Monday, 8/6/07 at 2:24 PM
by Mari Holden
by Mari Holden
Your Tour de Pink: Training Guide (Part 4)
Welcome to the second month of training! By now you should be starting to feel much more comfortable on your bikes and getting used to the workouts. I always think the first month of something new is the most difficult because you are just starting to get into a routine. Once the routine gets established it is much easier to continue. I know that when I miss a ride or workout, I definitely feel the need to get back into the swing of things and get back on schedule.
Some of our ride-mates have done a little reconnaissance on our course for the York Tour de Pink. Word is that the first two days have a lot of climbs. There is no easy way to get over climbs, but you can do a few things to make it easier on yourself. The first thing is to make sure that you have the proper gearing on your bike. If you have a triple chain ring or mountain bike gearing, chances are good that you will have plenty of gears to get up any climb. If you have a normal road bike, compact gearing is usually fine. You want to make sure that your bike shop knows that you need at least the equivalent of a 39x27. This is also the gear that you want to make sure that you have even if you don’t have a compact set. The typical gear set up would be a 53x39 and 12-27. The reason this is important is so that you can maintain a spin on the climbs. If you have to pedal too slow of a cadence, it will hurt you and be much more difficult to keep up your momentum.
This month you can also work on changing positions on the climb. It helps to relieve stress and strain if you change from sitting to standing. Your goal should not be to speed up when you stand, just to change your position. The way you can do that is to shift into one gear bigger just before you stand. That way you don’t spin too fast when you get out of the saddle. In your workouts you should practice moving comfortably from one position to another.
The main thing to remember on a climb is that slow and steady is the key to winning the race. Don’t start out going as hard as you can at the base of the climb. You don’t want to be exhausted half way up the hill. If you start slower, and you want to go harder, push it harder over the top. This kind of game is fun to play, and you get rewarded with the descent on the other side.
Happy training! Only two months to go
Mari
And more notes on how to attack the hills:
When I heard that both the first and second day were a little hilly, I began to worry a little about this challenge. Then I got to thinking about things and I realized how glad I am that we now almost two months in order to prepare better.
For those of you that are very experienced, this is not for you. For those of you like me that have a general idea of what to do-but need some “newbie” advice, here you go.
First, get very comfortable with your gears. I know it seems simple but if you’re in climbing mode you need to be able to quickly shift and know that you are going into what gear you wanted. When I first was getting acclimated to my bike, I would ride along and change gears frequently to get used to which way they want.
Second, as your climbing, remember to pull with your legs. We often forget that the luxury of being “trapped” into your pedals is that you have the muscular recruitment of the fronts and backs of the thigh. The hamstrings are very powerful if you use them. As you get to the hill and the tops of your thighs start burning, remember to pull with your legs as if you are wiping mud off of your shoes.
Third, train for the hills. Don’t be afraid just go out and start riding some hills. One thing I do when I find a hill that challenges me is I ride repeaters. I will ride the hill and when I get to the top I will turn around and go back down. This is the fun part before I go back up again. I will typically ride a hill 2-3x and then move on.
At lastly, have fun!! This is going to be an amazing ride. Please email me if you have any questions that I can answer for you about this or any complementary strength training. I want you all to be as prepared as possible.
Sami
Life in Focus
Personal Trainer, Cancer Exercise Specialist & Wellness Consultant
http://www.lifeinfocusonline.com
Some of our ride-mates have done a little reconnaissance on our course for the York Tour de Pink. Word is that the first two days have a lot of climbs. There is no easy way to get over climbs, but you can do a few things to make it easier on yourself. The first thing is to make sure that you have the proper gearing on your bike. If you have a triple chain ring or mountain bike gearing, chances are good that you will have plenty of gears to get up any climb. If you have a normal road bike, compact gearing is usually fine. You want to make sure that your bike shop knows that you need at least the equivalent of a 39x27. This is also the gear that you want to make sure that you have even if you don’t have a compact set. The typical gear set up would be a 53x39 and 12-27. The reason this is important is so that you can maintain a spin on the climbs. If you have to pedal too slow of a cadence, it will hurt you and be much more difficult to keep up your momentum.
This month you can also work on changing positions on the climb. It helps to relieve stress and strain if you change from sitting to standing. Your goal should not be to speed up when you stand, just to change your position. The way you can do that is to shift into one gear bigger just before you stand. That way you don’t spin too fast when you get out of the saddle. In your workouts you should practice moving comfortably from one position to another.
The main thing to remember on a climb is that slow and steady is the key to winning the race. Don’t start out going as hard as you can at the base of the climb. You don’t want to be exhausted half way up the hill. If you start slower, and you want to go harder, push it harder over the top. This kind of game is fun to play, and you get rewarded with the descent on the other side.
Happy training! Only two months to go
Mari
And more notes on how to attack the hills:
When I heard that both the first and second day were a little hilly, I began to worry a little about this challenge. Then I got to thinking about things and I realized how glad I am that we now almost two months in order to prepare better.
For those of you that are very experienced, this is not for you. For those of you like me that have a general idea of what to do-but need some “newbie” advice, here you go.
First, get very comfortable with your gears. I know it seems simple but if you’re in climbing mode you need to be able to quickly shift and know that you are going into what gear you wanted. When I first was getting acclimated to my bike, I would ride along and change gears frequently to get used to which way they want.
Second, as your climbing, remember to pull with your legs. We often forget that the luxury of being “trapped” into your pedals is that you have the muscular recruitment of the fronts and backs of the thigh. The hamstrings are very powerful if you use them. As you get to the hill and the tops of your thighs start burning, remember to pull with your legs as if you are wiping mud off of your shoes.
Third, train for the hills. Don’t be afraid just go out and start riding some hills. One thing I do when I find a hill that challenges me is I ride repeaters. I will ride the hill and when I get to the top I will turn around and go back down. This is the fun part before I go back up again. I will typically ride a hill 2-3x and then move on.
At lastly, have fun!! This is going to be an amazing ride. Please email me if you have any questions that I can answer for you about this or any complementary strength training. I want you all to be as prepared as possible.
Sami
Life in Focus
Personal Trainer, Cancer Exercise Specialist & Wellness Consultant
http://www.lifeinfocusonline.com
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