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This blog/site is a collection of my thoughts, articles and other general excitement tied into cycling, training and competing as a vegan bike racer and athlete.

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Thursday, March 31, 2005

Scarecrow's Only Scarin' Itself -- Log

Hmm..it appears weekly updates are the flavour de jour. ;)

Lessee what i've been up to:
Thu(Mar 24th): 2hr ride with Andy, did three Observatory repeats (nice 8min climb, low 50-60 cadence)

Fri: Went rock climbing outdoors near Goldstream, very nice!

Sat: Woke up, felt crappy, it was cold and pouring out, took the day off!

Sun: Burnside ride, went all the way around the water back to downtown, over 100km, felt decent

Mon: Rode w/Andy, moderate pace, 2hr 30mins

Tue: 60mins on rollers, kept HR between 160-170 and cadence above 100rpm, also went to the gym in the evening, good workout tho grip sucked..which might have been because:

Wed: had trouble sleeping, felt achy, woke up really achy, muscles and joints unhappy, must be some sort of virus...made it a rest day.

Thu: feeling much better from Wed, but taking the day off to be sure. Gonna watch the 2004 (or 2003) Tour de France DVD with Andy instead of riding. =)
If i'm feeling human again tomorrow, i'll go for an easy ride Fri, then Burnside it on the weekend.

Next week is the first week of track - woohoo!! My schedule will likely change a fair bit from here on in..

This virus thingy sure ain't much fun..i felt like an old man or something, with my muscles protesting most movements...also was quite hot...woke up sweating last night. Bleh. Feeling a lot better today tho, so hopefully that's it!

(Title from the new Beck song 'Scarecrow' from 'Guero'. *Love* the tune.)

Wednesday, March 23, 2005

Dance Epidemic Tonite!! -- Log

I've been just plain too busy! Here's what i've been up to:
Tue (Mar 15th): Took the entire day off for rest, skipped the gym!

Wed: Second hour-long run, with Heather again. I ate too close to run-time, so stomach wasn't very happy..stopped once for a minute, but carried on after that. Ave HR was 6bpm lower than first run (first run was 178ave.)

Thu: ride w/Andy, did the Observatory! Did three repeats, 50-60rpm, kept HR ~175bpm. Felt fantastic!

Fri: 45min solo run, felt good, and my hip flexor has finally abated!!

Sat: Burnside ride, skipped the section through Sidney w/Pat, residents there have been complaining about cyclists. Might be a good idea to give the town a little break for a while. Felt drained from the run, but held in, did the water, maintained a nice average speed again. Only lost about a KM from skipping Sidney.

Sun: Burnside again, and rainy! Did 77km, bit slower from the cold and riding with 5lbs of extra water sitting on my body. ;)

Mon (Mar 21st): RRide with Andy

Tue: did another great upper-body workout. Got Brandon to check my running form on the treadmill, looks alright! Got some running tips. Note to self: must hit the gym weekly to maintain strength! Had to drop a few pounds on some lifts....

Wed: Super-day! Pat emailed and asked if i wanted to ride, so i said yeah! Went out for 2hrs, did Munns and the Up & Over, felt great, beautiful day. Ran for 45mins w/Heather again, she was short on time, and the run was a tiny bit slower than it has been, but she'd eaten too close to the run. Once again, hip flexors leaving me no grief, yay! Did a hard sprint at the end as well, felt pretty good!
The rest of the week will be much like usual, Observatory again with Andy tomorrow, run on Fri, Burnside on the weekend, etc..nothing special planned for the Weekend of the Bunny!

Keep on truckin'!

(Posting title from an Electric Six song.)

Saturday, March 19, 2005

Sprouting 101 -- Nutrition


Oooh..fancy title!

