Kim Mueller: Featured "Ride With" Athlete for the San Diego Century Bicycle Tour

The “Ride With” Program is an opportunity to meet and ride with some of the most interesting people that ride the San Diego Century. Some are real Legends of Cycling, whose exploits on the bike excite everyone who loves the sport. Some are experts who can offer advice on training, nutrition, cycling technique and the history of the sport. And some are the people who have done incredible things in their life and brought that to their cycling. The San Diego Century Bicycle Tour is privileged to host a wonderful group of cyclists.


Kim Mueller Profile:
We are very excited to bring you more information about Kim Mueller, our first featured "Ride With" Athlete.

A Registered Dietitian armed with a master’s degree in Exercise Physiology/Sports Nutrition, Kim thoroughly enjoys helping others achieve optimal health and peak fitness performance. She helps athletes with custom menu plans and personalized nutrition coaching with her company Fuel Factor. Based in San Diego, Kim works with individuals worldwide with use of phone coaching and online support.

An established athlete herself, having qualified and competed at the Ironman World Championships, ITU World Championships, and 70.3 World Championships and earning consequent All-American Triathlete honors, Kim uses her own practical experiences on the ‘field’ as well as the latest research in nutritional science as means to establish daily training and race/game day strategies that help her clients achieve peak performance.

Kim’s passion for custom nutrition also led her to help develop and launch Infinit Nutrition, a company that custom blends functional ingredients to address a variety of performance and health goals. The easy-to-use online slider system allows you to create a formulation based on your unique needs by adjusting the flavor level, the calories per serving, the electrolyte level, and adding protein, amino acids, and caffeine. Need help customizing? Contact Kim for complimentary instruction on how to create the perfect nutrition solution for your training and performance goals.

Beyond providing custom nutrition coaching to individuals all over the world, Kim is a well-known speaker and writer, covering such topics as hydration, electrolyte balance, recovery nutrition, game/race day nutrition preparation, and optimal weight loss strategies.

For more information about Kim, click here>>

If you are riding the San Diego Century Bicycle Tour you are encouraged to take advantage of a complimentary 30 minute nutrition coaching session with Kim.

Leave a comment or contact Kim directly at kim@Fuel-Factor.com.

San Diego Century Bicycle Tour "Ride With" Athletes
Here are the rest of the current “Ride With” Program members who will be out on the course in May:

Damon Poor – Damon underwent gastric bypass surgery in 2001, and went from 350 pounds to 4 Double Century’s in 3 years. He’ll be on the course providing inspiration for all of us.

Gordy Shields – Gordy is a national record holder and set the record for fastest 20Km in USA History for….get this, the 90+ category. He just did this in April 2008. Gordy isn’t planning on 100 miles, but he’ll be there, and will be cheering everyone on.

Darryl MacKenzie - Darryl has been a Licensed USA Cycling Coach since 1997, has 30 Double Centuries completed, and is a leader in the cycling community. He trains 50-100 riders a year through a combination of spinning classes and road rides.


We look forward to building upon the “Ride With” Program for the San Diego Century Bicycle Tour in 2010 – we hope you get as much fun and inspiration out of it as we do.


Leave a comment if you are interested in riding with or contacting the “Ride With” Program members.

Ride on!


by Greg Hendrickson
Greg's Blog: WatchMyRace
Photos: San Diego Century

Five Thanksgiving Ride Suggestions

Are you looking for a local ride or two to help burn off all those Thanksgiving calories? We've collected a few suggestions for you. See you out there!





1. B+L Bike+Sports Ride
You can earn your Thanksgiving dinner with the B+L Ride on Thanksgiving morning. Meet at the B+L in Sports Arena at 8AM on Thanksgiving morning (11/26) for a road ride up the coast to the Solana Beach B+L. Ride is approx 50 miles and will average 18-20mph. If you're looking for a slower pace, don't worry. Scott from B&L has assured me that this is a fun ride, not a hammer ride, so just get out for the ride! There will be a couple of regroup points throughout.

More Info>>



2. Knickerbikers Rides
Thu Nov 26 9:00 AM 25-50 miles ***
Work off the turkey...before you eat it!
County Administration Building
Harbor Drive & Hawthorne Street, San Diego

Sat Nov 28 9:00 AM ±25 MILES Mountain Bike + Road Bike ride
Sun Nov 29 9:00 AM 45 Miles "The Most Beautiful Ride of the Year"

More Info>>



3. Trek Rides
Sat Nov 28 7:30 AM Sharp: North County Ride
Sun Nov 29 7:30 AM Sharp: South County Ride

More Info>>


4. Coyote Club Ride
Sat Nov 28 7:30 AM: North or South County Ride, TBD, check comments for details before Thanksgiving.

More Info>>



5. Rides with the Bicycle Section of the Sierra Club

Sat Nov 28 8:15 AM: 35+ Miles, Alpine Breadbasket Ride
Sun Nov 29 9:00 AM: 25 Miles, North County
Sun Nov 29 8:15 AM: 35 Miles, Sleeping Indian Express Ride

More Info>>



We'd love to hear from you on more group rides as we move through the preparation for the San Diego Century Bicycle Tour in May.

