Our interview this week is with Chris Schwenker. Chris is a Physical Therapist, Zwift expert and founder of The Zommuniqué - A virtual cycling and fitness blog and community created to enhance the experience by exploring topics of interest related to cycling.
Show Sponsor: UCAN
Take your performance to the next level with UCAN Energy and Bars made with SuperStarch® UCAN uses SuperStarch instead of simple sugars to fuel athletes. UCAN keeps blood sugar steady compared to the energy spikes and crashes of sugar-based products. Steady energy equals sustained performance!
Use UCAN in your training and racing to fuel the healthy way, finish stronger and recover more quickly! Use the code 303UCAN for 20% off at ucan.co/discount/303UCAN/ or ucan.co
In Today's Show
Interview - Chris Schwenker
Semi-retired as owner and director of his private Orthopedic Physical Therapy practice after over 20 years, Chris is blessed with the freedom to pursue his passion for virtual cycling and writing. On a continual quest to give back to his bike for all the rewarding experiences and relationships it has provided him, he created a non-profit.
Take part in Chris' ride across America to fund raise - https://thezommunique.com/
With The Communique Chris is committed to helping others with his bike. His gain cave is located on the North Fork of Long Island, where he lives with his beautiful wife and is proud of his two college student children.
Our News is sponsored by Buddy Insurance.
Buddy Insurance gives you peace of mind to enjoy your training and racing to their fullest. Buddy’s mission is simple, to help people fearlessly enjoy an active and outdoor lifestyle.
Get on-demand accident insurance just in case the unexpected happens. Buddy ensures you have cash for bills fast. This is accident insurance not health and life insurance. Go to buddyinsurance.com and create an account. There's no commitment or charge to create one. Once you have an account created, it's a snap to open your phone and in a couple clicks have coverage for the day. Check it out!
Endurance News:
Ten Swimming Myths Debunked and Revisited
Years ago, I wrote an article debunking 10 of the most common myths I know of in the sport of swimming. Today, I want to revisit those myths (some are still prevalent) with my thoughts about them in 2019.
Myth #1 To go faster in swimming one must push out the back of the arm pull
Depending on where the swimmer puts the emphasis on the pull and how energetic the two parts of the body rotation are, the peak force of the pull can occur in the front quadrant, just in front of the shoulder, back quadrant behind the shoulder or at the end of the pull, pushing out the back. Swimmers can definitely increase their distance per stroke (DPS) by pushing longer and harder out the back, but it comes at a cost by slowing the stroke rate (SR). The relationship between DPS and SR is crucial. The multiple of both determines a swimmer’s speed. Pushing out the back may increase a swimmer’s speed (particularly in events longer than 50 meters), so long as the SR doesn’t slow too much.
Thanks to Pressure Meter technology, I have learned that the peak force during the propulsion phase of the pulling arm occurs at different points, depending on the technique of the swimmer. The peak force of the pulling arm is profoundly influenced by the coupling motions, as well as the strength of the arms. The coupling motion of body rotation occurs at two different times separated by about 2/10 of a second. The peak shoulder rotation velocity occurs first, as the recovering hand enters the water, and the peak hip rotation velocity occurs later, as the pulling hand finishes the pull and exits the water.
What's New in the 303:
Fountain Colorado, Bike Racing meets the Plains
As populations and traffic grow along the Colorado Front Range, putting on road bike races has become increasingly difficult. Barry Lee and Sanitas Sports have turned some of their attention south towards Colorado Springs and the Eastern Plains. About a dozen or so miles east of the town of Fountain, about halfway between Colorado Springs and Pueblo, at the county school serving kids from all over El Paso County, the GROOVE Fountain Bike Festival was born in 2021.
Now in its second year Kirk Hanna Park serves as headquarters, parking and warm up space for the two day event. Hopefully in the future there will be some live music and possibly camping options and said Race Director Barry Lee, “maybe even combining a weekend with a gravel / community festival such as Hanover days with the popular tractor pulls. Memories of my roots where I went to these as a kid in central Texas.”
With quiet roads, rolling hills and majestic views of Pikes Peak and the distant Sangre de Cristo mountains, riders tackled a time trial on Saturday and road race on Sunday.
Said Barry, “a couple of years ago Donna and local Rocky Mountain Tri club members took me out there to train on a 40 mile loop. I always find myself looking for routes to offer a selective, mixed rolling terrain that suit a more all around type rider and this area has perfect roads for that.”
