Memoirs of a cycling tour

There is something truly powerful about a bike, a map, two strong legs and a destination… Bicycle touring is the gift of travel presented on two wheels instead of four wheels, or two wings. And what a gift it is. I did my first bike tour last summer and have since discovered a new perspective of cycling. Not only was the tour beautiful, challenging, trying, and the best way to spend a month of my life; it was also a wondrous transformation of the bike from a recreational pastime to a powerful tool for movement. As the trip began I had no idea what to expect. Did I train enough? Did I bring the right equipment? Are we going to be safe? Question marks filled my brain during the trip out to San Fran. That was the plan, drive to San Francisco from Utah, then take the train up to Portland. From there it was going to be smooth sailing (hopefully) down the coast.

It didn’t take long once we started biking to forget about worrying and start living in the adventure. Wondering whether I was ‘in shape enough’ became a non issue because in touring there is no such thing as too slow. Really! Every single person bike tours with different intentions and at different paces, but that is what makes it wonderful! I witnessed one such different touring mentality at one of the many ‘hiker/biker’ campsites that line the Oregon and California coast.

As our group of four people rolled into a campsite around 4:30 pm we made the usual rounds, circling the spots looking for the one we liked best. Unfortunately, at this specific campground, the ‘hiker/biker’ spots were small, spread out, and on a hill, not ideal for our group. Seeing as we had just biked the whole day, we were tired, hungary and wanting nothing more than to get camp set up and more importantly, eat before it got dark. As we reconvened to discuss our options, we did so in front of the first (and by far the best) ‘hiker/biker‘ site. We weren’t more than a couple of words into our discussion when the two biker tourers in the first site hollered over to us, “Hey you guys need a spot? We are getting ready to head outta here in a sec. Take ours.” I did a double take, not at the two cyclist but at my watch, it read 4:43PM. Seriously? You guys are leaving? Its almost 5PM and we are just getting in for the night and you’re about to leave?? I was confused to say the least. The two people, a guy and a girl, looked to be in a relationship. The girl was wearing quite possibly every item of clothing she brought with her. Seeing as it had just been rainy I could understand the extensive amount of clothing for hanging out in camp, but if she was about to start cycling was that really necessary? I had to turn off the practical part of me that wanted to explain to her that she should probably just ride with fewer clothes on because if she wore all of that she was going to be stoping every ten minutes in order to shed layers. The guy was just as interesting to me for different reasons. In one hand he looked to be fusing with a book of some sort, holding it over a dying fire, its soaked pages dripping, the other hand held a cigarette which he periodically took puffs from . He noticed my confused look and laughed, “Yea… This is our guide book. We left it outside the tent last night unfortunately”. I murmured something apologetic and continued taking in the scene. Their bikes were somewhat of a surprise to me too. Two mountain bikes, knoby tires and all, loaded with what seemed to be too much stuff. Once again I had to try to stop myself from looking at the situation through the biking lens I had previously established, one that said the lighter the better and less is more.  A member of my group broke the ice with the question we were all dying to know the answer to, “It’s like 5PM are you guys really leaving?” The two of them weren’t bothered in the slightest by our questions. They laughed and the guy said, “yea we’re a sight aren’t we? Smoking cigarettes and leaving our guide book out in the rain… We’re doing this all wrong but we’re having some of the most amazing times ever and that’s enough reason to keep on going”. It was at that moment that the lightbulb went on for me. My expectations and ideas about touring are by no means the right or only ones. The two of them proceeded to tell us about some of the joyous experiences they had had. Everything from amazing families hosting them over night to epic views of the coast. We laughed and shared stories and tips. Eventually they told us they had to be on their way (by then it was close to 5:30PM). They grabbed their bikes and said they would hopefully get 20 more miles under their belts before night fell. We wished them safe travels and watched them mount their trusty (and beefy) mountain bikes and ride away.

I was incredibly grateful for that experience because it brought me a sense of clarity. I was so happy for them; two people I would never expect to find out on the road on bikes, traveling the coast. Good for them! Someone like me might be easily pegged as a cycling tourer because I love cycling and I love challenges. This trip, therefore was perhaps much easier for me than it was for those two, but they were out doing it, making mistakes, learning from them and having a hell of a good time along the way. They might have had different bikes, different gear, different reasons for being there, but they were there and we all had something in common because we had bikes and met at a ‘hiker/biker’ campsite in a tiny town along the coast . Those two became an inspiration for me, showing me that you can do anything you want as long as you have the passion for it and a good sense of humor! Bike touring can absolutely  be for anyone. I had to laugh at myself for being so nervous about the trip before leaving home; life on the road was nothing but good times for everyone no matter the differences in how to go about doing it.

By: Stephanie Tomlin

The start of the "Women of Steel" TRI - Utah

It’s almost bathing suit season. Are you starting to panic because you’ll soon be shedding layers of winter clothing and exposing your body? Eeek!!!

When you have more flab than you want, fretting about excess body fat easily leads to plans to go on a diet, of which there are plenty of choices: Atkins, Paleo, Jenny Craig, the Cabbage Soup Diet, the Banana Diet. Unfortunately, none of these diets work in the long run. After all, if diets did work, then everyone who has ever been on a diet would be lean. Not the case. We are in the midst of an obesity epidemic.

Not only do fad diets not work, diets commonly backfire and contribute to weight gain in the long run. A study with teens who were followed from middle school into high school indicates the students who were dieting at the time of the initial survey were worse off five years later. They were fatter, struggled with disordered eating or had an outright eating disorder, and achieved no benefits from their attempts to lose undesired body fat. (1) Futile efforts.

