99% DNF at World's Toughest Mudder

More than 800 started this race and only 8 men and 2 women finished. That is amazing considering the athletes that lined up at the start were no sissies. In order to even be invited to compete in the World's Toughest Mudder Finals you had to finish in the top 5% of a normal Tough Mudder event during 2011. A "normal" tough mudder is a 10-12 mile circuit of military style obstacles and as the name implies, the course is muddy and the obstacles are, well, tough. The WTM24 is the same distance course with double the obstacles. Mudders attempt to complete as many circuits as possible. Each athlete has a designated camp site in a transition area located near the starting line where they can stash food, dry clothes, and other gear. Many took breaks between laps, with many opting to sleep several hours during the middle of the night. Others trudged on non-stop for the full 24+ hours. The "+" is very important. See, the first person to cross the finish line closest to the 24 hour mark without exceeding it sets the bar for the number of circuits required to be an official finisher. If the the winner posts 6 laps at 24 hours, and you have only done 5, then you have an additional 4 hours to match that number of laps else it is considered a DNF. Wowzers!

The male and female winners, Junyong Pak and Juliana Sproles crossed the finish line together at the 24 hour and 8 minute mark. Pak was on his 7th circuit while Juliana was on her 6th. Unofficially, 520 completed the first circuit, two circuits: 240, three circuits: 107, 4 circuits: 42, five circuits: 14, and 6 circuits: 10. (Because Pak and Sproles completed their last lap after the 24 hour mark, they were officially credited with just 6 and 5 circuits respectivley.)

I will let the pictures of the obstacles speak for themselves. Be sure to check out all the pictures in the World's Toughest Mudder Photo Gallery.

Pictures from the 36th Fall Classic Half Marathon

We are happy to provide these pictures for free to all the participants of Cleveland West Road Runners Club 36th Annual Fall Classic Half Marathon. We really enjoyed sharing the day with you under great weather conditions for the 13.1 miles. We hope everyone had a Great Race.

Don't miss any of the photos. There are 8 pages of images. Navigate through the pages by clicking on the numbered squares at the top of the gallery. To download your picutres, click on the thumbnail and then right click the large image and then "Save Picture As . . ."

Special thanks to Michelle Cousino, Tim Hanchin and Mike Briehl for volunteering their time, talent and equipment. Enjoy the pictures!

Indoor Training Strategy for Cyclocross Racing

What's that you say?

It may seem antithetical to the roots of cyclocross to recommend indoor training for cyclocross racing. But it can be a winning formula when combined with adequate outdoor skills practice.

Mud, sand, run-ups and barriers aside, the fitness needed to succeed in cyclocross can be achieved largely through indoor training. But as with most good things, there are trade-offs...

On the plus side: 1) You can train no matter the weather. 2) You will (likely) avoid injury associated with trail running and riding. 3) You can be very specific with your efforts.

On the negative: Well, I can only see one real negative to doing the bulk of your cyclocross training indoors – you may  miss out on the “acclimation” effects of being outside in all conditions.

But even this negative can be a plus as many top athletes report “weather fatigue” from training and racing in bad conditions all the time. By not worrying about the weather for your training sessions (thus mentally preparing for anything race day can throw at you) I believe this consideration is minor at best.

So what would a good indoor cyclocross routine look like? Here is my recommendation based on a four week build/recovery cycle.

 Weeks 1-3

Monday – Rest (assuming a weekend race or long ride)

Tuesday AM – 60 min run intervals

Using a good treadmill, alternate moderate running pace for 2 minutes @ 6-7mph with sprinting for one minute @ 8-10mph. You may need to build up to these paces and times.

Tuesday PM – 60 min weight circuit or core strength

A moderately stressful full-body weight circuit (with rapid switches between exercises and enough exertion to work up a sweat), TRX, P90X or a similar “boot camp” routine is good.

Wednesday – 60-90 min outdoor CX practice or indoor threshold intervals

20 min warmup, 6x6 min intervals at zone 4/5, 3 min easy spin between intervals, 20 min cooldown.

Thursday AM – 60 min run hill intervals

Using a good treadmill at a moderate pace of 6-7mph, alternate moderate running with no incline for 2 minutes and at the maximum incline for one minute. You may need to build up to these paces and times.

Thursday PM – 90 min bike “jumps”

Using your indoor trainer, warm up 20 minutes then complete 3 sets of the following: In gear that you can spin up (but not spin out) do 5x – 15 second all-out sprints. Spin easy one minute between sprints, 5 minutes between sets. Cool down 20 minutes.

