EXCITING RESEARCH SHOWS A BREAKTHROUGH IN METABOLITE SHIFTS LENDING TO INCREASED FREE FATTY ACIDS AS FUEL SOURCE ALONG WITH A POTENTIAL GLYCOGEN SPARING EFFECT!
The research, conducted by the renowned Human Performance Laboratory at Appalachian State University, validates what ASEA drinkers all around the world already know: ASEA has profound positive benefits to the body. In fact, the research findings were so profound that even the scientists doing the research were astonished by the results. I’ve been using ASEA in my training and racing for the last two years and have noticed substantial benefits. The primary one being a bolstered immune system that has allowed me to only ‘get sick’ once over the last two years! Not counting my recent three week viral infection that occurred when I decided to “pack light” and reduce my ASEA usage right before my first big race of this year. Not smart. I got sick. The positive side of it is that this reinforced to me the importance of the product in my daily routine. The other ‘performance’ benefit I’ve noticed in my training is increased endurance and ability to train at a higher output compared to heart rate (a way to gauge the effect of ones effort on the body). I wasn’t sure what was accounting for this performance benefit, but I have suspected that improving my metabolic utilization of fat for fuel (thus sparing glycogen) was a possibility. This new research now proves that my own reported benefits are in fact occurring and that it is due to improved fat utilization! That is BIG news as improving and endurance athletes ability to utilize fats for fuel is objective number one in training. ASEA actually provides a similar benefit that is found from miles and miles of aerobic training! Pretty rad.
Learn about the amazing findings of this new research and hear directly from the scientists who were a part of it in the new film “ASEA Frontiers: Metabolites.”
Ok, some of you have probably been riding all winter, most likely less than normal, but at least your rear end is not completely out of practice. Others of you have blissfully forgotten that your bike exists. Regardless of what you did this winter, it is now time to start thinking about the season and the training you need to do to be ready for it.
Here are some quick tips to get your mind, body and soul back into the swing of things:
1: Make a plan: Not quite ready to clip in yet? That’s ok: Take this time to plan your season. What are your goal races or events? How much time do you have to get back into shape; are your goals realistic given this time frame (if not, revisit goals – it is important that they are achievable)? If you have taken a lot of time off, you need to give yourself a reasonable amount of time to get back into shape! What is your plan of attack? [Note for Team Sweat Equity members - the Training section of the TSE website is a great place to start!] Creating goals and a plan will help “pump you up” to get out on the bike!
2: Get a tune up: Whether you’ve been riding all winter or not, give your poor bike a tune up. It needs love too. If you are in need of some new components, there is no better time to invest! If you are not handy with the bike yourself, take it in to your favorite shop. You will be much more excited to ride when your machine is tuned up and ready to go.
3: Speaking of tune-ups, it’s a good time to reevaluate your eating habits:
Coach Cary Kinross-Wright has been a part of EPC since 2006. First as a triathlete and later as an athlete and triathlon coach.
Cary has a lot of experience in the ‘ultra distance’ side of things as well as XTERRA racing. She is a great person offering excellent multisport coaching in Denver. Triathlon coaching and Adventure Race coaching is something she is well versed in and can share experiences with you to help you become a better athlete.
Read on to learn more about Coach Cary, her background, and where she is headed in the future…
I have to admit that I surprised most everyone who knew me, not to mention myself, when I became a serious athlete. I grew up in Montana on a ranch so I have always been active, but in our small town we had limited access to sports. I played Varsity volleyball and ran track, but when I made it to college, I did not continue with sports. I graduated from the Colorado School of Mines with a degree in Chemical Engineering, and a specialty in beer, so I wasn’t a likely candidate to become a competitive athlete!
After four years as a chemical engineer during which I was lucky enough to spend much of my time traveling in Asia, I was accepted to business school. When I arrived in Philadelphia in September of 1998, I decided I would run a marathon in January of 1999, just 4 months away. At that point, I had been running for about a year with a max distance of 3 miles. I followed an online plan to the letter and in January I ran my first marathon and qualified for Boston. It was the start of my love affair with endurance sports. READ MORE
As an athlete who has just entered the realm of “Masters” (I turned 40 last September) I am intrigued by information about older athletes and the aging process of athletes. I am sure, if you are “past the threshold” like me that you have been told countless times that your performance, strength, stamina, [insert any word associated with young vibrant athletes here] is inevitably going to decline.
