News

Friday, 01 November 2013 08:06

On the Trail – Q&A with Jeremy Joslin, M.D.

On the Trail

Q & A with Dr. Jeremy Joslin

Event and Expedition Medical Services

photo credit by Jeremy Joslin

1) What do you do for Gemini Adventures?

I am the medical director. This is my 7th year working with Desert RATS.

2) What is your medical and race background?

I work in emergency medicine. I work at a Level 1 trauma center in upstate New York, which covers 19 counties in the area. I have never participated in any race like this. I have run a 5km before though. One of my best friends got into ultra racing, I crewed for him and that lead to me getting involved at check points at other races. After having a bit of discomfort with the level of medical plans I saw, I decided to volunteer to provide medical oversight to races and this is now part of my career.

3) Tell me about your program at Syracuse.

The program is a fellowship in wilderness expedition medicine. Medically speaking, a fellowship is a one year apprenticeship that a completely full fledged doctor can participate in and learn how to provide medicine in wilderness expedition settings. Our specific markets are TV, movies, offshore oil/mining, race and ecotourism industries. Ultra racing is the most popular.

4) What keeps you coming back to Desert RATS?

I have become friends with Reid over the years and I certainly enjoy our friendship. Reid and I have a win/win relationship. Reid is very flexible with my mission to train other doctors. I am frequently bringing other doctors with me to Desert RATS to teach them the ropes. These are full fledged doctors who don’t have the race experience, so I bring them out to Desert RATS and Reid provides me a venue for teaching other doctors how to do this.

5) What races do you have coming up?

We just got back from Grand to Grand and Jungle Marathon and in 3 weeks we are headed out to Cambodia for a race put on by Global Limits. We are doing a bunch of prep work for that now.

6) What is your favorite race food?

I don’t race, but while I am at the races working, I recently enjoyed the buffalo burgers that Reid provided. If I am at a race in the middle of nowhere, I like those fresh fruit cups.

7) What is one thing you could tell us about yourself that others would be shocked to know?

Well, that is a good question. A lot of people are shocked when I speak Mandarian to them. I did live in Taiwan for 6 months and taught English while there.

8) Where is one place you haven’t been that you would like to go?

I have been thinking about this one. I have been to a lot of places. I would like to get to the South of France or somewhere in the Sicily countryside.

9) What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten during a race?

At the Amazon race we had a lot of river fish. I was working and doing a conference in Tibet one time and they fed us Yak brain. They literally took a head off of a Yak, chain sawed it down the middle, put it in the oven, took it out of the oven and served it to us. That was definitely the weariest thing I’ve been asked to eat. I didn’t actually eat any brain, I picked at the facial muscles, which sounds really disgusting, but at least that was actual muscle tissue, which is what we know as meat.

Jeremy Joslin, M.D.

Wednesday, 23 October 2013 08:03

Nutrition – Caffeine

What do you know about Caffeine?

photo credit by glendelman.com

We all know that coffee wakes you up in the morning and gets us through the afternoon slump. Have you ever noticed feeling an extra boost during a morning workout after drinking a cup of Joe? Caffeine is considered a stimulant and there is research that caffeine improves athletic performance in some sports, especially endurance activities. It seems simple. Just grab a coffee before your race and you have a PR, right? Not exactly. The dosage is important and if you are already an avid coffee drinker the caffeine may not have the same effect. In addition, the exact dose depends on body size, age, gender, and level of tolerance. If you are someone who has the mentality that if a little is good than more must be better, beware. Too much caffeine can actually hinder performance. You might be wondering how much caffeine and when?
Scientists are still trying to figure out the exact mechanism for how caffeine boosts athletic performance. Caffeine works at the central nervous system with the release of epinephrine, which stimulates the release of free-fatty acids and muscle triglycerides used by muscle for energy, sparing the use of glycogen. This could possibly be the reason for why many athletes feel that caffeine allows them to exercise for longer periods of time at higher intensities. It is easy to overdo the caffeine…read more.

Contact:
Katie Kissane, MS, RD
My Nutrition Coach, LLC
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Thursday, 03 October 2013 08:03

Epic Trail Spotlight – The Colorado Trail

Photo Courtesy of Bikepacking.net

Take advantage of the amazing trails in Colorado. If you have not spent much time on the Colorado Trail (CT), what are you waiting for? There’s no better way to experience the Rocky Mountains than by hiking, running or biking on the CT. It starts in Denver and goes 483 miles (777 KM) towards Durango, through eight mountain ranges, seven national forests and six wilderness areas. The trail climbs and descends frequently, with a high point of 13,334 ft in the San Juan’s. Fortunately, day hikes, running or bike rides are a possibility. There are historic mining towns, old railroad tunnels and endless fields of wildflowers among the 28 segment trail, each with its own individual entry points at the beginning and end. What makes the CT unique is that it was developed with the efforts of thousands of volunteers, all interested in the conservation and recreational exploration of Colorado’s stunning mountains.

Options:
Epic – This trail can be run in one push. Mere mortals can run it in 2 weeks, super human athletes can aim for under 10 hours.

Endurance – If you only have time for a section of the CT, consider the 35 miles between Leadville’s Turquoise Lake and Twin Lakes. This is sections 10 and 11 of the CT.

