Bike fitting and the body.

A friend of mine has purchased a new bike and was concerned about handling on descents as this is sometimes a problem for him. In part related to bike geometry but also likely related to riding style and posture.

This spurred an online discussion about getting lower on the bike to allow for better handling. The comment also included advice on using your core to support your trunk so that the rider could let his arms relax while riding. Not unlike this:



I agree that the changes suggested would improve handling on descents. But sometimes a body just can't do it.

I did a bike fit for the rider in question with the focus on trying to relieve any pain issues while riding. We did that successfully. While the lower position described may help with handling on descents and other technical riding, the rider has to have a body that will accept that position as well which requires sufficient core strength, hip and hamstring flexibility. *IF* the rider can get into the position, maintain a good low back and pelvic alignment, the neck might be able to take the posture. If the low back and pelvic position and stability aren't there, neck posture will be crap and there will be huge compressive forces through that part of the spine. Even with perfect low back/pelvic positioning, the neck will take more strain due to the way the head has to be lifted to look forward with the lower stem/handlebars. A younger spine can take that strain fairly easily. Older spines (greater than 35 years old) start having bone spurs and things that complicate the issue.

The comments made by others in the discussion about riding posture were absolutely correct, not just about the position but also about having to use your core to support your trunk instead of having a lot of weight on the hands. Unfortunately, a lot of riders do not have sufficient core strength to do so, or insufficient muscle endurance to maintain that core support over longer rides.

So this is perfect example of fitting a bike for performance versus ergonomics. In some cases, you have no choice but to give up one for the other. Finding the right bike fit is a balancing act. It's not black and white.

Getting Settled

It's been a little over 2 weeks since my last post. This sounds a bit like confession. I should be careful or soon I'll start to be plagued by guilt.

I have a good excuse though.
We did it! We did it! We did it!
Tom is moved here and we are in our new home. Now if only all these boxes would unpack themselves and contents sort themselves into piles for donation/recycle/trash/keep.

Truthfully, I'm exhausted. I feel like I could sleep for about 24 hours straight. In fact that's what I should do. It might be time for a black curtain day or two.

On that note, let's keep it short and sweet.

Food tip:

Red, yellow and orange bell peppers are loaded with vitamins and antioxidants. Most bell peppers we get here in the PNW this time of year are grown in hot houses. So even if the pepper is not organic, a lot fewer chemicals are used to grow it since the environment is more controlled. I like to eat them raw in slices or cut into 1 inch cubes and sauteed with onion, garlic and sometimes mushrooms.

Fit tip:

If you live less than 5 miles from your workplace, try commuting by bike a couple of days a week. You don't have to do it every day and it's an easy way to add 30 to 45 min of exercise to your daily routine. Just make sure you're visible. Having fenders with reflective tape, a red rear blinkie light and a good commuter jacket with reflective material should do the trick.

Now get out and play.

Happy New Year!!

My food tip for the week:

Chicken wings are powerful bad for you and should not be eaten unless you've ridden your bike for at least 4 hours. Really. I put 12 wings in my food diary today and I couldn't believe the calories, more than 1200!!! Just say no.

My exercise tip for the week:

This is one of my favorite hamstring exercises. It's guaranteed to kick your bum into shape.

On a personal note:

I am very fortunate to be enveloped in love. The love of my boyfriend, my family, my friends. 2010 was a great year and I want to thank you all. Those words don't seem enough. Language is limited. I wish I could find a better way to communicate what you mean to me.

What did I do in 2010? It all seems a blur now. I know I skied... a lot. I know I rode... a lot. I loved... you get the idea. Life unfolded and shit happened. Tom, who rarely crashes on a bike, had not one but 4 significant falls. The worst resulting in rib fractures that took a couple of months to heal. Meanwhile, we got to dive into new depths of our relationship and I found a nurturing side I didn't know I had.

2010 was also the year of my fastest Ironman to date. I'm fitter now that I was 10 years ago and it feels good to have crushed my previous best IM time in my late 30s.

