Alameda Runners – Get After It!

BikeAlameda, the long-established bike advocacy group in the City of Alameda, has sadly ended its valet bike service.

From BikeAlameda (courtesy of AlamedaPatch):

For the last 12 years, BikeAlameda has provided safe, secure, free valet bike parking at many Alameda events. Over the years we’ve parked thousands of bikes at hundreds of events throughout Alameda. We’ve proven there is a need out there for bike parking. Unfortunately, we are no longer able to provide it. BikeAlameda would like to have some enterprising group or individual take over this opportunity.

Over the years our costs (both financial and administrative) associated with valet bike parking have continued to rise, but the fees we charged and time we put into it were not able to keep up. It is a business with income and expenses that BikeAlameda never intended to run for this long.

Now that BikeAlameda decided to bow out, I’m unsure if a business or dedicated group will step up and help out. If not, it’s a tragic end to a great service that I’ve supported and utilized myself years ago.

There is a lot of confusion related to the human body’s need for carbohydrates, especially during longer, more intense workout sessions.

Why are carbs the ideal fuel for the body?

Well, to put it simply: Our bodies can utilize carbs to help generate energy during rigorous exercise without the aid of oxygen, and we can eat or drink some carbs during exercise to help keep the fuel levels topped off.

Also worth note: Carb depletion is right up there with not drinking enough fluids when trying to figure out why we sometimes bonk.

Before long runs or bike rides, the Alameda Runners love to eat pancakes (normally Ted’s terrific pancakes) with syrup,

For longer workouts, eating carbs days before will help ensure you have a sufficient level of carbs to help fuel you. Each night when we’re sleeping, our bodies use carbs to pump our heart, help keep our bodies breathing, and general physiological requirements that we sometimes take for granted.

Here is what a Runners World story posted a few years back had to say:

What you need are carbohydrates,” says Deborah Shulman, Ph.D., a sports nutritionist in Bellvue, Colorado. Carbs are a good source of glucose, a form of sugar that our brain, nerves, and muscles need to function. A small amount of glucose circulates in our blood, but the majority of it is stored in our muscles and liver as glycogen.

If you’re in it for the long run, consuming carbohydrates and keeping hydrated will give you the energy boost to run stronger during you half marathon or marathon. Many of us drink Cytomax, Gatorade, and similar drinks that have electrolytes, but drinks with carbs can help keep you fueled.

To sum things up: enjoying some carbs during your prolonged workout can help ensure you run or ride stronger with less likelihood of physically cracking. You should also keep in mind that protein and fats are excellent fuel sources, so you shouldn’t go too carb heavy with your workouts. (Alameda Runners plans on calling upon a local sports guru for some assistance related to properly fueling our workouts.)

To help explain further, I have some good reading material for you to quickly read:

Link courtesy of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Link (PDF) to the US Potatoes, discussing carbs, carbo loading, and other helpful information.

Link published by Stockton College, explaining how carbs help fuel athletic performance.

Happy training.

Editors note: If you can only exercise for 1 hour, loading up with carbs will not give you enough energy to exercise for 4 hours.  It takes time and practice to build up endurance.

If you are buying a 4gb mp3 player with a camera and tuner for $22, you better bring your sense of humor with you.  I bought my eSport for $30.  I should have gone to Walmart and picked one up for $22 but it was worth extra money to not have to go to Walmart.  I have nothing against Walmart.  It is just the time it takes to get to the store, find the item, then pay for it, do not make it worth the trip to save $8.

Back to the review.  Since I had my sense of humor handy, I decided to get the pink model.  I like the color.  I think it sets my dark running shorts off nicely.

When I plugged the player into my computer, it worked!  It actually started to charge.  To make things better, my Linux Mint operating system recognized it.  I was so shocked my mouse hand went numb!  I opened up a random music folder and dropped the whole thing into the mp3 folder and the player took it.  When I looked at the folder, it contained both mp3 and ogg files.  Ogg is the open source music format.  Since it took the music so easily, I got cocky and drug an avi file over to see what would happen.  To my surprise, all of the music played.  As an added bonus, the Japanese music showed up on the display in Kanji.  The video did not work because I did not resize it.

The music player worked.  The buttons are extremely clunky but navigation is possible.  The player comes with a cheap little speaker that works.  It is kind of neat to clip it onto the back of my bike jersey and listen to poor quality music.  When I am going up the side of a mountain, it is nice to have a tempo to help set a pace.  I don’t really listen to the music but the tempo is there.  I listened to the player through some Bose headphones with satisfactory results.  It was not like listening to the music from a PC with a $200 sound card but the sound was okay.