Bonus – The whole CT can be done on mountain bike with some mandatory bypasses.

Location:
The eastern terminus starts at Waterton Canyon just southwest of Denver.
The western terminus ends in Durang. CO.

Logistics:
Most through travellers travel from east to west. You can park a car in Durango and take a bus to Denver.

Length:
483 miles from end to end

Weather:
The general rule is that the CT is snow free by July 1st and the CT “season” is primarily July and August. Weather conditions in Colorado change quickly. You can encounter any kind of weather any time of the year, so please plan ahead and dress appropriate for the weather conditions. Much of the CT is at high elevations, the sun is intense (wear sunscreen) but it is possible to encounter snow or thunderstorms at any time.

Terrain:
Because of the elevation and the often steep terrain, the entire trail is not suitable for the beginner hiker.

Side Notes:
Do your best to prevent altitude sickness. If possible, give yourself a couple of days in the Denver or Durango areas to allow your body to adjust before you begin your adventure. A slow, gradual ascent can also help; generally, east-to-west on the CT allows for a steady acclimation.

Thursday, 03 October 2013 08:02

Training – INCREASING MUSCLE MASS FOR THE ENDURANCE ATHLETE

Photo Courtesy of Glen Delman Photography

Increasing muscle mass is a common goal for many endurance athletes. As it should be, an increase in muscle mass will bring an increase in strength and performance. Strength is what separates those at the top of the hill with those at the bottom. Although genetics plays a large role in how much muscle mass an athlete can acquire, proper workouts and nutrition will support or negate an athlete’s efforts to increase their muscle mass and therefore strength. Today we’ll discuss the important of supporting strength training workouts with proper protein ingestion, timing and type.

RDA’s of PROTEIN:

Recommended Dietary Allowances for endurance and strength athletes ranges from 1.2 to 1.7 gram of protein/kg of body weight/day. For example a 120lb women needs between 65-93gr/PRO/daily, and a 160lb male requires 87-124gr/PRO/daily. This is a significant amount of protein that needs to be ingested daily. The timing and type of protein consumption is yet another matter in this equation.

QUANTITY and TIMING:

Recent research supports the consumption of 20gr of whey protein every 2-3 hours over a 12hr period. Studies found this timing and type of Protein feeding to significantly stimulated protein syntheses throughout the day compared with other feeding regiments. Studies were conducted with casein, soy and whey protein ingested varying amounts and timing. Muscle biopsies were taken 5 times during a 12-hour period. The researchers concluded that “the effect of modulating the distribution of protein intake…has potential to maximize outcome…. for attaining peak muscle mass” (Areta et el). Although the research suggested that whey protein is the best source for increasing muscle mass, all protein types will produce an increase and preservation of muscle mass. Research often leaves out the daily limiters of real life athletes. Whey protein is the fastest digestible type of protein, making it a good choice for post workout consumption. But eliminating other protein sources from ones daily diet can be impractical and unhealthy.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION:

If you’re like most endurance athletes the idea of eating every 2-3 hours is already a well practiced ritual. You’ll just need to rethink a few of your food choices. Protein sources with whey include but are not limited to: Milk, Cheeses, Eggs, and Greek Yogurt. My go to post workout food choice is a big bowl with fresh fruit, blueberries or seasonal, ½ cup of Greek yogurt (11gr/PRO), and 1 cup of High Protein Kashi Cereal (9gr/PRO). So eat up and support your hard earned muscles!

Contact:

Cindy Stonesmith

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Thursday, 03 October 2013 08:01

Gemini News 24 Hours of Boulder

Boulder Marathoners

We were sorry to hear that there will be no road events in Boulder for the rest of the year, but completely understand that our city needs to use it’s resources where they are so desperately needed right now. We feel fortunate that

our 24 Hours of Boulder event is completely held at the Boulder Reservoir and can continue. We’d like to give cancelled Boulder Marathon runners an opportunity to test their training. Pre-register in the 100k relay category and you’ll get a 50% discount on the race! Just choose how many 7 mile laps you’d like to complete and we’ll assign you to a team. Click on the registration tab and specify that you’d like to run on the “Boulder Marathon 100k Relay Team”. Let’s bring back some of the positive outdoors energy that Boulder thrives on!

24 Hours of Boulder

Once again, a portion of all proceeds will go to BIPR (Boulder Institute of Psychotherapy Research) to help with trauma associated with the recent flooding.

Race under the sun and stars in the running Mecca of Boulder, Colorado. This is a series of endurance races that brings out the sense of adventure, stubborn determination and fun in every competitor! This thrilling format has been popular with bike races for years and is now available to runners!

This is an all-day and all-night event. Runners can participate in a number of different distances or timed events. For racers, this will be one of the most memorable events of your life. For spectators and crew, it will be a weekend festival where you will witness athletes pushing themselves beyond their personal limits of endurance. Whether you’re assembling a dream team, or you’re a recreational runner, there is a category designed for you. You can choose to race as a solo runner, or create a team of up to ten people, depending on the level of endurance you wish.

Come race in your best Halloween costume and win a prize. Costumes will be voted on at the awards ceremony and a prize will be given to the crew member and runner with the best costume.

See you all at the Boulder Rez!