Video: Cycling in group

Check this amazing video, from the 5th stage of tour d Swiss, taken from a bike camera during the last sprint:

Cycling: Video from our training

Alexandros brought his camera during our Sunday ride:

Giro 2014 Stage 1 TTT Team Garmin Dan Martin CRASH!

It had seemed April was the cruellest month for Daniel Martin but May held an even more vicious twist. Twelve days after the Irish rider lost victory in the Liège-Bastogne-Liège Classic with a crash on the final corner, his assault on the Giro d’Italia ended on Friday night before it had properly begun, when a pile-up in the team time trial on the streets of Belfast put him out with a broken collarbone. “So sad. Nothing to be done. Professional bike racing is cruel,” was the immediate verdict of his team manager, Jonathan Vaughters.

The crash came as his Garmin-Sharp team approached the final technical part of the course; in the slippery conditions caused by intermittent showers one of their number appeared to lose control of his front wheel on a manhole cover. Three more piled into the first faller and each other, sliding and rolling down the tarmac.

Nathan Haas, André Cardoso and Koldo Fernández picked themselves up in dribs and drabs but their team leader, Martin, was left sitting in the left-hand gutter clutching his right arm, a classic symptom of a broken collarbone. The team later said Fernández had suffered the same injury even though he finished.

The four who stayed upright had to slow down considerably to regroup into a pack of five — the time on the finish line being taken on the fifth man — waiting for Fabian Wegmann who had not fallen but had been tailed off, and the delay meant that they rode in last, 3min 25sec behind the stage winners, the Australian squad Orica-GreenEdge. It was a multiple whammy, because not only was Martin out and three others injured, but the upshot was a massive time loss for the team’s co-leader Ryder Hesjedal, the 2012 winner. “It was a nightmare,” said Hesjedal, who was in front of the pile-up. “It was pretty scary because you don’t know what’s going on.”

Orica had started as the overwhelming favourites for this stage, having won the equivalent leg in last year’s Tour de France and their Canadian, Svein Tuft, who finished last in the 2013 Tour de France, was permitted to be the first rider across the line in Donegall Square on his 37th birthday. He will wear the first pink leader’s jersey of the race for Saturday’s 219km stage out of Belfast and back via the Antrim coast road, Bushmills and Ballymena. “They gave me the gift, it was a birthday present,” he said. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a guy like me.”

With Orica lacking a serious contender for the overall standings, the two favourites who took most from this 22km opening stage were Rigoberto Uran of Colombia and Cadel Evans of Australia, last year’s second and third finishers. Only two seconds separated Uran’s Omega-Pharma Quickstep and Evans’s BMC but both gained time on the two strongest climbers, Nairo Quintana of Colombia and Joaquim Rodríguez of Spain. Quintana’s Movistar ended up eighth, 55sec behind Orica, losing 50sec and 48sec to Uran and Evans, while Rodríguez’s Katyusha squad dropped a further 28sec in a lowly 19th place. These are relatively small margins given the climbing yet to come but momentum matters, and for the moment it is on the side of Evans and Uran.

This was a deceptively hard test, sufficiently long that it needed to be taken seriously and with a strong breeze blowing from the very beginning, where the riders set off down the start ramp in front of the 126ft-high silver aluminium shard-clad walls of the Titanic centre, with the colossal yellow cranes of the Harland and Wolff shipyard to one side, and the river Lagan to the other. The crowds on the 21.7km course were immense, particularly on the lengthy section out and home down the Newtonards road, and up the short climb to the first time check after 7.9km, outside the Stormont assembly building.

Given the windy conditions, it was no surprise to see teams losing riders as early as the opening few minutes on the climb to Stormont. There were nervous mutterings and glances at the lowering skies throughout the evening, because a sudden downpour would mean that tyre pressures would have to be rapidly lowered. Shortly after the fifth of the 22 teams, Katyusha, set off, the breeze began swirling, the temperature dropped and the heavens opened, making every corner and white line on the road a potential pitfall.

