by Patricia Schwager

Eat a meal 2.5 to 3 hours pre-race. This is your last chance to fuel your body for the race. Aim for easy to digest carbohydrates and small amounts of fat and protein. This meal can be pretty big. So if racing in the AM, eat a good size breakfast. If racing in the PM, eat an early lunch. Before a TT you may want to have some more time to digest; eat 3.5-4 hours before your TT start time. Keep hydrating during the time till your race starts.

Have a small snack around the time you are warming up. If your race is short (1 hour) take 1 bottle and 1 gel with you.

If you are racing longer than 1 hour, drink at least 1 bottle per hour. Make sure that 1 or better both of your bottles contain some kind of a drink mix. Drinking plain water only doesn’t help you to replace the minerals you are sweating out. Eat something every 30min (gel, 1/2 bar, banana etc.)

It is easy to forget to eat and drink during a race. In cold conditions for example, you might feel less thirsty. Or maybe you are just too scared to take your hands off your handle bar to grab a bottle or a bar. Yep I admit, I made that mistake quite a few times while racing the spring classic races in northern Europe. Instead of eating and drinking enough during the race, I decided to rather keep my hands on my handlebar and not lose any positions in the bunch- it was a bad idea of course.

Remember to eat and drink during a race, the longer the race the more important it is. Try to eat/ drink small amounts but repeat every 15min or so instead of eating a whole bar in once and then nothing for the next hour.

Make use of calm moments or good places in a race to eat and drink. Don’t choose to eat your energy bar right before you head into the next climb.

Very important is also to test a new product at first in training before you use it in a race. Try to find out what works best for you. Not everyone is the same- make sure your nutrition and hydration is dialed in before you use it in racing.

Getting tired of the sweetness or always same flavors of your bars and gels? Try a savory version instead. (Personally I really like a salty nuts bar for a change.)

Sometimes the easy things can be better for you. Instead of always buying expensive bars, gels or drops you could make your own additional race food, just so you have something different in your pockets.

Here are some ideas to make your own race food, it is very easy! Buy waffles, cut them in smaller pieces, putting two together like a sandwich and fill them with jam, vanilla cream, Nutella, peanut or almond butter, etc. Wrap them with foil and they are ready to go in your pocket. Buy some milk breads (small soft breads). Cut them in half and take out some of the soft middle part. Fill in sweets like jam, banana& honey, almond butter etc. or go savory and stuff them with ham or cheese. In the end you put the top back into the bread to close it and ensure the filling stays inside. Again wrap up in foil. These “panini” are a typical Italian style race food.

Other foods that are great to put in your pockets are: coconut macaroons, stroop waffels (the originals are from the Netherlands), dried fruits, bananas, self-made rice cakes etc.

Some more tips:

• Take a scissors/knife and cut your bars in half. You will have less problems with unwrapping them during the race and that way they are already in a good size/serving to eat in once.
• If you need to eat during a race but you know it will be hard to do so, then prepare your bottle before the start with pouring a gel into your bottle. That way you get your energy in without messing around with opening that gel. Typical race to use that tip would be a criterium.
• Don’t throw the empty gel/bar wrapping just out into the nature, put the trash back in your jersey pocket and throw it out in the feeding zone (usually race organizers take care about trash in feeding zones) or then keep it in your pocket till the finish.
• Don’t forget that your nutrition is also important once the race is over! After your cool down keep drinking and within 25 minutes eat and/or drink something easily digestible with simple carbohydrates and a little protein –more protein and less carbohydrate if you are a woman.
• Eat a normal meal 2 hours post-race. Balance the calories you expended during the day of racing with the calories consumed the rest of the day. The right nutrition will help you recover from the race and feel better tomorrow.

ABOUT PATRICIA SCHWAGER

Patricia Schwager began cycling in 1998, racing as a junior. After racing on the domestic level and completing her Diploma as Pastry Chef, she got her first pro contract in 2006. 2015 will be here 10th year of professional racing. Patricia has a lot of experience racing in the European peloton. In 2013 she started working with Shawn Heidgen (Current ALP Cycles Coach) as her personal coach. In 2014 she changed her focus to racing in the US. Patricia is a 6 time national Swiss champion and has represented her home country, Switzerland, at the World Championships 12 times.

by Brianna "Brie" Walle, ALP Cycles Coaching
Photo: 2014 Tour of California (Time Trial): 1st: AP, 2nd: Myself, 3rd: Taylor Wiles

Winter is in full force and base-miles and intensity are increasing. With the increased training, cold weather training conditions, and all the viruses that are floating around, the body is often put into a suppressed immune state. The same formula occurs in season, with big racing blocks, added life stress and travel...point being, we are human and we will get sick. This weeks' blog post is about what to do (or not do) when sick. 

