Subject: Team Shell Cycling Newsletter - March 2, 2017
From: <[email-masked]>
To: Undisclosed recipients:;
Date: Thu, 2 Mar 2017 20:03:33 +0000

Team Shell Riders - 188

To be removed from this list, please reply with "Remove" in the subject box

TEAM SHELL CYCLING DASHBOARD

Team Fundraising Goal

Collected to Date

% of Goal

Avg. Collected per Rider

Group Riding Safety Skills Compliance

$200,000

$54,293

27%

$289

83%

MS 150 April 29- 30, 2017

[facebook]
Like Team Shell Cycling<https://www.facebook.com/Team-Shell-Cycling-369762546386299/> on Facebook
                 Save Team Shell Website<http://www.shellcyclingteam.com/> to your Favorites

Dear Team Shell,

We are now only 8 weeks out from the MS150 weekend.  It is time to put some quality time in the saddle.  If your long day is on Saturday, try riding a short day on Sunday.  This will help prepare you for day two of the ride.  We are now up to 190 riders.  We will leave open till Friday March 31st.  If you haven't got your team logistics support fee in, please note that it is now $80.  The Shell Health Wellness budget covers half the cost of support for this ride.  So if you haven't gotten an email from me stating that I received your support fee than it is likely you still need to get it in.  We still need funds from about 50 of you, and we can't pay for the tent in LaGrange until you get your check in.  Please don't make me beg.  :)

Let's begin to focus on our fundraising.  We are a little behind last year with and average team total of $289 per rider.  In 2016 we finished with an average per rider of just over $1,000.  Remember for Shell employees, Shell will match your gift. This is an easy way to double of your totals.  The Matching gift link is at the bottom of this newsletter in the Handy Links session.

We added several new riders to the team this week and our percentage of safety trained team members is now at 83%, but we need to get to 100%.  We require that you take a safety skills class once every 3 years.  We have two more classes available and no charge to you, one Advanced class on March 19th and one Basic class on March 26th.  Get'r Done!

In the News for this week

*         Safety First

*         Team Fee now $80

*         Volunteers needed

*         First time riders

*         Team Shell Safety Training

*         Bike Inspections

*         Fundraising

*         This week's training rides

*         Handy Links

SAFETY FIRST MESSAGE:   Cycling Nutrition

Coach Alan Bazard - Shell Safety Coordinator

Pre Ride Nutrition
Cyclists need to start out a ride with a full tank of stored energy or glycogen. This comes from Carbohydrates consumed well before the start of the ride.  For a Saturday Ride, the ideal best time to eat a high carbohydrate meal is Thursday Dinner or Friday Lunch.  You may often hear of athletes Carbo Loading at Dinner the night before a big ride.  This is OK, but it takes 14-15 hours for the stomach to fully digest food and convert the Carbs to Glycogen (stored sugars). Once stored, glycogen is consumed by the cardiovascular and muscular system to provide energy for the muscles to deliver "power to the pedals."  So, consuming carbs the night before may not be delivered until the afternoon the next day.  Again, start with full tank, eat a carb rich meal (pastas, rice, breads, some cheese), along with a moderate amount of proteins (beef, chicken, fish), and plenty of fruits / vegetables.  It's best to eat this meal either Thursday Dinner or Friday Lunch.
Breakfast the morning before a long ride is also important. Again, think about keeping tanks full.  You should have a "light" breakfast like a bagel, 1-2 pieces of toast, cereal, oatmeal, and fruit (not all together, but 1 or 2 servings of your favorite from this group).  Drink water or fruit juice.  Don't stop at Denny's on the way to the ride start and have a "Grand Slam."  I recommend avoiding dairy products (eggs, milk, cheese, butter, etc.).  OK have 1 or 2 small slices of bacon, but no more and no pancakes / waffles. These are harder to digest and will just stay in your stomach for most of the ride and may cause other stomach issues which won't help your riding or speed.

During the Ride Nutrition
With a full tank of stored energy, you start out on the ride on Saturday morning.  What next?  You need to eat more high energy food during the ride.  Foods higher with Sugar provide the quick energy boost to get you down the road for the next 15-20 miles.  Easily digestible Carbs and Proteins help with the late stages of the ride.  Sugars can come from fruits or refined sugar.  Most rides provide cookies, and other "sweet" snacks.  Pretzels are high in Sodium, a necessary electrolyte, especially when it's hot.  I do not recommend energy drinks (red bull, etc.) as these are mostly caffeine and not sugar. These won't help on a long ride, and may contribute to dehydration.
After about 3-4 hours of eating salty and sweet snacks, your body is ready for some "real" food.  Plan to eat a light lunch during rides over 70 miles. Lunch can be a sandwich, pasta, fruit, cooked potatoes and other foods with carbs and proteins. Avoid Hamburgers, Sausage, Pizza, and other heavy meals if you're going to keep riding. These will not digest and pull blood from your muscles to your stomach leaving you feeling bad and tired.
Post Ride Nutrition
OK, you made it to the finish, now what to eat?  There is good evidence that for up to 1 hour immediately after finishing a workout, your body will be very efficient at converting carbohydrates to glycogen and build up your stores. So, you need to eat some carbohydrates and proteins shortly after finishing a ride. This can be another meal (dinner or late lunch).  USA Cycling has published several articles on the benefits of Chocolate Milk for a recovery drink.  Many Olympic athletes follow their workouts with Chocolate Milk.
Calories In and Calories Out
Riding 70-100 miles burns about 2500-3500 Calories (out), more, depending on effort.  This is typically the equivalent of a normal person's daily intake. So again the reason to eat during the ride is overcome this caloric loss (in).
Riding once per week and maintaining a good nutritional balance during the ride won't lead to a lot of weight loss. Additional weekday workouts and a solid balanced diet are needed for a gradual weight loss.
Follow the above recommendations to avoid a condition known as "Bonking." This is one of the worst feelings. You're literally "out of gas." Pedaling becomes very hard and you will lose almost all speed and endurance.  This typically happens on rides over 50 miles, so remember.....

