Swim with GAIA Fitness @ YMCA downtown

Triathlon season is starting to wind down and many of us are already thinking about our training for next season. What do you want to improve upon the most? Most of the clients at GAIA Fitness are wanting to focus on their swimming.

We couldn't agree more the fall and winter are the BEST times to hone your swimming techniques. 

There is a great swim program that is about to begin at the downtown YMCA in Chattanooga. GAIA Fitness and the YMCA are collaborating a 12 week swim clinic. It is a series of advanced swim practices geared towards triathletes and endurance swimmers. The 12-week long program will have practices every Tuesday and Thursday from 5:45-7:15am (Sept 21 – Dec 9). 

Andy Sweet will be coaching the workouts from the deck and will also be walking athletes through each workout, as well as providing some technique advice.

Cost will be $75 for YMCA members and $130 for non-members.

Registration will be limited to 12 participants, so if you want in, let us know ASAP! You can email us at andy@gaiafitness.com or go to our web-site.

12 week Marathon and 1/2 Marathon Training Schedule

Hope everyone's summer has been going well. Here at GAIA Fitness we are ramping up for the fall marathon season!

The coaches of GAIA Fitness are going to be providing a fully coached 12 Week Marathon and Half Marathon group focusing on the Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon and 1/2 Marathon. 

We are having an informational meeting on Monday night August 16th at 6:00 pm at our future location (The HUB Endurance). The new location will be 23 N. Market St. Chattanooga, TN. We are next door to Clear Springs Yoga and across the parking lot from Taco Mamacitia in North Chattanooga.

If you have another marathon or half marathon planned, this program can work for you too! The Memphis St. Jude Marathon is a popular race to do in the late fall. Our program can work for that race as well.

The program will include 2 coached workouts a week, 3 advanced topic clinics, full training schedule, and email access to all GAIA Fitness coaches. The cost is $150 for Chattanooga Track Club members and $175 if you are not a track club member and would be interested in joining the club.

Please come to the meeting with all of your marathon questions. See you on the 16th of August.

Stellar News from GAIA Fitness!

 With the race season well underway, we here at GAIA Fitness wanted to send you all some great updates and announcements!

Our headline news is that we’re expanding! We are happy to announce that we have a new coach and business partner: Jamie Ingalls. 


Jamie Ingalls began club riding on the road in 1986 and began racing in 1989. Mountain bike and cyclo-cross racing followed shortly after. Jamie won several state and regional championships and had podium finishes in many USCF, NORBA and collegiate races. In addition to cycling he competed in cross-country running, Nordic skiing and biathlon through and after college, qualifying for several national championships. Jamie has also worked as a coach and bike mechanic for several national and World Cup-level athletes.  


A career in industrial construction took time away from Jamie's athletics and competition. After several years of a less-than-healthy lifestyle, Jamie returned to cycling and running, losing more than sixty pounds. He quickly progressed from 20 minute run-walks to becoming a regular competitor in regional cyclo-cross and road races, while maintaining a 60-hour-a-week job.  Jamie is currently focusing on 100 mile format mountain bike races and running.  


Jamie is a USA Cycling certified Coach, and is actively pursuing his NASM Certification and his USAT Coaching Certification.


Not only is Gaia Fitness expanding staff-wise, but we are also increasing our service offerings to our clients. We will soon be moving into a permanent business location on the North Shore in Chattanooga, TN. Our new location will be called ‘HUB – Endurance’, as our goal is to create a place to unite the endurance community. The HUB will feature un-paralleled bicycle service and maintenance, a professional bike fit studio, indoor cycling fitness classes, select retail products, and a lounge for all of us to kick-back and relax with fellow endurance athletes. We will also be offering regular classes, clinics, and socials at the HUB, so let us know if there is a topic that would be of interest to you!

Summer is the time to get out and enjoy the world we live in. July is certainly a great month to play, as there is no shortage of triathlons or cycling events to race. Just to name a few events that we had clients racing at this month: Chattanooga Waterfront Triathlon, Amica Tellico Triathlon, Music City Triathlon, ETJC Omnium, Rodney T. Miller Lakeside Triathlon, and Evergreen Lake Triathlon. Congratulations to all who participated and achieved their goals! We are very proud of all of our clients for their hard work and determination. Nice job!


And luckily for all of us ‘athletic addicts’, the season is definitely not over yet! Au contraire mon fraire… (Yea, we’re cultured here at GAIA Fitness ;-)) There are still many events left to participate in this summer and fall. From sprint to Ironman, crit to road race, and 5k to 26.2mi… there are options for everyone! Let us know if you are looking to add more events to your calendar this year and we’ll help you find the perfect race.


