Edge wheels Cycling Strong

July 28th, 2010 | By admin

I am so in love with the new wheels. This is going to be great for LOTOJA!!!

Cameron Hoffman – Cycling Coach Extraordinaire

July 21st, 2010 | By admin

Had a fantastic time yesterday riding with Cameron Hoffman (3X LOTOJA winner and pro cycling champion). He taught me all kinds of amazing tips and techniques…maybe I’ll share but don’t have time to right now!!! He also took me over to Spin Cycling in SLC to test my V02. I’ll post results as soon as I get those as well!

If you are interested in getting aV02 test done and would love to hook up with Cameron, check out his Pure Endurance website at www.winlotoja.com. He has a phone number and an email field right on the home page to get in touch with him.

Jackson pass

June 25th, 2010 | By admin

What a great ride. I am learning so much can’t wait to share.

Stanley Park in Calgary Canada

June 7th, 2010 | By admin

Just got done with a great ride on a mountain bike in Canada. With a great friend!! Thanks Mark Bishop

Reminder: Cameron Hoffman Interview Tonight at 6 PM

May 21st, 2010 | By admin

LOTOJA is only about 3 1/2 months away!!! If you have any questions at all about LOTOJA or cycling in general, you won’t want to miss this interview. Cameron Hoffman is a 3X LOTOJA winner, not to mention a national cycling champion. He is going to be so kind as to give us some of his time tonight (May 21st) at 6:00 PM. It is going to be a webinar event, but will be broadcast at Alpine Cycle and Fitness in Idaho Falls. Even if you’re NOT from Idaho Falls and cannot attend the event in person I will still do my best to get your questions answered. Simply post a question as a comment here >Cameron Hoffman Interview – 3X LOTOJA Winner – May 21st < and I’ll make sure I get it covered during the interview. If you are from Idaho Falls and still cannot attend the event (for whatever reasons) you can do the same thing!

This is going to be fantastic! Hope to see you there!

Jim Rutberg Video 3 Posted!!!

May 19th, 2010 | By admin

Great news! I just posted the next video in the Jim Rutberg interview series. I am sure this question comes up in cycling quite a bit considering the fact that Jim co-authored an entire book on the subject. The question is, “I don’t have a lot of time to cycle every day, but I don’t want to be dropped from the group. What should I do?” Jim gives a fantastic answer…check out Video #3 on the Jim Rutberg Interview page to hear the answer straight from Jim!

More videos coming soon…and don’t forget the Cameron Hoffman (LOTOJA expert) interview on May 21st at 6:00 PM!

Jim Rutberg Video 2 Posted

May 13th, 2010 | By admin

Jim Rutberg Video 2 posted!!! Check it out by going to the “Jim Rutberg Interview” page at the top!

Jim Rutberg Video 1 Posted!!!

May 12th, 2010 | By admin

Okay – for all you guys and gals who have been asking me when the Jim Rutberg interview will be posted….drum roll….it’s here!!!! It’s begun! I have gone through the entire interview and split it into questions. That way, instead of trying to watch a full hour interview at one time you can do it in six minute segments (give or take a few minutes).

All you have to do to start watching the videos is to click on the page entitled “Jim Rutberg Interview” on the top navigation. Please forgive the lost connections and the occasional video freeze…not to mention my screen saver that pops up once in awhile. We used Skype and had a few technical issues throughout the interview – if anyone has any suggestions for a better service, I would love to hear it!! Thanks!

Video 2 – coming soon!

Cameron Hoffman Interview – 3x Lotoja Winner – May 21st

May 10th, 2010 | By admin

May 21st at 6:00 PM I will have the privilege to interview Cameron Hoffman, 3x Lotoja Winner and National Cycling Champion. The interview will be via Webcam but will take place at Alpine Cycle and Fitness in Idaho Falls. Any who have questions are welcome to attend and ask Cameron during the interview. It would be really nice if you could post any questions you are thinking of asking Cameron as a comment to this post so he can have time to prepare.

A little about Cameron:

He has been a well known guy in the cycling community. He started cycling when he was 11 years old and didn’t win a race until he was 16. After winning his first race he didn’t look back. By the time he was 18 years old he became a Cat 1, went on to being one of the top Junior riders in the country winning 2nd place at National Championships. After not making the Junior World Championship team he kicked into another gear. Cameron joined the National Team at 19 years old, traveled to several different countries competing in international races.

