By:  Kellen Siems

One thing to consider when preparing for a cold weather run is what clothes you’re going to wear. The temperature should be taken into account, especially in fall and winter. 

To start, it’s highly recommended that you wear a base layer which would include any type of shirt, mainly something that will keep you warm and keep sweat off your skin. Cotton should be avoided because it absorbs moisture.  Next you will need either a mid layer, outer layer, or both. A mid layer would be something like  a vest, hoodie, or even a long sleeve shirt. An outer layer might be a light jacket like a wind breaker that protects you from the wind and keeps you dry.  

When running in the cold, a lot of people forget about their head. By wearing a hat when running you can help your body stay warm. Your body can lose up to 10% of body heat from the head being exposed to the cold. If you wear a hat, you want to make sure it’s not too hot, causing you to overheat.  You can buy a lightweight beanie from any sports store. A neck gaiter that can be pulled up over your face can be useful.

Also, a good thing to have with you are gloves to keep your hands nice and warm. Sometimes runners will forget gloves and their hands will be so cold that it’s hard to move them. Some gloves to consider would be fleece gloves or even mittens. You can find running gloves practically anywhere. Hand warmers can also be slipped into gloves and you can add mittens if needed. Don’t forget your feet, a good pair of warm socks that keep your feet dry are essential.

When running in the summer and spring you wear shorts but in the fall and winter you wear pants. One of the many things you could wear is thermal tights/pants. Along with these, if needed, you could even put on wind resistant pants over your thermal tights to help protect you from the cold windy weather.

When running, make sure you have layers otherwise you could become chilled while running. It takes a while for your body to warm up when running, so having the correct gear on  could protect you from the cold. A good thing about being too warm when running is that you can always take stuff off and put it back on if you get cold again. 

The post What to Wear For a Cold Weather Run appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.

By:  Jay Campbell

A recent Scientific Triathlon podcast argued that the best predictor of average bike-speed on a flat course is watts per CdA.  If your watts per CdA is higher than the rider next to you, you will beat that rider in a flat time-trial. [This is in contrast to watts/kg, which is the best predictor of climbing speed.  See my blog on the Tron Bike for a discussion on watts/kg.]

Most of us triathletes do power-based workouts on the bike.  We work on increasing our Functional Threshold Power (ftp) and have a good feel for the average wattage we can produce during a race. But do any of us have a handle on what our CdA is? And how do we reduce it?

What is CdA?  CdA is the coefficient of aerodynamic drag multiplied by a relevant area. Area(A) is usually taken to be the frontal area of the object, but in reality, Cd and A are rarely treated separately. CdA is a measure of resistance as a body moves through a fluid. It is a function of both the size and shape of the body and density and viscosity of the fluid. If you are a bigger person, your shape is bigger, so you may have a higher CdA than a smaller person.  On the other hand, if the larger volume of muscle generates more watts, it likely will overcompensate for the additional “area” of that muscle.

Back to the title question: Is Watts/CdA a good predictor of Time-Trial Speed? The answer is ‘yes’, but it is almost worthless in practice, because no one knows their CdA!! Even most CdAs of professional cyclists reported in the literature are not directly measured but are calculated from their speed and watts.  You can do the same. Go to the chart below and find your average moving speed for a recent time trial (or a flat bike leg of a triathlon). Find the watts/CdA that corresponds with that speed using the dashed curve. Divide your average watts for the time-trial by that number. That is your CdA x1000.

The points [blue squares] on the chart above were gathered from the internet and from friends who shared their watts, speeds, rolling resistance data, and air density. [A slightly more sophisticated estimation of watts/CdA can be done with this additional data.] The pink line is the theoretical watts/CdA if one ignores everything but aerodynamic drag (no power losses from drivetrain, rolling resistance, elevation gain/loss, wind, etc.) Are you surprised at how irrelevant the other factors are in predicting race speeds on these flat courses?

Note especially that nowhere is rider weight or bike weight part of the equation! Weight only effects the speed when there are changes in elevation or accelerations. At constant speed on a flat course there is no penalty for a heavy bike! If the extra weight is due to aero features of the bike, a few additional kilos is an advantage on a flat course.

Now that you know your CdA, how do you reduce it? That will be covered in Part II.

The post Is Watts/CdA a Good Predictor of Time-Trial Speed? appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.

By:  Nathan LaGest

My name is Nathan LaGest. I live in Ortonville Michigan, I’m 15 years old, and a sophomore at Oxford High School. I enjoy school and I do well with over a 4.0 GPA. I have been in competitive cycling for 8 years and started because I was looking for a new sport after participating in motorcycle racing, soccer, and baseball. I love the sport, the fun technical features, the beautiful scenery, constantly pushing my limits, and being out in nature. I raced and rode as an independent rider in MiSCA for the first two years of cycling. I then joined the Lake Orion Dragon Cycling Team when I was in fifth grade which I have been on for 6 years. I raced JV 9-10 this past season, finishing fifth overall, and I plan to move up to Varsity in the coming season.

