This past Sunday Bicycle Village (Littleton) had 15 riders attended our first Training Ride for the upcoming August 29th Deer Creek Challenge. The 44-miler was every bit a climb as promised! After reaching the top of Deer Creek we shot down to Turkey Creek, heading left till we reached Hillsdale Pines. While most consider the climb up Highgrade more difficult...there's nothing "easy" about the short, steep pitches of 14% grade encountered on Hillsdale and City View! Either way the rest stop at Pleasant Park is always a welcome relief.
Bicycle Village's mechanic Kevin Flynn was a saving grace to those struggling to access their lowest climbing gears or stop annoying chattering and pinging sounds. Great company was had with rider Matt and many learned some tried and trued nutrition points by Power Bar rep Tim Hola. Thanks for the freebie product Tim!
Some notable quotes from our riders on the Power Bar Products:
“I found the Powerbar Perform drink to be a lot lighter than Gatorade and better tasting.”
“The Gel Blasts were great and they don’t stick in my teeth.”
“I like the Powerbar Gels because of the 200mg of Sodium. This eliminated the need to carry salt tablets.”
“I was happy to see that Powerbar makes Energy Bites. Sometimes on long rides like this it’s nice to have something different than a bar.”
“The Powerbar Tangerine Gel with 50 mg of caffeine and 200mg of Sodium was perfect for a ride like today! Thanks Tim for the samples you rock!”
BV manager Brian Nelson was a sport to open early for us riders and provide the yummy bagels. The group was balanced enough to split into two and all finished safe with proud smiles having bitten off a big chunk of the Deer Creek Challenge ride.
Although the early cloud cover deterred some of the heat, one rider thought he was in over his head and another was struck with painful quad cramps during the climb. We may have lagged a bit behind the last group but together we pulled each other in and the three of us managed to rehydrate and finish the ride strong. Our motto: "Never leave your wing-man!" ;)
A brief run down on cramping: "Heat" Cramps are caused by an imbalance of electrolytes in the bloodstream, (necessary for muscle function) and are primarily lost through sweating of sodium. Once this balance is off, the muscles may start to contract involuntarily, and that's a cramp. Heat Cramps can be stretched, but until the electrolyte imbalance is corrected, they won't disappear. And here's the real kicker - if one muscle group is cramping because your system is low in sodium, it's quite likely that other muscle groups are not far behind. Stay aware and ahead of sodium loss through nutrition intake and hydration!
"Fatigue" Cramps would be less related to your electrolyte balance and more related to overworking your muscles, especially keeping the muscle in one position. Fatigue Cramps can usually be alleviated by stretching the offending muscle.
I hope you will return to join us for Training Ride #2 on Sunday, August 8th, and maybe meet some new riders too! Please register at www.ezregister.com/events/1703 and be sure to check the blog this week for a map of the 54-miler and start time.
Jacquette Tara
Bicycle Village - Aurora
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