Cycling Tips w/Dave Zabriskie on X96

If there’s one thing that I don’t like about Boise, it’s the lack of decent radio stations. There’s only one station of each major format: pop, classic rock, soft rock, hard/alternative rock, etc. But none have a varied enough mix of music that I could listen to all the time. Try to find something to listen to in the morning and it gets worse: most have morning shows that are filled with lowbrow banter and crass humor. So most of the time, we just have our radio pegged on the local NPR affiliate.

Back in Utah we always listened to X96. They have just the right mix of old and new alternative, along with some harder stuff, usually at night. But the best thing about X96 is the Radio from Hell show with Kerry, Bill, and Gina. They’re different than the typical morning show crew. They don’t do stupid practical jokes and there’s no canned laughter. They’re just three down-to-earth people who have a great sense of humor. They even cover both local and national news with their own spin on it. They may be a bit more liberal than I am, but I always keep an open mind so it’s fun to hear their viewpoints.

So today, Heather and I were working in our home office and I decided to click over to their live stream. To our surprise, they were in the middle of talking to Dave Zabriskie, CSC time-trial speedster and former Utah boy. I remember when I used to race Cat 3’s and David would join us when he was still a junior. So Bill, who is a recreational cyclist, started asking questions about diet and nutrition. Dave revealed that this year he’s been eating boiled potatoes on the bike. He talked about how since they are mainly complex carbohydrates, they’re the perfect food while riding. He just boils them and then adds a dash of salt. The only negative he mentioned is that they’re kind of bulky, which doesn’t really matter for CSC superstars, as his team car or domestiques can take care of carrying them. After thinking about it, I decided it was a great idea and that I’d give it a try on my next long ride. I’ll let you know how it goes!