I’m dieting right now. I’m not sure why. I’d usually have a important race down the road that I’d like to be super light for, but not right at this moment. Opposite of Chris Horner, it is super easy for me to loose weight. I just don’t eat anything after 8pm. I’d normally eat a ton of food after that and most of the food eaten at that time is super high in calories. Plus, the weather burns weight too. Anytime it is in the upper 90’s for an extended period, a couple pounds come off.
I’ve never really gotten down to race weight this season. It isn’t a good time to loose weight when you’re trying to gain form. I think I have okay race form, just no way to access it on any type of constant basis. Race weight for me is anything under 160 lbs. That’s about where I am now. I can’t race any lower than the low 150’s. I can get there, but if I want to stay there more than a couple weeks, I always get sick. Plus, I look a thousand times older than I already look, not that it matters.
I’m not drinking any coffee for a little while too. Or wine/alcohol. I don’t drink much alcohol anyway, but coffee is a different story. I’m just wondering if some of the side ache problems I’ve been having is coffee related. It doesn’t seem to be helping the past two days, but it is still too early to tell.
It’s kind of fun playing around with diet and habits every once in a while. I don’t think you can learn things about your body unless you tweek it every so often to see what it is like doing something else.
Steve my side a ache turned out to be kidney stones. Always get them in the summer. Doctor says need to drink more water because of ridding in the heat. Never know?
I’ve been messing around with my diet lately too. But, not so much “dieting” just trying out different types of fruits and veggies. Stuff I wouldn’t normally consider. For the past month or two I have been eating 4 or 5 prunes for an “after 8pm” snack. It could just be in my head, but they make me feel good (whatever that means) after I eat them. And they don’t make me crap my pants like most people think when I tell them I’ve added prunes to my diet. But there’s a lot of research out there touting the prunes “super fruit” status.
I lost a lot of weight initially (new in cycling – 1.5 yrs in) all through base training this year. But I’ve plateau’d as soon as I hit build/race peak. Is that typical?
I need to cut the post 8pm eating too.
Any idea what happened to Alexi Grewal’s blog, Steve? I usually link to it from your page, but it says it is down.
Thanks for the great posts. As I’ve been telling you since 2005 or 2006, “Keep ’em coming.”
Steve, I really enjoy your blog, but I have to question your support for Horner and the warm vibes you seem to send out about the guy. It seems he has really learned to play the game I question his sporting ethics and your support for him given his past and recent comments about the biggest fish in the pond. then:
http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2005/tour05/?id=/riders/2005/interviews/chris_horner_tour05
and now:
“Bicycling.com: What do you think about the ongoing investigation of Lance Armstrong and also Alberto Contador, with the trial for his 2010 Tour positive now pushed back until after this year’s race?
CH: The case against Lance is almost 10 years old. I think it started back in 2000. It’s not much of a case now. Whatever this case does, it’s never going to change what Lance has done for the sport. He’s done amazing stuff. He’s had amazing results in the Tour; he had an amazing result when he won the world championships so young. And he’s done amazing stuff for cancer.”
at
http://www.bicycling.com/tour-de-france/tour-features/pushing-40-and-getting-faster?page=0,2
Ever try going vegetarian? I did a couple of years ago and never looked back, but it’s not for everyone for sure. Recently read an article about UFC fighters doing it as they found could recover faster, and that’s been my experience as well. Probably all in my head, but that’s more important than anything else.
I had a similar to Horner’s problem, but with my rest days. On one “rest” day in particular I painted the house for 5 hrs, swam w/ the kids another 2, spread a load of mulch, etc.. When added up, I was doing more work on these then my dedicated training days.
Barry-I like Chris Horner. It’s nearly impossible not to. Horner is a blue collar bike racer. That is what he does. He rides his bike. He is usually brutally honest when he makes remarks about the races and his perception of what happened. I like that.
If bicycle racing was on tricycles on dirt, Chris Horner would be racing them. He races cross and he sucks at it. Enough said.
I’ve never addressed his relationship with Lance and his ability to get so much better and better the last few years. I’ve thought about it some and have avoided it here. I’m not that much into mudslinging without cause.
Chris Horner got his foot into the European peleton door and has made the best use of it as he can. We’ll see where it takes him. It is a sketchy slope to ascend.
Steve
I must admit to also being curious about Alexi Grewal. Do you happen to have anything on that? I was following him through your link, and then it suddenly disappeared.
T
Steve I too support Horner, he was kicking some tail in California against guys like Hegg,Pierce, Julich and others while working in a bike shop and getting a 500 a month stipend. Hard to buy good dope on that.
And yet Horner would do suicide breaks and make them stick against some of the best riders(see above) On the Simi ride he could test guys like Knickman, Thurlow, Tomac basically on just guts.
He raced pretty aggressive and basically devoid of tactics early in his career. He drove alot of other pro’s and their directors nuts.
I saw him do repeated solo attacks in a crit, then in the last 5 laps while LA Sheriffs was ramping up their leadout train here comes Horner flying by, Sheriffs burned up Pierce, Copeland and another rider trying to catch Chris, when they did only Malcolm Eliiot was able to outsprint the guy he still held on to the podium.
au naturel
he didnt need the drugs then i doubt he needs them now