Here we have it, my version of sprouting. =)

Lets take a look at what we've got:


Above, we see a couple jars, and containers for them. For materials for sprouting, i suggest the following:

  • large, wide-mouthed jar (Adam's peanut butter jars are perfect, wide mouth makes getting sprouts out much easier)
  • window screening (the mesh stuff on porch doors, get it from hardware stores, be sure to wash thoroughly before using, seems to come covered in some weird oil)
  • elastic bands (i like the ones that come on broccoli)
  • drainage containers (recognize the Earth Balance margerine containers?)

Once you have the following, as well as some beans or seeds to sprout, you're ready to create life in your kitchen!


First, fill up the jar so you can't see the bottom when looking down. (You'll figure out what's good for you, but this is a good place to start.)



Next you'll want to fill the jar about 1/3rd of the way with water, make sure it covers all the seeds/beans with an extra inch or two. They'll expand quite a bit!

Leave it like this for 12-24hrs. If handy, empty and refill water once. Not necessary however.


After 24hrs, you'll want to drain out the water.....


....and then rinse the seeds/beans. You'll want to do this several times.


Once well-rinsed, use your container to allow the jar to sit on an angle to allow the extra water to drip out.

This is where things get a little busy - you'll want to rinse your sproutlings twice a day. I usually do this in the morning, and in the evening around dinnertime. Each time you rinse them, rinse several times, then leave to drain.

They say a cool, dark place is the best place for storing your sprouts. If you have room in a cupboard, that might be a good spot (as long as you won't forget about them!) I use a corner on the counter, seems to work fine!

After several days, you've hit paydirt!


Yummy, healthy sprouts waiting to be eaten!

I use a plastic container with holes and room for air to pass, otherwise they get mushy. Should last 3-5 days in the fridge, tho best to eat sooner than later.


Sprouts are an important part of my diet, so i've always got a couple jars on the go. In the pantry i keep all my sprouting seeds and beans together, and pre-mix my bean mix in a jar for quick and easy distribution.

When sprouting, best to keep the beans and seeds separate.

Some seeds and beans i like:

Beans (take 3-5 days to sprout)

  • mung beans
  • green lentils (other lentils are usually split and won't sprout)
  • red aduki beans
  • green peas (very yummy!)
  • chickpeas

Seeds (take 4-7 days to sprout)

  • broccoli seeds
  • red clover seeds
  • alfalfa seeds

A few other general tips:

  • don't try to sprout kidney beans, there is a toxic substance in them that needs to be neutralized with cooking. Most other beans are fine however.
  • alfalfa sprout shells are toxic, rinse in a large bowl of water when done to get rid of these (they float and sink, so easy to eliminate)

Enjoy!

Monday, March 14, 2005

Land of Pleny, Land of Fun -- Log

...to find out I'm Nimrod's Son. (Fun fact: didya know i started and run FrankBlack.net?)

Wow, time is just whizzing by! The weather has been unbelievable, so much sun and warmth! I've got tan lines from the vents of my helmet on my forehead..heh.. I've also started shaving my legs.... Last week i used my beard trimmer thingy to clip most hair off my upper-legs, and slightly shorten the lower legs, then today i actually took a razor to the uppers...my legs feel so soft! It's hard keeping my hands off myself...hehe!!

Come April i should be hairless... Oh, the joys of being a cyclist! You may be asking why i'm shaving my legs...two main reasons: to help keep my legs cool, and to show off my muscles....err..make that to 'show my commitment to the sport'. Yeah..that's the ticket. ;)

Also got my OrganicAthlete jersey and shorts, pretty spiffy looking, i'll get some pics soon.

So, here's the last week:
Tue: hit the gym, Jen joined us, as well as Brandon's sweetie Sarah. (She looks like Mia Maestro!) They didn't end up in the weightroom, but i got a great WO w/Jen.

Wed: first hour-long run!! Went out with Heather, and we went quite hard for the whole thing, i figure we covered 11-12km, felt pretty good the whole time! Left hip flexor isn't the most friendly tho..

Thu: 2hr solo ride, felt pretty drained from run.

Fri: run, kept HR below 90%, starting to feel human again.

