My sponsors take care of me, and I like to take care of them. I felt as if my sponsorship with WeFuse wasn’t paying them dividends, at least yet, so to make it more enticing for you to go try out their food, I’m offering you a one time deal. Go eat there, tell them you heard about them through me, and I will personally reimburse you $5 for your first visit. Simple as that. Now, what are you waiting for? Go eat there! Their food is awesome! Tell them you want the caveman special and they’ll set you up. It’s basically a seared tuna bento box with asparagus and roasted tomatoes substituted for rice and veggie dumplings. Quality protein and fat, low carb, lots of vitamins, superb taste. If you’re more in the mood for a salad, go with the tuna tataki or curry chicken and avocado.  I’ve tried it all! Never a bad experience! Even if you can’t make it downtown during the lunch hour, I bet you know people who can. Spread the word! Here is their info:

WeFuse

120 E. 4th St. (4th and Brazos in the Frost Bank Tower)

512-236-1011

http://www.wefuse.net/

twitter.com/wefuse

Hours are M-F 11am-6pm

I hopped on a bike last night for the first time since Breckenridge and went for a quaint 30 mile cruise around town. It’s weird, I can’t remember the last time I went for a road ride longer than about 15 miles, excepting the 50 mile race I did in Fredericksburg not too long back. A lot of my training has gotten condensed, and favoring intensity over endurance. It was nice being out on the open road. Not too windy, not too hot, not too much traffic. The Loop 360 Hills felt short and shallow. Riding 1,000+ foot climbs in Colorado has definitely changed my perception of climbing. Austin has it better than a lot of other Texas cities, but like I said, Texas just doesn’t compare. At any rate, my mind was at ease and I made the decision for the races I’ll be doing for the remainder of the year. The Camp Eagle and Austin Xterras in August will round out the offroad tri season, the Austin Tri on Labor Day weekend will likely be the last road tri of ’09, and then there’s the big daddy in mid October. I will be making a return visit to the race that started it all. 24 Hours of Rocky Hill. If Moab didn’t have a $325 registration fee and wasn’t 1300 miles away, I might be doing that one solo. But alas, I decided to keep it local, keep it affordable, and keep it fun. No race plans until next month. Perhaps I’ll have some time to crank out some non cycling posts on issues I find relevant. Keep an eye out for “Grocery Store Snobbery” and “Turn your Phone Off”.

Tis not the man that makes the mountain. It is the mountain that makes the man.

I cannot put into words my race experience Saturday July 18, 2009. Any cliche you’ve ever heard about mountain biking Breckenridge is a bit exaggerated–under-exaggerated that is. Put together a race that has 100 miles of Summit County riding, and you are bound for the most epic ride of your life, at least, if you live at sea level in a place that lacks the topography of Colorado. Base elevation 9600 ft. Climbs of 2800 ft., summits of 12,400 ft. Snow field crossings. 40 degree stream crossings. Tight singletrack switchbacks, long jeep road climbs that never seem to end, perilous 30 mph singletrack descents (some of them in Alpine Country above the tree line), screaming 45+ mph jeep road descents. Temperature swings from 40 degrees to about 73 or so. The joy of experiencing mother nature at her finest, the pain and suffering of each pedal stroke that brings you closer to the finish line, The beauty of it all.

You will hear it here first, from one of the most tried and trued Texans out there. Texas does not compare. Not even close. Colorado puts the “mountain” in mountain biking. Except for some mediocre mountains in West Texas, all we really have are some little ant hills here and there. I have won 12 and 24 hour races, and yes they were tough, but nothing I have ever attempted was as challenging as the Breckenridge 100. So much so, that I could not even complete this race. I don’t take great pride in DNF’s, and in fact, this is only the second Did Not Finish for a mountain bike race that I can recall. I stand before you a humbled man, but make no mistake-I have no shame or regret for not finishing this race. I did still complete 2 loops, 61 miles,and nearly 8,000 vertical feet of elevation gain in 7 hours and 35 minutes on some of the most challenging terrain in the United States.