To add to the difficulty, on the sequence of bends between the Ormeau Road and Stranmills Road, the crowds spilling on to the tarmac created a narrow corridor for the riders and made the corners and traffic islands nightmarish to read.

The conditions improved slightly for the later finishers, which worked in favour of Team Sky, who eventually placed fifth, Evans’s BMC and Uran’s Omega-Pharma Quickstep. For Martin, however, it was game over on day one.

Nutrition During Endurance Competition

Glycogen is the form in which carbohydrates are stored in our bodies and can be found in the liver and muscles.

Since the muscles have a greater overall surface area than the liver, a larger amount of glycogen (referred to as muscle cell glycogen) is stored there. Specifically, adults have about 2.6-3.5 ounces (75-100 grams) of carbohydrates stored in their liver glycogen and 10.6-14 ounces (300-400 grams) in their muscle cell glycogen. One of the processes taking place in the body of an athlete during an endurance race is that the stored amount of muscle cell glycogen can become twice as high as that of people who do not do sports.

In competitions that last over an hour, such as a marathon or triathlon, the glycogen reserve becomes exhausted, making nutrition during the competition an important factor. The stored glycogen (polysaccharides) is constantly broken down and converted into glucose (monosaccharides), which enters the bloodstream to produce energy.

For endurance competitions, the preservation of glucose levels in the blood is of the utmost importance. It is worth mentioning that the brain exclusively uses glucose as fuel, whereas the rest of the body can also count on fatty ac-ids and even proteins. Any kind of disturbance of these levels in the blood results in a decrease in brain function, with symptoms such as dizziness, moving difficulties, reeling, concentration problems, and even collapsing.

Remember the shocking finish of the supreme Swiss ATHLETE (the use of capital letters is for emphasis) Gabrielle Andersen in the marathon for women at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, which is a characteristic example of hypoglycemia.

I will not go further into the field of biology and the processes that take place in the human body during workouts.

However, there are a couple of basic things that every endurance athlete should know and put into practice, in order to avoid hypoglycemia and, by extension, speed reduction or failure to finish an event.

1. Apart from the glucose that originates from the muscle cell glycogen and liver glycogen, isotonic drinks should be another important source of energy during endurance competitions of over one hour. These drinks contain not only carbohydrates in a fluid form, but also electrolytes, which the body loses upon sweating and which therefore have to be replenished. The ideal amount of carbohydrates in these drinks is 6-8%. Less than that is insufficient, while in a higher concentration they are absorbed more slowly, which can lead to stomach trouble. By means of training and participating in competitions of little importance, each athlete should experiment with these drinks and find the one that makes him tick. In my case, for example, during triathlons and half marathons, it works to drink half a glass of isotonic drinks every 20 minutes and one glass 15-20 minutes before the beginning of the competition.

2. Moreover, as I already mentioned, during long-distance com-petitions, the human body does not only use glycogen, but also fat and proteins for the production of energy; albeit in smaller amounts, especially towards the end of the race. Our bodies prefer the energy production from carbohydrates, since it is more efficient than that from fat (which is stored in our bodies more plentifully than carbohydrates). Apart from storing more glycogen, an endurance athlete’s body should be able to mobilize and utilize fat reserves more efficiently. In order to train your body to burn fat, you should add a weekly long-duration and low-intensity run (over 1:30 h) to your training schedule. This kind of training makes the energy production process more reliant on fat than on carbohydrates.

3. Another important factor is: as a rule, endurance athletes should have determined their tactic and the speed at which they will per-form during each race, based on their training experience. They should stick to their plan, and under no circumstances should they get carried away by faster athletes or a sense of overconfidence and increase their speed. Generally, you pay a big price for that kind of cockiness during a race, since he glycogen reserve is exhausted much faster that way. It is better to finish a race according to plan; there will be many other competitions in the future where you can go faster, if you plan it.

4. Endurance athletes have to make sure that their glycogen levels are at maximum levels on the day of he race. In order to do so, they should not tap into these reserves
during the last three days before the competition by training for hours. Their nutrition should have an increased amount of carbohydrates.

