The Start of My CGM Journey

While we do not want to be data driven and controlled - as far too many are - we also do not want to ignore the ability to gather data.  In other words do not be a slave to data but let data corroborate what you know and experience since when you do this you will find over time you will not need the data but better be able to do things intuitively.

So it is with me and getting a CGM.  I don’t have TY1 or 2 Diabetes, and am not Pre-Diabetic and as far as I can tell am not insulin resistant.  Let alone at most times I am relatively lower carb than most and a lot less than many that work out and race as I do.  Yea, I am the opposite of the ever increasing posts on working to convince people they need to take in more carbs than ever before.  Where as for a long time the goal was to take in up to maybe 60gr or even maybe 80gr of carbs an hour the use now is for close to or over double that at 120+gr/hr.  Now I get it - if your paradigm is carb centric and you are not willing to change that paradigm you probably only have one way to go - more and more carbs.  But there is a way to go and it is one our bodies was designed to go - that is to use the fuel - fat or carb - that is needed for the effort or situation at hand.  However after years of training our bodies to rely on one source, carbs, most have to make a n effort to get things back on track

My thoughts and plans for the CGM is to gain more info on how my body works to help my health and performance and also to help others in how to use carbs in a lower carb diet for health and performance.  The Bernal plan is to just gather info for 2-3 weeks and then start experimenting with different foods and timings to see what doe best for any given situation and effort.  In the midst of this will be my run and ride at the Gravel World’s Double the end of August and will be interesting to see what the data shows after the races.  Unlike a certain company that pushes their CGM set up to drive what you do even in a race I am just going to observer what happened and use that data to compare to how I feel and make adjustments.  The issue with making on the fly changes is that as context changes - temp, effort, fatigue and more - so does ones needs and it may not be the same from one time to the next.

As far as the CGM set up I chose I went with Levels.  As a bit of info if you are not diagnosed by your doctor as diabetic or pre diabetic you will need to go the route of one of the CGM health companies to get a CGM as you can’t just buy them and your insurance will not cover it.  While a topic for another day but it is interesting that insurance companies will only cover things when you are already sick instead of covering those tools that may help you not get sick - but that is how they work since sick people are more valuable to the medical complex.  I looked at a few companies and finally decided on Levels as at the moment you had a choice between a Freestyle Libre or Dexcom 6 and for now went with the Freestyle Libre as the Dexcom 6.  Some differences are that the Libre is a little smaller and needs to be scanned every 8 hours to down load the data while the Dexcom is live and downloads the data via bluetooth.  Also, the Libre is good for 14 days before you need to change it while the Dexcom needs to be changed every 10 days.  Then, depending on who you talk to one may be more accurate than the other but if Levels ever moves to Dexcom 7 which I hear is much better it will be good.  As Levels, as with others, is a subscription based you get a new set of CGMs every month and you can change from the Libre to Dexcom when you like or even stop the subscription for a period of time.  You do pay a yearly ($199/yr) fee for use of their software on top of the monthly fee for the CGMs ($199/mth).   Again, you can put the CGM’s on hold when you like and then start again.  My plan is to use one for 3-6 months then take a break then come back near the end of my year plan - actually got a free extra 2 months - and see how things are and decide what I want to do from there.

I am sure there will be more I will do as another aspect of this is to see how my system reacts to being fat adapted and what happens when working out and racing when lower on carbs.  As I have said this is not to have the data drive what I do in real time, even though it may help adjust it over time, but help fine tune my fueling and cooperate what I already know and feel - or if the data says something else change what needs to be changed.  IN working with Peter at Vespa we really want things to be organic and intuitive but also know that data helps to build a foundation that supports what we know.
That’s it for now as I head off to So Cal for work for a month - will be interesting to see how my body does when eating out for month on travel. I have to admit I am sort of a data geek so am really looking forward to this and truly hope that the info I discover will help others so stay tuned.

What is the plan - well as I said this is to be a journey to learn more about how my body functions and to be able to fine tune my diet and carb use for various situations be it just life or racing and training.  The first 2-4 weeks will mainly just getting used to the data and collecting it so I know what my baseline is.  Also, will collect data from the Gravel Worlds Double that is about 5 weeks away which should be interesting in and of itself.  From there, and maybe even some in the 2-4 weeks, I will do some testing of certain foods and food combinations to see how I react.  One thing I really want to find out is about what carbs work best when racing to give me the push I need.  I have already found how some combos spike my glucose more than others - I do not noice it directly but can sure see it in the numbers.

I am sure there will be more I will do as another aspect of this is to see how my system reacts to being fat adapted and what happens when working out and racing when lower on carbs.  As I have said this is not to have the data drive what I do in real time, even though it may help adjust it over time, but help fine tune my fueling and cooperate what I already know and feel - or if the data says something else change what needs to be changed.  In working with Peter Defty at Vespa we really want things to be organic and intuitive but also know that data helps to build a foundation that supports what we know.

That’s it for now as I head off to So Cal for work for a month - will be interesting to see how my body does when eating out for month on travel. I have to admit I am sort of a data geek so am really looking forward to this and truly hope that the info I discover will help others so stay tuned.