After working with the National Team for 2 years, Cameron decided to go on a LDS Church Mission. He served in Cambodia. After his mission in 2001 he moved to Utah, married Lacey, a beautiful Layton girl. They have been married for 7 years, have two beautiful children, Carter and Abby. Cameron works full time with a local mortgage company, Sun Valley Mortgage.

Over the last 4 years, Cameron has won 2 State Criterium Championship titles, LOTOJA Pro race 3 times and competes regularly on a national Pro level.

Gel that you can make your self cool stuff cycling strong

May 9th, 2010 | By admin

This looks so cool. I want to give it a go. If you have tried it let me know.

Gel you can make on your own.

Iskiate – Will it Work for Cycling?

April 26th, 2010 | By admin

So I’ve been reading a book called “Born to Run” by Christopher McDougall. Highly entertaining and informative at the same time! The book talks about an ancient tribe called the Tarahumara Indians who are ultra-runners of the most extreme kind (maybe a more extreme versus common example in the book talks about one Tarahumara Indian who ran 453 miles in one day….). Their cultural name is actually the Raramuri – “Running People”  - and, as a culture, they love to run!

So – Christopher McDougall, a beat-up runner, backpacks into the Copper Canyons in Mexico to find the Tarahumara. I’m not going to give the whole book away, but he does mention a drink they give him called Iskiate. Excerpt from the book on this miracle drink:

“In terms of nutritional content, a tablespoon of chia is like a smoothie made from salmon, spinach, and human growth hormone. As tiny as those seeds are, they’re superpacked with omega-3s, omega-6s, protein, calcium, iron, zinc, fiber, and antioxidants. If you had to pick just one desert-island food, you couldn’t do much better than chia, at least if you were interested in building muscle, lowering cholesterol, and reducing your risk of heart disease; after a few months on the chia diet, you could probably swim home. Chia was once so treasured, the Aztecs used to deliver it to their king in homage. Aztec runners used to chomp chia seeds as they went into battle, and the Hopis fueled themselves on chia during their epic runs from Arizona to the Pacific Ocean.”

My wife went to the local health store and bought some chia seeds to give this “miracle” drink a try. All they had were ground seeds, but should work the same, right? So – you put about 2 tsp of sugar and the juice from a lime in 8 oz of water. Stir to dissolve and then add 2 – 2 1/2 teaspoons of chia seeds. Then shake, stir and serve chilled. She has taken the drink a couple of times and hasn’t noticed any huge energy bursts or anything – but hasn’t really tried an endurance run or anything too physically demanding, either.

I think I’ll give it a try tonight for my Monday night ride with the local cycling club. If any of you notice some extreme speed and power you’ll know it’s my miracle drink in action! Or maybe it’s just that I’ve been working out an awful lot…we’ll see!

By the way, you can buy the book, Born to Run, at Amazon.com – great read!

Getting Dropped What do you do? You keep cycling strong

April 20th, 2010 | By admin

I have had this happen to me lately. So I thought it would put something out there that can help all riders. Your attitude about getting dropped will make all the difference. Getting dropped from a group happens. Even to the best riders. You need to cycle strong and get back on.

You can fall off the group for all sorts of reasons from reaching down to grab your water bottle for a drink, taking off a layer, getting gapped by another rider, being in the wrong position in the group, etc. For whatever reason below are some key tips to bridging back to the group.
First NEVER give up! You never know what will happen up the road. The strong rider(s) in the group could flat making the lead group disorganized causing them to slow down. Or riders in the lead group could begin to suffer leaving the pulling to only a few riders causing the lead group to slow down. You just never know what is going on up the road so don’t give up.
Regroup and get help. Looking around either up the road our behind you to regroup forming a paceline and work together. Many times one of the strong riders in a group will be in the wrong position getting gapped and dropped. Working together with other riders you can have enough engine power to bridge back up to the group. It is a sign of inexperienced riders who have been drooped who don’t work together but ride solo trying to bridge the gap. This is a mistake. If there are other cyclist around you there is a way back to the lead pack!
Respond quickly close the gap fast! If you do get gapped or dropped close it fast get back on. Others are suffering just like you. Many times if you can just hold on for a split second longer or get back on the group, the group slows down allowing you to recover. Riding solo is much harder than suffering for a few seconds to get back on. It is much easier to recover riding in the pack than on your own. Just cycle strong close the gap while it is small.
Just focus and going into a time trial mode. If the gap is large don’t panic. Relax, breath, and don’t try to bridge the gap in one sprint. You will blow up. Ease into a steady time trial pace collecting your energy to bridge the gap over time. A group bike ride is like a Drink of water. You start will a full glass of water and each time you sprint, take a pull, bridge a gap you drink some of your water. Eventually you run out of water and your done. Get into a steady mode where your conserving your water and keep the pace over a period of time with the chance of getting back on.
Don’t sit on the back move to the front. Lastly, when you bridge the gap use your speed and the draft of the other cyclist to move to the front. Getting to the front will give you more protection to recover so you don’t get dropped again. It is tempting to sit on the back of the pack but your are risking getting dropped again. It actually takes more energy and is harder sometimes on the back of the pack. Move towards the front and sit in; ideal right behind the rotating paceline. cycling strong is not always easy but you can do it.