This will be my first year as a TAMJD rider. I joined because I wanted to grow and push myself as a racer as well as expand my cycling disciplines. This past season’s races were extremely successful and I improved drastically. This team will definitely help me to grow and expand on those successes. I have exclusively been mountain bike racing and I wanted to  try new types of racing such as gravel and road.

This team will give me a great opportunity to expand into these types of racing and see what types of other cycling opportunities are out there.  Some of my goals this year are to try new varieties of cycling and find some that I enjoy and hopefully perform well in. I also want to improve and grow in mountain bike races as well. I want to be a top 10 Varsity rider in the MiSCA race series and get a podium in Peak to Peak as well as a sub-two-hour time in the Iceman.

Some of my favorite places to ride are new and unique trails that are different from what you would normally ride on and push you out of your comfort zone a little bit. I loved all of the trails in Pisgah, North Carolina because they were so different and unique from where I had been in Michigan with lots of elevation and beautiful scenery.

The same goes for races as I just love new trails and terrain. My favorite race this year was the first MiSCA race which was Merrell Trail because it has a wide variety of fun and flowy stuff with some good climbs and an awesome mangy and rocky section called Sawtooth towards the end of each lap.

One of my favorite group rides I have done was going to Mohican with some of my friends on the Lake Orion team and riding the trail. I like it just because it’s a really fun trail with lots of elevation and some fun sections that get rocky and challenging.

One of my favorite things about cycling is that you can see all the work that you have put in throughout the season and see how it pays off. Also, I love how it is a great environment to really push yourself and see what areas you can improve on to change your weaknesses into your strengths. Lastly, I love being outdoors and getting to experience nature while getting in a good workout and having a good time. One of the
biggest things that I’ve learned about myself while racing is that goals that seem unfeasible or far away at the time are by no means impossible and that if you put in the work and do your best you can achieve whatever you set your mind to.

The only other sport I do outside of cycling is diving. I compete and train throughout the winter and I love it. It is really fun and you learn to push past your fears and limits as you improve over time. Last year as a freshman I received my Varsity letter and rookie of the year award and plan to make it into State Finals this coming year. I also participated in the school marching band for a year and had a great time.

In addition to sports, I am a member of the Oakwood Student Ministries youth group and have been involved in the program since I started middle school. Through this group, I have been able to go on missions trips to Chicago and Kentucky where I have had an amazing time helping others and sharing my faith.

I am really excited for this coming year as an athlete on TAMJD and I look forward to all of the opportunities and challenges that I will face and hope I will be able to push myself to new heights and achieve my goals.

The post Getting to Know New TAMJD Rider Nathan LaGest appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.

By: Raquel Torres

Ashwagandha is an herb that has been used in traditional Indian medicine (Ayurveda) for centuries. It has been shown to have a number of potential health benefits. Ashwagandha has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety levels by lowering the production of cortisol, a stress hormone. 

Ashwagandha, one of the most popular Indian botanical plants, has been used in Ayurveda – the 5000-year-old Indian system of medicine, as a rejuvenative, and a daily tonic for many centuries. Ashwagandha embodies the very essence of a preventative and curative approach to health in Ayurveda. Ashwagandha is referred to as the Prince of Herbs in Ayurveda. 

What is Ayurveda?

Ayurveda is a whole-body (holistic) system of medicine that began in India, Ayurveda means the study of life. It takes a natural approach to all aspects of health and well-being.

Ayurveda is based on the idea that each person has certain life forces (doshas) and everything in the universe is connected. An imbalance in 1 area can affect another. When the imbalance is not fixed, disease and illness can occur. Ayurveda mostly uses nutrition, lifestyle changes, and natural treatments. These are used to support balance and a return to health.

Now let’s look at some (of the extensive list of benefits) of Ashwagandha one by one.

