Pittsburgh Native Survives Blast, Returns to Duty

"My bell was rung," said Pittsburgh native Zachary Beamer as he
recounted his story of survival from an Improvised Explosive Device
detonation. "We concentrated on getting everyone out of the compound
and making sure everyone was alright. We had some good docs, and they
took care of everything they could."
Beamer was assigned to the Personal Security Detachment for 2nd
Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, which provides security for the
battalion commander, as well as visiting dignitaries and officials, as
he makes his way through the battalion's area of operations.
The PSD recently conducted an escort mission with the commanding
officer to visit the patrol bases within Company F's area. The Marines
began securing a local compound they planned to convert into a police
station, sweeping for IEDs, when one detonated and knocked Beamer off
his feet.
"I wasn't quite sure what happened at first," Beamer said. "One moment
I was standing upright, and the next second I was lying on the ground,
but wasn't entirely sure why. I figured it out pretty quickly. I made
sure everything was still intact that was important and then tried to
get out of there."
The blast from the IED riddled his left arm and upper torso with
shrapnel. His eyesight was saved by the protective glasses he wore,
but a scar still remains on his face.
The corpsmen with the unit quickly removed Beamer and two other
injured Marines. A medical helicopter then flew them to a higher
echelon of care at Camp Leatherneck, where he spent two weeks
recovering before eagerly returning to his unit.
"I wanted to go back out and do what I could to prevent it from
happening to other Marines," said Beamer. "If I can help prevent other
Marines from being hurt or killed and get them home safely, then that
should drive anyone to want to help."
Beamer said working with the PSD has given him a sense of
accomplishment. He has traveled across the battalion's area of
operations, met with local Afghan police officers, and has seen how
the Marines are living at the different patrol bases. His leadership
noticed his motivated attitude and initiative, as well as his drive
and passion for his job, and meritoriously promoted him to the rank of
corporal in June.
"His promotion didn't surprise me at all because of the caliber of
Marine he is," said Blue Hills, Neb., native Capt. Simon Vanboening,
the Headquarters and Service Company commander. "He didn't take his
responsibility guarding the colonel lightly; it was very serious for
him. He's the type of Marine who wants to be put in a leadership
position. He isn't the type of person to sit back and be a follower;
he wants to be the guy in charge. I think that's what drives him."
With less than a month left in his seven-month deployment, the newly
promoted Marine Corps noncommissioned officer's thoughts drift toward
seeing his family at the end of the day, yet he knows he still has a
job to do while in Afghanistan.
"While this (war) is still going on, there are Marines getting hurt,
and I need to do my part just like every other Marine does," said
Beamer. "It's a give and take -- the Marine Corps gives me a lot, and
I'm willing to do what I need to in order to take the fight to the
enemy. While on deployment you can't let fear get the best of you.
Stay focused on your goals and what needs to be done, and you will
sleep better at night knowing you did your best."
Editor's note: Second Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, is currently
assigned to Regimental Combat Team 1, 2nd Marine Division (Forward),
which heads Task Force Leatherneck. The task force serves as the
ground combat element of Regional Command (Southwest) and works in
partnership with the Afghan National Security Force and the Government
of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to conduct counterinsurgency
operations. The unit is dedicated to securing the Afghan people,
defeating insurgent forces, and enabling ANSF assumption of security
responsibilities within its area of operations in order to support the
expansion of stability, development and legitimate governance.

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New Hampshire's longest rail trail taking shape