Sat: Burnside Ride, still felt tired, but held in alright. Got a flat right outside of Sidney, tied in with a smaller group, stayed ahead of the rest of the group until after the Ash hill, let them go by, finished the water.

Sun: Burnside Ride, felt tired still, but felt progressively better, ended up helping to keep the pace up, initiated a few sprints, etc.. Ran outta steam at Royal Oak, did the water tho, still worked out to be a speedy ride, faster than Sat.

Mon: 2hr Recovery Ride, enjoyed the weather and some Beck.
Not sure if i should try to fit another ride in per week, or if it might be too much with the running...thinking i should try and fit another day of running in....hmm...

Not gonna bother posting the upcoming week, it's pretty much a repeat of last, only difference it on Thu am planning on doing some hills, get Andy to do the Observatory a few times. =)

I'll be posting an article this week, on sprouting! Got pictures too, woot!

Have a great week!

Thursday, March 10, 2005

Sprinter = Phoenix? -- Quote

"I'm fascinated by the sprinters. They suffer so much during the race just to ge to the finish, they hang on for dear life in the climbs, but then in the final kilometers they are transformed and do amazing things. It's not their force per se that impresses me, but rather the renaissance they experience. Seeing them suffer throughout the race only to be reborn in the final is something for fascination."

-- Miguel Indurain

Tuesday, March 08, 2005

A Week In Review -- Log

Wowwee..February is gone, and here comes March! Bringing some amazing weather with it!!

Here's what the last week looked like for me:
Tue - nite at the gym with Brandon, climing Jen joined us as well, was happy to give her a bunch of tips for working out. I got in a pretty good WO as well.

Wed - went for a fairly hard run on my 'longer' loop, took a minute and a half off my previous time...nuts! I think i'm well on my way to a sub-45min 10k. =)

Thu - rode two easy hours with Andy, then did an extra hour on my own at my normal training pace.

Fri - ran my longer loop again, but this time kept my HR under 170..feels weird holding myself back running...slowing down...but it's good to train at that pace.

Sat - Burnside ride, there was a fairly ugly crash, but everyone survived, and they should be back on their bikes soon. The ride was pretty speedy, over 31kph ave, felt good, travelled just under 100k.

Sun - Burnside ride again, very reasonable ride, nice steady pace, slightly faster than Sun, and same distance. First time i've done two long and fast(ish) rides in a row, and i felt good afterwards! Yet more progress, yay me!

Mon - easy 2hr recovery ride with Andy, most beautiful day yet, rode without booties and vest! It was over 16 C outside, very nice!
That was a pretty good week for me! As it gets warmer, i'm planning on getting out on the bike even more...can hardly wait!

This week is looking something like:
Tue - gym w/Brandon, working upper-body
Wed - 1hr run with Heather (my second 1hr run ever!)
Thu - 2hr ride with Andy, prolly do 1hr solo as well
Fri - prolly extend my running loop a bit more..controlled pace
Sat & Sun - most likely more Burnside rides
I should prolly write up another story for the site as well....hmmm...what to write about...

Saturday, March 05, 2005

Keeping a Training Log -- Training

I've had a pretty productive week riding and running, more on that tomorrow. For now, let's take a look at training logs!

How many people keep them, and to what detail? I have a feeling very few people keep track of what they're doing...i definitely know this from my time at the gym. Me and my buddy Brandon are the only people ever writing stuff down.

I personally find mine completely invaluable. It allows me to look back and see *exactly* what i've been doing in the the past week, month or more, and also keep track of helpful info.

