Team Moose Tracks

Cycling Training: Riding Inside versus Outside, Part 4

Here’s the next part of the riding inside versus outside series.  The series started here.

Inside: It’s easy to eat and drink.  I’ve covered the importance of eating and drinking while riding before, noting that it’s especially important to eat and drink properly when doing an endurance event.  Inside, this is no problem.  The food and drink sit right next to the bike – on a stand at hand level.

Outside: It’s a nightmare.  First of all, you’re breathing a lot harder since riding outside is a lot tougher.  Do you know how hard it is to eat while you’re gasping for breath?  It’s pretty hard.  Try it.  I almost chocked myself as I ate the other day – accidentally sucking some food down my windpipe.

Then there’s drinking.  You have to be coordinated enough to reach down where your bottles are (near your pedals), pull the bottle out of the holder, open it, drink (again while gasping for breath), close it, and put it back in the holder without wiping out.  For someone as uncoordinated as I am, it’s a pretty difficult set of maneuvers.

Now to Part 5.

Cycling Training: Riding Inside versus Outside, Part 3

Here’s the next part of the riding inside versus outside series.  The series started here.

Inside: It’s always one, constant temperature.  And there’s no wind.

Outside: Over the course of an outside ride, the temperature can change several degrees, especially when you’re riding at night and the sun is going down.  You need to dress accordingly.  I usually like to be warm when I ride, but it’s hard to get just the right mix of clothing on a March day. 

Then there’s the wind.  I hate wind.  It’s my arch enemy just like the Joker is Batman’s arch enemy.  Outside, there’s lots of wind.  And it always kicks up just as you’re getting ready to ride up a very big hill.

Now to Part 4.

Cycling Training: Riding Inside versus Outside, Part 2

Here’s the next part of the riding inside versus outside series.  The series started here.

Inside: There aren’t any obstacles to slow you down.  Once you get started, you just go.

Outside: Obstacles are everywhere: cars (that want to run you down), people (especially those with kids) clogging up the bike paths, and dogs (wanting to have a little taste of your leg) are the main culprits.  These all force you to stop and/or slow down regularly, thus pulling your average mph way down.  (Not to mention that once you slow down, it takes a lot of effort to get back up to speed).

Now to Part 3.

Cycling Training: Riding Inside versus Outside, Part 1

I finally did it!!!  Something I haven’t done for five months!!!!  I rode outside!!!

Yes, on Tuesday, March 29 it was warm enough here in the tundra of Grand Rapids, Michigan to actually ride outside.  It was great being out there.

But having spent the past several months inside on a trainer in my basement, I was struck by all the differences in training inside versus outside.  And as I thought of them, I decided to record the list here so you could sympathize with (or laugh at) me.

So over the next several days (it may be a week, it may be two weeks, it may be more), I’m going to share my thoughts on riding inside versus riding outside.  Here’s my first set of thoughts as part 1:

Inside: It’s a pretty easy ride.  You just get started and keep pedaling.

Outside: It’s a lot harder.  I thought that going up hills would be offset by going down hills once I got outside.  News flash: there’s no offset.  Riding outside is a lot harder than riding inside. I’ll tell you several of the reasons why over the days to come.  Stay tuned.

Now to Part 2.

Energy Foods Review: One Good, One Bad

If you’ve read my past entries, you know how important eating right is while riding an endurance event.  With this in mind, I’ve been experimenting with high-energy (high-carb) foods that I can use as I ride in centuries this summer.  So far, my testing has revealed one clear winner and one big loser:

·     Clif Bars – This is a clear winner!  If you’re like me, you’ve probably had your share of foul-tasting, “healthy”, “natural” foods.  In fact, I think it’s a rule that most nutritional bars taste terrible.  So I purchased some Clif Bars with great skepticism.  But once I tried them, I loved them.  They taste great, are easy to handle and chew (important when you’re on a bike), and have lots of energy-producing carbs per bar.  They are also all natural.  You can get them at your local bike shop, sports store, or at Wal-mart.

