Reflections on the Mental Side of Cycling and Self-Development on the Bike

Most people that I talk to about cycling, especially those who have been in the sport for a while, smile knowingly when I ask about the pain... There are reasons why cyclists constantly talk about suffering, the pain, the fight, etc. to describe riding with intensity. I've come to learn this over several years of dedication to riding and training. What I'm finding is that cycling has become one of the most powerful tools of self-development and mental focus I've ever come across for myself. I don't remember it this way as a kid, of course. All I remember are the fast descents, racing my friends up each hill, and endless summer days.

These days, as a year-round cyclist, I'm very interested in the mental game of cycling. This year has been a more successful year for me in terms of my riding abilities. I've found that I can climb faster, finish training rides with my team, and get dropped less often in races. These are all outward signs of improvement, but I've discovered that they may not all be due to increased physical abilities. I give the credit largely to a deeper understanding of my emotional state on the bike. Of all the things I've learned in the past few years, probably the most important is how to be more relaxed on the bike when the intensity starts heating up and learning how to quiet the distractions.

This is a topic I intend to explore more, and not one that I even planned to write about this morning. It was inspired by my reading of this article by Kevin Todd.

Local Ride TRYBR Makes the Bicycling Magazine Calendar

I was quite proud to see that our local ride the Tenino-Rainier-Yelm-Bucoda Rally (TRYBR) was listed in the August 2009 cue sheet in Bicycling Magazine. Usually I look at the rides and get left thinking how cool it would be to go to some of the fantastic rides listed and how lucky those people are who live local to them... Well, I can get to the TRYBR from my HOUSE! So maybe I will this year. Shamefully, I haven't done it yet!! 100 miles, here I come! August 9, 2009

I Just Signed Up for the MS Ride in September 2009

This year will be the first year that I will be riding in the Washington State Bike MS Ride 2009. I will be riding in honor of several friends, patients, and relatives. I'm just getting started with this now,so there will be more to come. If you want to contribute I would appreciate it! More to come...

Serious Bike Racing in Oly

Since I look forward to this event all year long, it's hard to believe it's now... over! Until next year, anyway. In addition to hosting back to back races that drew athletes from around the region, our team made a powerful showing in sheer numbers and results with many top finishes for the weekend. One of our teammates is a gifted videographer (and magician!) He filmed a short video of our racing on Sunday in Boston Harbor, WA. Great job, Jeff!

Boston Harbor Circuit Race State Cycling Championships from Jeff Evans on Vimeo.

Newspaper Coverage for Upcoming Races

The Valley Athletic Club's cycling team made the front page of The Olympian's sports section today. One of our teammates just passed along the link. Seriously, there will be hundreds of competitors from all levels and ages enjoying bike racing this weekend. The Capital Criterium on Saturday is great for spectators. It's a very tricky course that winds around the front side of the State Capitol Building. Lots of visibility for everyone. Cheers! Andy

Bike Racing in Downtown Oly This Weekend

Olympia will be hopping with bicycle fever this weekend as the Valley Athletic Club hosts the Capital Criterium and the Boston Harbor Circuit Race. Saturday will be a full day of racing for everyone from kids to professional caliber racers. The day kicks off at 9:30 and goes into the evening. The setting for this race is around the beautiful Capitol Campus in Olympia with great viewing for spectators. Heart-pounding excitement!! :) The second race travels the roads around the Boston Harbor area just outside of Downtown Olympia. Many of the racers from the previous day's racing around the capitol will throw down the hammer again on Sunday... Father's Day and all. Racing on Sunday will begin at 9:00 and go into the late afternoon. Again spectators are welcome. The epicenter of fun for this race is Boston Harbor Elementary on Zangle Rd.
Saturday's Schedule
Sunday's Schedule

It's the Middle of May. Do You Know Where Your Lean Muscle Is?

"If there is one single thing you can do to improve your health, there is no doubt it is exercise," says Robert Sallis, MD. He's promoting the Exercise is Medicine initiative of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM.) This May marks the second annual Exercise is Medicine Month which was created to promote exercise and increase physical activity during the month of May.

Locally, Kara Nelson-Leone, is promoting fitness solutions for people to do just that: Get and stay active. She works out of her studio in West Olympia called Living Fit. Among several qualifications, she is certified by the International Sports Sciences Association as a Fitness Therapist. In a recent presentation, she points out that adults aged 30+ years begin to lose lean muscle mass at an average rate of 1/2 pound per year, no matter what their activity levels. (Ladies and Gentlemen! Your lean muscle mass is leaving the building!!) Gaining lean muscle through strength training, she continues, can help restore health and quality of life by reversing some of the problems associated with this loss. (ie. Loss of strength, increased bloodpressure, and decreased bone density, among others.)

