Training with Omar

I slacked off on blogging lately, but that doesn't mean that I haven't been busy racing. Last weekend (May 6), I raced the annual Bump and Grind MTB race at Oak Mt State park. It was another scorching hot 90+ degree day. I cramped due to insufficient hydration at an earlier race this year, so I took extra precaution to stay hydrated during the 2+ hr Bump race. I started hydrating the day before the race, and on race day, I drank 2 large bottles of my Infinit drink mix before the race even started. During the race, I polished off 2 more bottles of Infinit and 2 bottles of gatorade handed out at the water stations positioned along the course. The extra preacaution paid off, and I finished strong without any signs of cramping during the entire race.

I used the same strategy this past weekend at the Xterra SE Championship race on the same course. The 100+ degree heat index made it one of the hardest races that Iv'e ever completed. It took every drop of determination just to finish the race. The medical tent looked like a broken soldier scene from a war movie. Despite the heat, I won my age group, had a great time, and I look forward to the next Xterra!

In order to complete my latest project at work, I get to live out of a suitcase for a while. Staying in shape while traveling takes a little more imagination than the normal work/life/training balance. This week, I'm in a 25+ story hotel in downtown Atlanta. Welcome back to the Urban Brick workout!

While Nashville was being hammered with flood producing rain on Sunday, I was busy racing my mountain bike a couple hours south in Huntsville. Fortunately, the rain held off until I was halfway through the last of three 9.5 mile laps at Monte Sano State Park. Weather aside, the race turned out well, with no tactical errors or mechanicals on my part. This years race loop included a few miles of smooth single and double track, followed by a few miles of some of the rockiest and most technical terrain I've encountered on an XC mountain bike race course. It took a big effort to stay in control and avoid feeling like a passenger on my own bike. I normally don't look forward to paved road climbing on a mountain bike course. However, the 1.5 mile paved climb towards the end of the loop was a welcome relief from the seemingly endless rock gardens. The rough terrain put huge demands on my endurance, but I managed to finish strong in third position. Now for the ice bath...

Despite downpours, the annual Xterra Ft. Yargo took place this past Saturday in Winder, GA. The Ft. Yargo course is a notch down in difficulty compared to the longer Cup races with intense climbs. This makes it a great way to start off the Xterra season.  After a long winter of short course pool swimming, my arms started screaming for mercy about half way into the 800m lake swim. A few more weeks of long course swimming will help my open water form. I spent a lot of time on the bike this year, and it paid off when I finished the muddy 10 mile bike course within a minute of my time last year in the dry. My effort on the bike resulted in the fastest bike split of the day and 1st place overall position going into T2. Unfortunately, my extra time on the bike this year meant less time running, and it showed when I ended up in 3rd place overall (1st place AG) by the end. Despite the inclement weather, Xterra Ft. Yargo was a well run event, and I had a great time. Time to run...

Omar

www.ozonexterra.com

Leading up to this past weekend, half of my attempts at mountain bike races this season were tarnished by mechanicals and horrific weather. I enjoyed a great change of fortune on Sunday after successfully completing the annual XC race at Tsali. It was my first trip to Tsali, and it was well worth the 6 hour drive from Birmingham. The trails were in great condition and lived up to their legendary speed and flow. This years course started with an 1/8 mile climb up a jeep road to the first section of singletrack. After getting stuck in eighth position behind a small pileup at the entrance to the singletrack, I managed to battle through the field for a second place finish. I’m still trying to get my Xterra legs used to fast paced XC race starts.

After the race, my wife and I left Tsali and drove to Asheville NC for a short2 day vacation. It was our first time visiting Asheville, and we had a great touring the Biltmore, visiting Mt Mitchell, and enjoying great food in the surprisingly Bohemian downtown area. We capped off the awesome trip by taking the scenic route home through the Great Smokey Mountain National Park.

Which mountain bike should I buy? I hear this question more than any other from folks new to mountain biking. When choosing a bike, there are four things that I consider before discussing brands: proper size/fit, comfortable and functional contact points, proper tires for conditions, and design (wheel size and suspension design).

I recently ran across an interesting article that gives a little more rational around different designs:

http://singletrack.competitor.com/2009/09/gear-and-tech/face-it-the-26-inch-hardtail-is-dead_3050

Long live the 29er!

Omar

www.ozonexterra.com

The relatively mild winters usually make Alabama a great state for consistent year round outdoor training. However, between the rain, snow, and cold, the weather seems unusually bad this year. Everyone that I’ve talked to agrees on the miserable weather. Is it really that bad? I decided to take an extra step and quantify the weather to date in 2010.

Surprisingly, Birmingham is ~1/2” below normal rainfall for the year. It appears that the drought over the last few years led to misguided rainfall expectations. However, a closer look reveals that 63% of the rain this year has fallen on the weekends (4.5”/7.1”). The disproportionate weekend rain explains the added perception of miserable weather among the weekend warrior crowd.

Temperature shows a similar pattern. The 48 degree average high for the year is 6 degrees below the historical norms. Low temperatures are also skewed towards the weekends. The 45 degree average high for the weekends is 9 degrees below the historical norms.

Fortunately, the weather isn’t discriminating against Alabama or the SE. The 2010 season should be an interesting indicator of who is able to make the best out of less than desirable training conditions.

Omar

www.ozonexterra.com

For the third consecutive year, I started off the racing season with the 1st of 3 Snake Creek Gap Mountain Bike Time Trials  in Dalton Georgia (http://www.nwgasorba.org/the_snake.html). This year's course is the same punishing 34 miles of the Pinhoti Trail as the previous few years. Instead of waves of 5-7 riders seperated by a minute, this year is run with riders going off 1 at a  time, 15 seconds apart. This seemed more effective in reducing traffic on the trail and getting everyone started quickly.

Unfortunately, the revised send off did nothing to warm the 25 degree temperatures. At times, my face felt like it was frozen in the inhale position. About 10 minutes in, there was a 16 inch deep stream crossing. Luckily I had waterproof socks. However, I was counting on my toe warmers to keep my feet warm, and the water rendered the toe warmers completely useless.

About 5 minutes later, I went to take a sip of Inifinit from my hydration pack. The cold air froze the drink tube and my backup waterbottle. My only hydration option was to stop, remove the pack, and drink from the fill port inside the pack. Shortly after figuring out my hydration situation, I hit the first downhill. I atempted to pass another rider by late braking into a left had turn at the bottom of the hill. I quickly found out that the stream left a layer of ice on my brake rotors as I plowed off into the woods like a wild boar.

