Category: Racing tips
Ahhh, more good news about Caffiene…
Caffeine as an Ergogenic Aid
Article borrowed from www.active.com…
Caffeine is generally accepted by most sports scientists as an effective ergogenic aid. Its stimulating effect on the central nervous system (CNS) reduces the sensation of fatigue, perception of work effort and even pain. Moreover, caffeine improves mental acuity, focus and technical skill during and after strenuous activity or fatigue (Åstrand et al., 2003). Caffeine is believed to enhance fat utilization in the body and has also been shown to effectively increase time to exhaustion during endurance activities, as well as sprint, power and strength performance.
Caffeine seems most effective in restoring high intensity performance rather than enhancing it, which is a good thing for endurance athletes.
We started in groups of 4. I’m on the red and black Honda. (Yes, the guy in the back!) The guy next to me on the far right, Willie “die Lem” (The Blade) won, and I finished 2nd. The guy on his back wheel crashed about half way through while in 2nd. He had a 2 inch thorn in the back of his hand- not sure if that’s CAUSED the crash or if it was BECAUSE of the crash.
I did my 1st Enduro dirt bike race today. Wow, what an experience! I grew op riding dirt bikes on our farm, but when I turned 16, and became really serious about triathlon, I sold the bike. (Also needed the money to buy a “faster” bicycle.) So the last 18 years I told myself “the day I retire from triathlon racing, I’ll buy a dirt bike again. But last year, after winning Xterra World champs, I thought: “Screw it, I cant wait anymore! You only live once.” I bought the perfect bike: a 2005 Honda CRF 450 X. The previous owner rode it a few times, crashed really hard, got scared and became a motivated seller….
How to make a mountain bike mud guard in 3 minutes. #Cavemanstyle
Caveman’s hot tip for wet weather racing: How to keep sand & mud out of your eyes by making a low tech, high performance mud guard from a used soft drink bottle:
The form is good. Quality run on the beach.
On the 7 hr drive back to Stellenbosch after Ironman South Africa, we stopped at Klein Brak river mouth so I could do my last quality run before XTERRA South Africa this weekend. The sun was setting, the sea was thundering unhappily, and Amber sat on the beach, resting her Ironman legs and poking at blisters.
XTERRA secrets
Dress for success
Wear gloves. Scrubbing gravel out of your palms aint fun. Gloves also makes the job of holding on much easier, especially when its wet. I race with short fingered gloves, which are quick and easy to put on and take off.
