My Crux was out of commission for my last two cx races last Fall and I ran my Yeti SB5 in stock form.
1.) I finished where I normally do
2.) my lower back was 80% fresher after the race and the following day
I am not sure about compatibility of tubeless 700c tires with 29’r rims, but if they are, I would just run those with a your stock mach 4 set up as a initial, low hassle cx race experiment. If that works well then a really short stem/drop bar set up.
My wife has started drinking 0% lager. We tried all our favourites in the 0% form (Peroni, San Miguel, Moretti etc). All tasted wildly different to the alcoholic versions. We finally stumbled across a lager call FreeDam (blue cans with black writing). 0% alcohol and 100% tastes like a normal lager. I can not recommend it enough.
If I feel I have earned a beer after a work out I will now happily turn to a FreeDam 0%er.
On a Friday night though… maybe not.
In relation to Jonathon looking at the jaybird vistas; anyone on the wall about Bluetooth headphones get them!!! I’ve had several sets of Bluetooth headphones from several brands. My gf just for me the vistas for Valentine’s day, and they are the best I’ve ever had in every single way. Connection, sound quality, battery, and comfort.
OK - so as I sit at my desk trying to actually quantify my carb intake for Snelling tomorrow - a couple questions @Nate_Pearson @chad - I get .8-1.2 g/kg of carbs per hour - 1- Is that per hour every hour during the load (26-48hrs) - i guess so if we are topping off? I am mostly sedentary today other than doing some openers, and even at the low end it’s a lot of food. 2- Other than the morning of the race - I’m confused on the high GI vs low GI thoughts - I get why fiber isn’t good morning of - but during the loading taking in fruit and veg should have plenty of time to digest right? Is it more just a practical thing in that those foods are filling for the amount of carbs you get? Happy Friday, and cheers to some real beer after the race (or maybe one for the loading 
) 
Answered one of my questions listening better- 10g/kg per day. So now more wondering about the high vs low gi foods
I think low is better, but it can be hard to eat enough.
I only say that because of the study where rice loaded better than bread, and they thought that was because of increased surface area of the bread made things digest faster.
My thinking is you want to spread out the carbs so that you can absorb them (think of that hourly limit).
I love your streams, and I listen and get something from every one. However, please don’t forget about us podcast listeners. There were SO many little inside comments and references to visual things in the room in this recording. It was very hard to listen to at times without the visuals and I felt like I was missing things. Thumbs up and 5 stars from me, just not quite the pro production you usually have.
Thanks - tried it out for Snelling and felt really good all race until a crash in the final turn. Feels like a treat to load up on bagels for a few days 
@Nate_Pearson, I just got a chance to listen to episode 244 today and wanted to touch on your asthma reference during your race. From your description, sounded like your were having difficulty getting air in. If it is anything like my issues, I wheeze during inhalation and struggle to get enough air in during hard efforts. Almost like my airways become restricted, and goes away in a few minutes after I really slow down or stop.
After talking to several doctors I finally learned of another possibility called “Vocal Cord Disfunction”, Or VCD, which is often misdiagnosed, or is in addition to, asthma. I have really bad issues with any relatively short and hard efforts like 5k’s sprint tri’s etc. and yes, sadly FTP test.
If it was problems getting air in, I think @Jonathan said ‘Like breathing through a straw’, you should check out VCD and check with your Dr.
Thanks for this. Is your issue mitigated if you use an inhaler?
Tried a few types of inhalers, but nothing made it better. In some ways, of almost seemed worse. They have not found a medication for exercise induced VCD and it is more muscular related and the vocal cords are actually closing a bit during heavy exercise, when they should be opening. Therapy often involves a speech therapist to retrain the muscle. After reading some info on inspiratory muscle training, I have just started some 4 week regiment and have actually seen improvement in less than a week. If it is placebo, I’ll gladly take it if it keeps working.
Also, there are labs that can do test on Trainer or treadmill. They run the small tube with camera through the nose until they can see your vocal cords. Then have you exercise while increasing intensity to see what is happening
@Nate_Pearson, what was the drink you were suggesting you might try carb loading with? You said it was low glycaemic but also mentioned maltodextrin which I thought was high…
Were you maybe meaning Cyclic (or Cluster) Dextrin?
I don’t know what I was thinking. I should not have said what I said.
I thought there was one that was around 50 for load, but I can’t find it.
Was it sucrose you were thinking of? the chart I just looked at had it listed at a GI of 65.
Maybe? That would make more sense.
@chad if you need a good NA beer check out Well Being Brewing in Maryland Heights, MO (St. Louis area). They make some really good craft na beers. I drink one or two on days before training when I dont want to feel like crap for my early morning suffering. They even have great na stout and “recovery” beer.
Oh gosh, I really wanna believe, @Zach, but I got burned pretty severely during that on-air sampling. The more lager-esque ones were tolerable, but the IPAs and stouts were insufferable. But if I happen to see this one, I’ll pick up one can and get back to ya.
I feel ya. I am a beer nerd. Even brew beer myself. The only na beers I have ever enjoyed are the well being amber and IPA. Thier recovery beer is a wheat beer. It’s ok but has a slightly chemical after taste that I am sure is from the protein and electrolytes they added. I have yet to try the stout but I will soon and report back.
Logged in today to because I kept forgetting to look up if anyone had anything to say on this. @Nate_Pearson what you described I’ve had a few times - I have no asthma otherwise I know of - but cold dry air + hard out of the gate efforts (good thing I’m a California roady and not a CO mtber), like what @ToddSwartz is describing have given me what I can only describe as asthma like feelings - very wheezy breath and hard to get oxygen in - totally wrecked me at the Diablo challenge this year and I recall in my younger years sometimes running on cold mornings at school in hard efforts I’d feel it.
Todd, your descriptions of the vocal cord thing is interesting, because I tend to have a very raspy/gravely voice in general (Nate doesn’t seem to have this affliction). I have no issues if I’m warmed up, and am a decently strong racer in longer efforts - but fear in mtb or cross races this would likely come up more (I just race road). Anyway, I have never had a doctor look into it but the discussion really connected to my experiences and was hoping we’d have more discussing. I think I will eventually see if I can get it tested, and Todd will mention what you’ve discussed. When it hits it is sooo frustrating, but makes me empathetic toward those with more general asthma…
