Fredericksburg Cycling. Credit: Steve Rawls

Hills – lots of them.  Hills and long, winding roads past fields of wildflowers.  Cycling in Fredericksburg can be a meandering ride or a challenging endurance test; sometimes both.  One thing’s for certain,
there’s no denying the beauty of the area.  This is, after all, the Texas Hill Country.

Located about 70 miles west of Austin and 60 miles northwest of San Antonio, Fredericksburg is a popular destination.  Filled with unique shops and boutiques, lots of restaurants, art galleries, wine tasting rooms, and B&Bs, this small town – founded in 1846 by German settlers – offers an entertaining variety of ‘things to do’ for all members of the family.  There’s an inspiring art scene, and nearby (about 18 miles north) is the Enchanted Rock State Natural Area – the nation’s second largest batholith, second only to Stone Mountain in Georgia.  It’s here, too, that the National Museum of the Pacific War is located.

For families or non‐ride time, there’re plenty of entertainment options to consider – the Pioneer Museum offers planned family activities.  German bakeries tempt.  Consider the horse races during the summer months.  Or, test your skills with horse riding, miniature golf, and hiking along the Wilderness Trail at the Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park.  Watch as over two million Brazilian free‐tail bats at the Old Tunnel State Park emerge from this abandoned train tunnel for their evening feedings – May through October.  And there’s always a festival or two happening almost every weekend.

National Museum of the Pacific War. Credit: Al Rendon

Nearby, the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park (about 16 miles east of Fredericksburg) offers tours of LBJ’s ranch, the home he shared with Lady Bird and their daughters and private car collection. Kids of all ages can pet animals and learn more about the daily life of an early German settler at the Sauer‐Beckmann Living History Farm at Lyndon B. Johnson State Park and Historic Site.

Music is alive in these hills; on weekends at Rockbox Theater with its golden era of rock ‘n roll shows and throughout the year at concerts performing all genres – from German chorale music, country and blue grass, to opera.  Or, just sit back and enjoy some of the live entertainment playing at the local Biergartens.

Over in Luckenbach Texas (of Waylon and Willie fame and just eight miles southeast of Fredericksburg) picker circles entertain almost daily in a laid‐back kind of way, while weekend dances and country music
concerts provide lots of family‐friendly entertainment.

And, lest we forget, Fredericksburg is smack‐dab in the center of the Texas Hill Country wine region. Wineries and wine tasting rooms line the corridor of U.S. Highway 290 leading in to Fredericksburg on the east, with one winery to the west, and several tasting rooms and custom wineries in town.  Many restaurants offer local vintages on their wine list.  Visit each on your own, or take a limousine/coach wine tour.

Fredericksburg Brewing Co. Credit: Marc Bennett

Wine is a feature at several of the festivals Fredericksburg hosts each year.  Don’t miss the Hill Country Wine and Music Festival in the spring or the annual Fredericksburg Food & Wine Fest each October showcasing some of the best of Texas wines.

In addition to Fredericksburg offering so much to do/taste/buy and enjoy during non‐ride times, Fredericksburg is one of Texas’ cycling nirvanas.  Perched on U.S. Highway 290 and surrounded, for the most part, by privately‐owned ranches, the area is pristine for riding.  Paved roadways venture out in all directions where vehicle traffic is minimal and the scenery… simply amazing!  To some, Fredericksburg is
considered to be the cycling capital of Texas.

Cycling Fredericksburg. Credit: Steve Rawls

Venture out on your own, or follow some of the routes mapped out by cyclists ahead of you.  Local riders provide their favorite routes – from 19 to 88 miles – at www.cycletexas.com.  This site is specifically for cycling in the Fredericksburg area, with available PDFs of routes, visitor resources, hazard alerts, times for weekly group rides open to the public, and more.  So log on and check it out!

Or plan to attend any of the planned rides/tours and races held throughout the year.  Cyclists converge on Fredericksburg for eight days each March for the annual Texas Hell Week.  The Texas Bike Racing Association also holds sanctioned rides in Fredericksburg, as does the Hill Country Bicycle Touring Club out of San Antonio.  And just outside Fredericksburg the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park hosts an annual LBJ 100 Bicycle Tour.  To find out specific dates and backgrounds for each, visit www.VisitFredericksburgTX.com/plan/events.

Should you need supplies or bike maintenance while in Fredericksburg, the Hill Country Bicycle Works on Main Street provides great assistance, products and local advice.  The owners are avid cyclists.

