Footbiking the UVM 2011

4 days to the UVM (Utah Valley Marathon), are you ready?
I feel more ready this year than last. Last year was a bogus trip for me. Two weeks before the race I came down with a bad head cold. As the race got closer and the more I trained and pushed myself, the worse it got and the deeper into my lungs it travelled till finally the week of the race had arrived and I had a full blown case of Bronchial Phenomena. Did I let this stop me from kicking it? No, I am one of those brilliant individuals that push themselves till they drop which is about what happened. I recall vividly at mile 18 feeling as though I was going to faint due to the lack of O2 and being surrounded with the prettiest dazzling stars that circled my head and made it very difficult to see the lines on the road. Finally arriving at the finish line I remember the kind folks helping me off my Footbike and desiring me to put one of those O2 masks over my face and escort me to the red and white wagon with the soft beds and people dressed in blue scrubs. Yea, I declined but probably should have gone with them. Glad that’s over with!
So this year what am I expecting from the UVM? Bring it on baby!! First and for most this year I am in good health which is huge, I have been training pretty regularly, the weather looks like it’s going to be beautiful and not 43 degrees and snowing at the starting line, I got this new 20” rear wheel that I will be kicking that totally rocks, and finally I have my Rokit Fuel bar to give me that extra needed kick. I would highly suggest that you give one a try. They are natural, they really do give a boost of energy to draw from, and honestly they taste pretty dang good for something being made of twigs, berries, and bark. I know the guys behind the bar and they got their “Shizz” together. So that’s my plan; go kick hard and enjoy. I’m pleased to see that there will be a few more kickers this year and am very excited to meet our kicking visitors from out of town who have traveled to our wonderful state to be part of this great event. Good luck, run strong, and have a great run to those who are doing the 26.2 the old fashioned way. As for all you kickers be safe, enjoy, and JUST KICK IT!
See you bright and early on the busses!
The Cannibal

Footbike a 5k for a Cause

Here is a shout out to all of you Footbikers who want to be involved in an event,

but think 26 miles is a little crazy.

We are joining the 17th annual 5k run, walk and roll for the Brain Injury Association of Utah.

The event will be held on May 21st at 8 am at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City.

Registration is only $20 before May 9th and then the price goes up to $25.

You can register online at www.biau.org/events

I will be riding with Chris and two of my boys to support Charlie our little 4 year old neighbor who experienced a brain injury 3 years ago.

Salt Lake City Marathon 2011

Another great event behind us. We had 5 kickers total for the 25 mile tour. We started out in a rain storm (yuck), but then the weather cleared and the streets dried out and we had a lovely morning kick. One T and The Cannibal finished in 1:28, Super Sonic had a time of 1:37, X finished around 1:40 and Larene who was a first timer finish at 2:04.
I don't have any pics yet, but if I can get some I will upload.

20" wheel is faster.

After some feild research... I think I have determined that the larger rear wheel does increase my overall speed and it takes less effort to maintain higher speeds. I haven't done enough on the hills yet to decide how much that will slow me down. Maybe after the 3" of new snow melt I can get back out and find out.

Is Bigger Better?????

Sometimes bigger is better, but the question at hand is...

Is a 20" rear wheel better than an 18"?

I have even seen and heard of some people in Europe kicking

on a full sized rear wheel.

So what are the benefits? What are the draw backs?

Draw backs= slower start, slower getting up to speed,

more effort pushing up a hill.

Benefits= rolls faster once you are up to speed, maintains higher

speed with less effort.

Faster overall.

This is what I understand.

Now I get to put it to the test.

Chris surprised me last weekend with a new 20" rear wheel.

I am going to start training on it and see what differences I notice.

I will let you know if I think

"Bigger is better."

Here are some notes I found about this very subject, but refering to different sized tires.