The video camera works.  With 4gb of available memory, you can record for a while.  The camera works.  It has a flash but I am not sure it does anything.  Half the time when I take a picture, I am not sure if I took the picture or not.  ¾ of the time when I take a picture, I am not sure if I am in the camera mode.  The pictures and video transfer to my computer by drag and drop.

I am currently using it as my car mp3 player.  It has about 6 hours of battery use and still going strong.  When I turn it off and back on, it remembers the track it was playing.  Every time I throw it back into its hole for the trip, it changes the song from the touchy controls that are only sensitive when you don’t want them to do anything.

Pros:

It is cheap
It works!
Very easy file transfer
Plays variable formats, mp3, wav and ogg.  I did not feel like looking for Apple files to drag over.
Lots of memory storage
Expandable memory
Nice colors
Comes with a cool video about a rabbit

Cons:

It is cheap
It is slow
Navigation is frustrating
I can’t figure out where the buttons are located
It is big

Final grade – Pass

It is a $30 mp3 player.  It does what I want and some extra stuff.  It is easy enough to figure out.  I did not read the instructions and managed just fine.  The buttons do not work very well but they get the job done.  I will not cry when it breaks.  I bought a cheap mp3 player so I could sweat all over it and not cry when I get caught out in the rain.  Remember your sense of humor when use something like this.

I recently saw a few tweets from people looking for online stores to purchase their running, cycling and outdoors gear. I also have a friend simply looking for a pair of bike shorts and a tech shirt to wear during spin classes, but these sites have more than that to offer.

This is a short and sweet post highlighting a handful of sites you may want to visit.

LeftLane Sports (you have to register with the site) –road bikes, cycling gear, hiking daypacks, sleeping bags, bodyboards, and other outdoors products. Really good prices and a decent variety, so worth a look.

BlueSky Cycling — An online outfit that has a small selection of products, including cycling apparel, sunglasses, shoes, and shin guards and body armor. BlueSky also offers a variety of different accessories, ranging from helmets and hydration to skins and pumps.

Aero Tech Designs — manufactures bike shorts and cycling jerseys out of their western PA-based facility. In addition to regular cycling and mountain biking gear, Aero Technologies also makes jackets, fitness shorts, and cold weather gear.

Peak 1 Sports — a quality retailer for custom cycling jerseys and apparel. Unlike many other stores, Peak 1 Sports offers quality wind jackets, vests, arm and knee warmers, which can be harder to find than other cycling clothing.

Bike Nashbar — An old school favorite among cyclists and mountain bikers… Bike Nashbar has been around much longer than most online outlets, and provides a wide variety of products from high-quality vendors for a good price.

Feel free to get in touch if you have other sites you’ve had good shopping experiences with.

Happy shopping!

This weekend will feature a run/walk and meet-and-greet hosted by the Alameda Running and Walking Club — a first-time meeting for a group created late last year.

The ultimate goal of the Alameda Running and Walking Club is to help Alameda runners and walkers find people with the same pace they can explore the island with.

The group will meet this Saturday at 9:00 a.m. at 600 Westline Drive (Crown Beach Memorial Park).

Here is a bit more about the group and meeting:

The group’s organizer will have name tags for everyone to write down how they like to run and walk, including such factors as distance, location, pace, time of day. Then participants will mingle and hopefully meet other people that have similar running and walking goals and habits.
Organizers hope everyone will find at least one other person in the group that suits their exercise style and the entire group will go out for a run or walk. Organizers say they hope this event will help start to build community within the membership so people can more easily find friends to run and walk with.
Guests are welcome to attend. The club hopes to host at least one of these meet/greet events each month.

If you’re an Alameda runner, you’re probably aware of the large number of athletes you can stumble across on the trails. However, it’s a fractured running community and can sometimes be difficult to find training partners running close to your pace. Hopefully this group will be able to offer a higher level of structure, and you can even find a new running buddy.

Originally discovered this news on Alameda Patch, a great online resource for Alameda residents.

I am out of running and cycling for now due to a knee injury.  That does not mean that you should stop training too.  REI – Berkeley is putting out the word for their triathlon training sessions.  I like the Berkeley store and think triathlon classes are a great way to get started and find training partners in your area.  I am not affiliated with REI in any way.  I just think it is a good idea.

I thought you and your members may be interested in a free presentation coming up at REI Berkeley. Would you like to post to your website or email distribution?