Why eating is preferable to dieting

Overweight teens commonly become adults who continue to struggle with food for the rest of their lives. That’s why, starting at an early age, we need to discourage dieting and instead focus on eating healthfully and appropriately. If you don’t go on a diet, you won’t “blow your diet,” gorge on cookies, and gain weight. Eating normally —enjoying appropriate amounts of wholesome foods when your body needs fuel during the day—leads to an appropriate weight.

Normal eating includes enjoying a good balance of wholesome foods, but not limiting yourself to only “healthy foods.” That is, you don’t have to have a perfect diet to have a good diet. A healthy food plan can includes 85% to 90% “quality calories” and 10% to 15% “whatever.” Some days “whatever” is an apple; other days “whatever” is a cookie.

"The way to take power away from a “binge food” is to eat it more often, not stay away from it."

Striving to eat a perfect diet commonly results in deprivation of foods you truly like to eat. You will inevitably end up bingeing on those foods, sooner or later. Think about it this way: If you put a little boy in a roomful of toys and tell him he can play with all the toys except for the green truck, what is the first toy he’ll reach for? Yup, the green truck. Hence, if you like chocolate cake, but tell yourself you shouldn’t eat it, what will you relentlessly hanker for? Yup. Chocolate cake.

How to take power away from food

The way to take power away from a “binge food” is to eat it more often, not stay away from it. For example, if you like chocolate cake, you should eat it every day until you get sick of it. Don’t believe me? Do this experiment: For one week, eat your binge food every day instead of your normal breakfast, lunch, snack, and/or dinner. (You will not die of malnutrition in a week.) Observe what happens. The chances are that after three days of chocolate cake, you’ll hanker for shredded wheat again. And even if you want to continue to eat cake, a recent study indicates you can still lose weight on the Chocolate

YUM!! Chocolate Cake!!

Cake Diet.

In this study, the subjects who enjoyed chocolate cake for breakfast had better dietary compliance and ended up losing more weight than the people who were instructed to eat “diet foods.” (2)

Ideally, you want to learn to enjoy a daily food plan that includes a variety of mostly wholesome foods that are satiating, health promoting, and tasty. You want to eat heartily at breakfast and lunch, to prevent energy lags and cravings for sweets. You want to plan an enjoyable afternoon “second lunch” that helps energize the end of your work-day and curbs your appetite for dinner. Then, at night, you want to eat a little bit less—and lose undesired bodyfat when you are sleeping. The goal: To wake up ready for breakfast, and perpetuate the cycle of fueling by day, dieting by night.

While these suggestions to eat “normally” are seemingly simple, many dieters find the advice is hard to implement. They are afraid that once they start eating, they won’t stop. This over-compensation is “diet backlash,” strengthened by years of “last chance to eat cake so I’d better eat it all now before the diet starts again tomorrow.” There is a more peaceful way to manage weight.

What is “normal eating”?

The following information offers tips for how to eat appropriately. Please trust that appropriate eating will lead you to an appropriate weight. Eating specialist Ellyn Satter RD,  author of Secrets of Feeding a Healthy Family offers the following definition of normal eating.

• Normal eating is going to the table hungry and eating until you are satisfied. It is being able to choose food you like and eat it and truly get enough of it–not just stop eating because you think you should.

• Normal eating is being able to give some thought to your food selection so you get nutritious food, but not being so wary and restrictive that you miss out on enjoyable food.

• Normal eating is giving yourself permission to eat sometimes because you are happy, sad, or bored–or just because it feels good. Normal eating is three meals a day, or four or five–or it can be choosing to munch along the way.

• Normal eating is leaving some cookies on the plate now because you know you can have some again tomorrow–or it is eating more now because they taste so wonderful.

• Normal eating is overeating at times; feeling stuffed and uncomfortable–or it can be undereating at times and wishing you had more. Normal eating is trusting your body to make up for your mistakes in eating.

• Normal eating takes up some of your time and attention, but keeps its place as only one important area of your life.

• In short, normal eating is flexible. It varies in response to your hunger, your schedule, your proximity to food and your feelings.

Is it time to start learning how to eat normally?

A recovery snack for one of the "Women of Steel"

Nancy Clark, MS, RD, CSSD (Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics) counsels both casual and competitive athletes at her office in Newton, MA (617-795-1875). Her Sports Nutrition Guidebook and food guides for new runners, marathoners, and soccer players offer additional information. They are available at www.nancyclarkrd.com and sportsnutritionworkshop.com.

2012 marks George Hincapie’s 19th year as a professional cyclist and he’ll serve as a leader for the BMC Racing Team, one of the top ranked teams in the world.

Those who have followed professional cycling for years will be familiar with George Hincapie, who has not only helped Lance Armstrong win 7 Tour de France races in a row, but also broke a record as the first American to compete in cycling in five Olympic games. George’s father, Ricardo Hincapie, an avid cyclist moved to the US from Colombia  in 1960, seeking a better life for his family. Ricardo’s two sons, Richard and George were introduced to cycling and racing at a very young age and they soon became hooked. The hours spent racing as children and teens paid off as they soon became top racers

When he was 14 years old, George went to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado, and the support and influence of his family when he was a boy would be the foundation of what would become a brilliant international career. As a junior, George won over 300 races, including 12 national titles and two medals at the worlds, a silver and a bronze.

During those early years, George credits his family for much of his success. “My family has always been so supportive, and it had a huge impact on my career. They didn’t have much money, but they always did everything they could to make sure I had the best support at the races.

“This is a expensive sport,” adds George, “it’s not easy to get to races that are far away, but my family made a big commitment, and it always made me want to be as good as I could be. It’s really important to have that family structure if you want to improve.”