We, here at GAIA Fitness, also have some more great training options for you:

1. We have created a 12-week training program for those athletes looking to train for a full or half marathon this fall! The program is precisely designed to prepare runners for the Chickamauga Battlefield Full/Half Marathon on November 13, but would also work well for other fall races. In addition to the 12-week training schedule, created by GAIA Fitness, the program will feature two weekly coached runs and three advanced topic seminars. This program is the perfect way to get in great running shape, make some new friends, and accomplish your goals. The fee for this program is $150.

2. GAIA Fitness is now offering three group training sessions each week. We will lead a bike workout on Tuesday, a swim workout on Wednesday, and a run workout on Thursday (time/locations TBD). Each session will be focused on improving one aspect of that discipline (ie. hill climbing, sprinting, efficiency, etc). Athletes will have access to a coach and will get advice/feedback. The fees for these workouts are $5 per session, or $40/month for all sessions.

Thanks everyone and always remember: train safe and train smart!

It's about the bike!

I know that I certainly don't have the accolades that Lance has, but I do know a thing or two about bikes... And sometimes, it IS about the bike. Now I'm not saying that the bike makes the rider, but I am saying that a well designed bike with the right components will work more efficiently, more effectively, and therefore can often make you a faster rider. Not too mention that the right part choices will always save a lot of headaches and unnecessary maintenance!

You all know what I'm talking about:  Its the "Why does my bike always make that clicking sound? Why do my brakes rub? Why does my chain keep falling off? Why does my bike 'ghost shift'?" type of questions that indicate that there is a problem. Often the problem is a simple tune-up. Other times it is simply poor component choice.

So, we all know that I spend way way way too much time researching bikes and bike related goodies... don't need to beat that horse. But, perhaps I can share some of the things that I have found out during my sleepless nights that can benefit you all.

I recently finished building up my new time trial bike for my upcoming triathlon season. Here is a gratuitous carbon shot:

Over the next few weeks, I am going to dissect each of the things that I chose to use on my bike and why... should be fun!

We'll start today with something small and often considered insignificant: cables and cable housing! All the same right? You just go to your LBS (Local Bike Store) and tell them you want new cables... WRONG!

All cables were not created equal! So, what are the important factors to consider:

1. Steel vs. stainless steel
2. Coated vs. uncoated
3. Stretched vs. unstretched

These decisions are simply a  matter of durability and maintenance.

Our bikes ride through mud, rain, sand, worm guts, etc... so the benefits of a stainless steel cable over a standard steel cable should be obvious. Stainless steel resists corrosion, so will greatly prolong the life of your cables and eliminate some need for frequent lubrication.

Next, some cables come coated with a low-friction substance (typically teflon). This decision is a bit trickier. Whereas the teflon can again help stop corrosion and help the cables run smoothly through the housing for precise shifting... the coating can often wear down and flake off causing a build up of teflon-gunk causing your bike to shift like crud. This is especially the case if you use SRAM road shifters, as I do. SRAM shifters force the cables though very tight bends within the shifter itself... and this makes a great place for teflon-gunk build-up. So, my vote here: non coated cables! Instead, I recommend simply lubricating your cables more often. Just use a light chain lube (not wax based... Pro-Link or Dumonde Tech are my choices) and coat the cables and squirt some into the housing as well. Do this once a month and you'll be set.

Third, stretched vs. unstretched cables. This one is mostly a thing of the past, as 99% of cables come pre-stretched these days... but still worth knowing about and looking into. Since our cables are simply wound up strands of steel and steel is malleable... it is prone to stretching out when tensioned. Now when a cable is mounted to a bike it is always under tension, so it will cause stretching to occur, which in turn will affect your bikes shifting... for the worse! So, pre-stretched cables do exactly what the name implies. The cables are tensioned and stretched in a machine before they are sold. This is a great thing, as it decreases the chances of the cables stretching out on our bikes, so cuts back on the need for constant derailleur adjustments. Pre-stretched cables are a good thing.

So, that explains a few things about cables. And don't forget that cables also come in a variety of types: brake cables are not the same as shifter cables, Shimano cables are not the same as Campagnolo cables, etc. So, make sure when you buy your next stainless steel, uncoated, pre-stretched cables that you know exactly which type you need!

