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Intermediate Bike Training News |  |
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Greetings, Well, it has been several very busy weeks and I'm sorry to have missed getting the newsletter out. #1 priority was to finish the "Getting Started" Audio CD. This provides the fundamental information about the Midlife Cycling program and all the other training is based upon this. No matter what your cycling experience I encourage you to buy this CD so that we are all on the same page when it comes to training philosophy and methodology. Recently, one of our new riders had four significant problems on two separate rides. Bike problems are rare among those in our group who follow the standard pre-ride check. And, it is things like this that the CD covers. Next release will be the Intermediate I DVD. This is basically the 6-8 week program that takes casual riders up to century (100 mile) distances. The Denver Post article continues to generate interest in Midlife Cycling. The feedback is that people want to get healthy and fit, they want to have fun doing it, they want to be outdoors, they don't want a Mon/Wed/Fri fitness "job", and they don't want to devote their life to cycling. Road Ride or CompuTrainer assessment sessions have a 2-3 week lead time (less if you can do it during the day). So get scheduled between now and end of September so you will know what to focus your training on for next season. Then Nike 10//2 training has ended. It has proven, once again, the the Midlife Cycling training program works. In ten weeks or less most of the participants went from 20 mile flat rides to our final ride of 80 miles with 5500 feet of climbing - and that was people of all ages, body types, and fitness levels. The challenge is how to deliver EFFECTIVE training to a growing number of people with some located out of state. There is no single, perfect training delivery mechanism. So I am working on the best combination. My focus has been on developing the training CDs and DVDs. This is the best way to deliver the basic, theoretical/background information to busy people and maintain a consistent quality. Next, are the seminars and clinics. This is an opportunity for local people to have two-way interaction with me. Finally, the RMCC group rides are a great place to meet people, find training partners, learn routes, and ride with Dan or me. So stay tuned. We will finish up one more month of big rides then start our new training season on October 1st. Have a great week...  Rick Russon
The following is my personal ride schedule for the remainder of the season:
Aug 20 - LIVESTRONG Challenge (70-100 mi) After this we will start pulling our mileage back. Newbies check the newsletter archive for group ride etiquette, building endurance, and other training tips. I still have a few back issues to put up on the site.
Hard to believe there is only a little more than one month left in this training season. We ride outdoors all year. But, from Oct to Feb, we ride less miles and shift our training to building core strength. I plan to run the usual clinics this year:
- Core Fitness and Stretching These are designed specifically for our cycling needs. They are one time sessions to teach you how to do the routines at home or when traveling. During the week, Dan and I will be doing weight training on Tue and Thur evenings, 5:30 pm, at the Littleton Family YMCA on Broadway and Mineral. We just purchase punch cards (12 days for $60) If you only want to work out for a few months and don't want to commit to an annual membership, this is one of the best deals I have found. We will also be attending classes offered by other fitness centers i.e. Power Pump at the Parker Rec Center. I'll notify you of the classes through this newsletter.
I woke up this morning and first thing I read about was the sad news of a 13-year old cadet from a private military academy who had died while camping. The cadet wasn't eating or drinking and complained that his stomach was hurting him and the heat was getting to him. This is the typical "suck it up and tough it out" macho attitude that injures and kills so many people unnecessarily. The reason I bring this up is because I see this attitude with some new riders. Our bodies run on water and sugar which our bodies store a limited quantity of. Perhaps some people are used to "toughing it out" for short efforts. But they find out real fast that the rides we do at RMCC are serious business and you won't make it by faking it. I tell everyone that over 40 miles cycling becomes a biochemical sport. The majority of our focus is on energy management and nutrition which constantly changes to reflect the riding environment. We are all similar and, at the same time, all different. I can't give you a fixed formula for the nutrition that is perfect for your body. So take the Cycling Physiology seminar to learn how your body systems work to create energy for cycling. And, take the Cycling Nutrition seminar to learn how to adjust my basic recommendations so that the nutrition is optimized for your specific body.
The Midlife Cycling concept is really about Fitness, Food, and Travel. Most of us are not fanatical cyclists. We use cycling because it is the best, and most convenient, way to build and maintain a fitness base for skiing, golfing, traveling, or other activities. We also like cycling because we'd rather burn excess calories than diet. Most of our initial members share my interest in food and wine. As one person I've only been able to focus on the fitness training. I would like to organize several combined food and seminar gatherings. Is there anyone out there who is good at, or knows someone, who is good at arranging and managing events? We could do this on a contract basis or part-time employee.
The "Getting Started" audio CD is finally out. It provides the basic information that all Midlife Cycling training is based on. Rather than waste a season or two finding out what we already know about cycling, this is a cheap investment to get you started in the right direction for serious cycling. It covers what to do with your existing bike, how to buy a new bike, useful accessories, useful clothing, basic bike safety/laws, preparing before a ride, riding technique, training technique, off-bike exercise, and how to build a support group so that you can maintain your commitment to more serious cycling. Last year this was the "Getting Started" seminar that costs $45 At $9.95 you get the same information and can listen to it at your convenience.
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