I hope this helps someone out there I know when I get dropped I can sometimes get frustrated. I just think it’s part of cycling so have fun with it. Your attitude will make all the difference keeps cycling strong.

Cycling Strong with Gel-Bot

April 14th, 2010 | By admin

Gel-Bot it is so nice to have!! I hope it can help you.

Cycling Strong with Sport Legs

April 14th, 2010 | By admin

Great stuff. It keeps me road cycling strong!

Interview With Jim Rutberg – Update

April 11th, 2010 | By admin

We had an absolutely fantastic time interviewing professional cycling coach and author Jim Rutberg last Friday night via Skype at Alpine Cycle and Fitness in Idaho Falls. There were quite a few people in attendance and Jim gave some really great answers to some really great questions. I am currently editing the webinar video and will start posting segments as I get them done. I have decided the best thing to do is to cut the whole video into segments based on each question that was asked…that way you can watch a segment here and there as you have time instead of trying to get through a full 60 minutes at once.

Thanks again Jim and all who participated! It was a truly enlightening and enjoyable experience for me!!

Interview with Jim Rutberg from Carmichael Training Systems

April 4th, 2010 | By admin

I am so excited to announce that Jim Rutberg, a professional cycling coach at Carmichael Training Systems and co-author of six cycling books with Chris Carmichael, will be on a live webinar interview Friday, April 9th at 6:00 PM. We will be hosting the webinar at Alpine Cycle and Fitness in Idaho Falls, Idaho.

We are so excited to have Jim answer our cycling questions! If you have a question you would like to ask Jim, please comment on this blog post BEFORE Friday. Please feel free to submit anything you have been dying to know – or even just wondering about (preferably cycling related, of course). I will let him know there will be questions here for him to look over and to prepare for.

Let’s take advantage of this amazing opportunity and learn from each other’s questions!

Your Perfect Day

March 25th, 2010 | By admin

Okay, so I know at first glance this may not seem to have a lot to do with cycling, but bear with me…cause it really does!

Do you live your Perfect Day every day? What does your perfect day look like? Smell like? Feel like? Who do you interact with? What do you eat? What do you wear? Is cycling a part of your Perfect Day? Is it even important to figure out?

Knowing exactly what you want to do, become, or accomplish is just as important in athletics as in our day-to-day lives. I have found that “brain training” is often overlooked by athletes and/or performers, but it really is a huge practice that is imperative to our accomplishment of our goals.

The Secret made a huge splash when it first came out. I know there are a lot of people that believe in it and a lot of people that criticize it, but the bottom line seems to be that we all loved it so much because it gave us hope that we could become more than we are. Not only that, but it taught us that the power to do so didn’t rely on anybody but ourselves.

Since that time I think many people have become discouraged because they visualize, visualize, visualize, but still don’t seem to get anywhere. Does that mean it doesn’t work? Well – no! Not necessarily. You see, there has to be not only thoughts involved, but action as well. The two are really intertwined. If you work really hard every day but don’t visualize and really understand and see where you want to be/what you want to become you’ll never get there because your brain just doesn’t know where to focus. At the same time, if you simply visualize but don’t work at all…well, you’ll never get anywhere, either.

There are a ton of really great books out there that discuss the brain and how this all works together. If you have never delved into anything regarding the brain, I would highly suggest it. Our brains are amazing (understatement)!! John Assaraf is fantastic at presenting how our brains work in simple-to-understand terms.