This article is a chapter of the book I have written: Triathlon: Loving it is easy.

What Parents Should Say as Their Kids Perform

By Tim Elmore

In my work at Growing Leaders, we enjoy the privilege of serving numerous NCAA and professional sports teams each year. After meeting with hundreds of coaches and athletes, I noticed an issue kept surfacing in our conversations. Both the student-athlete and the coach were trying to solve the same problem.  What was that problem?

The parents of the student-athletes.

You may or may not believe this, but even in Division One athletics, parents stay engaged with their child’s sport, often at the same level they did through their growing up years. Moms will call coaches and advise them on how to encourage their daughter or son. Dads will call coaches and ask why their kid isn’t getting more playing time. Parents will call strength and conditioning coaches and inquire what they’re doing about their child’s torn ligament. Each of these calls is understandable. After all, no one has more at stake than the parent of a performer. They love their child, they’ve invested in their child and they want to see a “return on their investment.” Some athletes refer to their mom as their P.A. (personal assistant) or their agent. I know a mother who watches her collegiate daughter’s gymnastics practice behind the glass, all the while, calling and leaving voicemails for the coach on what should be done for her little girl. I even know sets of parents who moved into a condo across the street from their freshman athlete’s university. They didn’t want to miss a thing, and they certainly didn’t want to neglect to provide direction. I understand this. I am a father of two kids myself.

What we parents may not recognize is the pressure and angst this kind of involvement applies. May I tell you what student-athletes are telling me?

1. I love my mom, but when she does this, I get the feeling she doesn’t trust me.
2. My parents are great, but I feel like I have multiple coaches telling me what to do and I get stressed out over it.
3. I’m getting blackballed by my teammates because my mother keeps texting me and my coach, to give suggestions. I wish she would chill.
4. I feel like I’m never quite good enough; I can never fully please my parents.

Moving From Supervisor to Consultant

According to years of research on athletes, I believe parents have a more productive impact on their kids by making a change in their style. When our kids were younger, we played the role of supervisor. We were right there on top of the issues. And we should be—they were young and needed our support. As they age, parents must move to the role of consultant. We’re still involved, still supportive, but we allow our kids to grow up and self-regulate. When we fail to do this—we can actually stunt their growth. It’s a bit like teaching our kids to ride a bike. Remember this process?  First, we gave them a tricycle. The three wheels made it almost impossible for them to fall off, and they got used to peddling a vehicle. Then, they moved to a bicycle. It was bigger and had only two wheels. A little more scary. So we initiated them on that bike with training wheels. That prevented bad accidents. Eventually, however, we took the training wheels off, and our involvement became a tender balance of two ingredients: support and letting go. Did you catch that? Support and letting go.

What We Should Say When Our Kids Perform

The most liberating words parents can speak to their student-athletes are quite simple. Based on psychological research, the three healthiest statements moms and dads can make as they perform are:

Before the Competition:                                    After the competition:

1. Have fun.                                                    1. Did you have fun?
2. Play hard.                                                    2. I’m proud of you.
3. I love you.                                                    3. I love you.

Six Simple Words…

For years, I wondered what the student-athlete would say about this issue. After decades of work with athletes, Bruce E. Brown and Rob Miller found out. They suggest six simple words parents can express that produce the most positive results in their performing children. After interacting with students, they report:

College athletes were asked what their parents said that made them feel great, that amplified their joy during and after a ballgame. Their overwhelming response:

“I love to watch you play.”

That’s it. Those six words. How interesting. How liberating to the parent. How empowering to the student-athlete. No pressure. No correction. No judgment. (That’s the coach’s job). Just pure love of their child using their gift in competition.

When I learned this, I reflected on the years my own kids competed in sports, recitals, theatrical plays, and practices. Far too often, I wanted to play a role that added more stress to their life. Instead, I now realize—I just need to love them. And to love watching them play.