I had the opportunity to experience some of her training sessions and found them very challenging and to the point. She incorporates high intensity/slow movement training, so most of my sessions were less than 30 minutes. I found my training with her very useful for my cycling since she was using exercises for my upper and lower body and core. I've definately never viewed strength training the same way since those workouts!

Check it out... Build some muscle. May is slipping away.

The Short Story about Sleep and Athletic Recovery

In the June 2009 copy of Bicycling Magazine, Lisa Fields chooses the topic of sleep and athletic recovery and highlighted some things that all of us can benefit from, athletes or not.

The Golden Nuggets:
~Athletes train hard, get too little sleep, and end up complaining of fatigue.

~Chronic sleep deprivation robs the body of deep healing and recovery needed after hard exercise.

~Experts recommend that an athlete in training get 8-10 hours of sleep (compared to current average of 6 hours/night.)

~Deep sleep during the first half of the night stimulates release of growth hormone to accomplishes recovery and muscle repair.

~Waking up too early short cuts REM sleep when the mind refreshes.

~Proper sleep can improve your athletic performance!

I guess really I could have just said that, but people do want to know the details sometimes.

Cheers!

Spending the Day with Dr. Jeff Spencer and Dr. Steven Noble

About halfway through the afternoon today, I got a text from my wife to ask if I'd kissed Dr. Spencer yet. Truth is, this is the third time I've seen his presentation for Erchonia Lasers. The first time I saw him, I turned my office upside-down as the information he shared completely changed the framework of how I thought about my treatment choices. Seeing today's presentation helped deepen my understanding of how the body works, how it heals, what it needs, and what it doesn't need. The techniques that I learned today have been honed by Dr. Spencer in his clinic and in the field while treating world class athletes, including Lance Armstrong and his Tour de France teams. I can't wait to turn my practice on end again.

While I was there, I also got to hang out with my friend and colleague Dr. Steven Noble of Noble Sports Chiropractic in Bellingham, WA. He and I completed our Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician (CCSP) training together in 2007. He had great news to share about the previous weekend of cycling excitement for the WWU team at the Collegiate National Championship in Ft. Collins, CO: First place (Phil Elasser) in the men's criterium and second place (Daisy Phillips) in the women's criterium. Both finished top 5 in the omnium. Dr. Noble has been involved with the team for several years. Kudos Dr. Noble!

Skirting Danger, Hanging On... Ravensdale Road Race Report

On Saturday, May 9, I raced in the Masters C category in the Ravensdale Road Race put on by BuDu Racing. As a beginner, it's still hard for me to judge which races are going to suit me and which ones won't (if there is such a determination for beginners... who don't seem to "fit" many things.) Nonetheless, knowing there weren't a lot of long, steady, steep climbs, I thought I might stick with the group for at least a lap or so in this event, and I was right.

My one focus going into this race was to pick a solid wheel and stay on it, no matter what. In this race, I picked my teammate Erik's wheel. I knew he was strong, steady, and has years of racing experience. One of my weaknesses is that I spend a lot of time trying to stay out of people's way, and one way that I am getting through that is to keep clarifying to myself that my objective is to defend my own personal space in the peloton... and... if I pick my wheel right, have a spot that other riders will envy.

By the third lap, I was already surprised to find that I'd made it as far as I had. Besides staying out of the wind, I was also focusing on staying fueled and relaxed, both things that would help get me through ANY 50 mile ride. Then, in an instant, the center of peloton collapsed! I was far enough back that I was able to steer around to the left of the many who had fallen. I quickly attached onto Erik and kept his pace as we weaved through slower riders. We quickly connected back to the lead group which was down to about 20 or so riders. The riders at the front dialed things up until the peloton was strung out into a single-file line. This eventually slowed back to an easier pace and re-formed the group. More and more of the chase group started filling in at the back of the pack and there were soon more than 50 of us.

On the next lap, just after I had come through a sharp corner and straightened up, another crash occurred just a few riders in front of me. It was due to a wheel overlap (most likely) or pedal. Either way, I ended up several feet off the road on the grass, but still upright! It was beginning to feel like cyclocross season had just started again. I accelerated out of the grass, despite having one shoe out of the pedals, but once I got my speed up again, I clicked in easily. (Two cheers for mtn. shoes in a road race! Huzzah! Huzzah!) I caught on to Erik's wheel again, feeling very confident that he would find his way back to the front group, which was speeding away from us. I followed him as he smartly worked thorough the string of riders trying to play the same game we were, and my position proved I'd chosen the best wheel. I found myself once again rejoining the front group.