Paying homage to the past, organizers of New Hampshire's longest rail
trail have marked the efforts of two counties and the route that spans
them with their own "golden spike."
In 1996, the state acquired 60 miles of the Northern Railroad, one of
the longest surviving rail corridors in New Hampshire when it stopped
carrying passengers and freight by the early 1970s. The goal was to
convert the route into a recreation trail.
Since then, volunteers have worked to remove old rail ties, clean up
the area and help secure grants and donations to resurface the route
for year-round use. Today, 46 of the 60-mile Northern Rail Trail have
been completed in western and central New Hampshire, including an
8.3-mile chunk recently finished near where Grafton and Merrimack
counties meet. That's where organizers had a spike ceremony at the end
of July, in remembrance of the completion of the first
transcontinental railroad at Promontory Summit, Utah, in 1869.
"It's a great thing," said Carol Cantor of New London, as she headed
to try out of the newer trail in Danbury on her mountain bike. "It's
great for people who are afraid to drive in traffic and don't like
hills. It's hard to find a place to ride without hills around New
Hampshire." She added that she likes to bring guests who are not
seasoned bike riders to the trail.
In addition to bicyclists and hikers, the flat, year-round trail can
be used by horseback riders, cross-country skiers, snowmobilers and
dog sleds. The trail passes through Lebanon, Enfield, Canaan, Orange,
Grafton, Danbury, Wilmot, Andover, Franklin and Boscawen.
The Danbury section also was used recently by a group of disabled
veterans as part of a summer sports clinic. They operated specially
designed cycles that feature a drive train powered by the arms rather
than the legs. Ralph Marche from the Boston VA Healthcare System, one
of the sponsors, said the trail was chosen because of its beauty,
bike-friendly surface, wide expanse and flat surface.
Also, a "Firecracker 5K" run was held along a section of trail in
nearby Andover on July 4th. Schools have used the trail for lessons
about nature and health programs emphasizing walking on the trail to
combat obesity have been developed.
"I have a great love and appreciation for this trail now that I am a
father. I take my 3-year-old daughter, parents and family on it as
often as possible," said Mike Loomis, who formally worked on
strategies to promote active living for a community health network,
with emphasis on the trail. He's currently a board member of the
nonprofit Friends of the Northern Rail Trail group in Merrimack
County. There's a similar group in Grafton County.
Board member Charles Martin of the Merrimack County group, who's also
president of the New Hampshire Rail Trails Coalition, has written a
book about the state's rail trails. He said he's seen some beautifully
engineered rail trails in other states, "but the scenery doesn't
compare to what we have here."
Visitors can see a variety of views — many river crossings, lakes,
mountains and forests.
A few rail depots can still be seen, as well as old rail markers
showing the distance to Boston and White River Junction, Vt.
The trail is described on the national Rails-to-Trails Conservancy on
its TrailLink.com website. The organization says there are more than
1,600 preserved rail trails spanning more than 19,800 miles in the
country and growing. It lists the longest rail trail in the country in
Missouri's Katy Trail State Park, at 225 miles.
In New Hampshire, plans are to work on finishing a two-mile section
this fall from Franklin to the site of the Daniel Webster Farm, and
eventually finish the section farthest south.
Bob Ward, head of the Friends of the Northern Trail group in Merrimack
County, said some bed and breakfasts and country inns along the route
are starting to promote the use of the rail trail. "We're seeing that
as a direct benefit for tourism," he said.
In addition to finishing the entire trail, a future goal is to connect
it to other trails that would go all the way to the Massachusetts
line, resulting in 110 miles of continuous trail. It would be called
the Granite State Rail Trail.
"Can you imagine what it would be like to bike that kind of distance
and be off road all the way?" Martin said.

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Marines Improve Crew-Served Capabilities