The next foray in this blog is into cable housing! Just as cables have important differences, the housing around it does as well. The most important difference in housing is being able to differentiate between brake cable housing and shift cable housing... and that can be a deadly mistake! You see, housing is made up of an inner plastic liner, a reinforced steel layer, then an outer plastic layer. The inner liner helps reduce friction against the cable, the steel structure provides the strength, and the outer liner holds the steel in place and protects it from the weather. The difference between brake housing and shift housing is in the design of the steel layer. Brake cables/housing need to be withstand really high forces (think about descending down a steep hill and squeezing your brakes with all your might), so the steel layer in brakes housing is one really long straand of steel wrapped in a tight helix from one end to the other (see picture). This makes it extremely strong and ensures that the cable cannot break through the housing under high-load. This also makes brake housing very heavy. In comparison, shift cables/housing experience very low forces (just the strength of the springs in your derailleurs), so they do not need the 'beefiness' of the braking system. Therefore, the steel layer in shift housing consists of very thin strands of steel lined up next to each other in a circle that again run the length of the housing (again, see the picture).

Brake Housing     -     Shift Housing

Now, a couple of important consquences of housing design are flexibility, weight, and compression. Flexibility being the most important. You see with all that steel inside the housing, they become rather inflexible (especially considering some of the tight bends required for TT bikes, full-suspension mountain bikes etc.) and prone to kinking. If you housing gets kinked or pinched, your shifting and braking will be greatly affected and you'll need new housing! So, that is a major downfall. Then the weight factor, with all that steel, housing is heavy for us road biking weight weenies! Lastly, compression. Our bikes shift and brake because the cables pull against the rigid structure of the bike frame and the housing... so any 'give' in that system creates sloppiness in our shifting/braking. Which brings me to compression. Since our housing in made up of strands of steel and plastic liners, when placed under load, that system will 'give' just a little bit as the steel strands compress together. That little bit of compression can result in substantial losses in performance.

All this leads to my unique choice in housing: Nokon Cable Systems! The nokon system completely eliminates the steel and instead uses lightweight aluminum cylinders for the housing. Therefore, they are still extremely strong, but since they are small individual pieces they are much more flexible to make tight bends. In addition, the aluminum won't corrode, so the need for an external plastic layer is eliminated. Inside the the cylinders nokon uses a reinforced liner that still allows for an extremely smooth surface for the cable to run through. Lastly, since nokons use 100% solid pieces of aluminum, there is NO COMPRESSION! And again, no compression means noloss in shifting/braking performance.

In short, nokons are lighter, more flexible, and allow for more precise shifting than any other cable system on the market. And they look wicked cool too! :-)

Next Blog: Shimano, Campy, or SRAM?

The Raven

In some Native American cultures, young men and women go on vision quests as a part of their rite of passage into adulthood. It is a turning point, or perhaps an enlightening. Those that embark on a vision quest go with the hopes on finding their 'true self' and their intended spiritual and life direction. Traditionally, a vision quest entails a journey alone in the woods and fasting for a number of days. Usually, after several days, a Guardian animal is said to come in a vision or dream, and the child's life direction will be made clear. The child may then return home and pursue his/her new direction.

Well, I'm not quite ready to head off in the woods for several days with no supplies, but I sure as heck see a lot of similarities between the reasons for these vision quests and the reasons why I race in endurance races. (See earlier blog post!) On some level, I think we are looking for something in these Ironmans and Ultramarathons. Some new definition of who we are, or even a new perspective on life maybe. Now, I know I'm not the first one to make this odd connection, there is even a big coaching group named Vision Quest, I just think it is neat to think of training and racing in different ways and wanted to share.

I did however find it super interesting that one of the key features of a vision quest was the visit by a guardian animal. It certainly made me decide that I want to have a guardian on some of my ventures, too! 

So, I did some more research.

Now, according to most Native American culture, you don't get to choose your guardian animal... it chooses you. I will be keeping an eye out for mine (hmm, that bobcat on my trail run was odd). However, I did learn from some of my good friends (Chris and Abby Tuma) that we all have animal totems according to Native American astrology... Similar to the whole zodiac breakdown (ie. Scorpio, Leo, etc). 

My totem is the Raven! 'The raven is intelligent, cleaver and mystical. Raven people are peace loving, idealistic and charming. They long for harmony in the community and must stay away from uncertainty and inconsistency' (Animal Totems). And apparently I play best with Otters and Deer. :-)

And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting 
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door; 
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming, 
And the lamplight o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor; 
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor 
Shall be lifted - nevermore!