In the end, I was glad to finish without any injuries or mechanicals. Ive' never raced in such cold conditions (and don't plan on doing it again). Amazingly, I was almost 45 minutes off my best and still turned the quickest time in my age group. Apparently I wasn't the only one affected by the cold. Hopefuly the cold spell breaks for next months TT.

Omar

www.ozonexterra.com

For the last 3 years, I’ve focused my training around Xterra off road triathlons. The things I enjoy most about Xterra include the1st class racers, primarily warm water/weather races, mountain bike bias, and mass starts. Next year, I plan to compete in a few Xterras, but I'm going to switch my primary focus to Cross Country Mountain Bike Racing, and specifically the SERC (Southeastern Regional Championship) series. The main reasons for switching include the opportunity to focus on what I like most (mountain biking) and the chance to compete on some of the best mountain bike trails in the southeast (I’ve never ridden half of them).

Most of my winter cycling training occurs indoors on rollers. In order to curb the monotony of indoor training, I'll attend some of the spin classes at the JCC over the winter. I made the biggest gains this past season on the bike. I can't wait to see how much more I can improve by emphasizing riding even more!

Omar

www.ozonexterra.com

Wow, this time last month, I was gearing up for the trip to Hawaii for the Xterra World Championship. Time really flies with a few weeks away from triathlon training. I deceided to take a few weeks off from swimming, running, and intense riding to give my body a chance to recharge. During my time off, I used most of the time that I noramlly spend training to prepare our house to put on the market. I thought this would be an easy task, but our Crestwood 1920's era Bungaloo required two weeks  to address all of the maintenance and cleaning to get ready to sell. It was a great mental break from training but I'm looking forward to getting back in the grove ( and selling the house so I can get my toys out of storage!).

In the triathlon off season, I like to spend my extra time attending Yoga classes. This year, since returning from Hawaii, I have been consistently attending Yoga 3-4 times/week at the J.  I started attending Yoga regularly last year to get through an Achilles injury. However, I found that it was a great for stress relief, flexibility, and core strengthening. If I had unlimited time, I would attend Yoga year round. However, in order to balance it with my day job and still get adequate time multisport training, I will probably only have time to attend regularly through the spring.

Omar

www.ozonexterra.com

I closed out a successful season of Xterra Triathlon last week at the Xterra World Championship in Maui Hawaii. This year, I finished the course over 40 minutes faster than my first and last attempt in 2007. My final time was strong enough to finish third in my age group and complete my goal of making it onto the podium. I credit my successful performance this year to several factors, not least of which was focusing on improving all of my weaknesses from my 2007 attempt.

Starting with the swim, the 500+ person field made the Xterra mass start complete mayhem. If you're trying to get out towards the front, its almost a certainty that you will either get hit, kicked, or possibly even dunked as everyone charges for the first buoy. Unlike the Xterra U.S.Cup races, which utilized calm lakes like Oak Mt., the swim in Hawaii took place in the ocean. The waves added another layer to the excitement and difficulty. After loosing time in 2007 due to poorly navigating the rectangular course, I made sure to do pool drills this year that involved sighting. By swimming in a straighter line I was able to improve my swim time by a few seconds and also save valuable energy for the rest of the race.

The transition to mountain biking occurred after a short run up from the beach. The bike course started out on flat pavement and turned up a fire road that zigged and zagged along the south face of the dormant volcano, Mt Haleakala. Besides the 2500+ ft of climbing in 19 miles, the bike course was littered with sharp loose rock to make things more difficult. The weather this year left the course a little smoother than past years, but the lack of shade and multiple steep and rough grades still made the ride incredibly strenuous. Going into the race, I spent a lot of time this year incorporating intense climbing in my training... something that was missing from my training the first time around.

The first 2/3 of the 11k run was very similar to the bike course. Once through the hilly rock strewn portion, the run dumped out onto a beach for close to a mile of running on the sand. In 2007, I was so fatigued after the bike that I suffered from serious cramping issues that slowed me to a walking pace for a good portion of the run. However, by including more intense runs and hills in my workouts, I made it through the run without any issues this year. Overall, I was extremely happy with my final result. Every completed Xterra is a learning experience for the next time. Maui was no exception, and I look forward to more big improvements the next time around.

Omar

www.ozonexterra.com

The Xterra World Championship in Maui is exactly 2 months from yesterday. With 8 weeks to go, I'm trying to stay as consistent as possible. Based on my cramp filled experience in Maui two years ago, I also changed my routine to better prepare for the demanding course. Group rides/swims/runs remain the best way for me to stay honest with training. Therefore, my schedule rotates around many of the group trainning sessions around town, while still focusing on things that I need to do specific for Xterra. With several CAT 1/2 cyclists and elite distance runners, Birmingham is a great place to get intense multisport training with others. The most drastic change that I made in my training was to replace my usual Wednesday mountain bike ride, with an intense 8 mile run. The Wednesday night Trak Shak runs, go on throughout the summer months and contain a wide range of running levels.

Maui is all about climbing. Unlike most of the season so far, I have incorporated far more climbing in my current training, especially cycling. Thanks to some of the roadies, I  even discovered a 35 mile loop that includes just about every (cyclist friendly) major climb around the city. Hopefully it will all pay off in October...

Ever since I started mountain biking, I have ridden exclusively on various Shimano SPD pedal systems. SPD is  the standard pedal system on most bikes from the factory and Spin bikes at the JCC.  Mountain bike Shimano SPD style pedals generally offer double sided entry, and release after 10 degrees of rotation (depending on cleat wear). The entry/release tension can be adjusted independently on each side of the pedals. They offer low cost, great consistency, reliability, and durability. The only downsides that I have found are the weight, mud performance (they tend to pack up easily), and lack of jersey matching colors.

