Travis Bikes America

Let’s face it: cyclists tend to get big butts.  That can be a fashion problem for some of us. It can also cause some pinching and pressure that results in serious aches and pains.  For me, I’ve noticed that a lot of biking can cause pain in my sciatic nerve, especially on the right side (my stronger side).  Basically, it’s because my glutes are getting bigger and the muscle is pressuring the sciatic nerve.  The pain often extends down the back of my right leg.  I find I can get some relief from self-massage — more technically known as myo-fascial self-release. Basically, it means sitting on a foam roller and rolling back and forth on my glutes.  It’s a little painful to start with but it quickly loosens and relaxes the muscle.  That, in turn, relieves the pressure on the sciatic nerve.  I’m sure it would be a lot more fun (and probably more effective) to hire a professional masseuse but this is the cheap, easy way to get similar results.

Some of my biker friends don’t stand up straight when they walk.  Their hamstrings are so big and tight that they never straighten out to their “natural” length.  The hamstrings then pull down on the lower back and my friends walk like polar bears.  The whole point of static stretching is to get your muscles to return to their natural length.  In an earlier post, I mentioned that many trainers (including Alison) say that dynamic stretching is the best way to start a training session.  They also tend to agree that static stretching is the best way to end a training session.  By stretching the muscles back to normal, you can relieve pressure and improve your balance and posture.  You can stand up straight for once which is bound to make your mother proud of you.

I once showed up unannounced at a Shinto monastery in Kyoto.  The monks were surprised to see a “gaijin” at their door but welcomed me and made me feel very much at home.  My Japanese was non-existent and their English was rusty but they tried to describe their philosophy to me.  It boiled down to this: You must breathe in before you breathe out.  It seemed like pretty good advice and I’ve tried to apply it in a variety of ways.  I’ve also taken up a bit of yoga which, of course, emphasizes breathing.  I’ve found that I can teach myself to breathe more deeply.  When I first started, I could breathe in for about 7 seconds.  Now I can breathe in for about 15 seconds.  I never really thought of my lungs as a muscle before but they act like one and — like any muscle — you can improve their performance with practice.  I’ve read that one of the founders of Ashtanga yoga, known widely as Guruji, could breathe in for 90 seconds.  I doubt that I’ll ever reach that plateau but I’ve found that deep breathing exercises help me absorb more oxygen and that helps me bike better.  So, take a deep breath and go for a ride.

My dentist tells me that, every time I brush my teeth, I should brush for at least two minutes.  In fact, I now have a fancy electric toothbrush that runs for exactly two minutes. It also beeps every 30 seconds to prompt me to move from one quarter of my mouth to another.  How convenient!  I’ve decided that I can use the timer to improve my balance and strengthen those “little” muscles that we rarely hear about.  For the first minute of brushing, I stand on my left foot.  For the second minute, I switch to my right foot.  It gives me something to do for an otherwise boring two minutes and generally improves my balance, stability, and strength.  Next, I think I’ll try it on a BOSU ball.

I ride better when my core muscles are strong.  I balance better and sit up straighter rather than slumping forward on the bars.  My favorite core exercises include variations on the simple plank position. The plank is simply the “up” position in a push-up — arms and back are straight.  Just holding the plank can be a challenge at first. Once you can hold it for a minute, then try some variations.  A good start is the side plank — swing onto one arm and point the other arm to the sky.  You can also do hip dips in this position which will work your obliques.  Another variation involves lifting and moving your legs and/or arms.  A simple variation is to lift one leg, swing it out beside your body and then return.  Repeat on the other leg.  You can also lift, say, your right leg and left arm simultaneously.  Then repeat with the opposite arm and leg. Then add in some kettlebells.  Hold the plank position with a medium weight kettlebell between your hands. Then pick up the kettlebell with one hand, move it to your side, then return it to the middle.  Then repeat with the other arm.  You can also work in the BOSU ball.  Hold the plank position on the flat side of the ball.  Then do some push ups.  Then lift one leg and do some more.  Once you master all these, you may even be able to do what this guy is doing.

Traditional wisdom among mountaineers is that you should drink water and eat carbohydrates.  The thought is that drinking carbohydrates simply slows down the absorption of the fluid and impedes your rehydration.  Supposedly, nothing absorbs into your system as quickly as water. A lot of my biking friends, on the other hand, drink all kinds of exotic fluids.  (I wouldn’t be surprised if some of them were drinking gasoline). So I turned to the Mayo Clinic web site which, for me, is the gold standard for medical advice. Mayo says that, if you’re training for less than an hour, you should probably just stick to water. If you’re training for more than an hour, however, a “sports drink may be helpful.” Since we’ll be riding 6 to 8 hours every day this summer, a sports drink seems to be called for. Now the question is: which one?  Any recommendations?

The humidity in Denver today is 4%.  It’s perfect for biking because your sweat evaporates instantly, keeping you cool.  Since you don’t feel your sweat, though, you may not realize how dehydrated you are.  So, how do you tell if you’re dehydrated?  I use two different tests:

1. Pinch the skin on the back of your hand into a small ridge, then release it. If the ridge disappears quickly, you’re probably OK.  If the ridge stays up, you’re probably dehydrated.
2. The old mountaineer’s rule of thumb is that your urine should be clear and copious.  If it’s not, you’re dehydrated.

I’ve found the skin-ridge test more convenient but the clear-and-copious test more accurate.  Either way, drink up!