2023 Yamacraw 50K Race/Run Review

This past weekend (5/20/23) I ran the Yamacraw 50K in the Daniel Boone Nat. Forest and is one of the most beautiful runs I have done and this year with the rain and all the green it felt like the we had a rainforest right here in KY.  This would be my third run there with the last two runs being back in 2017 and 2018.  The first two races if I remember correctly were in March so had different weather and the trail looks much different - greener - this time of year.  I went into this race in better shape than back in 2017 where I ran 5:59 and 2018 where I ran around 6:36 or so.  Based on this I was hoping to go under 6:00 again and did not think 5:30 was totally out of the question.  Well that is because I forgot how steep and rocky some of the downhills were and that I have been pretty careful on such down hills - especially since my fall at Pulaski Park where I got a minor concussion.  I got a quick reminder in the first miles where the stairs and rocks start on the descent and I just could not get myself to run down them so I quickly had people passing me as I let them all “RUN” by.

In trail running you often try and catch up time you lose on up hill sections when running downhill - well not for me on this type of course.  So the way the race went was I walked the steeper downhills and got passed by lots of people and then when going up hill past people only to get passed again later.  Couple that with just feeling tired at the start led to a slow start to the race where usually you can pick up some time as the back half of the course seems more hilly.  I even went through the “should I drop out” thinking at around 10 miles with the first and second aid station coming up.  Did not help that I fell at about 10 miles, just before the second aid station, and cut my hand and elbow and tweaked my hip.  Was just not feeling it and as I fell on a pretty tame section of downhill I was even more cautious on the downhills to come.  That said, as with in 2018 where I felt the same, I trudged on hoping I would feel better.  Thankfully things went about the same as last time and I did feel better but still had a lot of downhill that I would walk to come so knew a fast time was out but wanted to finish and place as well as possible and win my AG.

I made it to the third aid station at about mile 16.9 which is before the river crossing and while not feeling great was not feeling worse other than my right foot was sore as usual and probably made it worse as twisted my ankle at some point.  Did not seem like a bad twist but was pretty swollen and some discoloration the night after the race.  I just worked to maintain a steady, if not slow pace, and worked to run all the hills but one where it was fairly steep and running was slower than walking.  There is a dirt road you get to at about 23 miles or so that is about mile long of uphill and worked it pretty good, per Strava was 10th fastest on the day on this section, and was able to pass a number of people.  After that there is about a 1.5 mile rolling downhill section that while not pushing was able to keep a good pace on to get to the last Aid Station at 26 miles and just under 7 miles to the finish.  

The last 7 miles is deceptive as while there are a couple good downhills they are steep in places with even some steep stairs to go down so had to walk as was pretty slippy.  The rain had started and was coming down pretty well from about 17miles or so and the steps in the final section were both rocks and wood logs that I really did not want to slip on. The last 3 miles or so starts with a good uphill that I once again was able to pull away on but then when came to the last steep downhill and I got passed again.  Thankfully there is about 1.5 miles or so of runnable terrain so cruised to the finish.

All in all I can not say it was a good race for me but was a good run.  I say this as I did not give in to my inclination to drop out and persevered.  I did learn that courses like this may be out for racing as unless I get better at downhills and am willing to take some risk I just can’t race when I can’t take advantage of downhills as I need to.  I was initially really bummed as I had felt I was in shape to do much better, and think I was, but just did not take into account the terrain.  Realizing this race does not have that much elevation gain but the issue, at least for me, is the terrain coming down I am still optimistic about the 50K of the Gravel World’s Double as it is on rolling dirt/gravel rods with 2000ft of climbing which will much better play into my strengths of just getting into a rhythm.  That is the other issue with the trails for this race was they are hard to get into a rhythm on - why I sorta like the long road uphill as can just set it in a gear and go.

Here is the Relive of the run:

For kit I had the following:
- Craft Trail shorts - with built in Compression short  
- Craft Undershirt - this is one I did that most would not as it adds a layer but what find, as much like with riding, adds a thin air layer and never overheated.  
- RunInRabbit Shirt
- Injinji Trail Socks
- Orange Mud Sleeves - again was not cold but like these as they have pockets in them and work well even when hot out.  Let me add they also protected my left arm when I fell. 
- UltrAspire Speedboat Waist Pack   
- Vespa Cap   (Cap from here is unprinted)
- Topo Mtn Racer 2 Shoes   

- Coros Apex Pro 2 Watch

For this run I was trying a little different fueling in using UCAN Edge Gels as used to use UCAN but did not like the mix as hard to drink.  Thus used the gels with 2 before the run for a pre-load then one every 1.5 hours - did not take one at 6 hours as did not feel I needed one.  Also used Vespa as usual with one before the race and then 1 every 2 hours - again did not take one at 6 hours.  Then along the way probably drank about 3/4 of a can of coke at the aid stations and a few gummy bears I had.  For my hydration I probably drank 3 X 550ml bottles of water with a total of one scoop of Keto Fuel in them for electrolytes and 4S!Caps - took 2 with each Vespa Ultra Concentrate. Other than the first 10 miles or so felt good but I think most of how I felt was in my head as in this runs it is more of a mental battle for me.