With infinite views from every direction, 303 Ambassador Sasha Underwood echoed Barry’s vision and said, “they changed the course slightly this year, for the better in my opinion! In the middle the course, they put us on a mile or so stretch of dirt and I loved it! It was a perfect dirt road and was just the novelty I needed for a change of pace, challenge and scenery.” She continues, “The volunteers were awesome, the course, competitive but inclusive atmosphere, especially amongst riders. The group I was in included Collegiate Woman A and B, Cat 3, 4 and 5. We were a chatty bunch this year during the first half and there were a lot of first-time and second-time racers in the group.”
XTERRA USA Championship Rotates to Colorado
The 21st annual XTERRA USA Championship off-road triathlon will be held in conjunction with the new family-friendly and community focused weekend of events in Avon, Colorado on July 15-17, 2022.
It’s the first-time XTERRA has hosted its national championship in the Colorado Rockies, following 12 seasons at Snowbasin Resort in Utah (2009-2021) and eight years in Incline Village, Nevada (2001-2008).
There will be $25,000 in prize money awarded equally to the top 10 elite men and women, plus XTERRA USA Championship crowns to age group division winners along with 51 qualifying spots into the 2022 XTERRA World Championship to be held in Trentino, Italy on October 1.
FORM Goggles Experience
Two athletes I coach started using FORM goggles and recommended them to me. I picked up a pair and they are really helpful when you are doing a workout.
Upcoming Guests
3/25: A’nna Sewall of Athlete Blood Test and Jordan Jones of Powder7
Andy Potts and Daniel Brienza of APRacing
Chris Schwenk about cycling and Zwift and his intimate knowledge of it and I think it would fun to share his love of indoor cycling, but also outdoors and his upcoming trip across the US.
Closing:
Thanks again for listening in this week. Please be sure to follow us @303endurance and of course go to iTunes and give us a rating and a comment. We'd really appreciate it!
Stay tuned, train informed, and enjoy the endurance journey!
Welcome to Episode #328 of the 303 Endurance Podcast. You are listening to your weekly connection to coaches, experts, and pro athletes to help you reach your endurance goals. We're your hosts coach Rich Soares and 303 Chief Bill Plock. Thanks for joining us for another week of endurance interviews and discussion.
Show Sponsor: UCAN
Take your performance to the next level with UCAN Energy and Bars made with SuperStarch® UCAN uses SuperStarch instead of simple sugars to fuel athletes. UCAN keeps blood sugar steady compared to the energy spikes and crashes of sugar-based products. Steady energy equals sustained performance!
Use UCAN in your training and racing to fuel the healthy way, finish stronger and recover more quickly! Use the code 303UCAN for 20% off at ucan.co/discount/303UCAN/ or ucan.co
In Today's Show
Our News is sponsored by Buddy Insurance.
Buddy Insurance gives you peace of mind to enjoy your training and racing to their fullest. Buddy’s mission is simple, to help people fearlessly enjoy an active and outdoor lifestyle.
Get on-demand accident insurance just in case the unexpected happens. Buddy ensures you have cash for bills fast. This is accident insurance not health and life insurance. Go to buddyinsurance.com and create an account. There's no commitment or charge to create one. Once you have an account created, it's a snap to open your phone and in a couple clicks have coverage for the day. Check it out!
Endurance News:
No Finishers at 2022 Barkley Marathons
Barkley wins again. For the fifth year in a row, no one could best the infamously rugged course in trail's quirkiest event.For the fifth year in a row, there were no finishers at the infamous Barkley Marathons. An incredibly deep field was lined up to face the beast. This included a mix of Barkley veterans like Courtney Dauwalter, and 2017 and 15th-person ever Barkley finisher John Kelly and strong Barkley virgins like Big’s Backyard record holder Harvey Lewis, 2017 Big’s champion Guillaume Calmettes, and Appalachian Trail FKT holder and Belgian dentist Karel Sabbe.
Other runners like Amelia Boone, Gary Robbins, and Johan Steene were originally slated for the 2022 race, but dropped out due to injuries, moving on, and testing positive at the airport, respectively. The 2022 edition was particularly heavy on international runners after the cancellation of the 2020 edition and pandemic-related travel restrictions for the 2021 race.
