Some of you have heard me going on about “embrocation,” but I’ve gotta say on this point, I think the euros are on to something. Henceforth, you’re going to see me rubbing my legs down with something before and maybe even after most every race or hard training effort as part of my resolution to take better care of my legs.

At Jingle Cross, a friend let me use a bit of his Sports Balm and at Cross Natz I bought a jar of Qoleum Extra Hot. Both of these products stay on like nobody’s business. In fact, I can guarantee after you get over the shock of not having that dead feeling during the ‘cross start because there was already plenty of blood to your muscles, you’ll get a whole new level of sensory experience in the shower. It gets so hot in the presence of warm moisture that you’ll think flames are licking up your legs. But once you ascertain there is no smoke, you can actually get kind of a rush as you use breathing techniques to control your impulse to leap out screaming. I realize this isn’t much of a sales pitch, but I’m a total fan. Is that too much information?

On a recent ride in the dark - 21 degrees F, 17 mph wind - about 1/2 teaspoon of Qoleum on each leg under Pearl Izumi Amphibs, I was post toasty from the tips of my toes to the ends of my fingers. Legs muscles were loose and felt good. From my perspective, if the cost of feeling great in Nebraska’s sub-freezing temps is simply an opportunity to practice pain management for 5 or 10 minutes, you can count me in. The real benefit of embrocation seems to be that the stimulation of the nerves increases blood flow to the target area. Consequently, your muscles have more oxygen to work with and feel better. All that being said, I’m going to be trying various products and will review them here. Maybe extra hot is overkill. I don’t know yet, but the embrocation makers have got a new consumer. What are your favorite products?

Don’t be a sissy, ride your bike.

• Qoleum’s web site
• Sports Balm
• “Belgium Knee Warmers” from BKW blog
• BKW’s embrocation related posts

I race bikes, have three teenage boys and a full-time day job, so from time to time, healthy food and clean living ain’t enough and I muscle through my daily to-do with a little something extra. Sometimes this takes the form of a double-shot espresso, chocolate covered coffee beans, or more frequently these days, 5-hour energy.

I first tried 5 Hour last year during the Quad Cities crits. Wandering around trying to find a place to hang out after my race, I gratefully accepted Team Revolution’s invitation to have seat and they gave me my first 5-Hour sample. Of course, I knocked it right back. What better way to give something like this a test than after a race when you’re feeling wiped? If there’s a pick-me-up worth paying for, one will surely know it. Sure enough, about 15-20 minutes later, I considered entering one of the men’s races to get some more experience. Better sense prevailed and I spent the afternoon making some great new friends instead.

Although it’s tempting to write the lift off to straight caffeine, whatever else they put in that stuff helps moderate the experience such that it’s unlike other stimulants. Espresso, coffee beans, energy drinks and the like all tend to make me a little jittery and oftentimes, more than a bit irritable. Plus, when the caffeine and sugar have run their course, there’s a crash. In contrast, 5-Hour’s lift is smooth and it has a subtle fade.

Some folks won’t like the taste of it, but they’ve altered the recipe a bit so it tastes a lot better than it used to. Still, you’re not gonna want to sip it. Just shoot it and move on with your day. I should also mention I monitor my diet pretty close and don’t consume much in the way of caffeine any time other than a cup of coffee in the morning, so I may be more sensitive to 5-Hour’s effects. If you often find yourself sleep deprived and drink coffee and soda all the time, you may not get the same impact from a product like 5-Hour. For you, I’d recommend lifestyle modification instead.