From a parent’s view—this is the best way to cultivate an emotionally healthy kid

– See more at: http://growingleaders.com/blog/what-parents-should-say-as-their-kids-perform/#sthash.R2u0etVy.dpuf

Video: Is this the greatest overtaking manoeuvre in the history of cycling?

During the craziest fourcross race ever at JBC 4X Revelations Michal Marosi did something unbelievable! Crashed hard on a pro section, got back on his bike and passed rest of the riders on wallride!

When a triathlete is pregnant

Our friend Emesse, member of Cyprus Triathlon National Team is pregnant. This is her echo:

Protein Bars On-the-Go

On-the-Go Protein Bars

2c Almonds
1/4c Ground Flax Seed
1/2c Dried Fruit (Rasins and or Prunes are good)
1/2c Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
1/2c Natural Peanut Butter
1/2 Tsp Sea Salt
1/2c Melted Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
1 TB Maple Syrup or Honey
2-3 Tsp Vanilla Extract
Optional:
Coco Powder
Melted Chocolate

Place almonds, flax, fruit, coconut, peanut butter and salt in a food processor. Blend until it is a coarse- however chunky you would like it. Melt coconut oil on the stove, then stir sweetener and vanilla in. Pour into the nut mix and stir well. (Add coco powder if you like, about a 1/3c.) Press into an 8×8 pan and refrigerate for ~1 hour. (Spread melted chocolate on top if you want and refrigerate until hardened.)

After they are hardened cut them into squares and wrap individually with plastic wrap. Freeze or refrigerate.

Use Your Heart Rate To Measure Overtraining

Even though I prefer not to train and coach by heart rate, I have found that using these numbers can be a great tool when it comes to assessing recovery and how the body is adapting to training. Specifically, runners can measure their resting heart rate over time to assess their gains in fitness during long bouts of training without tune-up races and also to track when they might be overtraining or not properly recovered from their last hard workout.

This neat little trick doesn’t even require the use of a heart rate monitor. All you need is to be able to take your pulse and record the numbers. Over the following pages I’ll explain why this strategy works and show you how to identify one of the major signs of overtraining in just one minute a day.

Using Morning Heart Rate To Measure Fitness & Fatigue
Measuring your morning heart rate is pretty simple. All you need is a digital watch, a small notebook and a pen on your nightstand. As soon as you wake up in the morning, find your pulse on your neck, just under your chin, or on your wrist. Using the watch, count the number of times your heart beats for 20 seconds. Multiply this number by three and you have your resting heart rate (RHR) in beats per minute (bpm). Record this number in your notebook next to the day’s date. Now make sure to repeat this process every morning.

With each passing day, you’re creating an accurate record of your morning heart rate that you can reference after challenging workouts to ensure that you’re recovered. You can also look at this data when you think you might be facing a case of overtraining. Before trying to glean any insight from these numbers, however, be sure to record at least three weeks of data.

How to use this data:
Keep an eye on your resting morning heart rate in the two or three days after a hard workout. If it’s significantly elevated from its normal average (7 or more beats per minute), that’s a sign that you’re not fully recovered from the workout. Remember, there is going to be some variability in your daily heart rate regardless of your recovery level, do don’t be concerned if you’re 3 to 4 bpm over your normal average on a given day. In my experience, it takes a reading that’s 7 bpm higher than normal to signify excessive training fatigue.

You can also use this data to identify long-term trends. If you notice your heart rate steadily increasing over a two- or three-week period, it’s quite possible you’re overtraining or not scheduling enough recovery time between workouts. In this circumstance, consider taking a down week and monitor how your body and heart rate respond to the extra recovery.

On the opposite spectrum, if you see your heart rate is slowly declining, it’s usually a good indication that you’re getting fitter! If you haven’t raced in a while, this can be a great boost to your motivation.

While scientific research has not conclusively proven that long-term resting heart rate equates specifically to overtraining, there is data that seems to indicate there is a high probability that an increasing heart rate is associated with training fatigue. Taking a few extra recovery days after a tough workout or a light week of training never hurt anyone. You need to have the courage to rest!

