stand up straight</b> - Just like Mom told you. All the strength and mobility in the world is useless if you are creeping around like our friend Gollum above. Good posture should feel relaxed and easy. If you can snag a standing desk or one of the variable ones, go for it.<br />
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<b>3. Stretch breaks</b> - Build some short stretches into your day. Which ones? Lots of options and consistency goes a long way. How long to do them? Just do them. You'll figure it out.<br />
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<b>4. Prioritize</b> - <a href="http://maxshank.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/5minuteflow_guide.pdf" target="_blank">Get some mobility work in early.</a><br />
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That's it. Nobody needs perfect posture but if you want to improve yours this should be a good start.<br />
<br />Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178268070113930785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562954459652628502.post-63927759635370399122017-05-03T08:24:00.002-07:002017-05-03T08:24:40.172-07:00Foot Strength and Mobility. A Simple How To GuideBetween the PT clinic and fit studio, I see lots of feet. Some weird, some normal, most of them clean enough to let out in public.<br />
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I am writing this as I feel like lots of advice on foot function (meaning strength and flexibility) is overly complicated and ultimately aimed at selling something or proving how smart the dispenser of the advice is.<br />
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One thing I have learned is never assume anything about a client...TEST IT.<br />
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I had a fit client a few weeks ago who has had recurring calf issues for a couple years and asked me during a session if her feet might be weak or limited in some way. This gave me two options.<br />
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<i>1. Go on a diatribe about the plight of modern footwear and how she needed to get back to nature and read three books on working the core muscles for her feet and...you get the idea</i><br />
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<i>2. TEST IT</i><br />
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Turns out strength and mobility were fine and we resolved the issue quickly after with a minor equipment tweak and some pedaling technique advice.<br />
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If you want a whole list of the maladies of wearing shoes, go elsewhere. There are plenty of sensational things written on this. I'm not doing it. I want to put forth a few things I have found easy to check for yourself at home.<br />
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The basic idea here is to test ALL OF THESE and work on whatever you suck at. Easy, right?<br />
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I am listing them in the order that I think makes the most sense. Importance of each will depend on your particular goals and athletic pursuits.<br />
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NUMBER 1. TOE AND FOOT MOBILITY<br />
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NUMBER 2. ANKLE MOBILITY<br />
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NUMBER 3. TOE MOBILITY AND COORDINATION<br />
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NUMBER 4. SINGLE LEG CALF RAISES<br />
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*With these many people will have feet that are not in perfect alignment due to individual variation. Don't roll an ankle or anything but perfection isn't super important either. Hold on to something with your hand for balance.</div>
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I think the above tests are the main things to focus on. </div>
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<b>If you are bad at one of them, well, I think working on that thing will help it!</b></div>
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Feet are stuck in shoes all day. It isn't a death sentence for them, but maybe not their perfect home either. </div>
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Let's make the best of it, yeah?</div>
<br />Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178268070113930785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562954459652628502.post-87451124060696228982017-04-24T14:25:00.000-07:002017-04-24T14:25:06.202-07:00Guest Post: Shake n Brake 2017 Race ReportGood writing from local rider Evan Koch below. Enjoy.<br />
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In April, we’re lucky enough to have two races in the Talladega National Forest – Southern Fried Ride’s Skyway Epic and Chain Buster Racing’s Shake n’ Brake. Both are beautiful races and are in different sections on the TNF (unless you’re an overachiever and did the Skyway 200, in which case you went through all of TNF). The park is beautiful and I really should spend more time there. I believe Eddie Freyer said they had 40 miles of multiuse trails close to the Warden Station where we started the race.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One thing to point out for those that don’t know me – I’m a race rider, not a race racer. I read someone else’s race report (I think it was from Oak Ass 2015) and thought it was a good distinction.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For this race, I took Revelate Design’s new Mag-Tank cockpit bag. Shoved some Gu, a set of tire levers, a pair of pliers, a spoke wrench, and two FiberFix spoke replacement kits in the Mag-Tank. This bag was a bit larger than the zippered bag I normally use and the magnetic enclosure worked really well. The magnet takes care of closing the bag when you’re done. This was my first race without a backpack - I’m trying to move away from my safety blanket of having tons of water and gear in my Osprey bag. In the back jersey pockets I stored a hand pump with some duct tape (to secure broken spokes) and a spare tube, and on the frame my Z cages had a multi-tool and another tube beneath the water bottles.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As usual, I started in the back of the pack. Since I’m not a competitor, I’d rather not have to fight it out in the starting lineup. I guess people learned from last year, because I didn’t see nearly as many people with flats in the northern loop. The views on the first 10 miles I think are some of the best in the race. Last year one of the CX riders had 2-3 flats in the first ten miles and ran out of tubes. I also came across two guys who were riding a tandem mountain bike and let them use my multi-tool to tighten up their handle bars.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Later on in the race I came across a rider from Gadsden Outfitters who was changing out a tube. I offered to let him use my tire levers, as he only had one, and my hand pump so he could save his CO2 cartridge for later. While replacing the tire, we discussed what an amazing athlete Randy Kerr, one of his team mates from Gadsden Outfitters, was. A few racers passed us as we chatted, and then the sweeper caught up to us. Turns out his spare tube also had a puncture, so I bid him farewell as he was loading his bike into the sweeper’s truck. I caught up to some of the people that passed me and finished out the race. </span></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-7640f053-a1d8-bfe4-bf57-8fa21b080c8d"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Knowing that the post-race food was from Moe’s BBQ and that not jiving with my diet, I packed four almond butter sandwiches in the car. The drive from the race to Heflin was 25 minutes, and those sandwiches were gone before I made it to I-20. Lesson learned – next year, make five or six. Definitely looking forward to next year’s race, might even do some real training between now and then. </span></div>
Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178268070113930785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562954459652628502.post-62634931730445128962017-04-11T06:12:00.000-07:002017-04-11T06:38:28.984-07:00Skyway Epic 2017Firstly, I raced a few weeks ago at the 12 Hours of Iron Maiden and managed to slide into a 2nd Place spot behind Tim Winters from Georgia...then never wrote about it. I don't know why, really. It was fun, I rode well, and it stormed. All the makings of a great story. Ooops.<br />
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Brent Marshall's newly expanded (60,100, and 200 mile options) <a href="http://www.southernfriedrides.com/" target="_blank">Skyway Epic</a> was this past weekend. I initially signed up for the 100 and tried not to overthink how long my day would be with driving and whatnot. The week before, it really hit me and I dropped to the 60. In full disclosure, I also had an incredibly bad ride the Sunday before Skyway.<br />
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Started out dehydrated. Stayed that way. Still rode 5 hours like a complete idiot. Tingly hands. Hand cramps. Couldn't drive home and had to stop at our clinic to drink water for an hour with Melissa babysitting me. So yah, big confidence booster to go race. I considered just bailing totally but rode normally Tuesday so promised myself I would do the short distance and focus more on hydration than racing.<br />
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The real irony of my mishap was the carefully typed Fuel and Hydration Basics document I made about 2 weeks ago. Do as I say, not as I do?<br />
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The 100 and 200 mile folks started at 7AM and we pushed off at 9. Brent gave us warnings about directions, a downed tree, and jeeps. If Brent Marshall says something pre race...LISTEN. Everything was relevant.<br />
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I kept to my pacing promise (ride easy, eat, and drink) by starting near the back for the singletrack. This forced me to ride slower than I wanted but ended up in a good group with the SmithLock boys and Frank Davis leading the bunch. Spin, spin, spin. The singletrack at Lake Howard is twisty, kinda flat, and sooooo much fun. Our group absorbed Lennie Moon during the singletrack. He was ready to quit but took up our offer to "just go for a ride."<br />
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Soon enough, we were out on the rollers of Rocky Mountain Church Road. I started having problems here keeping up. I was way spun out on the downhills and barely able to keep up with the geared folks. The group was moving fast so I stuck it out until the first aid station at 19 miles. Kim Wynn was also in our group. She was quiet but riding really well. Focused. Great riding, Kim.<br />
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I left the aid station and saw a wobbly Jimmy Smith headed up the Bull's Gap climb. Hmmm. Chase? Or stay true to the plan? I kept him in eye sight and continued to ride really easy. Turns out Jimmy had crashed already and had a cramping incident. Not his greatest ride from what he said later. I really should have passed him headed out Skyway but left it alone. I was happy with my pace and felt good, so no sense ruining a good thing.<br />
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Brent's warning of traffic on the course was valid. I saw lots of Jeeps out and a couple 4Runners. Everyone was really friendly and made passing easy, which was cool. I saw the leaders coming back our way a couple miles before the turnaround, and calculated about a 35 minute gap, less than I was suspecting. I arrived at midway with Jimmy, then promptly wasted a bunch of time fretting over how many Oreos I wanted and trying to find a gel I thought I had. It wasn't just any gel, it was a Gu Roctane. I really wanted it but eventually gave up and headed back with Jimmy now totally out of sight. Not good.<br />
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The temps were up around 70 now and the sun was bright. I still felt good but walked steeper hills on the way back to save effort. I lost more time coming back in but the goal was get back home safe with no weird shit going on with my hydration. The day was super low humidity which means not much sweating. I watered the bushes a couple times during the race, which was a good sign. The downhills on the Skyway ridge were harder than normal. Like, NO good lines, just a mess of ruts and rocks. Ah, the thrill of the unknown. Great fun!<br />
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As usual, Rocky Mountain Church Road hurt me on the way back. Sunny, hot, steep. My climbing was harder than I wanted it to be, which I am currently blaming on some equipment. Weak excuse? Maybe. I'll write an article on which equipment it was soon and let you decide if I'm nuts!<br />
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Coming back into the closing singletrack I got super confused about course marking and spent a few minutes roaming around and looking over course directions. I was still not confident but lucked out with my decision. I was really happy to be back in the woods and upped my pace. I waited 57 miles to ride hard, so enjoyed the last few miles as my only time at race pace. I felt good about hydration and nutrition. No chance of catching Jimmy but I wanted to at least get some good efforts in. At some point I realized the 60 was more of a 67 mile race than a 60. Meh. Bonus miles might as well be trail miles, so I'm not complaining. Oh, and about that precious Gu Roctane? It was still in the middle of the trail with about 2 miles to go. Off the bike, Gu in my pocket, back on the bike. Nothing to see here. I popped out of the woods in 3rd behind Randy Kerr and Jimmy Smith. Both are great riders and I felt proud to stand on the dirt podium with them.<br />
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I felt pretty normal thanks to my restricted efforts and immediately guilty I didn't race the 100! I think racing the 60 was the right choice as I didn't want someone responsible for me way out in the Forest if I had a repeat of last week's hydration problems. I planned better at Skyway and it paid off. What a relief. My concern level before the race was way high. If Trans Iowa nerves are an 8, I was a solid 7 out of 10 before Skyway.<br />
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Brent and everyone involved killed it again. The day was overall awesome and the real story is the 200.<br />
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Brian Toone won in right under 17 hours with Eddie O'Dea a few hours later. I am in awe of everyone that finished that distance including Pete Foret... I credit his success to wearing longer socks, of course!<br />
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It's funny, 200 miles on a mountain bike is just, a long way. To finish is a huge accomplishment. I've done it a few times and it only takes a few hours in normal life to think, "How the hell did I do that?"<br />
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That is what makes long dirt races so great. The fear of the unknown and the curiosity of what you can do if you try hard. Thanks for giving folks that opportunity, Brent.Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178268070113930785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562954459652628502.post-22565416950691300612017-02-12T12:02:00.000-08:002017-02-12T15:47:45.720-08:00Snake Creek Gap TT. February 2017. After last month's snowy and shortened Snake Creek Gap Time Trial, I don't think I was alone in my hope for better weather for this weekend's Finale event. As I tend to do, I checked the weather all week leading up to race day. We lucked out big time and ended up with an overcast sky and 55 degree temperatures at a race famous for bad conditions. This also meant I would be able to do the full 50 mile distance I signed up for a few months ago.<br />
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Prayers were answered Friday afternoon when I finally got my favorite sweatpants back from Pete Foret. I had severely missed them the past 5 weeks as they migrated from Matt Ward's truck into Pete's possession, where they served a long purgatory in the back seat of his car. We opted to stay at the same Days Inn in Dalton, the only difference being I was succesful in my attempt to sweet talk my way into a ground floor room. I immediately felt at home when I saw the license plate on the Porsche sedan parked next to us..."ROLL T." They might have been selling low T supplements but I am still telling myself it was a Bama thing.<br />