Beautifully, things are falling together and a new world is opening up for us in 2011. Tom should be moved here with his business in about 2 weeks. We will finally live together in our own home. We'll be returning to Portugal in the Spring with Tom racing at TransPortugal and I will be working as part of the medical team. Then there's my big goal for the year, the 100 mile mountain bike race. I must be crazy.

Looking forward to a 2011 full of promise and adventure.

11 days after that...

OK, so I've managed to miss a week. It was Christmas and I was having fun.

Personal update:
Happy Cassie continues to be very happy. Tom and I are moving into a new place sometime in January. It's all very exciting. Tom is taking over as owner of GVH Bikes and will be moving the biz here from Coos Bay. The house is located in a great spot, less than a mile from great mountain biking/trail running and only 3 flattish miles from my work. We can't wait.

Chubby Cassie... is still kind of chubby. Darn Christmas goodies got me, no matter how much I skate skied. Evil, sneaky, intractable, recalcitrant bum fat (ESIRBF).

Athletic update:
I've committed to racing the High Cascades 100. That should help with the ESIRBF mentioned above. It's definitely got me riding scared.

Tip for the week:
Side plank is a great exercise for almost anyone. It's a common area of weakness and can contribute to low back pain, IT Band syndrome, knee pain, even shin splints. Here's a video link that I put together to help determine if this is a weak point for you and what to do about it.

Happy adventures everyone.

One week hence...

Injuries = nearly all healed.

Chubby Cassie = getting slimmer Cassie. I decided to try an online food and activities diary. It is helping a lot. It's amazing how motivating looking at calorie numbers can be to 1) give you that extra push to get out the door and train so you can have that pint of stout and 2) to keep you from eating all the nasty candies in the bowl at work. Thank you Carly for the inspiration and for showing me the site.

New life phase Cassie = Still happy and excited Cassie. I promise a new post to fill you in on the excited details... soon

My tip for the week:

Cross country skiing burns way more calories than most any other activity. Here in the Gorge it has the added bonus of getting you up on the mountain and out from under the inversion where you might get some sunshine. So get those skis out and enjoy the sun.

It's been a while

So, it's been a very busy late summer/fall and well really... almost winter.

What's been going on? You might ask.

Well in summary...
Cross racing = fun and injuries (not serious)
Post Ironman eating = chubby Cassie
New clients = busy Cassie
New life phase = happy Cassie... to be continued, I can't expose all the details just yet.

But what I mean to do is start blogging once a week. I should be able to manage that right? Just a tip or two. In the next while, they'll mostly be dietary since that's my latest kick. Gotta get rid of the post Ironman chub before endurance mountain biking season is here.

So today's tip is asparagus. I discovered that you can eat a lot of asparagus roasted in the oven for a fraction of the calories of french fries and way more vit C.

Here's how I do it...

Chop up a bunch of asparagus into 2 inch lengths. Toss lightly in olive oil and roast at 400 deg F for about 10 min. Sprinkle on salt and eat like french fries. One cup of asparagus has only 32 calories but 73% of your RDI of vit C. Way better than french fires.

Which reminds me, I have some in the oven right now.

Some of my favorite running stretches

I was asked to put together a presentation for our middle school cross country running team on dynamic warm-up and stretching.

The current research does not support stretching before running as a way to prevent injury. The best way to prevent injury and improve performance is by performing dynamic running drills that gradually increase range of motion while increasing activation of certain muscle groups and also improve balance and stability.

However, stretching after activity can help address muscle imbalances and asymmetries. Ultimately, this will help to prevent overuse injuries, especially if the stretches are done after activity with special attention paid to stretches that reveal more tightness on one side than the other.

I recommend that stretches be held for 20 to 30 sec (about 5 to 6 even breaths) and repeated 1 to 4 times a side. If an area feels tight, perform more repetitions. If one side is tighter than the other, perform an extra rep on that side.

The following are some of the basic stretches that I recommend for runners. I have giving three options for the piriformis stretch. Choose your favorite one. There is no need to do all three.

Piriformis stretch in standing

Piriformis stretch in sitting

Alright. I give up. That's all you're getting tonight. I'm having problem uploading the photos for the stretches. Stay tuned for more piriformis stretching, hams, quads, calves, hip flexor and IT band.

To be continued.