1. Stress, Anxiety: In a study carried out on 64 subjects with a history of chronic stress, the administration of Ashwagandha root extract for 8 weeks led to a significant reduction in the level of cortisol resulting in a reduction in stress and anxiety. 
2. Sleep Quality: Ashwagandha may help improve sleep quality by reducing stress and anxiety. 
3. Body Weight Management: Chronic stress is often associated with a wide number of diseases and conditions, including obesity. Ashwagandha can benefit from a weight management program by addressing stress and balancing cortisol levels. 
4. Memory and Cognition: Historically, Ashwagandha has also been categorized as a medhya rasayana– a nootropic (improve cognition) herb in Ayurveda to promote cognition in children with memory deficits, and for memory loss in aging adults. Ashwagandha is known to enhance brain function, response times, memory, concentration capacity, and task performance capability. Many studies demonstrate how alkaloids from Ashwagandha help nerve regeneration, boost neural growth in both humans and animals. A study was carried out in 50 adults with mild cognitive impairment, a common precursor of Alzheimer’s disease, who received twice daily over 8 weeks of Ashwagandha root extract 300 mg. The research confirms its traditional use to enhance memory.
5. Athletic Performance and Muscle Strength:  Research has shown that Ashwagandha may have beneficial effects on athletic performance and may be a worthwhile supplement for athletes. Ashwagandha, an amphoteric herb, regulates vital physiological processes and ashwagandha increases the levels of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), by reducing the enzyme that breaks down ATP. Ashwagandha increases energy production in the muscles by increasing mitochondrial function.  Ashwagandha is known to enhance muscle mass, muscle strength and also decrease body fat in conjunction with resistance training. Ashwagandha also helps alleviate and heal the body’s damage  and promote antioxidant defense.
6. Thyroid: Stress is the major root cause of thyroid dysfunction. Ashwagandha has a distinctive resilience and helps the body cope with stress and modulates the hormone balances. An 8-week research of 50 individuals with hypothyroidism concluded that consumption of 300 mg of ashwagandha root extract twice daily resulted in significant changes in thyroid concentrations relative to getting placebo.
7. Anti-aging and longevity: Ashwagandha roots are classified as Rasayanas that encourage health and longevity by increasing disease defences, stopping the aging process, revitalizing the body under weakened circumstances and thus generating a feeling of well-being, a research conducted to assess the antioxidant capacity of Ashwagandha roots in 30 individuals showed an improvement in antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase and decreased indicators of oxidative stress. As a result, Ashwagandha’s antioxidant characteristics may possibly improve longevity.
8. Immunity: Traditional use combined with modern day evidence, suggests that Ashwagandha is one of the potent herbs that can aid in boosting immunity.  Ashwagandha improves the body’s defense against disease by improving the cell-mediated immunity.
9. Inflammation: Is a part of the body’s defense mechanism, under normal conditions the body will produce an anti-inflammatory response to restore balance. But in the cases of inflammatory disorders, the body will not be able to regulate the inflammatory response, thus resulting in chronic pain and imbalance. Ashwagandha is one herb which has proven to be effective in reducing inflammation. 
10. Blood Sugar: With the increased use of processed sugar, keeping blood sugar levels in check is important. Studies have shown that Ashwagandha is known for regulating blood sugar levels, an example of the herb’s Adaptogenic effect. A small study conducted with just six individuals with Type 2 diabetes, found that Ashwagandha may effectively reduce blood sugar levels in the body.
11. Anticancer: Ashwagandha has a wide range of therapeutic use. One of the benefits of Ashwagandha owes to its anti-cancer property and research has shown that Ashwagandha can be effective in inducing apoptosis of cancer cells (death of cancer cells) and also prevents the propagation of these cancer cells. Another potential benefit of Ashwagandha is enhancing the white blood cell count of the individuals with cancer.

Conclusion:

Ashwagandha’s effects may not be immediate, and you may have to take it for several months before noticing its effects. Always speak with a doctor to ensure Ashwagandha or other supplements are safe for you to use.

Dosing recommendations for Ashwagandha vary. For example, research has shown doses ranging from 250–1,250 mg per day to be effective for different conditions. Consult a healthcare professional if you have questions regarding Ashwagandha dosing.

You can take Ashwagandha in many ways, in either a single dose or multiple doses per day. And you can take it either with meals or on an empty stomach.

The post What is Ashwagandha? appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.

By:  Katja Opfer

My second Iceman marks the end of my second year on TAMJD, and I have been taking some time to reflect on everything we accomplished this year. It seems like I raced practically every weekend from April to November, adding up to over thirty races in four different disciplines (mountain bike, gravel, cyclocross, and road). 

My season started off strong at Barry Roubaix in April. After winning the 18-mile “Chiller” last year, I moved up to the 36-mile “Thriller” and won first overall female, setting a new course record in the process.

Englewood in mid-May was my first national-level race of the season, where I got to test my strength and skills against girls from all over the country. I had improved enough from last year to place fifth in both XCO and short track, my first national podiums.

These early-season successes reassured me that my winter training was paying off.

My biggest challenge this year was taking on the Marathon MTB National Championship in Auburn, Alabama in mid-June. I went into this race feeling confident about my preparation. The metabolic testing I had done with Athletic Mentors in the spring helped my coach and I determine my hydration and nutrition strategy for this race. The heat and humidity in Alabama had to be considered, but luckily for me, I was used to riding in similar conditions in Michigan. Many racers from out West were forced to DNF during this 40-mile race because they were not used to the high heat and humidity. My USWE pack allowed me to carry a large volume of Skratch mix so that I would not become dehydrated in the heat. Timing was everything; we meticulously planned how much water I needed to drink, and when I would drop my pack and get water bottles or ice socks from my parents at the feed stations. We also took the terrain into account. There were many sharp, loose rocks on the trail, which caused several of my competitors to get flats during the race. I erred on the side of caution by running inserts in my tires, and I carried CO2 and plug tools just in case. I also did not know that my category would be starting with several other women’s age groups, which meant I had to pass many women whom I wasn’t even racing against just to catch up to the other girls in my category. 

