The Cannon is ready...

Thank you for being a part of the 2011 STONY LONESOME XXXC MTN BIKE SERIES.

Our first 3 races will be used to encourage participation in our summer clinics. Our summer clinics are designed to facilitate the participation in our 100 mile/ 24 hr race to be held in the fall. The course is certainly challenging but designed for those who prefer a less technical course leaving room for head to head competition. 

You are receiving this because you are either a sponsor, registered rider or interested sponsor.

Now, for the update:

1/25/2011

• Registration has been extended to RACE DAY, under the advice of area bike shops and others... Thanks.
• Current registration is in the upper teens so far with verbal commitment from 20-30 other riders in 3 states...Our website is showing 115 FB likes which may help to forecast an even higher number of riders... 
• The Vulcan Triathletes have been encouraged to race, by design, to encourage a crossover of athletes / increased participation
• Geoff Leonard of BIKE LINK will be video taping the race for future video promo's
• Briane Toone/ owner Topo Creator has extended his professional skills at converting our course into an INCREDIBLE topo map go here...  MAP of COURSE
• Travis Sherman of DADDY MART is contritbuting some very cool Jersey's for giveaway items
• Mark Reimer / JRAG is helping us out with event  Tshirt.
• The starting Cannon is a  humble 36" Carbide Cannon with a 4" diameter barrel, this will insure a definitve start that no-one will miss...
• WERNER'S Trading Company of Cullman is in the mix for a full SERIES SPONSORSHIP allowing for a few cash primes along the course...THANKS ROB!
• GRAB the GOLD bars is our newest product sponsor.
• HONEY STINGER has extended cost plus shipping so that we might offer this to our riders
• Vanessa from AMINO VITAL is awesome to work prividing water bottles and sample product for each rider!

Will we offer cash prizes?  Sure but we need 2 more series sponsors to do this...

1/17/2011

• Marketing efforts and support have been driven by the use of Facebook, Twitter, and general email 
• Marketing efforts now include brochures and flyers at local bike shops, 
• Registration is being managed by www.prerace.com thanks Lucas for keeping us organized!
• Online calendars sharing our event include, AL.com, Cullman Chamber of Commerce, MTNBRACING.com, SINGLETRACK.com, PRERACE.com and SORBA
• We have also sent information to over 25 regional bike shops.

GET INVOLVED!

We are looking for 2 more series sponsors!

We are ALWAYS looking for prize and prime sponsors!

Local Yocal Team Sponsorship - Sponsors can buy registration for 5 - 10 riders at a time at a discount/ distribute among the locals as a perk or gift!

This is what we have secured;

• 1500 acres
• 80 miles of developed trails
• Ample parking
• Spectator friendly course
• Live, musical entertainment for spectators

Sponsorships so far:

• Amino-Vital
• Bob's Bikes
• State Farm Insurance
• Kenda
• Daddy Mart
• TopoCreator
• Stony Lonesome OHV Park
• Red Mountain Rovers
• Grab the Gold Bars
• Pepsi / Cullman 

We also want to thank the following for their support, guidance and encouragement.

• Roger Byrd - Bobs Bikes
• Travis Sherman - Daddy Mart
• Brian Toone - Topo Creater
• Brent Marshall - BAMA CycloCross
• Geoff Leonard - Bike Link

Registrants - 

We have a great course!  Fast Jeep trails with plenty of climbing and creek crossings.

Overnight accommodations are available onsite.  

SWAG BAGS are functional and cool.

Thats it folks, spread the word, bring your buddies, race your bike!

Predator...

hmmm, where do I start this one, its gonna be a good blog with motivation and some ass kicking attached.  Why?  

Because I train some very capable athletes who seem to be, well, a little doubtful right now.  

So, curious reader, let me explain to you who my clients are, maybe you could guide me...in what needs to be done to motivate them even more...To help insure their success.  Or maybe the answer is nothing.   

• My clients are committed, invested and they get their training in.  
• My clients are successful. What they do for a living requires them to be dedicated, calculated risk takers, who want more out of life than to sit on the frikken sidelines and watch others pass by. 
• My clients sweat. 
• My clients eat healthy. 
• My clients are up before dawn training. 
• My clients have friends and family who call them "freaks" because of the "lifestyle" they have chosen and because of the distance they are willing to travel 
• My clients swim in the oceans of the world with some of the most fierce predators on earth, that could quite easily, swallow them whole!. 
• My clients roll throught he desert heat for miles on end at the risk of dehydration, hyponatremia & torn tendons all while managing the constant discomfort and pain associated with moving forward... and when thats done they CHOOSE to place one foot in front of the other, running the miles that follow because they are not finished...
•  My clients face fear, the fear of losing, the fear of not finishing, the fear of not living up to their own expectations and worse yet, meeting the self imposed demand of meeting others needs.

• My clients do these things on a daily basis, they predict, process and prepare themselves for both the associated rewards and pain involved, inherent in the choices they make.

• Are you my client? 

