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.

2013 L'Etape du California - Get Ready!!

Recently, the 2013 Amgen Tour of California host cities were announced. In contract to past years, the route will run from the south to the north, starting in Escondido on May 12 and finishing in Santa Rosa on the 19th. Unfortunately, in 2013 there will be no finish atop Mt. Baldy or the "grueling climb" up to Big Bear.For those of us not competing (which is all of us!), what of the L'Etape du California ?

3 Ways to Improve Your Cycling While Away From the Bike

Obviously, the best way to get better on the bike is to ride your bike under a training plan. However, the reality is that many of us spend more time in an airplane seat than on the bike seat. So, when you are on the road, what sort of exercise can you do that will also benefit you when you actually get on the road?

Here are three ways, even on a limited time schedule, to improve your cycling while traveling. A good workout session of 30 to 40 minutes, either in the weight room or your hotel room is a good start.

• Strength training - It is important during the season that you pay attention to overall muscle maintenance. Two sets of 10 to 15 reps will make a difference for you.
• Lower body lunges (and if you want to ratchet it up a little make these what I knew in high school were called mountain climbers).
• Push ups
• Chairs - I cannot think of what this exercise is called. What you do is place your back flat against a wall and then begin bending your knees until your knees are bent 90 degrees (like a chair). Keep you back flat against the wall and do this until fatigue. Take a three to five minute break and repeat. I would recommend doing no more than three or four of these since your quads will feel it in the morning!
• One or two core exercises - Your core muscles provide the key link between your upper and lower body. Your core muscles also provide a solid base of support to ensure an efficient delivery of power to the pedals. Two exercises that I recommend are planks and crunches. Focus on control and form.
• Flexibility - The muscles that cyclists typically need to stretch out are hamstrings, the lower back, calves, achilles, quadriceps, glutes, hip flexors, shoulders and neck.

In doing these exercises, you will find yourself riding stronger and reduce training-related injuries. Let me know if you have questions. Comments, thoughts, feedback is always welcome!

Also, I will be at Interbike next week. It is the largest cycling-industry event in North America. If you are going to be there, let me know. I'd love to meet up with you!

- Mark

Persistence and Success in Business and Cycling

Last Saturday, I rode in the L’Etape du California. It was a grueling ride - 79 miles long, the last 25 being uphill. The ride involved over 11,600 feet of climbing with the last four miles at an average grade of 8.5%. It was a terrific event, well organized and supported, and challenging, so much that nearly 50% of those who started the ride never made it to the finish.

What impressed me most, however, was the drive that I saw in other riders who refused to let a 14% grade two miles from the finish deter them from completing the ride. They persisted, drove on and made it, even if it meant having to stop, walk or zig-zag across the road. Their sheer determination to make it to the finish got me thinking about tenacity, perseverance and determination and the role each plays in achieving success.

When I was racing my bike (all those years ago), I was never the most natural climber or the fastest sprinter on the road. What I had, however, was the desire and determination to not let anyone or anything get in the way of me being successful. I refused to let others define for me success and failure. To me failing was nothing more than a learning lesson, a setback on the path to success. I was determined to be a successful cyclist and put in the hours in the gym, on the indoor trainer and on the road, persevering when I encountered setbacks and staying focused on achieving my goals.

In late 1990, I said good bye to the Army and to competitive cycling and was immediately hired by a company in Stamford, CT. I will never forget what the President said to me one day as to why he hired me over more qualified applicants. He said, “You’ve been successful in everything that you’ve done and I’ve no doubt that you will be successful here.”

In business, one sales representative might earn two or three times that of another in any given year. However, that doesn’t mean that the former is two or three times better of a sales representative than the latter. It is more likely that the higher earning representative went about his job in a consistent, persistent manner.

Napoleon Hill devoted an entire chapter in Think and Grow Rich to the subject of persistence. He said, “There may be no heroic connotation to the word persistence, but the quality is to the character of man, what carbon is to steel.”

Nobody is guaranteed success. But, you can, through persistence, heavily influence your likelihood of success. And, in the words of the late great coach Jim Valvano, “Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.”