Marines with Marine Wing Support Squadron 172 trained with the
Shoulder-launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon at Range 10 here July
20, firing both training and high-explosive rockets.
The MWSS-172 Marines, part of Marine Wing Support Group 17, 1st Marine
Aircraft Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force, were staying at a
bivouac site near the range July 18-22 and conducting crew-served
weapons training on several of the Marine Corps' weapons systems
including the M249 squad automatic weapons, M240B medium machine guns,
MK19 grenade launchers and SMAWs.
Combat engineers, utilities specialists, motor transport operators,
heavy-equipment operators and armorers from the squadron conducted the
training together, according to Sgt. Eric D. Currier, combat engineer
foreman, MWSS-172.
"The more that we prepare the Marines with a broad-spectrum of
cross-training the (better)," said Currier. "It is not just the
infantryman going outside the wire in combat. You have all different
types of (military occupational specialties) that go on convoys and
will eventually be a gunner in a turret."
The crew-served weapons training consisted of both classroom and
practical application lessons allowing the Marines to learn the
weapons operations beginning with the basics.
"We use building blocks; we start off teaching the classes, and we go
into dry firing the weapon, doing the immediate and remedial actions
and developing muscle memory, so once we get up here to practical
application it just clicks with the Marines," said Currier.
Combining both classroom sessions and live-firing at the range was
important in developing the Marines' confidence in the weapons system
according to some instructors.
"You can have classes on it, but, unless (the students) gets hands-on
time, the Marines are not going to feel confident," said Cpl. Samuel
R. Holthouser, combat engineer, MWSS-172.
The SMAW is of particular importance to combat engineers and combat
engineer support elements because the weapon system is one of their
standard capabilities, according to Holthouser.
"The SMAW is organic to combat engineers and assaultmen," said Holthouser.
The Marines of MWSS-172, despite having never fired the weapon before,
showed proficiency, quickly learning its terminology, immediate and
remedial actions and use, according to Holthouser.
"It is a very user-friendly weapon. Through the training that we gave
them and the hands-on before actually firing it, they were able to put
rounds on target every time," said Holthouser.
Marines looking to keep their newfound skill-set fresh have follow-on
training opportunities available to them at the indoor-simulated
marksmanship trainer on Camp Foster, according to Currier.
The ISMT allows the Marines to practice on a virtual firing range with
the weapons, Currier said.
The chance to come out to the field and learn how to operate these
weapons systems was a welcomed opportunity for the Marines, including
Lance Cpl. Derek W. Schultz, combat engineer, MWSS-172.
"No one joined the Corps to sit around, we want to come out here and
do this kind of stuff," said Schultz.

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Libertarians Likely Happy With Defense Cuts in Debt Deal

Nate Silver of The New York Times thinks libertarians might like the
debt deal's cuts to (projected increases in!) defense spending:
The first round of cuts will include $350 billion in defense savings,
while the second round would include between $500 and $600 billion in
defense cuts if no bipartisan agreement is reached.
...In fact, if you're a Democrat (or a libertarian) who is not just
indifferent toward defense cuts but actually in favor of them, you
might even regard the cuts to defense spending as a "win," making up
for the "loss" incurred from cuts to other types of discretionary
spending.
Indeed, people of the libertarian persuasion might be even more
amenable to this arrangement than Democrats, as they likely wouldn't
be upset by the "loss" from other types of spending.
But libertarians are also a skeptical people, and in this case,
there's good reason to be. Overall, as Christopher Preble explains,
we're looking at a maximum of about $850 billion in cuts to projected
defense spending—and that's only if the debt deal trigger kicks in,
which is no sure thing. But let's say the commission's deficit
reduction proposal dies on arrival in Congress and the trigger goes
into full effect. As Preble points out, the ensuing reduction would
involve spending just 15 percent less than what the defense department
planned to spend in its most recent budget—and that doesn't even
factor in the cost of the wars. Nor are those reductions in any way
guaranteed to stick:
And remember, that $850 billion is a maximum; it may not materialize.
It will be lower, if, as hawks hope, the cuts fall on the non-defense
elements of the security category. It will be lower if the Joint
Committee finds other accounts to cut, avoiding the triggers. The
Pentagon's budget has more than doubled over the past decade, and
current projections call for the Pentagon to receive more than $6
trillion from U.S. taxpayers through 2021. If its budget got cut by 15
percent, that would return us to roughly 2007 levels. That hardly
seems like "gutting". After such cuts, we would still account for more
than 40 percent of global military spending.
Still, it's not impossible that the debt deal trigger gets pulled,
which would put the nation on the path toward larger defense cuts. If
Silver is correct that the triggered cuts are designed to appease
Democrats by skewing heavily toward the Pentagon budget, then
legislators on team-D may not have much reason to vote for the
commission's deficit recommendations unless the package includes
additional tax revenue. Yet it's pretty safe to say that Republicans
aren't going to support a package with any new or higher taxes. In
that case, Silver argues, the deal "probably leads us to a stalemate:
Democrats cannot do much better [than the trigger] unless there are
tax increases, and Republicans will not be eager to raise taxes." And
thus the trigger gets pulled.
As Phil Klein and Mike Riggs suggested earlier, that means that
another way of looking at this is that the deal potentially pits
Republicans against themselves by forcing party legislators to choose
between raising taxes and paring back planned defense spending. I'm on
record as being skeptical that the Republican party, as a whole, is
ever likely to favor even moderate reductions in defense spending, and
it's already clear that the party's top hawks are deeply opposed to
the way the deal would handle the military budget. Still, given the
influence of new House members who may (and only may) not be quite as
determined to protect defense pork, I think it's at least somewhat
unclear at this point whether defending the defense budget or
attacking new taxes is the more important current priority for the
GOP. And there lies the potential upside for folks opposed to spending
inside and outside the Pentagon: If Republicans make the choice to
refuse new taxes rather than preserve defense spending—and, then, in
an even bigger if, stick to it in coming years—well, that would be a
real win for libertarians, even if the spending reductions themselves
are only moderate in scope.