A couple months ago, I started using a pair of Crank Brothers Candy C pedals. Compared to the Shimano SPD system, the Crank Brothers pedals offer a few color choices, improved mud performance, reduced weight, and lower cost at the entry level. Also, by reversing the cleats, the release angle can be adjusted from 15 to 20 degrees. This is about where the benefits end. They entry and exit lacks the secure mechanical click of the SPD. Although I got used to this, the biggest drawback was in the bearings. Although this is one of the lower end models in the Crack Brothers line, all pricepoints of Shimano pedals that I have used, spin freely with the flick of the wrist. After two months of use and abuse on my mountain bike, the Candy’s bearings never loosened up to allow resistance free spinning. One other issue that I noticed was that the cleats showed excessive wear after relatively little use. I generally get 3 to 5 years on SPD cleats. Based on the appearance of the Crank Brothers cleats, I doubt they would last much more than a season of riding. Since there is no tension adjustment on the pedals to compensate for cleat wear, this means far more frequent cleat replacements. Crank brothers pedals offer 4 sided entry, however, it doesn't seem to make entry and exit any easier compared to 2 sided entry systems.

In the end, I think the two pedal systems are very evenly matched. It comes down to personal preference and I'll take the reassuring click of SPD's for now.

My next planned race is the Xterra World Championship in Maui Hawaii at the end of October. With that in mind I decided to take a two week break from training after my last race. Although I only took three days completely off, I didn't workout with much intensity or more than once a day. It was a nice break, but in order to race strong in Maui, it's going to take some serious work between now and then.

Yoga clases were a big part of my last offseason. Unfortunately they took a back seat when the racing season got underway in April and I can really tell the difference (not in a good way). Between now and October I plan to get back into the rythm of attending Yoga classes and take a more proactive approach to stretching after working out. If the past is any predictor of the future, Yoga will help me recover after training sessions, reduce my chance of injury, and improve my overall flexibility.

Omar

www.ozonexterra.com

I took my second stab at back to back days of racing this past weekend. The weekend started out on Saturday with the Xterra Lock 4 Blast in Gallatin TN. The unseasonably cool 70 degree air and 81 degree water combined for perfect race start conditions.  Unlike during my last Xterra, which was in 100 degree air/90 degree water,  I emerged from the swim with plenty of strength to attack the mountain bike.

The Lock 4 trail system is one of my favorite race courses. It has very little climbing, and it makes up for it with miles of smooth sweeping singletrack. I kept the rubber side down and put down my best bike split by over 2 minutes. Although the run course consisted of the same type of terrain as the bike, the singletrack portions never overlapped each other. This allowed for a safe and smooth finish. I finished up with an age group victory and second place overall to pro Craig Evans.

On Sunday, I made my way back to Lock 4 park for the annual cross country mountain bike race. The course was a 3 lap 26 mile extended version of the mountain bike portion of the Xterra. During my last attempt at back to back days of racing, I made the mistake of not cooling down properly after the first day. This time around, I made sure to put in 20 minutes of easy riding after Saturday's Xterra. I felt the immediate pay off when I started off without a hint of soarness from the day before. I rode conservatively in 3rd place for the first 2 laps and attacked at the start of the third lap. Fortunately, my legs agreed with my decision to attack and I moved into position for the overall race victory.

Overall, it was a successful weekend of racing. After a few days of rest I will start preparing for the Xterra World Championship in Hawaii. Lots of climbing...

Omar

www.ozonexterra.com

Every year I have one race that ends early with mechanical issues. That's just the nature of events involving mountain biking. Unfortunately this past weekend, my attempt at the Alabama Mountain Biking State Championship Title came to an abrupt end with a broken chain.
The race started off well. Unlike most of my previous mountain bike races this year, I arrived early enough to get in a proper warmup. When the clock started, I got into a great position and entered the woods in the first pack of three riders. The field stayed together during the first couple miles of the 6 mile course. A 2 mile climb, known as "relentless", hid in the middle of the rough course. Although it wasn't much of a challenge on the first lap, by the fourth and final lap, it broke the rest of the field apart from the lead pack of three. Unfortunately the rough and rocky terrain took it's toll on my bike during the final lap. My chain snapped and my third place position slipped away. Although I attempted to repair it, I managed to loose the powerlink in the leaves when I took it out of the pouch.
I was dissapointed in the end result of my race. However, I still managed to get in a solid 20+ mile effort of mountain bike racing, so it wasn't a complete loss. Next up, Xterra Lock 4 Blast in Tennessee...

Omar

www.ozonexterra.com

Mountain biking consumes about half the time of a typical Xterra race. As a result, it's no surprise that it is the most critical portion of the race to train. One of the best ways to prepare is to compete in mountain bike races. This past weekend, I competed in my fourth mountain bike race of the year at Raccoon Mountain Tennessee.

Raccoon Mt. immediately became my favorite trail in the Southeast when it first opened a few years ago. The mostly singletrack trail system stays ontop of the mountin, so there are no extended climbs. However, the trail winds through some of the best flowing singletrack that I have ever ridden. Needless to say, I was excited to race on the 12.1 mile loops that the organizers laid out.

Fortunately the 36+ mile race went well. The heat and humidity added to the difficulty, but I managed to stay cool by dumping cool water over my head twice a lap and guzzling 70 oz of my Infinit drink mix over the course of just under 3 hours.I successfully completed my goal of finishing on the podium (3rd place Expert Class) and getting a strong Xterra training session in for the weekend.

Omar

www.ozonexterra.com

This past Saturday, I battled the 95+ degree heat for the top amatuer title in the Arkansas Xterra Cup Race.  Instead of the typical two lap format of most Xterra Cup Races, the 1500m swim was one big lap around a waterski slalom course. The combination of 20+ minutes of swimming with no break and 85+ degree water temperature made the swim noticeably more difficult than usual. After leaving T1, it took a full 20 minutes of riding before the fatigue in my arms wore off. The bike was a fun 2 lap course through mostly shaded rolling singletrack.  I managed to stay cool during the bike by following Pro Will Kelsay's advice, and stuffing a ziplock bag of ice down my jersey in T1. I also decided to wear a Camelback to ensure that I took in enough fluids to get through the entire race. With the lead secured after the bike, I hit the run determined not to let anyone by. Most of my recent training focus has been related to running. Luckily, it paid off in my ability to maintain a consistent pace and hold on for the ameteur race victory. Next Up, Racoon Mountain SERC Mountian Bike Race...

Omar

www.ozonexterra.com

Due to work travel, I have been doing more treadmill running than usual. Iv'e often wondered how treadmill running compares to outdoor running. I found an interesting article here that discusses a few pro's and con's of both...