Marathon Nationals was by far the toughest, most grueling race I’ve ever done. The pace was fast from the start, the weather was far from ideal, and the trail was extremely fatiguing. The last few miles seemed to stretch on forever; every time I glanced down at my Garmin, it seemed I hadn’t covered much distance at all. I had to use 100% of my effort and energy to make it across that finish line, winning my first National Championship in the 15-16 age group. Then I took a long and well-deserved nap! USA Cycling held a nice awards ceremony that evening, and after my podium I was surprised when Hannah Otto, a professional endurance cyclist from California who came in eighth in the Life Time Grand Prix this year, leaned over and congratulated me! 

In mid-June, I had the opportunity to race at Tour of America’s Dairyland (ToAD) for the first time, a series of road criterium races in and around Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I had only done a few crit races before at Waterford, and I really enjoyed spending the week in Milwaukee sharing a house with all my teammates. Since I was racing in cat 5, my team suggested I race up an age group in 17-18 so I would have more competition, and my coach helped me prepare for the challenge of five consecutive days of crit racing. I won the first race of the junior series in a sprint finish, but every race after that seemed to get more difficult. I lost multiple sprints, but still managed to hold on to the points lead. On the final day, I felt some pressure because I had to finish in front of the second-place girl in the points to win the overall series. The weather decided it had other plans for me and poured on us during my race. I was not used to having so little traction with slick, skinny tires on wet roads. On the final lap I took a turn too wide and slid all the way into the curb. (Turns out that crashing in the rain is not as bad as dry concrete, so the road rash was minimal.) I still managed to finish the race in sixth place, good for second in the overall series. The atmosphere at ToAD felt like a car race; watching the pros whizzing by and having announcers and cash prizes made the whole scene very exciting and professional.

We returned to Bear Creek in Pennsylvania for Mountain Bike Nationals in mid-July. My family had just moved across the state, which was pretty stressful, so I was a little nervous about my preparation for XCO and short track. During my practice I went over-the-bars in the hardest section of the course, which was a little disconcerting. XCO was as brutal as I remembered from the previous year, but I made an effort to save energy for the tech sections so I would feel more confident and less shaky. I was hoping for a top-10 finish, but my 24th starting position was far from ideal. I climbed up through the pack over the course of three laps and finished in 11th place—a little frustrated to be so close to my goal, but in retrospect I am happy with my result. The short track course was longer this year, which played well to my skill set, as it was more technical and had more climbing. I was thrilled to place 6th from a 26th starting position, only one step off the Nationals podium, competing against the very best girls in the country! 

My training plan had me take a break in August after racing the Ore to Shore 48-mile Hard Rock for the first time, where I placed third overall on a really fun and beautiful course. I also loved spending some time in Marquette with my family and friends. Then I turned my focus to gravel, as I geared up for Gravel Nationals in Gering, Nebraska in early September. This was the furthest I have ever traveled for a race (15 hours over two days) and the landscape and terrain were very different from anywhere I’ve ever raced. The long drive was worth it, as I won my second national championship of the year on a fast-rolling 58-mile course.

This fall I had another great MiSCA season, riding with my new scholastic team, the Southwest Michigan ThunderCats, and securing my second Varsity State Championship. Our team is very young, and I really enjoyed mentoring the younger kids throughout the season while also exploring the trails around my new home.

I rounded out the season with a couple of fun Michigan cyclocross races and then set my sights on Iceman, where I was seeking redemption after a difficult race last year. This time I was able to hang on with the lead pack of pro women for almost the entire race, when I got dropped on one of the last climbs. I finished 11th, one spot better than last year and still just outside the top 10, but the field was much stronger than last year and I was racing multiple Life Time Grand Prix and international pros, so I am extremely proud of my result. 

Finally, I am excited to share that earlier this fall I was offered and accepted a spot on the Donovan Racing National Team for 2025. I see this move as an important transition to support my goals of racing at the national level, and I am really excited to start this next chapter in my cycling career. I am happy to continue working with Athletic Mentors’ coach Terry Ritter and will be able to maintain my relationship with TAMJD. I am extremely grateful for all the opportunities and experience I have gained over the past two years on TAMJD, and while this move is bittersweet, I cannot wait to see where the next year takes me! 

The post The Year I Raced Everything, Everywhere appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.