Not only was a racing a big part of their lives, but they have branched into other areas, and the Hincapie family became involved in making  cycling apparel and sportswear and reaching out to help other young and upcoming cyclists and athletes. The Hincapie Sportswear Company began in 2002 making custom clothing and accessories for teams and clubs in the US. Since then, the clothing lines have expanded to include premium retail apparel available at local bike dealers as well as from Hincapie.com The clothing line is now made in a family owned factory in Medellin, Columbia, run by George and Rich’s aunt and uncle, Maria and Jorge Hincapie.

The Hincapies continually pay it forward. Just this year, George and Rich created the BMC-Hincapie Sportswear Development Cycling Team to foster cycling’s next generation of racers. They are both personally involved and considered part of the team staff.

Hincapie Sportswear Spring 2012 Line

Gwen Jorgensen is one of the athletes sponsored by Hincapie Sportswear. She is on the US Olympic Triathlon team and headed this summer to compete in the Olympics in London.

The Spring 2012 line of Hincapie Sportswear  for cyclists and triathletes includes new options as well as updated choices, makes use of Resistex® carbon fabric, which lowers body temperature and lactic acid, comfortable lightweight mesh, and innovative coldblack® technology that enables dark fabric to reflect light the same way as white material. Hincapie Sportswear not only takes advantage of George’s weatlth of experience for  input on the clothing and design, but also receives feedback from the cyclists and triathletes they sponsor, including Olympic-bound triathlete Gwen Johnson (shown here on the left) and Morgan Zornes, a two-time Ironman finisher, who is Hincapie Sportswear’s Director of Technical Development. This firsthand knowledge of cycling and triathlons is why the Spring 2012 line mirrors Hincapie’s philosophy of proving apparel with the quality and technical function for athletes to perform at their best.

Caracoli Jeans from Hincapie Sportswear

Hincapie Sportswear unveiled a brand new product perfect for après-ride: premium jeans! The fit is designed for athletes and maximum comfort with a denim made with a fusion of cotton and lycra. For women there are eight different styles and tall women will be relieved to hear they also come in long sizes as well. We were pleased that they fit so well…even with an online order!

Check out the photo of George Hincapie below, wearing Hincapie jeans!

The retail price is $144.99.

Hincapie's Mari Jeans

The Colombian Cycling Connections

Not only is Colombia the country where Hincapie Sportswear and cycling apparel is made, it is the source of two other great imports: Ciclovia events and the tough hill-climbing Colombian professional racing teams. Perhaps you’ve heard of the first, and if you aren’t familiar with Colombian pro cycling teams and you follow pro cycling, you may want to watch as they start to make an impact on the sport. The Columbians could be to cycling what the Kenyans have been to endurance running.

The Concept of Ciclovias

Ciclovia (Spanish for “bike path’) is a concept that began in Bogota and has spread throughout the world. A Ciclovia is a street which has been temporarily closed to cars so that bicyclists, skaters and pedestrians can use it freely. Some American cities have used the name “Open Streets”  or “Sunday Parkways” for these special car-free street events instead of the name Ciclovia. Bogota has the Cicliovias each Sunday and on holidays which are used by 2 million people on over 75 miles of car-free streets. Other Colombian cities such as Cali and Medellín also have regular Ciclovias.  Bogota also has designated bicycle lanes called “Ciclorutas de Bogotá” and over the years, the mayors of Bogota have developed other creative concepts to decrease automobile traffic in the city.

Colombian Professional Cyclists Are Making Their Mark

Some of the other great cycling imports from Colombia have a closer Hincapie connection. George and his brother Rich have helped make it possible for some Colombian cycling teams to be able to compete internationally. The Hincapies help sponsor a team of professional cyclists from Colombia: Gobernacion-de-Antioquia. This team is famous for their climbing abilities and showed off their skills in races last summer such as the Tour of Utah and the USA Pro Cycling Challenge in Colorado. As the Colombian team doesn’t have a single flat road to ride on in their home territory (most inclines are 10% and more), they have learned to take on epic rides and win yellow jerseys. The Colombian teams are limited by economics and have had to do things on a shoe-string budget, but the talent is there and cycling fans will see more cycling greats out of Colombia such as Santiago Botero and Mauricio Soler who, among other accomplishments have worn the King-of-the Mountain (KOM) jersey in the Tour de France. Other Colombian cyclists have won KOM classifications in the other Grand Tours such as Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a España.

Colombian women also are making their mark in cycling. María Luisa Calle was the winner of the bronze medal in the 2004 Olympics in Athens. She wasn’t just the first Colombian woman to win an Olympic medal in cycling, she was the first Colombian to do so.  A team of Colombian women have qualified and will be competing in the 2012 Olympics in track cycling, mountain biking and BMX competition, so watch for them there!

George Hincapie’s Playlist

“I listen to all kinds of music. I like a good beat or hook and pick music based on how it makes me feel and I’m feeling.”

“… for something like a short, intense time trial, I’ll listen to all genres of music to help focus on the event and get pumped up.”

“I used my race winnings as a teenager to buy an electric guitar and my friends and I would have jam sessions in my room.  But once I went pro, my guitar ended up staying home since I was always traveling with and riding my bike. I liked jamming but I loved riding. In the offseason I get to do both!”

• Flux Pavilion – I Can’t Stop
• The Black Keys – Next Girl
• Guns ‘n Roses – Sweet Child O Mine
• Mike Snow – Animal (Punks Jump Up remix)
• Badfinger – Come and Get It
• David Guetta – Memories, (featuring Kid Cudi)
• Kaiser Chiefs – Ruby
• The Beach Boys – Sloop John B
• Modest Mouse – Float On 
• LMFAO – Party Rock Anthem
• Biz Markie – Just a Friend
• Kings of Leon – Notion
• M83 – Midnight City 

Diana Jeans from Hincapie Sportswear

These "Goldilocks' Riders" (Herriman, UT) are armed & ready with their water bottles. They will rest & hydrate and enjoy the rest of their ride.