For the 2022 race, Barkley creator Gary “Lazarus Lake” Cantrell threw one of the biggest curveballs in race history, holding the event three weeks ahead of when it normally runs around April 1. Additionally, he held the race in the middle of the week with the race starting on Tuesday, March 8.
There were concerns that the earlier time slot could create more difficult weather challenges, but when the conch was blown at 5:54 a.m. on Tuesday, relatively average Barkley conditions awaited. The race started cold but warmed up a lot during the day. Runners seemed to favor this, with a total of 30 out of 38 runners completing the first loop and starting a second. This was a Barkley record.
However, when night fell on day one, so did freezing rain. This was reminiscent of the 2019 race when rain took out most of the field overnight.
As a result, only five were able to start a Fun Run loop, which is three loops. This group included Sabbe, Kelly, British runner Jasmin Paris, New Zealander Greig Hamilton, and Danish runner Thomas Dunkerbeck. Paris is the first woman in a decade to complete a Fun Run.
Of these five, Sabbe, Kelly, and Hamilton were able to finish three loops with time to start the fourth loop. Sabbe came in first from loop three in 32:21:49 and left just under 20 minutes later. Hamilton returned to camp in 34:20:39 and left for loop four with daylight 34 minutes later.
Chris Froome says data has made pro cycling more competitive and more dangerous
Chris Froome believes the depth and breadth of data in professional cycling has raised the bar in terms of the overall standard of performance but also made the sport more dangerous.
The four-time Tour de France winner started his career back in 2008 and is now in his 15th season as a professional. In that time, he says the sport has changed beyond recognition.
"Across the board we’ve seen a huge raise of the bar in terms of the general level of performance in professional cycling," Froome said in a sponsor video for Quad Lock.
The main driver of that change has been, according to Froome, the rise of power meters, which measure the force being pushed through the pedals and can help riders judge their efforts. Whereas riders in the past may have raced or trained on feel, Froome noted that performances are now more dictated by numbers.
Froome himself was known in his pomp for carefully measuring his efforts and not being afraid to drop briefly rather than risk going into the red, but he claimed that even in the last few years, the advances in power and other performance-related data have changed the game for professional cyclists generally.
"There are quite a few different technologies that have played a massive part in shaping the sport in this last 10 to 15 years. First and foremost, the amount of data available through power meters and the collection and correlation of all that data means that performances now are lot more guided," Froome said.
"In the past, power meters been a round for a while but no one really understood how to train with them or what the data really meant. Now we've just got so much data, from the guys who are winning the biggest races in the world, and that data helps forms the basis of all the training plans and all the preparations that lead to racing.
“Everyone has structured training now. Very seldom do you come across someone who just gets on their bike and rides. Everyone’s got a plan, a coach, a structure to follow, which has been a big change compared to 15 years a go.”
Dangers
As well as making the sport more competitive, Froome also pointed out a drawback to the datafication of professional cycling. Having recently held forth on safety issues relating to time trial bikes and gravel roads, the 36-year-old suggested that new technology is making the sport more dangerous.
Froome referred chiefly to modern mapping technology in making the point that every rider knows exactly what to expect from the route of any given race. Directors can study race roads in minute detail, and they feed that information to the riders in real time.
"We’ve just got this abundance of data coming through to us about conditions for the road coming up, so everyone knows what to expect and you get this huge fight for position," Froome said.
"It’s mental. Someone says to you, ‘right guys, you’re going through this really narrow dangerous little village coming up, the road’s really tiny and there’s small bridge with a corner straight after’, and we actually go faster, because you want to be the ones to get there first. If you’re at the back, you’re going to be stuck in this backlog trying to get through the pinch point. It’s probably the only sport where someone tells you there’s danger up ahead and the pace lifts. It’s mental.
“I think racing has, as a result of that, become more dangerous. Through having more data it’s basically made the race more dangerous. Previously we wouldn’t have known necessarily that each pinch point was there and there wouldn’t have been this massive scurry for position. We’d have just got there and all been more relaxed and got through it with no issues. But that’s changed quite a bit.”
Froome has yet to race in 2022 after suffering a knee injury over the winter, but is back in full training and expecting to make his season debut this month.
What's New in the 303:
Long, Knibb, Snyder, McDowell–Coloradan’s Named Triathletes of the Year
Olympic and Paralympic Medalists Headline 2021 Elite Triathletes and Elite Paratriathletes of the YearUsa
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – USA Triathlon announced its 2021 Elite, Under-23, Rookie and Junior Triathletes of the Year, as well as its Elite Paratriathletes and Paratriathlon Development Athletes of the Year, both presented by Wahoo Fitness.
