Summer Cycling Workouts - Pain & Gain

Image Courtesy of www.yourguide2thelakedistrict.co.uk

As summer weather finally starts rolling in, the time for making eliminating excuses as to why you cannot get out on your bike has arrived. Even if cycling isn't your primary means of exercise or if your schedule is such that time is limited, there are some exercise routines that you can do that will get your heart pumping and legs burning.

To Strava or Not To Strava

Lately, I've started to see more controversy about the value of Strava, which I thought was interesting. For example, today alone I received two emails discussing the good and bad about Strava.

The good? Well, Strava is like a cyclist's social network. We connect with our cycling buddies, whether across town or across the pond. It gives us the opportunity to show what we are up to and, perhaps, brag about a new PR or KOM. It provides cycling visitors the opportunity to look for cycling routes in areas where they are visiting

To Go Our or Not to Go Out. That is the question!

It is February. We are gearing up for the race season, focusing on an upcoming century ride or tour, then BAM! I you live in the northeast, you wake up to a foot or more of snow. For those of us on the west coast, it is our rainy season and cold (ok, it is warm if you live in the northeast). Regardless, cold, inclement weather forces us to think about whether to venture outdoors or spend some time on the trainer.

One of my wife's favorite stories about me when I was on the National Team is when I tried to go out on my "beater" bike in a snow storm. I got about a mile down the road and, after falling multiple times, turned around. She said I was too stubborn to train indoors. Maybe so, but truth be told I really didn't like riding indoors.

Winter Training and a Holiday Gift

Once again we are heading into the off-season with reduced daylight hours, weather changes, holidays, etc. On top of that, many of us work a 9-5 day making it difficult to get outdoors, regardless of whether you are in sunny Southern California or snowy New England. The challenge, now even as it was in the late 80's when I was on the National Team, was to to maintain fitness and prevent typical winter weight gain throughout the off-season when daylight hours are at a premium.

The Winter Months and Off-Season Training

It's that time of the year when colder weather (cold being relative to where you live!) and the time change makes it far less desirable to ride outdoors. And, with the holidays around the corner, our attentions begin to turn towards time with family and less about time with the bike.

However, weather, time and the holidays do not need to be inhibitors to staying on the bike. When I lived in the Northeast, the thought of riding indoors was painful. I hated it. What could be more boring than spending 45 minutes to an hour sweating and going nowhere?

Improve Your Cycling By Improving Your Power to Weight Ratio

How many of you use Strava to track your rides? Yes, it is great for comparing segments against other people but it is also a great tool for measuring your progress.

The image above is from my ride today. One particular segment of the ride, Ridge Park climb, is the subject of this article. The link to the segment can be found by clicking HERE. The Ridge Park climb is only 0.8 miles long at an average grade of 9.1%.

Anyone who is familiar with the Newport Coast area knows this is a short but tough climb taking you to the highest point in Orange County. After reviewing today's ride, I now have the third fastest time overall up Ridge Park. Not bad for a guy who is going to be 48 in October!

So why am I sharing this? It isn't to brag (although I am pretty pleased!) but to provide insight into how I trained 20+ years ago and how I am currently training. Given my size, I realized that the way to be competitive on the climbs was to improve my power to weight ratio. I wasn't suddenly going to shrink four or five inches and drop 40 lbs.

The secret is your power to weight ratio. To become a stronger rider, this means you have to address two areas: improving your power and reducing your weight. The latter can happen if you watch your diet and exercise regularly. I've lost 20 pounds since the beginning of the year
.
Improving power is a bit more challenging because it means having to improve your leg strength. This can be done via weight training in the off-season, strength exercises in the early season and lots of power road riding (hills, hard rides, etc.). It is best to find a coach who can help you build the power aspect of your program to gain maximum benefits.

Let me know how I can help you improve your cycling. Feel free to email me to discuss further. In the meantime, complete the form below if you want to get on my email list.

Sign up below to receive our monthly  e-newsletter and other exciting news.

Name:

Email:

We respect your email privacy

Powered by AWeber Email Marketing Software