*         Start with a full tank,

*         Eat during the ride,

*         Eat after the ride.

For questions or more information on Ride Nutrition, contact Coach Alan - [email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>

2017 Team Shell MS150 riders - Team Fee is $80
We will close off team registration on Friday, March 31st.  This year's ride support is currently $80 per rider.  I still need to receive payment form about 60 riders.  I am having to delay paying for the tent in Austin until I receive your payment.  Please get your support fee in now.  If I don't receive your check before March 31st you will have to pay $100 to ride with the team.  Thank you for your support!

Mail a check ($80), made out to Shell Employees Club to:

150 N. Dairy Ashford

Bldg. E - 0238 A

Houston, TX  77079

c/o Team Shell - Mark Poindexter

Volunteers Needed - I really need your help.  We need another 9 volunteers for the March 18th ride

I only have three volunteers signed up for the New Waverly ride on March 18th; Thanks you Laura and Jackie!!  I still need a couple more SAG drivers and about 10 Rest Stop volunteers.

Volunteer Link - CLICK HERE<https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/R2R2017>

*         8 Volunteers needed are for break point set up, take down and serving riders.

*         4 SAG wagon drivers - drivers will drive the ride route and assist riders with transport if needed.  Truck, SUV helpful but not mandatory.

1.    Feb 18, Ride 4 in Sealy

2.    Mar 18, Ride 7 in New Waverly - We still need 2 SAG drivers and 7 rest stop volunteers

3.    Apr 8, Ride 10 in Cat Spring - We have 1 SAG drivers signed up and we need 3 more SAG drivers and 8 rest stop volunteers

In weeks 5-8 of the Ready2Roll Training series, we will need some Water Wizards.  The responsibility of a water wizard is to simply pick up a few empty water/Gatorade 5 gallon coolers and return them filled with 4 gallons of water to the next week's training ride.

MS150 Event Weekend Volunteers Needed - Join us as we help Team Shell Cycling April 29TH & 30TH for the BP MS 150 bike ride from Houston to Austin.
We need volunteers in La Grange and Austin to help Team Shell throughout the ride.  To sign up please click on the link below, feel free to pass along this link to your friends and family members and encourage them to support the team by volunteering during this weekend.

CLICH HERE<https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2017MS150VolunteerSignUp> to sign up to volunteer.

First Time Rider for the MS150 this Year?

But I've been cycling for years, am I a Rookie Rider? Yes!  Whether you're a veteran cyclist or you're new to the sport, you are new to the MS 150 Bike Ride and we want to ensure your first experience is the best it can be. Click on this page for more details on New Rider Information<http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR?fr_id=28263&pg=informational&sid=13237>. This is a great link to answer nearly all your questions about the 2 day event.

Team Shell Safety Training

We will have 2 more safety skills training classes scheduled.  Please see the dates and times below and save the date on your calendars now.  Classes are held on Sunday afternoons at our Shell Woodcreek campus.  We have our second class this Sunday.  The cost of our Team Shell Training is included in your Team registration fee.  If these remaining dates are not convenient, you are still responsible to get your training completed from one of the MS sponsored classes.

           Team Shell Cycle Safety Training Course Sign Up - CLICK HERE<https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BikeSafetyClass2017>

      All Cycling Safety Classes for Team Shell will be held at our Woodcreek Campus on Sunday afternoons from 2 - 5 PM.

*         Mar 19th         Advanced Group Riding Skills (Must have taken Basic Skills Course previously)

*         Mar 26nd        Basic Group Riding Skills - This is the last free Team Safety Class.  If you still need to take a class and can't make this one then you will

                       need to take one of the community classes in the link below.

Other Group Riding Skills Class<http://biketxh.nationalmssociety.org/site/R?i=uRb0rILCc3jP-_Img4-RMw> for Austin and Houston.  There will be a fee for these non-Team Shell cycle trainings.

The Group Riding Skills Course is conducted by the League of American Bicyclists. The LAB is the Society's education partner and a national organization dedicated to cycling, cycling advocacy and cycling education.  These classes fill up fast.