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How Not To Be Afraid Of Anything Ever Again

Fortunately, all fears are learned; no one is born with fears. Fears
can therefore be unlearned by practicing self discipline repeatedly
with regard to fear until it goes away.
The most common fears that we experience, which often sabotage all
hope for success, are the fears of failure, poverty, and loss of
money. These fears cause people to avoid risk of any kind and to
reject opportunity when it is presented to them. They are so afraid of
failure that they are almost paralyzed when it comes to taking any
chances at all.
There are many other fears that interfere with our happiness. as well.
People fear the loss of love or the loss of their jobs and their
financial security. People fear embarrassment or ridicule. People fear
rejection and criticism of any kind. People fear the loss of respect
or esteem of others. These and many other fears hold us back
throughout life.
The most common reaction in a fear situation is the attitude of, "I
can't!" This is the fear of failure and loss that stops us from taking
action. It is experienced physically, starting in the solar plexus.
When people are really afraid, their mouth and throat go dry, their
heart starts pounding. Sometimes they breathe shallowly and their
stomach churns. Often they feel like getting up and running to the
bathroom.
These are all physical manifestations of the inhibitive negative habit
pattern, which we all experience from time to time. Whenever a person
is in the grip of fear, he feels like a deer caught in the headlights
of a car. This fear paralyzes action. It often shuts down the brain
and causes the individual to revert to the "fight-or-flight" reaction.
Fear is a terrible emotion that undermines our happiness and can hold
us back throughout our lives.
By visualizing yourself performing with confidence and competence in
an area where you are fearful, your visual image will eventually be
accepted by your subconscious mind as instructions for your
performance. Yourself image, the way you see yourself and think about
yourself, is eventually altered by feeding your mind these positive
mental pictures of yourself performing at your best.
By using the "act as if" method, you walk, talk, and carry yourself
exactly as you would if you were completely unafraid in a particular
situation. You stand up straight, smile, move quickly and confidently,
and in every respect act as if you already had the courage that you
desire.
The Law of Reversibility says that "if you feel a certain way, you
will act in a manner consistent with that feeling." But if you act in
a manner consistent with that feeling, even if you don't feel it, the
Law of Reversibility will create the feeling that is consistent with
your actions.
This is one of the greatest breakthroughs in success psychology. You
develop the courage you desire by disciplining yourself repeatedly to
do the thing you fear until that fear eventually disappears—and it
will.
Your ability to confront, deal with, and act in spite of your fears is
the key to happiness and success. One of the best exercises you can
practice is to identify a person or situation in your life of which
you are afraid and resolve to deal with that fear situation
immediately. Do not allow it to make you unhappy for another minute.
Resolve to confront the situation or person and put the fear behind
you.
When you identify a fear and discipline yourself to move toward it, it
grows smaller and more manageable. What's more, as your fears grow
smaller, your confidence grows. Soon, your fears lose their control
over you.
In contrast, when you back away from a fear-inducing situation or
person, your fear grows larger and larger. Soon it dominates your
thinking and feeling, preoccupies you during the day, and often keeps
you awake at night.
The only way to deal with a fear is to address it head-on. Remind
yourself that "denial" is not a river in Egypt. The natural tendency
of many people is to deny that they have a problem caused by fear of
some kind. They're afraid of confronting it. In turn, it becomes a
major source of stress, unhappiness, and psychosomatic illness.
Be willing to deal with the situation or person directly. As
Shakespeare said, "Take arms against a sea of troubles, and in so
doing, end them."
When you force yourself to face any fear-inducing situation in your
life, your self-esteem goes up, your self-respect increases, and your
sense of personal pride grows. You eventually reach the point in life
where you are not afraid of anything.