Katie Zaferes (Cary, N.C.) was named the Women’s Olympic/World Triathlon Triathlete of the Year for the fourth time, and Kevin McDowell (Colorado Springs, Colo.) earned his first-ever Men’s Olympic/World Triathlon Triathlete of the Year honors. Kendall Gretsch (Downers Grove, Ill.) and Brad Snyder (Baltimore, Md.), along with his guide Greg Billington (Poway, Calif.), were named 2021 Elite Paratriathletes of the Year
Zaferes, 32, won bronze at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, becoming the third U.S. woman to win an Olympic medal, joining Gwen Jorgensen (gold, 2016 Rio) and Susan Williams (bronze, 2004 Athens). Zaferes then led off Team USA as the first leg in the Olympic debut of the Mixed Relay event, helping the team earn silver, and her second Olympic medal in Tokyo.
Zaferes capped her season on the draft-legal World Triathlon Championship Series circuit by placing fourth at the World Triathlon Championship Finals. She also finished third overall in the Super League Triathlon Championship Series.
“I am very honored to receive this award considering how many of the USA women had great achievements last year,” Zaferes said. “It’s extra special for me because this year was so challenging. I’m proud of being able to regroup and refocus with the assistance of the team of people that surrounds me in order to achieve one of my biggest goals, which was to win a medal at the Olympics.”
McDowell, 29, made his Olympic debut in Tokyo and showed his Mixed Relay prowess as Team USA’s second leg in the race that features four athletes (two male, two female) who each complete a super-sprint triathlon in the order of female-male-female-male. He recorded the fastest split of the U.S. team that earned the silver medal. In the men’s individual race, McDowell placed sixth, the highest-ever finish for a U.S. male triathlete at the Olympic Games.
“It’s a huge honor to receive this award after so many great performances on the U.S. men’s side, which has been really exciting. This wouldn’t have been possible without the entire team behind me, my family, coach Nate Wilson, physio/medical, friends, community, and USA Triathlon,” McDowell said. “It truly takes a village to do what we do and perform at the highest level. I’m thankful for the one I’ve got.”
Video of the Week
CLASH Endurance Miami 2022: Finish Line Interviews
Upcoming Guests
3/25: A’nna Sewall of Athlete Blood Test and Jordan Jones of Powder7
Andy Potts and Daniel Brienza of APRacing
Chris Schwenk about cycling and Zwift and his intimate knowledge of it and I think it would fun to share his love of indoor cycling, but also outdoors and his upcoming trip across the US.
Closing:
Thanks again for listening in this week. Please be sure to follow us @303endurance and of course go to iTunes and give us a rating and a comment. We'd really appreciate it!
Stay tuned, train informed, and enjoy the endurance journey!
Welcome to Episode #327 of the 303 Endurance Podcast. You are listening to your weekly connection to coaches, experts, and pro athletes to help you reach your endurance goals. We're your hosts coach Rich Soares and 303 Chief Bill Plock. Thanks for joining us for another week of endurance interviews and discussion.
Show Sponsor: UCAN
Nutrition is a critical part of triathlon success. Join former U.S. Olympic Dietitian Bob Seebohar and pro triathletes Lauren Brandon and Dede Griesbauer for an in-depth discussion about how to most effectively fuel for triathlon. Presented by UCAN.
When: 8 PM EST on Tuesday, March 15
How to Watch: Register with this link to the LIVE event. You’ll also receive a recording if you can’t join live.
Featured Guests:
Bob Seebohar, Former U.S. Olympic Sports Dietitian
Lauren Brandon, Pro Triathlete
Dede Griesbauer, Pro Triathlete, Ultraman Record Holder
What to Expect:
Get a framework for how to approach your nutrition in training and racing
Learn how different fuel sources impact your energy levels
Hear real-world experiences from athletes who have put UCAN to the test in all types of situations
Use UCAN in your training and racing to fuel the healthy way, finish stronger and recover more quickly! Use the code 303UCAN for 20% off at ucan.co/discount/303UCAN/ or ucan.co
In Today's Show
Our News is sponsored by Buddy Insurance.
Buddy Insurance gives you peace of mind to enjoy your training and racing to their fullest. Buddy’s mission is simple, to help people fearlessly enjoy an active and outdoor lifestyle.