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We found a better spot for dinner this time. By "We" I mean Jacob found it and told me where to go. Cherokee brewing and pizza was really good and I was delighted to watch a 220 pound man call Pete "Pet" a few times thanks to a careless computer input. Jamie and Lennie joined us also and we had a great dinner. I usually count on a shitty night of sleep before a race and continued my trend.<br />
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By some combination of super cheap blanket and my collection of bike clothes on the bed, said blanket managed to develop a static charge of a magnitude I didn't think possible. I was sleeping poorly in the hot room but attempts to separate the Days Inn bedding delivered quite obvious sparks in the air. Nope. Nope. I'd rather be hot. 4 hours of sleep and we did about the same routine as last time. Self shuttle to the start is the way to go here if you have the bike rack situation to make it work easily.<br />
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There were lots of riders at the Dry Creek parking lot, which is the start for the 34 and 50 mile race. The line to the facilities was about 30 deep with the folks who had failed to make race weight back at the hotel. Oops. The forecast called for rain so I strapped a shell to my bike and wore a vest also, which I ended up not needing at all. Since the race is a TT, it starts with one rider every 30 seconds or so, but due to the volume of riders once in the singletrack it is pretty much a mass start scenario. The first 18 miles of the 50 sent us through the Dry Creek loops before starting the traditional Snake Creek Gap course.<br />
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The singletrack was very fast and quite loose in the corners with loose rock over hardpack. I am overdue for a new rear tire but have a supersition of changing nothing before race day. My mental comfort of keeping tradition was countered by the dramatic lack of rear traction in the corners. Oh well, at least my fork was operable. With Tyree's help, I was able to fix a Reba that really wanted to wallow mid travel and refused to fully extend. Turns out Rock Shox uses a Solo Air system that is really a hidden Dual Air. Inside the fork leg is an extra air valve that can return normal pressure if it goes wonky and leaked air between positive and negative chambers. This fix happened much later in the day Thursday than I was comfortable with but hey, fixed is fixed.<br />
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I used a heart rate strap but turned off any indicator I could see during the race. I strictly paced off perceived exertion but still rode too hard during the Dry Creek Loop. Pete started right behind me, so we rode together almost all of the first 33 miles. I was spun out during much of the first 2 hours of the race which turned out to be pretty exhausting. We caught Carey Lowery around maybe mile 12, who I figured was having a bad day or was much better at pacing than us. It turned out to be the latter, as I would discover soon enough.<br />
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Thomas Turner came by us on Dry Creek and I very suddenly understood what it takes to ride a 4:09 on the 50 mile. He chatted for a minute and was quickly completely out of sight. We got through the first 18 miles in 1:44...WAY faster than I expected or planned. I started getting tired around this point due to making passes on the trail. It takes extra energy but in the end I think is smarter than riding behind slower riders. The trail turned slower and more technical through here, which I was happy with. I rode a 34/22 gear on my Superfly, which was better suited to this type of riding. Pete got away from me here and I really thought he was gone for good. I got a bit down during this time, also soon I realized I was hot. Like, really hot. I shed my arm warmers and vest on one of my increasingly common hike a bike walks. This brought some renewed energy and I picked up the pace. 10 minutes or so and I was back with Pete. Around this time Carey came back around, looking smooth as can be. Suspicion confirmed...I started too fast.<br />
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I got around Pete on the Horn Mountain descent and started feeling more comfortable on the descents. I was riding better with each hour and feeling good. I was diligent about nutrition and water as the penalties are big in a race this long. I think of the Snake 50 as 3 17 mile races that get harder and harder as you go along. I was happy to see the Snake Creek Gap parking lot as this meant I knew the rest of the course! The prospect of riding the rockier parts of the course without snow and ice was very motivating. I saw Jeff McCord in the parking lot, who quite simply looked like hell. I could tell he didn't feel right so wished him luck and headed up the steep Mill Creek climb. My legs started to come around here and I was able to ride almost the whole way up. I yo yoed with Rachel Millsop for much of the race and a couple other guys. I got away on descents and they caught me during the hike a bike sections. I felt good on the Swamp Creek descent and climb back up Hurricane Mountain.<br />
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I got a bit confused around this point and thought I only had 7 miles to go, which I was wrong about. Not by much but I was concerned at one point I was off course. Wishful thinking maybe? I really enjoyed the rock gardens through Snake Creek Gap this time. I rode all the first two rock gardens and almost all of the third one. This was a pleasant change from January, where I basically had a long ass hike with cleats so packed with ice I coudn't clip in. I was very tired but my legs had hurt so much already by this point I was used to it and decided I wasn't going to cramp so kept pushing hard. Most of my body hurt at this point actually, but I expected that. It is a super rough course and if you ride the descents hard it beats you up. I kept thinking I had one mile to go and was wrong. This happened a few times and I couldnt figure out when I left Snake Creek Gap trailhead, which I had tried really hard to remember. I was fried and started to get irritated, but calmed down some after talking with a guy I was riding with. I put the mileage calculations out of my head and tried to focus on the trail.<br />
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The towers at the end of Dug Gap meant I only had to descend the road and I was done. The descent was really fun and fast, and much more pleasant in 55 degree temps compared to last month. I came over the line in 5:47 which was well under my 6 hour goal. I rode really well the last 17 miles and was pretty well trashed at the end. So much so that I totally forgot the belt buckle for completing both races! It took a couple good meals for my brain to get back on track and I am still pretty tired today. I understand the appeal of this race now and it is one of my favorites. Incredibly hard but rewarding. Thanks to everyone that helped make this race happen, it is one of a kind and draws a great crowd of folks. I think I can do better now that I am familiar with the course and will be back for sure.Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178268070113930785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562954459652628502.post-79217417192595715942017-01-08T16:57:00.002-08:002017-01-09T14:09:30.122-08:00Snake Creek Gap TT #1. Snowblind. So. <a href="http://snake.nwgasorba.org/" target="_blank">Snake Creek Gap</a>.<br />
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I have wanted to do this race for well, the entire time it has been a thing. Problem is, it is a thing that usually starts New Years weekend. Busy weekend for many, including me, so I usually just whine and moan about doing it "next year"...<br />
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Last year I realized it was a more attainable schedule with 2 races done in January and February with the first one the weekend AFTER New Years. Also included was the addition of a 50 mile option with an initial 17 miles of the Dry Creek trails added in. I will admit, none of this means a damn thing until you have been there!<br />
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I committed to The Snake a few months ago...along with PMBAR...and the Cheaha Ultra. I have been accused of overdoing things before and it is just my way. Pick what you love and get to work. With Snake Creek on the horizon I got in a few good weeks of training. Lots of work on West Ridge and chatting with anyone who had raced Snake Creek before which is, well, pretty much all my riding friends. I have learned that nothing is for certain, and as they say...Shit Happens. The Shit in my case was a case of Strep 10 days prior the the January edition of Snake Creek. I will mention here this is not the reason I didn't win. I wouldn't have won if Brian Toone loaned me his legs for the weekend. Backstory is fine in the context of a backstory but once it becomes a Shoulda Woulda Coulda, everyone has their own. Sickness, bad weather...it is a rare thing to go race and everything go by The Plan.<br />
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10 days of no riding hurt me some but my main concern was the weather on Friday morning. I left work at 11 AM with my car and bike covered in ice. Once home, I was quickly joined by the Angel and Devil on each shoulder. Melissa was full of reason and good judgement, which I am always thankful for. Pete Foret sat on my left, brimming with confidence with his Subaru's AWD system. With too much pressure building in the house, it took a trip to Mr. Chen's to lock down a decision. Go to The Snake.<br />
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The drive up was pretty uneventful and I enjoy any chance to chat with Pete. Once in Dalton we quickly found out the 50 and 34 mile options would be doing only the last 17 miles of the course...which is nice in the fact it is the highest regarded portion of Snake Creek Gap but sucked because we came to ride 50. I was happy to see a beagle in the Snake Pit as well as plenty of friends from Birmingham, along with some new ones from other places.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Explaining <a href="http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/" target="_blank">Rule 5</a> </td></tr>
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Tony's Italian was the spot for dinner and I cannot help but mention I don't really know what carb loading is. People ask me about it all the damn time and I just don't know. I sign up. I go to the mountain town and go wherever everyone wants to eat and I eat. End of story. As I have said before, I am not a nutritional role model. Trying to sleep was a real treat. Pete is a champion snorer and the folks behind the wall were definitely not arranging gear for Snake Creek...<br />
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As predicted, it snowed overnight and we woke up to an ice covered Dalton with a "clear and bitterly cold" 5 degree windchill.<br />
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Snake Pit parking lot. 8 AM</div>
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For those in the dark, Snake Creek is a point to point race, so you either depend on the race shuttles or make your own. We went the DIY route with Pete, Jeff, and Matt Ward driving us to Snake Creek Gap for the start. The drive was pretty icy and generally awful road conditions. The countryside was awesome to take in and I was pretty stoked to ride still. Our Plan was to warm up in the parking lot before the start but after 3 meandering laps I realized the stupidity of this "warmup" and checked in to start. We started out with a pretty decent climb where my hands immediately went numb with cold.<br />
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Well fuck. If they are this cold at 170 heart rate how could it improve?!<br />
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Turns out just fine and I was totally warm the rest of the race which ranged from actual air temp of 15 to 19 degrees F. Clothing list at the bottom of this post.<br />
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I passed a good many people up the first hill then saw Jeff McCord stopped. After a chat about his mechanical issues I grabbed some of my Nuun slushie and headed on. The entire bottle lid was already ice and I made a mental note to watch them closely so I could actually drink later. I set out at this point to simply go for a nice, snowy ride in the woods and not worry about Racing. My priority was to not do anything dumb and get done when I got done. This was thoroughly evident in the 13 minute addition in stopped time to my 2:25 moving time for the race....Oops.<br />
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The views were awesome and I was enjoying the trails, up and down. I hiked a ton but I expected to. The climbs are pretty steep and on a singlespeed you WILL hike a bunch. The first 7 miles I thought were quite easy but got tougher after the Sag station. I used a heart rate monitor and was rewarded with lots of blinky lights confirming the aerobic impact of my recent sickness. I had no idea what to expect from the course and the snow cover on the trails made the rocks tougher to see. Jackson and Frank both passed me around mile 10 and were looking very good. The descents were steep and covered in either leaves or snow. I figured walking would be dangerous too so went ahead and rode. Heavy feet, light hands, hope for traction. Braking with heavy gloves on was pretty weird and I spent an hour or so trying to decide if my brakes were failing. Turn out, no, the only failure was my perception of them.<br />
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Once into the harder climbs of the course Stewart Miller caught me and we rode/ hiked together a bit. I rode, in retrospect, very conservatively, most of the race to pace for the unexpected. On top of the ridge I came to appreciate the full fury of The Snake. Very technical, very slick, and I had never seen any of it! I rode where I could but hiked a bunch. I had some real issues with cleats icing over which took lots of stick poking to remedy. I finally started to figure out the rocks some and ride more once I was alone. I messed up and rode behind a nervous and somewhat frustrated guy for too long but eventually scooted around. The scenery was amazing and I took plenty of time to look around at the snow covered valleys. While anticipating more rocks and elevation gain, I popped out onto a very long road descent. For some reason, I looked over my bike before heading down and saw the rear through axle flipped open from one of many rock hits. I snugged it up and headed down the icy road to the finish. I felt a bit dumb as I realized I could have ridden a good bit harder until this point. Safety first, I guess.<br />
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I finished mid packish and had an awesome time. I am more excited for the full 50 with a better idea of the trails. Once finished I felt the cold for real in the Snake Pit trying to change into warm clothes.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After 15 minutes of thawing time</td></tr>
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Matt Ward popped up around this time with a wet belly, and some frosty looking track pants. We heckled him most of the way back to the start area to swap cars around. Good company makes a good race even better!<br />
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As I mentioned, I rode 2.5 hours in 5 to 10 degree windchill and didn't get cold much at all. From the bottom up, what I wore:<br />
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Feet: Shimano MW81 winter boots with Hot Hands things in the tongue. Ice Breaker mid weight socks.<br />
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Legs: Twin Six bibs with 12 year old Polartec ski tights.<br />
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Torso and arms: Defeet SS wool base. 626 aero jersey. Thick Defeeet wool arm wamers. Gore Phantom Windstopper jacket.<br />
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Gloves: Giro Merino base liner with Gore Thermo thick gloves over that.<br />
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Way up top: Rapha (I know...save it) neck gaiter. Castelli Windstopper X hat.<br />
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The race was for sure a learning experience and aside from getting sick, I prepped for it pretty well. See everyone again Feb. 11!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178268070113930785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562954459652628502.post-83017032929078216142016-11-18T05:33:00.000-08:002016-11-18T11:01:53.535-08:00Strength Foundations for Climbers by Markham TuckAnd now for something a little different.<br />
