Feb 6, 2021
Chaz Davis has since traveled across the country to compete, holding three American records and, most recently, was named the 2018 United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) Men’s Marathon Champion.
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In Today's Show
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Interview with Chaz Davis
Charles “Chaz” Davis is a visually impaired runner from Grafton, Massachusetts. His debut as a marathon competitor occurred December 3, 2016 at the California International Marathon (CIM). With a finish time of 2:31:48, Davis set a new American record for the T12/B2 visual impairment category. Chaz's CIM finish time was 29 seconds faster than the 2:32:17 finish of Paralympian Gold Medalist El Amin Chentouf at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio.
The 2016 Rio games marked another first for Davis. As a member of Team USA's track and field contingency, he finished 8th in the 5000m and 10th in the 1500m. CIM prides itself as a starting block for would be marathon runners. The CIM website notes being a qualifier event for the oldest continuously running Boston Marathon and US Olympic Trials Marathon. In yet another personal best, Davis ran the 122nd Boston Marathon on Monday April 16, 2018. Although he broke no records, Boston.com lists Chaz 5th among its 15 notable 2018 Boston Marathon finishers. His official end time was 2:56:22.
Davis began his career as a teen racing for Grafton High School in MA. Determined to excel, he entered the University of Hartford and accepted a position on its cross country team. Shortly after completing his inaugural running season, Davis was diagnosed with Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON). This rare disease destroys the optic nerve in the eye typically resulting in sudden vision loss which was the case for Chaz. Despite his legally blind classification, Chaz continues to make lemonade with his lemons.
Davis currently works at the Massachusetts Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired, a division of MAB Community services in the Greater Boston area. As the coordinator of Team With A Vision's para-athletics division and adaptive programs, Davis is responsible for leading the team of athletes. Having a master's degree in social work Davis will also work in the adjustment to vision loss counseling department.
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Endurance News:
What We Learned from Tracking Cycling Deaths for a Year
In December, the driver of a box truck plowed into a group of cyclists riding along U.S. Highway 95 south of Las Vegas. Five people died in the crash, and it was later discovered that the driver had methamphetamine in his system. At Outside, we were horrified by the tragedy, which was covered in local and national news, but we also knew it was part of a troubling trend: record numbers of cyclists (and thousands of pedestrians) on our nation’s roads are being killed by drivers often without any media attention beyond a brief local news story. In 2018, 857 cyclists died in crashes with drivers, the deadliest year for people on bikes since 1990. In 2019, while the total number of deaths dipped slightly, to 846, cities like New York recorded their highest number of cyclist fatalities ever.
Last January, in response to those disturbing numbers, we launched the #2020CyclingDeaths project, which aimed to track every person on a bike killed by a driver in the U.S. over the course of the year. In the end, we recorded 697 cyclist deaths. Since we were only able to count deaths reported by local media, the actual total is likely significantly higher. The five victims of the Nevada crash were numbers 662 through 666 in our database.
In late December, we partnered with the nonprofit BikeMaps.org, founded by Trisalyn Nelson, a professor in geographic information science at the University of California at Santa Barbara. BikeMaps.org has been collecting crowdsourced information about cyclist crashes, near misses, traffic hazards (like potholes and road construction), and bike thefts in the U.S. and Canada since 2014. Its team helped us analyze the data we collected and synthesize the information. While the overall number of cyclists deaths in 2020 appears to be lower than the past couple of years, likely because of the spring lockdowns in response to the pandemic, there is no sign that our streets are getting safer. Here’s what we found.
Zwift bans two more virtual racers for ‘data manipulation’
The online training and racing platform has handed out more sanctions to riders it believes edited their power files
Zwift has banned two more riders from virtual racing for alleged data manipulation.