Safe Cycling Online Challenge - This is a mandatory online safety training for Team Shell. We only have 32% of you that has completed this.  We require 100% of
           our riders go through this online training every year.
This online quiz is intended for educational purposes to increase a rider's knowledge and awareness of cycling safety. This online training does not replace the Team Shell required Hands on Bike Safety Class, once every 3 years. This online quiz has been prepared by the BP MS 150 Safety Committee whose aspiration is for you and our team to complete this annual event with zero harm to all MS 150 riders, volunteers, organizers, and the wonderful communities who open up their hearts and communities to us.  The Safe Cycling Challenge can be accessed through the Training & Safety section of the MS 150 website at: Take the Safe Cycling Challenge<http://biketxh.nationalmssociety.org/site/R?i=eidQHJL2SVdiqpJYCGcnWw>

MS 150 Bicycle Safety Inspections

Not only does your body need to be in the best shape possible for the BP MS 150 but your bike should be finely tuned and road worthy as well. To ensure your bike is in the best shape please take it, along with your clip-less cycling shoes, to one of the BP MS 150 Official Bike Stores for a FREE thru April 12 for a professional safety inspection. Pedal inspection is a critical component of the overall safety inspection so don't forget your clip-less cycling shoes.

Once your bike passes the safety inspection you and your bike will be awarded a BP MS 150 Safety Inspection Sticker that you'll proudly display on the stem of your bike to show your safety focused and eligible for FREE labor (parts and materials are extra) if you are in need of mechanical repairs during the BP MS 150.

Locate a Bike Store<http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR?fr_id=28263&pg=informational&sid=14154>

Fundraising

Team Shell has set a fundraising goal for 2017 at $200,000. While we are making progress and reached 28% of our goal this week, we still have a ways to meet it.  As your training for the ride gears up, please gear up your fundraising effort as well. Remember that we ride to raise money for the important work done by the MS society to fund research, advocate for change, and help people with MS.

For more information on Team Shell fundraising, obtaining matching Shell funds and tips for successful fundraising, Click Here<http://www.shellcyclingteam.com/Fundraising.htm>.

Top Team Shell Fundraisers as of 3/3/16

                        Top Fund Raisers to Date

                                 THANK YOU!!!

Fundraising - Keep those funds pouring in.  Thank you for all that you have already done to support MS.
We have a couple of you that we are still working out the double match credits with the MS Society.

$7,000 +

$700 +

Chris Russel

Peggy McElroy

$4,000 +

Mark Poindexter

Todd Nunnally

Courtenay Clifford

$1,000 +

Wendy Smith

Ramon Berrocal

Mark Clark

Diana Malin

Yogita Gidh

Todd Jones

$500 +

Bill Wendes

Andres Bustos

Daniel Elizondo

Rich Schmidt

Marisabel Grunewaldt

Claire Sebesta

James Kinzler

Allen Broyles

Michael Treu

George Davis

Michael Schellinger

Arjen Tjalma

Chuck D'Angelo

Eric Thiede

This Week's Training Rides:

Ready2Roll Cycling Training Series

*         Saturday, March 08 - 8:00 AM                            Week Off                                      Ride on your own or ride one of the rides below

MS150 Sponsored Training Rides

Upcoming Training Rides

MS 150 Community Training Rides               Schedule<http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/DocServer/TXH_2017_BP_MS_150_-_Recommended_Rides_Calendar.pdf?docID=82780>

                March 04, 2017        8:00 AM         Gator Ride<http://www.gatorride.org/>                                                                Baytown, TX                   33, 43, 53 & 63 miles routes

March 11, 2017        9:00 AM         Pedal Thru the Pines<http://www.pedalthrupines.org/>                                              Bastrop, TX                   24, 40 & 70 mile routes

March 11, 2017        8:30 AM         B-GeO Magnolia Miles<http://www.magnoliamiles.org/>                                            Magnolia, TX                   28, 50 & 70 mile routes

March 18, 2017        8:30 AM         Just Ride for a Just Cause<http://www.justrideforajustcause.org/>                                     Simonton, TX       11, 25, 35, 50, & 65 mile routes

March 26, 2017        8:00 AM        Clay Walker's Band Against MS Bike Ride<http://www.bandagainstms.org/ride2017.html>         Humble, TX                  20, 35, & 65 mile routes                                                                                                                    Golf Clubs of Houston                                     Official Team Shell Training Ride - Let's have a great turn out

Handy Links

*         Register for Team Shell<https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2017TeamShellCycling> - We will close registration on March 31st

*         First Time Riders<http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR?fr_id=28263&pg=informational&sid=13237>

*         Lodging & Bus Transportation<http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR?fr_id=28263&pg=informational&sid=13233&tab=transportation>

*         MS150 Safety<http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR?fr_id=28263&pg=informational&sid=13250>

*         EasyMatch User Guide<https://secure1.easymatch.com/shellgive/resources/General.Public.File10.pdf>

Let's go out and make it healthy weekend!

Be Well!
Mark Poindexter
Shell Health - U.S. Wellness Manager
Tel: +01 832 337-2149