Friday – 60 min “cross starts”

Using your indoor trainer, warm up 20 minutes then complete 5 sets of the following: Shift to a moderate gear and stop pedaling, waiting for your trainer to spin down. Practice a sprint start (make sure there is enough resistance on your trainer tire) and shift through the gears until 60 seconds. Rest 3 minutes between starts. Cool down 20 minutes.

Saturday – 60 min singletrack, run-up and/or barrier practice (outdoor)

OK, so getting out and “doing” cyclocross is a good thing too. Spend an hour carving singletrack, managing surface transitions, dismounting/mounting, running barriers and hauling your bike up hills. Even with the great fitness you've cultivated indoors, you'll need these skills to master cyclocross racing.

Sunday – RACE or 2 hour endurance ride (outdoor or indoor)

Week 4 (recovery)

Remove Tuesday AM, Thursday PM and Friday workouts along with reducing the intensity of the Wednesday session, whether it is indoor or outdoor.

Several top cyclocross stars report using indoor training as the major thrust of their training once the weather turns gnarly. There is no reason you can achieve the same benefits by getting in quality training no matter what Mother Nature throws at you.

Predictable. Quantifiable. Intense. Just what training should be.

Pictures from Solon and Willoughby CX Races are Posted.

Thanks to my wife, Michelle, and son, William, for helping me take these pictures, especially for taking pictures of everyone while I race. Photo galleries are listed on the left under the Great Race Photos category. I also have added links in this post:

Willoughby November 13, 2011

Solon November 6, 2011

Chagrin October 29 & 30, 2011

Blue Sky October 23, 2011

Orrville October 9, 2011

Energy Gel Comparison

How much caffeine is in your energy gel?

Some people are surprised to learn that it varies by both brand and flavor. We created this resource so endurance athletes could compare the caffeine content among all the caffeinated and non-caffeinated energy gels. We included Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts and Coca-Cola as reference points.

This chart is sortable. Click on any column header to sort in ascending or descending order.