Here's what i log regularly:

Cycling
- date, description of what i did, how i felt, weather if unusual
- heart rate info: average heart rate, max heart rate, percentage of time spent above target heart rate zone
- bike computer info: total distance ridden, time spent riding, average speed
Running
- date, description of what i did, how i felt, weather if unusual
- heart rate info: time spent running, average heart rate, max heart rate, percentage of time spent above target heart rate zone
Gym / Weight Sessions
- date, description of what i did, how i felt
- i list the excercise, how many sets, reps, and how much weight. I assume there's 30-45 seconds between sets, as that's my target. As an example, this is what i have for a few items from last Tuesday:

o Row Machine 6min (warmup)
o Bent Over Row (left and right sides)
(1) 12 x 45lbs
(2) 12 x 45lbs
o Seated Cable Row (single arm, L & R)
(1) 12 x 40lbs
(2) 12 x 40lbs

etc..
I've been doing this since September, and i can look back and see what my average riding speeds were, how many days i was riding, etc.. Definite improvement all-round, yay me!

I can also compare the weights that i've been lifting, including from the week before. If i see that i was getting too many reps in, i know to increase the weight, etc. I can keep track of it mentally, but sometimes i skip certain excercises for a while, and of course have forgotten what was good for me..so this way it's easy to check back. Also saves space in my brain for other important stuff..like peoples' names. =)

I use a 5.5" x 4" spiral-bound "Fat 'Lil Notebook" with 320 pages. I've used about 1/3rd of it since Sept, so it goes a long way (i was doing insane weight sessions: 2-3 days a week, 2-3hrs full body, Oct thru Dec, so it got used excessively then.) I figure this book'll last until next Sept or so.

Of course, you don't have to be as elaborate or detailed as me, but i think most people will feel good keeping track of the above-mentioned info, and the obvious progress (hopefully!) made can be really positive and encouraging for future training.

I say giver a try for a couple weeks, if not, you've got a notebook for the phone. =)

Tuesday, March 01, 2005

Vegans and Vitamin Deficiencies -- Nutrition

Found this article a while ago, it's by Dr Gregor, who's a very well-spoken vegan MD:

Vegan Diets Deficient in Three Nutrients?
Well, Meateaters are Deficient in Seven!

http://www.drgreger.org/september2003.html

The latest data on the dietary intakes of vegans was just published last month.[1] The diets of about 100 vegans were recorded for a week and were found deficient in calcium, iodine and vitamin B12. Using the same standards, though, the standard American diet are deficient in 7 nutrients! The diet of your average American is not only ALSO deficient in calcium and iodine, it's deficient in vitamin C, vitamin E, fiber, folate, and magnesium as well.[2]

Not only does the American public have over twice as many nutritional deficiencies in their diets, vegans were shown to have higher intakes of 16 out of the 19 nutrients studied, includeing calcium. The vegans were getting more than enough protein on average and three times more vitamin C, three times more vitamin E, three times more fiber. Vegans got twice the folate, twice the magnesium, twice the copper, twice the manganese.

And of course the vegans had twice the fruit and vegetable intake and half the saturated fat intake, meeting the new 2003 World Health Organization guidelines for fat intake and weight control.[3] Almost 2/3 of Americans are overweight.[4] In contrast, only 11% of the vegans were overweight. Almost one in three Americans are obese.[4] Zero of the 98 vegans in this study were obese.

So when a meateater asks you "Where you get your B12?" You can counter with "Where do YOU get your vitamin C, vitamin E, fiber, folate, and magnesium? And while you're at it, you can ask them how they keep their sodium, saturated fat, total fat and cholesterol intake under control (not to mention their weight).[5]

[1] Results from the German Vegan Study. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 57(August 2003):947.
[2] USDA. Food and Nutrient Intakes by Individuals in the United States, by Region, 1994-96.
[3] World Health Organization Technical Report Series 916. Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases. 2003.
[4] http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/pubd/hestats/obese/obse99.htm Centers for Disease Control.
[5] Then you can finally answer their question and proudly say B12 fortified foods or B12 supplements :) Of course the fact that we're seriously deficient in B12 should not be taken lightly. Evidence suggests that our low B12 intakes make be shaving literally years off of the lives of vegetarians and vegans, so make sure you get your B12!--I recommend " http://www.veganhealth.org/b12/ Vitamin B12: Are You Getting It?"

About Me

Name:
Dave Shishkoff
aka Dave Noisy
Location:
Victoria, BC
Canada

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