Chocolate #9

We take a break from our regularly scheduled programming to bring you an update on the best "energy gel" I've ever tried.

At the beginning of this year the Cycleyouth U23 team was lucky enough to get hooked up with John Sample from Chocolate #9. He graciously hooked us up with quite a few chocolate gels to train and race with. Here is my long-term take on them, using two criteria:

1. Does it work for training?

2. Does it work for racing?

Training:

I got my first few Chocolate #9s right before a big training weekend in the Pisgah National Forest. I was excited to have some to take with me on this weekend, because a big weekend in Pisgah involves multiple long, steep uphills, super-sick rocky and rooty trails, hike-a-bike, and killer downhills. All in all, it's easy to bonk here. Nutrition is key to having a good day on the bike here. I was a little concerned about Chocolate #9s key difference from other gels: the low glycemic index agave sweetener. Normally when I take a gel, it is because I am bonking at the end of a ride and need something to spike my blood sugar to get me home. It's the same reason I sometimes carry gummy bears on long rides. I just told myself that I would have to be smarter with my eating. I didn't have anything to worry about. At the top of the 2nd big climb of the day, I opened my first pack of 9. It was a cold day, 45 degrees or so, so the gel was a much thicker consistency than it had been at room temperature. It was amazing. The first slurp was a heavenly sensation of an almost chewy chocolate flavor. It tasted far better than any other gel I have ever used. I dreaded that moment when the packet was empty, but I ate it as fast as I could. I definitely didn't need to worry about the energy boost. I felt strong after eating the gel, without the extreme boost and crash you get from other gels. There are not many products out there that do exactly what you say they do, but it is awesome when something does.

Racing:

At the first race of the season I loaded up a gel flask with 4 gels and a little bit of water, as I always do with my race gels. I hate using packets during races, as it always ends up as litter on the ground and precious seconds lost trying to get the top open. I just did my thing, took a few shots of gel during the race, and that was that. I didn't feel very strong, but it was more of a leg speed thing and not a nutrition thing. My energy never faded, I just wasn't very fast. It happens sometimes. However, I did notice the one and only thing I had a problem with. Halfway through the race, after going anaerobic up a steep climb I realized I needed to begin eating something, so I broke out the flask and took a shot. The gel tasted awesome, as usual, but I had a hard time swallowing it. It kind closed my throat up the slightest bit, but as soon as I drank a little bit of water it went away. I learned to take my gels on places where I wasn't breathing as hard, and that little problem went away. It's that easy with Chocolate #9.

To cap this review off I would definitely recommend trying some. The organic agave with a dark roast Belgian style cocoa truly make the tastiest gel treat I have ever had. It's a Low fat, vegan, organic, and gives lasting energy. Perfect for riding or racing. Glycemic Index of 46.

For those of you who are locals, I would recommend picking some up at Hampton Trails Bicycle Shop. He is the only local bike shop I know of who carries it.

Nutrition Facts:

Calories 70 Calories from fat 10

Total Fat 1g

Saturated fat 0g

Trans Fat 0g

Sodium 75mg

Total Carbohydrate 15g

Fiber 1g

Sugars 13g

Protein 1g

Iron 6%

Ingredients: Organic Agave, Breakfast Cocoa processed with alkali

www.Chocolate9.com

Making the Donuts... part 1

So it's been a fairly hectic race season so far, with lots of travel to Texas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Virginia, and everywhere in between.

I've managed to pull out some fairly decent results so far, this being my first year as a "pro".

I've managed two early season top 10s in the SERC series. I was fairly happy with those results at the time, I felt good and rode with some of the guys in the front group during the races. After those races was the Dirt Sweat and Gears race in Fayetteville, TN. The guys who are part owners of Swiftwick Socks are also the same people who put on this great event. They have a huge purse and really know how to run a race, I was impressed with the way everything was handled. Not to mention a nice reward at the end of the day. It is really nice to be rewarded for your hard work, specifically almost 7 hours on the bike and a big win for the Kenda/Cycleyouth duo team of Andy Johnston and I!