Omar

www.ozonexterra.com

I gained a small piece of fame this past weekend. Unfortunately, it was for accidentally breaking the nose of 3 time Xterra World Champ Conrad Stoltz, instead of my athletic performance. The accident occurred less than 10 minutes before the start of the SE Xterra Cup Race. Conrad and I collided in the water while warming up in the murky lake water. Although the collision didn't seem hard, the top of my head caught the bridge of his nose. Fortunately, Conrad remained in good spirits, and still pulled off a convincing race win. Unfortunately, my race didn't go quite as well.

With a week old bruised hip muscle still nagging, I went into the race with some lingering hip pain. Fortunately, my bruised muscle, suffered during a mountain bike training ride crash, held up fine through the race. My main problem was on the mountain bike. About a third of the way into the course, I managed to puncture the casing on my rear tire. The leak was slow, so I attempted to keep riding. After a few minutes of loosing pressure, I was forced to stop and empty a CO2 cartridge into the tire (tubeless). I continued, and after a few more minutes, I started to loose pressure again. Once the tire started to roll on the rim, I stopped, put in a tube, and finished the race.

I learned a few things from this experience. Once a tire starts to loose pressure, STOP and fix. I probably lost an additional minute or two just trying to ride on a nearly flat tire. Also, although I've changed flats for years, I need to practice quick flat repair for race conditions. Conrad is notorious for flatting during races, but he gave a few tips for overcoming them. He recommended mixing Stans and Slime for a more effective tubeless tire sealant. He also recommended carrying small automotive tire plugs. Apparently they work on tubeless bike tires as well.

I didn't have one of my better performances this past weekend. However, I still managed to finish second in my age group and qualify for the Xterra World Championship race in Hawaii later this year, so I'm not too disappointed. Next up, the 2009 Bump and Grind MTB race....

Omar Fraser

www.ozonexterra.com 

Two weeks ago, I managed to strain a subscapular muscle during a swimming pull set. I attempted to use the RICE method to get over it. However, after 4 days, it was still nagging. With the successful ARP treatment of my achilles fresh in mind, I decided to go the same route to treat my strain. After three treatments, the pain dissapeared! It's hard to believe that ARP  injury treatment isn't more widespread. According to my ARPwave provider here in Birmingham, Chris Scarborough, the direct current treatment used by the ARP machine isn't new. The pain associated with direct current limited its populartiy in the early days. More recently the developer of the ARPwave figured out a way to use a background waveform to greatly increase comfort. While it's far from hotub therapy, the background wave greatly decreases the typical pain of direct current. Now if it could only increase lung capacity...

Omar

www.ozonexterra.com

Occasionally I get to demo new products. Over the last two weeks, I have been riding and racing on Shimano's latest 29" MTB wheelset. My reference point consists primarily of my season old Bontrager Race-X Lite Wheels that came with my Gary Fisher Superfly.

After over 100 aggressive MTB miles, the Shimano wheels have held up extremely well. I removed the tires and valve stems and weighed the two wheelsets back to back. Both had stock skewers, tubeless rimstrips (Bontrager wheels only-Shimano doesn't need rim strips for tubeless), stock 160mm rotors, and Shimano XT 11-34 cassettes attached. Amazingly, both wheelsets came in at 2lb 5oz front and 3lb 4oz rear. Although they won't win weight weenie contests, they are light by 29" standards and within 1/2 lb of similarly priced 26" wheelsets.

The hub quality and engagements of both rear wheels feels nearly identical. The Shimano uses a straight pull spoke design (no 90 degree bend at the hub), which supposedly allows higher spoke tension and greater stiffness. Although the spokes are laced noticeably stiff, I was unable to tell the difference in stiffness while riding. The bontrager wheels require a rimstrip to run tubeless. Shimano seals the spoke holes, so no strip is required. Both systems work flawlessly with tubeless setups. However, Shimano's system seems to make spoke nipple replacement a factory only procedure. In my 20 years of riding bicycles, I have never had to replace spoke nipples, so this shouldn't be an issue.

There were really only 3 noticeable performance differences between the two wheelsets. The bearing drag is slightly higher on the Shimano hubs (possibly due to the relative lack of miles). The closing mechanism feels less stout on the Shimano skewers than the Bonty's. Finally, the Shimano's use centerlock brake rotors instead of 6 bolt. Fortunately the 09 Bonty's now use the lighter and easier removal centerlock design. At $700/set, the Shimano's retail for $200 less/set than the new Bontrager wheels. In conclusion, the lower price and equally performing Shimano's are a great deal for a no fuss high performance cross country wheelset.

Omar

www.ozonexterra.com 

After two days in a row of racing, I finally regained enough energy to blog... Going into the weekend, I failed to think of the possible consequences of a 65 degree swim with no wetsuit until two days before race-day. As a result, the weekend started off fighting through Atlanta traffic to get to All 3 Sports in time to find a wetsuit. Although we arrived 20 minutes after closing, the staff was kind enough to fire up the registers and fit me to a new suit. With wetsuit in hand my wife and I went on to the hotel.

Saturday morning's Xterra triathlon in Winder Georgia started off with a half mile lake swim. After training in pools all winter with the luxury of walls to rest between laps, the first lake swim of the year was a small shock. Luckily, I have been swimming consistently this year, so it wasn't as bad as past years. Although I was third out of the water, I had a great T1 and started the 10 mile mountain bike leg in first. Friday's wetsuit emergency didn't leave any time to pre-ride the course. Fortunately, I had luck on my side as I safely navigated the bmx style jumps through one of the most technically challenging Xterra courses that I have ever ridden. I gained a sizable lead on the bike course, and despite recently overcoming a running injury, managed to comfortably hold form for 4.5 miles and take the race victory.

Sunday's 30 mile expert mountain bike race followed the same course as Saturday's Xterra bike leg. Once the horn went off for the 3 lap hammer fest, the lead group started off in a punishing pace. The fatigue from the previous day's triathlon set in before the end of the first lap. As the lactic acid quickly started to build, I slowed to a more sustainable pace and switched into training mode rather than race win mode. Although the mid-pack eighth place finish won't do much for my race resume, I added a thick layer of toughness that will pay off this season...

Omar

Check out www.ozonexterra.com for pictures!