Predicting SWEAT RATE and electrolyte needs...

Other than lab testing there is no exact way in which you can measure sweat losses, but you can make an educated estimation. In hot weather the simplest calculation that you can make involves checking body weight changes before and after training, and correcting for fluid intake during training. Fluid loss from urine loss would also affect this equation, as would weight gain from any solid food consumed. For the example below, let's look at how you can calculate sweat losses during a bike ride when consuming a carbohydrate-electrolyte beverage.

1. Check your weight before and after training and calculate your weight loss.
160 lb. to 158 lb. (73 kg to 72 kg)
2 lb. weight loss during training (0.9 kg)
(To obtain weight in kilograms, divide weight in pounds by 2.2.)

2. Know the amount of fluid that you consumed during the training session. Fifteen ounces of fluid weighs about 1 pound (an easier estimate is 1000-ml fluid equals 1.0 kg body weight). You can also weigh the bottle before and after your training session to see how much the fluid you consumed weighs.

Let's say you consume 60 ounces (1800 ml) of fluid during a three-hour bike ride. This fluid weighs 4 lb. (1.8 kg)

. Add the answers in 1 and 2.
2-lb. weight loss during training plus you consumed 4 lb. of fluid during training
This equals 6 lb. of fluid lost.
(0.9 + 1.8 kg = 2.7 kg)

4. 6 lb. equals 90 ounces fluid divided by 3 hours = 30 ounces per hour for sweat losses.
(2.7 kg equals 2700 ml fluid divided by 3 hours = 900 ml/hr).

In this example the athlete sweats about 30 ounces or 3.75 cups of fluid per hour (900 ml). Sweat rates can vary from 24 ounces or 3 cups of fluid per hour (720 ml) to 80 ounces or 10 cups (2500 ml or more) per hour.

A two-pound fluid loss is fairly significant and indicates that you need to drink more when training. Athletes who gain weight during training, may actually be drinking too much. Overdrinking is a concern in the development of hyponatremia or low blood sodium. However, most athletes do not meet their fluid needs and chances are that you will not match 100 percent of your sweat losses. Check you weights before and after training, and determine if you need to step up your fluid intake efforts. Rehydration should also be a main priority after training. Aim for 20 ounces (600 ml) of fluid afterwards for every pound lost during training. You should also include some sodium in your rehydration fluids and food choices as part of your recovery meals and snacks to improve your fluid balance. This is especially important following training sessions where optimal fluid intake may be more challenging and your weight loss is greater.

Sex and Sports: Should Athletes Abstain Before Big Events?

by Stefan Lovgren

for National Geographic News

February 22, 2006

The Winter Olympics may offer plenty of excitement, but there's at least one type of action that many of the athletes are strictly avoiding: sex.

Athletes have long perpetuated the theory that sex before competition zaps energy. Muhammad Ali, for one, reportedly wouldn't make love for six weeks before a fight.

But scientists say there is no physiological evidence to suggest that sex before competition is bad. In fact, some studies suggest that pre-sports sex may actually aid athletes by raising their testosterone levels, for example.

It is unclear, however, what psychological effects sex may have on an athlete's performance. Some scientists suggest that abstinence could help some athletes concentrate better.

"There are two possible ways sex before competition could affect performance," said Ian Shrier, a sports medicine specialist at McGill University in Montreal, Canada.

"First, it could make you tired and weak the next day," Shrier said. "This has been disproved.

"The second way is that it could affect your psychological state of mind. This has not been tested," he said.

Power Sports

In 2000 Shrier published an editorial titled "Does Sex the Night Before Competition Decrease Performance?" in the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine. He wrote that the "long-standing myth that athletes should practice abstinence before important competitions may stem from the theory that sexual frustration leads to increased aggression."

The abstinence tradition is particularly strong in power sports, such as boxing and football, in which aggression is considered a valuable trait.

Some people believe the act of ejaculation draws testosterone, the hormone of both sexual desire and aggression, from the body.

"This is a really wrong idea," said Emmanuele A. Jannini of the University of L'Aquila in Italy. Jannini is a professor of endocrinology, the study of bodily secretions, and has studied effects of sex on athletic performance.

Jannini has found that sex in fact stimulates the production of testosterone, thus boosting aggression.

"After three months without sex, which is not so uncommon for some athletes, testosterone dramatically drops to levels close to children's levels," he said. "Do you think this may be useful for a boxer?"

Scientists dismiss the idea that sex the night before competition has a tiring effect on the athlete or that it could weaken the athlete's muscles.

Lovemaking, after all, is not a very demanding exercise. In general sexual intercourse between married partners expends only 25 to 50 calories, about the energy it takes to walk up two flights of stairs.

Sexual activity could actually help combat muscle pain or other sports injuries in women, according to Barry Komisaruk, a psychology professor at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey. His studies have found that sexual stimulation in women produces a powerful pain-blocking effect. The effect, he says, can last for up to a day in the case of chronic pain such as muscle pain.