If you're looking for a group to ride with in a specific area, leave a comment and let us know!

by Greg Hendrickson
Greg's Blog: WatchMyRace
Photos: San Diego Century

Equipment Tips from B+L Bikes

Here's a couple of equipment tips from Scott Porter and the team from B+L Bikes. Thanks, Scott, for the tips! Be sure to check out the B+L website.

Tip from the B+L Newsletter Tech Corner:
Traveling out of town for the Holidays and can't be without your bike?

While it can be pricey to fly with your bike, sometimes it is worth the cost if you will be traveling for a long period of time and don't want to miss riding YOUR bike. Shipping via UPS or FedEX has also become a popular option due to rising airline costs. You can use a cardboard box, however a hard travel case is preferred because of the added TriCoprotection it provides your bike. B+L carries TriCo Sports IRONCASE bike boxes, check out the website.

How to pack your bike:

Mark your seat height by wrapping a piece of tape around the seat post at the clamp.
Remove the pedals and seat post
Remove the handlebars by loosening the 4 bolts on the faceplate of the stem (put faceplate back onto stem, leaving bars loose)
Remove both front and rear wheels and take out the skewers, put front and rear fork spreaders where the wheel/skewers were
Place frame in box on its side, derailluer side facing up (any extra padding from clothing, towels, etc can go around your frame to protect it from any scratching/rubbing that might occur)
Put the pedals/skewer in a small bag and on the bottom layer with the frame
Put the seatpost/seat in an empty space
Any extra clothing, shoes, can fit into any space around the frame and will help eliminate any potential shifting around the box
Put foam piece ontop of the frame
Put wheels on top of that, cassette side facing UP
Place the last piece of foam ontop of the wheels


Of course if you do not want to do it yourself, or don't have time, the B+L Service Department will happily pack your bike for you in either your bike case or a cardboard bike box.

There's never too much help for flats
If you want a primer on fixing flat tires, we've got help in San Diego. B&L Bike & Sports hosts an open and free clinic on the first and third Sunday of every month at 4pm.

Stop in and check out the San Diego store at:

San Diego B&L
3603 Camino Del Rio West
San Diego, Ca 92110
Tele: 619.294.9300
Mon - Fri 10am - 7pm
Sat - 10am - 6pm
Sun - 11am - 5pm

A Few Local Rides to Get You Started

We'd love to hear from you on more group rides as we move through the preparation for the San Diego Century Bicycle Tour in May. Here are a few group rides to get you started:

Check out Trek's North County, South County and Torrey Highlands rides every week. Beginners are welcome!

Check it out>>


You can earn your Thanksgiving dinner with the B+L Ride on Thanksgiving morning. Meet at the B+L in Sports Arena at 8AM on Thanksgiving morning (11/26) for a road ride up the coast to the Solana Beach B+L. Ride is approx 50 miles and will average 18-20mph. There will be a couple of regroup points throughout. On the way to Thanksgiving here's what Scott from B+L has going:

November 7, Tour de Julian (Road Rides 28-55 miles)

November 8, Tour de Julian (MTB Rides 14-22 miles)

November 14, Tri Club San Diego Club Race- 7am, Fiesta Island

November 15, Flat Tire Repair Clinic- 4pm, Sports Arena Store

November 18, Group Road Rides- 8am, both store locations

November 26, Thanksgiving Day group ride! 8am, Sports Arena Store

Get on the B+L Mailing list to keep up with the latest.

Check it out>>


I try to join the Coyote Club rides as often as I can. Great rides every weekend in North and South County. Intermediate to heart-stomping cycling is required:)

Check it out>>



If you're looking for a group to ride with in a specific area, leave a comment and let us know!

by Greg Hendrickson
Greg's Blog: WatchMyRace
Photos: San Diego Century

The "Ride With" Program from the San Diego Century Bicycle Tour

The “Ride With” Program is an opportunity to meet and ride with some of the most interesting people that ride the San Diego Century. Some are real Legends of Cycling, whose exploits on the bike excite everyone who loves the sport. Some are experts who can offer advice on training, nutrition, cycling technique and the history of the sport. And some are the people who have done incredible things in their life and brought that to their cycling. The San Diego Century Bicycle Tour is privileged to host a wonderful group of cyclists.

We are proud and happy to introduce the “Ride With” Program and build upon it for the ride in 2010 – we hope you get as much fun and inspiration out of it as we do.

Here are our first “Ride With” Program members who will be out on the course in May:

Damon Poor – Damon underwent gastric bypass surgery in 2001, and went from 350 pounds to 4 Double Century’s in 3 years. He’ll be on the course providing inspiration for all of us.

