 I've been waiting to do this blog post because I needed adequate time to try these products and, well, I'm hesitant to share my secret . . . So I'll just whisper it and keep it between you and me, okay? OSMO is the best nutrition brand - and they even have a line formulated just for women! Now I'm going to tell you WHY it's better than the brand you're using right now. Secret Reason #1 - I always knew the importance of staying hydrated DURING the race, but I was never confident with my hydration BEFORE the race. When I drink the PreLoad, I go into the race with piece of mind. I know that I am starting the race with a certain level of hydration. Secret Reason #2 - Other sports drinks left a sticky, sugary coating in my mouth (and in my water bottle.) Because of that reason, I always ended up choosing water, which was not hydrating enough to keep my performance at my highest potential. I am pleased to say that the Active Hydration does NOT leave a weird residue in my mouth and I have finished every race with an empty bottle (which I never did before.) Secret Reason #3 - Lean in close . . . The Acute Recovery doesn't upset my stomach and doesn't make me feel so full that I can't eat for 2 hours after drinking it. I like to mix the Acute Recovery with chocolate milk. Now that I have experience with the products, I am confident that they have helped me reach my full potential and sustain my pace in the longer Cat 1 races. Shhh! Don't tell! Keep this between you and me! * Ladies, if you want to keep beating the guys, you better not mention OSMO's men's line of products! Read more about the genius (Dr. Stacy Sims MSc, PhD) behind these amazing products! Check out the OSMO Facebook page  Step 1: PreLoad Osmo PreLoad Hydration is a special application "hyper-hydrator" for women that addresses the effects of estrogen and progesterone on athletic perfomance. It was developed to be used before intense efforts, ultra-endurance events or exercise in hot conditions to:
 Step 2: Hydrate Women are not small men™ During our menstrual cycle our internal temperature varies by 0.5°C, while our sodium losses increase and plasma volume drops. Dr. Stacy Sims developed Active Hydration for Women to address these physiological realities to help female athletes:
 Step 3: Recover As women, our recovery physiology is heavily influenced by our menstrual cycle. Recovery is critical for us because progesterone and estrogen inhibit muscle repair and glycogen restoration. I developed Acute Recovery for Women to address these physiological realities. It helps female athletes like us:
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 If I was going to California for a second time, I couldn't act like a newbie. That meant I had to channel my inner west coast doppelganger. “I'm so stoked to shred some gnarly gnar! It's going to be so epic and rad!” #shredthegnarnia #gnar #shred #gnarly #rad #stoked #epic #totally #didisaygnar? You know what, I think I'll just stick to being a Pennsylvanian . . . So, this year I had the privilege of attending the biggest cycling festival of the year. . . The Sea Otter Classic! I knew I was up for a big challenge when I saw the roster of girls in the 15-18 Cat 1 category. Not to mention a whopping 3,400 feet of climbing! I was eager to see where I stood among some of the best girls in the country. I put quite a bit of pressure on myself since this was my first big race representing the Whole Athlete / Specialized Team. All of the sponsors were going to be present and I wanted to represent well. I pre-rode the course and, I have to say, it really exceeded my expectations. Aside from the road and gravel sections, the singletrack was fast and smooth, and the top of the course was truly beautiful. I was jittery with anticipation of getting on the start line! Fast forward to race day: my pre-race rituals went smoothly and I set out to get a good warm-up. I lined up behind my teammate, Haley, and we formed a peloton as we raced around the Mazda track. We got onto the rolling gravel section and I surged with the top half of the group. A few mini attacks took place and I hung onto a wheel. As we entered the singletrack and made our way to the feed zone (about 12 miles in,) I found myself going a little too hard to stay with this top group. I let off the gas a bit, but I was still in the mix. This is a strategy I have been trying to execute ever since I made the transition from the shorter junior races to the longer Cat 1 courses. Throughout the race, I paid close attention to how my body was feeling and how much gas I had left in the tank. I planned to go hard in the beginning to see what the pace was like and then settle into a rhythm that would leave just enough energy to go full force the last two miles. The front of the pack surged on, but that didn't discourage me. I focused on eating my PROBAR Bolts and drinking my OSMO whenever possible and I mashed up all the short steep climbs. A Bear Dev girl passed me and I latched onto her wheel. I noticed that she was holding a really good pace, so I stayed with her and we took turns drafting the entire race. I was feeling strong and I waited for the perfect opportunity to go on an attack to put some distance between us right before the finish. When I saw that I only had about two miles left, I attacked on the longest gravel climb. Once I crested the top, I carried my momentum into the downhill and tried to expand the gap. Then, the last switchback climb hit me like a brick wall. I had no recollection of this climb. I expended all of my energy on my attack and now my gap was becoming smaller. How could so much climbing be packed into the very last mile of the race!? I gritted my teeth and passed multiple riders walking their bikes up the really steep parts of the climb. I looked back and saw the Bear Dev girl too close for comfort. I put my head down and would not relinquish! She passed me and I had nothing left in the tank. I sprinted across the line, finishing in 8th out of 14 girls. I found out that the girl I was battling with finished less than a minute ahead of me, so I was definitely upset that I timed my attack a little too early. I was also informed that my preride was way too hard and that I had the potential of a top 5 finish if I would have gone into the race fresher. I feel good knowing that I committed to my plan and have even more potential. I want to thank the entire Whole Athlete crew (coaches, mechanics, and sponsors) for the valuable learning experience that I will implement to improve my racing in the future.
 Sprinting across the line! |