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Below is a guest post by my friend and rock climber, Markham Tuck. Although this is focused towards climbers, it has relevance to those in many other sports as well.<br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If there is one thing you can count on a climber for, it is being injured. If not currently climbing through an injury, you can damn well bet they have a laundry list of issues or a few scars for show and tell. By nature, climbers tend to be pretty intense & possibly a bit of a masochistic bunch. Once the climbing bug bites, psych for the sport is high & time dwindles so that there is not much else outside of climbing.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The same tenacity that leads to success can lead to problems over time.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One: Climbing relies on the strength of connective tissue (tendons, ligaments, fascia, etc) in addition to muscle tissue. “Great!”, you say. Well, connective tissue has a limited blood supply compared to muscle or skin. What this amounts to is connective tissue adapts to load significantly slower than muscle tissue. Around ten times slower. “Shit!”, you say. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Two: Climbing as a sport is on “the fringe” & relatively young. There is not a lot of training information out there & many climbers lack any formal training from other sports. Ultimately, the foundations of athleticism are highly under utilized.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I grew up playing all the typical American sports & even enjoyed some of them! I found climbing during my undergraduate studies. Needless to say, it has stuck & like most climbers, I have sustained a few injuries along the way. Fast forward to my doctorate studies where I learned to love weightlifting just about as much as climbing. I have consumed more literature than I care to recall on both of these disciplines. What I will review here is what I believe every climber should be doing to have a long & healthy climbing career.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Do No Harm” - D.F.Y.U – see reference below</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Go on a walk daily, take the stairs, & make a habit of the 5-minute flow – see reference below.</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Practicing the specific without the general usually leads to short term gains followed by injuries. Sound familiar?</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Spend your time wisely - 80% on your sport, 10% on strength, 10% on everything else.</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Getting strong is easy, so do it the easiest way possible.</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Your strength regimen should deliver great strength gains without exhausting your energy or time.</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Aerobic conditioning has value for all types of athletes, but dose varies.</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There is value in bilateral lifts, unilateral lifts, & bodyweight exercises.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For self trained athletes, some level of coaching has value. Don’t totally go it alone.</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“A chain is only as strong as it’s weakest link.” Get screened & tested.</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-090246f0-78d0-fa73-96d5-e25ae5e5a49c"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Be careful mixing up sport specificity and strength training. If you aren’t sure, do your sport & get stronger in the basic lifts/movements. Skip all the junk. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Do the basic human movements listed and go climb. Anything added to that, you should be more wary of.</span></span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Keep the goal, the goal.</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Train barefoot when possible or as close as possible. (i.e. vans, converse, etc.)</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you have made it this far, you are probably wondering, “Now where the hell should I start?” Let’s go through this stepwise to ensure you leave with something actionable.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Logistics: Time & Equipment. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Okay, what do you have? This part I cannot answer for you. Take stock of what equipment & time you have available. You do not need much of either to develop & maintain a strength foundation. Remember, keep it simple. Ideally, access to a set of rings, barbell, dumbbells, &/or kettlebells would be great, but you can get away with little else outside of your bodyweight. If you are looking to purchase equipment of your own, nothing is superior to a couple kettlebells & a set of rings. They are cheap, portable, versatile, & compliment climbing well. Will you be training at home or in a gym? How many times a week will you go? 2 times a week is a good minimum and you can even do a 5 day a week program like Even Easier Strength.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Programming: </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This will go hand in hand with your time commitment. Remember</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> how total training time should be allotted: 80% climbing & 20% for strength, mobility, & flexibility work. Let’s say you climb 3-4 times a week for a total of 6-8 hours. Roughly 5-6.5 hours should be spent dedicated to climbing & the rest should be spent on your strength, mobility, & flexibility work. For instance a gym session could be: you warm-up with strength, mobility, & flexibility work, climb, & then finish with strength, mobility, & flexibility work as well. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How Much</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A total of 10-30 reps of any movement broken into a few sets is fine. Don’t go to total failure on any set. </span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Do mobility work in between sets of strength exercises</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> – bird dogs, stretching, joint circles, anything from the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Groundwork </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">category below. </span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Get the technique correct, THEN start adding weight or difficulty.</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Remember, to perform your lifts AFTER climbing so that you don’t pattern poor climbing technique.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For more information on programming, consider the “Easier Strength” & “Even Easier Strength” from Dan John. These could be done year round & I am willing to argue this is all an athlete needs during their “on season.” During “off season”, focusing more time on strength gains may be beneficial, but that is outside the focus of this particular article. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Movements: </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Below you will find a list of the fundamental movements everyone should be training. A session should have a mix of ALL of these movements with proper technique. There is no need for isolation of body parts unless you are looking to compete in bodybuilding. If that is the case, then this article is not meant for you.</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Push </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">– Push Ups, Bench Press, Kettlebell Shoulder Press. </span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Pull </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">– Batwings, Pull-ups, Chin-ups, Rows, IYT’s. </span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Hinge </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">– Bridges, Bulgarian Goat Bag Swings, Deadlift, Kettlebell Swings.</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4. Squat </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">– Goblet Squats, Front/Back Squats, Split Squats, Pistol Squats, Lunges.</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5. Loaded Carry </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">– Farmer Walk, Suitcase Carry, Waiter Carry, Sled Push/Pull.</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">6. Groundwork</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> – Bear Crawl, Crab Walk, Get Back Ups, Bird-Dogs.</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7. Core</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> – Ab Wheel, L-Hangs/Sits, Windshield Wipers, Windmills.</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">8. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Climber specific</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> – Forearm Antagonist Work & Shoulder Work. </span></div>
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</ul>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">***The majority of these exercises are able to be performed in some variation no matter the equipment you have access to & if done with proper technique, “core” will be worked in all movements. Using tension properly will transfer over to climbing. Climber’s should be doing forearm antagonist & shoulder work daily or at least before & after every climbing session. Climbers typically have pull covered, stick with IYT’s, especially on climbing days.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">During a climber’s (or any type of athlete’s) “on season”, “Even Easier Strength” by Dan John is king. Find more on this type of training in Dan John & Pavel </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tsatsouline’s book “Easy Strength” </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">– see reference below.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Testing: </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Are you getting better or just tired?</span></div>
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Progression in climbing grades; Ease/Efficiency of movement. </span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Standing broad jump. Should jump body height. Landing measured at heels.</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">30” dead hang to strict pull-up. Repeat. How many can you do?</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Know Thyself: A Climbing Self-Assessment” – Steve Maisch</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Strength Standards</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Strength standards to strive for </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">– see Dan John’s article for progressions.</span></div>
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<table style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; width: 602px;"><colgroup><col width="212"></col><col width="188"></col><col width="*"></col></colgroup><tbody>
<tr style="height: 0px;"><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1px; border-left: solid #000000 1px; border-right: solid #000000 1px; border-top: solid #000000 1px; padding: 7px 7px 7px 7px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Movement</span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1px; border-left: solid #000000 1px; border-right: solid #000000 1px; border-top: solid #000000 1px; padding: 7px 7px 7px 7px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Male</span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1px; border-left: solid #000000 1px; border-right: solid #000000 1px; border-top: solid #000000 1px; padding: 7px 7px 7px 7px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Female</span></div>
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<tr style="height: 0px;"><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1px; border-left: solid #000000 1px; border-right: solid #000000 1px; border-top: solid #000000 1px; padding: 7px 7px 7px 7px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Push (Bench Press)</span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1px; border-left: solid #000000 1px; border-right: solid #000000 1px; border-top: solid #000000 1px; padding: 7px 7px 7px 7px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1.25x bodyweight</span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1px; border-left: solid #000000 1px; border-right: solid #000000 1px; border-top: solid #000000 1px; padding: 7px 7px 7px 7px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.75x bodyweight</span></div>
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<tr style="height: 0px;"><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1px; border-left: solid #000000 1px; border-right: solid #000000 1px; border-top: solid #000000 1px; padding: 7px 7px 7px 7px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pull (Pull-Up)</span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1px; border-left: solid #000000 1px; border-right: solid #000000 1px; border-top: solid #000000 1px; padding: 7px 7px 7px 7px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">bodyweight + 75%</span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1px; border-left: solid #000000 1px; border-right: solid #000000 1px; border-top: solid #000000 1px; padding: 7px 7px 7px 7px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">bodyweight + 50%</span></div>
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<tr style="height: 0px;"><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1px; border-left: solid #000000 1px; border-right: solid #000000 1px; border-top: solid #000000 1px; padding: 7px 7px 7px 7px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hinge (Deadlift)</span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1px; border-left: solid #000000 1px; border-right: solid #000000 1px; border-top: solid #000000 1px; padding: 7px 7px 7px 7px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2x bodyweight</span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1px; border-left: solid #000000 1px; border-right: solid #000000 1px; border-top: solid #000000 1px; padding: 7px 7px 7px 7px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1.5x bodyweight</span></div>
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<tr style="height: 0px;"><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1px; border-left: solid #000000 1px; border-right: solid #000000 1px; border-top: solid #000000 1px; padding: 7px 7px 7px 7px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Squat (Single Leg Squat)</span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1px; border-left: solid #000000 1px; border-right: solid #000000 1px; border-top: solid #000000 1px; padding: 7px 7px 7px 7px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5 reps at bodyweight</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5 reps at bodyweight</span></div>
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<tr style="height: 0px;"><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1px; border-left: solid #000000 1px; border-right: solid #000000 1px; border-top: solid #000000 1px; padding: 7px 7px 7px 7px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Loaded Carry (Farmer Walk)</span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1px; border-left: solid #000000 1px; border-right: solid #000000 1px; border-top: solid #000000 1px; padding: 7px 7px 7px 7px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.5x bodyweight per hand</span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1px; border-left: solid #000000 1px; border-right: solid #000000 1px; border-top: solid #000000 1px; padding: 7px 7px 7px 7px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.5x bodyweight per hand</span></div>