Gordy Shields – Gordy is a national record holder and set the record for fastest 20Km in USA History for….get this, the 90+ category. He just did this in April 2008. Gordy isn’t planning on 100 miles, but he’ll be there, and will be cheering everyone on.

Kim Mueller – Kim is an All-American Triathlete, a Registered Dietitian and is armed with a master’s degree in Exercise Physiology/Sports Nutrition. She used her expertise to develop and launch Infinit Nutrition, a company that custom blends functional ingredients to address a variety of performance and health goals. Kim thoroughly enjoys helping others achieve optimal health and peak fitness performance.

Darryl MacKenzie - Darryl has been a Licensed USA Cycling Coach since 1997, has 30 Double Centuries completed, and is a leader in the cycling community. He trains 50-100 riders a year through a combination of spinning classes and road rides.

Leave a comment if you are interested in riding with or contacting the “Ride With” Program members.

Ride on!


by Greg Hendrickson
Greg's Blog: WatchMyRace
Photos: San Diego Century

How to Inspire With 20 Weeks, 620 Miles and $1 Million Raised

I've just returned from an amazing ride down the coast of California. We covered 620 miles in 7 days but that's not the real story. The real story started 20 weeks ago when I was asked to be a part of the Qualcomm Million Dollar Challenge, QMDC, an event put on by the Challenged Athletes Foundation, CAF.



CAF is a local San Diego non-profit that helps disabled people participate in sports. I became associated with them last year when I entered a radio contest with XX1090 AM. The morning show, 5-9 AM, Scott and BR, put up the fund raising fee requirement of $10,000 for one lucky winner in their contest. I was one of 30 people who started in the contest.


Over the following weeks people were eliminated one by one. I'm still not sure how it happened but in the end I was the winner. As the contest progressed I came to a realization: I was determined to go on the ride one way or another. Along the way I started raising the $10,000 entry requirement on my own. I ended up raising over $12,000.


With that success in hand, CAF invited me back as a Ride Leader this year. They also asked me to be the liaison between the radio station and their organization. Little did I know what that would involve.


Again, this year, the radio contest started with 30 people. I wanted to pass on my previous experience to this year’s contestants so they all could have an equal opportunity to win. Based on my experience from the previous year, my advice was to figure out ways to promote 1) CAF 2) QMDC and 3) XX1090. If they kept those objectives in mind it would provide the best chance possible.


All the contest entrants had various levels of cycling experience. Since part of the effort was to prepare for riding 620 miles, some thought it was about the speed of the ride and immediately set out to ride with the fastest groups. Others, like Rob, showed up to a road ride of 50 plus miles on a hybrid bike. He very quickly learned that he was going to need a different set of wheels to complete 620 miles down the coast.


After a few weeks 15 people were eliminated from the contest. The remaining had a mix of good stories and reasons that they should be the one to win. One of the remaining contestants was Chris. He had been trying for 3 years to get into the contest and finally made it. Unfortunately, after 4 weeks he learned that he was finally approved for a much needed back surgery. He continued riding and training with us right up to the day before he went under the knife. Since the doctor said he had to be off his wheels for at least 3 months to recover he was out of the running.



Finally, it came down to the last 7 people in the contest. XX1090 had indicated at this point that one will win but they had an additional $10,000 to be used for anyone who had raised a minimum of $5,000. The final seven, Adam, Mark, Joy, Joe, Brian, Alex, and Rob decided that they would team together and figure out a way to get everyone to San Francisco.


They all had been working hard on fund raising up to this point. Now the efforts doubled over night. Fund raising events, singing in yogurt shops, raffles for a island BBQ, car detailing and bike detailing are just a few examples of what they did.


Rob and Alex were the first two to make the $10,000 mark so they were guaranteed a spot at the start of the ride. The last contest elimination was made and the two remaining people were Adam and Joy. They were called into the station and the winner was announced, Adam, a cancer survivor.


Adam had told me that he had considered not entering this contest but with some encouragement from friends decided he would. Just four months prior Adam had raised money for the cancer society and ridden from San Francisco to San Diego with another buddy. They had undertaken that adventure with far less support.


The real winners of this whole amazing story are the challenged athletes who we had the privilege to ride with as we headed down the coast. The money and funds are one thing but when you can spend time with someone who lives now without the use of their legs, you tend to get a different perspective on what you should focus on. One challenged athlete, Chris Self, is missing his leg below the knee and is still serving in Army Special Forces. He's done his time and then some for our nation but he's determined to stay in for 30 years.


Remember that guy Chris who had back surgery. The surgery couldn’t stop him from helping the cause. He showed up and rode with us the last day of the ride. Not only that, he had also helped out the group during his recovery.


I was going to write about the details of the ride down the coast but maybe that's another article. I thought it was more important to highlight those who took time to raise awareness about CAF. I applaud their spirit and hope others will find a cause to work with. If it incorporates riding your bike that sounds like a win/win situation to me.


by Mike Henderson
Mike's Blog: Finding Way to Help Others
Photo: 2009 San Diego Century