"At least one of the mechanisms by which [sex] blocks pain is that it blocks the release of [a neuropeptide called] substance P, which is a pain transmitter," he said. Komisaruk has also found that vaginal stimulation has a strong effect on muscle tension in the legs, increasing it in some women and decreasing it in others.

Anxiety and Aggression

Much less is known about the psychological effects of sex on athletic performance.

Some experts say coaches may be favoring the abstinence theory simply because they want to make sure young athletes get enough sleep before a big game.

Psychologists have shown there is an optimal level of alertness and anxiety that is necessary to produce the best possible performance. Too much anxiety or too much aggression may result in poor performance.

"If athletes are too anxious and restless the night before an event, then sex may be a relaxing distraction," Shrier wrote in his study.

"If they are already relaxed or, like some athletes, have little interest in sex the night before a big competition, then a good night's sleep is all they need."  The results will depend on individual preferences and routines, Shrier said, adding that consistency is key. 

"In general, an athlete should never try something before an important competition that they have not already tried in lesser competitions or practice," he said.  Jannini, the Italian researcher, says the effects of sex vary among athletes. "Some personalities need more concentration. In this case sex may be a bad idea," he said. "For other athletes a bit of extra aggression could be the difference" between winning and losing, Jannini said. "In this case I would suggest a complete and satisfactory sexual intercourse the evening before the gam

Predicting SWEAT RATE and electrolyte needs...

Other than lab testing there is no exact way in which you can measure sweat losses, but you can make an educated estimation. In hot weather the simplest calculation that you can make involves checking body weight changes before and after training, and correcting for fluid intake during training. Fluid loss from urine loss would also affect this equation, as would weight gain from any solid food consumed. For the example below, let's look at how you can calculate sweat losses during a bike ride when consuming a carbohydrate-electrolyte beverage.

1. Check your weight before and after training and calculate your weight loss.
160 lb. to 158 lb. (73 kg to 72 kg)
2 lb. weight loss during training (0.9 kg)
(To obtain weight in kilograms, divide weight in pounds by 2.2.)

2. Know the amount of fluid that you consumed during the training session. Fifteen ounces of fluid weighs about 1 pound (an easier estimate is 1000-ml fluid equals 1.0 kg body weight). You can also weigh the bottle before and after your training session to see how much the fluid you consumed weighs.

Let's say you consume 60 ounces (1800 ml) of fluid during a three-hour bike ride. This fluid weighs 4 lb. (1.8 kg)

. Add the answers in 1 and 2.
2-lb. weight loss during training plus you consumed 4 lb. of fluid during training
This equals 6 lb. of fluid lost.
(0.9 + 1.8 kg = 2.7 kg)

4. 6 lb. equals 90 ounces fluid divided by 3 hours = 30 ounces per hour for sweat losses.
(2.7 kg equals 2700 ml fluid divided by 3 hours = 900 ml/hr).

In this example the athlete sweats about 30 ounces or 3.75 cups of fluid per hour (900 ml). Sweat rates can vary from 24 ounces or 3 cups of fluid per hour (720 ml) to 80 ounces or 10 cups (2500 ml or more) per hour.

A two-pound fluid loss is fairly significant and indicates that you need to drink more when training. Athletes who gain weight during training, may actually be drinking too much. Overdrinking is a concern in the development of hyponatremia or low blood sodium. However, most athletes do not meet their fluid needs and chances are that you will not match 100 percent of your sweat losses. Check you weights before and after training, and determine if you need to step up your fluid intake efforts. Rehydration should also be a main priority after training. Aim for 20 ounces (600 ml) of fluid afterwards for every pound lost during training. You should also include some sodium in your rehydration fluids and food choices as part of your recovery meals and snacks to improve your fluid balance. This is especially important following training sessions where optimal fluid intake may be more challenging and your weight loss is greater

First post from 2010

Whew what a day! 
Its Indian Summer here in the Southeast.
Temperatures are running about 95 degrees in September!
I've been looking at the 1500 acre map for about 3 weeks.
It is well marked with 80 miles of trails, varying in difficulty.
I have been able to follow the trails up and down the contour lines with a highlighter in an attempt to pre-route the possibilities... 
The Goal...
1. Create a course that is demanding yet not very technical.
2. Create a course that is spectator friendly 
3. Use the existing trail systems...

I am using an Android phone and an app called "SPORTS TRACKER PRO".
I am then cross referencing the data with the 6 foot long map that the county was so gracious to provide me. So far so good.
Aside from losing about 6lbs during my exploration at 2:00 pm in the , I DID NOT  lose my way.
I am pretty sure footed when it comes to maps and orienteering and to trek/ design a race using this method was a blast.
Preliminary results..
Well this was a great deal easier than back in 1993 when 'BLK MRKT RACING' roots.  All I had then was my bike and an idea of where to go....GPS on a cell phone was unheard of!

I think I have done what I wanted to do.... create a course that was non-technical yet demanding...complete with switch backs,  I have posted the PRELIMINARY course map with profile and map on 'course description page