When I first signed up for the race, I knew I was probably biting off a bit more than I could chew. But I felt my heart and mental toughness would compensate for my lack of training on 2000 ft climbs at 11,000 ft altitude. I set an over zealous goal of around 10:30. Just completing that 3rd loop would have been goal enough. My naivety has set me up for failure before, and although I wouldn’t say I failed this race, my high expectations landed me a pretty big slap on the face around mile 55, about the time I lost hope of going out on that third loop. No amount of mental toughness could have pushed my torn and dilapidated body another 36 miles and 4300 vertical feet through the Colorado wilderness that day. I had already pushed mind, body, spirit, and machine to the limit. Old knee problems were flaring up, lower back was seizing, leg muscles were beyond cramped, hands were cramping so bad I could barely grip the bars. Oddly enough, I was well hydrated and fueled. Mentally, I was prepared for the high elevation, and it didn’t seem to limit me as much as I thought it would. Coupled with the immense amount of climbing though, both factors beat me to a pulp.

That’s mountain bike racing. Real mountain bike racing. Naive no more, I have learned my lesson. I know the price I must pay if I wish to finish next time, and a next time there will be. I’ve got unfinished business in Breckenridge.

Enjoy the photos. I took a disposable camera with me and snapped a few shots along the way. The quality is poor, my shooting skills poorer, and the camera’s field of view about 1000 times too small to convey the true feeling and enormity of this course, but they are a start. The photo titled “The Lodge” is the first non race picture of the set-I had to burn off some shots to get the roll developed. There’s also some shots in Colleen’s facebook album. Also, check out this fellow’s gallery. He wasn’t out racing when these were taken, so he had time and better equipment for better pictures. Til next time, Caveman.

I’d like to give a shout out to my newest sponsor/partnership, Paleo Cookbooks. I have teamed up with owner Nikki Young to promote her cookbooks and the PROVEN Paleo Diet.  The recipes in her books are mind blowingly simple, tasty, and nutritious. Everything your body needs, nothing it doesn’t. If you’re still eating processed foods (especially carbs) and wondering why you can’t lose those last pesky 10 lbs, or maybe even 50 lbs, no matter how much you work out and adhere to the latest trendy “diet”, look no further than these recipes. Maybe you’re already decently fit but want to take your health and performance to the next level. This past Spring, I shot up in the Pro/Cat 1 category ranks from near last to about top 5. My training didn’t change much, in fact my volume probably dropped a bit due to other stuff going on. I attribute most of the gains to the Paleo Diet. Of all my athletic beliefs and theories and practices, I rate my diet as the #1 health priority. Even if I wasn’t an athlete, there would be no better way to improve my health and quality of life in the long run. Check out the site by clicking below. Nikki offers a 3 month 100% money back guarantee that I personally endorse as well, and if you know me, there aren’t too many products like this that I endorse. Give it a look, and please, even if you don’t think it will benefit you, perhaps you know someone else who is struggling with weight and looking for a solution. Send them here!

Cheers,
Caveman

It’s been one year since I completed my first ever triathlon, the Couple’s Triathlon right here in Austin. Coming off the heels of a Rapha roller race victory a few short hours before, I was tired, but made it out to Decker Lake and finished the race that day. It was good race to launch a new athletic endeavor. Going into the race this year, I would not only be much better rested, but much more prepared. A better swimmer, a stronger biker, a tougher runner, and more experienced in transition. I pulled up last years stats:

• 1:29:55 total
• 27:19 in the water,
• 32:20 on the bike (20.8 mph),
• 25:19 on the run (8:10 mile pace)
• 4:55 spent in transition
• 281^st overall of 900 or so athletes.