Triathlon Basics–Try a Tri?
7 pm–8:30 pm, Tuesday, April 3
REI Berkeley, 1338 San Pablo Ave
www.rei.com/berkeley
Is it time to TRY a TRI? From Sprint to Ironman, triathlons offer a
variety of opportunities to challenge yourself and help get you into
shape. Join REI’s Kappe Rousseau to discover the ins-and-outs of
triathlons: types, distances, how to get started, how to train, and
what to expect on race day. If you register for this free class at
www.rei.com/berkeley, we will hold a seat for you until the scheduled
start time.

Athletes like music — but trying to experience the outdoors with your expensive MP3 player and earbuds can end in disaster. That’s why press statements regarding new electronics geared towards athletes tend to pique my interests.

The Ematic electronics company recently announced the eSport Clip MP3/video player, a $29 media player with 4GB flash memory storage. The device also includes a 5-megapixel camera, USB 2.0 port, and a 1.8″ color display.

If you head over to WalMart’s website, the device is now available for just $22.

Honestly, I haven’t tried Ematic’s products before — and never heard of the company before receiving the press release — but the Ematic eSport Clip MP3 player is a relatively low-cost investment to a possibly decent product.

Now that bicycling season is upon us here in California, it is time for bicycle ideas.  It is the beginning of March so a lot of us are starting to go farther and faster on our bikes.  New riders take heed in what I say.  For you veterans, this is a reminder to do a pre-ride check.

Go say hi to your bike.  While you are there, take a good look at it.  The cob webs should be off by now.  If not, give the bike a bath.  Get some degreaser and clean the chain and sprockets real good.  Use a chain brush or a tooth brush will work.  It is important to keep your chain and sprockets clean because dirt and debris stick to the greasy buildup on your chain and act like sandpaper.  The abrasive action will wear out your chain and sprockets.  You will be amazed at how much it cost to replace your sprockets.  Most casual riders just buy a new bike.  It cost $200 to $300 for the parts and $100 to $200 to have a bike shop install them.  Be nice to your bike.  If you keep it clean and lubricated, it will last a long time and rarely need tuning.

Now that your bike is nice and clean give it a close look and make sure everything is tight.  Make sure your brakes still work and the tires are in good shape.  If you have any doubts about the tires, replace them.  If you look at your tires and think “they look worn but they will be okay” replace them.  Don’t go cheap on the tires.  Get good performance or Continental tires.  I am sure there are other good tires but I have had good luck with these brands.

Learn how to fix flats and replace the tires yourself.  There is nothing wrong with taking your bike to the shop to have the tires changed.  It is good to know how to do basic repairs yourself.  We do strange things on our bikes.  We will drive 100 miles out into the country then ride our bikes another 50 miles farther into the country.  If something happens in a remote place, you could be in for a long walk back to your car.  Be prepared.

I carry a bike pouch under my saddle.  I did an inventory today see what I really carry.  Here is my list of essentials:

• Spare tube – Tubes are easy to replace and I don’t have to mess around with finding the hole and fixing it.  Every now and then, you will stumble across some poor soul with a flat and no spare tube or patch kit.  It is easy to give someone a tube and be on your way.  If you give away your patch kit, you are giving away some insurance.
• Tire levers – Plastic tire levers make it easy to remove and install the tire in the event of a flat.  I like to carry plastic levers because they are flat and do not puncture my spare tube.
• Patch kit – I am currently carrying a small glueless patch kit with 6 patches.  I usually carry a patch kit with glue but I am random when I buy a new kit.  I like to replace the kit every 1-2 years in the event the glue dries out.
• Small tire pump – I have a push-pull style pump that pumps air in both directions.  The pump is good for both Schrader and Presta valves.  A lot of people like co2 pumps but I don’t like the idea of having one or two chances at repairing a flat.
• ID in two pockets – In case I fall, it good for the paramedics to know where to send the bill.  I have about 5 road id tags but decided that it would be better to lose them then keep them in my bag.
• Allen wrenches – 3mm and 5mm.  These are the main tools I need for my bike.  Most clamps and bolts are one of these sizes.
• Roctane gels – 2 packages, in case I need some calories.
• First aid kit – If you fall and get some skin flaps, it is so nice to be able to clean the wound and put a band aide on it.
• $70.25 – It is good to carry some cash in case you want to buy some lunch or cool socks.  I usually carry $20.  I don’t know how I managed to get an odd number in my bag.
• Spare car key
• Safety pin
• 2 twist ties
• 2 zip ties

There are a lot of different opinions on what you need to carry.  You can to a web search for seat bag tire repair kits for more suggestions.  You can buy the stuff from an online retailer or your local bike shop.  I prefer the local bike shops.  A lot of times you can catch someone from the store to tell you about how to stock your pouch.  If the store is crowded, you might catch someone passing by to ask their opinion.  Either way, it is more fun to go look at the items in the store.