Some basic rules:

• Rule #1: Your health is #1, always. Period.balance.
• Rule #2: Be HONEST with yourself, both physically and mentally with how you are feeling. Acceptance of being sick and taking action towards getting healthy is the hardest thing to admit. Nothing is more annoying than being in denial about your health or having others (especially in a team environment) be in denial as well. Do yourself a favor, and be vulnerable and courteous to yourself and others. 
• Rule #3: Communicate opening with your coach - even if you feel like you *might* be getting sick, include your coach in the conversation. You've hired your coach to mentor you, and your health status dictates the direction of training once you're feeling better.

.......................So, how does one know if they are or getting sick???

• Fever, chills, clamminess or "off" body temp (i.e: sweating when you are cold)
• Scratchy or sore throat when swallowing
• Excess mucous or pressure in lungs
• Sinus pressure
• Aches in the body, general weakness
• Changes in resting HR (if you keep track, take note of resting HR in the AM when healthy is baseline. If HR is elevated more than 5%, there's a good chance your body is tired and/or fighting a bug.)

No training means NO: riding, running, lifting, skiing, hiking, backpacking, or extensive walking, anything that demands any kind of strength or stamina. 

Some other helpful tips to battle illness (or if you're shutting down the onset of illness):

• Increase your water, hydration, sleep, and rest as much as possible.
• Increase Vitamin's A and D (through supplements and nutrition) - Vitamin A - orange veggies (Beta carotene) - is a bacterial fighter. Supplement 5,000 - 10,000 mg's per day for one week when not feeling well. Vitamin D is a Viral fighter and helps with hormone production (amongst other things) and bone rebuilding. It's important to supplement and take with meals so it can be absorbed with fat. 5,000 mg's a day for 1-2 weeks. Fish, salmon, trout, some dairy. Colloidal silver is a great supplement to take at the first sign of illness. 
• Drop sugar levels as low as possible and eat lots of fruits and veggies.

During the process of resting, keep you coach updated of your symptoms and progress. Remember Rule #2, be honest with yourself and your coach. 

Once you're feeling better, a typical schedule might include the below:

•  One day away from any of the above symptoms: Recovery pace 30-60 min
• Two days away from any of the above symptoms: Recovery pace 60-90 min
• Three days away from any of the above symptoms: Endurance training, up to 2 hrs (if you've been sick for longer, you might need more recovery rides before entering endurance)
• Four days away from any of the above symptoms: Talk to your coach about how to return to your regular training program. 

Our number 1 concern as athletes is that taking time off means decrease in fitness and derails your game plan, but remember you can take 10 days off the bike before losing fitness. The sooner you can address your health, the faster you can come up with a game plan to bounce back. Also remember, it's easier to build an athlete back up than to recover from over-training, especially when in the deep dark holes of illness. 

True story....In my racing career, there were a number of times when I was forced off the bike to rest from illness. It's a huge blow because you have big goals ahead of you and being sidelined by illness makes you feel like those goals are not attainable anymore. However, it can be a blessing....A great example was in 2014 - I was sick with bronchitis and flu symptoms. I took a full 10 days off the bike. Later, 5 days leading into Tour of California, I started up with some recovery, later some endurance and some openers for the Time Trial and Circuit race. That illness was a disaster, but it turned into a golden blessing in disguise. Before getting sick, I was on edge from months of hard training and racing. I was overly susceptible, and in my "open window" got it, hard. On the positive side, being out meant forced rest and recovery after a hard block of racing. I was able to bounce back into action with more energy and placed 2nd in the Time Trial, 3rd in the Circuit Race!

Being optimistic and positive is also very helpful in recovery. The mental game goes a long way. 

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ABOUT BRIANNA "BRIE" WALLE

Brie is originally from Portland, Oregon and comes from a multi-sport background. Alpine ski racing and cross-country running were her early specialties, but cycling has always been #1.

Brianna has close to a decade of racing experience, including Cyclocross. She joins us after racing 5 years on UCI international teams TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank and Optum Por Cycling p/b Kelley Benefit Strategies (currently known as "Rally Cycling"). She was a General Classification (G.C.) rider with strengths in individual and Team Time Trial. Her proudest moments include winning the 2016 North Star Grand Prix, 2014 Tour de Feminin (Czech), 2015 USA Team Time Trial National Championship and working for Mara Abbott (USA National Team) at the 2013 Giro Rosa.

