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Spin City: THE 2010 TOUR DE FRANCE: Who’s in it to win? |
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Written by Matt Joiner
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Thursday, 05 August 2010 |
It seemed like a simple task at first. Write a piece about the upcoming Tour de France? Sure, no problem. After watching the race for more than 20 years, even attending in person last year, a short article analyzing the contenders and their chances should be a piece of cake, right? Well, apparently, it wasn’t going to happen that easily.
The problem is, in the last decade or so, the race has had a cyclical nature (horrible pun absolutely intended), and not in a good way. The cycle involved has little to do with wheels, gears, and chain rings, and everything to do with pharmaceuticals, centrifuges, and blood bags. It all began in 1998 when the Festina team’s soigneur, Willy Voet, was caught trying to cross the Franco-Belgian border with enough EPO and growth hormone to stock a mid-size hospital. The race would go on that year, followed by a media circus, but cycling’s “dirty little secret” was now in the open and ever since then the problem of performance-enhancing drugs has popped up every few years like clockwork. The Festina team was removed from that race and many of the Spanish teams would later bow out in “solidarity,” but the race would finish on the Champs-Élysées like all the years before. Cycling survived the “Festina” affair and returned to a semblance of its old self, but a dark cloud remained over the sport for years to come. |
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Spin City: Bike Buying: The 411 for Everyone |
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Written by David Lacek
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Thursday, 20 May 2010 |
Does this sound like you?
“Not sure what bike shop to go to, not sure of what to get, scared of going into a shop, eyes glazed over, mountain bikes, road bikes, all these parts and accessories. Some friends I have? What am I doing here? Please let me run out now. Don’t let this someone from the shop asked me questions. Oh my gosh – this bike has a price on it that may require a mortgage. Can I still run out? I just want a bike. Trek? I don’t want to go on a safari.”
How do you bike buy for the first time or even the first few times? Many folks bewilder over bikes and are lost in a bike shop. The key is you, your questions, your bike shop and the right perspective going to a shop. Let’s get pumped like Arnold and “go for it!” |
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Spin City: Supplements and Performance Enhancers |
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Written by David Lacek
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Thursday, 04 February 2010 |
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= Not all FDA Approved*
“*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.”
This national food product disclaimer is a red flag to be wary of, now more so than ever when it comes to sport performance! Whom should you believe? What is best? Is there a ‘magic performance pill’? Every sport nutrition prospect waves its magic wand; mechanical aids (equipment), psychological aids (hypnosis, psychotherapy), pharmacological aids (erythropoietin) and nutritional aids (creatine, phosphate, vitamins, minerals). Today, we’ll examine two doctors whose books on nutrition supplements reveal surprising results. |
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Spin City: And Now, To Find Your Sweat Signature |
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Written by David A. Lacek
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Tuesday, 14 July 2009 |
This article builds on my last two Driven articles, Hydration and Friends Don’t Let Friends Ride Junk. I promised at the end of my last article to continue. Here are some reminders: If you don’t understand how much you are sweating, you are performing blindly. Too little fluid and you’ll suffer heat exhaustion, and too much fluid and you’ll die. Take control of your hydration now, and use the weight loss (and/or sweat rate) approach to determine what kind of a hydration recipe you need. Many people are not in sync with their hydration needs and can unwittingly cause themselves more harm than good.
Two critical fitness components cornerstone my performance postulate. The first two pillars are Acclimatization and Sweat Rate. The constitution of your sweat belies total fitness and exertion preparation. I call it the Sweat Signature. Your Sweat Signature lays a foundation that builds to higher levels of performance. The Sweat Signature basis is sweat rate and acclimatization. The Sweat Signature will tell you how much electrolytes you are losing and what you need to replace. |
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Spin City: Hydration 8 - To Hydrate or Not To Hydrate? |
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Written by David Lacek
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Thursday, 23 April 2009 |
Hydration, while important, can be as debilitating and destructive as any addiction. I feel as if I have gone to the dark side and Darth Gatorade has lured me into his evil clutches.
Let’s cut the cheese here - did you know if you hydrate too much you can die, or debilitate yourself to where you can’t even take another step? I didn’t realize this – I only thought the bad path was dehydration. Clearly, I have lots to learn. |
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 23 April 2009 )
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