To learn more about this thriving community, log on to the Fredericksburg Convention and Visitor Bureau website at www.VisitFredericksburgTX.com.  Learn why so many choose to spend time here relaxing, revitalizing, cycling, and embracing all that Fredericksburg and Gillespie County have to offer. And for a Fredericksburg area Attractions and Dining Guide with Maps, send a request via e‐mail to Visitorinfo@fbgtx.org or call at 888‐997‐3600.  Willkommen, y’all!

This is one of the hottest summers on record in ‘recent’ Texas history and you need to prepare well for Saturday’s Hotter ‘n Hell bicycle ride. Last year Brad our team Doctor (Okay, so he is a Doctor that happens to be a Wheelbrother) wrote a great guide on how to properly hydrate for the race. I’m republishing it this week since nothing essentially changed – well, except it being HOTTER this year and the start of this years race being at 6am vs. 7:05a.

Brad please educate us on how to properly hydrate:

There are a lot of prevailing theories on how best to hydrate for an event such as the HH100 so let’s break it down into its simplest terms:

1. It’s all about the day before:  hydrate your brains out 24 hours before the ride.  Use water or electrolyte solution.  If you are not drinking, then your not allowing the individual cells to retain the fluids that it will desperately need.

2. Avoid all caffeine for 24-48 hours prior to the ride.  Remember that caffeine is a mild diuretic (makes you urinate more) and obviously this is the opposite of what we need to be doing.

3. Take a multivitamin the day before and the day of the race.  If you cramp often, consider adding an OTC potassium tablet (8-10 meq should do) the day before and the day of your race.

4. Complex carbs the day before the ride to eat (pasta, rice, pizza).

5. Hydrate during the race.  I have observed that most riders under hydrate.  I plan on stopping at mile 25-30, 50, 70, and 90 miles.  Bring 3 bottles with you and make sure they are gone before you get to the rest stop.  The desire to drinkdecreases as your cardiac output increases so you have to remember to drink.  What’s the best solution?  There is great debate on this one but water vs electrolytes is probably a wash.  During extreme conditions (of which this will be) electrolytes show a 3-4% improvement in performance in elite athletes only (and we ain’t that except for Ron – Cat Racer extraordinaire).  I start out with 2 waters and one Gatorade and after the first stop I switch to 1 water and 2 gatorades.  Why?  Electrolyte solution doesn’t quench your thirst like water does and therefore your more likely to drink.  Also,  you’ll need the calories during a long event like this.

6. Are you urinating?  If the answer is no, then significantly increase the volume.  I want everyone screaming they have to pee at that first rest stop.

7. Pickle juice?  A trendy pick and has some merit but I wouldn’t try it for the first time on ride day.  It may upset your stomach and that is NOT where you want to be.  Also, it tends to turn off the desire to drink more.

8. Kick some ass…

Thank you Brad for clearing this up!

Tomorrow, we’ll publish a little guide with tips and tricks that work for some of the Wheelbrothers but which are NOT scientifically proven and should never be interpreted as sound medical advice.

Be also aware to not OVER-hydrate… try to find BALANCE in your approach (more to come on that topic)

In the meantime a quick video by Chris Carmichael – Lance Armstrong’s trainer on hydration for cyclists under ‘regular’ conditions:

Nick Clayton, MS, CSCS, MBA

Owner, NJC Fitness Solutions, www.njcfit.com

Fueling for endurance athletes is critical, not just in the days leading up to a race but throughout your training.  Food should be thought of as fuel for the body and periodized, or scheduled to meet the changing needs of your training plan.  This article will discuss the concepts of fueling your training and some general fueling and hydration strategies.

Periodized Training

A training program should be broken down into cycles throughout the year, allowing you to peak for a given event, maximize results, and prevent overuse injury.  In general, a periodized program looks like this.

Fuel During General Conditioning – focus of this phase should be low-moderate intensity, building an aerobic base, and maintaining or decreasing body weight.

• Eat 5-7 grams per kilogram of bodyweight (to find kg’s, divide weight in lbs by 2.2).  For longer duration training (>4 hours day) bump the carbs up to 10 g/kg.
• Protein:  1.2-1.7 g/kg
• Fat:  0.8-1.0 g/kg

Let’s say you train 1-2 hours 3-4 times per week and train longer on weekends.  Eat the 5-7 g/kg carb count during the weekdays and bump your carb count up to the 10 g/kg on the weekends.