Water is a wonderful performance enhancer. When a star U Conn basketball player took the advice of his sports nutritionist Nancy Rodriguez RD and started drinking enough to consistently void a light-colored urine, he was amazed at how much better he felt all day. Unfortunately, too many athletes overlook the power of this essential nutrient.  Perhaps it’s your turn to give water a try? This article offers droplets of information to enhance your water IQ, optimize your water balance, and help you feel & perform better.

• You don’t have to drink plain water to get adequate water into your body. All fluids count, as do foods that have a high water. For example, oatmeal is 84% water; low fat milk, 90%; coffee, 99.5%; lettuce, 96%; tomato, 95%; broccoli, 89%; low fat vanilla yogurt, 79%; and ice cream, 60% water.

• Water is the solvent for biochemical reactions. Your body cannot function without sufficient water, as noted by the fact that athletes die from dehydration.

• Your body needs water to moisten food (saliva), digest food (gastric secretions), transport nutrients to and from cells (blood), discard waste (urine), and dissipate heat (sweat). Water is a major component of the cells in muscles and organs; about 60% of a young male’s body weight is water, as is about 50% of a young woman’s body weight.

• Different body parts have different water contents. For example, blood is approximately 93% water, muscle is about 73% water, and body fat is about 10% water. Water constantly moves between the inside and the outside of cells. About 4% to 10% of your body-water gets replaced every day with “fresh” water.

• Note: Bioelectrical impedance (BIA) methods of measuring body fat actually measure body water. From that, a formula estimates the ratio of water to muscle and fat. Hence, if you use a Tanita Scale or Omron device, be sure to maintain adequate hydration. If you are dehydrated, you’ll end up with an inaccurate (higher) estimate of body fatness.

This Tri-runner is ready with water on her belt ... easy access!!

•Your body produces about 8 to 16 oz. (250-500 ml) water per day during normal metabolic processes. During a marathon, a runner’s muscles can produce that much water over 2 to 3 hours. When muscles burn glycogen, they simultaneously release about 2.5 units water for each one unit of muscle glycogen; this helps protect against dehydration.

• Coffee is a popular source of water. Although once thought to have a diuretic effect, current research indicates coffee (in amounts normally consumed) hydrates as well as water over a 24-hour period. That is, after drinking coffee, you may urinate sooner, but you will not urinate more than you consume. Army research on caffeine and dehydration confirms coffee is an acceptable source of fluids for athletes, even during exercise in the heat. Hence, coffee and other caffeinated beverages such as tea or cola count towards your water intake.

• An increased concentration of particles in your blood triggers the sensation of thirst. If you are a 150-pound athlete, you’ll start to feel thirsty once you’ve lost about 1.5 to 3 pounds of sweat (1% to 2% of your body weight). Sweat loss of more than 10% body weight is life threatening.

The bikes are ready for the Goldilocks' Ride & so are the waters!!

• Body water absorbs heat from the working muscles and sweat dissipates the heat. That is, the evaporation of a liter (about 36 ounces) of sweat from the skin represents loss of about 580 calories. Sweat keeps you from overheating during exercise and in hot environments.

• To determine how much water you lose when you sweat, weigh yourself (with little or no clothing) before and after an hour of hard exercise with no fluid intake. The change in body weight reflects water (sweat) loss. A one-pound drop in weight equates to loss of 16 ounces of sweat. A two-pound drop equates to 32 ounces—that’s one quart. Drink accordingly during your workouts to prevent that loss!

• When you sweat, you lose water from both inside and outside the cells. The water outside the cells is rich in sodium, an electrolyte that works in balance with potassium, an electrolyte inside the cells. Sweat contains about 7 times more sodium than potassium; hence sodium is the more important electrolyte to replace during extended exercise.

• Most athletes who lose more than 2% of their body weight  (3 lbs for a 150-pound athlete) lose both their mental edge and their ability to perform optimally in hot weather. Yet, during cold weather, you are less likely to experience reduced performance, even at 3% dehydration. Three to 5% dehydration does not seem to affect muscle strength or performance during short intense bouts of anaerobic exercise, such as weight lifting.  But distance runners slow their pace by ~2% for each percent body weight lost by dehydration. That means, if you weigh 150 pounds and lose 3 pounds sweat (2% dehydration), your 8-minute mile slows to an 8:19 pace. That’s preventable!

• Adequate fluid intake can reduce problems with constipation and urinary tract infections. There is no scientific validation of theories that excessive water intake will improve weight loss, remove toxins, or improve skin tone.

• Should you plan to drink “eight glasses of water a day”? No scientific evidence supports that rule, so you can simply drink in response to thirst. You can also monitor the volume of your urine. If your urine is scanty, dark, and smelly, you should drink more! If you have not urinated during your work or school day (8:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m.), you are severely underhydrated.

Pick your favorite reusable water bottle and fill it up with ice and tap water!!

• Is bottled water better for you than tap water? Doubtful. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, nearly half of bottled waters come from municipal water supplies—not from the mountain streams pictured on the labels. This suggests standard municipal tap water is high quality.

You have plenty of choices ... here are only a few ...

Rather than spend money on bottled water, turn on your tap! This will help stop the flood of 95 million plastic water bottles that get discarded each day, of which only 20% get recycled. Drink plenty of water—but think “green.”