Get on-demand accident insurance just in case the unexpected happens. Buddy ensures you have cash for bills fast. This is accident insurance not health and life insurance. Go to buddyinsurance.com and create an account. There's no commitment or charge to create one. Once you have an account created, it's a snap to open your phone and in a couple clicks have coverage for the day. Check it out!
Endurance News:
Challenge Family Partner with RemoteRacing
If you can’t get to the race, let the race come to you – that’s the philosophy behind the new multi-year partnership between Challenge Family and RemoteRacing announced today, extending racing and training opportunities for athletes around the world.
/ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – The partnership will allow athletes anywhere in the world to compete against those racing at Challenge Taiwan, The Championship, DATEV Challenge Roth powered by hep, and Challenge Almere-Amsterdam as though they were there with them.
RemoteRacing creates a fair and level playing field for remote athletes with its advanced RaceX simulation technology that localises results to each onsite race. Finish times for all athletes are as if everyone was competing on the same course, in the same conditions, on the same day. Also provided are “equalized” results accounting for both age and gender.
During a Race Window that coincides with the physical event, remote athletes can swim, bike and run from their own locations, either inside or outside, before their results are normalised based on their remote environment and terrain to simulate onsite race outcomes. All bike courses are available on ROUVY to further enhance the athlete experience.
“RemoteRacing adds a new dimension to triathlon, allowing athletes to take part in our largest events, regardless of where they live and train,” said Jort Vlam, CEO of Challenge Family. “Their race can either be competitive, allowing them to benchmark their performance in a race scenario or a solid training session or even just a hit out with a group of friends. RemoteRacing’s technology allows us to once again further enhance our athlete experience, providing innovative options in a world that currently is not making international travel to bucket list races easy!”
“We’re very excited to partner with Challenge Family to bring competitive racing to athletes’ hometowns,” says Jeff Booher, CEO of Predictive Fitness. “It’s not always possible to travel to events like Challenge’s iconic races due to work, finances, and family commitments. RemoteRacing is here to complement athletes’ onsite racing schedules with engaging remote experiences on a fair and level playing field with meaningful results.”
The dates for Challenge Family RemoteRaces are as follows:
Challenge Taiwan Remote: 21-24 April 2022
The Remote Championship: 19-22 May
DATEV Challenge Roth Remote: 30 June – 3 July
Challenge Almere-Amsterdam Remote: 8-11 September
Athletes must complete all three legs within the Race Window and activities must be done in swim-bike-run order.
Couples Championship Coverage and Results
13 Couple Teams and 1 Relay Team
The format is a relay of partner 1 doing a complete sprint distance of swim, bike run and then returning to the swim start to tag their partner to race the second sprit distance race. Couples decide which of the pair races first and which second. It creates an interesting dynamic with 2nd swimmers not having a draft benefit and swam alone.
Relay team did two rounds of with each racing their leg twice:
Swim - Brook Bennet 3x Olympic Gold medalist
Bike - Phil Gaimon USA Cycling Hillclimb National Championship (2017)
Run - Gwen Jorgenson Olympic Gold medalist
What's New in the 303:
Nordic Skiing: The “Other” Sport That Cyclists Love
By Kate Agathon, Campus Cycles
For many cyclists, nordic skiing is their “other” sport; the off-season sport that helps them to prepare for cycling season.
This week, we take a closer look at cyclists who change it up in the winter months and exchange the two wheels for a pair of skinny skis.
In addition to similar physical and mental health benefits, nordic skiing and cycling share several parallels. For example, like cycling, nordic skiing appeals to a diverse audience for a variety of reasons. While some have done it for several years, for others it is a recent discovery.
From multi-sport athletes such as Rebecca Furuta and 303 Ambassador Sasha Underwood who enjoy the challenge and thrill of competition, to recreational nordic skiers Paul Gallaher and Sylvia Bailey, nordic skiing offers something for cyclists of all ages and abilities.
You don’t have to ride your indoor trainer to stay in cycling shape during the winter months. Instead, consider cross training and doing an entirely different sport altogether.
Cross training builds core stability, power, improves cardio, and strength. One of the best winter sports for cyclists to do is nordic skiing; just ask pro cyclists- past and present.
An avid nordic skier, cycling legend Greg LeMond once claimed,”If you ski hard and then get on the trainer two to three times per week for an hour each time, you’ll retain much of your cycling fitness in the winter.”
