I’m 3 chapters in and really enjoying the story so far. Its a true story about an Everest expedition gone wrong in 1996 leaving several people dead. Great story, sad, adventurous, exciting, etc. I love my Kindle!

Andy B
outsideallday.com

Fitz Cahall is one of the most creative story tellers on internet. He’s the founder of The Dirtbag Diaries and now the creator of a brand new web based TV show called The Season.

About The Season:
From the creators of the Dirtbag Diaries and 49 Megawatts comes a new web television project following the five athletes through the course of a single season in Pacific Northwest. A veteran climber invents a new piece of gear. A pro snowboarder searches for a way to return to the roots of his sport. A boulderer returns from a series of injuries with new perspective. A family man goes to Whistler to test himself against the mountain biking’s elite. A young sea kayaker with a troubled past sets out to reinvent his sport. 22 episodes will be available.

The Season Trailer small from Fitz Cahall on Vimeo.

More info on The Season: www.theseasontv.com

After watching the preview I’m super excited to begin watching on my Apple TV. You can subscribe to all 22 episodes for free in iTunes by searching “The Season”. It will show up under podcasts.

Thanks Fitz!

Andy B
outsideallday.com

Last night I had a dream that I was trail running in Lory State Park, CO. Since Coach Dave hasn’t given me an official training plan and CrossFit at Emergent Fitness hasn’t begun, I had to go and run today, in Lory. I’m a man free of a strict 2010 training plan for a few more days.

To prepare for a cold run in the middle of the forest with NO one else around I took:
- Cell phone
- Flip Camera
- Road ID
- Fuel Belt full of bottles with Motor Tabs
- 1 tri-berry GU
- 1 MOJO Clif Bar
- Friction Freedom Anti Chafing Cream
- A baggie filled with Fluid Recovery for post run.
- The NorthFace Animagi Jacket

- The NorthFace ULTRA 105 GTX XCR

- The NorthFace Agility Short

- Gloves
- Warm socks
- Dri fit shirt
- Beanie
- Watch and heart rate monitor

It’s amazing what it takes to go for a run in the wilderness. The biggest surprise of the day came from the protection that the Gore-Tex from the shoe offered my foot from wet and cold. It’s like a miracle material.

Video from the run up to Aurthur’s Rock:

I need to get out there more. If you can’t tell, I love gear, especially gear from The North Face.

Andy B
outsideallday.com

Ok, this is it. The season of crappy eating is officially over. Starting Monday I’m a lean mean eating right machine. Coach Dave sent my week 1 base phase cycling plan and I start training at Emergent Fitness on Tuesday night. My act is now officially back together.

I’ll be on the bike or in the gym 7 days this week and I’m looking forward to it. I’m sick or feeling gross.

But, its not Monday, so pizza will be consumed this evening, I’m off to pick it up right now. Ummmmm, pizza!

Andy B
outsideallday.com

From Russia With Love – the Kettlebell
By Greg Sellers

Often described as a ‘cannonball with a handle,’ the Kettlebell has become quite popular in America. With origins dating back to 1704 in Russia, the Kettlebell is a staple of military, strongmen and now with other training systems such as CrossFit. In fact, it’s a must-have piece of equipment for every CrossFit studio across the country.

The Kettlebell has gained notoriety due largely to the efforts of Pavel Tsatsouline, a strength and flexibility coach, and by Kettlebell Sport world champion and world record holder Valery Federenko. Tsatsouline brought the Kettlebell to America from Russia in 2000. Kettlebell workouts are intended to increase strength, endurance, agility and balance, challenging both the muscular and cardiovascular system with dynamic, total-body movements.

Used by the Russian military and Special Forces, the Kettlebell has been touted as the most effective, efficient piece of strength training equipment available. Proponents of Kettlebell training suggest that it increases strength, power, speed, coordination as well as core stability. Some even claim that it can replace several different forms of training and is superior to more traditional weight training.

“The Kettlebell is a key component of our strength and conditioning program,” said Ryan Galdes of Defiance CrossFit in Mountain View, Calif. “With the Kettlebell, we can begin training key movements like the squat, clean, and press in an easy-to-teach, non-intimidating manner.”

Today the simple training aid is helping men and women alike get into top shape. Ketttlebells are typically available in from 8 lbs to 100 lbs. A common starting point for men is 35lb. whilst women typically start with 18lbs.

Beginner’s Kettlebell Workout (each exercise 3 sets x 15-20 reps)
Kettlebell Swing
Grab the Kettlebell with both hands. Keep your back, head and shoulders up. As you stand up, swing the Kettlebell out in front of you at chest height, paying close attention not to shrug your shoulders. As the same time, you are straightening your legs, and pushing your hips forward. Then, on the downswing, you once again go into the squat position, swinging the Kettlebell downward and back through your legs. The arms merely hold the Kettlebell, as your hips provide the power to thrust the device forward.