SO – how does this work with cycling? Well, what do you want to do with cycling? Have you seen yourself cycle over and over again? Do you know exactly how fast you want to go? If you want to win a race? Is there a certain ride that you want to accomplish? Visualizations are key to accomplishing whatever it is you want to accomplish. Make sure you spend some time each day visualizing yourself accomplishing your goals – but don’t forget to put the training time in, either!

What Would Your Road Bicycle Be?

March 25th, 2010 | By admin

Okay – since I have started cycling I have noticed that the cycling world is a lot like any other world. Road Bicycles start climbing in price when a brand name is attached or when the model and design are sleeker, more aerodynamic, lighter, etc. Kinda’ like a Ferrari or Lamborghini! I’ve always been a sucker for top brand purchasing because I hate to be limited by anything that is within my power to change. I currently ride a fantastic Masi bike…but I have to admit I have my sights set on another bike that I’m wanting pretty bad. I’m not going to share what that is in the post, because first I want to know: If you could have your dream road bicycle, what would you get and why?  Tell me the parts you would use and why?  Who you would you have make it and why?

Dream big!!!!!!

Chris – Bicycles & Business Design

March 25th, 2010 | By admin

I found a fantastic article about the business of bicycle design. Thought you might enjoy it – click on the link to go to the article:

Bicycles & Business Design

Hope all of you like it as much as I did – thanks Chris!

Let me know what you think!

Beginner Road Bike Cycling Questions?

March 23rd, 2010 | By admin

Sometimes us beginning road bike cyclists have a hard time finding the information we need in order to keep progressing the “right” way. We can spend an awful lot of time working on some aspect of our cycling only to find out that we are doing it wrong and then having to start all over again. I say let’s avoid that as much as possible! If you are beginner in the road bike cycling world, please send me any questions, comments, or suggestions you have and we’ll figure it out together. I would love to post them on my blog or find an answer for you!

GPS of Choice for Road Bike Cycling

March 23rd, 2010 | By admin

I did a lot of research on what GPS system would be the very best for what I want to accomplish with my road bike cycling. The GPS I came up with is the Garmin Edge 705. It has been a fantastic choice for me because it:

1. Navigates my ride
2. Gives me all the data I need – speed, distance, time, calories, altitude, climb and descent…and records it all so I can view it on Garmin.com
3. Displays my watts – but you do have to have a ANT+ to see them. This really does help me to train smarter because I can see where I am being inefficient and where I need to improve.
4. Measures my heart rate and cadence (my GPS came with a heart rate monitor, but I did have to purchase an additional cadence sensor).
5. Ride swapping – I can share my rides with other Garmin users. I can also get their rides downloaded into my Garmin. FUN!
6. Analyze – keeps all my data so I can analyze it and train smart.

It really has been fantastic – well, once I got it set up. That was a chore. I actually had to spend several hours on the phone with Garmin’s customer service. But once I got that done, it has been a delight. Their training videos on how to use the device are fantastic, too. Definitely a good thing to watch before you go out on your first ride so that your Garmin is set up and ready to go (yeah…I learned that the hard way).

Keep Cycling Strong!

One Thing You Don’t Want to Forget Before Your Road Bicycle Ride!

March 23rd, 2010 | By admin

Okay – so I was getting ready to go out on another ride and one of the local road bike cycling experts looks at me and says, “Did you pump up your tires?” I looked at him like he was insane! After all, I just had my road bicycle in their shop the previous week and they were supposed to get it all ready for me to go. He got a good laugh out of explaining to me that a road bicycle’s tires should be checked before each and every ride. Hmmmm…good to know!

Aside from safety concerns, did you know that if you do not have good tire pressure you will feel like you are pushing your bike down the road? Don’t do this to yourself! Be sure to check your road bicycle’s tire pressure before you head out the door.

My First Road Bicycle Ride!

March 23rd, 2010 | By admin

Wow!! My first year road cycling and my very first ride on my awesome Masi. Can I just say I am hooked! Whooo! I loved every minute of it. What a thrill compared to my indoor spinning class. It was so cool to finally experience what it is like to ride with a team. What a great time! Check this out…

Cadence is the key to riding a long way!