Not pictured: hard work and suffering

Then at the Mellow Johnny's Classic race in Texas, I managed to outlast the brutal heat to what I felt was a solid 23rd place finish out of about 80 racers, after having started back in about the 63rd start position. I felt pretty strong and lots of other guys were just withering in the heat so again I was satisfied with the result.

A very low quality picture of me finishing. Exciting.

After a quick trip home to do laundry, it was off to the Bump N Grind race near Birmingham, Alabama. This race has been going for 16 years now and was a great event with cool people. The racing started off on Saturday with a short track style event called the Turn and Burn. I decided to do this race at the last minute. I had been hesitant to do it because I didn't want to be tired for Sunday's main event, the XC race, but I find it hard to turn down any racing!

We all lined up for the start and Bruce Dickman, our announcer, yelled: Ready, Set, STOP!! Turn and BURN!!!!!!!!!!! TURN AROUND!!! We all looked at him, very confused, until we realized he wasn't joking, at which point it was a mad scramble to turn around and begin to pick our way through the racers who started behind us. I had a very good start and ended up 2nd going into the 2nd lap, leading out a very strong group of pros behind me. I was feeling very strong, and I decided to go big or go home. I had a good race and ended up behind Robert Marion, but I held off a charging Travis Livermon for 3rd. To end up between two very strong southeast pros was a huge confidence boost going into the XC race the next day.

Also, I got interviewed, which was cool.

For the rest of my most recent racing adventures, stay tuned tomorrow for Making the Donuts, part 2

So I realized as I started writing this blog that it really feels good to get your thoughts and daily experiences down on "paper". Really it's obviously not the paper that does the mind good, but the process of laying down your thoughts into an easily digestible format of words, sentences, and eventually paragraphs.

Wow, I got all philosophical and stuff there. Interesting.

Anyway, I got moved in here at Union on Saturday afternoon. "Moving in" consisted of grabbing my bags and bikes, throwing them into a corner of the room, then walking into town to get pizza. I would say it was a success.

Today was also a great success, with my first bit of riding/training for the week going in on the trainer. Me and Zach Winn, my canadian friend from school, set up our trainers next to the TV so that we could compete in a heated match of Downhill Domination. For those of you that don't know, Downhill Domination is the best mountain bike game to be released ever. Even though it is highly unrealistic, with your character going of 500 foot cliffs, bunnyhopping over trucks, and riding through lava floes, it really is the closest thing to real mountain biking you can do on a video game. Definitely not a good substitute for the real thing, but it will get you by when there are dangerous patches of ice and snow on the road and you're a pansy. I will always feel like a pansy when I see the conditions J-Stamp has to ride in sometimes. I don't think I could take it.

As a plus, we used old textbooks for wheel-leveling blocks. Perfect. I didn't like spanish anyway, and it only cost me 3 dollars. Heckova lot cheaper than most commercial ones you find.

Good night bloggers.

New Things

So... quite a few new things since my last blog post. And for all of you that have been sitting out there, waiting and hoping that I would start posting again, I'm sorry. To all of my loyal fans, I'm sorry. So basically I don't apologize to anybody. Haha.

Anyway.

- I attend Union College now

- Our team placed 2nd at Collegiate Nationals

- Cycleyouth has morphed into a U23 Pro team sponsored by Kenda/Thomson/Giant/Hayes/Manitou, etc.

- If you want to support us I can sell you some really good Going Pro Coffee or some Vermont peanut butter. Let me know.

- I grew several inches

- I got a new bike, cracked it, rode it the rest of the season, then went back to my old bike.

- I went to Germany for a usacycling development camp. That was cool.

- I got a slackline for christmas. yay!

As I write this list I realize I'm too lazy to go in depth about how my summer and fall was. It's the college kid in me. Although I should have plenty of interesting things to write about once I get back to Union for the second semester. I have this sinking suspicion that one of my friends is a superhero, so if that plays out the way I think it will it should make for an interesting story.

Good Night to all!

oh, picture from nationals that made it into Mountain Bike Action. The article was about how to fall correctly. Caption: "This Rider does a good job of tucking and rolling after slipping on a root." I endoed, no root. Oh well: