Just got off the phone with Emily Edison, UW's sports nutritionist, and she had this to say about low-carb diets for athletes: "Atkins has been gone for a while now. Give it up."
If you're active, you may know this already, but she says she is costantly hear athletes talking about low-carb diets.
"Athletes want to look good, too," she said.
But in order for your body to perform for a long period it needs carbs to burn. She says it is vital to eat a diet of 70 percent carbs for the five days leading up to your big ride. The rest of the diet should be protein, but low in fat. She also says start pounding carbs about 30 minutes into your ride.

Emily Edison runs Momentum Nutrition and Fitness in Kenmore

We turned in a 58-mile ride this morning, on what was probably out best day of riding yet.
I wasn’t sure what to expect today, after spending much of the week on a mountain bike in Moab. But as it turns out, as different as mountain biking is from road riding, it seemed to do the trick in terms of covering my training this week.
It felt like our strongest effort of the last two months as we easily averaged 18 mph.
I finally broke the 40 mph barrier hitting 43 mph on the Military Road Hill entering Orting. But I have a long way to go to catch Russ Meyers who has touched 50 mph on several occasions on the hill. Not sure I have the nerve for that.
A visitor joined us for the ride, but we lost him after just 10 miles when he got a flat. He then popped two tubes trying to fix the flat so he decided to call it a day.
Pedaling nearly 60 miles starts to give you an idea of what the ride day will be like. Some of us had sore legs (maybe all of us, actually), I had a sore neck and another rider had sore crotch from spending all morning in the saddle.
These are all common issues cyclists have to deal with. The best way to deal with these pains? Keep riding.

Moab, Utah, has a reputation as a mountain biking Mecca and I learned earlier this week it is well deserved. The highlight of my two days in Moab was the Slickrock Trail. The 10.2-mile trail is over steep red rock formations with some sandy stretches thrown in to spice things up. Slickrock is the trail that put Moab on the mountain biking map.

Here's a picture of John Osmundson of Boise riding Slickrock. Check out The News Tribune Adventure section in June for much more on Moab.

As promised in Thursday’s Adventure section here are a few shots from Kenny Espinoza’s modeling portfolio. These pictures are from colorblindimages.com, a Seattle company Kenny works for.
Kenny does modeling work periodically in addition to his day job (which is too confusing to explain here). This, of course, results in constant ribbing from his cycling buddies who have dubbed him Flavio.

Flavio will be signing STP bib numbers for anybody who can catch him during the July ride.

I’m taking a few days off from the blog to get in some crosstraining on a mountain bike in Moab, Utah. Check back in Thursday when I’ll be back to updating the blog on a regular basis.
And check The News Tribune Adventure section on Thursday for the next installment of The STP Project.

Too much pride is a bad thing when you are riding in a pace line.
During our 50-mile ride Saturday morning, I had trouble for about 15 minutes during the final hour of the 3-hour ride. Russ Meyers was at the front of the pace line trying to pull us along at about 21 mph. At some point I fell back a few feet and while I was keeping the same pace, I couldn’t pull back close enough to draft off Meyers.
What I should have done was holler at Russ to ease off for a second and the problem would have been solved. Instead, I kept pushing along for several minutes trying to no avail to hook back on.
Finally, Rick Beitelspacher pulled along side of me to tell me what I already knew.
“You are wasting Russ’ pull and your’s,” he said.
What this meant was Russ was working his butt off in the front of the pace line for no reason, because none of us were drafting off him. And I was so far back, I might as well have been at the front of the line. So, when it was finally my turn to take the lead, I’d wasted my energy trying to catch up to Russ.
“Basically, you’re taking two turns at the front,” Scott Wagar said.
Lesson learned.

Check out this website for the basics on riding in a pace line.

I’m not sure anybody from the STP Project team was really excited about taking a 50-mile training ride this morning through Kapowsin and Roy.
It was a bit rainy at 5:55 a.m. when we met and there’s nothing more fun than being splattered in the face for three hours.
Kenny Espinoza and Scott Wagar debated bailing on the ride before the rest of the team showed up. I suggested that we ride five miles and I’d write that we rode 50. (No, I wouldn’t really do that.)
Then there was Captain Positive, Russ Meyers.
Meyers might be the most diehard cyclists of the group. He rides at 4 a.m. three days per week, has hit speeds of 50 mph and would never let a little rain get in the way of a ride.
I thought I was a positive guy - my blood type is even “Be Positive” - but Meyers is at another level.
“Rain,” he said. “At least it want be too hot.”
A few miles into a hilly ride, Rick Beitelspacher reminded him he’d promised a flat ride.
“Hey, at least we don’t have any traffic,” Meyers said.
Every riding group needs a gung-ho, chipper guy like Meyers to keep the team going on gloomy mornings like this.

If you're ready to hit Skookum Flats with your mountain bike, check out this post on our neighborhood blog.

The post is from a hiker - Tracy Lebenzon - but gives a good idea of what kind of shape the trail is in. Plus, the pictures are pretty cool.

Check out these pictures of construction being done on the Riverwalk trail in Puyallup.
This trail will evenutally link to the Foothills Trail.

The pictures come courtesy of TNT reader and local cycling enthusiast Dixie Gatchel.

"Won't be long until we can access the Foothills Trail from our houses on a safe route. Hurray," Gatchel says.

If you haven't spent enough time exercising to develop a hatred for cotton, here's a tip from Dmitri Keating, the clothing buyer (and owner) at Old Town Bicycle: Stay away from cotton.

A novice making an effort to dress right for a long ride makes two common mistakes when it comes to cotton - underwear and socks.

Here's all you need to know about underwear: Don't wear them. Bike shorts are made to be worn without underwear.

As for socks, wear a synthetic. Cotton will do nothing but help your feet overheat and then soak up the sweat. A synthetic sock will keep your foot cooler and wick away the sweat making for a more comfortable ride.

"The only time you should touch cotton is when you towel off after your ride," Keating said.

I added some kick to the Foothills Trail last night by extending my ride from South Prairie along the roads to Wilkeson, where the trail will eventually go. Instead of continuing on Highway 162 to Highway 165 as most cyclist do, I turned right in South Prairie and took backroads (Tubbs Road, which turns into Johns Road) to Wilkeson. I was pleased to find a nice steep hill climbing out of South Prairie. But after that, it was easy riding to Wilkeson.
By the way, a 0.9-mile section of the Foothills Trail is now paced in Wilkeson.

The Olympic Cycling Classic is this weekend. This is a popular ride out of Port Angeles and includes 100-mile and 100-kilometer rides. The ride starts Saturday morning.

Click here for registration info.
Click here for more info on the ride.

I got another good tip yesterday from Rick Beitelspacher of the STP team I'm following to Portland. As we finished up our ride, I was feeling sick and I had an idea what the problem was. My stomach felt like I'd eaten donuts and a bowl of Captain Crunch for breakfast - too much sugar. I'd actually eaten a solid breakfast that I'd had before several rides - english muffins and vegetarian sausage (about 500 calories).
However, this was my first ride carrying Powerade instead of water. It didn't sit well.
Beitelspacher said he had similar issues.
His solution: mix half Gatorade and half water.
Of course, like anything else you have to find what's best for you.
I'll keep you up to date as I keep experimenting.

Kenny Espinoza finished our 33-mile ride a little early this morning when he broke a spoke on the foothills trail. Kenny had to call his wife for a ride. Lucky guy got out of having to pedal up the 1.2-mile Fruitland Avenue hill.
Kenny, the tallest and broadest member of the team, explained to me that bigger guys break more spokes. I figured that explained why my fat butt popped a spoke on recent mountain bike ride.
I was wishing my spoke had popped as we pedaled up the Fruitland Hill. About a ¼ mile up the hill I realized two weeks of distractions had taken their toll on my fitness. While I’d started to get pretty confident in my conditioning two weeks ago, after a 20-mile ride in Renton 12 days ago I spent very little time in the saddle.
As I pedaled up the hill, Russ Meyers pulled away as the hill sucked away my energy. Rick Beitelspacher and Scott Wagar, who did way better than me in keeping up with their training, were much stronger on the hill. And both were kind enough of drop back and check in on me as I struggled for the final 7 miles of the ride.
It wasn’t all bad news, however. As much as I struggled, we still covered the 33 miles in 1 hour, 55 minutes – about 15 minutes quicker than when we road the route four weeks ago.

Not that there's a shortage of things to do on your bike around here, but a great mountain bike event will be held next week in Spokane.
I attended the national downhill championships a few years back and it's an incredibly entertaining event to watch. There's just something cool about watching guys emerging from the woods with bloody noses and broken arms.

The Beacon Blowout Downhill Mountain Bike Race is May 20 in Spokane and will double as the 2007 National Off Road Bicyling Association state championship.If you are interested in attending call 509-328-7475 for more details.

If you want to ride on a killer paved urban trail, check this one out.
John Keates, Mason County's Parks Director, e-mailed today to offer his favorite after reading today's bike trail stories.

Keates, who hopes to develop a trail system for Mason County, says the Trail of the Couer d'Alenes is worth the drive. The 70-mile trail traverses most of the Idaho panhandle offering a longer cycling route than anything the South Sound has to offer right now.

Check out these links with info on the trail:

Friends of the CDA Trails
Historic Wallace Idaho
Silver Bike Tours
visitidaho.com

The Tacoma Wheelmen's Bicycle Club is an excellent resource for local cyclists.

Whether you are looking for info on South Sound routes, organized rides (there's one almost everyday this summer), advocacy or you want to subscribe to their newsletter, check out twbc.org.

The TWBC was instrumental in getting the new Highway 16 bike trail named after cycling advocate Scott Pierson. The Scott Pierson Trail will be dedicated Saturday morning at War Memorial Park and Cheney Stadium.

Whistler's epic mountain bike park opens May 19, the resort announced today.
The resort has become a destination for mountain bikers from all over the world and regular weekend getaway form South Sound cyclists.

Here's the announced from the resort:

Get ready for Angry Pirate, Crack Addict, Karate Monkey and Heart of Darkness. The adrenaline-fueled Whistler Mountain Bike Park opens May 19. Thanks to 46 feet (1409cm) of snow this season and a current base of 310cm (122 inches) of snow, besides biking, mountain warriors can still board and ski the snow-covered runs of Blackcomb Mountain until June 3.

“The Bike Park crew plans on opening up 20 trails for all skill levels this May, including A-Line, Schleyer, and Karate Monkey’s distant relative, Monkey Hands,” says Bike Park Manager, Tom Prochazka. “John Cowan and his crew are hard at work as we speak, building the Boneyard slopestyle park."

Also, rippin’ chicks can stay tuned for the launch of Women’s Wednesdays, which run weekly from 5pm to 8pm. The evening sessions offer lift ticket discounts and free guides to ladies in a fun and supportive environment.

The Triple Play Card is back, offering three days of riding in the Whistler Mountain Bike Park for $109 (US$106) – a $40 savings off regular adult tickets. Riders can save nearly 25per cent off additional days in the park and can go directly to the lift by connecting their Triple Play Card to their credit card. Anyone who purchases a Triple Play Card before May 31 will receive it for $99.

Meanwhile, this season, Whistler Blackcomb asks, “Are you obsessed with the bike park?” Starting May 15, riders are invited to submit their entries demonstrating their obsession with the legendary Whistler Mountain Bike Park through photos, video, animation, or anything else creative. The contest runs to August 30, and each month, particularly obsessed participants will have the opportunity to win prizes from Sram, Mavic, Hayes, Smith, Fox, WTB, and more.

Obsessed participants can enter the contest and vote for their favourite submissions online at www.whistlerbike.com or at one of two kiosks in Whistler Village.

The Whistler Bike Park will be open weekends 9am to 6pm and weekdays 10am to 5pm from May 19 to June 15. Extended Play hours begin June 16, running daily from 10am to 8pm. To stay dialed into events and special offers visit the Whistler Mountain Bike Park website at www.whistlerbike.com.
(Press Release from Whistler Blackcomb)

Last week, Pierce County Parks opened the new Soundview Trail in University Place. This week cyclists get another new trail when the WSDOT and City of Tacoma officially dedicate the Scott Pierson Trail on Saturday morning at 9. The trail will eventually run five miles from about the Allenmore Golf Course to Gig Harbor, but the entire route won't be open until the bridge is finished.
The trail definitely has a commuter feel, unlike trails like the Foothills and Yelm-Tenino, but it will definitely draw those who want to pedal across the new Narrows Bridge when the new span opens in July.

Click below for a pdf trail map.
Scott Pierson Trail Map

For more on this trail and other good cycling trails around the South Sound be sure to read Thursday's TNT.

Here's a tip from STP everytimer Jerry Baker that might help with your energy and your budget at the same time.

Baker says instead of downing $2 energy bars every 15 miles, try foods that are easier to digest.

His recommendation? Try bringing along some boiled potatoes.

"That's what I do," said Baker, who has finished the 204-mile ride in a day 25 times. "It works great for me."

As for the taste? I just gagged a little just writing this. But to each his own.

An added tip from Rick Beitelspacher, from the STP team I'm following to Portland. Don't wait for the day of the ride to try something new (like boiled potatoes or an energy gel.) You'll want to try new foods during a training ride first to see how your body reacts.

Three-time Tour de France champ Greg LeMond will be in Seattle on May 19 for the Tour de Cure. The tour has five rides ranging from 15 to 100 miles, all of which start and end at Marymoor Park. The century ride starts at 7 a.m.
LeMond will ride with his Woodinville-based LeMond Fitness team and present awards after the ride.

Greg LeMond

OK, first off, I'm not sure how I feel about RATS as the acronym for this blog, but it's going to have work for now.
In any case, RATS made history this week when I made the first bicycle loop on the new Soundview Trail with Rachel Couch of Pierce County Parks. The trail is part of the county's new Chambers Creek properties in University Place.
Rachel and I made the 3.3-mile loop in about 15 minutes and I was impressed by what I saw.
The trail is very short and very steep and winds through an awesome links-style golf course. The trail climbs back up the cliff with several switchbacks through the trees.
How steep is it? The golf course caddie master says a woman sneaked on the trail for a walk recently. The caddie master said he looked out his window about 400 feet above the golf course and saw the woman waving her hands at the bottom of the trail. The trail was too steep for her to climb back up.
In truth, for most fit people the challenge is barely moderate on foot or bike.
While it's too short to be a cycling destination on its own, the streets of University Place have good biking lanes and make it easy to add on some miles. And the county plans to add on to this trail some day.
The golf course opens in July, but the trail opens tomorrow morning.

One of the area's most popular organized rides is Sunday: The May Day Metric.

MAY DAY METRIC
Federal Way
WHAT: Pick a tour named after a Hostess dessert and spend the day pedaling around Federal Way. The Ho Ho Ville route is 50 miles. The Twinkie-Land is 100 kilometers and the Ding Dong Station Mountain route 100 miles.
WHERE: Phil’s South Side Cyclery, 2310 SW 336th St., Federal Way.
WHEN: Sunday. Course open from 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Registration open from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.
ACTIVITIES: There is a finish line party at Jake’s Ales.
GETTING THERE: From I-5 take Exit 142B. Highway becomes 348th Street, then Campus Drive, then 336th Street.
COST: $20 per rider. Unicycles ride for free.
OF NOTE: Get a slice of apple pie at the finish line. Portions of the proceeds benefit the Bicycle Alliance of Washington. SAG support provided for stranded riders. There is a rest area with snacks every 20 to 25 miles.
INFORMATION: Call 253-661-3903 or visit maydaymetric.net.

I got in a quick 14-mile ride last night in Renton on the Cedar River Trail.
The trail runs from Renton to Maple Valley, but I turned around early because it was starting to get dark.
I was pleasantly surprised by the trail. It has minimal intersections and I enjoyed two underpasses in the first 4 miles, which beats waiting at an intersection. The trail goes through some nice parks and runs next to a golf course. Note sure if I'd recommend making the drive from Tacoma just for this ride, but if you're in the neighborhood ...

Click here, for a trail map.

For more information on the trail visit the King County Parks website.

May is National Bike Month.

Here are the dates you need to know.

May 14-18: Bike-to-Work Week.
May 18: Bike-to-Work Day

Can anybody explain to me why you need to declare a bike-to-work day if it's already bike-to-work week?