·     Energy Gels – These are just what they sound like – tubes of gel-like substance that are high in carbs and energy.  I tried three different varieties and hated all three.  They are gross!!!  They taste like someone chewed up some food, added gel to it, then put it in a tube.  Yuk!!!!  They are not only nasty-tasting, but they also leave a coating in your mouth that takes at least a bottle of water to get out.  They get a big thumbs down from me.

I’ll keep looking for new, portable bike foods, but the Clif Bars are a sure-thing while I’ll never eat another gel.

Food and Drink Needed Before, During, and After an Endurance Event

In previous posts here and here, I’ve talked about the need for eating and drinking during an endurance event.  But in order to perform to the best of our abilities, we need to eat and drink properly before, during, and after the event.  In addition, there are specific amounts we need to eat and drink.  I’ve been researching this topic, and here’s what I’ve come up with:

Three Days before Event

·     10 grams of carbs for every Kg of weight (1 kg = 2.2 pounds)

·     Drink lots of fluids

Just before Event

·     2-3 hours before event, have a high carb meal – enough to feel comfortable, not stuffed

·     Drink 16 oz. of fluids just prior to race

During Event

·     Need 16 to 20 oz. of fluids every hour

·     Need 30 to 60 grams of carbs every hour (by combination of food and drink).  Note: fluids are preferred as they empty more quickly from the stomach)

After Event

·     Consume 50 to 100 grams of carbs within 1 hour (15 minutes is better) of finish

If anyone has anything to add, I’d sure appreciate your thoughts.

What to Do When Riding an Indoor Trainer

Before I started training this winter on an indoor trainer, I read several articles about training inside and noted that almost all of them commented on how “boring” it was.  I decided it couldn’t be that bad (Besides, what choice do I have?  I live in the tundra of Grand Rapids, Michigan). 

Now that I’m three months into my indoor training, I can say – it is boring.

If all you do is ride your bike when you’re indoors, I’m convinced you’ll go crazy within a month – six weeks at max.  So unless you want to head for the place they took your old Uncle Joe when he started thinking his dog was actually an alien, consider these suggestions for making your indoor ride more bearable:

·     Music – I listen to music when I ride outside (it drums out the speeding cars that are ready to run over me, making sure my last few moments will at least be happy), so why not do it inside?   Riding to good, fast-paced music is worth 2-3 extra mph of speed during a ride – it’s that exciting.

·     Book on tape – Not as exciting as music, but more educational.  I can “read” a book in a fraction of the time by listening to it (rather than actually reading it), and I can get through scores of books a year that I would otherwise not be able to enjoy.  But books are not always the best motivators, so I spend half my time (at the start of the ride) with a book and the other half (at the end when I need a bit more umph) with music.

·     TV – Yes, I can listen to a book, watch TV, and pedal like a madman all at the same time.  I set my TV on the floor in front of me, try to find something I can watch without needing the sound (sports are great), and turn up the volume really loud.  Then I put on my headphones, start my book on tape, and start pedaling.  If I see something I want to hear about, I pause the CD player and I can hear the TV – even above the bike sound (because I turned it up so loud).  Of course, my wife and kids think I’m going deaf because the volume is up so loud (I don’t let them know that I’m actually not watching it with the volume most of the time – also, that’s why I ride in the basement).

·     Eating/drinking – You have to have nourishment on rides, so I set up a large step ladder next to my bike and put a couple bottles on it – one with water and the other with Gatorade.  Since I’m only riding 30 miles at a pop now, I don’t need to have food during the ride, but once I start going longer, I’ll add it.

So, those are my suggestions.  I’d love to hear from any of you who have some other ideas.  I’m always up for something new to do while riding.

