Sugar, Sugar, Sugar...

SUGAR BURNER- Exercising at too high of an intensity too often teaches your body to burn sugar for energy.  That is why people often rationalize the concept of lower intensity base mileage as an appropriate component of an effective training strategy (longer, slower rides that use a mixture of carbohydrate and fat w/o going anaeorbic) .  I can definately say that my high intensity training tendency does make me somewhate of a sugar burner.  I often bonk on the longer early spring rides/races until my body relearns its ability to use fat as an energy source.  Not sure I have the mental fortitude to pedal slower and longer during the early season, but I am going to try and mix up my workouts a bit.

SUGAR ADDICTION- Ok, once I learned that consuming too much sugar was bad for your skin (wrinkles, etc.) my vainity trigger was tripped, and I seriously contemplated giving up sugar.  Additionaly, I know it plays a role in thickening of the blood, making one more susceptible to heart disease, and obviously makes keeping a healthy race weight more of a challenge. 

So, I actually cleaned out my pantry of all sugary items and experimented with not eating sugar.  I then researched sugar withdrawal sypmtoms to realize that my newly formed depression and lack of energy were actually part of the process.  Nope, I'm out, not a good time to be depressed and tired... I will try again at a later date.  I can say that sugar is everywhere.   After I cleaned out my pantry I didn't have anything left to eat... This is a life changing endeavor, it can't be taken lightly and needs to be carefully planned.  What about my GU and energy drinks/bars?  Can sugar really be avoided?  Probably not, so I just switched from Cocoa Pebbles to Wheaties, that is a good start for now.

SEASONAL SUGAR - There sure is a lot of sweet temptations this time of year.  I was recently reminded that the vast majority of weight that people gain each year is between t-day and new year's day.   So many parties and desserts, not too mention the cold weather adjustment... Ok, so far so good.  I haven't really gained much winter weight yet, so I am simply focusing on keeping my fitness in check until January 1st.  At that point, the racing season will seem much closer and the increased training load and motivation will make my weight much easier to control.  Sweet!