Pre-Ride Fueling

2 hours before
16 oz Coffee
2 TBLS Heavy Cream
2 Scoops Collagen
2 GLPC Capsule
2 Vit D (50mg each)
1.5 Hours before
1 - UCAN Edge Gel

30 minutes before run
1 - UCAN Edge Gel
1 - Vespa CV25
1 - TruNiagen

Totals for Pre-Run
Cals - 345
Carbs - 47g
Protein - 22g
Fat - 11g

Run Fueling
3 - UCAN Edge Gels (Every 1.5 hours)
4 - Small cups coke at aid station (about 3/4 of a can total)
2 - Vespa Ultra Concentrate (2 hours & 4 Hours)
4 - S!Caps (@2 Hours and 4 hours)
1 - Ubiquinel at 3 hours
1- Bit-O-Honey at start
3 Gummy Bears along course near road climb
3 X 1/3 scoop Keto Fuel for Electrolytes
1 - TruNiagen in water bottle
56oz Water

Totals for Run
Cals - 400
Carbs - 104g
Protein - 1g
Fat - 1g

Lessons Learned and Things to Work On
I already new I was going to be tentative on the downhills before the race after my fall in the past months and a few near misses since then but was not as ready, as I had forgotten, how steep some of the descents were - even on some short ones that were just rocks.  Due to this I need to readjust my plan.  That said I my quads also took a pounding even on the less steep downhills I ran and that added up over the run and for sure felt it for 48 hours after the race. I also knew that while I had done some trails in Pulaski Park it was not enough and as they are tame, relatively speaking, trails there would take more work and just did not get that time in

To fix this, and my friend Nelson Weaver - who by the way got 10th at 50 years old - shared with me, I need to do more downhill practice and training to get my legs ready.  Also need to do some one leg squats that should help.  My quads are pretty strong from riding and for my size are bigger than most, not bragging just the way it is, due to riding and I think this adds to the soreness as they just take a pounding then running downhill - so more practice there is needed.

For Gravel Worlds there will not be the same downhills but will be enough rollers that I need to practice that type of terrain for now as not real trail runs in the cards for a while.  But I do know I need to add in more stretching and mobility exercises - well any stretching and mobility would be good as don’t do any really.  Along with this I need to work on my foot strength as the issue I have with my right foot while not as bad as it has been is still not good.  Once it starts getting sore it affects my stride an dhow I run that does not help.

Also I need to fine tune my fueling as for Gravel Worlds I not only have the individual races to fuel for but I need to keep fueled for the day two ride.  For this I need to just find what level of carbs feels the best and gives me the energy I need.  While I used UCAN for this race when it gets hot out I avoid it due to how ti sets in my stomach so may go back to SIS gels for that.  I can use Tailwind as works well but the only draw back is it requires being taken with my hydration and at times I do nto drink as much as I should and if this happens I not only don’t hydrate as I should I don’t get the fueling I should have.

That’s it for now and thanks, if you made it this far, for taking the time to read my report and hope something in it help you in your endeavors.

End of a Good 2 Weeks Training

Over the last 2 weeks I have been working some short intervals into my training to work on variable

pacing - more on this in a post in the next week.  Last week I focused on running intervals and then this week on riding ones.  Also, this past Friday and Saturday I did a Mini Gravel Worlds Trial with a long run on Friday and a Century on Saturday - so here is a review of the last two weeks.

Week April 10-16 - Run Focused
For this week I rode a little less and thus upped my running miles with the goal to get in 2 short interval sessions and then a long run on the weekend.  In this I also rode three times for a total of 129 miles.  For the runs I started the week running on Tuesday with a 10 miler that after an easy 6 miles ran 16 X 20/60’s with the 20 seconds sections at 5K race pace of around 6:00-6:15/mile with then an easy 60 seconds rest.  While it is a hard workout it easily doable and no real after effects from it.

My second run was an easy 4 miler on Wednesday afternoon after a morning ride on the trainer so the next harder run was on Thursday.  For this run I did an 8 miler with a 40 minute easy warmup then did 12 X 20/60’s with the 20 second parts at 6:00 - 6:15/mile pace and again 60 seconds easy.  Run felt good but did know I was working.

For the last run of the week I wanted to do a 20 miler then decided to add in 5 X 1 mile intervals with 1 mile rest from mile 7 - 17.  Ran easy 3 miles followed by a relaxed 4 miles so started longer intervals at 7 miles.  Faster mile intervals were from 6:53 to 7:15 (one was at 7:46 but had more uphill to it) then the rest miles were at 8:12 - 8:31 with last 3 miles to finish the run at a steady 8:15 down to 8:08/mie.  Was a good run since although tired at end and a little sore from the miles felt good.

So with basically 3 hard running workouts for the week it ended well and felt good to go into the next week with my intervals being on the bike.

Week 17-23 - Ride Focused
As this was more a ride focused week I cut back my run milage and plan was to run easy - which I sorta did but more on that in a moment.  First run of the week was a relaxed one but after the initial 3-4 miles lowered the pace for last two as felt good.  Not sure why I did this as plan was to run easier but truth is just felt good.

For my interval ride it consisted of 2 warmup rides ( Ride 1 & Ride 2 ) followed by an hour ride where I did 10 X 60/180s.  For these the 60 second intervals were done at 120% of my FTP  (about 290w) which comes out to around 348w and then the rest was to ride easy for 3 minutes then repeat.  Hard to track the watts but seemed to be about right but I think the 60 second efforts may be a little long as the goal is not to be totally trashed but that end the interval before you begin to slow down.  Will try this on the next round at 45 seconds.  That said it was a good workout.