Single Arm Rows
Stand with feet hip width and knees slightly bent. Bend at hips with back straight and knees bent.
Take one hand and place on stationary object that is approximately waist height to support upper body. Hold Kettleball in other hand with a neutral grip and let arm hang straight down (perpendicular to floor). Keeping elbows close to body, pull Kettlebell up to body and squeeze shoulder blades together at top of movement. Return to start position. Remember to keep back flat and head straight.

Alternating Floor Press
Lie on your back holding a Kettlebell in each hand. Alternating with your arms push up one Kettlebell at a time. Slightly rotate your trunk when pressing the Kettleball upward, then repeat with other arm. This will work your core stabilizing muscles as well as upper body muscle.

Front Squat
Grab two Kettlebells and hold them at chest level in front of you.
Stand with feet slightly wider than hip-width apart. Knees should be slightly bent.
Lower body by flexing at the hips and knees. Upper body can flex forward at the hips slightly during movement but make sure to “sit back” on your heals so that knees stay over the feet.
Once thighs are parallel to floor, stop and repeat.

Single Arm Jerk
Stand with feet shoulder width apart and knees slightly bent. Position Kettlebell to ear level with an overhand grip (palms facing forward). Go into a quick quarter squat. Then extend legs and stand up and at the same time press hands up above head keeping wrists over the elbow and arm moving parallel to body at all times. Return to start position. This is an explosive exercise and the legs are used to generate power, which will enable you to use heavier weights as you become more familiar with the movement.

As with any training program, it’s advisable to consult with a physician prior to embarking on a new training regimen.

Click here for more info on the author, Greg Sellers.

Greg Sellers Pre-Kettlebell workouts:

*This photo is real and has not been enhanced or alter in any way.

Andy B
outsideallday.com

I ride my bike a lot, during season I’m riding 10 – 12 hours a week. That’s a lot of time in my SDG Saddle and it’s super comfy. Last season I tried a bunch of different remedies to prevent saddle sore which is basically inevitable at some point during your season. The sucky part is that saddle sore can keep you off of your bike until it heals. After discovering Friction Freedom last summer I never tried anything else.

Friction Freedom Chamois Cream is a cycling chamois cream that helps heal and manage existing saddle sores, while preventing chafing, and bacterial and fungal infections that cause hot spots and infections.

Friction Freedom Chamois Cream is 68% larger jar than other leading chamois cream brands.

I’ve also used Friction Freedom during long trail runs to prevent chafing. It’s a great product for runners, cyclists and triathletes. For me, it’s all about prevention.

Year’s to your butt not being sore and chafed in 2010!

Andy B
outsideallday.com

Our 4th annual Rwanda Ride will be held on Saturday April 10, 2010. We are pleased to announce that registration is now open! Visit www.50mileride.com to register. I hope you can join us again this year!

As you remember, we had over 400 riders last year and you helped us to raise over $32,000 for Project Rwanda. If you had fun last year (and we hope you did!), you’re going to have an absolute BLAST this year! We promise to make this an event to remember, and we’re pulling out all the stops.

Still shopping for that last-minute Christmas gift? Why not give an event registration to that special mountain biker in your life? Sign up today at www.50mileride.com .

Thank you for your support!

The 50 Mile Ride Team

PS… Follow us on Twitter or Facebook to keep up with the latest news.

This is a great cause to support. Even if you don’t ride in the event, please consider supporting it when a donation. 99.9% of the proceeds go to support http://www.projectrwanda.org.

Andy B
outsideallday.com

My mom (Katie) gifted our family with a few days of skiing up in Winter Park. As far as creating family memories the trip has been fantastic. We’ve snowboarded, ate too much food, played, hit the spa, and had so much fun spending time together. My boys (Carter and Landon) call my mom Grrrrrrrr. Grrrr has watched the boys so that Julie and I can go shred. We’re old now, so we only rode 2 days and just hung out the others.

10 reasons why I love Winter Park Ski Resort:

10. Underground/heated parking for easy loading and unloading the kids and grandma in the cold.
9. Ski-in-ski-out at the Zephyr Mountain Lodge where we are staying.
8. They have a real Starbuck’s at the base.
7. The Winter Park Village has everything you need (food, coffee, shops, rentals, arcade, things for kids, etc)
6. My 3 year old son Carter learned to ski today! (pictures and video coming soon)
5. The weather this week has been perfect.
4. 12 inches of fresh snow in the last 48 hours.
3. The funnest resort I’ve skied since living in Colorado.
2. We had a minor issue with our hotel the Zephyr Mountain Lodge and they took good care of us and made it right.
1. Family time! Great memories with my kids, my wife and my mom.

Sorry for the gushy post, I promise I’ll never do it again.

Andy B
outsideallday.com

Julie and I stayed the night in Boulder last Friday with the kids, Carter’s favorite thing is to stay in a hotel, I’m 100% sure he could live in one full time. When we arrived we cruised around some of our favorite shops with the boys. Of course we had to stop in at the Boulder North Face Store.

One of the down sides to my job is travel for work, I’m gone 4 – 6 nights a month. I’ve been using the same Samsonite suitcase for the last 5 years. One of the zippers broke a few weeks back.