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<tr style="height: 0px;"><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1px; border-left: solid #000000 1px; border-right: solid #000000 1px; border-top: solid #000000 1px; padding: 7px 7px 7px 7px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Strict Hanging Leg Raise</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">10 reps at 3 sec count</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">10 reps at 3 sec count</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">***Groundwork </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">– you either do it, or you don’t. No standards to measure.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In closing, I want to touch on a few last items:</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Remember that you don’t need to feel exhausted in order to gain strength. In fact, it is better to leave a little in the tank. Why exhaust yourself in the weight room when you really want to be performing while climbing?</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Check your ego at the door. Is lifting heavy rewarding? Hell yes. Is lifting heavy with poor technique rewarding? Hell no. Poor technique with load ends with injury. The whole point of this is to prevent injury & perform well. Do not be afraid to regress or re-learn the basics. The best of the best know the basics better than anyone. “Move well, then move often.” - Gray Cook.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Remember to be intentional about what you are doing. I often see climbers performing antagonist movements with limp wrists, lazily flopping around weight. If you cannot execute technique, then back off the weight. Once again, check your ego. I can assure you, no one gives a shit how much weight you are using for wrist extensions.</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Developing & maintaining a foundation of strength will aid with injury prevention & promote endless health benefits. Strong is healthy.</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Climbers like to think climbing is such a unique sport, but we have a great deal to gain from looking at what has worked in other sports. Especially when it comes to foundations. When it comes to sport-specific strength training (i.e. finger strength) trust the experts who have excelled before you. I focus on foundations here since they are largely overlooked in the climbing community.</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Keep a training journal. For yearly planning, write out goals, dates, & a general plan based on what has worked in the past & what has worked for others. Acknowledge times of year you cannot train much. Make checklists and follow them. Keep your brain free.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Countless discussions with John Karrasch have inspired me to put this down on paper. I owe him a great deal of thanks for contributing to this & for always engaging in a good conversation.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">– Dr. Markham P. Tuck, PharmD</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">References:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Easy Strength” </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">– Dan John & Pavel </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tsatsouline</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Even Easier Strength” </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">–</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Dan John </span><a href="http://danjohn.net/2011/06/even-easier-strength-perform-better-notes/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://danjohn.net/2011/06/even-easier-strength-perform-better-notes/</span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Intervention: Course Corrections for the Athlete and Trainer” – Dan John</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“5 Minute Flow” – Max Shank </span><a href="http://maxshank.com/change-your-life-in-5-minutes-2/762/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://maxshank.com/change-your-life-in-5-minutes-2/762/</span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“3 Flexibility Exercises Everyone Should Do” – Max Shank</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASs-oyvBpJ4&feature=em-u" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASs-oyvBpJ4&feature=em-u</span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“D.F.Y.U.” – Andy Kirkpatrick </span><a href="http://andy-kirkpatrick.com/blog/view/d.f.y.u" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://andy-kirkpatrick.com/blog/view/d.f.y.u</span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Climb Strong: Strength: Foundational Training for Rock Climbing” </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">– Steve Bechtel</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Know Thyself: A Climbing Self-Assessment” – Steve Maisch</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.stevemaischtraining.com/know-thyself-a-climbing-self-assessment.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://www.stevemaischtraining.com/know-thyself-a-climbing-self-assessment.html</span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Strength Standards” – Dan John</span></div>
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<a href="http://danjohn.net/2013/04/strength-standards-sleepless-in-seattle/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://danjohn.net/2013/04/strength-standards-sleepless-in-seattle/</span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Videos for forearm antagonist work, shoulder work, & IYTs </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWiV7qiUuf1-cRcH61Kc-2rMK6njwa9on" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWiV7qiUuf1-cRcH61Kc-2rMK6njwa9on</span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Basic Movements and Mobility Work Guide from Dan John </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/dj84123/playlists" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.youtube.com/user/dj84123/playlists</span></a></div>
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John Karraschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09927702316738168156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562954459652628502.post-50593488725966868992016-10-24T07:56:00.001-07:002016-10-24T07:59:55.561-07:002016 Oak Ass 50. DFYU.D.F.Y.U.<br />
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That is probably the number one rule leading into a race or any important event, really. It is why people say to not change things on the bike or try new supplements before a race. People ask me about carb loading before a race and I always laugh a bit. I have no idea how many carbs are in my dinners any given night and am not sure how I would go about further loading that upwards. Eat until full, have a beer or two, go to sleep. I'll be opening my nutritional coaching services any day now, thanks.<br />
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But anyway, D.F.Y.U. If you don't get that look at Andy Kirkpatricks article here: <a href="http://andy-kirkpatrick.com/blog/view/d.f.y.u" target="_blank">http://andy-kirkpatrick.com/blog/view/d.f.y.u</a><br />
<br />
I wasn't totally sure I would be racing or volunteering Oak Ass (Cahaba 50 for you tender eared folk) but in either case, a jacked up back is a bad thing. I woke up in the middle of the night early Friday with exactly that. Wonderful...Saturday left me pretty sore still and I had unintentionally broke my rule of not messing myself up pre race. We had an influx of NICA teams to help with the race which meant I was off to race. I chose the 50 mile option so I would have time to help volunteer afterwards.<br />
<br />
I chatted with Jason Bierly and Nick Kirby pre race. They were both worse off than me with some cracked ribs so I kept my pre race excuse making to a minimum. Nobody really cares how anyone slept or ate before a race. That is why prizes are given for placings...not stories!<br />
<br />
We had a smaller field this year with about 7 riders for the 100 mile, 50 or so 50 milers and 20 or so in for the 25 mile option. I promised myself I would go hard at the start to avoid the ever frustrating singletrack backlog. I ran a 34/20 gear on my new Superfly and it was pretty perfect for this course. I am not in great shape right now but didn't want to waste my technical ability piddling behind nervous riders. I sucked wheel pretty hard all the way to the singletrack. One geared rider even laughed at me and gave me a push on a slight downhill! The group had some tension to it and that helped break it up some.<br />
<br />
Once into the first mile or two of seven bridges I was happy I made the hard effort on the road as I only had one SS rider in front of me: Chad Brandon. I have not met Chad but when I rode at Monte Sano recently his name came up pretty often with nothing but good things mentioned. I made a few passes and was amazed by how dusty the trail was. Hm. I hadn't worn glasses but I think the only helpful kind would have been ski goggles. One rider I passed had a loud, loosely affixed seat pack which was amplified by an erratic riding style. Stiff as a board this fella was. As unsure as he was of the trail, he was pretty set on making me work to make a pass. Thanks, Loose Jangly Seat Bag Guy. Never ride behind someone with a carelessly installed seat bag. You'll wish you hadn't.<br />
<br />
My back and hamstrings were really sore and stayed that way most of the race so I won't mention those items again. I focused on the task at hand: not getting passed by Jason Bierly.<br />
<br />
Jason is a good rider and I was happy to be in front of him. I was feeling good so went hard through the rest of the singletrack and up the fire road climb. The dust and cool temps were really hurting my vision once we entered Jekyll and Hyde. Hyde was as miserable as I expected. I could barely see where I was but know the trail well and only unclipped once each lap through the rockier parts. Total dusty moonscape action up there. Jekyll brought its own challenges with some loose pine straw about. I have crashed through there before so took it easy and popped out on the road with the lone 100 mile singlespeeder. He was from ATL and we had a good chat up to the top of the Peavine climb. He had a good 100 pace going but I dunno if he finished.<br />
<br />
I got away from him and Robin Wilkes on the Blood Rock descent and rode through to the end of the 1st lap alone. 2:09. Oops. Too fast. I started feeling some heavy leg fatigue about 30 miles into the race...you know, like you are racing a bike. That sort of feeling. It sucks but is the price of actually trying and not just surviving. I realized soon enough why I felt so bad...not enough food. My calorie math was off and it was time to play catch up. I grabbed the Lemon Larabar from my pocket and was pretty bummed to see it had been sitting unwrapped for at least a few weeks in my car. A couple bites and I tossed it in a ditch where it belonged. I walked part of the climb. I felt so bad. I never really walk the fire road but it seemed appropriate and nobody was watching, so what the hell...it was a nice walk and I felt a bit better after. I saw Lon Cullen at the top walking his broken bike. He gave me some kind words and really lifted my spirits. I felt grateful for being on a bike in the woods regardless of how shitty I felt.<br />
<br />
Jekyll and Hyde was much better this lap but I rode totally alone the 2nd lap. Pretty weird for middle of a race. The Peavine climb sucked again and I was happy to have my TOGS thumb rester things. The extra position really helps on longer rides. My legs came back around for the last 45 minutes or so and I was feeling good once back in the singletrack. Still no Jason or singlespeeders and I wanted to keep it that way so went a bit harder than my legs were happy with. I have been passed in the last couple miles of races before and it is never a good spot to be in. Out on the road and over the timing mat for a 2nd place Singlespeed spot and 10th or so overall. 2nd lap was a 2:30 which felt incredibly slow. It felt like the hardest race I have ever done but I think they all feel like that and I forget the pain really fast or something like that. I had a pretty awesome time and it felt good to get a solid placing on the course I designed. Eddie and Chainbuster did a great job keeping things smooth as always and the volunteers I came across were all awesome.<br />
<br />
I have no idea what will happen with Oak Ass next year...I'll update everyone with info as it comes to me but springtime might be a nice spot with it slotted as a training ride to prep for Skyway Epic.Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178268070113930785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562954459652628502.post-47115095222673782382015-04-16T13:01:00.002-07:002015-04-16T13:03:17.755-07:00Skyway Epic 60Well, I have not seen a Skyway write up this year so I'll get it started.<br />
<br />
I feel like I don't see many actual stories of races anymore with the popularity Facebook/Insta/Tinder whatever...a quick plug to 30 sponsors, some hashbrowns, and all is forgotten a week later.<br />
<br />
A race as cool as Skyway deserves a few words. Brent Marshall of Bamacross fame came up with the <a href="http://bamacross.com/skywayepic/" target="_blank">Skyway Epic race</a> and although it has existed for a few years, 2015 was the first year I had a chance to do it. I pre rode some of it in 2012 and loved the remote and rugged terrain. Any race where you actively consider your chances of being hurt by a hunter or escaped convict has my attention. Don't let my hyperbole scare...just sign up next year.<br />
<br />
Once at the race venue I talked to some folks, ate 3/4 of a Pop Tart and paced around. I don't really ride much before start time or have any real warm up plans so I didn't want to get fancy and mess up a known routine.<br />
<br />
I met Jami from Sylacauga ( I think) who also had a Krampus. His was a good bit lighter and carbony than mine and this would not be the last I saw of him. Yes, I was one of the dummies that rode a singlespeed with 3 inch tires a bunch of miles at Skyway. It was fun.<br />
<br />
Brent told us some really cool stories about mud holes and bikes and we rolled out. I started fast as I tend to do and was in the top third of the 60 mile folks into the singletrack (100 milers started 30 minutes prior to us). I had no idea I would be in the singletrack for 45 minutes to an hour and was not quite redlined but knew my body would pay for the effort later. I was riding clean and didn't want to give up my spot in line. I'd rather regret going out a bit hard than riding like a bitch and being last into the singletrack. My legs are gonna hurt either way, but this method makes it easier on the mind.<br />
<br />
Mary Sickler passed me about 30 minutes in and was going fast enough I didn't realize she was on a singlespeed also. Props to her on clean riding and a kickass race in general. After the singletrack, I found myself on some sketchy doubletrack with fires burning in the nearby woods. I locked up the rear brake around a pine straw covered turn going down a short but 25% grade hill and my concern grew - was I in an endurance race or a Brent Marshall Bamacross Special?<br />
<br />
I rode a good bit with some folks I feel I've known a really long time, Phillip Thompson and Joseph Greenway. We got to a steep section and saw Phillip hop off to walk. I thanked him for his wisdom and followed suit. I would walk a bunch during the day but was Enduro level stoked on my new Enduro approved Shimano shoes. I could shred downhills AND walk with no problem. Like I said. Stoked. I realized about halfway up the big Bulls Gap climb I was tired. I didn't get out of breath the whole race but my legs were sure enough crushed by the hills. I realized about 20 miles in my computer mileage was off. Not by a ton but enough to make me not look at it again til the finish, where I clocked in at 65 miles. I calibrated it really close pre race but who knows...<br />
<br />
I rode most of the way to the halfway point with Joseph and briefly saw Gavin Lansden. He had been on the side of the trail sick 5 minutes into the race and I was a bit surprised he was still riding. The climbs were going well but I knew better than to push hard as the day was long and one of the first 80 degree days this year. Translation: I was kinda scared I would cramp and I doubt I was alone. I took some serious chances on the downhills and made up lots of time. If you're gonna run giant tires at 11 psi, make good use of them.The views from up top were incredible - much nicer than last time I rode Skyway in 40 degree rain with about 50 feet of visibility! About 2.5 hours in the leaders were coming back from the mid point and it was fun to see everyone, even Hardwick.<br />
<br />
I realized a couple things at the halfway check point.<br />
1. I was dehydrated.<br />
2. I was actually doing well in the SS race.<br />
<br />
I ate a bunch and drank a Coke at the aid station. I probably stayed too long but I needed the mental rest from all the climbing and the sun. The climbs on the return to Lake Howard seemed even harder than going out due to the steepness. I rode a bunch with Paul from Bike Link Racing on the way back and enjoyed his smooth riding and enough conversation to distract me from my angry legs. I was surprised with myself. I was in fear of cramping on every climb but I got into a good pedal rhythm and felt better than earlier in the race. All I could think about was Big Nasty- the last big downhill on the course. After a bunch of steep, rutted uphills I was rewarded with a glorious 3 mile descent back to Aid Station 4 for us. Bo Nolen was lounging and I wasted enough time for Jami with the carbon wheeled Krampus to catch me. I knew this would happen and I also knew he would drop me on the way back to the finish.<br />