The rest of the race played out fairly smoothly, I was in the pack, and knew I had the energy left to arrive at the end as long as there weren't any uphill attacks. This, too, proved to be true until the last 200 meters when it felt like my legs gave out. I tried to dial it up through the pain, but the pack began smoothly accelerating away towards the line and crossed about 10 or 15 seconds ahead of me. Though technically, it wasn't a "pack finish," (sorry Erik, in later reflection, I couldn't connect the dots) it was a milestone for me.

Happy Riding, Andy

Washington State Holds Highest Ranking for Bike-Friendliness for 2009

WA state was ranked by the League of American Bicyclists as the top state in the nation for bicycle friendliness. The "friendliness" refers to the state's commitment to promotion of cycling through legislation, policies, and programs for bicycles. It also accounts for the creation of new places to ride, education of motorists and cyclists, and encouraging people to use bicycles for commuting and playing. The announcement is part of the League's kick off to National Bike to Work Week. So... for those of us in Washington, let's show off that new medal by rolling it on two wheels to get to work this week! If you are in Olympia, a great way to do this is to get involved with Intercity Transit's Bike Commuter Contest. I have packets of information/registration materials in the office... it's not too late!

Taylor Phinney Making Some Chiropractic Noise I Like

Taylor Phinney is a guy to envy. Young, talented, destined to greatness... blah, blah, blah... that's all been said in a million places. Even though he's a bit noisy on Twitter, I follow him because there is something very intriguing about his perspectives as an 18 year old living the dream of being a rising star as a cyclist.

During the past week, a few of his postings have caught my eye. In one he posted a picture of his helmet that was broken in a recent bike crash. He goes on to encourage all cyclists to wear helmets, a point that I agree with, for sure. The second one that caught me was a tweet that he sent just after he saw his chiropractor to get "fixed up after his crash." All I could think was... "Oh, yeah. Tell the world Taylor."

For the past seven years, I've been cultivating my crush on Dr. Jeff Spencer's career as a chiropractor working with world class athletes such as Lance Armstrong. This has come in the form of hundreds of hours of reading and seminars, including trainings with Dr. Spencer, himself. Sigh.

Breaking New Ground for SuperBack!

For the past three years, I've been teaching a core/back care class at 5th Avenue Fitness. Feeling like I'd been creating too deep of a rut with my collection of exercises, I bought a new Triathlete/Cyclist Core Exercise DVD from Carmichael Training Systems, for inspiration. The first time I watched the DVD, it was while eating a bowl of cereal with my feet up on my desk at home. Not exactly what was intended by Chris Carmichael, but even still, I nearly broke a sweat watching it. The second time through the 45 minute workout, I found myself really busting myself hard to keep up and finally had to skip out on some of the reps. Bottom line... room to grow on this video. During the past two weeks, I've gotten good feedback from the class about the new stuff. My favorite part has been expanding the number of exercises in the dynamic warm-up. Preview this video.

New Article Posted in CBC Newsletter

Who cares who's Tweeting? I do. So do lots of other people. Since the Tour of California, I've been following a number of pro cyclists and cycling news organizations from around the world. Just yesterday morning I got a tweet from Lance Armstrong that he was watching live coverage of La Fléche Wallonne road race online at steephill.tv. I browsed right there and watched the last five minutes of the race, too. Seconds after the race, I got a tweet from Johan Bruyneel with the results of the race. Funny thing is, the race was in Belgium, Lance Armstrong was in Aspen, Colorado, and Johan Bruyneel was in Madrid, Spain. I was in Downtown, Oly. To tell you the truth, it made me feel cooler than I really am. :) My article was published in the Capital Bicycle Club April 2009 Newsletter and you can find it below:

On Becoming a Twittering/Tweeting Cyclist (or How to Tweet like Lance!)
By Dr. Andy Rosser, Downtown Olympia

Every morning I wake up to a new text message from Ivan Basso.  At 5:33am this morning, I received a text to let me know that he had taken an easy 2 hour ride on the bike today, had gotten a massage, and was now listening to his iPod.  Earlier than that, though, at 3:47 am, I got a text from George Hincapie to say that he was having coffee with Eric Zabel and they were talking about Eric's cool bike collection.  They are both living on European time so I leave my phone on silent at night.  During a typical day, I might get 20 or so messages like these from around the world from people that I "follow" through an online service called Twitter.  I'm afraid to say, this is one of those things that's caught my attention and is part of my daily routine now.

