The Last Chapter

     As my final year with Team Specialized begins, I think back on the great memories that I’ve had with the team. I will always remember Larry saying, “Well let me tell you a quick story,” which in reality always lasted longer than I ever anticipated. I will never forget the long road trips we took to get to races, it gave us the opportunity to bond with one another and a chance to reflect on the races from the past. The memories I have with the team off the bike also gave me a chance to be a kid and have fun.

     This last year of my junior career is my last chapter with Team Specialized. As the oldest member on the team, I want to set an example for all of my teammates and be a leader that provides support and camaraderie.  I want to create memories that will never be forgotten and be remembered for not only my accomplishments, but for the impact I made on the team.

     In the next month, I will be making a difficult decision of where to attend college.  But wherever I go, I know that riding my bike will always be a part of my life. 

A more efficient recovery

     As a cyclist, I put a lot of time into recovering after training rides and races. This season, I have dedicated a lot of time to creating the best way for myself to recover. When I come back from a ride on a weekday and have a limited amount of time, it is important to know exactly what I need to do in order to gain all the benefits from a good recovery. I start thinking about my recovery when I am cooling down from my ride, and plan out exactly what I need to do. When I get home, the first thing I do is make a recovery drink, and if I don't have any recovery mix, I drink juiced fruits and vegetables instead. Usually, when I get home from a ride it is close to dinner time, but if I was able to start my ride sooner and get home before its time to eat, I will make myself some kind of sandwich to get rid of my hunger. After I take a shower, I try to stretch for at leased ten minutes followed by a short core workout which consists of mostly push-ups, sit-ups, and planks. This brings me to the most important part of my recovery, which is sleep. I have found that if I get anything less than nine hours, I cannot remain focused the next day, so I force myself to go to bed at whatever time I need to in order to get a full nine hours of sleep. Recovery has become a huge portion of my training, and I have noticed huge improvements in my performance. I'm sure that the time I am putting into my performance now, will positively impact my overall performance for the season.

-Neilson Powless

Specialized Clothing

Thank you Team Specialized sponsors and NCCF for the amazing new kit! From the shoes to the gloves, everything is of fantastic quality and race ready. The jerseys are form-fitting, breathable, and can really pack in the food for longer rides. The bibs have have elastic grip that keeps them in place and they provide maximum comfort. The SRAM socks are very comfortable and go very nicely color wise with the rest of the kit. The Specialized racing shoes are light, stiff, and fast. The smith glasses are really nice and I wear them all the time (to the point where my brother gets jealous). The new helmets look so futuristic and and are very aerodynamic. The hats are very comfortable and fit nicely. Thank you to everyone who helped with this kit. I am very grateful to be provided with such fine race and daily wear clothing. 

Thanks! 

-Jules