After another run Wednesday where I again ran at a good pace but was comfortable. Thursday I had planned to do a Team Time Trial (TTT) on Zwfit as my intervals for the week.  Since the team was to have 8 people figured I could do 1 minute pulls but would then get 5-7 minutes rest since in a TTT the rest is not as easy as when just doing intervals.  The problem was that when race day came due to some misunderstandings on registering we only ended up with 4 people for this TTT which I did after a 27 mile warmup.  As there were only 4 of us the plan was for us to see how long we could go with 1 minute pulls which then gave a 3 minute rest.  We did a get a ways at this timing but at about 1/2 way we figured we would go to 30 second pulls so we could pull harder.  The problem is shortly after that my internet went out so the way Zwift works you can still ride but do not see anyone or get a draft.  Thus I had to just ride hard and hope that when the internet came on I would be close so rode at around 250-300 watts for a couple minutes.  When the internet came on I was a little ways behind but as we needed 4 to finish the race they had throttled back some so I soon caught up.  After a brief rest I went back to 30 second pulls till the end.  This was much harder than the intervals intended.

As I had a century planned for Saturday I wanted to do a long run Friday morning so as to do a mini Gravel Worlds Double trial.  Thus, I ran a 15 miler on Friday morning with my initial plans being to run easy.  I did this for the first 4 miles but then felt good so just ran at a pace that was comfortable which ended up being sub 8:00 for the last 11 miles.  In the midst of this - and this was unplanned and not sure if wise but oh well - I did 15 X 30/30s as are talked about in the book I am ready called The Science of Marathon and the Art of Variable Paced Running.  These are very much like what we at Vespa OFM do with out 20/60s but with less rest and a longer interval.  The length is actually a guide - as it is with ours - as you are to run at pace and time by feel but is good to start with a the time till you get the feel for the length and speed.  Ran these by feel but for the 2 miles covered during running these the miles were at 7:18 and 7:15.  When done after mile 10 I kept pace at sub 8:00/mile and gradually got faster with last mile in 7:23.  This was much faster than planned but was a good test with a century to ride 24 hours later.  Also, after the TTT on Thursday I was happy with being able to run this pace

This past Saturday I did the Redbud Century and was a beautiful day if not initially cold and was windy for the entire ride - sure felt like it was a headwind for the whole ride.  While not the fastest I have done this ride I only stopped for maybe 5 minutes total for the ride and rode the hills at a comfortable pace and did not ride the first 10 miles or so as hard as usual.  Also, as has happened the last few years I have done this it ended up mostly being an Individual Time Trial so makes it harder physically and mentally.  That said felt good and when not climbing pace was pretty well at around 20mph.  Considering the weeks workouts which were pretty good for me I felt great after the ride - tired but feeling good. 

Fueling for the Redbud Ride:

Was cool out so did not drink enough as just did not "feel" thirsty and was not hungry. Also, while did ride a good pace did not really push it so did not need as much extra as I might have if rode harder.

Pre-Ride

3/4 of Modified BP Coffee

1 - Packet of Oatmeal

1 - Vespa CV25

Totals:

Cals - 617 

Carbs - 42g

Protein - 26g

Fat - 38g

During Ride:

1.5 bottles of water

1 Scoop of Tailwind

1 Scoop Keto Salts

2 - Vespa Ultra Concentrate (@ 2hrs and 4hrs)

1 SIS Gel (1/2 at 50 miles & 1/2 at 4.5 Hours)

Totals:

Cals - 228

Carbs - 57g

Protein - 0g

Fat - 0g

 
Here is the Redbud Ride:

I finished the week with a 3.25 mile run in the morning at 8:20 that felt easy and no real soreness from Saturday’s ride or the week’s hard efforts.

So that was the last two weeks and between being fat adapted and using Vespa my recovery has been great.  No way I could have done the workouts I did - whether I should have done them is another conversation:) - with my past fueling regimen that was more focused on carbs.  The lack of damage done by my fueling makes all the difference.  

The plan for the coming weeks with the Yamacraw 50K in about a month is to do a few more variable paced workouts and to make sure I am well rested for Yamacraw before going back to getting ready for the Gravel Worlds Double and then Gravel Loco in Pueblo CO.  For the next few weeks will be more focused on running but will still get in some good rides and at least one or two more long ones.  As I often get some foot issues, been holding up well so far, if I over do it I want to be careful with my long runs before Yamacraw.

Stay tuned for a post on Variable Paced running and our Disruptive Periodized Training

Start the Year with The 28 Day Metabolic Reset

As we end the year many look to make a New Years Resolution - many times only ending up failing.  I think this often is the case because the goal of the resolution is not backed by a clear reason, a plan and often no support from others.

Over the last few years I have been really pushing that people need to take personal responsibility for their health and in particular their metabolic health.  If the last few years should have told us anything it is that one’s health should be a priority so as to combat all that is out there to create issues.  When I speak of good health this is not simply so one can run, or ride farther or faster, but even more importantly so one can live life to the fullest.  What would be better than to have your health and the energy it provides so as to take care of your family, play with children and work to support them - let alone to be able to train to your fullest and get the most out of your body.

One of the tools to do this is the 28 Day Metabolic Reset we do at Vespa.  This reset  is set up, in general, to help people experience Optimized Fat Metabolism (OFM) so as to gain metabolic capacity so as to Athen have true metabolic flexibility - being able to use both fat and carbs for fuel as needed.  That said while I am pretty far along the OFM journey I find these resets work great to help me get my body back on track when I may have strayed some with travel and the holidays.  As an aside one of the great benefits of OFM is that as you work on gaining metabolic capacity your body can easily get back on the wagon - the Reset is one of the tools to help me do so.