Fuel During Intense Race Prep Phase – Multi-day race, Ironman, Adventure Race

• Carbs:  7-13 g/kg
• Protein:  1.4-2.0 g/kg
• Fat:  0.8-3.0 g/kg

Fuel During Intense Training/Racing – Multi-day race, Ironman, Adventure Race

• Carbs:  5-10 g/kg
• Protein:  1.2-3.0 g/kg
• Fat:  0.8-3.0 g/kg

Fueling Your Ride

• Eat a high carb meal 4 hours before your training session (longer than 2 hours in duration) consisting of 1-4 g/kg of carb and moderate protein.
• Drink 15-30 oz of fluid 2 hours before training, 7-10 oz of sports drink 15 min before training, consume 30-60 g/kg of carb per hour of training, drink 7-10 oz every 15 min of training.
• Recovery:  Within 30 minutes of finishing your session (lasting >90 minutes) eat 1-1.2 g of carb and 10-20 g of protein.  At 2 hours, eat 1-1.2 g/kg of carb with moderate protein and low fat.

General Nutrition Tips

• Choose foods high in phyto-nutrients, beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, and zinc to support your immune system.  Carrots and sweet potatoes contain beta-carotene; vitamin C is found in oranges, kiwis, strawberries, and grapefruit.  Vitamin E is found in dark green leafy veggies, nuts.  Zinc is found in red meat, poultry, beans, nuts, whole grains, and dairy.
• Choose poly and monounsaturated fats.  Choose olive oil, avocados, salmon, mackerel, tofu, almonds, walnuts, flax products, and canola oil.
• Use a generic multivitamin with no more than 100% daily value for nutrients.  Fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) are stored in the body and can become toxic.  Same goes for iron.
• Try new foods early on in training program.  Determine what foods work best for you individually.

–

Have questions or comments?

Just leave a reply below and Nick will answer you in one of his next columns!

Our resident expert Nick Clayton and now Colorado Wheelbrother has created another article in our series of ‘Ask the Trainer‘.

Resident Wheelbrother Chris asks: What is the best way for us to strengthen our core to improve our cycling performance while preparing for Hotter ‘n Hell and the Goatneck rides?

Nick: “Core” is one of the hottest buzz words in fitness.  This article will tell you how, why and what core exercises help and what core exercises are actually counterproductive.

What’s the “Core?”

The core consists of the hip and trunk muscles.  More specifically, it can be broken down into 2 subsystems, the “inner unit” and the “outer unit.”  The outer unit consists of consists of larger, more superficial muscles that aid in movement.  The inner unit consists of deeper, stability-based muscles that provide the foundation and base for all movements.

• Proper bike setup is critical along with optimal core strength.
• The typical cyclist, with an average cadence of 90 revolutions per minute, will pedal between 16,000 & 21,000 revolutions during a typical 3–4-hour ride and upwards of 33,000 for a 6-hour ride. The repetitive motion of cycling and the   fixed position of the pelvis & feet require efficient movement patterns to avoid excessive stresses being applied to the musculoskeletal structures of the lower extremity.  In simple terms, when you fatigue in your core you change the way you press/pull on the pedals, which increases stress on the knee and hip joint.
• In a study looking at the effect of core fatigue on cycling, a significant decrease (30.0–43.3%) in peak torque, total work, average power, maximal repetition total work, and average peak torque was demonstrated when cycling after an exhaustive core training workout.
• A study measuring the effects of a core training program completed 5 minutes after a cycling workout showed decreased Lactic Acid (LA) levels throughout the entire body.  This clearing of LA helps total body recovery following a ride.

How the Core Affects Cyclists’

• Stability – the most important function.
  • A stable core maintains proper hip and spine alignment, allowing you to get optimal effort from the legs and glutes.  Without stability more stress falls on the hamstrings, low and upper back.  This leads to decreased performance and low back, neck, hip, and knee pain.
  • Lack of inner unit stability results in outer unit compensation.  Specifically rectus abdominus dominance (most superficial abdominal muscle); it pulls the rib cage down, increasing stress on the upper back and neck muscles, decreases breathing efficiency, and weakness in the glutes.
• Strength & Power –having a strong and powerful core is important to certain athletes but is not paramount for endurance athletes/cyclists.

Exercise “Do Not Do List”

1. Crunches – Aside from being a very non-functional exercise, strengthening this muscle pulls your upper body into a kyphotic (increased curve in the upper spine, i.e. bad posture) position, which is detrimental to everyone, especially someone who spends time hunched forward on their bike for hours on end.
2. Sit-ups – One of the most useless exercises.  Sit-ups primarily train the hip flexors in a very “un-functional” manner.  They are also frequently tight on cyclists and because they insert directly to the lower back vertebrae, result in low back pain and hamstring overuse/knee issues.
3. Good Mornings – This exercise is done standing with a barbell across your back and rounding down and back up.  Flexing the spine with heavy weight increases the stress to the low back.  This puts tremendous stress on the ligaments and gel-like discs that cushion and support your vertebrae.
4. Leg Lifts – unless this exercise is done while you maintain and focusing on a neutral pelvic tilt, this exercise is great at overtraining the hip flexors and stressing the low back.

