Nytro on Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Encinitas-CA/Nytro-MultiSport/82190396433

Updates are almost daily on Facebook. We are currently looking for a way to have content generated on facebook or the blog to auto populate each other.

Matt Reed at Nytro!

Another great night with the local Coyotes Triathlon Club. Matt Reed came in to share his experiences with the club and staff.

Chris Horner and Lesley Patterson @ Nytro

Bike fit video and interview

Check out the facebook page for all the photos, video will be uploaded by end of the week.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Encinitas-CA/Nytro-MultiSport/82190396433

Get an extra year of warranty on your Pinarello by registering it online.

http://www.pinarello.com/eng/guarantees.php

5 years in a row as the store with the most popular brands

Interview with Olympian and World Champion Mari Holden!

What have you been doing since Sydney?
It was a long time ago! I raced until 2006 but wasn’t super motivated the last few years. I had an artery problem with my left leg that caused a lot of issues until I got it fixed at the end of 2004 season.  When I finally retired, I became very involved in a couple different fundraising events that were near and dear to my heart. I became involved with the Challenged Athletes Foundation through the Qualcomm Million Dollar Challenge, and I also remain active in the YSC (Young Survivor Coalition which is a foundation that raises money for breast cancer.  It was my involvement with the QMDC that helped me make the decision to move from Colorado Springs to San Diego. I had wanted to move to California, and I was so impressed with the friendships that I made through the ride down the coast with QMDC that I decided San Diego was the place for me.
I have been so happy with my move. I continue to coach (Paralympics and able bodied clients) and also work in cycling industry. I work a bit with Giant Bicycles and their Giant For Women program, I do VIP hospitality with Medalist Sports (Tour of California, Missouri, etc.), and I am just starting to plan and organize some high end cycling tours. I am really excited about the tours. My goal is to give people an experience of being a pro with support and access to cycling legends and event hospitality, but treated like a VIP. Please see my first tour description for Italy.

What are America’s best chances for Gold in the next Olympics?
I still believe that Amber Neben and Sarah Hammer are our best chances for a Gold medal in the next Olympics.

Who are your top 3 favorites in the Tour?
Armstrong, Contador and Schleck. Lance’s success last year was impressive and I expect him to be better this year. It will be an interesting fight between Contador and Radioshack.

When you are in training mode, describe your average week on the bike and what you eat?
I haven’t been training to race in years, but, these days, I like to get on my bike at least 5 times a week. I normally spend 2-4 hours riding, but there are definitely periods where I focus more on distance and will ride 5-7 hours. I have to admit, that I like to eat, so I need to ride I eat a well balanced diet. I don’t cut out any particular food groups, I just like to keep it all in balance. I spent enough years obsessing about weight etc. I believe that if you eat healthy and exercise, your body will find its “happy” weight, and if you want to shave a few pounds for a particular event, it will be ok, but you should always normalize and not freak out about it.

Do you cross train and/or hit the gym?
I don’t cross train. I love to ride my bike. When I was younger I did triathlons and I thought I would do them again after I retired, but, I realized that I’d rather sleep in then jump in cold water, and running hurts! Haha, I’m not really that lazy, but, I definitely love to ride, and life is too short to do things you don’t love.

What tips do you have for road newbie’s wanting to become CAT 1/Pro?
Work hard and suffer. It’s not a pretty life, but it is worth the effort.
The only other advice I have is to never give up. Some days are good, but a lot are bad, and when everyone is hurting you have to be willing to hurt just a little more. Cycling is a hard sport, and there is a beauty in the suffering. You have to swallow your pride, suffer like there’s no tomorrow and then do it again. But, in the end, whether you win or lose, you find out what you are made of. There are plenty of talented cyclists who never made it, and many people with average talent but huge heart and desire.

do you prefer the top or bottom (referring to bagels)?
LOL… what about if I like them both?

What are your opinions on bike fit and what different input do you have from experience on systems, shims, saddles, etc.?
This is a huge question!
Where to start…
I like SRM’s
I ride Shimano (right now I’m on 7900 but hope to have Di2 on my new bike)
I’m not into shims. I tried them once to help a back problem, but it caused me another set of issues. My pedaling became smooth even with different leg lengths. Could it have been better? Maybe… But, it seemed to work ok for me without the shim. But, I did always have custom orthotics.
Saddles… Its all about the shape. I tried all the expensive gimmick saddles and in the ned I loved an inexpensive saddle . I needed to replace it more often, but the shape fit me well. I guess my point is that it doesn’t matter how much you spend, it has everything to do with the shape of your sit bones. You need to be comfortable. My advice is to try out different saddles and find out something that feels good. My worst issues were when my saddle caused pressure in the wrong spots. I never had many saddle sores that weren’t pressure related.