We will be starting the Reset on December 26th and the first week is made to get ready for the things to come and thus allows you to get through the 1st and then hit the Reset with the holidays behind you.

Here are some of the things that come with the 28 Day Metabolic Reset:

• Daily Videos Directly From Peter Defty

• Private Facebook Community 

• Daily/Weekly Assignments and Challenges 

• Access to the live calls (run twice per year)

• Supplementation Documents To Help Integrate

• Huge Discounts on Supplements

Sign up and get even more information here for the 28 Day Reset and join me as we work to better our metabolic health and performance

If you want more info before the Reset on metabolic health we will be having a Free Metabolic Suit December 11th, 13th and 15th and here is information of the summit

• Live & Perform as if you are decades younger just like our Heroes

• Mitigate and even reverse chronic illness

• Slow or even reverse the aging process

• Manage your weight naturally

• Reduce or even eliminate medications

• Continue leading a highly active lifestyle for decades to come

The summit will have 3 live calls - 

Live 1 - Sunday - December 11 - 8pm EST / 5pm PST -

Metabolic Health - your key to longevity and peak performance

Live 2 - Tuesday - December 13 - 8pm EST / 5pm PST - 

Why dieting is costing you money and your health

Live 3 - Thursday - December 15 - 8pm EST / 5pm PST - 

How to transform your health and reverse chronic conditions

To join all you have to do is show up in the OFM Facebook Group - here is the link - 

(note - if you are not a member just click the join button)

If you want to get reminders so you don’t miss one of these insightful events click here 

In this summit, not only will you learn how to reach your potential, but sustain it without a rigid diet, highly structured programs, counting, calculating or an app telling you what to do.  We teach you to LIVE life fully as an individual, and it is our pleasure to both guide & empower you on this journey as we have done for hundreds of others!

Whether you are an athlete who wants to reach their peak performance OR someone who simply wants to live Life to the fullest at any age - this is for YOU!

Bookmark your calendar and click here 

So join me for the Metabolic Summit the join me of The 28 Day Metabolic Reset

A Weekend of Extremes

Myself in 1st and Ricky Anderson in 2nd

Figured I would do a quick report on this weekends ride and run as they were at the extreme ends of the spectrum with a 100 mile ride - 23rd Century of 2022 - Saturday and a 1 Mile road race Sunday

As it is basically the end of my season I am feeling little tired and with a lot of travel coming up in the next 6 weeks or so am going to get some rest in - at least riding wise.  Due to this I wanted to get in at least one 100 miler before the end of the year with the BMTR group on Zwift Saturday and while I was running a Mile Road race the next day - so not the best prep - I rode it any way.  The plan was just to stay with the group and work to be mourned 2.5 w/kg for the ride, ended up being at 2.6) and try and spin more than I usually do so rode with the C group.  I figured this would allow me to get in the ride and not hammer my legs which likely would have happen if I rode with the B group.

That's pretty much how the ride went as just got in with the front group and did a lot of drafting and taking some pulls and as this was the RGV route I was ready for the usual surge on the Aqueduct climb and then through the S’s near the end of the loop.  The rest of the ride was pretty steady.  As usual, as on these rides not everyone is doing the full 100 miles for any number of reasons, the early pace was a little faster but as the numbers dwindle the pace slows and we went from being faster than 4 hour pace to a little slower - but that is all good as just the right pace for what I wanted.

The front group as it got smaller slowed enough for another group to catch back on which was great as it adds more people to share the pace.  So we continued on until the the last lap where as is also usual there was to be some form of sprint - hey the competitive juices do flow at the end even on a comfortable ride.  In the sprint before the climb the group separated some then about 5 of us went clear on the Aqueduct and it came down to us in the sprint.  I did not want to do too much so pulled a consistent pace and in the sprint got third - but all in good fun and our final time for the 100 was just under 4:02.  Having done almost a 10 mile warmup it made for a good 110 miles.

As far as nutrition I had my usual Modified BP Coffee before the ride and also 1/2 bowl of Oatmeal with some butter/cream and a little maple syrup and also 1 CV-25 Vespa (884 cals, 32 g Protein, 40g carbs, 65g Fat).  For the ride I ended up drinking about 50oz of water and in that had two scoops of KetoFuel for the salts and then took one CV-25 Vespa at 2 hours along with 2 S!Caps so the minimal carbs in the Vespa was  it for carbs and calories and felt great during and after the ride.   I did make sure to get in some carbs later in the day, splurged on a Fried Pumpkin Pie - hey just sounded good and was, with a coffee and then some potatoes for dinner just to make sure the tank was topped off for the next day.

Ride info: https://www.strava.com/activities/8107884268

Legs felt good waking up the next day with no soreness - although as is usual did fill a little awkward running till warmed up.  The interesting part about this road mile - other than I have never done one in all my 49+ years of running - is that it is later in the day (3PM).  Due to this I went to church and preached so was standing for a while and then went to the race.  I thus did not eat much all day other than the same as I had before my ride the day before but way before I was to run.  I did have a nut butter and a fruit bar on the way to the race and took a swig of coke before the race to see if it would help, but did not notice much.   

