Hidden Gems (Peet Boot Dryer)

By: Michael Allen

About eight years ago I started testing motorcycles and motorcycle related products, which is where I met Kris. At times there were multi day tests that had us either having to wear sweaty boots from the day before or wet boots because they needed to be washed. For a few years I just dealt with the wet feet inside the boot feel, but I knew I had to find a better way to combat this problem. That all ended when I walked through Bass Pro Shop with my wife and something caught my eye. As we walked through the footwear section I noticed a plastic contraption that had two upside down boots on the top. When I looked at the tag I realized that I had been riding in wet boots for years for no damn good reason. I don’t know why, but I never seen a boot dryer and when I saw this one, I figured it would be more money than it was worth, but to my surprise it was only $45.00. I purchased it that day and haven’t started my ride in wet boots ever since. 

The dryer I have is made by Peet and can be found on Amazon (see the link at the bottom) for $44.99. There are cheaper options (and much more expensive), but I can only vouch for the one that I own and it’s been great. The concept is simple; once plugged in (there isn’t an on/off switch) the dryer radiates warm air through the tubes and into the boots. Once I finish washing my boots I set them on the dryer and leave them over night and by morning they are warm and dry. I’ve dried every brand of boot on the Peet dryer and have yet to find a pair it doesn’t mate with. When it comes to bootie style boots I don’t always remove the booties when I scrub the boots, but it doesn’t matter as the boots fit with or without the booties. Also, if the top tubes are removed you have the ability to dry gloves as well. Another plus side to a dryer is that I’ve noticed my boots don’t smell as bad since they no longer sit with moisture in them that could cause that awful wet sweat smell. If you know, you know!

 After looking online I have seen that people have made their own dryer out of PVC, but in my opinion, for the price, it’s much easier to just buy a drier that’s proven. To me this is a hidden gem because I didn’t know they existed (I guess I’d been living under a rock). The design is simple and works great and it’s relatively inexpensive. 

https://www.amazon.com/PEET-Original-2-Shoe-Electric-Dryer/dp/B001J4HQ76/ref=sr_1_5?crid=3578WKQ6WZZII&dchild=1&keywords=boot+dryer&qid=1586581622&sprefix=boot+dr%2Caps%2C297&sr=8-5

Determining Season Goals

You Need A Map To Get To Where You Want To Go

By Seiji Ishii

Where are you going? How will you get there? These are questions that you should answer before embarking on a training program. You can buy all the nutrition products you want, but if you don’t have a plan or use them properly how will it work? Goal setting and creating training objectives based on these goals will allow you to always move forward instead of wandering in a random training pattern. Every training session should have a congruent purpose designed to keep you progressing towards your season goals. Knowing what you are doing and why you are doing it will also keep you motivated in the long term; you will always see that the actions you are taking today will ultimately lead to your goals in the future. 

The first step in the goal-setting procedure is to determine your “A” priority events. These events are the most important and your fitness will peak for these races, trips, etc. All other events during the season will occur with fitness either being on the rise towards the “A” events or the decline after them. A seasoned athlete can peak up to three times per season and thus can have three A-priority events. These events can be series championships or a big trip to Baja, not your usual weekend event.

The next phase in goal setting is to determine your season goals based on your A-priority events. This step is arguably the most important action in planning your season. It is critical at this point to understand the difference between a dream and a goal; a dream takes longer than a season to accomplish while a goal is attainable within a season.

Example: A local racer is winning their classes locally; a dream would be to become a factory rider but a goal would be to win a local winter race series. Goals need to be challenging but they also need to be reasonable. If you set goals that are too high then deep down inside you will know that you cannot reach this goal and your commitment will fade. Goals need to be measurable (number oriented), under your control (“I want to win this race,” not, “I want to win this race if Joe crashes”) and they must stretch you.

Examples of season goals based on A-priority events; each A-priority race should have a corresponding season goal. 

1) Top 5 finish in x class at my state/region WORCS-style championship race.

2) Top 10 finish in my local winter series from x date to x date.

3) Top 15 finish in x class at the closest WORCS event.

Determining Training Objectives:

The final step in the goal-setting procedure is to create training objectives based on the season goals and your performance limiters. Limiters are specific riding techniques or parts of fitness/health are currently holding you back in the development of overall riding ability. A careful self-assessment from the prior season will determine these limiters. An example of a specific technique limiter would be “right-handed cornering technique.” An example of a fitness/health limiter would be “poor dietary habits.” Write down your limiters and write down your first season goal. Will any of your limiters prevent or impede you from reaching this season goal? The answer is probably yes so you will need to improve these limiters through specific training.

List these limiters underneath the first season goal and repeat this procedure for all your season goals. Now you will use each of these limiters to create a training objective. A training objective is a training goal that specifically addresses the limiter. When listing training objectives under each season goal, specify a way to measure improvement in each limiter and put a time limit on doing so. Here are examples:

Goal: A top 5 finish in x class at my state/region WORCS style championship race.

Personal limiters to this goal: aerobic conditioning, cornering technique, dietary habits.

Training objectives:

1) Improve aerobic conditioning: complete a 25-mile road bicycle ride in 1 hour and 20 minutes by June 30th, 2019.

2) Improve cornering technique: complete one lap on my corner track in 35 seconds by July 15th, 2019.

3) Dietary habits: track diet and change to 40% carbohydrate, 30 % protein, 30% fat intake ratios by August 15th, 2019.

When you have completed this procedure for each goal, you will have between one and three training objectives for each season goal and between 3 to 9 training objectives for the entire season. These training objectives become the focal point of your training activities. They can also be adjusted through the season as you improve upon the limiters and you can eliminate them through directed and purposeful training! Sitting down with the event calendar, going through the goal setting procedure and creating your training objectives may seem a far cry from carving through the trees, but it is no less important in the quest to improve your riding performance. This procedure is pivotal to ensure that training has direction and your efforts and dedication are always moving you steadily towards your goals.