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Home Fitness Workouts

Home fitness workouts are convenient and easy to achieve with just a
bit of imagination and perhaps a small piece of equipment or two.
What do you do on those rainy days or in the off-season when you can't
get out on the bike? Well, some of us are fortunate enough to belong
to a gym where we can go use the fancy expensive equipment. While some
of us don't want to dish out a monthly fee and don't want to have to
fight the traffic to get to the gym.
Don't fret. There are many ways to get fantastic home fitness workouts
without leaving your house and with little or no equipment.
However, if you want to ride your bike indoors you will have to make a purchase.
Resistance Trainer
These trainers attach to your rear wheel and typically have some sort
of attachment that pushes against your tire to provide the resistance.
You can get the cheaper magnetic resistance version or a more
expensive fluid version that provides a more realistic progressive and
smooth resistance. Prices range anywhere from $100 to $500.
The resistance trainer is best for interval workouts as compared to
the rollers (coming up next). Since the bike is stabilized, you can
stand up and hammer without fear of riding off the trainer into your
wall. Perhaps a reason to spend a little more!
Rollers
Rollers consist of three metal cylinders attached to a framework. You
ride your bike on the cylinders, which give you free movement similar
to riding on the road. If you have never ridden rollers, give it some
time. It is a strange feeling at first and somewhat intimidating.
Getting started is the hardest part.
You might like to have a wall or something handy to steady yourself in
case you start to wobble. Once you get the hang of it, rollers will
help you develop great balance and form on the bike. They are super
for longer distance riding indoors and I like to use them for warm-ups
and cool-downs for strength routines.
Speaking of strength training, here are some ideas of how to get great
home fitness workouts with little or no equipment.
Bodyweight Exercises
People seem to forget they have over a hundred pounds of weights at
their fingertips anytime of the day. There are many exercises that are
extremely challenging and require no additional weight or equipment.
Most bodyweight exercises also work many muscles at once and are more
functional than tradition weight lifting. I also have a nice pull-up,
push-up, and dip bar in the garage for some really tough strength
exercises.
Yoga
Many people equate yoga with stretching. While flexibility is a big
part of the benefits of yoga, let me tell you, it requires a lot of
strength. I suggest attending a class where an instructor can help you
with the correct application of poses before trying to do these on
your own.
Fitness Band
A fitness band is simply an elastic tube, sometimes with a handle or
some sort of attachment at either end. Fitness bands are fun,
portable, inexpensive and with hundreds of exercises to choose from,
provide diverse home fitness workouts. The bands have the added
advantage of providing progressive resistance, which will help you see
gains even faster than traditional weight lifting.
Fitness Ball
Sometimes called a Swiss ball or exercise ball, a fitness ball is a
soft plastic sphere filled with air. There are a ton of exercise
variations involving the ball with many being very challenging. The
fitness ball exercises are kind of a mix between bodyweight exercises
and yoga.
Dumbbells
A nice set of dumbbells with a range of weights can give you the same
options as a home gym at a fraction of the cost and take up much less
space. You will probably need to get a bench to go along with them in
order to perform many of the exercises, although a fitness ball can
sometimes suffice. While dumbbells aren't cheap, they are not quite as
expensive as a home gym.
With all these options, who needs to join a gym or purchase a bulky
expensive home gym to get great home fitness workouts.