Both LeMond and Jumbo-Visma’s Sepp Kuss (who recently placed second in a 10 km nordic skiing race in Sant Julià de Lòria, Andorra) were both recreational skiers prior to becoming pro cyclist
The Solar-Powered Human
Rebecca Furuta, a cyclist with Team Novo Nordisk, attributes a large part of her long cycling career to being a multi-sport athlete.
“I’m lucky that my team is just as eager to promote my running, nordic skiing, and other outdoor activities as they are to raise my profile on the bike,” she said.
While most of her athletic career has been spent cycling, she is quick to point out that, “…in truth, I’m really just a solar-powered human.”
Nature makes the best gym.
Said Furuta, “We live in a beautiful state with a great climate and endless access to outdoor recreation. I can’t be happy sitting on a trainer, spinning circles to nowhere. I need to be outside, in the world, with all the experiences it brings,” she explained.
Earlier this winter, she and two other cyclist friends decided to compete in a nordic ski race. It turned out to be a brand new, fun-packed adventure. She’s been signing up for races ever since.
“Competition always appeals to me and keeps me motivated to train hard and measure improvements over time. It’s always good to find new opportunities to challenge myself, and I’m glad I am surrounded by people who push me in that direction,” she finished
For Paul Gallaher, one of the main reasons he is a recreational nordic skier is for the sport’s well documented physical benefits; particularly for improving his cardiovascular fitness. “Nordic skiing helps my overall cardiovascular training by increasing my cardiac output and oxygen carrying capacity,” he explained.
“Although climbs are much slower than cycling, I am still able to get my heart rate into the same zone as I would if were I doing a hill climb on my bike,” Gallaher added. A nurse by trade (it’s his second career) in Colorado’s ski country, Gallaher extols the benefits of nordic skiing; especially for cyclists.
He said that he appreciates nordic skiing for helping to improve balance, muscle strength, and endurance. “Nordic skiing is incredibly effective because it uses a large percentage of muscle mass. Additionally, its low-impact nature reduces impact loading on joints,” he stated.
Gallaher was first introduced to nordic skiing during the late 1980s when he was in college, but he had only recently picked it up again last year while enjoying semi-retirement. During his time as an Air Force navigator, Gallaher didn’t always live in places where conditions were ideal to ski (think Florida). Even in Alaska, he could only ski during his lunch break if he wanted to ski in daylight.
Said Gallaher, “Thankfully, nordic skiing came back to me last year pretty quickly. I’m grateful to have the opportunity to do this on a regular basis.”
Sylvia Bailey discovered skate skiing in 2019 and has loved it ever since. “Nordic skiing is a fantastic way to enjoy the beauty and serenity of the mountains while getting a great workout,” she maintained.
For an active person who finds solace and spiritual renewal in the mountains, nordic skiing offers the escape she needs. Additionally, nordic skiing gives her a mental and physical break from the bike. Interestingly, there was a time when she hated winter, she explained, due to its weather making it very difficult to ride her bike outdoors on a regular basis.
She later realized that nordic skiing was one of the few outdoor recreational activities that she’d be able to enjoy during winter. “In 2019 I tried skate skiing for the first time and fell in love with it. Even though I was only able to skate ski a few times that year, I was hooked and the following season I bought my own equipment and went at least once a week,” Bailey said.
During Winter 2019/20, she was on a roll with skate skiing (she had gone a dozen or more times), when it came to an abrupt halt on March 15, 2020, when the global pandemic caused ski areas to cease operations.
Fast forward to 2022, and unfortunately, due to recent surgery, she’s only been able to skate ski a few times this season. However, she remains hopeful that the snow will last into April when she can participate again and find quiet moments of renewal and appreciation for her natural surroundings.
An avid mountain biker, 303 Ambassador Sasha Underwood lives for mountain time (the recreational activities, not the time zone).
“I primarily mountain bike and I love being outside in the mountains! So when there isn’t dry dirt to ride on, nordic skiing allows me to still get my mountain play time in,” she enthused.
In addition to nourishing her wanderlust, there are practical reasons too.
For a mountain bikers where balance is a key skill, there are other direct benefits of nordic skiing. Specifically, increasing a kinesthetic sense (body’s ability to perceive location in space), and improving visual acuity (ability to distinguish shapes and details at a given distance).