 Brianna specializes in: Road racing and tactics, cyclocross and exceptional communication skills.. She is looking forward to passing on her knowledge and assisting her athletes in reaching their full potential.

About ALP Cycles Coaching

ALP Cycles Coaching is located in the mountains of Colorado, and is a cycling coaching company with over 25 years of professional sports experience. ALP Cycles Coaching is unique in that we have 4 coaches, Alison Powers, Shawn Heidgen, Jennifer Triplett, and Patricia Schwager who each brings her own coaching strengths and personal experiences. We work together to create a training plan that works for each and every person. Visit them online at http://alpcyclescoach

by Patricia Dowd, ALP Cycles Coaching-Tuscon Training Camp Chef

What’s for dinner? I recently learned this question is dreaded by many people who find cooking a chore, intimidating and something they would rather not spend their time doing.

I love to cook and find it relaxing. It’s a way for me to: be creative, support local farmers and ranchers and eat seasonally. Preparing good food for myself, friends and family is one way I take care of myself and show love to people in my life. One of my most favorite things to do is cook dinner, drink wine and listen to music with Erik, friends and family. I am lucky to know people who also like to cook and appreciate good food.

During the ALP Cycles Coaching Tucson Training Camp, I was the camp chef. Every morning I cooked breakfast for 20 hungry cyclists; three nights I made dinner.

One of the most well received meals I prepared during camp was roasted chicken. If you have time after a long ride on a weekend, or a rest day early in the week, toss a whole chicken into the oven and use the chicken meat for a few meals later in the week. Easy, delicious, healthy and not super time consuming cooking. You can do it!

Whole roasted chicken (adapted from Dr. Junger’s Clean)

One of my favorite meals – whole roasted chicken with veggies. You can use the meat and roasted veggies for meals later in the week and use the bones for making a soup broth.

Get yourself:
-14 to 15 pound whole chicken (buy local, organic if possible)
-Fresh sage, rosemary and or thyme (use dried herbs if you have those on hand)
-1 small onion, coarsely chopped
-1 lemon, coarsely chopped
-A few cloves of garlic peeled
-Veggies of your choice: Carrots, parsnips, mushrooms, onions, beets, butternut squash – whatever veggies you like and have on hand. Root vegetables will probably withstand the roasting process better. Use enough veggies to cover the bottom of a roasting pan.
-Olive oil
-Sea salt or course kosher salt
-Fresh ground pepper

Directions: Two hours before roasting, remove chicken from the refrigerator to bring to room temperature. Remove any organs from the cavity. Rinse chicken and pat the inside and out dry.

Preheat the oven to 475°F (Pro tip: open the window in your kitchen. High heat cooking = smoking up the house. Trust me on this one!) Generously season inside the cavity with salt and pepper. Fill cavity with some onion, lemon, garlic and a few sprigs of herbs. Slip hand under the skin of the chicken over the breasts and legs without ripping the skin. Place several sprigs of sage, rosemary and thyme, garlic and lemon under the skin. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the chicken, rubbing all over the skin. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Prepare vegetables, leaving them in fairly large chunks. In a large bowl, toss with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil plus salt and pepper. Spread in a large roasting pan. Nestle chicken into the center of the vegetables. Roast for about 1 hour, or until the chicken is golden brown, and the juices run clear. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes before carving.

While chicken is roasting, make some brown rice or quinoa. Make more than you will eat with your chicken dinner, saving leftovers for meals later in the week.

Carve chicken. Enjoy with roasted vegetables, salad, rice or quinoa. A nice glass of white wine or zinfandel goes great with roasted chicken.

Store roasted chicken meat in the fridge. Store carcass in fridge or freezer. Use to make soup broth.

Not sure what to make with the chicken meat? A few easy weekday meals:

Shredded chicken tacos

Shred cooked chicken. In a medium bowl, combine chicken with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper and fresh lime juice. In a medium skillet or cast iron pan, sauté some chopped onion, garlic and jalapeño for a 3-5 minutes. Add seasoned chicken. Cook until fully heated.

While chicken is cooking, heat corn tortillas (over an open flame, in a little oil in a pan, in the oven on a pizza stone). Top tacos with avocado, lettuce, fresh lime juice, cilantro (unless you are Alison Powers and do not like cilantro!), cheese, salsa, hot sauce. Serve with rice, and/or black beans. Or toss everything into a tortilla for shredded chicken burritos!