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Bird-watching is big business in Arizona

From the sandhill crane to the red-faced warbler, rock stars of the
birding world have spawned a tourism industry in Arizona that draws
bird-watchers from around the world.
"It's one of the two or three best places in the United States to look
for birds," said David Pashley of the American Bird Conservancy.
"Arizona makes a lot of money off of bird-watchers going down to the
southeast corner of the state."
More than 140 bird species are found in southern Arizona, and birding
festivals take place year-round throughout the state, including Yuma
and in northern Arizona's Verde Valley. One of the best-known birding
destinations is the southeastern city of Sierra Vista, which hosts the
annual Southwest Wings Birding and Nature Festival. The Aug. 3-6
festival, in its 20th year, typically draws thousands of participants.
Nearby Tucson will host another major summer event for birders — the
inaugural Tucson Bird & Wildlife Festival, Aug. 17-21. The itinerary
will include the Sky Islands Birding Cup fundraiser, where teams will
compete to observe the most bird species in a 24-hour period.
Sierra Vista is located near several canyons, the San Pedro River and
the Coronado National Memorial, and birds are attracted to the area's
hodgepodge of ecosystems, including mountains and trees along rivers
and lakes, according to Joe Yarchin, an Arizona Game and Fish
Department project coordinator.
"Those are the strongest kind of birding areas in deserts. People
certainly don't think of Arizona as any kind of mecca for birders,"
Yarchin said. "Everyone thinks death and desolation when they think of
desert."
Many out-of-town birders come to see birds that are a rarity where
they live. Sierra Vista, which promotes itself as the "Hummingbird
Capital," has documented more than a dozen species of hummingbirds
that are found nowhere else in the country. With the Huachuca
Mountains' close proximity to the Sierra Madre mountain ranges of
Mexico, birders also get excited at border-crossers.
"A bunch of birds that are Mexican in distribution get into that part
of the country," Pashley said. "There are essentially Mexican birds
that you can see there that you can't see anywhere else."
In Sierra Vista, birders can also get an extraordinary peek at
scientists' effort to record information on hummingbirds. Near the San
Pedro River, researchers set up nets and feeders to catch hummingbirds
in the fall and spring. Once they're caught, scientists weigh them and
measure them. Daggett said they are released, but not before getting a
band around their leg.
"Sometimes they get one that has been coming back year after year,"
Daggett said.
Like most birding events, the Southwest festival offers field
excursions and lectures. "A lot of folks like to do a 45-minute
classroom and then do a carpool and go someplace and put some of the
stuff to use in the field," said Gordon Lewis, one of the festival's
organizers.
Lewis said the June 12 Monument Fire outside Sierra Vista, which
burned 47 square miles and destroyed 57 homes, hasn't affected the
festival's plans or bird-watching in general. They have only had to
close down one planned trip because of U.S. Forest Service road
closures.
Wildfires have also provided fresh fodder for discussion topics,
including talks at the Southwest festival addressing how wildlife and
habitats bounce back from the disasters.
Pashley, who oversees domestic habitat issues at the American Bird
Conservancy, says most fires are good for ecosystems by helping to
clear growth. Displaced birds are resilient enough to adapt and find
new places to get food. In southern Arizona, where summer brings a
monsoon season characterized by increased humidity and rain, burned
areas will "green up really fast."
"My suspicion is those systems will come back and in the long run
they'll be healthier than they were," Pashley said. "It's worse for
bird-watchers than it is for birds."
According to a 2006 U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service survey, birders spent
more than $12 billion nationwide on travel and equipment expenses such
as cameras, binoculars and bird food. That same report states that
about 1.3 million people came to Arizona to observe wild birds,
Yarchin said. Arizona birding generated $838 million in trip-related
spending the same year, bringing about $1.2 billion in revenue into
the state. For tourism offices and communities, that's a lot of heads
and beds, Yarchin added.
"It gets their attention when I go and give my talks to a county board
of supervisors or a chamber of commerce," Yarchin said. "You might
just say wildlife viewing is comparable to the combination of hunting
and fishing."
One reason birding may be such a big draw is its leisurely pace.
"It's a good excuse to go out and get in the fresh air. You don't have
to set a goal of going 10 miles or something. It's better than sitting
in front of the TV," Lewis said.