Underwood added, “The benefit of keeping up my cardio endurance and core/ leg strength is a great bonus.” A cyclist for 13 years, she began skate skiing about six years ago when a friend introduced her to the sport of summer biathlon (mountain biking and shooting rifles).
Hooked on biathlon, Underwood decided to enter winter biathlons (skiing and shooting) and quickly picked up skate skiing.
Whether nordic skiing or mountain biking, be assured that this mountain maiden always picks up when the mountains call.
Where can I nordic ski?
While there are some non-resort places to nordic ski, most nordic skiers recreate or train at designated nordic centers; many of which are found in Summit County, Grand County (Snow Mountain Ranch, Devils Thumb, Grand Lake) or at Eldora near Boulder.
The Facebook group, Summit Society of Cross Country Skiers (SSXCS) is a resource that provides an engaging community and intel about places to ski.
Upcoming Guests
3/25: A’nna Sewall of Athlete Blood Test and Jordan Jones of Powder7
Closing:
Thanks again for listening in this week. Please be sure to follow us @303endurance and of course go to iTunes and give us a rating and a comment. We'd really appreciate it!
Stay tuned, train informed, and enjoy the endurance journey!
Our guest this week Larry Grossman is an Event Announcer calling Cyclocross and other cycling events. I'm curious to know how he got into announcing events, what other events he does and more. Bill how are you and what are you hoping to learn from Larry?
Show Sponsor: UCAN
Take your performance to the next level with UCAN Energy and Bars made with SuperStarch® UCAN uses SuperStarch instead of simple sugars to fuel athletes. UCAN keeps blood sugar steady compared to the energy spikes and crashes of sugar-based products. Steady energy equals sustained performance!
Use UCAN in your training and racing to fuel the healthy way, finish stronger and recover more quickly! Use the code 303UCAN for 20% off at ucan.co/discount/303UCAN/ or ucan.co
In Today's Show
8020 Endurance Sports Trivia
Last week was the second of three rounds of the 8020 Endurance Sports Trivia with host David Warden and fellow contestants Bill Garrels, Bill Plock (Hippie) and me. In Round 1 Bill Garrels got out to a strong lead with getting 2 of the 3 questions correct and set the bar with 2 points. In Round 2 Hippie got 1 point. In round three David Warden will ask me three questions with multiple choice answers. I need 3 points to take the lead. With that, let's get into round 3.
Thanks David Warden 8020 Endurance.
Feature Interview: Larry Grossman
Larry Grossman is a Professional Event Announcer and lover of all things sports and outdoors, Larry Grossman I did some stalking on Facebook and I found this quote on his page - "It's not just a race, it's an event, with as many great stories as there are participants....."
Our News is sponsored by Buddy Insurance.
Buddy Insurance gives you peace of mind to enjoy your training and racing to their fullest. Buddy’s mission is simple, to help people fearlessly enjoy an active and outdoor lifestyle.
Get on-demand accident insurance just in case the unexpected happens. Buddy ensures you have cash for bills fast. This is accident insurance not health and life insurance. Go to buddyinsurance.com and create an account. There's no commitment or charge to create one. Once you have an account created, it's a snap to open your phone and in a couple clicks have coverage for the day. Check it out!
Endurance News:
Ukrainian cycling coach and father of recent national champion killed in war. The Russian invasion in Ukraine has claimed the life of Alexander Kuly, one of the country's national cycling coaches, who was also the father of 2019 National Road Race Championships Andriy Kulyk. Cycling Weekly
Fitbit Recalls Fitbit Ionic Smartwatches due to burn hazard, offers refund. Fitbit has announced a recall of their older Ionic GPS smartwatch, due to situations where the battery can overheat and cause burn injuries. DC Rainmaker.
What's New in the 303:
My New Old Bike, Do You Really Need a New Bike?
And there it was, my old Madone happily sitting on on my Saris smart trainer just begging for attention. I thought, “why not fix this one up, take the wheels off my never ridden triathlon bike and use that?” (My original Ultregra wheels needed replacing).
I knew it needed some love, some parts and a few tweaks, so I wondered if my top notch, service course bike mechanic friend Andy could fix it up. I told him just use the minimum parts and get it rideable for my 285 mile trip and then I would still consider a new road bike. Now I won’t for a long time hopefully thanks to him.