March 23rd, 2010 | By admin

On my last ride I learned that cadence is so important when road bike cycling.  Thanks to the team at Eagle Rock Cycling

Masi Bikes road bike cycling!!!

March 22nd, 2010 | By admin

Masi bikes if your into Masi bikes this is the artical to read!!!!  Road Bike Cycling is such a great sport!! I would love to hear what kind of bikes you like.  Leave a comment

Is Cycling the new Golf?

March 22nd, 2010 | By admin

Is cycling the new Golf?

I really like this article.  I think cycling is the new golf.  let me know your thoughts.  leave a comment.

Performance – It’s All About Performance Cycling

March 21st, 2010 | By admin

Ha ha – this video is hilarious! I watched this video and laughed until I couldn’t stand up anymore. If you are a road bike cycler, you will most definitely relate! It’s a music video that goes through all the funny quirks that make up a road bike cycler. I think you’ll really enjoy it. After all, it’s all about performance cycling, right? Enjoy it and let me know what you think!

What Road Bike Cycling Clothing to Wear in Idaho

March 21st, 2010 | By admin

Well – it’s Springtime in Idaho! Finally some temperatures above 30 degrees and the snow is starting to melt! It’s so beautiful and refreshing to get outdoors for some long distance rides…makes all those indoor spinning classes worth it! However, it still isn’t what you would call…well…warm. I would say mid to lower 40s on the last couple of rides I went on, one with a breeze that made it feel a little cooler. SO! As you know, I am a total beginner and have no idea how cold or how hot I am going to get while riding. I know that I don’t want to be wearing (or packing) any more gear than I absolutely have to, but I definitely do not want to get cold, either.

What to wear? I show exactly what I wore for my ride in the above video, but to make it short and simple: Under Armor pants, Under Armor shirt, cycling shorts, and a windbreaker jacket. That’s all I needed to stay warm on a fantastic road bike cycling trip to a beautiful place called Wolverine Canyon and back. You can check out my ride on a map and even download the gpx file for your GPS if you would like to!

Hillcrest Wolverine loop

March 21st, 2010 | By admin

Fun Ride Idaho Falls Idaho

Wolverine Canyon

March 21st, 2010 | By admin

Fun Ride Idaho Falls Idaho

The “Rollers” to the Shattuck Butte “T” Return Via E. River Road

March 21st, 2010 | By admin

Fun Ride Idaho Falls Idaho…

Sunnyside – Bone Loop

March 21st, 2010 | By admin

Fun Ride in Idaho Falls Idaho

Short Shelley Loop

March 21st, 2010 | By admin

Fun Ride in Idaho Falls Idaho…

River Road Loop

March 21st, 2010 | By admin

Fun Ride in Idaho Falls Idaho

Country Club Loop

March 21st, 2010 | By admin

Fun Ride in Idaho Falls.

My 3rd Cycling ride of the year. In my life for that matter. WoW!!!!

March 20th, 2010 | By admin

This was one great ride.  I had so much fun our group help me so much to do my best a big thanks goes out to eagle rock cycling.  You all know who you are.  This is the link to the ride I did off of my Garmin 705.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/27548874

Strong cycling skills will pay off in the end!!!!

March 19th, 2010 | By admin

I have such a great team around me.  They just keep helping me with my cycling skills.  It is hard to work on the small things but I really think it will pay off in the end.  I want to cycle strong to the finish line with the best skills.  So help me out all you can.

What I think about when I am spinning or cycling like a mad man!!!!

March 19th, 2010 | By admin

If you can walk out of spinning or cycling ride…. your not cycling or spinning as strong as you could don’t give up cycling strong to the end is the only way to live!!!  Man it makes my legs kill…

If you feel week just keep cycling strong….

March 19th, 2010 | By admin

Never give up.  If you feel week like I do a lot of the time you have just got to keep pushing as hard as you can.  that is how we will all keep cycling strong!!!  Rock on…

My last ride www.cyclingstrong.com

March 19th, 2010 | By admin

My last ride. check it out my Garmin 705 does some cool stuff.  Keep up with all the good stuff on www.cyclingstrong.com

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/27455418

Bart learning how to make core strong

March 18th, 2010 | By admin

The core is the key to cycling strong.  So I am working on how to make my core strong.

How much does weight play in back pain

March 16th, 2010 | By admin

I thought this was great info for all cyclist.  Check it out let me know what you think.