<br />
I had a 32/21 vs his 32/20 and he pulled away on the fire road out of the aid station. I should also mention he was riding better than me, that always helps sort out podium places! I was in a bit of damage control and tired again at this point. I wanted badly to be back on the singletrack that had hurt me only a few hours earlier. I saw a rider laying beside the road up ahead and knew who it was before I saw him.<br />
<br />
"You sick again?" I asked the prone Gavin.<br />
<br />
"Nope, just cramping...go ahead."<br />
<br />
I was curious how/when he would make it to the finish. The area of the race is pretty remote and it's not real convenient to bail out. I formulated a plan if Gavin got up and caught me. I would ride every uphill til one of us cramped again. This never happened and I didn't see him again til the finish. The multiple dam crossings on the way back in briefly made me wonder if I had somehow doubled back on the course but I kept pedaling and soon was back in the twisties around the lake. I had a blast with the last few miles of singletrack but was really ready to get off my bike! Skyway was my longest ride of the year so far by a bunch but I was still feeling much better than I expected. I popped out of the singletrack and was so exhausted I almost crashed in the wet grass near the finish line but managed to stay rubber side down.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1225.photobucket.com/albums/ee398/jkarrasch/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-04/3DED457E-E673-4A6E-A5CE-780B6ACEEB5F.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i1225.photobucket.com/albums/ee398/jkarrasch/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-04/3DED457E-E673-4A6E-A5CE-780B6ACEEB5F.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Post race. Krampus meeting.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Oh, and the results. The race made me happy and tired, like all good races should. I somehow ended up 3rd Place <a href="http://bamacross.com/skywayepic/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Scores-online.pdf" target="_blank">(RESULTS)</a> and got to stand up on the podium and get a paper bag of some Octane coffee and other goodies. Jimmy Smith beat me by a good bit and Jami Smith showed me who was the stronger Krampus rider. Stronger by 6 minutes to be exact.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHhVIPxKoHgUZ9xGfj6bdLmmmnLccGWpK_48JjBAN7Kja8Y5IM-roIwvTSuZO7yYIP2QjQMjL_3E30nX_V9HFavUc9NLvO-pcAbhLnsQzIm0uCabiAh5MnRKa8Ba90d1-hr9oEfHhKtqp0/s1600/skyway+podium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHhVIPxKoHgUZ9xGfj6bdLmmmnLccGWpK_48JjBAN7Kja8Y5IM-roIwvTSuZO7yYIP2QjQMjL_3E30nX_V9HFavUc9NLvO-pcAbhLnsQzIm0uCabiAh5MnRKa8Ba90d1-hr9oEfHhKtqp0/s1600/skyway+podium.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo cred: Jacqueline Hodges Marshall (I think)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Thanks so much to Brent and everyone that helped put this race on. Really one of the coolest races I have done, ever...great course, lots of strong riders, and a cooler of beer waiting at the finish. Nothing fancy, just awesome grassroots racing as promised. I'm in for next year.Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178268070113930785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562954459652628502.post-78942956186107329402015-01-28T10:56:00.001-08:002015-01-28T10:56:15.955-08:00Bike Fitting at Cahaba Cycles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/SdGILKbKzgk/0.jpg" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SdGILKbKzgk?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178268070113930785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562954459652628502.post-57077939701852846062014-11-28T15:07:00.000-08:002014-11-28T15:07:51.097-08:00Oak Ass 50 2014Last year was the first year for the Oak Ass 50 and 100 mile race and went really well. I didn't race so I could work the crazy split section between Jekyll and Hyde and the BUMP trail. Everything went fine but it was a tricky section to ride AND work with constant vigilance needed to keep track of who was coming from where and help resolve any issues that oxygen debt and fatigue tend to bring out from people racing bikes. That sentence was too long for any decent book but that was the deal...<br />
<br />
This year I had accepted again I would not race and stand in the cold all day at the same spot. As a course designer people getting lost on your course is generally a bad thing which I did not want to happen. A week before the race Pete Foret offered to cut a quick connector trail from the Firepit trail to Blood Rock. This made my day. I was free to race! Kind of. Volunteers were still needed and I wanted Lee Neal to be able to race also so we set on doing the 100 mile Duo and switching off volunteer stations when we were not on course. This was all tentative and I still was ready to work all day if needed.<br />
<br />
I put a lot of work into this race going well with the most time consuming part being the course marking. The loop is 25 miles and crosses over itself near Johnson's Mountain meaning course marking is a long process. I took the Krampus (the Krampus is Surly's 29Plus format bike. Mine is setup as a rigid singlespeed with 29x3.0 tires and all sorts of nice stuff...full post on it to come) out Friday for 5 hours to cover the whole loop again and tie up any loose ends. I am glad I did since I ran into the fella from Southeastern Trail Runs who was doing a 50K run race at OM the same day as Oak Ass. We had a nice chat and went on our ways. Oak Ass is a fun loop but the pack full of tools and marking supplies really zapped my energy stores. The climbs were an all out event and the descents were fun but a bit awkward.<br />
<br />
I have lost hope of ever having a night before a bike race that is well suited to racing a bike well. Couple too many brews and up a couple hours too late but I felt fine race morning aside from general exhaustion from course marking Friday. I should mention here that Oak Ass is the only bike race I have done in 2014 and my longest trail ride this year was the 25 mile ride the day before the race! Not the best prep but I'm pretty stoked with how I rode given my ill prepared state. To anyone doubting their ability to do Oak Ass or the like without "enough miles"...you can do it, it just hurts!<br />
<br />
"Well, that was a mistake," I mentioned to Chainbuster racing honch Kenny Griffin as I entered the 7 Bridges opening singletrack. I spent the first mile of the race lollygagging on a singlespeed and earned myself spot number 122 of 125 racers going into the singletrack. I was not set on any real competing as Lee and I were the only 100 mile Duo racers and I really just wanted to get an idea of my course from a racing perspective. Mistake made, I settled into the line and bided my time.<br />
<br />
I was more careful than normal making passes. No need to be an ass during the race I help put on. Making passes was wearing me out but by the top of the climb I seemed to be settling into a good spot in race traffic. I found myself with Michael Long, who I rode with most of the race on and off. Michael was also on a SS and the guy behind the 5 Points 50 race in TN. I made up some lost time and made it through all of Jekyll and Hyde clipped in. I knew the climbs would hurt me so I just made a goal to ride all the tech stuff clean during the race, which I managed fine thanks to the 3.0 tires on the Krampus. Talk about increasing your margin of error.<br />
<br />
I wasted a good bit of time stopping to chat with folks during the race and fiddling with the seatpost on my bike which I could NOT get to stay in place. Such is life racing a bike with only a handful of rides on it. My bread had been thoroughly buttered and I was now eating it. I was 17 miles into the race when I realized ,"Wow, my body is beat." The ride time Friday was rearing its ugly Fatigue Head and made me pretty cautious pacing myself up Peavine Falls Road. Riding a bike to work a few times a week and training to race are two different things and I had done not enough of the latter.<br />
<br />
I had a good rip down Blood Rock and finished out the first lap in 2:25. Meh. Not great but not awful either. I had clear trail to ride the next lap and had a great time just riding the awesome trails at Oak Mountain. I am still getting used to the handling of a semi fat bike so more ride time was just what I needed. My legs and back were really starting to complain and I worried I was too tired to ride Jekyll and Hyde safely. As soon as I entered Hyde I passed another singlespeed fella and suddenly got back into my zone. I was wide awake again and felt great until it was time to head up Peavine Falls Road again. This was a real test for me to make it up without walking and I searched my brain for helpful sayings or mantras to easy my pain. I took in another Snickers bar and a view from the top of the mountain which lifted my spirits. I have done lots of racing and have nutritional stuff fairly dialed at this point, which kind of sucked since I had nothing to blame my dead legs on except lack of fitness and WAY too much riding the day before racing.... I had been in this place of unhappiness before and was happy looking forward to how good it would feel to be finished.<br />
<br />
I realized during this lap how freaking hard the Oak Ass course is. This course is tough! You are either climbing or descending something technical. It is fun and challenging but it is for sure a tough 50 or 100 mile. I finished with a ride time of 4:50 and an actual race time of 5:06 that thoroughly reflected my time wasting out on the trail. I was honestly just happy to finish the 50 out as bad as I felt that last lap! Lee went out on his laps and not long after came walking up to Pete Foret and myself at mile 17 with a broken chain. He politely declined my offer to finish out the race on the Krampus and called in our DNF. We had a great time hanging out on the side of the trail and yelling at everyone that came through. This race really made me appreciate folks encouragement while I was hurting. Thanks everyone!<br />
<br />
We ended up as a DNF but after some staring at the results sheet I would have landed on the podium in the 50 mile SS category. Not bad for a lazy commuter. I'm really happy with the Krampus so far and thing it has some solid potential for a race bike.<br />
<br />
I can say with confidence what I heard from numerous others after the race - "Oak Ass kicked my ass!"<br />
<br />
Thanks again to everyone that helped with the race and came out to test themselves on course. See ya next year.Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178268070113930785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562954459652628502.post-29752401909987985472014-11-28T10:21:00.000-08:002014-11-28T10:21:39.308-08:00Guest Post: Oak Ass 50 '14 by Evan KochBefore we get into Evan's account of his race a little back story is in order. I gave away a fit during this years Bump 'N Grind XC race for one random volunteer. Evan won the fit which we ended up doing at his home while I was juggling shop options this summer (I am now happily back at the shop I spent many years wrenching in college - Cahaba Cycles in Homewood).<br />
<br />
Part of my original intention in beginning Oak Ass as an official race was to push people out of their comfort zone and try something new. Evan stepped up big time and I really enjoyed reading his account of the race as well as watching his progress leading up to the race this year. Enjoy!<br />
<br />
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Oak Ass 50. Evan Koch </div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Just
to set expectations, this won't read like most of the posts I've seen
about peoples' Oak Ass experiences, this is more about how I prepared
for the event. For some people, doing Oak Ass might not have been a big
change, but it was definitely outside my comfort zone and I wanted to
share what I did so that other people might be encouraged to give it
try. Before I decided to do Oak Ass, the longest
distance I had ridden on my mountain bike was 18 miles and the only
event I had participated in was the Bump n Grind Cat 3 race. I had seen
the name Oak Ass a few times, and when I found out that it was a 50 mile
race, I pretty much dismissed the possibility
of ever competing. Over the years I've done a bit of mountain biking,
but only since March 2014 have I stuck to it with anything close to
consistency. I jokingly mentioned Oak Ass to a friend in October who
said we should give it a try, theorizing that even
we could do 50 miles in 12 hours. Turns out he was right, but it wasn't
without preparation.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Expectations</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Luckily
I live and work close to Oak Mountain, so it was easy for me to keep
trying the course. I hadn't been on the other side of Terrace
Dr in years, so it took some time for me to get familiar with the
course. I worked my way up to doing the full course - one weekend I did
South Trailhead, Seven Bridges, red road, and J&H back to Peavine Rd
and stopped. The next week I did that plus the rest
of a loop - going up the road, coming down Blood Rock and then
Johnson's Mountain. Each time I added more, I was getting a sense for
how long the real event would take me. The weekend after that, I did one
lap, and got through J&H on the second lap before
throwing in the towel - I just didn't have the energy. Which leads me
to the next topic…</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Nutrition</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Turns
out I was a bit naïve in the ways of endurance events. I thought I
could just throw a few power bars into my water pack and that'd
be good enough, and that water was all I'd need to drink. When I spoke
with my sister and brother-in-law and later John Karrasch, they said I'd
need to take in a lot more calories than that for long rides and
mentioned things like Gu, Nuun, and Skratch Labs.
This lead me to the Feed Zone Portables cookbook, which does a good job
educating the reader about how the body works during endurance events
how to properly maintain your energy levels. So two nights before Oak
Ass, I was in the kitchen with my wife making
the blueberry and chocolate chip coconut rice cakes in preparation (I
had planned to test out the rice cakes prior to that, but I had two
sinus infections in October/November that limited my ability to do much
training).</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Gear</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Most
of my riding had been in summer, late spring, or early fall, so I never
had to put much thought into what I wore, but Oak Ass was November
22 and we'd already had one period of extreme cold, so I figured shorts
and a t-shirt wasn't going to cut it (for me, anyway - I saw people in
their kits with arm sleeves on). I ended up with a base layer, softshell
jacket, riding pants, and a thermal skull
cap under my helmet. I tested this out a few weeks before when the
temperature was 38 at the start of my ride and it worked very well, and
the temperature at the start of Oak Ass was in the 40s, so I wore the
same gear. The jacket would allow me to take off
the sleeves if I got too warm and the forecast said it'd reach the mid
60's by mid-afternoon, so I expected to do that or leave the jacket in
my car when I made a pit stop after the first lap.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Oak Ass</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Other
people's recollections talk of trying to keep up with people, who they
passed, flat tires, etc. - my experience was a bit different.
I intentionally started in the back because I knew I wasn't going for
the gold; my plan was to stay at the back and not get in anyone's way.
Based on my training, I expected the first lap would take me about <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1710562774" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ">3:30</span></span>
and the second lap would take me more (I didn’t
know exactly how much since I had only gotten partway through my second
lap before), but I was hoping to be done in 8 hours. I tried to eat a
rice cake periodically, which turned out to be a little bit harder than I
imagined - not because of the taste, but
when I unwrapped the tin foil, it was still fairly mushy, so I ended up
stopping each time I ate (every 45-60 minutes). First lap was fairly
uneventful but I was tracking pretty well to my estimates - first lap
took me <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1710562775" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ">3:36</span></span>.