I got to the race and knew I had to get in a good warmup as for me I rarely am wanted up till 5 miles or so miles:). Also, the day was cold as while it was predicted to get up to 45F I think it never got much over 35F. More on that in a minute.  During the warmup I notice during some pickups that speed was just not in my legs.  Not surprised as have not done any speed work of much worth in a very long time.  I did do some pickups during the week but also noticed there that they weren’t fast.  

All, that said my plan was to go out with the leaders to some extent - ended up not being much - and then just settle in as best I could.  I had hoped to go under 6:00 pace as had just run 6:40 pace for a 5K the week before - a 5K where the temp was in the high 50’s - but it is amazing how just that little more speed can be so hard to accomplish if not ready for it.  As a little background my goal over the last year or so - and more now with the Gravel Worlds 50K run in August coming up - is to work to get to where 8:00 pace is very comfortable and I have noticed things moving in that direction but have not done speed work which I will need to do.

As the race started I went out a little too quick but I just like to get some separation from the other arms and legs as did not want to go down and truth is I felt fine - well for the first  200 meters of so:)  Went through 1/4 mile in 1:20 and then did a 1:39 for the second 1/4 mile to be right on pace but not good as pace was slowing.  Right at about a 1/4 mile I could feel my chest constricting some and my exercised asthma kicking in - probably from the exertion in the cold - so slowed so as not to have to just stop.  I then ran the next 1/4 mile in 1:43 and the final 1/4 mile in about 1:44.  I wanted to kick it in and legs felt I should have been able to but every time I went to pick it up my wheezing said no!!  Thus finished the mile in 6:17 and as was a little long if my GPS was right, looking at most peoples distance it seemed to just over a mile but very close, my official time was 6:22.  

I was not too happy with the time - but rarely am I.  However in looking back I guess it is what I was ready to do and being able to go out in 5:20 pace, even if I slowed a lot, shows there is some speed there and just need to work at it more to extend it out.  Also, as the finishing is a very gradual up hill the fact my last two splits stayed even was also good as while I slowed I stayed at a pace I was comfortable at which while being close to 7:00/mile is a start.  I ended up 23rd OA and 1st int eh 60-69 AG.  

Run info: https://www.strava.com/activities/8114441160/overview

Lessons learned:

• I need to do speed work - even for longer runs it is good to be able to ratchet up the speed - so as I need to do on the bike I need to add in some running speed work at least once every two weeks.
• I need to work on pacing, especially in the cold and for shorter races, as I think if I had gone out a touch slower - even if I at the time felt good - I may have been able to better control my breathing and thus overall gone faster.  The speed work will also help with this as will give me a better feel for faster paces.
• Need to look into natural ways to deal with my exercise induced asthma as while could use an inhaler I do not want to.
• The biggest lesson is to be happy with my performance no matter what as I need to realize many my age can’t run a mile let alone run a 6:22.  God has blessed me to keep going and I need to find joy in that and not the time I run or ride.  I can still want to go faster but my joy needs to be in moving itself.

2022 Gravel Revival Race/Ride Report

OK a week late but wanted to post on the last gravel event of the year.

Rode The Gravel Revival in Hickman City TN.  This is a great event on a good , and challenging, course that contains all types of gravel and some steep climbs and descents.  The even is both a race - only awards to top three men and top three women - and ride - no placings but a clock at the finish for an official time you can see - which is great as with the different distances and less of an all out focus on being a race it is a good place to have a chill ride if that is what you want.  Also, a good end of the season place to meet people one only gets to meet at these events.

For me I had thought about riding hard but since just before the Bourbon Chase Relay  I have been fighting a sinus issue that just lingers and with the ever changing weather - was down to 26 at one point then back up to 80 - it just keeps hanging around.  So as the day approached I thought I would just ride and see how it went but focus on a good paced ride that was more chill.  When I got to the race and saw the race started up a gravel hill, that while ridable with all the other riders it was going to be a challenge and one if you wanted to ride hard you would need to go out at a good pace on, so I decided to just take it as it came.  I made the mistake of not warming up as I usually do and paid for it for the fist mile of climbing but after 5 miles or settled in.  Not sure if after about 5 miles and settling in with a group if we passed anyone, other than those who flatted and there were lots of those - more on that later - or were passed by anyone but those who flatted trying to keep riding hard.  Our group which was probably about 8 or so to start dwindled as we went on for varius reasons and we finished with 4 of us.  By the way the finishes was at the bottom of the hill you climbed to start which made for some fun - well fun for those who are good at descending on dirt:)

BMTR Teammate Jeff and I

Samuel's and My Bike

As far as pace this is a hard race as while the total climbing at 5300+ feet was not excessive as compared to some rides I have done the nature of the climbs and the speed, or should I say lack of it, up them was a difference.  Most all the steep climbs were far from hard pack gravel and steep enough, up to 16% I saw on RideWithGPS, to really slow the pace.  This is always a fun time as on my Orbea I have a 2X with a 50/34  and 11 speed 11/32 the climbs can be a challenge.  I joked with those in our group that on the climbs I was not trying to get away but with my gearing - as most had at least a 1:1 ratio - I had to go at that speed to just keep moving.  The point is that the course dictates the pace even with comparable climbing on other rides - I was much faster at Gravel Worlds but while lots of climbing and 153 miles the climbs are shorter and faster - even if lots of them.