I am the first to admit that things definitely change at this ‘advanced’ age. I have struggled to deal with the changes in my body and figure out the training that is going to work for the new me. But I’ve always believed that I can still be fast and strong, even in my older body. (I am still working on proving this…)
You have to admit that more and more aged athletes are competing at a high level, not just at a high Masters level, but against younger competition. Yes, they probably have to train differently than when they were 20, but they can still be competitive.
I recently came across a study that gave me even more hope; hope that perhaps we shouldn’t accept that we older folks can no longer be the athlete we once were.
Last weekend’s inaugural EPC MTB Skills Camp w/ Lee McCormack was a huge hit.
The twelve campers and staff had a blast ripping up the high desert trails near Fruita, Colorado on an amazing Spring weekend. With lots of sunshine and temperatures reaching the 80′s we couldn’t have asked for better weather. Arriving mid-day on Friday we hit the trails out at Rabbit Valley to dial in our riding positions and get a taste of the trails that many have not had much opportunity to get on yet this early in the year. The Western Rim Trail was in great condition and the views along the rim were as amazing as ever! Dinner was at Hot Tomato’s in Fruita and campers enjoyed some great salads, pizza, and beer on the patio.
Saturday was skills day. Campers were up early for breakfast at the hotel, then suiting up and heading to the Fruita Bike Park to meet up with Lee McCormack. Lee is the man when it comes to learning how to ‘drive your bike’. Lee spent over 4 hours with the group going through many technical details of the ‘right way’ to position yourself on the bike, how to ‘drive the bike’ as opposed to just simply ‘riding the bike’, how to brake effectively, how to turn a corner while maintaining as much speed as possible, ‘zero calorie’ passing techniques, how to ‘work the trail’ and apply pump to gain ‘free speed’ and much, much more! After a lunch break and coffee at Aspen Street Coffee Co in Fruita, the group was headed back out for an afternoon of riding at the “18 Road Trails”. Lee took the group up and down many of the trails, stopping to ‘session’ some of the more technical turns, rocks, drops, troughs, and transitions along the route.
Every rider had the opportunity to put their morning skills practice to work on real trail!
Amazingly eye-opening and fun! There is no doubt in saying that every participant came away from the day having learned several new things and can now look at riding in an entirely new light of enjoyment and technical proficiency. Saturday night was spent relaxing around a campfire, enjoying some good ‘cook out’ foods and adult beverages, rehousing the days learnings and experiences at the park and along the trail. The night was concluded with some quality marshmallow roasting and s’mores devouring.
Sunday it was up early again (maybe felt earlier than it was after the long day of riding and long night of fun!) and back out the trails for one last ride at the Loma Exit/Kokopelli Trails before calling it a weekend and heading back to Denver. Everyone was able to put their new skills to work on the rocky, ledgy, flowy trails including Rustlers Loop, Mary’s Loop and the amazing Horsethief Bench. It was an incredible weekend of Blood, Sweat, & Beers (TM James Walsh)! We can’t wait until next year already to get after it again.
Weekends like these shows us that no matter how much we think we already know and how good we may think we are, there is still so much out there to learn and so many ways we can continue to improve.
To be able to do this with such a fun group of people, a great instructor, and in such a beautiful venue, we are lucky people and hope that more of you can join us in 2013 to make the second edition even better than the first!
You can view all of the images from the weekend on the EPC Multisport FaceBook Page (please ‘LIKE’ us while you are there!)
We have added a monthly ”TEAM NIGHT” to the mix of activities for team members. This ‘once a month’ meeting will provide several benefits to all members. First and foremost, ‘Team Night’ will be set up as an informative club meeting for members to keep up with what’s going on (upcoming events, races & results, activities, discounts/deals etc.). Most of the info will also be covered in the monthly email newsletter, but some people don’t read the newsletter and others prefer to hear things in person. There will also be a segment each month dedicated to Training Talk. One of the EPC coaches will talk about training objectives for the month and how you can put them to use in your own training. Lastly, there will be a ‘Product of the Month’ presentation from a representative of a specific product brand that will show off the latest and greatest product AND offer a discount purchase opportunity on that night to those who attend. We are working on having some snacks & refreshments as well; so at the very least, you can come and meet some fellow team members, enjoy an refreshment, and get more involved! Also a great time to bring friends and training partners to see what we’re about, see the new shop and consider joining the team.