Nancy Clark, MS, RD, CSSD (Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics) counsels both casual and competitive athletes at her office in Newton, MA (617-795-1875). Her Sports Nutrition Guidebook and food guides for new runners, marathoners, and soccer players offer additional information. They are available at www.nancyclarkrd.com andwww.sportsnutritionworkshop.com.

References:

Armstrong, L., A. Pumerantz, M. Roti, et al. 2005. Fluid, electrolyte, and renal indices of hydration during 11 days of controlled caffeine consumption. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab 15:252-265

Koslo, J. “Water, hydration and health: What dietetics practitioners need to know” in SCAN’s Pulse, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 2012 31:1 (Winter)

National Academy of Sciences. Institute of Medicine. Food and Nutrition Board.

Dietary Reference Intakes for Water. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/DRI//DRI_Water/73-185.pdf

Wilmore, J and D. Costill. Physiology of Sport and Exercise, Human Kinetics, 1994.

“Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance. I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel…the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood.”

Suffragette Susan B. Anthony, 1896

The bicycle went through a radical change in design from the high wheeler  (aka the Ordinary or Penny Farthing bicycle) to the new Safety bicycle  . The next great bike design was the invention of the drop-frame in 1886, which meant the center bar swooped down low to make room for skirts or dresses. This new bike design soon became the standard “women’s bike” and the popularity of cycling among women took off!

The bicycle brought about some big changes to women’s lives in the late 19th century, bringing them a measure of freedom, a sense of equality and a self-confidence they’d never had before. The bicycle became connected to the women’s suffrage movement both by feminists and also by the men who felt threatened by the changes it brought about.  As Maria Ward once wrote in her book, Bicycling for Ladies, ”Riding the wheel, our powers are revealed to us…”.

The bicycle gave women true freedom of physical mobility without depending on male family members for transportation that it truly expanded their world. Bicycling gave women the freedom, to go off on her own, as far as she could pedal, unaccompanied by a chaperone.

Bicycling was difficult with the restrictions of Victorian era clothing including corsets, hoops, heavy thick undergarments and long, floor-length skirts. The fashions quickly changed as women sought for clothing that allowed them freedom of movement and the ability to ride a bicycle. Bloomers were worn by the fashionably brave and other women soon adopted what became known as “rational dress” which included shorter skirts and a limit of no more than 7 lbs of undergarments (this in a century when women often wore up to 14 pounds of undergarments.)

“Just to give you an idea of the benefits of a divided skirt, it is almost impossible for a lady to ride any distance…with the ordinary skirt. You get too much of the dress on the one side of the wheel, and you do not get enough of the dress on the other side.”         -Dora Rinehart

“The wearers of the bloomers are usually young women who have minds of their own and tongues that know how to talk.”

-Editorial from the Chicago Sunday Times-Herald

Women began to compete in cycling races and endurance events and several soon gained fame for winning races or pulling off amazing feats of endurance. As the exploits of women such as Louise Armaindo (“champion lady bicyclist of the world”), endurance racer Frankie Nelson, the famous Annie Londonderry who took on the challenge of riding a bike around the world and “America’s Greatest Cyclienne,” Dora Rinehart, who rode over a hundred century rides.

The bicycle helped change the self-perception of women in the 1890’s as never before. Women began to see themselves as the equal to men and deserving of equal rights as well. The term “New Woman” was coined to describe women who broke with convention by working outside the home, or changed from the traditional role of wife and mother, or became politically active in the woman’s suffrage movement or other social issues.

Want to read more about this? Check out the book Wheels of Change: How  Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom with a Few Flat Tires Along the Way by Sue Macy

If you’ve ever watched an Ironman  triathlon, you will have undoubtedly have seen many of the athletes wearing compression socks or calf sleeves. Long distance runners such as Paula Radcliffe have worn compression socks while running in marathons and have seemed to benefit from their use. For recovery, compression socks and leg sleeves have been shown to truly be beneficial. But for actual performance during a race, the jury is still out. The companies that make the compression calf sleeves and socks state that there are true performance benefits in wearing them either for performance. In terms of science, you can find studies that show some benefits to performance while other studies do not show the effectiveness of compression while running. For healthy, in shape athletes, the effects could be more psychological than anything.

Zensah Compression Leg Sleeve

Over the years compression socks and leg sleeves have been put to the test in dozens and dozens of studies. Tests have been done on subjects who ran, cycled and jumped. Some studies showed benefits during performance while a few showed no perceptible benefits during training.   Most of the studies seem to point to slightly better blood oxygenation and less lactic acid build-up in the leg muscles. Many of the studies showed clear benefits with recovery in the days following and none of the studies showed any negative effects on performance or recovery for healthy athletes.

Some of the positive study results have shown:

• Improved Running Performance [Berry et al. (1987).

• Less muscle soreness (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness/DOMS) was felt the next day when worn both during performance and the following day. (2007)

• Better recovery due to lactate acid removal from the blood after periods of strenuous exercise . The effect was shown to be greater during recovery than during high-intensity exercise. (2009 study)
• A study with cyclists did show an increase in blood oxygen levels.
• A study from Germany showed slightly higher aerobic capacity in runners who wore compression socks.

Product Review: Zensah- Seamless Compression Technology 

As a cyclist and runner with varicose vein leg pain, I started using the Zensah compression leg sleeves and the ache and soreness have been minimized and the sleeves have helped me to be able to run longer without feeling like my legs are “heavy”. They are extremely comfortable and I find myself wearing them on walks, to work and also just around the house.

Why Compression?