I set a goal to knock 15 minutes off that time and have one of the fastest bike splits. I didn’t quite make 15 minutes, but 13:15 ain’t bad. Factor in a big mistake I made in T2 and it could’ve been more like 14 min. Here are the new (and improved!) stats:

• 1:16:40 total
• 21:37 swim
• 29:45 bike (22.6mph) 10^th fastest bike split o the day
• 22:26 run (7:14 mile pace)
• 2:49 in transition
• 89^th of 910

The swim felt longer than that and was tough due to the warm water and some failing goggles that I had to stop at least 5 times to press back on. They still were holding water though, so much so that I started to get double vision and had a real hard time seeing the buoys on the final 250m. My vision was blurry coming out of the water too, which was a little scary, but a quick start on the bike dried them up quickly. This was the first race on my new TT rig. Since I built up the Bridgestone as my new (old) road bike, the Trek Madone got converted to a TT bike. Aerobars and a fast forward seatpost have made this thing a speed demon. A few folks with real TT bikes and super fancy aero wheels threatened to pass me a time or two, but as soon as we hit the hills, the slow twitch junkies had a hard time keeping up a tried and true mountain biker.

Second transition was pretty smooth, except 30 yards into my run I realized I left my race number in transition. Rules state you have to finish with it, so I turned around to go get. Probably set me back about 40 seconds, hence the 14 minute improvement I could have had, not to mention a run pace that was closer to 7:05. 40 seconds in a sprint tri is a lot.

Overall, I’m very pleased with the effort and can’t wait til next year to try and get that time under 1:10, maybe even 1:05. Pretty lofty goal, but if I can knock off 14 minutes from a year ago, whose to say I can’t do it again?

This week is some R&R, lots of sleep, lots of hydration, lots of stretching, and lots of preparation for the Breckenridge 100 mile mountain bike race this coming Saturday. Best of luck in your quest for improvement and accomplishing goals in whatever aspect of your life you are working to improve.

The new bike is complete. Without further ado, I present to you, The Dark Knight. This beauty will be my racing hardtail for a while, perhaps until something breaks that is irreparable. What does it have to do with all those traits I mentioned in the last entry? Well, it is not a road bike, but it is a steel frame. It is not a full suspension, but it is of course a 29er. It is not carbon (except for the rear derailleur cage), but it is some of the most high tech steel alloy on the market today ( OX Platinum).

For starters, the frame was handmade in Boulder, CO by reknowned builder Walt Wehner. It was custom built for a friend here in Austin who likes his rides to be very snappy, so the headtube is somewhat steep and the bike is a little less forgiving, but it absolutely flies! For you gear junkies out there, it has some solid features including X.9 shifters, X.o medium cage rear derailleur, Salsa moto ace 17d bar, ESI grips, Rock Shox Reba front fork, and Forte Carve Pedals. Some components that make it unique are the Middleburn duo crankset (a 2×9 setup with 27t-40t gearing-> requires use of a compact or road front derailleur for chainstay clearance), a super fancy Crank Bros Cyan ISIS bottom bracket, the KCNC seatpost that I’ve had ever since I built up my first 29er (one of the lightest seatposts on the market), a KMC x.93 chain (I only mention because most folks are still using SRAM and haven’t heard of this brand-it is higher quality at a better price than SRAM), Stan’s ZTR 355 wheelset with Stan’s “The Raven” tires, KCNC superlight skewers, and perhaps the most exotic of all the components, the Scrub Components Rotors with Ti bolts. These are very high tech metal matrix rotors that weigh considerably less than stainless steel rotors ( 2 160mm rotors are slightly less than a single SS rotor) and dissapate heat much better. I look foward to several miles of use from these things. Total dead weight comes to about 22.2 lbs. Not too shabby for a steel 29er hardtail. Today Dark Knight will depart Austin for Breckenridge, CO where the hundred miler will take place on Saturday.

Always a fan for the dramatic, I tell you, my loyal readers, that change is coming, and I’m not talking about the false promises of the Obama administration. There is a new steed sitting in my living room being built up. No, it is not an old steel road bike. It is not the latest and greatest 29er full suspension or carbon fiber hardtail. No, it will not make me a faster or a better rider. It does have something to do with all of these though. More details to come. For now, I offer this hint:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DZt0LYoOXo&hl=en&fs=1&]

Crank it up!