The Finis Tempo Trainer Pro is a nice simple timer that slips into a swim cap or under the band of your goggles.  It has 3 buttons and a clock.  The top button is for mode select and timer reset.  The bottom two buttons are for the timer up/down and the on/off functions.  Push the right button to turn it on.  The top button is to select your mode and push both bottom buttons to turn the unit off.
It is really easy to set the unit up.  Select the mode you want to try, set your desired time, push the reset button and you are off.  The tempo trainer is advertised as a stroke tempo timer.  I really like to use it as a lap tempo trainer.  The instructions give you a lot of good advice on how to set the timer to suit your needs.  It is also easy to figure it out for yourself.  I don’t like to carry instructions around so I just do my own thing.  Here are some of the things I like to do with the temp trainer:

• Set the timer at 30 seconds then see how long it takes me to lap the timer.  Take a 30 second break the repeat until I can’t catch it anymore.
• Set the timer at 30 seconds, increase the speed by one second until I can’t keep up any more.  Take a 30 second break then repeat.
• Set the timer for 25 seconds then maintain the pace for a mile.  If I want to see if I can do a sub 30 minute mile, I try to stay ahead of the timer.

I like the tempo trainer.  It is a simple device that helps me vary my workouts.  I tend to get into a rut with swim training.  Having an easily changeable metronome in your ear encourages change.

Pros:

• Fits well under the Finis Lightning goggle band and does not fall out
• Very comfortable
• The timer is very easy to reset while swimming
• Easy to use while swimming
• It encourages change to workouts
• Instructions are not really required to get the thing working
• Different beep tones, I prefer the triple beep
• Easy to reset, when things go wrong
• Replaceable battery
• It floats

Cons:

• It falls out of the headband of wide lens goggles
• If it falls out, it can cause weird things to happen to the timer.  The timer has to be turned off then back on, to reset the matter

I really like the Finis Tempo Trainer.  It can be found for $40 to $50.  If you have wide lens goggles, it can be troublesome to get in the band just right.  You have to be careful when using the cadence timer.  It can cause short stroking, in an effort to keep up with the clock.  I did not feel the timer under the race goggles.  When I was wearing wide goggles, I did not feel the timer until it fell off.  Once I got it into a good position, I could not feel it on my head.  This is one of those times, when simple is good.

When I got home from work to discover a couple of water bottles on my desk for review, I thought to myself “Water bottles, eh”.   I usually get water bottles handed to me at expo’s or triathlons.  They are not really something I give much thought.  I expected to be carrying around a $2.00 water bottle that I would have nothing to say about.  I was wrong.  I was carrying around $15 water bottles that I love.

When I removed the lids to wash the bottles, I noticed a clean smell.  New water bottles always smell like plastic.  After washing, I took my water bottle out for a trial run.  The water did not taste like plastic, quite impressive.  The flow out of the cap was perfect.  Now it was time to take the bottle out for a bike ride.  When I go out for long bike rides, I add an extra 50% concentration for my electrolyte drink in both bottles.

I like to drink my fluids warm which really adds to the plastic leaching into the drink.  I spent more than 5 hours on my bike with no odd flavors to my drinks.  After my bike ride, I threw a half full bottle in my clothes bag, filled up the other bottle then took off for a run.  At the run turn-around, I stopped for a gel pack and drink.  I noticed that I was not dripping water on my shirt before I started drinking water.  The water tends to stick in the bottle before you squeeze.  Nice touch.  When I got back to my car, I found that I did not push the cap closed on the bottle before I threw it into the car.  It did not leak.

The Specialized website for water bottles state that infused silicon dioxide create a barrier to the plastic.  If a waiter tries to sell me infused food, I tell him to take a hike.  If a water bottle is infused, I say it is cool.  I guess there is no way of explaining how I think.  Check out their website.  It is pretty good.  It is not really detailed but I probably would not understand the details anyway.

For some odd reason, this review wound up in the in process queue since last year.  After about a year of use, the Purist bottles are still my preferred water bottles.  I left a purist bottle and a $20 running bottle in the car overnight.  The running bottle had a distinct taste of plastic.  It was very sad for me since the running bottle is my second favorite bottle.  I plan on replacing my water bottle collection, now that I can taste the plastic.  I hope Sports Basement has a sale.

Mike’s Note:  Specialized bikes have become even better in recent years, with the company’s accessories also making huge efforts as of late.