YMX clothing is known for its beautiful imagery inspired by artistic cultures around the world including Celtic, Polynesian, Chinese and Japanese tattoo styles. The Mad Kool fabric feels lightweight and when the weather is warm, it feels cool. The combination of the art design with the garment’s construction means that the art design clings to the body as intended by the artist, playing on the shape of the shoulder muscles, and enhancing curves in a flattering way.  The beautifully artistic designs of YMX athletic clothing are expanding to include even more pieces as the spring/summer 2012 collection is unveiled. Several pieces are shown here including the sleeveless Maori Spiral Jersey above and the Elemental Tiger Short Sleeve Jersey below with matching Cloud Sport sleeves with a UPF protection of  50+.

Look close! This Asian-inspired design jersey is actually a short-sleeved jersey with matching "sport sleeves"!

The collection of YMX athletic clothing adapts for a wide variety of sports: yoga, Pilates, snow sports, running, and of course, cycling. Many of the pieces can be worn for a variety of sports and look great enough that they can also enhance your casual wear wardrobe. The cycling jerseys have the rear pockets that cyclists appreciate and sleeve lengths that vary from long to short to sleeveless.  YMX also makes boleros and arm sleeves in a variety of fun designs to go with the short sleeve or sleeveless jerseys for great looks and some extra warmth or sun protection.

The tribal stitching on this fleece-lined contour jacket is eye-catching and flattering.

YMX‘s new performance/lifestyle apparel collection for  spring 2012 features exciting new prints and style . The women’s collection includes natural elements combined with traditional art styles. New styles include elegant mandarin and mesh-neck tanks, and fleece contour vests and jackets with some stylish Tribal-style stitching (shown above.)

Here’s a little more info about the YMX jerseys in the video below.

Winter Flower Cycling Jersey Giveaway

YMX is offering this beautiful, floral adorned, long-sleeved cycling jersey to a lucky Cycle & Style reader! This beautiful red jersey sports a beautiful Chrysanthemum design. Did you know that in Chinese culture the Chrysanthemum signifies a life of ease and is also symbolic of powerful Yang energy? Which would it be for you?

Perfect for any sport, this UPF 50+ jersey features three convenient back pockets (look closely at the photo below as the pockets fit so beautifully into the design!) and comes in sizes small, medium, large and extra large. (The winner of the giveaway may choose her size!)

Other Features:

• Lightweight & Silky smooth feel
• UV protection with an SPF of 50+
• Abrasion resistant
• Wrinkle resistant  (thus it can do double duty as a travel garment too!)
• Holds shape and will fully stretch
• Athletic slim fit

The bike stage of the Women of Steel Triathlon in American Fork, UT (May 2011)

What’s best to eat for recovery after a hard workout?

That’s what marathoners, body builders, and fitness exercisers alike repeatedly ask. They read ads for commercial recovery foods that demand a 3 to 1 ratio of carbs to protein, tout the benefits of a proprietary formula, or emphasize immediate consumption the minute you stop exercising. While these ads offer an element of truth, consumers beware: engineered recovery foods are not more effective than standard foods. The purpose of this article is to educate you, a hungry athlete, about how to choose an optimal recovery diet.

Which athletes need to worry about a recovery diet?

Too many athletes who are obsessed with rapidly refueling the minute they stop exercising. They are afraid they will miss the one-hour “window of opportunity” when glycogen replacement is fastest. They fail to understand refueling still occurs for several hours, just at a slowing rate. Given a steady influx of adequate carb-based meals and snacks, muscles can refuel within 24 hours. If you have a full day to recover before your next training session, or if you have done an easy (non-depleting) workout, you need not obsess about refueling immediately afterwards.

Refueling as soon as tolerable is most important for serious athletes doing a second bout of intense, depleting exercise within six hours of the first workout, including—

• triathletes doing double workouts,

• soccer players in tournaments,

• people who ski hard in the morning and again in the afternoon.

The sooner you consume carbs to replace depleted muscle glycogen and protein to repair damaged muscle, the sooner you’ll be able to exercise hard again.

Over the course of the next 24 hours, your muscles will have lots of time to replenish glycogen stores. Just be sure to repeatedly consume a foundation of carbohydrates with each meal/snack, along with some protein to build and repair the muscles. For example, chocolate milk or a fruit smoothie are excellent choices.

How many carbs do I need?

According to the International Olympic Committee’s Nutrition Recommendations, adequate carbs means:

Example, a 150-lb triathlete doing extreme exercise should target ~500 to 800 g carb/day (2,000-3,200 carb-calories). That’s about 500 to 800 g carbs every 4 hours during the daytime.

What are some good carb-protein recovery foods?

Your recovery meals and snacks should include a foundation of carbohydrate-rich breads, cereals, grains, fruits, and vegetables plus a smaller amount of protein (at least 10-20 grams per recovery snack or meal). Enjoy—

fruit smoothie (Greek yogurt + banana + berries)

cereal + milk                        bagel + (decaf) latté

pretzels + hummus              baked potato + cottage cheese

turkey sub                        pasta + meatballs

A recovery snack of pretzels & hummus

Do NOT consume just protein, as in a protein shake or protein bar. Protein fills your stomach and helps build and repair muscles, but it does not refuel your muscles. Your muscles want three or four times more calories from carbs than from protein. If you like the convenience of protein shakes, at least add carbs to them. That is, blend in some banana, frozen berries, and graham crackers.

Keep in mind that recovery calories “count.” I hear many frustrated dieters complain they are not losing weight despite hard workouts. Perhaps that’s because they gobble 300 or so “recovery calories” and then go home and enjoy a hefty dinner. By organizing your training to end at mealtime, you can avoid over-indulging in recovery-calories.

What about recovery electrolytes?