I'm not alone, though. That message from Mr. Basso went to me and 9,421 of his other "followers."  George Hincapie has 16,925 "followers."  I follow about 2 dozen or so cycling and other personalities, local and abroad.  I mainly got started on it during the Tour of California, since I couldn't park myself in front of a computer and I don't have a TV.  Using Twitter, I was able to open my phone and get up to the minute news from riders, team directors, team doctors, and many others 24 hours a day.  I admit, it's a bit overkill and some messages are better than others, but the stream of information is easy to manage and gives me a whole new perspective on the lives of some of my heros. 

Here are the basics of getting started with this microblogging tool:  First of all, you should know that all of the postings are short since they are limited to 140 characters.  That means you aren't going to end up with loads of long texts on your phone.  You might get a short message, a weblink, or a photolink.  If you are just wanting to dip your toes in first, you don't have to sign up for anything.  It's easy to just peek in.  For example, browse to www.twitter.com/lancearmstrong and you can read about how his surgery went, how his shoulder is healing, etc., posted by the man himself.  If you then want to become a "follower" of Lance, along with more than half a million other people...  sign up for your own personal account.  It's free. 

You can then choose to have postings ("tweets") sent to your phone.  (Make sure you have unlimited texting if you do this!  Otherwise, it could get ugly at the end of the month on your phone bill.)  Next, start searching around for people you want to follow.  Here are some of my favorites:  Lance Armstrong "lancearmstrong," Taylor Phinney "taylorphinney," Ivan Basso "ivanbasso," Johann Brunyeel "johanbrunyeel," Chris Carmichael "trainright," George Hincapie "ghincapie."  You can also follow groups and organizations if they are tweeting...  VeloNews "velonews" and Bicycling Magazine "bicyclingmag" are both active tweeters!  They use Twitter to let you know when they have new information on their website, when they have breaking news, or race results to post.

As you might guess, Twitter is not limited to cycling, though, and it can have some redeeming qualities as an information tool.  You can use it to get local news sent to your phone, weather updates, even hobby information! (Try "everydayolympia" and "wsdot" for some of these "useful" updates. What if you are in to scrapbooking when you aren’t pedaling? How about …”lovetoscrapbook” The possibilities are endless!)

I've been using my twitter account to send out near daily updates on everything from my recent rides, getting new tires, getting dropped from a group ride, crossing my fingers for good weather, getting a flat tires, etc.  You know... things people are REALLY(?) interested in hearing about.  Okay, maybe not everyone needs to know all that stuff, but I have to admit some of my tweets are more interesting than Lance's... I'm just sayin'.  Tweet you later!  To follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/andymanr  

WEB: www.rosserchiro.com
BLOG: www.rosserchiro.blogspot.com
TWITTER: www.twitter.com/andymanr

More Like Chris Horner Than I Thought

This morning I read a message that Chris Horner (@hornerakg) posted that read "Sitting at home with my friend 'The Stick' and watching B-ball on TV." For those of you who don't know who or what "The Stick" is, here's your chance... It's a very simple hand-held massage tool. I use it every day in my office and it's used by professional and amateur athletes around the world. It's popularity among elite athletes can probably be attributed to Jeff Spencer, a Doctor of Chiropractic, who brought it to Team Postal way back in the day. He was the team's chiropractor through all of Lance's wins and for Alberto Contador's win of the Tour de France. Dr. Spencer talks extensively about the health and performance benefits of using The Stick.

So... what's it is, and what does it do. It's like a rolling pin for your muscles. While it definitely isn't a replacement for the skilled hands of a massage therapist, it can help speed recovery by warming up muscles before exercise and carrying away metabolic waste after exercise. A very simple investment of your time can get you back on the bike or running with less muscle stiffness/soreness left over from previous exercise sessions. This can be very handy for those of us who find that we recover slowly or are at risk of over-training. Click for VIDEO.

Buy it from me, get it at a cycling or running shop, buy it online.

Cheers! Dr. Andy

Herbal Intervention... A New Reality TV Show!