Today, I picked up my first race win of the year in the  Attack on Swayback cross country mountain bike race. The race was held in Wetumpka Alabama, about a 1.5 hour drive from Birmingham. It was my first time on the course, so I decided to drive down and pre-ride it on Saturday. Although the 8.7 mile loop was relatively flat, there were more turns than a potters wheel. This made line selection very critical in navigating the course quickly. Luckily, the pre-ride paid off and I made it through the race with only one mild "off the bike" experience. I felt strong through the 26 mile  race and look forward to next weekends double header: Saturday-Xterra Ft Yargo & Sunday- SE Regional Championship MTB race.

Omar

www.ozonexterra.com 

A few people have asked about my race schedule this year. Due to a business trip that I had to catch a flight for 2 Sunday's ago, I skipped the Chickasaw Trace MTB race. Interestingly, the trip was preparation training in case of a union strike at work. If there is a strike, I get to go from an AT&T engineer in Alabama to a Uverse Installer in Texas. Although the contract expired April 6th, the Union is still negotiating with AT&T. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they make it to an agreement without a strike.

As long as the strike holds off, and the weather holds up,  I plan to race this coming weeekend down in Wetumpka AL at the Attack on Swayback cross country mountain bike race.  Hopefully my race schedule will be back on schedule after this weekend.

Omar Fraser

www.ozonexterra.com 

This week, my day job put me in Dallas Texas. With Xterra season right around the corner, it's improtant that I keep training as consistentantly as possible. With no distractions outside of work on this trip, it's actually easier to get a good week of intense training in than at home. The beautiful Spring time Texas weather doesn't hurt either. I decided to limit my training to swimming and running for the week instead of paying $200+ in airline bike handling fees, or trying to rent a bike. Fortunately Dallas has a great in town walking/running area known as Riverchon Park. It offers about 3.5 miles of fairly flat landscaped trail - perfect for a 7 mile out and back one hour running effort. 

 I also found a great Masters swim group with Dallas Area Masters (DAM). They offer morning and evening practices at several pools around the Dallas area. This week, I'm lucky enough to swim in the outdoor 50 meter long course pool at Southern Methodist University. Compared to 25 yard pools, it offers a training experience far more comparable to open water triathlon swimming. Back to Bham next week...

 Omar

www.ozonexterra.com

While riding down a fast section of singletrack trail at Oak Mt State Park, I heard the leaves rustle up in the distance. As the sound of crunching leaves intensified, I turned to my right to see a deer headed straight towards me. Before I could react, the deer T-boned me running full speed and knocked me clean off my bike. I would have escaped with little more than a few bumps and bruises. However, their happened to be an oak tree to my immediate left. My left forearm was between my body and the tree and both bones shattered upon impact. I still have a deer hunting license on my to do list…

Omar

www.ozonexterra.com 

This past weekend, I competed in the third and final 2009 Snake Creek Gap Mountain Bike Time Trial . Compared to my last few attempts, I was far more prepared. I decided to use an underseat tool bag and three 24 oz waterbottles instead of my heavy camelbak. The three bottle decision was based on the sweat test I completed last year, which basically told me that I sweat like a horse. I decided that 72 oz was the minimum amount of fluid that I could take in over a 3 1/2 hour race effort in 70 degree weather. Luckily, I nailed it exactly by finishing without any cramping issues. I also made sure to order my custom Infinit Nutrition formula for hydration.

I decided to wear a HR monitor for this race. I don’t normally race with one, but for a race this long and intense, it was vital in helping time my fluid intake and ensure I didn’t push too hard in the first half of the brutal 34 mile course. Finally, as I raved about in my last post, I rode with a higher seatpost height. Although the additional height made some of the technical downhills a little scary, I more than made up for it in pedaling efficiency. Thanks to the additional preparation, and near perfect riding conditions, I managed to knock over 20 minutes off of my best time and take a podium finish in my first competition of the season.

I decided to get a new seat post this past week. Seat angle slip issues with the original single bolt post lead me to a more secure two bolt design. In the process of fitting the saddle position on my new post, I found out that my old post was about 1.5 inches low! Since I was fitted when I bought the bike, and never readjusted the seatpost height, I can only assume that the post just slipped down over time. Anyway, as soon as I started riding, I noticed my ability to climb with less fatigue than before. Now, the vertical distance from my pedal axle at the 6:00 position to the top of my seat is the same as my roadbike.  After helping with the fit,  Jonathan Robins at Cahaba Cycles did a great job explaining the effect of a bike seat set up too low. If you sit down on a chair that is lower than your standing knee height, and try to get up, it’s much harder than getting up from a chair  slightly above standing knee height. Note to self: Check seatpost height reguarly!!

Omar

www.ozonexterra.com

After 3 weeks of combining ARP treatment with lunges, wall sits, and other torturous excercises, my achilles feels much better. Although I don’t have any before photos showing the deep discoloration and scar tissue, it’s obvious from that my left side achilles now looks as good as my right (Check out the pictures at www.ozonexterra.com).  Needless to say, I’m back to painfree running again. Although the ARP treatment and related excercises got rid of my achilles pain, it will take an improved technique to keep running pain free. I highlighted the technique in an earlier post, but it basically involves engaging my quads instead of hamstrings. This allows my leg muscles to do the work that my tendons were incorrectly doing. Now its just time to practice, practice, practice…

Omar

www.ozonexterra.com

My second attempt at this years Snake Creek Gap Time Trial went much better than the first. I finished without any mechanical issues (except for a seat clamp that I had to stop and re-tighten), and I felt as though my fitness was at least as strong as the same time last year. During the race, I realized that the ARP wave, and associated training (see last blog post), is no joke. Even after warming up the first few miles I felt the soreness in my legs for the entire 3 hr and 38 minute effort! Unfortunately, I forgot to restock on my Infinit drink mix before the race. With nothing more than Gatorade and water, I was forced to stop twice in order to take in the needed calories through gel packs, figs, and fruit. Although this definitely added some time, I wasn't complaining about the extra rest.

As I described in an earlier post, Snake Creek Gap is a point to point MTB race against the clock. Bikes and riders are driven to the start and ride 34 tough miles back to the finish. One of the highlights of the day had to be the limo with the roof racks. Crazy mountain bikers!  Check out pictures at www.ozonexterra.com...

Omar 

With about 3 months until triathlon season, my training regimen is definitely starting to ramp up. Unfortunately, running still presents a problem for my achilles. Although, I have made a lot of progress since regularly attending Yoga at the JCC, the pain never completely let up. After consulting my doctor last week, she recommended a visit to ARP wave owner Chris Scarborough. She warned me that the treatment I was in for would be unorthodox, painful, humbling, but most of all… very effective. Little did I know...