After a hard workout, many athletes reach for a sports drink, thinking Gatorade or PowerAde is “loaded” with sodium (an electrically charged particle). Think again! Milk and other “real foods” are actually better sources of electrolytes than most commercial sports products. These electrolytes (also known as sodium and potassium) help enhance fluid retention and the restoration of normal fluid balance. Here’s how some common recovery fluids compare:

As you can see, after a hard workout, recovery fluids that such as chocolate milk, orange juice, or a latte offer far more “good stuff” than you’d get in a sports drink. Sports drinks are dilute and designed for during extended exercise.

To assess how much sodium you lose in sweat, weigh yourself naked pre-post an hour of exercise, accounting for any fluid consumed. Loss of one pound equates to loss of about 700-1,000 mg sodium. If you sweat heavily and lose a significant amount of sodium, you can easily replace those losses with pretzels (300 mg sodium/10 twists), a bagel (500 mg) with peanut butter (200 mg/2 tbsp), Wheaties and milk (300 mg), or a spaghetti dinner with tomato sauce (1000 mg/cup Ragu sauce). Most athletes consume plenty of sodium!

Nancy Clark's Skillet Lasgana

Recovery can start before you exercise.

What you eat before you exercise impacts your recovery. According to research presented at the 2011 annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine, consuming protein before lifting weights enhanced recovery better than consuming a protein drink afterwards. That’s because your body digests pre-exercise protein into amino acids (yes, your body can digest food during exercise) and puts those amino acids right into action repairing damaged muscles.

What if you feel like you never really recover well?

If you have to drag yourself through workouts, questions arise:

• Are you overtraining? Rest is an essential part of a training program; muscles need time to refuel and repair. Take at least one, if not two, days off from exercise per week.

• Are you anemic? Anemia is common, so have your MD monitor your serum ferritin (stored iron). If your iron stores are depleted, you’ll feel needlessly tired during exercise. An estimated half of female athletes are iron-deficient, as indicated by low serum ferritin stores. (About 14% of all women are iron deficient.) A survey with collegiate male runners suggested about 20% had low serum ferritin. Iron supplements help resolve the problem, alongside a good recovery diet. Eat wisely, recover well, and feel great!

Nancy Clark, MS, RD, CSSD (Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics) counsels both casual and competitive athletes at her office in Newton, MA (617-795-1875). Her best-sellingSports Nutrition Guidebook and food guides for new runners, marathoners, and soccer players offer additional information. They are available at www.nancyclarkrd.com. See also www.sportsnutritionworkshop.com.

References:

Nutrition for Athletes: A practical guide to eating for health and performance.

Prepared by the Nutrition Working Group of the International Olympic Committee, Feb 2010

Campos. Manuel, S Gervais, J Walker, A Olson. Iron deficiency in Division III male cross country and track runners. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2010; 42(5 Supplement):Abstract 2821

Lee, Choi Hyun, J Kim, K Hoon Park, J Lee. Efect of the timing of protein supplement on recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2010;  42(5 Supplement):Abstract 2862.

Nicewonger, Christine, J Flohr, M Todd, C Womack. The effect of iron supplementation on iron markers and performance in female athletes. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2010; 42(5 Supplement):Abstract 2822

"Helping active people win with good nutrition." ~Nancy Clark

We love attending the Outdoor Retailer Show and though the Summer show is more to our taste with more bike apparel and products, we always find some great things at the  Winter Market as well. This is the show to preview the Fall/Winter 2012 apparel and we love  checking out great bike and running apparel and seeing what will be the best items for looking good and staying warm next fall. (And we will have more about those items to come.) But we also come across some items at the show that surprise us and many of them are small companies. We’d like to highlight some of those little Winter Market treasures here.

We’ve tried the ProBar line before which includes original bar,  the Fruition bar and Halo bar. But we are always excited when we notice they are doing new things and improving their offerings. So what’s new? Well, ProBar has introduced 4 new ProBars and will soon be making their Fruition bars gluten-free. The 150-calorie Fruition bars are rich in raw ingredients including dates, oats, chia seeds, cashews and of course, fruit. The organic Fruition bars will soon be gluten-free which makes them a great snack for those with gluten sensitivity. The newest flavor that will be introduced is the Chocolate Orange Fruition. It has a great orange and dark chocolate taste that I think a lot of people will enjoy. (It’s not available yet, but look for it to come out in March!)

The original ProBar, a whole food meal-replacement bar have added four new flavors to the line;  Double Chocolate,Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter, and Super Fruit Slam. The original Pro Bars are large 3 oz. bars that have just under 400 calories. That’s just one aspect that’s made them popular with endurance athletes such as long-distance triathletes and cyclists. The all natural bars are aimed for the calorie-requirements of guys, but can be portioned for smaller calorie requirements and leftovers can be stored for later.

Krieg Bags-

As we walked around the winter market show, we were delighted to find a small bike-related company from Idaho: Krieg Cycling. This little company has a big variety of fabric styles for saddle bags and bento boxes (top tube storage bags). The explosion of color with their bike bags is definitely eye-catching and if you’re looking for something that helps you stand out, check them out! As they said, we “want to bring some color to what has traditionally been a black and white product. Because after all, life is more fun in color.”

Check out their website’s list of stores that carry their line.