Anyway, thats it for today... I'm gonna go play in the woods without any food to get ready for Ironman!

What's your sign? 

Living Downstream: A view into pollution, cancer, and our environment

I know most of my posts are about fitness and athletics, but this one is not. At least not directly...

As our title suggests, Gaia Fitness is all about healthy people for a healthy earth... and this blog post hits that nail right on the head. Living Downstream is a very well-written book by Sandra Steingraber about the status of the world in which we live and it's affects on our lives. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend picking it up. It will likely give you a whole new perspective on the health of our world and us.

Here is a little descriptive plug:

Sandra Steingraber is the first to trace with such compelling precision the entire web of connections between our bodies and the ecological world in which we eat, drink, breathe, and work. Her book strikes a hopeful note throughout, for, while we can do little to alter our genetic inheritance, we can do a great deal to eliminate the environmental contributions to cancer, and she shows us where to begin.

I just found out today that there is now a documentary based on the book. I can't wait to see it. Here's the trailer:

Dave Scott on Race Day Nutrition

Love the ride!

So, here we are, triathlon season is fast approaching and we're all anxious to see the good weather and get in consistent workouts. Myself, I'm training for Ironman Wisconsin as my 'A' race this year... again. This will be my 5th time racing at IM Moo! I do love that race.

Anyway, being the nerdy scientist that I am, I have been looking over all my past training schedules for IM WI... critiquing, reminiscing, etc. All so that I can dial in the perfect race season this year.

As I'm pouring over all of my old data, I came across a poem that I put together in 2007 (I think) that I had forgotten about. It really struck home for me again, and came just at the right time. I hope you like it! 

The Other Guy

I spot another lone biker on the road behind me,

He’s seems to be gaining, but no worry.

Slowly, slowly he creeps up to me.

Young kid, never seen him before.

No words spoken,

My mind instantly assessing.

Noting cheap component groups and discount riding gear,

Calculating weights, and critiquing his position.

Ha, this kids in for a hurtin’,

Confident in my $7k steed and swollen legs.

Our cranks turn in quiet unison,

The tires whirr on the rough Illinois pavement.

Numbers churn through my head,

Watts, cadence, drag, speed, heart rate.

He seems happy and careless,

Content and smiling.

His wheel pulls ahead,

This kid’s gonna half-wheel me.

I’m good at that game,

So, I up the ante a watt or two.

Time to wipe that smile away,

I dial in to my lactate threshold.

I know this pace well,

The friendly, familiar pain sets in.

I hear a down shift,

There’s that bloody wheel again.

And he’s drinking from his water bottle,

I swear he’s listening to the birds and looking at the trees.

I swig from my custom blended nutrition drink mix,

Time to end this charade.

Strategically prepping my attack,

Five, four, three, two…

He’s out of his saddle,

This kid’s good.

BOOM, my legs react instinctively,

I jump to a full sprint.

We both see the railroad tracks ahead,

The perfect finish line.

200 meters,

100 meters.

I can’t drop him,

It’s gonna be close.

75 meters,

50 meters.

There’s those pesky black spots,

Brain’s running low on O2.

Legs about to give out,

But I see the pain in his eyes, too.

We rocket over the tracks,

Neck and neck.

Not even a camera could rule this one,

The kid must have the heart of a bull.

We stop,

Both gasping for breath.

I impulsively check my computer,

He smiles and picks up some trash from the road…

As he rides away, I feel a change,

Recalling that love for the ride and that passion for life.

Wait a second, I recognize that old Cannondale,

I remember that smile.

Now, before you ask, yes, the kid was me also. ;-)

And before the triathlon powers-that-be strike me down for heresy, let me elaborate on one thing. Technology and focused training are great tools to get stronger, faster, and stay healthy. I certainly am not advocating throwing away all yor top-dollar goodies and training solely by feel and emotion. All that I'm saying is don't forget why you're doing what you're doing! Love the ride, and you'll be amazed at what you can do!

Functional Art?

Functional Art, what the heck is that?

I found one definition that says it is the blending of form and function with sculpture and fine art. Well, I made up my own version: Functional art is cool looking stuff that you can actually use.

What brings me to functional art? Well, I have come to realize that I am surrounded by it everyday at work. I work in a gallery in downtown Chattanooga that displays both custom titanium bikes (Ruby Cycleworks) and custom concrete countertops (Set in Stone). I know, strange combonation, right? That is unless you look at it from the perspective of functional art... both are clearly 'cool looking stuff that you can actually use.'