My initial visit with Chris started with a video analysis of my running technique. Using some pretty trick computer software, he pointed out all of the flaws in my technique. As it turns out, my achilles tendenosis is being caused primarily by poor form. Basically, my form is causing the tendons to do the work that my muscles should be doing. Using an ARP wave machine  that stimulates muscles with Direct Current (yeah the torture kind!), and several very specific exercises and positions, I am basically working to re-educate my muscles and eliminate compensation patterns. With almost a week of use so far, my muscles are learning to cope with the DC current. The soreness is definately starting to recede. Although I have not run on land since starting the program, I am already painlessly doing form correcting running drills that would have had me in serious pain only a week earlier.  More updates to come... 

Omar

www.ozonexterra.com 

Training wasn’t completely lost while in DC. Due to the cold weather and relatively short stay, I decided against taking my bike. However I did find a pool to get about 10,000 yards worth of swimming  over the four days spent in DC. Also, due to the long lines created by the massive crowds, and the temporarily shut down metro, we ended up walking at least 7 miles on inauguration day alone. While not quite the same as a long run, it was far more beneficial than being glued to a couch all day.

Omar  

For pictures, check out www.ozonexterra.com

Unfortunately, my first attempt this year ended in an early departure. Although I felt strong the entire time, my bike was a different story. After the first couple of miles, the muddy course started to take its toll on my drivetrain. Luckily it wasn’t the sticky derailleur sacrificing mud that stops you in your tracks. However, it was enough to start causing some serious chain skipping and chainsuck issues. I managed to make it to the top of the climb just after the halfway point before hearing a grinding sound. I immediately stopped and looked down to see my metal frame protector hanging from the chainstay. Luckily there was no damage to the carbon fiber beneath. However, instead of finishing with certain catastrophic frame damage, I decided to call it quits with 8 miles to go.  At least there are two more tries…

Omar

www.ozonexterra.com 

I know.. I know.. The blog posts have been scarce. But trust me, I am certainly training. The last week has been like a Christmas training trip. Despite the holiday craziness, I managed to get in 3 morning swim sessions over the course of the week. After 3 aggressive mountain bike rides in a row, I decided to end the week with the weekly Birmingham Bicycle League road ride today. At just over 60 miles it was the the longest effort of the week.

Next year, I'm planning to return to Dalton GA for the annual Snake Creek Gap mountain bike time trial series. With the first time trial a week from today, today's long and hillly road ride was great practice for the upcoming 34 mile adventure.

Omar

www.ozonexterra.com 

I started Yoga classes a few months in order to help rehab my achilles tendenitis. After only a few classes, I noticed a big improvement in the degree I could stretch my achilles before feeling discomfort. Although the gains have slowed, after almost 2 months my achilles continues to improve.  With positions for most muscles used in Xterra, Yoga has taught me a lot about my overall flexibility, stability, and core stregth.

Relative to the more experienced Yoga participants, I have noticed a lack in hip flexibility. This is probablly due to all of the cycling miles without proper stretching. Fortunately, I'm making big gains in hip flexibility and overall flexibility. This week,  I even did a full back arch for the first time since the age of 12! With regard to the muscles used in Xterra triathlon, I have found the standing positions, such as warrior I-III, half moon, lunges, and triangle as the most beneficial in terms of flexibility and core strength. For hip flexibility, most of the conventional seated positions offer varying degrees of hip stretches.

Omar

www.ozonexterra.com 

With the month of December in full swimg, it's time to start getting more serious about training again. Two major factors in any training program are consistency and intensity. Although intensity never completely leaves my equation, my main focus right now is consistency. Although my achilles is still less than 100%, the tendonitis continues to improve with tri-weekly Yoga attendance at the JCC. For those that haven't tried Yoga (or haven't done it at the JCC), I highly recommend it. The three main evening/weekend instructors (Becca, Karen, and Suzanne) each have unique styles. Fortunately, they all run classes that leave my entire body (including my achilles) feeling better than before.

Besides Yoga, I am consistently swimming three mornings/wk ~4000 yds, cycling 4 times/wk - 1 long (>2hrs) and 3 short, and hitting the gym for core work and strength trainning 3 times/wk. As my achilles improves I'll start to add in running over the next few weeks. I'm still anxiously awaiting the release of the 2009 race schedules for Xterra and MTB events. Stay tuned...

Omar

www.ozonexterra.com

Join Me Wednesdays at 4:30pm for Advanced Level MTB night rides on the JCC Trail (Weather Permitting) 

With my achilles still short of 100% (but still improving) I decided to hit the JCC weight room and pool instead of the Montclair Run on Thursday morning. Hopefully, by allowing my achilles to fully heal in my triathlon offseason, I'll put in some strong run splits next year.

After stuffing my face with way too much Thanksgiving dinner, I hit the red trail at Oak Mountain for a spirited mountain bike loop on Friday afternoon. For the second weekend in a row I ended up getting a flat on tubeless tires. I'm starting to think that flatting on the mountain bike is as much about luck as it is tire selection/skill/line selection. Sometimes I go 6 months with no flat tire issues, and then I might have 3 rides in a row with flat tires. The most recent flats occured when a sharp rock punctured the tire at high speed. Although tubeless tires offer more reliable flat protection at tire pressures ideal for maximum traction, they are still far from flatproof. In my years of riding, the only sure way that I have found to prevent flats is by running heavy duty tires (some type of armored protection) and tubes at 50+ psi. Unfortunately this results in a wild and bumpy ride with a noticeable increase in rotating weight (the worse kind). There has to be a better solution. Maybe it's time to use that engineering degree?

Omar

www.ozonexterra.com 

People often ask me for advice on meeting weight goals and staying in shape. In my opinion, the easiest way is to find a sport that you enjoy. With 28 IOC (International Olympic Commitee) sports alone, and a multitude of categories within each sport, most people can find something appealing. Competing in a sports gives me the extra motivation to stay in shape and train for competition.

With no Xterra's or major races planned unitl Spring 2009, this is the hardest time of the year for me to stay focused on training. Luckily, I take advantage of less intense indoor activities, such as Yoga and general strength training. Once I pick up my full training routine in the new year, the improvements in flexibility and strength will go a long way in ensuring a stellar race season.

