Checking In

Sorry to both of you who actually read this blog. Its been a tough couple of weeks to try and find something imaginative or informative to write of.
My fitness is progressing ok. I spent the weekend slogging through almost 100 miles of racing and burning close to 2000 calories in the process. I guess I could get very analytical and give you a reading of my HR profile during racing, but that would say nothing about how the stage race actually went. I was happy with my performance, and I think I have learned and re-learned many things.
1) Recovery is just as important as hard efforts
2) The absolute intensity of training/racing is more important than the miles.
3) The mental game is far more important than things I spend more time thinking about like, equipment, esoteric diet methodologies, and to a large degree tactics.
Nothing earth shattering here. Some killer recipes coming soon with Sausage, like Merckx sausage and sauerkraut. (Mr. Moltini would be proud).

Foundation Cippolini Pasta

To celebrate the current Giro, I'll pass along one of my favorite pasta recipes. This like most recipes has evolved over the years. I like it because I don't use store bought pasta sauce, yet at the same time it doesn't take long to prepare, and has a certain freshness that slow cooked marinara sauces lack. Its a tad salty because of the olives and capers, but I think the extra salt is a good thing before a hard ride.

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves sliced thin
1 large sweet onion finely diced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 can crushed tomatoes (28 oz.)
1/2 cup roughly chopped kalamata olives
2 tablespoons capers

Sauté garlic in olive oil until just brown. Remove garlic. Sauté onion until clear. Add dried spices and crushed tomatoes. Add back cooked garlic and olives and capers. Heat until warm and serve with your favorite pasta. Proportions can be varied according to tastes, but I like this. The original recipe came with my pasta machine, and it was called Filetto sauce. I had a similar sauce but with olives and capers at a restaurant, so I've added those.

Season Begins

For me the cycling season officially began last night. It was my first race without some sort of winter gear on. Add to that the ultimate extravagance of coming home, eating a quick meal, taking a hot shower and being able to sleep with windows open, hearing the animal night life do their thing. For some, cycling is about the strategy of each race, and the developing hubris of winning or placing in each event. I’m way over that (yeah right) and do it because I enjoy riding my bike fast and then coming home spent, relaxing and reliving the race as each twitch of pain leaves my aching body. There was unexpected pleasure last night of being able to sample a new beer from our sponsor, a maibock beer. I wasn’t real sure what a maibock was all about, and found this reference, and of course the beer dictionary helped. I often think that when I retire from software I would take up something in the food industry, like making boutique cheeses, but making beer wouldn’t be a bad career either.

Back to cycling for a minute. I hope the cramps are behind me, literally in the peloton inflicting someone else. Perhaps it was not the lack of bananas but the lack of recovery. Heck who knows, next week will be another chance to test myself.

Cramps

For the past two training races, I have suffered from calf cramps. That's a real bummer, because otherwise I feel ok. The first time two weeks ago, it was so bad I had to stop peddling all together, yesterday I was able to slightly change my cadence and luckily the pace was such that I was not stressed too badly. I encourage anyone to go check the internet on what causes cramps while cycling as I did. There is an overwhelming amount of information and at the same time an equal amount of misinformation. I've reread every cycling book I own or have borrowed (sorry for not returning them), and I've concluded the state of sports medicine is practically in the dark ages. I guess if I was suffering from the common cold and tried to find a remedy I would feel the same way. We can cure some cancer types, determine ones VO2 max, yet can't fix the common cold or calf cramps. I guess there is no money in it.

So far I've heard an array of potential diet faux pas such as (dehydrated, not enough bananas, not enough quinine, not enough salt (actually that is worth investigating since I diagnosed with hypertension I tend not to eat much salt) Note: Hypertension has gone away since cycling began though. Then there is the whole issue with cleat position, and of course the improbable that I am actually just not fit enough and I am stressing myself more than normal. Oh yea and another potential issue is that I am uptight prior/during racing which acts like additional stress.

I've concluded its not cleat position, as I've gone back to the old cleats, and I'm pretty sure I am hydrated enough. Next up, relaxation techniques, and more salt... (Margaritas?)

I won't mention the suggestion that I massage in honey, garlic and lemon juice. I guess with the left over sauce I could marinate a pork loin or something.