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What is the Meaning of Nutrition

The meaning of nutrition is significant. It's not just a matter of
diet. Technically, the meaning of nutrition is that it is an
investment. If you put the right things in your body this can help
promote physical fitness and prevent illness.
Good nutrition can help prevent disease and promote health. There are
six types of nutrients that the body needs to accomplish this. This
includes carbohydrates, protein, carbohydrates, fibers fat, vitamins
and minerals, and water.
Proteins contain amino acids, which are the building blocks of body
tissue. All together there are twenty amino acids that are considered
to be the building blocks of protein. All twenty of these amino acids
must be working together for the body to function properly. Twelve of
these amino acids are made in the body but the others have to be
gotten through food sources. Foods from animal sources such as milk or
eggs are good sources of these amino acids.
Contrary to what you might think about the meaning of nutrition, fat
is needed to supply energy transport nutrients. There are many
classifications of fat but the two kinds that are healthiest for you
are omega-3 and omega-6 acids. These are called essential fatty acids.
The omega-3 type can be obtained from canola oil, flaxseed oil or fish
oil. You can get the omega-6 type from evening primrose and black
currant seed oil. Usually people are deficient in the omega 3 fats.
Carbohydrates are also a necessary component of a total daily intake.
There are two types of carbohydrates – simple ones such as sugar and
honey and complex carbs, which consist of grains, beans, potatoes or
peas. Complex carbohydrates are preferred because they have fewer
calories per gram compared to fat.
Fiber is the material that makes up the tissues and support structures
of plants. The body needs it for elimination and digestion. There are
two types of fiber – soluble and insoluble. Insoluble does not
dissolve in water. Dietary fiber is found in plant foods such as
fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and whole grains. It can be found
in a variety of fruits and vegetables such as apples, oatmeal and oat
bran, rye flour, and dried beans. Both types are important to keep the
intestines clean.
Vitamins and minerals are the nutrients found in food that are also
essential for health. The most commonly known vitamins are A, B1, B2,
B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, B12, C, D, E, and K. The B and C vitamins are
water-soluble, excess amounts of which are excreted in the urine. The
A, D, E, and K vitamins are fat-soluble and will be stored in the body
fat.
Minerals are the building blocks that make up muscles, tissues, and
bones. They are also important components of many life-supporting
systems, such as hormones, oxygen transport, and enzyme systems.

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The Definition of Diet

The definition of diet that I will use throughout this site is the
usual food and drink consumed by an organism or a prescribed selection
of food. This is opposed to another definition of diet – the act of
restricting your food intake.
I'll be honest, I love to eat. Who doesn't, right? One of my favorite
benefits of cycling is being able to eat large amounts of food to
replenish the calories burned during my rides.
I've never had much trouble with my weight since I've been fairly
active my entire life. But, I also never really understood the
definition of a healthy diet was and why it was important.
My diet used to consist of heavily processed foods. Hey, as a
bachelor, I needed something quick to fix that I could also store for
long periods.
Well, times change. Now, my wonderful wife helps me incorporate more
whole foods into the mix. I've also learned much more about the
definition of diet and what the body needs to continue to perform at a
high level. Having this knowledge and just paying a slight amount of
attention to what I put into my body has increased my performance on
the bike more than any other factor.
A healthy diet should be a part of your lifestyle and something you
strive for daily. However, dieting is not advised for the avid
cyclist. Dieting typically involves dramatic changes restricting
certain foods and removing balance from your meals.
If weight loss is an issue, I believe the best advice is to ratchet up
your training a bit and simply be aware of the foods you are eating.
Restricting your diet may not allow you to get the nutrition you need
to create the energy necessary for training.
Although eating is fun, the main goal is to supply your body with fuel
and nutrients in the following forms...
Carbohydrates are the most common source of energy. Stick with complex
carbs found in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains as opposed to
simple (typically processed) carbs found in sugar, candy, and soda.
Proteins contain amino acids and are essential for building muscle and
repairing tissue. Try to get your protein from low-fat sources such as
chicken and legumes.
Fats help deliver vitamins and provide energy stores for the body.
Stay away from saturated fats because of high levels of bad (LDL)
cholesterol. Get mono- and polyunsaturated fats from nuts, olive oil,
and fish.
Sodium is one of the primary electrolytes of the body and is
especially important for cyclists to remain hydrated. Even so, it is
typically unnecessary to add table salt to your foods. Most foods
already contain enough sodium to satisfy your daily requirement.
Fiber helps keep you regular and cleans out the intestinal tract and
colon. Broccoli, carrots, beans, oats, and apples are all great
sources of fiber.
Vitamins, minerals & antioxidants are essential for balanced health
and fitness. Try to get these from whole foods when possible or use
supplements if necessary.
Cycling will allow you to enjoy eating. Just don't overdo it. Take in
a number of calories equivalent to your expenditure or a little less
if you're trying to lose a couple of pounds. Allow yourself that
hamburger & fries, slice of cake, or pint of beer – but only
occasionally. Remember, everything in moderation and the fresher the
better.