Core how importaint is it for cycling?

March 15th, 2010 | By admin

How to work on your core for cycling.  Great tips and tricks

Chris Carmichael – Cycling Strong When You Feel Weak

March 14th, 2010 | By admin

Hey – just wanted to let you know that I have contacted Carmichael training and we are going to do a really great interview with Jim (co-authored six books with Chris Carmichael on training and nutrition). As some of you know, I didn’t get the greatest response from Nick (with Carmichael Training) but apparently there was some miscommunication there…so my apologies for getting the wrong impression. I am actually really excited to talk with Jim about cycling and nutrition – and, you know, it’s great to know that after all the research and time I have spent learning about Carmichael Training that the company is really who they say they are…

So – check back soon for the interview – it’s going to be great! BTW – if you have any questions you would like me to ask on this interview, please post them in the comments section of this post or shoot me an email.

By Chris Carmichael

Come on, you’ve all faked it it at one time or another. Faking it is just something you have to do sometimes. On my last ride with my coaching staff, I was faking it something fierce.

My travel schedule has put me in the worst of this spring’s weather. When I leave Colorado Springs, the sun starts shining and when I come back it’s snowing. When I go to North Carolina or California I get sick, and when I go to the Midwest it rains or snows. And as my fitness stagnates, my coaches are getting stronger and faster, which was clearly evident as we hit the first of many rolling hills on a recent three-hour ride.

The route takes us south of Colorado Springs, slightly downhill for the first 30 minutes. Then you meander through the town of Fountain and head east on Squirrel Creek Road for about 11.5 miles. Oddly, I’ve never seen a squirrel on that road, but that might be because of the many hawks, foxes, coyotes and rattlesnakes I have seen out there. But I digress. The problem with Squirrel Creek is that it’s a never-ending series of rolling hills, and if you’re the slow guy in the group, each one takes that much more out of you.

After Squirrel Creek, you turn north on Peyton Highway for 10 miles, which is another complete misnomer because it’s a two-lane country road. Then again, it is paved, which is a big deal in that part of the county, so maybe that’s how it earned the distinction of being a highway. Anyhow, the rolling hills continue on Peyton Highway, and to make matters worse, the low point of the entire ride was back in Fountain, so all these rolling hills are also accumulating to an overall elevation gain.

After riding north for a while, you turn back west. This is all open prairie and grassland. The four turns on this ride are just about the only times your handlebars deviate from straight ahead. Colorado Route 94 takes you all the way back into Colorado Springs, but there are three short, ball-buster hills to cover first. Overall, the route is 58 miles and the office-ride record is 2:41. We weren’t anywhere close to a record-setting pace, but right from the first big roller I started feeling my relative lack of miles. I was in for a long day, but I didn’t want to slow the group down or get dropped.

In order to stay in a group with stronger riders, it helps to be able to fake strength. In a race or aggressive group ride, people can sense weakness and will attack once they see you suffering. My coaches weren’t going to attack me and leave me out there to struggle on my own, but it was still a good idea to create a facade of strength and do everything possible to conserve energy.

How do you do it?

Pair up with the next-weakest rider.
You’re riding two-by-two and you don’t want to skip pulls, but you also can’t stay on the front very long. Pair up with another rider who isn’t going to take a long pull either, and then choose a landmark to determine the end of your short pull: The top of the next rise, that mailbox in the distance, whatever. The person you’re riding with will gladly pull off and no one will really know which one of you needed to go to the back of the line so soon.

Roll a big gear on flat ground.
I’ve been advocating high-cadence cycling for years, but when you’re trying to survive you want to rely as much as possible on momentum. When you’re in the draft and on flat ground, shift into a bigger gear and apply just enough power to maintain your speed. If you have a power meter, you’ll see your wattage drop significantly. This helps to conserve energy for the rolling hills, bigger climbs, your next short pull, or a time when the pace goes up.

Take the center position.
This one’s a little mean, but it’s effective. When you’re riding two-by-two, and depending on the direction of the wind, the best place to ride may be with your front wheel in between the rear wheels of the pair in front of you. The trouble is, this will put the rider you’re paired with to the outside of the double paceline. In a crosswind situation, this isn’t a problem. But when you do it without the crosswind, you’re just sticking someone else out in the wind. As I said, it’s a bit mean, but sometimes you have to do what you need to do to stay with the group.