Omar

www.ozonexterra.com

Join me on the JCC Trail throughout the Daylight Savings season for advanced level MTB rides every Wednesday night at 5:30pm

 With daylight savings this weekend, my regular weekday mountain bike riding will turn into night rides.  For night rides I prefer to ride on trails with slower speeds, little wildlife, and that never end up more than a mile or so from civilization (lights). The JCC trail fits this bill perfectly. This ensures rides are safe and if my riding light goes out, then I'm never too far from a lit path home.  I did my first night ride of the season a few weeks ago. Unfortunately I made a costly mistake by pulling out of the parking lot with my battery still on my car bumper. Although it was found a few days later, it was in a few more pieces. Check out my website for pictures.

Omar

www.ozonexterra.com 

With the need to balance training with a full time job and wife, proper stretching usually ends up taking a backseat. Although not quite as important as aerobic/anaerobic exercise, flexibility plays an important role in Xterra Triathlon performance and injury prevention. Since it is the beginning of the off-season, Dr. Lal recommended Yoga as a great way to occupy some of my usual training time and get over my Achilles tendonitis.

While competing as a swimmer at Auburn, Yoga was never listed in our training program. However, many Yoga positions were included in our stretching routine. Shortly after college, I had a pretty consistent Yoga class routine for about a year. Unfortunately, after moving for a new job, I never kept it up. Last night I went to my first class in over 4 years at the JCC . I can’t believe I ever stopped! The Downward Facing Dog and Plank positions did wonders for my Achilles. After the class, my entire body felt amazing. Just like that exercise high, Yoga certainly has it’s own high. I’m definitely going to keep it up as part of my normal routine. The increased flexibility and core strength resulting from Yoga will help me continue to improve in all three disciplines and avoid injury.

Omar

www.ozonexterra.com 

I ended my "official" 2008 racing season this past weekend. It started Saturday, with the annual Tour de Cullman road race and ended Sunday with the annual Dead Dog Mountain Bike Race.

With a less than spectacular history of racial harmony, I was a little apprehensive about heading up to Cullman for the Tour. However, once surrounded by fellow cyclists, I was glad that I made the trip. As my first road bike race, the laid back renegade format was a great introduction. Totaling 60 miles, the ride started out at a conversational pace for 20 miles. Following a short pee break, everyone regrouped behind the lead motorcycle. After a few hundred yards the motorcyclist dropped a flag to signal the race start. Starting with about 60 riders, I ended up in the front peleton with 4 other riders. Around the halfway point, Lenny Moon jumped off the front and was never caught again. With about 400 yards to go, I was in second place. However, in typical road race fashion the other two riders in the group came around me in a final sprint to the finish. After years of watching the Tour de France, I should have known better than to leave myself open to a final attack. Once everyone regrouped at the race finish, we rode a moderate pace back to the ride start and enjoyed a fantastic meal of pasta and beer.

Thanks to a flat at the Bump and Grind MTB race, I haven’t had the best of luck in MTB races this year. Fortunately, I was able to redeem myself with an expert class win at Sunday’s mountain bike race. After racing at altitude last weekend, my fitness felt almost limitless. I now understand why so many elite endurance athletes live at altitude.

Next up, rest…

As expected, Sunday morning started out with the coldest temperatures that I have ever swam in. I'm not sure what the official air temperature was, but it was 34 degrees when I rode down to transition about an hour before race start. The water was a warm 58 degrees! Despite the conditions, the swim was still the best leg of my race (top 20 coming out of the water).

Between the adrenaline flowing and the warming air temperatures over the course of the race, I decided to forgo my jacket that I had layed out in transition for the bike ride. Unfortunately, my gloves and arm warmers were stashed in the jacket pockets. Instead of blazing through transition like normal, I clumsily fumbled through the jacket pockets for the gloves and arm warmers. This cost me a good 30 seconds in transition, but I would have defantely overheated if I had thrown the jacket on as originally planned. Luckily, my custom toe warmers (hand warmers duct taped to the outside of my shoes) worked brilliantly in keeping my feet warm throughout the bike course. The bike trail was everything I expected...long climb...steep climb...short climb... short flat section with a pretty view of Lake Tahoe...short climb...steep climb...false sense of no more climbing....short climb...steep climb... fast downhill to finish. With the trail weaving up to close to 9000 ft, the climbing caused some serious suffering. Luckily, my east coast riding experience allowed me to make up quite a bit of time on the downhill and more technical sections.

Once off the bike and running, the altitude really started to take its toll. With the expectation of building into the run, I took off on the flat twisty course at what is normally a relaxed pace (around 7 min/mile). Unfortunately my heart rate quickly rose to near threshold, so I started backing off. After a couple miles, I started to cramp in my chest. Since I was well hydrated and suffered none of more typical cramps due to nutrition deficiencies, such as post race muscle spasms, this was most likely due to the intensity of my breathing. Although I never had to stop, I ended up backing off the pace to what felt like little more than a jog.

Although I was hoping for a stronger finish, in the end this race was a small personal victory just in overcoming the cold temperatures and high altitude. I ended up fourth in my age group and 48th overall out of the 285 competitors that finished. With my first altitude race under complete, I know what to expect and where I need to focus my time training for next year...

Omar

www.ozonexterra.com 

So far the trip has been great. Tomorrow is race day and I'm doing a lot of hydrating (and peeing). The trip to Lake Tahoe went smoothly. Although I had to watch in horror as security pillaged my carefully packed bike case, it was repacked with care. I also got lucky at the airport and managed to get my bike past an unsuspecting check-in agent and avoid the $125 bike fee. Now if that isn't good karma, I don't know what is!

I ended up getting selected to do an interview and a photo shoot for the TV special that will air for this race. The shoot took place on Friday morning about a third of way up the 30 minute climb to the famous Rim Trail. Since I had my bike I decided to pre-ride the rest of the climb and part of the Rim Trail that follows the bike section of the race course. I'll post some pics to my website once I return.

I planned to do a pre-race swim on Friday. However, with an incomming storm front, the 4 foot swells scared me off (The 58 degree water didn't help either). Instead, I joined a few other competitors and swam in the local indoor rec pool today. The big talk of the day is the expected 38 degree air temperature at race start! Although rough water conditions caused officials to cancel the swim leg of the Nevada Xterra race today, the race directors said that the Championship race will include a swim NO MATTER WHAT. Luckily I got a few of cold weather tips from some experienced pros. Some of the suggestions included double swim caps, earplugs, toe & hand warmers and a light jacket. Here we go...