‘Team Night’ will be held every month on the FIRST Wednesday of the month from 6:30-7:30 pm at Adrenalin Cycles. The first meeting will be April 4th. Lots of racing coming up to talk about and get organized and more weeknight training being added to the calendar to discuss. The POM (Product of the Month) will be First Endurance Nutrition and we’ll have some free give-aways and good discounts to be had so you can stock up for the year! If you’re not already a Team Adrenalin/EPC club member you can still plan to attend. Meet some members of the club, see what we’re up to, and then you can consider joining the club and making it part of your training and racing routine for 2012!
With road racing in Colorado now underway you may be thinking to yourself “holy $@#% these guys are fast” or “am I really that out of shape?”. Are you wondering how to get from where you are now to ‘racing shape’ in the least amount of time? Well I have two tips for you: first find a group of riders to train with (also known as a team), second consider getting a coach! A coach that understands racing and training, and how to fit into your already busy life schedule can take you from making small gains in fitness to taking giant leaps! To have a coach behind you keeping you on track, helping you adjust your training to fit your specific needs, and be there for Q&A along the way is key to maximizing gains and enjoying yourself in the sport you love.
As an avid category 1/2 racer, Adam also loves racing his bike. Perhaps more than racing, he enjoys helping others learn the ‘ins & outs’ of road racing as well as training to squeeze maximum performance from what training time is available. Adam is heading up the road cycling division of EPC, as a USA Cycling (USAC) certified Cycling Coach, by helping organize group training, teach tactics on local group rides, and being available for Personal Coaching to Team Adrenalin/EPC members as well as cyclist not currently involved with EPC. If you are already part of team or looking to join one, Adam can help you make the right decisions and get your training on track to help make 2012 your best yet.
Here is a little background info from the man himself…
I love all physical activities which require some type of endurance effort. My personality through the years has taken me to my current stance as a cyclist. I am getting ready to begin my fourth season of competitive road racing. I currently race in the Pro 1/2 amateur category. This is the highest amateur level of racing before the professional scene. As an athlete I am constantly looking for new ways to reach the highest potential my body and mind will allow.
I was born and raised in the Big Apple, New York. I was always an active child but I did not become introduced into endurance sports until I was in High School. As a distance runner in grade school I quickly grew a concrete relationship with my running coach who taught me the inner functions of suffering as an athlete. The relationship with my High School coach has paved the trail to my current lifestyle.
I continued running competitively all through my college years. I was completely dedicated to the sport of running. I love everything about it; The competition and the animalistic personality it provides fulfilled the excess energy inside myself. During my college years I was lucky enough to have a coach who fabricated psychological thinking and challenged one’s physical self. My coach was the well known Jack Daniels who had a calm and relaxing demeanor. He was one of the most analytically realistic coaches I ever came in contact with. With his guidance I was able to achieve specific running goals. I also began understanding the importance of having a coach. During my last year of college I began to have nagging injuries which required a few months off from running. This is when I found my love for cycling.
I took up cycling to cross train for running. Running was still the highest of priorities but since I couldn’t train with my normal high mileage diet I began putting more miles on my bicycle. I enjoyed the sense of freedom I had on the bicycle and began riding father away from the university. A college friend of mine suggested I try bicycle racing. I started racing at the collegiate level of cycling and haven’t looked back since. In the past three seasons I have worked quite hard to move up the racing categories in an expedited amount of time.
Cycling is an ever changing sport. With new bicycle frame and component technology, I am always learning new ideas of how to better myself as a cyclist. I feel with every year I continue to grow and learn more about my limits as an athlete.
If you are looking to get involved with road racing this year, or want to take your road racing abilities to a higher level of proficiency, then Adam Zimmerman is the man you want to talk to.