Energy Gel	Calories	Carbohydrate Source [Key Below]	Complex:Simple Ratio	Total Carbs (g)	Simple Sugars (g)	BCAAs (mg)	Caffeine(mg)
GU Gel - Vanilla Bean	100	M, F	5:1	25	5	600**	20
GU Gel - Chocolate Outrage	100	M, F	3:1	20	6	600**	20
GU Gel - Just Plain	100	M, F	5:1	25	5	600**	20
GU Gel - Mandarin Orange	100	M, F	5:1	25	5	600**	20
GU Gel - Tri-Berry	100	M, F	5:1	25	5	600**	20
GU Gel - Mint Chocolate Gel	100	M, F	5:1	20	4	600**	20
GU Gel - Espresso Love	100	M, F	5:1	25	5	600**	40
GU Gel - Jet Blackberry	100	M, F	5:1	25	5	600**	40
GU Gel - Lemon Sublime	100	M, F	5:1	25	5	600**	0
GU Gel - Strawberry Banana	100	M, F	5:1	25	5	600**	0
GU Roctane - Blueberry Pomegranate	100	M, F	5:1	25	5	1220	35
GU Roctane - Cherry Lime	100	M, F	5:1	25	5	1220	35
GU Roctane - Pineapple	100	M, F	5:1	25	5	1220	0
GU Roctane - Vanilla Orange	100	M, F	5:1	25	5	1220	35
GU Roctane - Chocolate Raspberry	100	M, F	3:1	20	6	1220	35
Honey Stinger Gel - Banana	120	Honey*	1	29	29	0	0
Honey Stinger Gel - Chocolate	120	Honey*	1	29	29	0	0
Honey Stinger Gel - Ginsting	120	Honey*	1	29	29	0	32
Honey Stinger Gel - Gold	120	Honey*	1	29	29	0	0
Honey Stinger Gel - Strawberry	120	Honey*	1	29	29	0	32
Hammer Gel - Apple Cinnamon	90	M	11:1	21	2	11	0
Hammer Gel - Banana	90	M	11:1	22	2	11	0
Hammer Gel - Chocolate	90	M	6:1	22	4	11	0
Hammer Gel - Espresso	90	M	7:1	22	3	11	50
Hammer Gel - Montana Huckleberry	90	M	11:1	22	2	11	0
Hammer Gel - Orange	90	M	11:1	21	2	11	0
Hammer Gel - Raspberry	90	M	11:1	21	2	11	0
Hammer Gel - Tropical	90	M	11:1	21	2	11	25
Hammer Gel - Vanilla	90	M	11:1	21	2	11	0
PowerBar Gel - Berry Blast	110	M, F	3:1	27	10	0	25
PowerBar Gel - Chocolate	120	M, F	3:1	28	10	0	25
PowerBar Gel - Double Latte	110	M, F	3:1	27	10	0	50
PowerBar Gel - Green Apple	110	M, F	3:1	27	10	0	25
PowerBar Gel - Kona Punch	110	M, F	3:1	27	10	0	0
PowerBar Gel - Raspberry Cream	110	M, F	3:1	27	10	0	0
PowerBar Gel - Strawberry Banana	110	M, F	3:1	27	10	0	25
PowerBar Gel - Tangerine	110	M, F	3:1	27	10	0	50
PowerBar Gel - Vanilla	110	M, F	3:1	27	10	0	0
CarbBOOM Gel - Apple Cinnamon	110	M	9:1	27	3	0	0
CarbBOOM Gel - Banana Peach	110	M	9:1	27	3	0	0
CarbBOOM Gel - Grape Pomegranate	110	M	9:1	27	3	0	0
CarbBOOM Gel - Raspberry	110	M	9:1	27	3	0	0
CarbBOOM Gel - Strawberry Kiwi	110	M	9:1	27	3	0	0
CarbBOOM Gel - Vanilla Orange	110	M	9:1	27	3	0	50
Accel Gel - Chocolate	100	F, S, M	2:1	20	13	0	20
Accel Gel - Citrus Orange	100	F, S, M	2:2	20	13	0	0
Accel Gel - Key Lime	100	F, S, M	2:3	20	13	0	0
Accel Gel - Raspberry Cream	100	F, S, M	2:4	20	13	0	50
Accel Gel - Strawberry Kiwi	100	F, S, M	2:5	20	13	0	0
Accel Gel - Vanilla	100	F, S, M	2:6	20	13	0	0
2nd Surge Ultra Gel - Chocolate	90	AS, BRS, ECJ	1	18	13	0	100
2nd Surge Ultra Gel - Double Expresso	90	AS, BRS, ECJ	1	18	13	0	100
Clif Shot Gel - Chocolate	110	M, DCS	2:1	22	12	0	0
Clif Shot Gel - Chocolate Cherry	110	M, DCS	2:1	22	12	0	100
Clif Shot Gel - Citrus	100	M, DCS	2:1	24	12	0	25
Clif Shot Gel - Double Expresso	100	M, DCS	2:1	24	12	0	100
Clif Shot Gel - Mocha	100	M, DCS	2:1	24	12	0	50
Clif Shot Gel - Razz	100	M, DCS	2:1	24	12	0	0
Clif Shot Gel - Strawberry	100	M, DCS	2:1	24	12	0	25
Clif Shot Gel - Vanilla	100	M, DCS	2:1	24	12	0	0
1st Endurance EFS Liquid Shot - Vanilla	100	CC, D, S	2:1	25	12.5	250	0
1st Endurance EFS Liquid Shot - Wild Berry	100	CC, D, S	2:1	25	12.5	250	0
Coca-Cola Classic 12oz can	140	HFCS	1	39	39	0	35
Dunkin Donuts 10oz cup	0	-	na	0	0	0	132
Starbucks Tall Coffee 12oz cup	0	-	na	0	0	0	260
Energy Gel	Calories	Primary Carb Source(s)	Simple - Complex Ratio	Total Carbs (g)	Simple Sugars (g)	BCAAs (mg)	Caffeine(mg)

* Pure Honey is comprised of the following sugars: Glucose, Fructose, Maltose, Trisaccharides, and Sucrose.
** GU Energy Labs won't disclose the exact mg of BCAAs in the regular GU Gel formula. This amount is an estimate.

KEY
AS = Agave Syrup
BRS = Brown Rice Syrup
CC = Complex Carbs
CS = Cane Sugar
DCS = Dried Cane Syrup
ECJ = Evaporated Cane Juice
F = Fructose
G = Glucose
GJ = Grape Juice
H = Honey
HFCS = High Fructose Corn Syrup
M = Maltodextrin
S = Sucrose
TS = Tapioca Syrup