He wanted no part of “sort of fixing it up.” He is a perfectionist and insisted we do it right; take everything off the frame, repack and replace bearings, all new drive train, shifters, cranks, cables, etc etc… He scrounged for good used parts, even parts off a bike a friend gave him to use “for a good home” after she was hit by a motorist and needed a new bike.
I felt like the kids in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang watching their dad dismantle part of the house to bring back the old race car saved from the scrap heap. Andy would call or text almost daily with some tantalizing update or request approval to spend just a little more for this or that.
My Madone was pretty special to me as it replaced another Madone broken when a driver hit me riding down Lookout. Luckily my body prevailed much better than my bike. Fast forward 40,000 miles and the need to replace the wheels and a tiny crack in the frame expertly fixed by Broken Carbon in Boulder when I decided I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to buy a discounted R5. Hindsight 20/20, still not a bad decision, but this one was better.
Trek seems to be in love with the combination of letters that name their road bikes; Madone, Domane and Emonda. So I will affectionately rename my Madone to “Nomad”e with an E. Like a nomad, my bike is on the move again. Andy put two pages of parts, materials and tremendous time to get it rolling again. But it rides so well!
Andy is my friend and wanted to help, but he also believes in repurposing and sustainability and put a lot of love into this project. With the insurance money I could’ve easily bought a very nice new road bike, but why? Sure the new 12 speed Dura-Ace is nice. I guess disc brakes are good, although I’m not a 100% on them, but I did toy with the idea of one bike and two sets of wheels; road and gravel. But the heart of the bike, the frame, hasn’t really changed much in the last decade—at least in process.
I picked up my bike two days before I left and because of snow I couldn’t test it. I packed it and off I went. Simply put. It was serendipitous. To feel the love of biking again on a trusted and reliable bike with so many conquered mountains and stories lived; to be on it once again thanks to a friend next to the ocean on my way to Key West on a new adventure with new friends felt amazingly sublime.
The moment I hit the road keeping up with Dave and Deiter, pushing kind of hard to meet the others, I felt so good about this decision. Like, so proud to have kept this bike alive. And if felt better than ever. Tight, responsive, comfortable and the Zipp wheels with the bearings completely re-lubricated rolled so nice. It literally felt like a brand new bike and at a fraction of the cost. Now there is a new bike out there for someone else and I made less impact on the environment.
In light of feeling bike burnout last fall with not such great health over the winter, I have never felt so grateful to be on a bike. As I stared in the calming surf washing ashore, the sound of the water retreating across the sand back to the ocean reminded me of the whirring of the wheels on smooth Florida pavement in the heart of the Everglades.
Rich - I think we need a Part 3 - "When there's nothing to salvage and you decide to go new!". Here's the process I'm going through and the bike that Andy is building for me.
Shout out to last week's guests Dina Griffin (nutrition mechanic) and Bob Seebohar (enrg performance) and their expertise on my ongoing pursuit of trying to figure out endurance nutrition.
I've always struggled with my nutrition and hydration in long course races. After years of trying to figure out a formula that works for me. A couple of years ago I thought I finally figured it out, having one of the best 70.3 races ever. Last year at Boulder 70.3 I found myself struggling to gulp down my sports drink on the bike and felt like I was behind on my hydration. By mile 7 on the run, I was starting to feel nauseous and only found relief in slowing down. With a little more than a mile to go I found myself with dry heaves and fellow athletes offering everything from well wishes to Rolaids (thanks, Guy Sigley). I felt trashed at the finish line with continuing bouts of dry heaves. That was how I ended my last long course race.
In five weeks I'll be on the start line of IRONMAN 70.3 Galveston. I want this race to go perfectly and avoid the hydration mistakes of the past. I also decided to write this article because I don't want anyone else to have races like that. We all train too hard and sacrifice too much to have race day go sideways.
Committed to getting my hydration right at Galveston 70.3, I have been regularly testing my sweat rate in my cycling and running workouts. At 34-38oz (33oz = 1 liter). per hour - more on that later. I also wanted to make sure I knew how much sodium I lose per liter of sweat. Wanting to don't want to find myself My training has been consistent and even my long rides and runs feel great Fast forward this coming April will be my next race at that distance.
Upcoming Guests
3/10: TO and Rinny about the Couples Championship
3/25: A’nna Sewall of Athlete Blood Test and Jordan Jones of Powder7
Closing:
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Stay tuned, train informed, and enjoy the endurance journey!