Another chill side of the ride is that usually with rides this length I can pass on aid stations and for this had planned at most to hit the last one at about 49 miles for water. However, here I stopped at both as was with a group and good to stop with the group and they would end up catching me anyway as it is much faster in a group.  Also, for me as these events are pretty much the  extent of my gravel riding, most my training is either on Zwift or the road, I am not the best at the terrain on the down hills so good to follow other wheels.  I find when I am alone descending I am much slower , and I mean very much slower, even though following others still has it dangers as I hit a few rocks did not see coming but still faster.  

Terrain wise this ride seems to have it all, pavement, dirt, nice gravel, deep gravel, a creek crossing, a short ride down a creek, steep gravel climbs and downhills, mud and lots of ricks and leaves.  One thing that was not too bad was no really rutted downhill sections to speak of which are always very slow for me.  I did find that the leaf covered roads made it hard to see the hidden obstacles and hit a few.  Have read that polarized sun glasses can create problems picking out hazards.  I think when you couple that with age - already have issues with death perception - the glasses added to that.  Wanted to take them off then right when I was about to got hit in the face with rocks, bugs and other debris so left them on.  Need to look, pun intended, into this for future rides like this.

I had mentioned lots of flats and I avoided them.  I contribute this to my set up.  I ride Enve G23 X 700c wheels with SK+ 38mm Panaracer Tyres  (for Gravel Worlds I used the SS+ in 38 with no Cush Cores as not needed) installed with Cush Core CX inserts and Stans No-Tubes Sealant.  By the way I am not sponsored by any of these companies - would not pass it up if offered:). I had pretty much the same set up last year - a different tyre - and again this year a number of times I hit some rocks very hard and was sure I was going to get a flat and did not.  Can't say if it was the Tyres, the inserts or the sealant but can say all together for this course it was the best set up.  What I gained in rotating weight I saved in not flatting.

As far as nutrition I had gone into this wanting to take in more carbs due to wanting to ride hard.  Once I change my focus to a more chill ride I worked to make sure to take in enough water and carbs as my body felt like it needed.  So from this below is what I took in before and during the ride.  I did take in more before the ride than I thought but as was eating with friend I probably ate more than planned - a good 3 hours before - but not a big deal just meant the tank were for sure topped up:

Pre-Ride:
- Modified Bullet Proof Coffee
- 1/2 cup of oatmeal
- 1/2 cup cream of wheat
- 1ea hard boiled egg
- 1ea Vespa

Pre-Ride Totals
- Calories - 932
- Carbs -  66 g
- Protein - 41 g
- Fat - 55 g

Ride Fueling:
- 3 - 24 oz Bottles of Water
- 1ea Scoop Tailwind
- 1ea Scoop KetoFuels (for salts)
- 1ea -  SIS Gel
- 1ea - Bit-O-Honey

Ride Totals
- Calories - 232
- Carbs - 57 g
- Protein - 0
- Fat - 0

So this was a great way to end the season and while the ride is not quite as easy as I might like it is a great way to end things.  Have to say that I was feeling a little tired and see that this has been a long year of training and probably natural to feel a little this way at the end.  Was nice to push it a little as we did not go slow but to also not race it and thus finish feeling tired but overall good.

Lessons learned to take into the coming year:

• Warmup , Warmup and Warmup - I need to warmup if the initial effort is to be hard.  In this case the uphill start was going to be hard no matter the desired effort as it just was hard and not warming up was nto good
• Work on fueling as I think I need more carbs for races but need to figure out how I take them in and make sure I actually do so often I just go and forget.  I think next time I am going to put the gels I want in a container and take them form that as opening them and such is just a pain on gravel
• Also, need to work on getting my overall diet more consistent as I had a number of times I went off the rails, well for me off the rails, and while I know I stay fat adapted I just do not feel as good as I want.
• Continue to work on my gravel riding - not sure my downhill skill will ever get great as I just have no desire to crash so for sure hold back.
• Training needs to be periodized more as in the past I usually did 3-4 weeks of training then 1 rest week.  This year I had some rest weeks but not as planned as they needed to be.  Usually came due to work or smoother circumstance and not when I often really needed them
• Adjust milage for next year as I want to run more for some 50k’s so need to ratchet back some on the riding and not feel like it is an issue.  Truth is I need long rides and not necessarily lots of overall miles.  So will look at more quality rides and then make sure to get in the long ones I need both for endurance and mentally to prepare for Gravel Worlds
  

So one last item as this is one of those small world stories. After the race when everyone was hanging out and having fun and recovering I saw a young man, sorry I forgot his name and should have written it down, in a jersey I was surprised to see. I saw it and had to go talk him as you see I raced for that team in the late 80’s - early 90’s and this was one of our original jerseys.  Boston Bicycles was a shop in Costa Mesa California that I rode for years ago.  Imagine seeing this jersey out in Hickman Cty TN. When I asked where he got it his dad said he found it for a dollar at a Goodwill, I think in Nashville.  Who would have guessed I would see that jersey again , let alone at a gravel ride in TN.  NOW THAT IS COOL

Now to get ready for the year to come.

2022 Bourbon Chase Relay Race Report

This past weekend (Sept 30- Oct 1, 2022) I took part in the Ragnar Bourbon Chase Relay.  This relay, which is like the Hood to Coast Relay I did a few years ago, was 214 miles long and is run by a 12 person team separated into two vans - I was runner #9 in Van #2.  Our team, Southern Express, was entered in the Men's Masters (40+) category.  While some teams may work to have a team as young as possible we for sure cover the full age range in that we have runners in their 40’s, 50's & 60's - in our van, Van #2, we had three runners - including myself - that were 63 and over.  