The online training and racing platform has released details of two more sanctions it has handed to riders accused of manipulating their power data after competing in online races. Both riders, Antonina Reznikov and Selma Trommer, have been banned from competing in official Zwift e-sports events for six months, after the Zwift Performance Verification Board found anomalies in the numbers. Reznikov, from Israel, has been sanctioned after competing in the Zwift Racing League (Season 2) Women’s Race 1 event, where she finished in fourth place. Announcing its decision, the Zwift performance board said following the race Zwift’s automated systems found that dual-recorded data from the rider’s power meter may have been edited, leading to further investigation.
What's New in the 303:
3-day Guided Gravel Adventures in Northern CO?–Includes a Demo Gravel Bike–Try Gravel!
Northern Colorado contains some of the purest, rock and roll, mixed terrain experiences you can get in the world, that’s why we call it Gravel Graceland. Professional athletes Whitney and Zack Allison want to show you their favorite go-to routes and hidden gems in Gravel Graceland. The specific goal of this adventure is to be inclusive and an exposure focused-adventure to this region’s mixed terrain riding. Each days route will contain at least 80% dirt to pavement. The routes are challenging, fun, and exploratory, and will range between 39 and 48 miles each day with varying elevation.
Three stellar options in Fort Collins, CO: MAY 14-16TH, SEPTEMBER 3-5TH, AND OCTOBER 15-17, 2021.
Riders are treated to specifically designed routes to get a taste of what’s offered East, North, and West of Fort Collins. Take it all in from a pace you are happy with. We have that support there for you so you can soak it all in and enjoy the journey to have a great experience adventure cycling. Soon enough, you’ll be pouring over maps asking “does this connect?”
If you’re saying to yourself “this is a bit out of my comfort zone, I have some questions, but overall its something I’m interested in” — Just ask! We’re here to share with you a new, fun experience and hope you love it as much as we do. IF you don’t have a gravel bike you trust, WE HAVE IBIS DEMO BIKES FOR YOU TO RIDE! There’s nothing left to do but give us your trust and let us take you to Gravel Graceland.
Limited to 30 riders. Learn more and sign up: https://www.bikesportsco.com/gravel-graceland
Tips for Creating a Resistance Band Workout for Cyclists
As a cyclist, are you looking to get better results when you ride? Maybe you’re aiming to get a competitive edge, increase your uphill power, or improve your performance on sprints.
Whatever your goals are, resistance training with bands will be the key to unlocking next-level performance.
Why Resistance Band Training is Good for Cyclists
To become a more efficient cyclist, even the most-beginner level riders need to incorporate some form of strength training into their weekly training routines. Factoring in just one to three workouts a week can produce significant results that will directly feed your performance on the bike.
Unless you’re a professional cyclist, the chances are you don’t have much time in your daily life to devote to extensive cross-training routines. Embarking on a progressive weight training program at the gym is all well and good for those who can devote their lives to cycling, but time is of the essence when it comes to balancing your job, family, and hobbies.
This is why you need to start doing regular resistance band training. No matter where you are or how little time you have, resistance bands can give you an effective workout without the hassle of having to travel to the gym or set up awkward equipment.
For a dynamic sport like cycling, resistance bands have the edge over conventional weights and dumbbells.
When performing a banded exercise, the entire range of motion is carried out under tension, meaning that you activate and strengthen muscles on both the movement’s eccentric and concentric phases.
Eccentric training can lead to more robust and resilient muscles, enhanced joint control and proprioception, and even reduce the post-workout fatigue you may experience.
Video of the Week:
Upcoming Interviews:
Roderick Sewell - CAF Ambassador, Roderick Sewell never dreamed of participating in sports as he and his mother lived hand to mouth. Today, he is a swimmer representing Team USA. Roderick had both legs amputated before his second birthday due to severe deformities that prevented him from walking. » Roderick Sewell (challengedathletes.org)
Rocky Harris - Rocky Harris, CEO of USA Triathlon is joining us to talk about the Endurance Exchange, the State of the Sport and the latest on USAT strategy.
Closing:
Thanks again for listening in this week. Please be sure to follow us @303endurance and of course go to iTunes and give us a rating and a comment. We'd really appreciate it!
Happy New Year! Stay tuned, train informed, and enjoy the endurance journey!