As I stopped by my car to restock
and ditch the jacket, I heard the announcer over the PA say that he
expected the race leaders to finish their second lap in the next three
minutes if they kept up their pace from the first lap. Second lap went
about like the first- I saw a friendly face from
BUMP along the camp road, got passed by a few bikers, and then I ran
into some girls on J&H who had lost the yellow trail. While I'm
fairly familiar with the mountain bike trails, I've never been on the
hiking trails, so I gave them my map of the park and
cautioned them to watch out for other racers. More friendly faces
(Corbin Camp at Blood Rock and John Karrasch at Peavine Rd/Johnson's
intersection) helped keep me going and I finished the second lap with a
total time of <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1710562776" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ">8:22</span></span>.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Next Year</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">I've proven that I can do it, so next year's about improving my time. I plan to actually read the
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Feed
Zone Portables book and not just skip to the recipes section, and also
figure out what my caloric intake should be while doing endurance
events. I also intend to get better at climbing so I don't have to walk
up parts of Peavine Rd up to the fire pits trails, because I had plenty
of people stop and ask me if I was okay. Knowing the course in advance
and having an idea of how it'd take allowed
me to be comfortable doing the event - I have no idea how those riders
who had never been to Oak Mountain before did it.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">I'd
like to thank all of the people that put the race on - Kenny Griffin,
John Karrasch, BUMP volunteers, and countless others, as well as
the people who put up with my constant questions while I prepared
(mainly John, my sister, and my brother-in-law), I couldn't have done it
without you. I look forward to competing again next year.</span>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178268070113930785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562954459652628502.post-22151875424589611882014-11-13T09:38:00.002-08:002014-11-17T10:02:49.614-08:002014 Oak Ass 100 Course Description and Strava GPS<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
Still getting lots of interest in the upcoming Chain Buster Racing Oak Ass 50 and 100. Course is almost identical to last year and will be marked Saturday Nov 22!</div>
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<br />
For those curious check out the strava link below and forward to any outta towners you know coming in to pre ride. Thanks!</div>
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Turn by turn here:Start at South Trailhead and turn L on Terrace Drive.<br />
*Mile 1- R on 7 Bridges (Red Trail)<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"><br />*Mile 2.5 - R on Group Camp Road<br />*Mile 3.5 - L on Garret's Gulch<br />*Cont. on Red Trail through Rock Garden, The Chimneys, and Cat Dog Snake<br />*Mile 7 - R at North Trailhead, go up Red Road Climb<br />*Mile 9.5 - Peak of climb, First Lap KOM!<br />*Mile 11.5 - R on Bump Connector<br />*Mile 12 - R on Jekyll and Hyde at intersection with BUMP trail<br />*Mile 16 - L on Peavine Falls Road and begin climb<br />*Mile 19 - Slight L on Firepit trail after passing lookout area with picnic tables. Do not go through gate onto fireroad. Do not continue on paved road.<br />*Mile 20 - L on BUMP trail.<br />*Mile 21 - Cross road and continue on Johnson's Mountain<br />*Mile 23 - Cross Road and continue on Foreplay and Mr Toads Wild Ride<br />*Mile 24 - L on Rattlesnake Ridge<br />*Mile 24.5 - L on Family Trail<br />*Mile 25 - Straight through 4 way to stay on Family Trail. L on Paved Road to return to South Trailhead.<br />This is one 25 mile lap with 2300 ft of climbing.</span></div>
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<div style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
<a href="http://www.strava.com/activities/96532133" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://www.strava.com/activities/96532133</a></div>
<div style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6px;">
<a href="http://www.chainbusterracing.com/OakAssMap.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.chainbusterracing.com/OakAssMap.pdf</a></div>
</div>
Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178268070113930785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562954459652628502.post-40470006288725419222014-10-29T07:04:00.001-07:002014-10-29T10:47:15.413-07:00Frame Stack and Reach - The Easy WayIn the coming months I will be doing more triathlon bike fitting and have been doing more studying on brand differences and sizing.<br />
<br />
One item of interest to me has been the standardization of frame stack and reach to quantify frame size and future bike decisions.<br />
<br />
I have used bar stack and reach to consistently set up my singlespeed mountain bikes for years and am going to start using frame stack and reach measures more often for my fit folks when it is time to ask the question, "Will my new bike fit?"<br />
<br />
<i>Firstly, what the hell is frame stack and reach</i>?<br />
<br />
<b>The horizontal and vertical relationship between 2 points:</b><br />
<b>1. The center of the bottom bracket.</b><br />
<b>2. The center of the top of the head tube.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Take a look over this Velo News article for a primer - <a href="http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/05/bikes-and-tech/technical-faq/technical-faq-setting-your-bikes-up-identically_216035" target="_blank">http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/05/bikes-and-tech/technical-faq/technical-faq-setting-your-bikes-up-identically_216035</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cdn.velonews.competitor.com/files/2012/05/11-01-04-Stack-and-Reach-Chart-596x440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn.velonews.competitor.com/files/2012/05/11-01-04-Stack-and-Reach-Chart-596x440.jpg" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">X-Y (Stack & Reach) measurements of the center of the handlebar and the top of the head tube from the center of the bottom bracket. Mike Reisel illustration</span><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span>
The pic illustrates frame AND bar reach/stack but this post is concerned only with frame stack/reach.<br />
<br />
The bigger question: <i>How do I measure this at home?!</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
As you can see in the article...it is doable but takes some special equipment (I use a self leveling laser at the shop because it is so easy) or fiddling to keep it against a wall. The purpose of this post is to show how I do this at home with only a level and a tape measure. You will also need to use a triangle calculator app to obtain the reach measurement from the hypotenuse (diagonal BB to top of HT measurement). I like this site for calculations but any will work:<br />
<a href="http://www.csgnetwork.com/righttricalc.html" target="_blank">http://www.csgnetwork.com/righttricalc.html</a><br />
<br />
<b>Time to get to work. </b><b>Side note...this stuff is easier with a soft tape measure. It makes it easy to tell the zero mark is right in the center of your starting point. Just make sure to hold it taut when measuring so the flex of the tape doesn't throw you off.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQogFuQJOIyt9g2sgf7RYPdK8mgLfpXLO7_uMTfuVjUCB_ATZXr" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQogFuQJOIyt9g2sgf7RYPdK8mgLfpXLO7_uMTfuVjUCB_ATZXr" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b>1. Set your bike DEAD level with a 3 foot level between axle centers. Don't guess. A trainer is helpful here. By helpful I mean critical so don't lean it on a wall.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>2. Measure the distance from center of BB to floor in mm. This is "d".</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>3. Measure the distance from the top center of the headtube to the floor. This is "e".</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>4. "e" - "d" = Frame stack. Easy. This will be "a"</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>5. Measure directly from center of bb to top center of headtube. This is "c". This is a diagonal measurement.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>6. Plug "c" into the triangle calc app as the hypotenuse (diagonal) and "a" in as the frame stack or vertical dimension. Hit calculate and voila...there is "b" the frame reach.</b><br />
<br />
<i>*In the instance of a popular bike, a Cervelo P2 size 54, the stack "a" would be 512 mm and the diagonal "c" measurement BB to HT would be 661 mm. Calculated reach is 418mm.</i><br />
<br />
This is pretty useful for any type of bike although be careful with your MTB. Rigid bikes are easy but front and rear suspension complicate matters once sag is thrown in. The ideal situation would be to have the rider mount the bike to sag it out then have a friend/understanding significant other get your measurements. Often a rigid and suspended bike will <i>feel</i> the same when both are set up right but have differing measurements.<br />
<br />
Also be careful in comparing bikes with integrated vs. external headsets.<br />
<br />
There is a good chance someone has already written this same thing but better. If this is the case... oh well. This is simply my experience and what I find to work well. It is simple, consistent, and requires minimal tools. Hope it helps.Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178268070113930785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562954459652628502.post-2301483495258549922014-09-04T11:54:00.001-07:002014-09-04T11:54:10.007-07:00How Do I Squat?A great question.<br />
<br />
This is not a post to provide benefits of squatting or to talk you into doing so.<br />
<br />
Motivation comes from within and if you have arrived here you have likely already decided to squat so let's get on with it.<br />
<br />
I have many fit clients and PT patients who have no idea how to squat and nobody has every showed them!<br />
<br />
I had some trouble finding a comprehensive video on how to squat for those NOT able to do so already. A plethora of things can limit squatting and in this video I try to take a systematic and logical approach.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/BgMmJoTW1VQ?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
I will likely revise this a bit but it turned out well.<br />
<br />
Please take a look and if you have feedback I welcome it <br />
<br />
johnkarrasch at gmail dot comJohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178268070113930785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562954459652628502.post-31173565435102762512014-02-27T15:17:00.001-08:002014-02-27T15:17:23.123-08:00Ready to shred. Iron Maiden style.Man...busy few weeks.<br />
<br />
Fits are coming at me fast and furious. I'm busy, but happy Flex Fit is working out so far. Couldn't do it without Melissa. She's awesome and and always listens to the crazy ideas I have brewing. I have some new stuff for you mountain bike folk that is pretty killer if I say so myself.<br />
<br />
Others seem to like it as well...<br />
<br />
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<i><b>Did a quick ride to try out my new fit from John Karrasch. I already had my CX bike fit by him and thought he might be able to help me out on the MTB. Since he has a professional background in physical therapy (he is a physical therapist 40 hours a week), and is also a total bike geek, he seems to understand the intersection of the body and bike better than most bike shop folks.</b></i></div>
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<i><b>We made some fairly substantial changes to my fit, especially shortening and widening the cockpit on my bike. </b></i></div>
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<i><b>Honestly, I'm a bit shocked by the difference it made. Can't believe I've been riding around way too stretched out for years.</b></i></div>
<i><b><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.799999237060547px;"></span></b></i><br />
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<i><b>Thanks John. Look forward to getting my road bike fit by you.</b></i></div>
<div style="background-color: whitesmoke; line-height: 16.799999237060547px; margin-top: 1.4em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I usually caution people of an awkward period post fit while getting adjusted but sometimes it feels pretty solid out of the box. I'll take it.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: whitesmoke; line-height: 16.799999237060547px; margin-top: 1.4em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Road, cross, mtb and all the other disciplines all have their needs and I'm happy to apply my knowledge to the best of my ability to get you moving and riding more efficiently. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: whitesmoke; line-height: 16.799999237060547px; margin-top: 1.4em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you wanna get in you can get all my info on the sidebar to your right or go to the <a href="http://www.johnkarrasch.com/" target="_blank">FLEX FiT site</a>.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: whitesmoke; line-height: 16.799999237060547px; margin-top: 1.4em;">
On the racing front, I'm sure some of you remember the Burn 24 Hour...it was awesome. Now it is sadly no more.</div>
<div style="background-color: whitesmoke; line-height: 16.799999237060547px; margin-top: 1.4em;">
Chainbuster Racing has you covered with the upcoming <a href="http://www.chainbusterracing.com/24-hours-of-iron-maiden.html" target="_blank">24 Hours Of Iron Maiden!</a> Great people and great trails. Can't or won't ride for 24? No prob, plenty of duo and team options. Hit the link<a href="https://www.registracers.com/register/ChainBuster/2014/" target="_blank"> HERE</a> and go get in while online reg is still open. See you there!</div>
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Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178268070113930785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562954459652628502.post-27654808387426629302014-01-13T06:30:00.002-08:002014-01-13T06:30:58.594-08:00Flex Fit Testimonials<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 25.200000762939453px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"The verdict? The fit has made me feel dramatically better on my cross bike. My handling is wildly improved as is the back pain. It has taken me a few weeks to get 100% adjusted to fit, and during that time I’ve been backing off the intensity but still doing longer road rides on the cross bike and the difference has been noticeable and pleasant." </i></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 25.200000762939453px;">-Andrew</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 25.200000762939453px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span></span>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.299999237060547px;"><br /></span></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.299999237060547px;">"The exercises were good and I liked that you included the YouTube channel. I'm more of a visual learner and it helped me to remember what exercises I needed to be doing. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.299999237060547px;">My fave was the one I can do on the couch that stretches my quads/hip flexors. I can do it while I watch tv :)"</span></span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.299999237060547px;">-Marion</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.299999237060547px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.299999237060547px;"><br /></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"John Karrasch<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 17.940000534057617px;"> has a bike fit business now. I went and had one done yesterday and was pumped about my new setup when I left. Nothing against any bike fits that I've had done in the past, but John's was unique combination of his PT knowledge, years of bike shop know-how, and real world application. It was more than just millimeters, the guy is thorough. Took 3 hours. He even gave me a list of exercises to do at home to help fix my goofball riding style."</span></i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 17.940000534057617px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">-Lee</span></span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.299999237060547px;"><br /></span></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.299999237060547px;"><br /></span></span></i>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.299999237060547px;"><br /></span></span></i>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 25.200000762939453px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 25.200000762939453px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span></span>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178268070113930785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562954459652628502.post-15095321718493473632014-01-01T12:01:00.002-08:002014-01-01T15:24:51.906-08:00Jerry Gerlich Bike Fit and Austin tripMelissa and I went all the way to Austin, Texas this past weekend for a bike fit! Here is the how and why of it all...<br />
<br />
I have had my Fuji Roubaix now for a few months and it has been a good bike so far. Nothing fancy, just a solid road bike...my first one in about five years I would guess!<br />
