In the same spirit of my last blog post, I’d like you all to check out UtilityCycling.org. My friend, Mel, is writing for the website and spreading some articulate bike propaganda. It seems the premise of the site is to function as a sounding board for utility cycling–explain it, encourage it, and talk about it.

The launch of this website, coupled by the fact that I’ve ‘discovered’ a bike-junkie’s paradise in the Black Forrest of Germany has me very optimistic about the prospects of all-things-cycling in this world. In another exciting discovery, I found out that Joey (the USA Cycling Mountain Bike Team Mechanic) runs a non-profit program called Wheels of Change based out of Colorado Springs, CO. The program fixes up used bikes and gives them to people in need of a form of transportation. The greater purpose of the organization seems to be to empower people to change the world–by taking small steps, or soft pedal strokes.

A quick Germany update: I rode 95 km on my mountain bike yesterday and found my way into France. It was supposed to be an 80 km ride but I dodged some t-storms on the return to Kirchzarten which extended my ride a bit. I don’t like lighting. I took some pictures along the way, and rode through about 15 German villages. I stopped at the German/French border and bought some water to refill the bottles. It was bubbly water, I didn’t know. So I burped the whole way home. Alison had me doing some ‘microburst’ intervals which are 10 second sprints, and for some reason I enjoy torturous workouts like these. Good thing I finished my intervals before the bubbly water.

Tschüss!

I stumbled upon an AVIA gas station out riding. Even the look of the name resembles the logo of our Team LUNA Chix sponsor–except they deal with performance shoes, not gas.

I’ve actually been wearing a pink pair of AVIA shoes, and they’re very cute. I usually avoid cute–lavenders, pinks, purples–but I’m loving these shoes!

Another cool ride today and I’m finally figuring this picture thing out.

I got my butt kicked by a workout today. After finishing up the intervals I zigzagged along the road at about 6mph, pulled out a LUNA bar to munch on from the jersey pocket, and wondered why the hell I do what I do. Why would anyone want to feel like this? Then I looked around, happy to pedal a bike again.

The workout: 3×15 minutes at LT
Each interval: 4min LT, 1min VO2, 4min LT, 1min VO2…

Another day of sleeping late, coffee, breakfast, good training, lunch, walks, and blogging. I could get used to this…

For the next three weeks I’ll be racing in Europe, based out of Kirchzarten, Germany, as a part of a USAC development camp. First up is a Racer Bikes Cup (formerly Swiss Cup) in Winterthur, Switzerland. This race will be my first experience joining an elite field in Europe, my only previous Euro races being Junior MTB Worlds in Les Gets, France (2004) and Livingo, Italy (2005), then U23 Worlds in Fort William, Scotland (2007). I’m hoping these few weeks of hard racing will help bring around my fitness and help me refocus on some goals for the second half of the season. So far, my results haven’t shown much this season. My spring school semester was the busiest I’ve experienced yet and juggling a number of responsibilities isn’t getting any easier. After a week of recouperating in Boulder, CO (and sleeping 10+ hours a night!), I’m now two days into my Germany trip. I’ll do my best to update with pictures because who wants to read blog posts without pictures?

The guys in Freiberg, Germany.
(Davis, Bryce, Kevin, Will)

Near Kirchzarten

These bike stencils were all over the roads in Freiberg.

My roommates, Lydia Tanner and Jill Behlen

There seems to be a lot of bike paths and rain around here.

I highly recommend paying Bill Peterson of Foot Fitness a visit if you’re considering custom insoles or in need of an improved bike fit. Bill is a certified pedorthist and has years of experience working with professional cyclists. I paid Bill a visit last week and he went ahead and made some adjustments to my cleats. He also took molds of my feet and just a couple days later I had some custom insoles. In just a single ride I noticed how solid my hips felt. Now a few days later with a couple hard workouts in my legs I notice how my right leg also goes straight up and down. No more crazy wobbles. No discomfort in the knees either. But most importantly, I haven’t felt a twinge of pain in my back.

I was also thrilled about how the insoles matched my shoes–but I’m pretty sure this is just coincidence.

If you enlarge the above photo you may notice how Bill built a small lift into my left insole–now that’s custom.

Here’s why I’m so thrilled about no back pain:
My back was never a serious issue in my head. Once in awhile, with no real trigger I’d get a discomfort in my low left back. It was always the same spot. I’d just remedy the problem with a quick on-the-bike stretch and I’d be good to go. In a race, interval, or group ride–where stretching isn’t an option–the pain would intensify but I never believed it was a serious distraction.

Then, I raced the Nature Valley Grand Prix as part of the Ryan’s Collegiate All Star Team. The problem started here. I lowered my stem for the time trial, and left it there. The following day’s stage was the Mankato Road Race; which was 90-something fast miles and had a finishing circuit with climb steep enough to cause some damage. So, most of the damage occurred to my back. I could hardly move after the race the pain was so bad.

Fast forward. My back turned out to be a huge distraction. It was a limiting factor while training–I wasn’t finishing my intervals, I wasn’t having fun. I loved hitting red lights out riding because I could stretch. I tried massage. More stretching.

TJ insisted I see a physical therapist. As I was in Boulder, CO for the summer I visited Ann Trombley. She did an evaluation, we knew there was a leg length discrepancy but there was something else going on too. I ended up getting some x-rays at the Boulder Center For Sports Medicine. Here’s what they found:
– 11mm leg length discrepancy. I have a short(er) left leg.
– A partially sacralized L6 vertebrae with inflamation on the left side
-Hmmmm. I guess this explained all the hurt.
Anyway, it turns out most of that leg length difference is in the femur so a simple lift won’t fix the entire problem. So Bill moved my left cleat forward, and my right cleat back–effectively straightening things out. Those small adjustments, coupled with the new insoles have dramatically improved my riding position. I now sit still with my hips square, and my legs aren’t doing anything too funky. Once again, I highly recommend Bill Peterson of Foot Fitness.