For instance, we know bikes are functional. They are transportation, workout equipment, and entertainment all at the same time. But do they qualify as fine art? You tell me...

The raw titanium contrasted by the red/white decals, great geometric shapes and angles... seems like the qualities of sculpture and art to me.

And countertops? Again the functionality is a given, but art... maybe not granite or laminate... but take a gander at the possibilities with concrete! This is a double vanity that I think certainly fits in the fine art category.

Anyway, perhaps I'm trying to make an association to make myself feel better about our strange collaboration in this space... but I think it works!

And in this era, I think we are seeing more and more focus on function... and less on art and beauty. But, via functional art, perhaps we can have both!

"Seekers of the new realm..."

I became semi-obsessed with the concept of endurance racing after racing in my first Ironman triathlon in 2004. After completing a few more Ironman's, I felt the need to start looking for something 'different'. In a sense, I missed the sensation of going into an event not knowing if I would, or could, succeed.

That lead me to ultra-marathon cycling in 2008. I registered for the Heart of the South 500... a 517-mile non-stop cycling race in the mountains of Georgia and Alabama. Initially this blog was created to track my journey in that race... and you can still find the old updates in the blog archive. In synopsis, it was an amazingly hard race full of rain, exhaustion, pain, but eventually success! I ended up finishing 2nd overall in that race.

During the HOS 500, I questioned many things about my life and my decisions to test my body in these crazy endeavors. In the end, I still cannot explain the actual underlying motivations, but I can say that they are real, and that I do take myself mentally, physically, and spiritually to a new place each and every time.

Well. There is one more event out there that has weighed on my mind more than any other. It has become remenicent of that monster that I always knew was under my bed as a kid, but never could get the guts to look for. It is RAAM.

The Race Across America (RAAM) has been repeatedly and irrefutably titled, 'The toughest sporting event in the world."

I watched a great documentary about RAAM the other night called 'Bicycle Dreams'. (You all are welcome to borrow it anytime.)

Now, this is not a formal announcement of my decision to enter RAAM (which I qualified for in 2008). Instead, it is simply a declaration that I WILL RACE RAAM at some point in the future.

Here is a trailer for 'Bicycle Dreams' for those interested.

Trigger Point Performance Therapy

We're happy to announce that Gaia Fitness is now working with Trigger Point Performance Therapy as an affiliate and hopefully we'll even be a dealer in the near future.

Trigger Point products are revolutionary and truly amazing. They are focused on creating methodologies and products that mirror the feeling of a human hand for self massage and injury prevention. Their products assist traditional massage to help manage aches and pains associated with the muscles that allow the body to move. This is so important for us athletes, as we routinely beat up our muscles and joints. 

Healthy, flexible muscles make for a strong and injury-free athlete!

Check out their products, and please email me for any specific recommendations!

The Showdown! Lance vs. Lieto

So, if you keep up on your Twittering amd the cycling world, then you heard about the time trial showdown/throwdown/hoedown today between Lance Armstrong and Chris Lieto on the Queen K highway in Kona.

The classic duel... roadie vs. tri geek.

Well, here's the recap with the crank mashing monsters:

Clif Bar Triathlon Training Video

Just because this video never gets old!

99 Designs Logo Contest

Heather and I really want a cool logo for Gaia Fitness. Which of course means finding a good graphic designer...

Or maybe 164,265 designers!!!! Yup. Heather's friend at work told her about this awesome website called 99Designs, where you submit a contest to all of their designers and offer a set cash prize... then they go to town and create designs based on your requirements/desires. Pretty sweet!

Anyway, our contest is under way, so take a look: http://99designs.com/logo-design/contests/wicked-cool-logo-needed-gaia-fitness-c-mon-37506

New Name, New Look... Same Guy!

In recognition of launching our new company, Gaia Fitness, I decided to change up my blog a little bit! I'll still keep you posted on my life, and what's going down in Chatt-town, but I'll also put in some good training tips and advice along the way.

But, first and foremost, I decided it was time for some blogspot plastic surgery... a little tuck here, some silicon there... you know the drill. So, I humbly tried to learn some html, and started playing. There was laughing, there was crying, and I even had the entire background laid up in carbon fiber for awhile (which was pretty sweet!). All said and done, here is the final result. Let me know what you think.

And don't forget, please check out the official Gaia Fitness website too! No worries, it was built by an experienced IT professional, not me. :-)