<br />
I have fiddled with the position here and there but due to the fact I cannot watch myself ride some things were not quite dialed in. I knew I was close but needed some help.<br />
<br />
Whats an obsessive bike fitter to do? Find another obsessive bike fitter of course!<br />
<br />
My experiences with traditional fits have been disappointing to say the least and one of my inspirations for finally getting <a href="http://johnfkarrasch.blogspot.com/2013/10/edgewood-cycles-bike-fitting-details.html" target="_blank">my own fit business</a> started.<br />
<br />
I came across <a href="http://www.castlehillcycles.com/pro-bike-fit" target="_blank">Jerry Gerlich of Castle Hill Cycles</a> in Austin, TX through <a href="http://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/" target="_blank">Steve Hogg's website</a>. Steve has an amazing mind and a boatload of common sense on his website. Some of it may seem a bit out there but it holds up to the important question, "Does it work?"<br />
<br />
Anyone that has ever had a bike fit or is thinking of getting one should read the <a href="http://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/bikefit/2011/09/perspectives-on-fitting/" target="_blank">Perspectives on Fitting </a>article on Steve's site. Read it. Trust me. "Pro bike fits" are not all the same and range from great to quite poor. Choose carefully.<br />
<br />
I have felt best on my bike through setting myself up based on comfort and advice from Steve via email. Steve has only trained a few people in the world and Jerry happens to be one of them! Steve only takes a select few fitters to train and there is no guarantee you will pass if you go train with him. Those selected to train with him stay for three weeks of learning. I hope to make the trip to Australia in the next few years to train with Steve myself.<br />
<br />
Melissa was nice enough to get me a fit from Jerry for my Christmas present this year and we had a great trip out to Austin aside from a mild panic over a broken starter in downtown Austin.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1225.photobucket.com/albums/ee398/jkarrasch/EF97861D-7EC8-4D82-877F-9D6C3A98323A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i1225.photobucket.com/albums/ee398/jkarrasch/EF97861D-7EC8-4D82-877F-9D6C3A98323A.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Castle</td></tr>
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Jerry is super knowledgeable about all things bike and body related. He knows his music pretty well too. The gym at Castle Hill Fitness next door to the shop is probably the coolest one I have set foot in. Tons of free weights (sorry...) and Pilates equipment. There are a variety of yoga and indoor cycling studios in the building. There is also some wild Jacob's Ladder contraption people climb which fortunately I didn't have to suffer on!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Equipment inside Castle Hill Fitness</td></tr>
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Jerry had me warm up on a Total Gym squatting tower with very light weight and listen to some music while he measured my bike. Afterwards he showed me some of his methods of measuring and I even learned a couple new tricks to use with my own fits. I warmed up for a few minutes on the bike and did a brief time trial at what was supposed to be an 8/10 effort. I hit it a bit too hard and barely made it two minutes but he now had a good idea how my body functioned at high intensity. He briefly went over with me some problems he noticed with my position and how they were affecting my body.<br />
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Next we went through an extensive off bike analysis of how my body worked off the bike. This is one of the most important parts of the fit because limitations in your body's function and symmetry can really limit on bike performance. Despite my current holiday beer gut I am still fairly flexible and stable so I did pretty well on this portion. Jerry did find some areas I can improve on to be more stable while riding and I look forward to integrating his suggestions into my off bike exercise routine.<br />
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Before I got back on the bike, Jerry did some testing to determine leg length and posture to make sure I was functioning as well as possible before we went through the rest of the fit. Turns out I have a right leg that is a bit shorter than the other and this was playing a role in my pelvis tilting to the right under high load. We went through some of the "weird stuff" that Jerry learned from Steve in Oz which made a significant difference in my symmetry and posture. One of the longest sections of the fit was optimizing my cleat position and foot correction which includes proper arch support and wedging to tilt the foot to where it is most stable on the pedal with no pressure points. This helps optimize <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proprioception" target="_blank">proprioceptive</a> feedback to the parts of your nervous system that coordinate the pedal stroke.<br />
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Just from the foot adjustments I was more stable on the bike and felt more powerful! I was still dropping that damn hip and while I left the room Jerry made some adjustments to the bike. He didn't tell me what they were but when I got back on it felt different but good. We did another time trial and the hip drop was gone. The stability was further improved as well. We did a quick adjustment of the bars which I had pretty close but they were now more comfortable. Road bars are way harder than mountain bike bars to setup!<br />
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We went outside and I did a couple hill climbs to check everything out. Looks good, feels good...I was happy. Jerry did one last measure of the bike setup so I have a reference in case I ship it anywhere. Six hours later and we were done! The time totally evaporated while I was there and I was pretty damn tired when we were done.<br />
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Overall it was a great experience and totally worth the trip. Jerry offers a great approach to bike fitting that is individualized to the client to get them as comfortable and efficient as possible. The fact he offers a money back guarantee made me confident in his methods and I felt like he really wanted to help me and not just line some stuff up to make a buck (quite a few bucks really haha...). He wasn't worried about my knee or hip angle while pedaling. No goniometers or plumb bobs to set me up. No plugging numbers into a computer to get a readout. No fancy motion capture. Everything was done by him watching me ride and making adjustments to improve my function on the bike. Cool stuff! I did a ride on the rollers yesterday and felt comfortable although uncoordinated in the new position. I plan on doing some easy rides the next few weeks so my body can reprogram as needed.<br />
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Austin itself was a great town. Cool stores, avocado margaritas, barbecue trucks. I'd go again. We also stopped at Mellow Johnny's Bike Shop on the way out of town which was fun. Bit of bicycle sensory overload there.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guy with a cat on his shoulder</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mellow Johnny's fit area</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Huge shop</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rapha envy</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All Lance, all the time</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LA LT100 bike</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Awesome Project One commuter</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old Lance tour bike</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">TT and barely ridden madone</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fastest bikes in the shop</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trek fixed gear conversion. Campy Record cranks</td></tr>
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<br />Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178268070113930785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562954459652628502.post-45726517919640333522013-12-18T04:51:00.000-08:002013-12-18T04:51:05.439-08:00Flex Fit for Cyclocross? Sure.Bike fitting can be a complex puzzle to solve and becomes even more so when the high intensity and technical handling demands of cyclocross racing are added to the mix.<br />
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Here is a review of my fit process by Andrew Boyd, local fast guy and Team Momentum racer.<br />
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<a href="http://www.goteammomentum.com/?p=1026" target="_blank">Off-season fit | Team Momentum</a><br />
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For those of you interested in fits, more information can be found here:<br />
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<a href="http://johnfkarrasch.blogspot.com/2013/10/edgewood-cycles-bike-fitting-details.html" target="_blank">Flex Fit</a>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178268070113930785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562954459652628502.post-57582484204123763092013-12-01T12:04:00.000-08:002013-12-01T12:22:01.140-08:002013 Oak Ass 50/100 Blog Post List<b>THIS PAGE WILL SERVE AS A COLLECTION SPOT FOR WRITE UPS FROM RACERS OR SUPPORT CREW IN ATTENDANCE AT THE 2013 OAK ASS 50/100 MILE MOUNTAIN BIKE RACE. DONT SEE YOURS? SEND IT TO ME AT</b><br />
<b>jkarrasch@hotmail.com</b><br />
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<a href="http://toonecycling.wordpress.com/2013/11/25/inaugural-oak-ass-100-mile-mtb-race/" target="_blank">Brian Toone</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.driven2divide.com/2013/11/26/the-oak-ass-100/" target="_blank">Scott Thigpen</a><br />
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<a href="http://johnfkarrasch.blogspot.com/2013/11/oak-ass-50-race-report-by-jacob-tubbs.html" target="_blank">Jacob Tubbs</a><br />
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<a href="http://johnfkarrasch.blogspot.com/2013/11/oak-ass-50-account-from-girl-gretchen.html" target="_blank">Gretchen Mcelveen</a><br />
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<a href="http://johnfkarrasch.blogspot.com/2013/11/jeff-mccords-oak-ass-story.html" target="_blank">Jeff McCord</a><br />
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<a href="http://johnfkarrasch.blogspot.com/2013/11/oak-ass-50-what-i-learned-by-jan.html" target="_blank">Jan Jenkins-Ardovino</a><br />
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<a href="http://johnfkarrasch.blogspot.com/2013/11/oak-ass-100-race-report-tracy-mckay.html" target="_blank">Tracy McKay</a><br />
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<b><br /></b>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178268070113930785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562954459652628502.post-16767393897780340052013-11-30T06:59:00.000-08:002013-11-30T10:17:39.811-08:00Oak Ass 50: What I Learned by Jan Jenkins-ArdovinoIf you told me two years ago at this time that I would be riding in a 50 mile mountain bike race, I would have thought you had seriously lost your mind. I had just started riding and thought lake trail out and back was a big ride day. The first time I added snake trail to my "out and back" I bragged about how many miles that was. But here I was two years later sitting at the starting line for a 50 mile race. Over those years I had met two girls, Holly Carmichael and Gretchen McElveen who became the catalyst for my cycling goals. I blame (give credit) to them for my new addiction. If one of them suggests something I have to try it even if it sounds insane. We are all a little competitive like that. But I think Oak Ass was my bright idea. Gretchen was in because we both wouldn't miss a race on our home trails but couldn't convince Holly of this endeavor, this year. We'll work on that for next year. (At one point Gretchen proposed 100 miles, but I think she was delusional that day or something.)<br />
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Having never really done anything quite like this solo I had grand plans of training etc. But hence real life sometimes gets in the way and it was just bad timing this year for proper preparation. But I was still was determined to see if I could ride 50 miles solo, even though I had not ridden more than 30 in over 9 months. Not really a good idea but I set a goal of 6 hours and not to die.<br />
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In the weeks before the race I had a nagging lower back issue that I really couldn't shake, so I was worried it would be a problem. And race morning my back was hurting before the race even started. But I was excited anyway and had Gretchen and Jeff McCord from my team MG&G doing the race also so there was no way I was going to bail! I would have taken way too much grief for that.<br />
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My race itself was rather uneventful the first lap. I have learned over the races that I have done this year that you should always try to be the first in the woods. I didn't use this strategy for this race since it was 50 miles thinking it wouldn’t matter. NOT TRUE, especially on courses that you are more familiar with than others. (And yes, I ignored good advice on this) I was surprised that at the start everyone took off and I caught the entire group at the entrance to seven bridges and was bottle necked. Wet slick roots were tripping a lot of riders up. So until camp road I was in a pace line it seemed. I decided to take the first lap at a pretty easy steady pace just to get through, hope it would ward off lower back trouble and make sure I didn't wear my legs out too fast. But alas, by the time I got to Jekyl and Hyde (JNH) it was time for some more Advil, so I knew it was going to be a long day. Shockingly though I passed quite a few riders on the technical part of JNH which put a big smile on my face. I love technical stuff. Then the climb up Peavine, and I was passed by one rider that I passed on JNH. But only one caught me. That was actually quite an accomplishment for me. And I caught another rider. Another huge accomplishment for me! As I finished the first lap I knew I just had to survive the second.<br />
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My legs were OK but there was no way my back was going to let me push too hard. I could spin and the pain was tolerable but too hard and "no go". Gretchen and I "pitted" about the same time. I had really hoped to keep far enough ahead of her to get out of the pit before she got there. (Sorry Gretchen) Pete Foret was grabbing our camel backs off of us and refilling while we grabbed our pb&j's. Pete, who always has a car full of anything you can imagine, had a thermo wrap thing that I put on my back to see if it would help. Gretchen tears out of the pit saying "see you at JNH". While I love my cycling friend we are competitive and it’s every man for themselves during a race. So I hated that she was gone before me, but thought I may be able to make up some ground on technical stuff because she would kill me on the climbs. Well that thought was short lived when I somehow had a nice crash on seven bridges. I still don't quite know what happened but taking a handlebar to the armpit was quite painful. And the calf cramp had me leaned against a tree trying to get the knot under control. So no way to catch her now! (BTW...Mitch Moses seemed to come out of nowhere to help me on my feet and hold my bike so a belated thanks to you!) I decided just to ride out the last lap to finish.<br />
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I had no idea who I was racing or where they were but this was going to be a personal accomplishment for me and I needed to treat it as such. I was alone for most of that lap. So I began making a mental list of "<i>Things I learned today"</i> to keep my mind off of my back and arm! Here are items that I can remember from my list:<br />
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1. I have got to figure out what the heck is going on with my back.<br />
2. I am not too bad of a technical rider. But I hate climbing.<br />
3. I'm glad I still have a triple on my bike.<br />
4. I really want a full suspension bike!<br />
5. I may have been too old to start this sport.<br />
6. I would like to ride an endurance race and not be lapped by Brian Toone (as he went around me topping Pevine falls road on my second lap and his third. He did say Good job though. But then Lee Neal, as I’m about to go up Johnson’s, says “Hey Jan, Brian Toone lapped you.” I yelled back “It’s on my list!!”)<br />
7. I wish I could get a different song in my head. I like "Some nights" by Fun but I need a new song. (And the Mosh up of the Lords Prayer, Some Nights, Third Day and counting pedal strokes is really a weird mix.) 8. I count my pedal strokes. Why did I do this??.<br />
9. Is eight Advil and two Excedrin too many?<br />
10. This is all Holly and Gretchen’s fault.<br />
11. I will not quit. Monty Morris will never let me live it down.<br />
12. I'm glad I have family obligations or I would have to race a cross race tomorrow because if Gretchen and Holly do it then I will have too.<br />
