Remember last week when I wrote about how I didn’t eat enough and suffered for it for the rest of the day? Well, thanks to feedback from you, comments on Facebook and other conversations – I’m slowly learning and getting this eating and riding thing sorted out. To put it simply – fuel is required when we ask our bodies to do challenging and uncomfortable things on the bike. And even though there are carbohydrates in vegetables and fruit – we need more than this to allow us to ride at our best.

The thing is, I’ve always known this… The problem is I get caught up in reading cooking and food blogs by people who aren’t cyclists… My energy and nutrient needs are different from the food blogger and recipe tester who is not riding his or her bike for two hours or more a day.

As much as I enjoy my morning smoothie I’ve gone back to the good ‘ol bowl of oatmeal. But this isn’t any old bowl of oatmeal. Nope mine has: chia seeds, Bioflavia, ground flax seeds, maca powder, sesame seeds, old-fashioned oats and some kind of fruit (chopped apple or frozen mango/strawberries). I mix it all up, pour a bunch of boiling water into the bowl, zap the mixture in the micro, add more water and let it sit overnight in the fridge. In the morning I add almond milk to this tasty bowl and sit down to slowly eat my bowl of carbohydrate goodness. (For you oatmeal fans – how do you create your tasty bowl of morning breakfast?)

In addition to this oatmeal habit, I’ve started paying closer attention to when I eat and when I ride. This is crucial because we need to give our bodies time to metabolize the food we eat before going out for a ride but we also don’t want to eat too early before riding. I think this really is a personal thing and we each need to determine what works best. Anyway, for me what I’m doing now is if I’ve got an intense afternoon ride to do, I make sure I add some beans, quinoa or rice to my normal veggie stir-fry at lunch. If I’m riding in the morning, I’ll eat a Luna bar about two hours before getting on my bike.

This brings us of course to recovery drinks/food. I posted a question asking about this on Facebook yesterday… (Many thanks to those of you who responded.) The use of a recovery drink/food/meal really seems to come down to how hard the ride was and how long it will before the next “real meal”. Again, everyone is unique in this aspect.

So, this in a nutshell, is what I’ve learned this week. As I start to get into my spring/summer road racing season, I’m sure I’ll learn more to share with you on this topic. It is a tricky thing eating and sport – particularly when we compete in a sport that has us all believing that “thinner is better” – chances are very high we all know a cyclist who has taken this attitude too far and has suffered as a result. So eat your carbs! Eat your veggies and fruit! Get some protein! Eat some fat – your body needs it! And of course eat some chocolate – you deserve it after all. (For some excellent recipes from a pro cyclist, visit Mo Bruno Roy’s website.)

Live Out Loud Everyday. This is the essence and mantra that Lolë is built around. Designing and creating clothing for real women that allows us to look and feel our best each and every day. The refreshing thing about this Canadian company is that they do more than sell clothes.

This is a company that is truly invested in being part of the community and showing women how we can all get the most out of life. The company celebrates achievement of all kinds and is committed to doing its part to make the world a better place. This might sound like lofty words for a clothing company – but this is the truth when it comes to Lolë.

It is for these very reasons (and of course, the darn fine clothes) that I’m very proud to be sponsored by Lolë and to represent the company as a Lolë ambassador. I’ve been part of the Lolë team for less than a year and so far everyone I’ve met and connected with through this company has been top-notch. From attending Lolë meet-ups to meeting company representatives, I’ve been impressed with every aspect of the company.

As for the clothes? Well the clothes are fantastic. They are designed for real women to wear – which means that us cyclists with muscles in our legs and bums can fit easily into their pants, capris and shorts. The tops come in a range of flattering cuts so whether you like a v-neck, scoop or round neck – you’ll find tops that have you looking your best. Many thanks to Lolë for keeping me looking good off the bike!

To learn more about this Quebec-based company, watch a couple of these videos:

Under An Eternal Sky

2011 Earth Hour Celebration

Visit Lolë’s Facebook page to stay up-to-date with new product arrivals, meet-ups and community involvement.

Live Out Loud Everyday: this sums up what I try to do each and everyday. Thanks Lolë for the support and for the belief in my dreams and goals.

It happens every season and this year it happened yesterday. I ate my normal breakfast of late (smoothie with chia seeds, flax seeds, Bioflavia, maca powder, spinach, frozen raspberries, frozen banana and almond milk). Then around 11:30 I ate my typical lunch of a big veggie stir-fry, some celery and carrot sticks and an orange. Perfect – the food was super tasty, I felt satiated and ready-to-go.

A couple hours after lunch I hit the open road for my ride. About 30 minutes before my ride, I ate a package of Clif Bloks. Wednesday was threshold interval day and the first time doing “longish” threshold intervals. The first ten minute interval went well – as hard as a threshold interval should be. In the second interval I faded at the three minute to go mark with a bit of a resurgence in the last minute. Then it was a 45-minute ride home into a headwind.

By the time I got home I was wiped out. It was a bit chilly yesterday and rather windy (thank you small ring!) – so I attributed the fatigue to the weather combined with the intensity of the ride.