Omar Fraser

www.ozonexterra.com 

With the Xterra National Championship coming up in a week, I’m starting to really get fired up. All of the hard training this year seems to be coming together well. I tend to train more by feel than at the mercy of heart rate monitors, power meters, and stopwatches (Espicially since my year old Garmin 305 died of sweat asphyxiation last month! Arghh!). However, even without these instruments, I can easily tell the gains that I’ve made this season. 90% of my swimming this season has been in a 50m long course pool. With fewer flip-turns to rest, compared to a 25y pool, this should go a long way in minimizing fatigue in open water swimming. On the bike, I focused a lot of time this year on climbing. Although the hills still don’t seem easier, I’m able to attack the climbs much harder and actually put time on riders that I could just keep up as recently as the beginning of the season. Finally, after battling an achilles injury all summer, I’m finally running pain free at full intensity.

As my first wetsuit race ever, I decided to rent one from wetsuitrentals.com for this event. With water temperatures expected to dip into the 50’s (yes, that’s degrees fahrenheit!) , I decided on a full suit (long sleeves) for this race. This will be my first time swimming in a full wetsuit. Fortunately, it arrived in the right size and in time to get comfortable swimming in it all next week. Impressions to come…

Omar

www.ozonexterra.com 

Just as in cycling events, Xterra's are won and lost on climbing ability. The Xterra National Championship in Lake Tahoe NV is no exception. Following the swim, the mountain bike portion starts out with a climb that will take close to a half hour! With this in mind, I have paid particular attention this season to working on my climbing ability. Although some of the local mountain bike loops offer some great climbing, the climbs are generally limited to one or two major climbs. Since I have a hard time convincing myself to turn around at the top of a climb (and the fact that gas is required to get to most of those climbs), I decided to utilize my road bike and the local roads that cut accross and around Red Mountain near my home in Birmingham. The loop is basically a figure 8 that spans the longitude of Red Mountain. Offering 4600' of climbing on each loop, its a serious workout. I traced the route out at www.walkjogrun.com. Just search "Montclair, Birmingham" and you'll find my route labeled "Omar Hill Repeat".

Omar

www.ozonexterra.com 

Sorry to post this so late, but here are a few more details for the morning...

This is a 25 mile ride with a 15 mile option. The route leaves Homewood Cycle back parking lot @ 7:30 AM and goes through Mountain Brook out to Irondale, down Ruffner road to Hwy 78, back through Mountain Brook and then back to Homewood. The route is commonly referred to as the "Tuesday Night Worlds Loop". The pace will be intermediate, with an average speed of 17-20 mph. This is NOT a fast training ride. It is a social ride. We will have a ride leader and a ride trailer but it will not be supported. Come out, hang with Floyd and have a great ride!

After all the Xterra points series, I successfully defended my Southeast Regional Title . With three weeks to go until Xterra Nationals, I feel as strong as ever! Over the past few weeks, Iv’e had the great fortune of working with world class athletic trainer Drew Ferguson and triathlete physician Dr. LaI at UAB Sports medicine. Thanks to the more aggressive physical therapy program that Iv’e started, my achilles continues to get stronger.

For anyone in town this Saturday, I’m leading a pre-race (Pepper Place Criterium) group ride out of Homewood Cycles this Saturday. Floyd Landis will be in town and riding in the group. I’ll post more details Friday, but it looks like there will be two routes, both starting at 7:30 am. The longer one will be the "Tuesday Night Worlds Route".

Omar

www.ozonexterra.com 

Whether training for competition, or just trying to stay in shape, it's much more enjoyable in the company of others. Fortunately, in the absence of training partners, there are mp3 players to keep the mind and body in harmony. My tri-sport training regiment presents a unique challenge for a portable audio player. With the need for something that can withstand endless sweat sessions, mountain bike descents, and lap swimming, I recently purchased the H2O Audio iSH2 headset for use with my Ipod Shuffle. Here is my unbiased opinion by sport.

Swimming

The iSH2 comes with a plastic wraparound neckband. If you follow the directions (remove ear buds from neckband and attach directly to goggle strap), the iSH2 stays on just fine during lap swimming. The first thing that I noticed, and the biggest overall drawback, was the incredibly poor sound quality above water. Once under water, the sound quality is about on par with stock Ipod headphones above water, which to me is just acceptable. However, just like pizza (it's good even when it's bad), poor quality audio is better than no audio at all.

Cycling

Since cycling on the road is dangerous enough without headphones on, I only wear the iSH2 off-road and indoors on my rollers. While riding on my rollers, the headset stays in place and keeps playing though as much sweat as I can drench it with. Unfortunately, during aggressive mountain biking, the excessive vibration causes the earbuds to rotate out of my ears. Also, although the headset fits nicely under the rear stabilizer on my helmet strap, it tends to snag when turning my head to look through tight single-track corners. Like most other headphones, it's almost impossible to hear the music over wind noise during faster sections (over 20 mph). Since the headset was never in danger of falling off, I would not hesitate to wear it during mountain biking. However, due to the other drawbacks, I would relegate the iSH2 to smooth fire roads and indoor sessions.

Running

I enjoy the iSH2 most while running. My biggest gripe with standard earbuds while running is there tendency to fall out once the conditions get sweaty or technical. Although behind the ear designs solve this, I still get aggravated with the cords sooner or later. The iSH2 solves both of these issues. No matter how much I sweat, bounce, or run through overgrown trails, the headset and earbuds stay in place brilliantly.

Although far from perfect, this is a well designed product from an ergonomic standpoint. However, there is still much to be desired acoustically. In hindsight, I think it was a good purchase for my needs. I look forward to improved audio quality in future generations.

Omar

www.ozonexterra.com 

As many of you know, Iv'e been dealing with Achilles tendenosis for the majority of the summer. Although it didn't effect swimming or cycling, it's really hindered running. Whenever it started to feel better, I re-aggravated it with a race (or race effort). After my last Xterra in July (Jacksonville, Fl), I decided to skip the Mountain Lakes Road triathlon and focus on preparing for the Xterra US National Championship in October. With a chance to win an age group National title, I'm happy to report that my Achilles tendon feels much better, and I'm finally back to consistent running.

 Omar

www.ozonexterra.com