This morning I got a good laugh from a story that a patient told me, though, I don't know that it's really all that "funny." Apparently she knows someone who was thrashed with stinging nettle plants by friends as a practical joke. Ouch! If you've ever brushed up against this plant wearing shorts, or, as I have done, tried weed-wacking it down, you know that it's got a burning sting that lingers. It may also form small welts and blisters on the skin. The upshot is that it has traditionally been a treatment for injured muscles and joints, eczema, arthritis, gout, anemia, urinary problems, hay fever, sprains and strains, tendonitis, and insect bites. Anyway, I thought about how this might be the start of a new reality TV show called "Herbal Intervention." Thus, the laugh. Otherwise... not funny. Poor fellow.

Here's more information from the University of Maryland Medical Center on Stinging Nettle, and it's possible benefits for the ailing:

Stinging Nettle LINK

Cheers, Andy

Volunteer Park Race Report

Saturday morning found me rolling out of bed at about 5am in an effort to make everything fall into place and be in Seattle in plenty of time for racing at 8:45am. That was all fine and I didn't even get lost since I was following teammates to the race from the highway. What I didn't count on was how long it would take to get registered and set up to actually warm up. After standing in line, etc. I only had about 5 minutes on the trainer. For this race I was hoping for at least 45 minutes to an hour. Bummer. I did get a chance to go around the course a few times, at least, though, which was a positive thing.

The group took off from the line and quickly strung out until riders were strung out all along the course. We were 100 stong in our group racing around a course that was less than a mile. I did my best to hang in and found myself speeding up slightly as I went through a few laps (4?), but that wasn't enough... The race official blew her whistle and pointed me off the course as the lead group was rapidly bolting up the hill behind me. As I was pulling off the course, the rider in front of me was also exiting, but got himself tangled in the safety tape and fell over. Then I passed another guy leaned forward and dry-heaving. I thought to myself... "Never a bad day to ride." Next year, I'll hang with the group a little longer. Until then, I think I have a little work to do. :)

It was great to see my teammates working hard and directing parts of the race. I was totally impressed with the women's team. One of them kept the pace at the front for several laps. Nice job up there. Hope you heard us yelling for you!

Andy

Last Minute Posting

Well, I guess this is what it's all about. I am out the door in a moment to head up to Seattle for a criterum bike race at Volunteer Park. A special treat today is being cheered on by my friend Ann, who is visiting from Virginia! Rock on!

The weather looks overcast or rainy today. Maybe my early race will be rainy. I'll be letting some air out of my tires, if it is.

Last night our team held a clinic for racing these short, intense races. It's a lot like cyclocross in terms of intensity, only if you fall, the surface is less forgiving. The speeds are faster, too. Thankfully it's only going to be about a 40 minute race.

http://www.supersquadra.com/VP.aspx

Hopefully after today, I'll be stronger for cyclocross...

Cheers, Andy

Ben Folds on Chiropractic

It took me a couple of listens through to realize that Ben Fold's song Dr. Yang contains a good dig on chiropractic! He also digs on acupuncture and fortune telling. Here are the lyrics:

Hey Dr. Jack. Bend me like a pretzel til I crack. Line my joints and bones. Beat me up and send me home.

Ben! Rock on, baby!

Tomorrow is cross training in the pool with Annie and then a good long night's sleep in anticipation of a LONG, LONG ride on Sunday in 60 degree weather (37 at the moment, btw.)

Cheers til later, Andy.

Independance Valley Road Race 2009

Funny to think about now, but one of my original posts covered my participation in this race last year. The IVRR is in our back yard... and Saturday it was a cold/rainy/snowy mess. I started with the pack and ended by myself, having been dropped on one of the hills. (Okay, the first hill...) The temperature hovered around 34 degrees, with large snowflakes falling and lots of rain. I was soaked within a few miles. The two laps of my race were very different from one another. Each was 20 miles, but the second seemed much longer, of course.

I worked through my first lap with a chase group that had one or two strong riders in it. I wasn't one of them, but as it turns out I was more stubborn/persistent as they chose to go home after the first lap. I turned uphill for the second lap which I would complete mostly by myself. I made sure to eat and drink all I could during that lap because I was getting cold by then. Not shivering yet, but getting very tight though my upper back due to the cold. I did have the pleasure of riding along with Kerri from the Women's Cat 3 race who was passing me. We shared our Green company for a few miles until she turned off to take her third lap. I was done, though, as my two laps were up!

Back at the tent I was greeted by well wishing from my teammates and then started shivering that didn't really stop until I was nearly home! I finished 25th out of 58 with more than 25 competitors having dropped after lap 1 due to weather.