During the London Olympics, significant information came to light that is important in terms of our health and athletic performance. Exercise Induced Metabolic Acidosis or EIMA, focuses on excess hydrogen ion build up (excess acid in the cells). EIMA as a sports-related condition can impact performance, hydration, and recovery; especially when we train hard and compete aggressively.

Who opened the door on your cycling career? Surely someone was there to jump start your ride. So many times I’ve been asked about this, I thought you might like to hear about my coach and mentor in hopes that you might pay homage to the person or persons who inspired you to ride or maybe it was you who lit the fire; either way that’s the way this perpetual trophy rolls.

Consider this. You are unable to ride, incapacitated, maybe in a wheelchair or at best crutches for an undetermined amount of time. Consider that this misadventure occurred with no advance warning, never mind that it has completely thrown your season into question. Much worse, you can’t work or stand and every movement brings you deep pain.

Does anybody remember that great scene in Graeme Obree’s film, “The Flying Scotsman,” where the UCI bigwig pulls out his measuring tape and ruler and tells the Scottish World Hour record holder that his bike won’t pass muster? In response, Obree pulls out a hack saw and lobs off the nose of his saddle… The UCI has long defined the rules of bike set up, as an effort to eliminate certain mechanical advantages - but these limitations often don't work for real riders.

Turn all the lights out and apply some imagination. Your body and your mind are a vast array of cause and effect channels that both limit and enable the production of power through the pedals. One way to improve power and recovery is massage. Now medical science takes this popular modality a bit deeper than lactic acid and the cloud of social politics.

“Who the hell is this guy, Ian Jackson?” That was the way one of my fellow competitors characterized his intimidation before the start of the first Big Island Ironman triathlon back in 1981. Jackson had announced his confidence of an overall win in the press, and given the infantile level of the sport back then, nearly everyone could be considered a threat. Because we were worlds apart, I was intrigued with his creative approach.

A little excitement before we get down to business: I recently placed 16th at this year’s 111-mile El Tour de Tucson, just 6 minutes down from winner Eric Marcotte, a professional racer who is 33 years younger than I am. To finish this strong against 6400+ racers at the age of 64, I credit my training practices, which are brought directly to you in these articles. Here we go!

As Autumn approaches, we typically think of winding down our road cycling season and taking a much needed break. However, this is the perfect time to plan for next year by reflecting back on the current season: Did you reach your goals? If your answer is yes, what goals will you set for next year? If no, how will you reassess and reset? Most of us will be answering both ways as we achieve some goals but not others. Let’s go through some steps in setting up a successful process for…

This pursuit of greater efficiency is the cornerstone of my philosophy on coaching. It starts by correcting physically limiting problems, repetitive motion injuries that are inherent to cycling. Pick up a copy of the Anatomy Coloring Book and buy some colored pencils while you are at it. I will take you back to your childhood.