While browsing I came across:

SIDETRACK 19

Why I love it:
- It’s carry on size
- Well priced
- Has all of the slick bells and whistles of a bag twice the price
- Lifetime warranty backed by The North Face
- It’s has a bullet proof build

If there was such a thing as a perfect piece of luggage, the SIDETRACK 19 is probably it.

Please Santa, please, I beg you, I’ve been really really good this year

Andy B
outsideallday.com

6 tips to good recovery nutrition
By Colorado Premier Training
Sign up for their free newsletter at: www.coloradopremiertraining.com/newsletter

The 6 most common real world nutritional pitfalls, and the simple solutions to correct them to optimize recovery.

Pitfall #1 – Failing to prioritize recovery nutrition by socializing after a race or packing gear/bike away resulting in delayed feeding.

Solution – Sure it can be fun to hang out following a race and replay the deciding sprint or get a head start on packing up and leaving. Furthermore, most experts recommend eating something within the first 30 minutes to an hour so what’s the hurry? Well in the majority of studies examining glycogen replenishment athletes are fed immediately following the completion of an exercise bout. Thus, what you practice in the “field” should mimic the conditions of the “lab” as closely as possible. Make it a priority to eat and drink as soon as stepping off the bike as possible.

Pitfall #2 – Inadequate fluid consumption to replace sweat losses and allow for optimal glycogen replenishment.

Solution – You’re probably familiar with postexercise fluid recommendations to replace losses from sweat but few are aware that additional fluid is required to restore glycogen to preexercise levels. This is due to the fact that three grams of water are required to store one gram of glycogen. Since trained athletes will need to replace more than 600 grams of glycogen following exhaustive exercise, fluid and carbs should be consumed together. Research in this area is scanty at best but suffice to say simply drinking to replace sweat losses may not be enough to ensure optimal glycogen replenishment. To be safe, consume 16-24 oz of fluid not only at the first postexercise meal but also during every hour during the recovery period.

Pitfall #3 – Using the excuse of a hard effort to fill up on high fat junk foods and empty calories.

Solution – It is far too easy to use the need for increased calories after exercise as an excuse to fill up on high-fat content junk foods. The problem with this practice is two-fold. First, the consumption of fat interferes with your ability to ingest adequate carbohydrate and secondly fat is not nearly as an effective stimulator of insulin release as carbohydrate. Both of these follies result in inadequate glycogen replenishment and poor recovery. Resist the urge to give in to the temptation of dietary indiscretion and find peace in knowing you’re feeding your body only the highest quality fuel by selecting high carbohydrate lowfat foods.

Pitfall #4 – More than enough is not better than enough.

Solution – Although it is vital to consume carbohydrates in the post exercise state it is also vital to have some method to your madness. I have seen several cyclists who go about their eating in an unscientific haphazard fashion only to find that they gain weight from their post ride binges. Aim to consume 1.0 to 1.5 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of bodyweight every two hours following exercise. Consuming more than this range will not result in greater glycogen replenishment and if done so chronically may result in undesirable weight gain.

Pitfall #5 – Overconsuming protein in the false belief that muscles require excessive quantities following exercise.

Solution – As stated previously, favoring other nutrients over carbohydrates leads to inadequate carb consumption and decreased stimulation of insulin release. Limit protein to one gram for every 4 grams of carbohydrate to replace what is lost through exercise. This 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein appears to have a multiplicative effect in stimulating insulin release.

Pitfall #6 – Following recovery nutrition guidelines for only the first meal after exercise.

Solution – You may be avoiding all of the above pitfalls but only at the first meal. Again, since trained athletes can store upwards of 600 grams of glycogen in muscle and liver it is necessary to consume carbohydrate dense meals every 2-3 waking hours until the next ride or race.

By avoiding these common pitfalls and implementing sound recovery nutrition principles you can be assured of recovering fully for a long season.

I’ve added a personal 7th tip, don’t forget your Fluid Recovery Drink! Tastes best ice cold!

Andy B
outsideallday.com

Last weekend I was able to sneak in a 90 minute trail run at Coyote Ridge. It had snowed the night before and was getting ready to snow again, amazing 30 degree morning. The video below highlights some of the most beautiful parts of the run along with the some commentary about my new NORTH FACE ULTRA 105 GTX XCR.

Check out the links below for more info on the greatest trail running shoe of all time!

MEN’S ULTRA 105 GTX XCR

Happy trails!

Andy B
outsideallday.com

With all of the craziness happening on the road with cars taking out cyclists, not to mention a few healthy crashes of my own, it felt like a perfect time to get myself a Road ID ($20.00)

Road ID is laser engraved with your emergency contact information. It comes standard with two 3M reflective stripes to enhance your visibility when training in the dark.

If you ride or train outside, you should consider picking one up…

Andy B
outsideallday.com

It’s worth your 1:32 to watch the entire video. It gets more brutal and crazy towards the end.

HT Adam McLane for the video.

Andy B
outsideallday.com