Control the pace on a climb.
You have to be on the front to control the pace of the group, and the most important time to control the pace is on a climb where you might otherwise get dropped. The trick here is to gradually bring the pace down to what you can sustain for the climb; don’t try to dig deep to hold the pace the faster guys might have held. Depending on the group, this will only work a few times, so choose your opportunities wisely. If the group accelerates around you midway up the hill, raise your effort level slightly so you slowly drift back through the group instead of rocketing out the back. If you’re lucky, you’ll reach the top of the climb before you reach the back of the pack.

Of course, the trick no one talks about is hoping someone gets a flat tire, drops a water bottle, or that the whole group gets stuck at a train crossing so you can get a little rest. I got lucky this last time. One of my coaches dropped a water bottle just when my facade of strength was breaking apart. We backed off for a few minutes to let him get back on, and that was all the rest I needed to fake it through the rest of the ride.

Think it’s bad to fake it? Well, the pros do it too. There are days when you have crappy legs for the first two hours of a road race and you have to fake it until your legs come around. Very few riders have great legs throughout an entire race; you have to learn to project strength while you’re at your weakest. Do what you have to do to get through the bad patches, because when you find your legs again, you can still win.

published on bicycling.com

http://www.bicycling.com/article/0,661,s1-4403-16960-1,00.html

bike or cycle back pain free

March 14th, 2010 | By admin

I hope we can all learn from this video how to ride back pain free.

My Tacx Trainer for Cycling

March 11th, 2010 | By admin

There are all kinds of trainers out there in the market. In fact, one of my videos discusses several of these – rollers, indoor spinning bicycles, and more. I wanted a trainer that would keep my attention so that I wouldn’t get bored if I was riding by myself in my house (I’m somewhat of a social rider…). So! I found the perfect trainer for me. It is called the Tacx trainer. It comes with a stand to set your bike on, but they you hook it up to your computer and you basically get to play a video game. You “see” yourself on a bike in the screen and you choose how far you want to go and what type of ride  you want (hilly or not-so-hilly). You can also choose if you want wind resistance and rain-type of situations. When you start the software, you actually pedal and steer your bike just like you would if you were inside the computer. If you crash, you have to wait for your guy to get up and get back on his bike.

Along with the virtual world, you can also buy “real life” software that allows you to experience what it would be like to go ride your bike in Italy, France, etc. These show the actual road in Italy (or France or wherever) and the resistance pulls just the same as the virtual software does…like you are going up or down a hill. FUN STUFF!

Finally, you can also challenge other riders online….which is what I plan to do next. Then I guess I really won’t be riding all by myself!

Hammer for Road Cycling or Indoor Spinning…You name it

March 10th, 2010 | By admin

The latest issue of Endurance News is available online. Great information! You really need to check it out at www.hammernutrition.com/downloads/ENews/ENissue68.pdf.

Indoor Spinning – #3

March 10th, 2010 | By admin

We had a great spinning class…I guess. We got to pick 3 people to be on our team. First we did a 13 minute distance ride. A lady on our team did great! Then we had an average watts ride for 8 minutes – our guy did 312 and the other team did 387 – wow! I did 220…man, do I have some work to do. Then we did the first team to 7 miles. I was a mile behind our guy that won it for our team. My legs are so worn out – I have got to work harder. But I have to say – it was a lot of fun.

Supplementation – a Necessity for Athletes

March 8th, 2010 | By admin

Hammer Nutrition is a fantastic company with fantastic products for athletes. Check them out if you need some great nutrition and supplements. I got this info on Facebook from Steve Born. It talks about why supplements are so important and how the “balanced diet will provide you all you need” notion is a myth! It says that your body cannot obtain all of the nutrients it requires form your diet and then explains why. Very excellent article – highly recommended read: Supplementation – a Necessity for Athletes.

Cycling and Back Pain

March 8th, 2010 | By admin

I just thought I would make it so you didn’t have to leave the page to read the article – here it is:

Cycling and Back pain
Date: Saturday, March 6, 2010 at 8:13PM

The American Bureau of Transportation Statistics estimates that more than 49 million Americans ride bicycles at least monthly, with over 5 million people riding at least 20 days/month. With so many people riding, the numbers of cyclists reporting neck and back pain have risen dramatically during recent years.