Chopped chicken salad (with quinoa, rice and/or leftover roasted vegetables)

Chop cooked chicken and leftover roasted veggies (if using). In a large bowl, toss in lettuce, arugula, mixed greens or kale. (If using kale: shred kale from stalks, massage kale, add salt and a little lemon juice, massage until kale is dark green. Let rest.)

Add salt and pepper to greens and toss. Add chicken, leftover veggies, rice or quinoa. Add chopped cucumber, shredded carrots, whatever veggies are in the fridge and sounds good to you.

Add lemon juice, olive oil and your choice of vinegar ( I like a combination of rice, red and balsamic vinegar in my salads). Toss salad with your hands to fully combine and coat vegetables with salt, peppers, olive oil and vinegar(s).

Top with roasted pepitas, toasted walnuts or almonds. Eat and enjoy!

Cooking at home and eating healthy is one way you can improve and meet your overall health, fitness and training goals. You get to choose how you fuel your body. Fuel it well. Bon appetite!

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By: ALP Coach Patricia Schwager

You’ve probably heard all the rage about making your own food on the bike. A lot of companies in the market are coming up with more organic and natural recipes for their bars and gels, but they can be expensive. Plus it’s not as much fun to buy them when you can make them inexpensively right in your own kitchen.  Over the past month, I’ve been experimenting with a few recipes for healthy and sustainable foods during training rides. My favorite food on the bike currently? Energy date balls! You might have already heard about these delights- this is my personal recipe. All ingredients are easy to find (Trader Joe’s!!) and it’s super easy to make. This recipe is best made using a food processor. Enjoy!

• Prep time: 10-15 mins
• Cook time: none!
• Freezer time: several hours until firm
• Serving size: as many balls as your heart desires :)
• Approx calorie count: depends on what you put in your tasty balls- but on average 200-400 cal
• Protein: depends on what you’re putting in- you can certainly add more with protein powder

Ingredients (this recipe makes 12-15 balls)

• Dates (454g, 1 lb) buy the pitted ones to save time
• Nuts (any kind- favorites incl: hazelnuts, cashew, walnuts or almonds) (1/3 cup) 
• Sea Salt (2-3 dashes)
• Coconut flakes (1/3 cup)
• Cocoa/almond spread- TJ brand or Nutella (1 heaping tbsp)
• Vanilla extract (1 capful)
• ****Food Processor****

Instructions:

1.) Place nuts into food processor in small batches, grinding roughly 10 seconds each batch. 

2.) Toss dates into food processor in small batches, chopping until a paste consistency.  

3.) Put nuts and dates into a big bowl, and add the remaining ingredients, mixed together using a spatula or using clean hands ;-)

4.) Shape balls using your hands. The size is preference- I like mine about the size of a pingpong ball 

*Hot TIP: use water to keep your hands moist- it will make the a lot process easier and less sticky*

5.) Roll the balls in coconut flakes (this keeps the balls from sticking to your fingers)

6.) Place balls on a baking tray and place in freezer

*Once the balls are firm, store them in a Tupperware container or plastic bag. 

*Keep them in your freezer until you’re ready to take them on your ride. 

*Transport energy balls in a plastic bag or wrapped in foil

Options- be creative with your own recipe:

• You can use a variety of nuts
• Use cinnamon or cocoa powder instead of the vanilla extract
• Add cranberries, raisins or chocolate chips
• Use peanut, cashew or almond butter instead of the cocoa/almond spread

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ABOUT PATRICIA SCHWAGER

Patricia Schwager began cycling in 1998, racing as a junior. After racing on the domestic level and completing her Diploma as Pastry Chef, she got her first pro contract in 2006. 2015 will be here 10th year of professional racing. Patricia has a lot of experience racing in the European peloton. In 2013 she started working with Shawn Heidgen (Current ALP Cycles Coach) as her personal coach. In 2014 she changed her focus to racing in the US. Patricia is a 6 time national Swiss champion and has represented her home country, Switzerland, at the World Championships 12 times.

For 2015, Patricia will race for Team Tibco. Along with racing she’s looking to share and pass on her knowledge in her new role as an ALP Cycles Coach. Visit her online at https://indyfreelance.com/

About ALP Cycles Coaching

ALP Cycles Coaching is located in the mountains of Colorado, and is a cycling coaching company with over 25 years of professional sports experience. ALP Cycles Coaching is unique in that we have 4 coaches, Alison Powers, Jennifer Triplett, and Patricia Schwager who each brings her own coaching strengths and personal experiences. We work together to create a training plan that works for each and every person. Visit them online at https://indyfreelance.com/