Check out Mari's training camps in Italy and Colorado: http://www.davanticycling.com/camps.html

Travel To Italy with Mari Holden in 2010

If you could design your own dream trip, you'd spend your days riding the roads of Italy, with full mechanical support and staff to take care of your bikes and laundry. Your meals would be prepared by a Michelin-rated chef, you'd sleep in historic mansions and villas, and your guide on the road would be a world champion.

Too good to be true? Nope. You can live your cycling dream this spring on a trip to Italy lead by US and world champ Mari Holden.

Mari has scouted the roads, the villas and the food, and selected the best spots for her week-long adventure in Italy.

You can read all about Mari's spring cycling camp, here.

And you can check out Mari talking about all the details of her Italian excursion, in the following CycleTo video.

Get well soon Chrissie!

Reigning, and triple, World Ironman Champion (2007 , 2008 and 2009) Chrissie Wellington broke  fingers and bones in her hand, wrist and arm!

http://www.chrissiewellington.org/latest-news/a-rough-few-days/

First Look Parlee Z5

Parlee Bikes and component specs coming soon. I'm so happy that they offer an extended head tube so I can finally ride spacer free which offers an aesthetic, aerodynamic, and stiffness advantage.

Gu Roctane update

I will finish running down my analysis of the ingredients in this post later in the week. Before you read what I've written thus far, enjoy this ridiculous footage of Mario Cipollini:

I am one week into my Gu Roctane trial. I still need more time and various efforts to complete my review later this week. Being a die hard Hammer fan a part of me wanted to hate Gu Roctane, so far I've enjoyed the taste and had some great results so I suppose my next step is to nitpick the list of ingredients

MALTODEXTRIN (GLUCOSE POLYMERS)

nothing unusual here other than them mentioning it is a glucose polymer. Glucose is used as a precursor for the synthesis of several important substances. Starch, cellulose, and glycogen ("animal starch") are common glucose polymers (polysaccharides).

FILTERED WATER

Check

FRUCTOSE

My concern with this is fructose had been shown to  reduce the affinity of insulin for its receptor. This is the first step for glucose to enter a cell and be metabolized. As a result, the body needs to pump out more insulin, to handle the same amount of glucose. There are many research publications proving alternatives superiority to fructose and I can only imagine cost and efficiency as reasons for Gu's use.

ROCTANE AMINO BLEND (HISTIDINE, LEUCINE, VALINE, ISOLEUCINE), ORNITHINE ALPHA-KETOGLUTARATE (OKG),

Here is what Gu has to say about Histidine:

"Higher levels of histidine—by a factor of 10 times. When you stress muscles, they fatigue and experience a rather unpleasant side-effect, metabolic acidosis (a.k.a., “the burn”). Both are primarily due to proton (H+) buildup¹. In our research, we found studies that demonstrate how various naturally occurring proteins packed with histidine have buffered the muscles’ acid build-up². That’s because the histidine residues contained within these proteins are able to neutralize those nasty H+ ions and reduce the effects of acidosis. By adding more histidine, we’re encouraging the body to produce more of these buffering proteins and keep muscles pumping harder for longer."

Leucine I love this in any supplement as there is solid medical evidence showing prevention and treatment of macular degneration by taking it, I am biased.

Valine is a branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) that works with the other two BCAAs, isoleucine and leucine, to promote normal growth, repair tissues, regulate blood sugar, and provide the body with energy. Valine helps stimulate the central nervous system, and is needed for proper mental functioning. Valine helps prevent the breakdown of muscle by supplying the muscles with extra glucose for energy production during intense physical activity. Valine also helps remove potentially toxic excess nitrogen from the liver, and is able to transport nitrogen to other tissues in the body as needed.

ORNITHINE ALPHA-KETOGLUTARATE (OKG), SODIUM CITRATE, MALIC ACID, CITRIC ACID, POTASSIUM CITRATE, NATURAL POMEGRANATE FLAVOR, NATURAL BERRY FLAVOR, CALCIUM CARBONATE, SEA SALT, CAFFEINE, SODIUM BENZOATE, POTASSIUM SORBATE