Why Morning Heart Rate Data Works
From a physiological perspective, measuring heart rate data to determine fatigue works because heart rate modulation is determined by the effect of the muscular contractions and nervous signals of both branches of the autonomic nervous system on the myocardium and the sinus node.

Increased parasympathetic nervous activity slows heart rate, whereas increased sympathetic nervous activity accelerates heart rate. The autonomic nervous system also fulfils a pivotal role in stress tolerance. Consequently, negative adaptation to training stress potentially involves the autonomic nervous system, and may result in an altered heart rate.

My aversion to training strictly by heart rate is that I’ve often found the data to be unreliable. When training, you need to factor in weather, stress, stimulant intake (e.g. caffeine consumption), stress, and of course the variability of the monitor itself. However, measuring heart rate at the same time each morning avoids many of these potential pitfalls. While there is still the potential for some variability (like a bad night’s sleep or daily heart rate variation of 2-4 bpm), it is far less so compared to when used every day in training. In short, tracking morning heart rate can provide more reliable data.

Morning heart rate data, if tracked regularly, can be an easy, effective method for monitoring fatigue levels, how well you’re adapting to workouts, and can help prevent long-term overtraining. Considering it takes less than a minute to perform, there’s no excuse for not adding this simple practice to your daily routine to ensure you’re training optimally and recovering well between workouts.

From Triathlete

Nutrition and endurance athletes

From triathlete

Q: I’m training for an Ironman and I thought I could eat whatever I want, but I’ve gained 5 pounds. What gives?

This is a pretty common scenario for many endurance athletes: Despite many hours training they find they still struggle with excess body fat. Or when they increase their training load, the number on the scale also increases. Here are some possible reasons why—and how you can shed those extra pounds.

You can never out-train a poor diet. Using junk food as a reward for long hours in the saddle or for the hard yards in the pool is pretty common, but you’ll never improve body composition or race splits through good training followed by unhealthful, over-indulgent eating.

Solution: Reconsider the way you think about the reward relationship with food. You will feel and perform better when (re)fueling your workouts with fresh, whole foods, and those cravings for nutritionally void reward-based foods will gradually dissipate, especially when you see the changes to your body from omitting them.

Weight gain and loss are governed by hormones, not just calories. Excessive endurance training without adequate rest and recovery can lead to elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Stress—which can come from training hard while still holding down work and family commitments—is a surefire way to make your body hang on to every bit of energy (stored as fat) that it can.

Solution: Take your easy days easy and recover properly. Quality sleep and rest is as important as any workout. Support your body by filling up on anti-inflammatory fruits and veggies rich in antioxidants, and time your recovery meals and snacks appropriately.

Hunger is not representative of energy burned. As soon as you up the intensity and volume of your training, your body assumes it’s the new norm and you had better be fueling it—a lot. Of course what the body and the corresponding hunger signals do not recognize is that soon enough you are going to stop and eat a big breakfast before a mostly sedentary eight hours at your desk.

Solution:Keep the size of your breakfast, lunch and dinner consistent and consume extra calories/food needed for training directly before, during or after workouts.

Sports nutrition is calorie-dense yet nutrient-poor.Training hard, long hours means most triathletes tend to rely heavily on processed sports foods—bars, gels and drinks—to get them through their training. Designed to support a PR in a race by supplying concentrated calories and prevent you dipping too far into your own energy stores (i.e. those stored in fat or muscle), means they are not ideal for actually burning excess calories. The high amount of sugar, untempered by fat or protein to slow down gastric absorption and reduce the insulin response, makes them superb as race fuel and lousy at keeping you satiated. Hence that gnawing hunger at the end of a long training ride despite a steady stream of sugary gels and drinks.

Solution:Stick as much as possible to real whole foods—gels and sports drinks are great for race days and for key workouts, but you need nutrients and sustenance most of the time. Try packing homemade bars, bananas, rice cakes and other real foods as training snacks.