I had a dream that someday, I would graduate the ranks of the Cat 4 roadies and get a Cat 3 license. Today that dream became reality. After fininshing with the pack of the Cat 3/4 race in Fredericksburg this past Sunday, I got the final piece of the puzzle needed to fulfill upgrade requirements.

It was an interesting race to close out my career as a Cat 4, and transition into the 3’s. You see, I’ve never done a Cat 3/4 race on the road. I’ve raced Cat 3/4 crits on flat circles for about 45 minutes, but never on a true road race 52 miles long and lasting over 2 hours, not to mention on some of the most varied terrain I’ve ever raced a bike over before.

This course had a bit of everything. Gradual climbs, steep climbs, gradual descents, steep descents, cattle guards, low water crossings (1 of which actually had water that we hit at 35 mph+), roads that went from 15′ wide to maybe 8′. Then there was the blistering heat, that for many, turned the race into a matter of survival and just finishing the race rather than actually trying to place. I struggled on some of the steeper climbs and the very fast and sustained attacks. I should also point out that I was racing Suicidal Tendencies (ST), the newly named Bridgestone RB-2 that replaced the Ross as my new road bike. It is a beauty of a bike and very high tech for its time (1988), but this is 2009 and bikes have come a long way since then. On a course like thise with 1200 ft elevation gain per lap (2 laps total), weight does become a factor. I was lugging around an extra 5-6 lbs compared to the all the other carbon frames and super fancy wheelsets. My downtube shifters also put me at a slight disadvantage because I couldn’t always shift into a gear fast enough if the pack suddenly slowed, say because of a steep little climb. So yes, objectively, on a small scale, my equipment was somewhat of a hinderance.

Subjectively though, I’m a firm believer that it’s not about the bike. I don’t depend on expensive equipment to make me faster. Hard work, determination, heart, and good preparation are much more effective (and affordable!) ways to get the job done, so ST and I just hung tight with the pack.  A bottle fiasco in the feed zone dropped me from the group and left me digging for everything that I had for 10 minutes to catch the pack and try to recover far longer than that as riders kept attacking off the front. The incident was extremely frustrating ( another rider grabbed my bottle from Colleen, but dropped it because she wasn’t trying to give it to him-I needed water badly, so I waited for her to pick up and hand it to me), but I had no choice but to tell myself it was nobody’s fault and that if I didn’t bust my rear to get back to the pack my race was done, as was my chance to upgrade.

The effort paid off, but the damage was done. I knew I was vulnerable to anymore really strong attacks or punishing climbs. Placing well is always a thought in the racer’s mind, but I quickly dismissed it and focused on just finishing with the pack.  Luckily, the conditions were taking their toll on all the other riders as well, and no attacks made it out that didn’t get pulled back in. There were sections on the last 5 miles of the race where the whole field was just moving at a crawl. It felt kind of gloomy, like we were all sharing some kind of dark fate, but once we took a right turn back on the highway into town, it was every man for himself.

The record will show that I finished 32nd. In a pack finish, unless you are top 10, it doesn’t really matter where you finished-you finished with the pack. In a race like this, that is accomplishment in itself. Not a bad way to say goodbye to my Cat 4  friends, and hello to my new 3’s. Whenever one door closes, another one always opens.

