Interesting story in the NY Times about sports nutrition, the gist of which is that you really don't need fancy recovery drinks you can get the same benefit by eating/drinking normal food. I don't doubt that their science is sound, but it's not till the end of the article they touch on what I think is the biggest selling point for recovery drinks – Convenience. Yes, you certainly can get all the proteins and carbohydrates from eating "real" food, but the reality for most of us non-professional athletes is that we don't always have time to fix ourselves a meal after working out and recovery drinks help fill that void.
While I'm talking about stuff from the "Old Gray Lady", who knew that the New York Times had a cycling blog? Yep, and it's not too bad either. There's a great post on climbing from former pro cyclist and current Directeur sportif of Slipstream Chipotle Jonathan Vaughters who was a great climber in his pro days. The whole thing is worth a read even if you're just a recreational rider but here are some highlights:
Rule 1: Get on with it – Climbing mountains on a bike is not fun. So, to do it properly, you need to accept this fact and get on with it. I see so many people looking for that secret technique or training method that will make climbing painless and suffer-free. This will never happen. Training and techniques will make you suffer slightly faster up hills, not suffer any less. Climbing is painful, period. The sooner you just accept that and stop looking for ways around it, the better you will learn how to climb. Let the suffer-meter serve as your internal tachometer, letting you know how close to your limit you are. Accepting and really allowing yourself to feel that pain will make you a better rider. Trying to ignore it will distract you from the task at hand and make you ride slower.
Rule 2: Don't be self-conscious –Suffering isn't pretty. It isn't meant to be. If you are going about your business of climbing properly, you will be breathing like a water buffalo, sweating like a chain gang, and probably have snot dribbling off your chin. If this is not the case, you aren't doing this correctly. Over the years I've ridden with so many people who are always worrying about breathing too hard in front of their buddy. You're supposed to be in pain and you're supposed to be breathing hard, I mean the harder you breath the more o2 you'll get to your muscles, so let the image thing go, and get down and dirty with the hill. Anyway, if your buddy is two miles behind you, he can't hear you breathing anymore, can he?
Rule 5: The Little Engine That Could – "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can…"….Think I'm joking? No, I am not. The rhythm of your breath and thoughts are crucial to grinding your way up long Cols. You must synch your breath, your pedaling, and your thoughts in one monotonous, focused, and plodding rhythm. Exhale forcefully and inhale naturally in time with every contraction of your muscles; let your body sway to the rhythm that creates; then set the metronome in your head and be The Little Engine. Laugh all you want. It works.
Finally, here is a fun piece on "Men who shave their legs". For the record, when I decided to start racing on my bike I also decided that I needed to shave my legs. I do it for a myriad of reasons (easier to clean wounds if you crash, easier for massages, and yes I think they look a little better too) but aerodynamics isn't one of them.
