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Intermediate Bike Training News |
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Greetings, We had a very impressive ride last Saturday up Golden Gate Canyon, over Peak to Peak Highway, and returning through Coal Creek Canyon. It was a distance of 60 miles with 5800 feet of climbing. A lot of the finishers were those of you from this group. Each week the members of this training group make up a larger percentage of the cyclists on RMCC rides. Sometimes I get discouraged that Midlife Cycling, as a part-time business, isn't developing as fast as I would like it to. But then I see how most of you are steadily improving each week and it encourages me to keep up the effort. I have lots of great ideas for training materials to help your cycling. I would like them to be of the highest quality but the season will be over if I wait any longer to get them out. So, while they may be a little rough, watch for some audio CDs and video DVDs soon to be released. We will improve the production quality over time. And, I will make sure to provide free upgrades for those of you who support this initial effort.  Rick Russon
Saturday is another big ride. Lyons to Estes Park and back. This is a Populaire so you must be a member of RMCC. A Populaire is the same as the rides you have been doing except you will take along an official card that is signed at checkpoints. The window to hit the checkpoints is a couple hours wide. There are no prizes for winning and nothing happens if you come in last. It is just a training ride to help you become familiar with the Brevet series that is used to qualify for various national and international ultra-cycling events. I was very happy with everyones riding last Saturday. Looks like you are learning to manage your energy over the entire route. That was a very hard ride yet a lot of you came in tired but strong and alert. I hope you were able to get out the next day for an active recovery ride. If you get a recovery drink (i.e. Endurox R4) or food in you within an hour of finishing you shouldn't be very sore the next day. If you are a little stiff then the active recovery ride will help loosen you up. Allison and I did 40 miles over flat and slightly rolling terrain. You don't have to "dog" it we actually hammered several of the small hills. May will be quite the riding month. We start with a hard 200K (128 mile) Brevet through Horsetooth Reservoir and up Poudre Canyon to Stove Prairie. The following week is the Elephant Rock metric century route (100K - 65 mile). In the third week we give you a break from climbing with the Aurora- Strasburg Century. The fourth week I wanted to shorten it up an deviate from the normal RMCC rides. That last week we will head out to Cherry Creek Reservoir and work on Interval Training. This is a chance to work on some speed and learn how to do the correct type of Intervals for our specific riding.
I am speechless this week when it comes to indoor training. The weather is just too nice to stay inside. However, you can continue with your daily core exercises of crunches, back raises, step-ups and/or lunges. Hit the Yoga/Pilates/Tai Chi classes to work on breathing and flexibility.
We are climbing like animals and burning tons of calories. You have my permission to eat like pigs. Well, maybe not that extreme. Hydration is job #1. Never go anywhere without a water bottle of some sort. Eat healthy but enjoy a LITTLE decadence on the weekend. And, keep trying to dial in your sports drink type and quantity.
These big club rides that we are moving into are as much a mental effort as they are a physical one. Sitting on a spin bike for an hour just won't prepare you mentally for a 2-3 hour continuous climb. So, on these rides, you just need to settle in, relax, enjoy the scenery, talk to a riding partner, and just visualize yourself getting stronger with each passing mile.
It is not my intention to have the Midlife Cycling store compete with other large retailers. It will be mainly for the Midlife Cycling training products. The few items that are in the store are products that caught my eye, have a specific application to our riding, perform above average, and are priced attractively. The Optic Nerve sunglasses are such a product. We are offering just a few models at a 20% discount off their normal retail price. If you don't see this discount then either you aren't an RMCC member or you need to contact me. Also, you can have Rx lenses made for almost every style of frame and not just the ones I show. Visit www.nerveusa.com to see their full line. Another product we live by is the liquid glucosamine. This does something to "lubricate the knee joints" and helps to reduce the inflammation for some of us. I find the liquid easier on my stomach and more effective than the tablets. An alternative is to take Ibuprofin before riding.
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