Miscellaneous Bike Tips

Here are some miscellaneous, useful bike tips that I’ve picked up from various places over the past year:

·     When learning to ride in a group, first start by placing a bike length between you and the bike in front.  Then, as experience grows, get within a tire length where you’ll get the most benefit from the draft. Whatever you do, don’t overlap someone’s rear wheel – it could cause a crash.

·     Don’t downshift too soon on a hill.  It’ll steal your momentum, in effect making the climb longer and harder.

·     Don’t fight to keep your speed in a headwind – it’s useless.  Instead, work on your pedaling form.

·     If you routinely train in the range between 65 and 85 percent of your maximum heart rate, you will become fitter.

·     Don’t train hard more than twice a week.  Too much training will wear you down.  If you separate such efforts with at least two days of moderate-gear, high-rpm pedaling that assists recovery, the result should be exactly what you want – greater speed and strength.

·     You can use analgesics like Ben-Gay, Icy Hot, Musculor, and Cramergesic to: 1) sooth sore muscles after a hard ride, 2) to warm up your muscles before a ride when it’s not practical to warm up, and 3) on a cold day when you need some extra warmth.

·     Cyclists wearing sunscreen have skin temperatures up to 20 percent lower than those without.

·     Increase stability during road descents by pedaling instead of coasting.

·     Tired in the legs? Spin more. (lower gear/more frequent revolutions) Tired in your lungs? Push harder gears. (higher gear/less frequent revolutions)

·     Eat big early. You’ll lose weight easier if you eat a 600-calorie breakfast that will be burned off during the day and will help get you through your ride with plenty of energy than if you wait and eat a whole box of ziti in the evening because you're starving from your ride.

Year Around Training Plan

Here’s a year-around training plan from pages 34-35 of “900 Tips” (see recommended books for details):

--    January/February: Body preparation.  The foundation for the season is established in the dead of winter.  This is the time to build overall strength.  Alternate cycling with aerobics, weight training, running, cross-country skiing, swimming, and sports such as basketball.  These activities will condition and refresh your body.

--    March: Power and skill.  The emphasis shifts to cycling with the use of a cyclocross or mountain bike for off-road work that helps you develop power and bike-handling skills.  Continue aerobic-paced road rides, too, when the weather permits.  Otherwise, use an indoor trainer.

--    April: Aerobic base.  Continue to build your base of aerobic miles and begin venturing into the hills.  The ascents are where you will develop the muscle strength that’s necessary not only for climbing, but for faster riding on the flats.

--    May: Speed.  Time to build a faster top end for the finishing sprint in races or competitive group rides.  Speedwork sprints, interval training, and spirited group rides are all useful tools.

--    June: Peaking.  Keep working hard and build fitness/performance.

--    July: Remedial Work.  Identify deficiencies in sprinting, climbing, time trailing, endurance, or tactics and work to improve them.

--    August: Criterium skills. Many clubs sponsor weekly criteriums during August, and the race calendar is full of these short, fast events.  Enter some to improve and practice.

--    September/October: Endurance.  The century season begins.  Many cyclists also enjoy long, one-day “epic rides” with friends or alone.  This is the time of year to hone techniques and stamina for these lengthy efforts.  The endurance base built here will carry over to the following season if it’s followed with a sound winter program.

--    November/December: Active rest.  Don’t over-train during this time.  Relax from the rigors of the busy summer and fall by playing rather than training.  Rejuvenate your mind and body with no-pressure rides and a variety of other sports.  Begin light weightlifting to prepare your body for the start of real training after the holidays.

I’m a bit ahead of this schedule as I started my indoor bike training in November.  Now I just need to keep it up as the miles ramp up over the next few months.

Century Training Plan

Before long, Team Moose Tracks will be in full training mode as we prepare for our century in July.  (I’m trying to talk my buddy and team member, Scott, into doing one with me in June, but we’ll see how that goes).  Anyway, attached is a spreadsheet that gives mileage each week for two different century training plans – depending on whether a person wants to finish or to finish well.  Check it out.

Download century_training_miles.xls