Here is our full team with ages:

• Adam Bourne 45
• Joe Bell 41
• George Corder 57
• Arnold Tempel 40
• Kevin Hetrick 43
• Nathan Frey 46
• DR Swanner 65
• Willie Dick 58
• Jeff Golden 53
• Tony Duncan 52
• George Gill 65
• Tony Konvalin 63

Basically, each person is to run 3 legs, of varying distance from around 3 miles up to the longest which was 12+ miles,  and they alternate non-stop over the course of quite a few hours - our time was at 27:45.  There is some time to sleep but very little as I think I may have at best gotten 2 hours sleep during the race.  Our team finished 3rd in the Men’s Masters race and 11th overall so that was great and more than that it was a great deal of fun running with a great group of guys.

I had been ready for this race but after getting back from So Cal where it was at a 100F+ it was 80F here in KY and a day or so later it was in the 40’s for a low and I got a pretty good head cold.  This is a pretty usual occurrence when the wether changes due to my sinuses but how bad or quick it comes on depends on the degree of the weather change.  Mostly dealing with post nasal drip and a slight cough I figured I would do my best as the alternative was being a man short and that was not acceptable.  Thankfully while tired from the head cold it was not too bad except for some coughing after the leg but other than that better than expected.

Here is a run down of the legs I ran, and on map, with the first two in the dark - with Strava links:

• Leg 9 - started around 7:30PM  ( https://www.strava.com/activities/7891943800/overview ) and was 7.64 miles with about 390Ft of climbing and averaged 7:00/mile
• Leg 21 - started at 3:05AM ( https://www.strava.com/activities/7892789316/overview ) and was 5.75 miles with 259ft of climbing at 7:06/mile
• Leg 33 - started at 11:55AM ( https://www.strava.com/activities/7895697870/overview ) and was 7.84 miles with 525ft of climbing and averaged 7:26/mile
• Leg 36 - this was an extra leg as we had called up someone last minute to fill in and he was not ready to run three legs so as it worked out I took the last one.  So after about 2 hours rest this leg started at 2:10pm (  https://www.strava.com/activities/7896290944/overview ) and was 4.74 miles with 180ft of climbing and averaged 7:28/mile.

Looking back over the splits I was very happy with the first two legs and the 3rd one, when looking at the climbing and that there was a strong headwind for much of it, was not too bad.  As far as the last leg while I wanted it to be faster in truth as I had been feeling some cramping in my hamstring on the 3rd leg I just ran so as to not cramp and have to walk - so finished strong.  I ran a Toal of 25.8 of racing miles and about 1.2 of some warmup miles.

The last time I ran a relay like this I ended up with Plantar Fasciitis for two years due to the issues created by hoping in a van after running hard.  But this time round I had no such issues and am sure it is a combination of my change in diet as well as riding more which helped to balance some muscle issues and also changing shoes I have been using since - Topos.  So while I ended still with my head cold and a cough and some soreness - to be expected with the miles and effort - I came out in great shape.  Even got in a couple good paced rides on Zwift the Monday and Tuesday after the race and a couple 4 mile runs.

As far as fueling I would say this was sort of a take in what I could as a little hard to control everything.  Where OFM comes in is that I did not really need all that much and never felt all that hungry.  I did take a Vespa a couple times during the race - before Leg 2 and Leg 3.  As for the rest here is what I can remember that I took in and you will see that it was more carb heavy than normal but did not create any issues:

• Lunch on the way to first leg (3:00PM Friday) - Hamburger, yes ate the bun, and a backed potato with butter.
• Just took the Vespa before my first leg which was leg 9 and had a little bit of Tailwind
• After, we fished leg 12 our van went back to a hotel and had the following - 6: meat subway sandwich, again ate the bun, some chips and a couple cups of coffee.  Also had a Vespa before second leg. - leg 21.
• After my second leg - leg 21 - and getting done with leg 24 we went back to the hotel for breakfast at about 7AM and had some eggs, sausage, ham and a few mini chocolate donuts and some coffee.  Did have a few potatoes but they were sort of spicy so decided to not finish them.
• Before my third leg, legs 33, I had an SIS Isotonic Gel and a swig of coke.  Afterwards I had a 16oz Gatorade as we were out of water and needed something
• Then before my last leg I again had an SIS Isotonic Gel and a swig of coke.
• During all this I was taking in water and some tailwind but in this I am pretty sure I did not take in enough electrolytes as while to me not hot was sweating quite a bit but just lost track of keeping up with the electrolytes.

Once again I am seeing that my OFM diet and fueling is working great and my use of riding to help my running is also working great.

Lessons Learned:

• I still need to dial in my hydration and electrolytes - especially when not too hot as tend to drink less
• Make sure I bring enough water as like to avoid the sugary drinks but take them if all I can get.
• Loosen up a little more at each stop - tend to just veg to rest but then tighten up

Looking forward to doing this again as the whole thing is a great time with some great people.

Thanks to our sponsors:

• Southern Belle Dairy  
• Alton Blakely

Also, thanks to Nathan Frey who arranged the whole thing and it takes a lot of organizing