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Speed Training for Cycling

Whether you're a recreational cyclist or an avid racer, speed training
will improve your performance on the bike. Speed is always an
important component in cycling. It helps you climb hills, break away
from the pack, compete in a sprint, get off the line quicker, and just
generally improve your cycling performance and enjoyment of the sport.
You don't have to be a racer to want to improve speed. As we all know,
most recreational rides are still pretty competitive. If you want to
go out on your next group ride and be able to hang with the pack when
the leader decides to give it burst, incorporate speed training into
your regimen.
Speed training is mainly about improving anaerobic capacity and
endurance. Increasing speed generally requires short bursts of power
which rely on recruiting fast twitch muscle fibers to supply the
energy. There are several methods of developing these fibers and
increasing the ratio to slow twitch fibers.
Interval training is the most common form of speed training for
cyclists. Spending short periods of time just below lactate threshold
and even shorter periods at maximum effort with adequate recovery
between each will help develop speed. It is very important to recover
completely between interval workouts as that is when the muscle growth
occurs. Take 24 to 48 hours to recover after intense speed training
sessions.
Another method of increasing fast twitch muscle fibers and increasing
anaerobic capacity is to lift heavy weights. When increasing weight be
sure to decrease the number of reps and sets and allow for adequate
recovery. Do not jump into a heavy weight routine too quickly or
during the racing season or you may increase your chance of injury.
Personally, I am not a big proponent of lifting heavy weights for
cyclists and prefer to perform muscle growth exercises on the bike.
Plyometric training such as jumping is also a good way to improve
speed. This type of training stretches the muscle before contracting
resulting in a greater generated force. Try adding a hop at the top of
your body-weight squats or lay a board (or rope, tape, etc.) on the
floor and jump back and forth across it with both feet together. Also,
jumping up onto a step or curb is another method.
Speed can also be increased by increasing your cadence (RPMs). If you
can turn over the pedals 90 times per minute instead of 80 in the same
gear, you will go faster. Work on spinning in a lower than normal gear
but a very high cadence between 100 and 120 (even up to 140). Work
your way up to this, don't jump in and try to spin 140 right away or
you may suffer an injury. Make sure you are not bouncing on the saddle
and your legs are under control. This type of training is called
over-speed training and is great for developing neuromuscular
adaptations.
Another method of increasing speed that actually doesn't depend on
increasing power and fitness is to make sure you are aerodynamic. On
the road wind resistance can account for a 30% decrease in speed.
Learn to ride in the drops and consciously draft to stay out of the
wind and conserve energy for the sprint or hills. This doesn't apply
as much to mountain bikers as there typically isn't as much wind
resistance in the woods and following too close can be disastrous on
the trail.
All levels of cyclists can benefit from speed training drills.
Incorporate the previous techniques into your training plan to reap
the benefits and ride faster this season.

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