I am no exercise kinesiologist or personal trainer. But I am an experienced athlete, and a diligent researcher when it comes to what equipment is the most ergonomic for my body. Hop over to my tech corner and you’ll see all kinds of stuff related to better cycling ergonomics. Large sweep handlebars, cleat shims for your shoes, narrow q-factor cranks. And a bunch of stuff I have yet to add. Today’s focus is actually not cycling or nutrition related, as most of my entries tend to be. It’s about running. Healthier, more effecient running. The beauty of running is that it requires no equipment, other than maybe a pair of shorts and a sports bra if you are female. Shoes you ask? You don’t need them. Much like you have been conditioned your entire life to believe you need a lot of carbohydrates to function properly, society and shoes companies have brainwashed you into thinking you need shoes to run better and more injury free. Shoe companies come out with new “technology” and gadgets every year to try and stay ahead of the competition. Stores that sell running shoes would have you believe that you can hop on a treadmill in their store while they analyze your gait and determine that you are an overpronator and have an extremely high arch. They then proceed to sell you a shoe that is supposed to correct these “problems.” Both shoe companies and retailers only have one thing on their minds: your money. A few months ago, having developed a lot of interest in barefoot running and minimal shoes ( see this blog entry ), I decided to buy some Mizuno Wave Universe II shoes. I wasn’t quite ready to go completely barefoot for my races, especially Xterras with rough trail runs, but I was ready to try out the most minimal shoe I could find. This one certainly fit the bill. It is unbelievably light and has hardly any cushion at all in the forefoot area. After several training miles and three 10k trail run races, I’m here to say that I will never buy any shoe with more cushion than this one. If anything, I’ll find some with LESS cushioning, such as the Vibram Five Fingers, or go completely barefoot (my ultimate goal). The only thing I have to fear, is fear itself. Fear indeed is what drives us to make a lot of the poor decisions that we already make on a day to day basis. Get fear out of your system and have the courage to try new things. I can promise you, once you get used to running in next to nothing or nothing, you will not go back. We were Born To Run, not born to need shoes to run. To really drive the point home, I’m referencing several great articles and resources regarding this subject. In the end the decision is yours, but I think you will find the evidence overwhelmingly in support of “less is more.” Happy reading, and good luck in your new running endeavours.

The Definite Resource for barefoot running

The painful truth about trainers: Are running shoes a waste of money?

Popular Mechanics Article

Barefoot Rick ( made headlines for running the Boston Marathon barefoot )

Sports Science article

Even Wiki talks about it

Conditioning Research Blog-Lots of other Caveman approved stuff here too, check it out!

If you absolutely cannot give up shoes (even I have yet to do so for hardcore trail running), there are options out there that mimic barefoot running like my Mizuno’s and the Vibram Five Fingers. I will save this post for another day.

I’d like to take a minute to recognize and thank some new sponsors that I’ve acquired recently. Sponsors not only make the sport a bit more affordable, but see something in me that they wouldn’t see in their regular clients. I am always indebted to my sponsors and do all I can to make their generosity known and market their products.

WeFuse is a super cool restaurant on 4^th St (in the Frost Bank tower) serving up a “a funky fusion of Japanese and French cuisine at a price that won’t break your bank account” I first came across this place during South By Southwest 09. I was wandering downtown looking for a good vibe and I found it here. Not only were the Milwaukee bands playing there that night fresh and stimulating, so was the food. A lot of their food is Caveman approved, meaning high quality meats and vegetables with no refined carbohydrates. Their flavorful infused teas are made fresh daily and are super tasty. Jon is a very passionate and talented cook. Tell them that I sent you, and he will offer you a discount! They are open from 11-6. Stop in for lunch if you’re in the downtown area, OR stop in after work and grab a to-go dinner. You’ll be glad you did!

KarmaBiker Photography

Fellow Mountain Biker Chris Vandivere (and sometimes his son and/or friends) are the force behind this awesome photography company. Chris travels to most TMBRA races and not only photographs the event, but often times races them too. If you see some pictures of yourself from a race you like, support this hard working photographer by purchasing them!

Bobcat13 Photography

Bob and Joel are very friendly, very professional, and very enthusiastic photographers that also travel the region to photograph a wide array if sporting events. Give them a ring if you are looking for a photographer for your next event, or, if they happen to photograph you at a race, buy some pictures from them!

Hypoxico

These guys manufacture and distribute altitude training systems. Please check out their site for more info and how everything works. I currently do not have any of their products, but hope to try some out very soon.

Beljum Budder

Similar to Chamois But’r, but better! If you are prone to chafing in long rides or runs, get some of this stuff! It’s paraben free and has lots of other goodies not found in other chamois cremes