Exercise “To Do” List for Cyclists’ (Click exercise for sample videos from Youtube)

1. Kneeling or Standing Cable Chop
2. Kneeling or Standing Cable Lift
3. Plank – Standing Cable Hold
4. Planks & Side Planks
5. Kneeling Back Extension

Nick is the owner of www.njcfit.com and offers online strength training programs, both generalized and individualized.  Email Nick at njcfit@yahoo.com to receive a link to view a core workout for cyclists.

Nick Clayton MS, MBA, CSCS, owner NJCFIT Solutions

A common problem among cyclists’ is their hands going numb during long rides.  The cause?  Tightness and a lack of core and scapular stability.  Simply put, road bike positioning is hard on the body and puts you into a forward (aka kyphotic) posture.

What is Kyphosis?

Kyphosis is a term used to describe an exaggerated forward curve in the upper back (thoracic spine).  This can cause headaches and breathing issues, and as it relates to this article, numbness in the hands.  This is typically due to long periods of time sitting with your shoulders slumped forward, as in riding a road bike or sitting in front of a computer.

How do I stop my hands from going numb?

• Chop off your hands; stumps don’t go numb.
• Make sure your bike is set up properly.  Try also using extra padding and raising your handlebars.  Keep you weight back in the saddle when riding.
• The best option is to directly address the problem – tightness in the chest, hip flexors, and hamstrings and weakness in the deep core muscles and scapular stabilizers.

Step-by-Step Solution

• Before and after riding, stretch your hip flexors, and foam roll your hamstrings and pec minor.  To stretch your pec minor on a foam roll, lie lengthwise; face up, on the foam roll with your palms up and knuckles on the floor next to your hips.  Pull your shoulder blades back and down and slowly slide your arms up towards your head, keeping your elbows and knuckles on the floor.  Stop when you feel a deep stretch in the front of your shoulder.  Hold for 60 seconds.
• To strengthen your scapular stabilizers, or the muscles that keep your shoulders blades in correct anatomical position, lie face down on the floor.  With your arms extended straight out, pull your shoulder blades back and down and peel your chest off the floor.  It is important not to extend (i.e. lift) from the low back.  Instead, make sure the lift comes from the area between and just below the shoulder blades.  Perform 3 sets of 10 reps, holding each rep at the top for 5 seconds.

Other Thoughts

• Posture counts, 24 hours of the day.  Make sure that while you are driving, working, etc you are sitting in an ergonomically efficient position.
• Reduce or eliminate chest and crunching exercises.  Instead, opt for pulling exercises and core stability exercises, such as planks and bridges.
• Make sure you take care of your body.  Training hard without caring for your body will lead it to breakdown.  Get a good sports massage therapist, take a yoga class, or hire an educated and highly skilled personal trainer.
• Make stretching your neck; specifically your upper traps, scalenes, and levator scapula part of your daily routine.

Do you have questions for the trainer?  Then send them to us and we’ll post Nick’s answer!

Nick is the owner NJCFIT Solutions and is an avid off-road triathlete. Contact him with your injury prevention and run specific strength training questions at nick.clayton@tmisportsperformance.com – put Wheelbrothers in the subject line.

Nick Clayton of TMI Sports Med answers your questions:

Jed from Fort Worth:

I have had this off injury where it hurts in my calf or thigh muscle like a knife.  It’s not a cramp.  I can ride in the seat and be fine but if I run or stand in the saddle it hurts.  What is it and how can I avoid it from happening?  I have had this injury three times now?

Nick is the Director of Performance at TMI Sports Performance in Arlington and is an avid off-road triathlete. Contact him with your injury prevention and run specific strength training questions at nick.clayton@tmisportsperformance.com – put Wheelbrothers in the subject line.

Ever wondered if Cycling in heat can improve your Cycling performance? This awesome article by GRETCHEN REYNOLDS of nytimes.com can answer your question about Cycling training in hot climate.

The cyclists who were heat acclimated performed anywhere from 4 to 8 percent better than they had before they trained in the heat, while the control group did not improve at all. “That’s a huge difference when you’re talking about competitive performance,” said Dr. Santiago Lorenzo, the lead author of the study and now a postdoctoral research fellow at the Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas. He also competed in the 2004 Olympics in Athens as a decathlete.

“We were surprised,” he continued, and not just that heat acclimation should have any positive effect on the riders’ performances, “but by the magnitude and consistency of that performance benefit. It was really quite dramatic.”

Click here to read Full Article