"The most common wheel is the 700. They have a larger circumference and less rolling resistance. This means they will decelerate slower than a smaller wheel would, which is beneficial in races like triathlons where you mostly maintain a constant speed. If you were to stop pedaling, a larger wheel would roll faster and longer than a smaller wheel, which translates into saved energy when you are trying to maintain a high speed. The smaller 650 wheels accelerate and climb better due to their lower mass and size, but have a harder time maintaining high speeds. You basically have to work harder to hold a certain speed with 650’s than you do with 700’s."

Another thing to consider is with the new 20" rim I am also riding on a more narrow tire with a higher pressure rating. Many factors.

I will do some feild work.

First Kicking Group a Success

Saturday was great!

It was overcast, but temperatures in the 40's made for perfect kicking weather.

We had 7 Kickers join us this time, an awesome group and good company.

We kicked the Legacy Parkway from 500 South to Farmington and back.

Our total distance was 16.5 Miles.

This was an incredible first kick for Andrew. Way to go!

We swapped stories, traded kicking techniques, talked components,

and just had an all around good time.

I am really looking forward to our next meet up on April 9th.

We are going to work laps around Sugar House park on that day.

It would be great to see more people join us.

'til next time.

Music for the Cannibal

I posed a simple question and got a very complicated answer.

I asked Footbike racer "The Cannibal"

What is your favorite song to kick to?

Here is what I got from him.

I guess there is just too much kick'n to narrow it down to just one song.

Thanks Cannibal!

So Sarah from Kick-It Marketing (the Footbike Rep for Utah and Idaho) asks me a question the other day that I have struggled to answer and have pondered and wrestled with for over a week now. Her question to me was “What is your very favorite song that you like to listen to while you are Footbiking?” Easy question to answer right? Wrong!! Especially for a music lover like myself.
Before I tackle her question with an answer I must preface my response and share with all that I am a 80s music junkie. My i-Pod is chuck full of some of the finest tunes that were created during those magical music years. Typically this is what I am tuning on during the day but Footbiking brings out a different need in me.
So what do I crank to as I kick a comfortable 12-14 mph down the Legacy Parkway? It kind of depends on the mood and the kick. As with music, no kick is the same. I have different licks for different types of kicks. No one song can fit the bill to answer Sarah’s question. Typically I lean toward the harder steady bass beating music that carries a rhythmic pond. Marilyn Manson’s version of the classic “Personal Jesus” or “Tainted Love” would be great examples of what I’m talking about. Some other select songs from the same artist also has that same bass pond that I need from time to time. I’m not a Rap guy however I do have a few old school artists like Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, Tone-Loc (Funky Cold Medina or Wild Thing), and Run-D.M.C (tricky) that fills the need. On longer kicks when I fight though the ups and downs of the course and energy reserves I tend to grab a tasty Cliff bar (FBUSA sponsor plug) and mix in a few lighter more electronic “poppy” tunes from artists like Owl City, Angles & Airwaves, David Tavare (Oh la la la), Eiffel 65, David Guetta (World is Mine), The Prodigy, Ace of Base, and don’t forget Beck (Looser). Don’t laugh the stuff rocks! And finally for those times when the kick is needing all I got to eat up the asphalt and pull those mph’s up a few clicks, I’ll crank up the volume and try to blow the drivers out of my ScullCandys (another FBUSA sponsor plug) with the heavy sounds of Chemical Brothers (The Boxer), Cirrus (I Got So Many Eyes Watching Me Now, Catch you On the “B” Side), some of Maynard’s creations with Puscifer, and my latest wicked beating fetish, Matthew Dear (You Put A Smell On Me, I Can’t Feel). You got to try them.
I hope this helps to answers your question Sarah. Some day I most likely will be deaf or at least short of hearing due to the volume level that I kick too but when I’m old I’ll look back with a smile on my face, take a deep breath with strong healthy lungs, stand tall with a strong heart beat on legs as solid as Oak trees and think, yea that kicked!
Be healthy, love music, enjoy life, and Just Kick It!
The Cannibal