Preseason - Hammer Nutrition

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moved on to the pro ranks, and dozens
more have moved on to be upstanding
members of the ‘cross racing scene. While
the youngest “Rad Racers” are barely
big enough to throw a leg over a bike, I
got to race against several of their older
riders. Nolan Brady and David O’Brien
in the men’s 1-2 category are both great
examples of the talent that this program
produces. The sportsmanship, dedication,
and commitment to the team exemplified
by Jim Brown’s Rad Racing program has
set an example that we all can learn from,
at the races and in life.
One of these up-and-coming juniors
(who also happens to be the son of
Hammer Nutrition proprietor and CEO
Brian Frank) is Miles Frank, who has
raced in the NW with the Rad kids and
represented Hammer Nutrition with
great success in 2012. Brian and Miles
are huge fans of ‘cross and can be seen
racing and spectating all weekend long.
Miles has always had great skills on the
bike—anyone with a background in BMX
usually does—but he has really stepped
up his game and it has been fun to watch
the progression. He closed out the season
racing in the men’s Cat 3 field (although
he’s still a junior) with three big wins. I’m
very excited to have a “wingman” next
year in the men’s 1-2 events!
Over ten weekends, I was fortunate
enough to attend ‘cross races all over
the Northwest representing Hammer
Nutrition and our little brother company,
53x11 Coffee. After two seasons of racing
out in the NW, Brian and Miles had
some great advice that proved invaluable
in some of my races there. Oftentimes
in ‘cross, we simply follow the thin,
brown line of mud that everyone else
has taken before us. At the Washington
State Championship race in Arlington
in December, the thin line was actually
quite slippery and I wasn’t very excited
about the race during my warm-up.
Miles had already raced (and won) the
junior category earlier that morning; both
he and Brian told me to focus on taking
smooth lines, and for goodness sake, stay
on the grass (rather than the mud). The
wakeup call to just focus on where I was
putting my tires, and not worry so much
about the other riders, proved to be quite
the boost I needed that day. Though I
couldn’t quite keep up with Redline’s
Logan Owen or Seattle Cyclocross Series
winner Giancarlo
Dalle, I was riding
in 3rd for most of the
race, until a burped
tire and a stop at the
pits dropped me down
to 4th. It was still a
great day and I think
my best ride of
the season! With the repetition of racing
every weekend, it’s easy for bad habits to
develop, so it just goes to show that none
of us are too good for a little advice.
For a full season in the mud, I find
many Hammer Nutrition products to be
extremely useful. In particular, Hammer
Gel, HEED, and Race Caps Supreme are
great pre-race fuels and energy boosters
for the all-out racing that is cyclocross.
Recoverite is also invaluable afterward,
especially if the weekend is a double
header. To stay healthy and strong over
ten weekends of racing in oftentimes
cold weather, I’ve also found that our
supplement line is very helpful. The
closest thing I can remember to being
sick was feeling really tired after our trip
to Interbike in September, but that was
probably justified. I closed out the season
at the U.S. Grand Prix of cyclocross in
Bend, OR, and felt faster than ever.
Racing into December in Montana
requires one part dedication, two parts
good luck with the weather, and at least
three parts of knowing how to take care of
your system. So a big thanks to Hammer
Nutrition for offering the multitude of
amazing products that extended my
season, one week at a time until the very
end!
At a time of the year when it’s just
as easy to hang up the bike and fall
completely off the wagon, cyclocross
is one of the more fun ways to stay fit,
improve your skills on the bike, and
enjoy a festival-like atmosphere of all
things bike related. No matter what your
summertime pleasure, if you haven’t
already, I highly recommend giving ‘cross
a try next fall. HN
Left: Rad Racer David O'Brien trudges his way
through a muddy day at Marymoor. Right: Skyler
Schroeder. Photos : Dennis Crane Photography
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