ZipFizz

We get offered a lot of hydration and energy bar products at OR and InterBike. We aren’t afraid of trying new things, but do have a healthy dose of skepticism and have run across drinks and bars that range from the good to the barely tolerable and there have been some memorable ones we rate as absolutely terrible in taste. So we were excited to find a drink that we found to taste great: ZipFizz.  It’s a drink mix powder that can be added to a water bottle and it produces a fizzy drink with a spike of energy that provides a great alternative to caffeinated diet sodas. Yes, the “Zip” part of the name is because this is an energy drink which contains 100mg. of caffeine, sourced from green tea and guarana extracts. Just know that much caffeine is more than you’ll find in a diet Coke, and is about equivalent to a 16 oz. brewed McDonald’s coffee. ZipFizz has added vitamins and minerals and no sugar.

Our take: It’s a great tasting energy drink that doesn’t leave an aftertaste. The plastic container is easy to use, although we think they could re-think the design to reduce costs. ZipFizz claims it’s “good for you” because of the added vitamins, minerals, amino acids and lack of artificial stimulants or ingredients. (Tending towards the purist natural side, I tend to believe that no food or drink with made any amount of chemical processes can claim that it’s truly “good for you”.) But if you need a lift from an energy drink, it’s a good one.   http://www.zipfizz.com/

Dropping by the Krave Gourmet jerky booth, we were pleasantly surprised to find that we really liked this jerky. I have to admit that when I think of jerky, I am thinking of the dry, leathery product usually bought at a convenience store while on long road trips. So a taste of Krave’s jerky was a pleasant surprise. This jerky is tender and moist and comes in delicious flavors that run from sweet to spicy: Pineapple Orange Beef jerky, Sweet Honey Chipotle Beef jerky, Curry Beef, Basil Citrus Turkey jerky, Lemon Garlic Turkey jerky and Garlic Chile Pepper Beef jerky. They also have some pork flavors which I did not try. They are a brand new product from a company in California but I am told are to be found on the shelves Whole Foods stores.  (At the time of this writing, I found their website to be incomplete which is probably due to its newness. I am sure it will be fully functioning soon!)

Dohm-Icebox’s XOB collection

We liked Dohm-Icebox’s collection of great “upcycled” knitwear. The XOB (yes, that’s “box” spelled backwards!) knitwear is made of re-purposed wool sweaters and suit jackets which get new life as fun and funky hats, scarves, mittens and so forth. It’s a concept that calls for minimal impact on the environment and maximum creativity from designers. We liked their great color combinations and unique look so we had to name it as a highlight!

B’ani Bands

This company is nearly a one-woman show by Renee Krieg-Hanson.  B’ani Bands was a company born out of necessity because she was tired of headbands that didn’t work well because they were either so tight they caused headaches, or so loose they just slipped out of her hair. So Renee’s sister made custom headbands that were big enough for her and featured an adjustable strap and a special ”Soft-Grip”^TM fabric backing. They combined that with a dazzling array of ribbons and voila!  They had a great headband that looks fabulous, but is a great choice for all types of athletic pursuits where you want your hair kept out of your face: running, volleyball, tennis, yoga, etc.  Yes, it even works for cycling! I bought one that had a great triathlon figure print on it–love it!

Renee says that her Sequin-Sparkle line is the most popular and offered a blue one as a giveaway to our readers. So make a comment below and we’ll choose a reader at random and send one off to you to try! We’ll be putting in some other of our fun finds including the new Fruition Chocolate Orange bar, ZipFizz and another fun item!

Sombrio Mountain Bike Clothing

Women’s mountain biking clothing is relatively new to the industry. Ladies deserve to look good when they hit the mountains and many companies are just now catching on to this idea. And some companies are taking it more seriously than others, giving us a reason to be grateful that the seed has been planted and enjoy/critic the clothing as it makes it way from design to production.

There are a few companies that have boldly moved into the women’s mountain biking clothing industry and taken it a step farther then the average curly cues and light blue. One such company is Sombrio. Not only has the company been producing mountain bike clothes for women, it’s designers have explored the everyday living concept and created a ‘life’ line to compliment its powerful, female, cycling line.

This Vancouver based company has brought fashion to ladies on their bike, but has also shown that it doesn’t need to end there. With a full line up of every day shorts, t-shirts, jackets and hoodies, all inspired by the same whimsical, fun themes we see throughout their biking line, Sombrio ‘Life’ makes transitioning off the bike that much easier.

The Bread Tank and Road Trip Shorts (as seen above), for example, are cute and sure beat wearing your stinky cycling clothes out after a ride! Plus, the same high quality materials and design used in Sombrio’s ‘Bike’ line are seen in the ‘Life’ line as well.

So if the ‘Life’ line is this good, what does the ‘Bike’ line entail?

 The Zinnia Shorts are everything you could want in a pair of mountain biking shorts. They feature the vital four-way stretch material, with oversized belt loops and velcro secured pockets. They do not include a chamois, but are designed to be worn with one under if you feel so inclined.

And to go on top?

The Zin Jersey –> This seamless, moisture wicking, anti-bacterial jersey combines what you want in a jersey with what you need in one. All the technical jargon means you will be dry, bacteria free and comfortable while you ride. But the design, stripes and colors mean you will be thrilled to see yourself when your friend posts the pictures from last weekends trip online.

And these are just a few examples! Visit Sombrio’s website to see the entire line!

GIVEAWAY!

This is your chance to win an awesome Sombrio jacket! The Habitat Jacket has some great features and is part of Sombrio’s ‘Life’ line. 

• Mesh lined
• YKK zippers throughout
• Shock cord waistband rentesion system
• Mesh lined ‘Air Flow’ under arm zips
• Peaked hood with hidden cord lock system

This jacket is a size MEDIUM, so please take that into consideration when entering the giveaway =)

To enter the giveaway please comment on this article by feb. 13th with some of your favorite places to mountain bike! 

Remember… We need a valid email address and we can only ship within the United States!

Thanks Sombrio for the lovely jacket and good luck to you readers!

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