Getting back from my early season ice climbing trip to New York, I put together this quick video of footage from a GoPro HD camera mounted to my ice tool. Check it out below!
This is my first video edited with iMovie and I’m pretty impressed with what is possible. The real-time editing especially makes it much more intuitive for a new video editor to grasp the basic workflow. I hope to do some highlight clips from my past trips to Alberta and New York.
In 6 days I’ll be leaving on the longest roadtrip I’ve ever taken. 6200 km from Southern Ontario to Colorado, Utah, and back in my little yellow Toyta Matrix. During this trip I’ll compete in a 24 hour solo mountain bike race (24 Hours of Colorado Springs) and ride of the the iconic trails in Moab and Vail.
Prepairing for this has been a lot of work. Here are some things which I put together; hopefully my list helps you if you’re planning a similar trip.
Plan a route with alternates using Google Maps, then print it. There’s nothing like being without cell reception when you have no idea where you are. Avoid relying on technology when you’re in an area you don’t know.
Get an idea of vehicle milage and plan your rest stops. While some might think this is going overboard given the quality of the US Interstate hiway system, I draw a lot of comfort for having a schedule and gas budget. Considering things like reduced milage with bikes on a roof rack and the wieght of a trip-loaded car versus day to day.
Do a test pack of the car. Again, this might be erring on the side of OCD, but why get a late start when you can spend a great few hours building stoke for the trip? By doing a test packing session I was able to work out the best and fastest way to get all my kit into the car in an order that is useful. I was also able to work out the best arrangement for sleeping in the car: by moving items around
Tetris-style, I was able to make quite a comfortable sleeping space in no time at all.
Buy travel insurance. Even though I get some coverage from my Provincial Government health plan while traveling, many things are not covered. The last thing I want to have to worry about while shredding sweet single track in Moab is breaking my arm because I don’t have $700 on me for a cast. Travel insurance for the 2 weeks was had from my bank for $50 and it’s the best money I’ve spend on the trip yet.
Make a solid food list. If you’re dirt-bagging it like me, you’re taking most of your food with you. This is especially important if you’re competing. You can check my past article on what to eat during a 24 solo race for ideas! Beyond ‘riding food’ I like to have enough variety so that until the last few days, I have 3 or more options for meals.
Gib mir dein Papiere! Make sure you have valid copies of all documents you will need. Obvious ones are passport and driver’s licence, but don’t forget about insurance policy, provincial health card, and UCI racing license!
Plan books and music. Don’t forget that this is a vacation! Even though there is lots of driving and riding ahead, I still put together hours of playlists and picked up at least two good novels for when I need to just be on vacation. Making sure you can play you iPod or whatever through your car’s audio system is a good thing too. Since I’ll be crossing the Midwest I’m sure to encounter days of driving with nothing but country music on the radio.
Check back in a couple of weeks to see photos and writing about my trip. Better yet, use the link below to follow me on Twitter – I’ll be tweeting the whole time.
People often ask me how on Earth a body can ride a bike for 24 hours non-stop. While fitness and determination are two of the greatest factors in a successful race, nutrition is close behind. Below I’ve outlined my food choices for my upcoming event. Portions and timing vary based on what I’m feeling, but I try to have a little of everything listed on hand.
1. Bites
Items I can take on the bike to eat during the lap. Plastic cups come in handy for getting these into a pocket fast!
Snickers
Cliff Shot Blocks
Hammer Gels
Bready Cheese Sticks
Sharkies
Stropwaffles
Carrot Sticks
Pepperettes
Banana
2. Snacks
Quick food items that I can stop at base to eat to give my legs a breather.
Handful of Pringles
Bits & Bites
Glossette Raisins
Pudding Cup
Apple Slices
Oreos
3. Meals
More substantial food items that require a minute off the bike. A good rest and these comfort foods are an excellent recharge.
Slice of Pizza
Pb & J Sandwich
Hamburger
Hummus in Pita
Steak Slices & Cheese in Pita
4. Drinks
Nuun Electrolytes
Monster Drink (flattened)
Pepsi (flattened)
Lime Gatorade
Hammer Perpetuem (?)
Hot Chocolate
Coffee
Water
Post-race beers
The things to think about are caloric value, digestibility, nutritional balance (salts, sugars, proteins, and fats), and EDIBILITY. Make sure you picks items you’re going to want over and over again when you don’t feel like eating. Moments will come when you’re not hungry, but you’ll pay for passing up the opportunity as little as half an hour later.
With respect to drinks, so much choice isn’t necessary. I like having multiple options, but so long as you have enough complex sugars and salts, just one drink could be enough. Don’t underestimate the value of a warm drink late at night. Something hot and sweet is a nice change of pace and can recharge flagging motivation. Lastly, be careful with caffein. If you get ont eh treadmill to early, you can end your race prematurely. You can see that I like my caffein though; I save the monster and pepsi for hour 20 when I really need to drop the hammer.
If you have had good experience with a food or product, share with us in the comments!