I had big plans for my post-ride afternoon, well needless to say I didn’t get anything ticked off my “to do” list… Instead I felt draggy, wiped out and darn right rotten. I attributed this to the work-out intensity. Marc believed otherwise. After asking me what I ate (oh I did have a Luna bar when I got home) he determined that I was under-fueled and particularly in the carbohydrate department. Of course – I did not agree. With no energy to cook supper I zipped off to Farm Boy to pick up some pre-made food (actually pretty good because you can read all of the ingredients) – Marc gave me strict instructions to get something carby…

After eating a quinoa salad and assorted roasted vegetables and then some trail mix – I felt remarkably better. In fact I stayed up until 11:00 and was full of energy…

Yes, it happens every year. I neglect to look at the ride I have to do and eat to fuel this ride. Eating on a recovery day or an easy day is not the same as eating for a longer ride or more intense ride. One year I’ll remember this lesson and not suffer the rather unpleasant crash and energy dip.

(Oh and about the trail mix – it was so good. All sorts of nuts, Smarties, raisins, and chocolate chips. Lets just say I ate more than one serving…)

So, learn from my mistakes. Eat. Eat again. And eat some more.

The weekend, actually the week has been all about bikes. Bike riding. Bike cleaning. Bike racing planning. Reading about bikes. Talking about bikes. Hanging out with bike riding friends. Bikes. Bikes. Bikes.

To say that this is a good thing would be an understatement. It is not often that we’re lucky to find “something” that grabs us and captivates us 100%. The bike is it for me. It has gifted me so many opportunities, so much freedom and the reward of learning more about myself.

On each training ride these days I’m learning to appreciate the feeling of my body responding to my efforts. I think the last two years of illness and injury have finally sunk in. I finally realize how fortunate I am to have a body that will do what I want it to do. Perspective is a powerful thing and the challenge is to make the most of this perspective.

On Sunday I rode out to the Gatineau Park to connect with a friend who I first met way back in 1995 and had lost contact with but over the last six months or so we’ve reconnected. So very refreshing. Even better was meeting two new people on the Sunday ride around the hills of the Gatineau Park. We were all connected by a passion for the two-wheeler and getting outside to enjoy it all. Somehow the hills seemed less steep and the grass, leaves, trees and sky seemed that much more brilliant. Riding home along the bicycle path bordering the Ottawa River there were all sorts of folks out enjoying the afternoon sun – wobbly little kids on rollerblades, joggers, walkers, a family building sand castles at Kitchissippi Beach, and lots of cyclists. Before I knew it I was home and frankly I wished I’d done that second loop – the bike riding ended too soon for me.

I write often here about luck, fortune, community, and chasing your dreams. Some days I feel like I’m beating a broken drum but just like the wheels keep rolling on my bike, so too do my dreams, goals, wishes, good luck, and fortune. The bike is my “something” and whatever your “something” is – be thankful you have it. Keep those wheels turning – you just never know where they’ll take you or what they’ll gift you.

Four years ago when I nervously sent off an email to Clif Bar about sponsorship, I really wasn’t sure what to expect. I was new to looking for sponsors and building relationships with companies. I was also new to elite cyclo-cross racing. So when I heard back from Clif Bar – to say I was thrilled would be an understatement.

Over the years I’ve learned more about the company, its practices and the people behind the tasty bars and gels. I am very proud to have the Clif Bar logo on my clothing and I think I wear a Team Clif Bar t-shirt at least once a week!

In a recent issue, Outside magazine profiled Clif Bar as one of the 50 Best Companies to Work For. I’ve never been to the Clif Bar headquarters but from what I’ve read and learned from chatting with staff at various events and at InterBike – I have to say that this is a very cool, ethical and forward-thinking company.

I’m proud of the companies who sponsor me and it really is a big deal for me to have the support of such a fine company. Beyond the nutrition products that feature organic ingredients, gluten-free ingredient lists, and are free of trans fats, high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils – this is simply a good company. With podcasts aimed at providing nutrition advice, outreach programs to help communities through-out North America, and working with other like-minded companies to make a positive difference – Clif Bar is a company that hasn’t lost track of its roots or its principles.

Of course the food that Clif Bar keeps me fuelled with is the best out there! As you likely know I have a number of dietary limitations and it is easy for me to rely on Clif Bar and Luna products to keep feeling at my best. I’m a big fan of the Clif Mojo bars (Chocolate Almond Coconut and Peanut Butter Pretzel are awesome), the Clif Shot Turbo Energy Gel are my go-to before a cyclo-cross race and when I’m out on long training rides (yes, the Chocolate Cherry tastes as good as it sounds) and away from the bike when I’m traveling and recovering from racing and training, the Luna Protein bars are my bar of choice (Mint Chocolate Chip and Chocolate Peanut Butter are so very good).

Thanks Clif Bar for the amazing support and continued belief. I really do appreciate it. Here’s to a great 2012-2013 season and lots of good long rides and races!