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There were many more, so it’s clear that my mind was all over the palace as I finished that lap. On JNH (I passed some more riders, happy day) someone was behind yelling at me. I thought I was in his way so I said go around. He yelled back "No way, I'm following your line!". I think that is one of the best compliments I have ever received!!! I met him after the race and he told me he had walked some of that on his first lap and he got behind me on the second and got through it. I coasted to the end at 6:20. Not my goal but I finished. As I went over the finish line someone said "I'll get your timing chip you need to get to the podium. You’re fourth.” I was so confused. I walked my bike over to the podium and was handed prizes. I still had on my gear: helmet, camelback etc. The picture is priceless to me. I may not have accomplished the goals I had originally set for myself, but I learned a lot during that race one of which was stubbornness will trump pain. Later Jacob Tubbs said “That was pretty much the most badass podium walks I have ever seen!” (I have to admit, I usually think the superfast guys don’t usually pay much attention to us slow pokes, so that WAS the best compliment I have ever gotten!)<br />
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As I sat with my friends waiting on some 100 miler friends to finish, I devoured some of the best stew I have ever eaten and we all told stories of our day and cheered other riders on. I was already thinking of the next big race I will do. I love this sport and the friends I have made. I may not win, but I’ll have fun trying. So a huge shout out to all of the organizers (I was glad to finally officially meet this legend, John Karrasch) and the Birmingham mountain biking community. You rock.Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178268070113930785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2562954459652628502.post-12285338392292004322013-11-28T20:49:00.000-08:002013-11-30T10:33:06.101-08:00Jeff McCord's Delusional Oak Ass 50 <div style="text-align: left;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pre Race</td></tr>
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So I half assed a race this past weekend. The Oak Ass 100/50. I did the 50 mile option, and John Karrasch, the brain behind this race asked me to do a race writeup. Well he said "Jeff McCord, the tale of how I nursed you back from your broken bird wing to make great endurance racer would be welcomed by all I'm sure." How can I turn down anyone that's deluded enoughto call me a "great endurance racer"?<br />
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I met John 4.5 years ago in the summer of 2009. I purchased my first mountain bike in late May of '09, and one week later I ended up landing hard on my head and shoulder going down a drop I had no business attempting. It was REALLY dumb! I mean, the day I got the bike, I went to Mr. Toads trail, and turned around when I saw the first root - yes, Really. I was 33, and hadn't biked since I turned 16 and got a car. I had zero bike skills or fitness.<br />
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So I landed upside down, and ended up breaking my helmet, and a level 1 to 2 A-C separation of my shoulder. John was one of the guys who I went to see for physical therapy that summer. I was off the bike for a few weeks, but thankfully I kept at it. I was so horribly out of shape from a sedentary lifestyle that I couldn't ride to the end of Mr. Toads for the first few weeks I did ride. John mentioned he mountain biked too, but he was more into the 6-9 hour endurance rides. I thought that was absolutely CRAZY! 6-9 HOURS!! Pedaling on a bicycle!?!? Who does this crap?? The only thing I did for 6-9 hours straight was sleep or <strike>play World of Warcraft</strike> frag noobs in Call of Duty.<br />
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So that summer I worked on my fitness by riding my bike, and I grew to love the wondrous places that bicycle took me. I loved being in the woods as a child and teenager, but hadn't experienced that in a couple decades. In August I was able to complete my first loop of Oak Mountain and then I started coming to the Thursday evening rides at Oak Mtn.<br />
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I did two races in 2010 - Bump'n'Grind and Dead Dog, but I didn't really enjoy either one. I took BnG seriously, and tried really hard - rode beyond my skill level and crashed three times. I did make it down Blood Rock for the first time ever in that race, and have some really cool scars to remember it by! I didn't take Dead Dog as seriously, and enjoyed it more, but still can't say I "loved" racing.<br />
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Flash forward to 2013. My fitness had come and gone with Facebook relationship statuses. In April of this year I picked up my riding. I lost around 30 lbs over 5 months, and started racing with my friends Jan Ardovino and Gretchen McElveen. Jan talked me into racing Yargo, and that led to riding the Tour de Blue and the rest of the AMBS races for the year. I even did my first road race - a time trial, and picked up a cyclocross bike to reach an all new level of cycling obsession with that flavor of racing.<br />
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I'd heard the rumblings of the Oak Ass race for about a year before it happened. I'd even done a few of the early proposed Oak Ass loops that were 33 miles with fellow racer Nick Kirby. That was about the farthest I'd ever ridden my mountain bike before I really started training for the Oak Ass, and 41 miles is the longest ride I had before the actual race.<br />
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During my training I'd planned on keeping my heart rate in a certain zone and keeping it there. That was my plan, and to try to hold a 10mph pace to finish in 5 hours. That worked great in training, but not so much in the actual race.<br />
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So on race day, I found myself with my friends and MG&G teammates Jan and Gretchen lining up to race 50 miles. This was the least nervous before a race I'd ever been. Often my heart rate is up around 130bpm at the start of a race, it was hovering around 78 this morning. The horn was sounded and we started moving. I weaved through some of the pack on the parade lap, hit the downhill on Terrace Dr. towards 7 Bridges, and tucked down and caught a number of folks. The bottleneck at the singletrack began, and the jockeying for position, passing, and general race nerves set in. Heart rate quickly went to around 175, which is threshold for me. I wanted to stay closer to 150-165, but with the stopping, and starting, running around folks after we all stop in a big line... Keeping below threshold or even anaerobic wasn't going to happen for awhile.<br />
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We made it through 7 bridges, and hit the fire road, but it seemed everyone else had my same plan which was to hit the gas and pass on the fire road.. So I pushed even harder because I was very familiar with the trails and didn't like stopping and walking over sections I've ridden hundreds of times before. Heart rate still too high. I knew I was burning more energy than I needed too, but it seemed unavoidable. Made it through Garrett's Gulch, and the Rock Garden with only a few more bottlenecks. The crik crossing (it's not big enough to be called a creek) in the Rock Garden served as another bottleneck. Everyone stopped, I got off my bike and ran with it through the woods parallel to the trail to get around as many as I could. Heart rate at nearly max - 186. (I'm not a runner, obviously.)<br />
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Made it through Chimneys with another bottleneck on the climb around one of the roots. Hit Cat-Dog-Snake, and was riding the wheel of this girl who was riding really well. We hit a bridge and she went down. I asked if she was ok, and she said yea, so I got around her and hit the gas to catch the next rider. My friend Scott Thigpen was up ahead, and we exchanged a few words, though I can't remember what they were. Once we got to the fire road, I unloosed my camelbak to grab a gu. I normally stick them in the legs of my shorts, but since it was cold and I had my full pants on, this didn't work. I attempted to snap my camelbak back on while riding, but ended up having to stop to snap it all back together. I'd lost some time and let some riders pass me while I struggled with the camelbak, but now that it was all together, I ate my gu, and hit the gas. I kept my heart rate below anaerobic - I knew I was going to burn some extra energy here to pass as many people before we hit Jekyl & Hyde.<br />
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Climbing red road, I passed some folks and came up on Scott Thigpen. He was pacing for the 100 mile race, and I gave him some words of encouragement as I went by. I wasn't trying to set any records on this climb, but I still ended up doing it in under 16 minutes. This would have been a massive PR less than 6 months ago. Cresting the top of the climb, my friend Nick Kirby was there and he was also pacing for the 100 mile. Just prior to the BUMP connector, I passed Nathan Hodge (also a 100 miler - but on a full rigid SS - he's "special"). I passed another couple girls on the BUMP connector, and one of them was the female leader (John Karrasch was at the JnH/Blood Rock split and I could hear him give them time splits). I was behind a couple people on JnH, and while I'm not an excellent technical rider, I'll say I am adept. The two in front of me eventually bobbled, and I was able to get around them and then let it fly. Other than the dab behind the two when they stopped, I cleaned Hyde. Hit Jekyll, and kept going. The ground was still wet from the previous night's rain, so I kept my speed in check going down Jekyll since I was afraid of washing out on one of the outside turns in the pine straw.<br />
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I use a drop seat post and I have had zero problems with it. Until now. While doing the climbs on Jekyl, I noticed it felt like I was riding low. I thought maybe my drop seat post switch was getting gummed up, so I hit the remote switch and pulled up on the seat. Felt like it was going all the way up, but I still felt low. Maybe my seat was dropping in the frame. Once I hit Peavine Road, I could tell my seat was definitely low. I hopped off the bike, and grabbed my multi tool. The dropper itself was collapsing. So I raised the seat to counter what portion it had collapsed,and kept riding. Nick and Nate passed me and asked if everything was ok - I said "yea, dropper is collapsing."<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nick and Nate</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: left;">I ate a Gu on the climb, and hit the CCC trail and then Blood Rock. I was right behind someone coming into Blood Rock, and I should have given them more room. They were going slower than I could manage, and I had to dab at the last tree. I peg legged down the rest of BR, and caught back up to the guy on Quarry Road. I planned on passing him once we hit Johnson's Mountain, but my seat had dropped some more. I had to stop again on Johnson's and raise my seat WAY up. It went from 5 inches of travel to about 3/4" of an inch. I cycled it a few times as hard as I could, but it wouldn't stay up. I raised the seat up about 3-4 inches above the minimum insertion points (I realized that AFTER the race), and kept going. The seat was too high, but with the 3/4" of travel I could get it into the Goldilocks zone.</span></div>
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I finished Johnson's, Foreplay, Toads, and Family, swung through the timing mat, and I'd planned to grab my sandwich and/or banana out of my camelbak and eat on the move. At the timing mat, there was a box full of bananas, so I just grabbed one of those, and kept on pedaling. I debated on dumping the extra weight in my camelbak, but figured it wasn't much and this way I could keep moving and make up time without a pit stop.<br />
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Tucked on the descent on Terrace Drive back to 7 Bridges and caught back up and passed Nick and Nate. I made it through the lower trails and felt really good. I knew from my training that I'd start feeling the pain around mile 35-40. That was pretty accurate. There were no bottlenecks, and I was able to keep my heart rate under control for the second lap, but I had burned a lot more energy than I planned on the first lap (Isn't that how it always goes though? You'd think I'd have learned this by now.)<br />
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Throughout my second lap, I'd slowly approach another rider, take and overpass them. Everyone was really cool about being passed. Good sportsmanship all around. I made it to Jekyl & Hyde, and was on someone's wheel. They bobbled on the top section, and I made it around them. Again, other than this one bobble I cleaned Hyde. I felt pretty good about that since when I get tired I usually start making bad mistakes on tricky technical sections... like fresh pavement. However I was getting the beginnings of cramps in my legs. Had a quiver in my left thigh that led to a wave of twitches that went from behind my right knee to my diaphragm. I backed off a little and started sucking down more water. I'd opted for my bottle of gatorade instead of another Gu on the 2nd red road climb, and I ate another Gu when I hit the Peavine Road climb.<br />
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Kept sucking down water, and now I had to REALLY pee! OMG! I wasn't stopping though. I knew that once I finished Peavine it was pretty much all down hill.<br />
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I made it through blood rock to the tree I bobbled on on my first lap.. and hit it. I should have walked as tired as I was, but I love going down BR, and I hate to punk out on it. I was tired though, and swung too wide on the last turn, and clipped the tree with my handlebars. I unclipped and put a foot down, but it was too late, and fell on my right side.. luckily on a flat rock. Got up, swallowed my pride, and walked to the base. Descended Quarry Road at a controlled pace, and started the last climb up Johnson's. My legs were exhausted. I hurt all over, and I just wanted it to be over. I never felt like I bonked, but my legs were shot and the pain was making it "not fun" anymore.<br />
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Descending the last part of Johnson's I saw one rider up ahead, but I had no energy or desire to chase him down. I kept seeing him, and almost caught him in the switchbacks of Foreplay, but once he saw me on his tail he hit the gas and was quickly out of sight. I kept at my pace, and saw him up ahead from time to time. I knew the race was almost over and my competitive edgekicked in. I picked up my pace. By the time I hung a left onto the Rattlesnake connector from Toads to Family, he wasn't that far ahead. When we hit family, I was on his wheel, and he let me around. I didn't want to get caught by him or anyone else, so I hit the gas. The race was almost done, and I wanted to finish strong. Finished Family, and hit the road. I was alone, but I sprinted to the finish.<br />
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My goal was under 5 hours, and I finished in 4:47. I put 40 seconds into that last rider I passed, and ended up 17 of 43 for solo 50 milers. I did pretty good on my second lap despite the pain and cramps because I was in the mid 20s after my first lap. My second lap was actually about a minute 40 faster than my first lap. According to my Garmin, the mechanicals cost me about 6 minutes. Not bad, and I'm pretty happy with my results.<br />
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The BUMP stew was awesome, and I want to thank John Karrasch for scouting the routes and being the force behind this race. And also nursing my broken baby bird wing back to health so I could become this "great endurance racer"! I'd like to thank BUMP for maintaining and building the trails, and Chainbuster's for hosting this event!<br />
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I had delusions of grandeur prior to the race and was afraid that when I committed to the 50 mile option that I would have wished I'd done the 100 after it was all said and done. I'm proud to say that was NOT the case! 50 miles was exactly right for me. I wasn't pedaling 10 more feet!<br />
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Gretchen and Jan pulled in a little while after I did. Jan pulled in at the exact moment she needed to be on the podium, so she literally got off her bike and took her spot for the podium pic. Pretty epic moment! Gretchen took 3rd and Jan took 4th! I'm so proud of my teammates!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MGG Podium Girls</td></tr>
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We hung out with some other friends and waited on the 100 milers to finish their race. We encouraged them as they came through after 75 miles, and I was astounded when they finished 100. Amazing feat!<br />
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After a few beers and a bottle of wine (for Jan), the pain and agony had receded from memory, and we were looking forward to do it again next year! Maybe I'll do the 100... There it is again... Delusions of grandeur.<br />
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I can now say I "love" racing. The competition is fun, but the friends and camaraderie amongst us is what has made me fall in love with the sport. Life is good.<br />
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PS - I've never played Call of Duty.Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16178268070113930785noreply@blogger.com0