Wilber, et al. found that 44.2 % of male and 54.9% of female recreational cyclists presented for medical treatment of neck pain, while approximately 30% presented with back pain. [Int J Sports Med 1995: 16: 201-6.] That is a lot of riders. This high prevalence of injury, especially in recreational riders, suggests that more understanding is needed by riders and their health care providers to prevent such injuries by proper education and fit. [www.roadcycling.com/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi/6/1026]

“Causative factors for low back pain among cyclists are thought to be prolonged forward flexion, flexion-relaxation or overactivation of the erector spinae, mechanical creep and generation of high mechanical loads while being in a flexed and rotated position.” [Man Ther. 2004 Nov;9(4):211-9.] Below is a picture of a segment of the lumbar spine. From the picture and imagining a cyclist sitting in a bent forward position for prolonged period of time, it is easy to imagine that the disc is being statically loaded (as suggested by the green arrows pointing to the disc being “compressed” in this illustration. Also, the spinal ligaments are susceptible to stretch or “creep”from prolonged maintenance of a forward bent posture.

Cyclist in a position of lumbar flexionDepiction of a lumbar spine segment in a flexed positionIn a study by Burnett et al. cyclists with and without back pain were evaluated in terms of their spine kinematics. The study demonstrated that “cyclists in the pain group showed a trend towards increased lower lumbar flexion and rotation with an associated loss of co-contraction of the lower lumbar multifidus.” This muscle – the multifidus – “is known to be a key stabilizer of the lumbar spine.” The authors concluded that “altered motor control and kinematics of the lower lumbar spine are associated with the development of low back pain in cyclists.” [Man Ther. 2004 Nov;9(4):211-9.]

As noted above, static lumbar flexion has been suggested to be associated with the development of low back pain. As study by Shin et al. found that not only are ligaments stretched but “Fatigue of low back extensor muscles may occur in static flexion due to prolonged passive stretching of the muscles.” They suggest that the “the degraded force generating capacity of the fatigued [back extensor] muscles [in cyclists] can be a significant risk factor for low back pain.” [Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2009 Aug 1;34(17):1873-8.]

So what can cyclists do to prevent low back (and neck for that matter) pain. A few suggestions have been put forward:

1. Incorporate core stabilization exercises into your training regimen

Lumbar stabilization exercises have been shown to improve the activation of muscles in the core to help unload discs and joints. There is good evidence that dynamic lumbar stabilization is effective in the rehabilitation of chronic low back pain.” (J Strength Cond Res. 2009 Oct 24)

A few of my favorite exercises are the “big four” stabilization exercises described by Stuart McGill: (1) curl-up, (2) Cook hip lift, (3) side bride and (4) prone bridge. Following is a link to a description and photos of these exercises for more information on this topic: http://www.backexercisedoctor.com/journal/2008/7/17/back-pain-generalities-and-my-favorite-back-exercises.html .

2. Work on abdominal bracing exercises with training and during rides

One of the primary goals for core exercises, especially as they relate to back pain is the ability to establish and maintain a “braced” core. This “braced” core is accomplished by maintaining a mild contraction or tension of the abdominal wall. Stuart McGill, a reknowned investigator in the field of exercise science refers to this muscle stiffening and terms it “abdominal bracing.” (Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2007 Jan;88(1):54-62.

Following is a link to a description and pictures of abdominal bracing exercises for more information on this topic: http://www.backexercisedoctor.com/journal/2009/12/28/abdominal-bracing-exercises-and-back-pain.html .

Abdominal bracing can be performed not only during core training sessions but also while riding. While riding, the performance of abdominal bracing would counteract the inhibition of these muscles often noted with cycling as described in some of the studies above.

3. Incorporate “microbreaks” into rides

There is significant benefit to be obtained from varying position while riding. By varying position, we can spread out static loading to the spine and make sure that we are not overloading one specific area of a disc or joint. A study by McLean et al. looked at the issue of microbreaks in relationship to sitting (not directly at cycling but the results seem applicable). They found that “microbreaks had a positive effect on reducing discomfort in all areas studied [neck, upper back and lumbar spine].” They found these microbreaks to be most effective when taken at 20 minute intervals. [Appl Ergon. 2001 Jun;32(3):225-37.] With respect to cycling, a microbreak could mean nothing more than sitting up, extending the back and altering position for a relatively short period of time, just to counteract the effects of static loading.