Bicycling Blogger

Time Trialling Inspiration Courtesy of Cancellara

2011-06-13T08:00:00.000-06:00

While we're all getting our time trial legs going this season, here's an inspiring video of cycling's best-ever TT hero: Fabian Cancellara.As you watch the video, put yourself in his shoes and clip-in...See yourself as Spartacus sitting on the hot seat in the start box during those last anxious moments before launching down the start ramp. Finally, your race is underway, and you can simply focus

Big Week Recovery

2011-05-22T12:00:00.001-06:00

Getting faster on the bike is always about proper recovery from your hard workouts. Having completed a big volume week like we did in Penticton (at least 2x the hours most people ride weekly), you need to really back off on both volume and intensity during the following week.Cut Your VolumeThe simplest approach is to cut your riding volume in the following week to about 1/3 to 1/4 of the big

Winter Wake-Up Week 4

2011-03-28T18:00:00.003-06:00

As these plans only cover a span of 4 weeks, I doubt you'll end up flirting with overtraining. However, a few things might still go wrong along the way. As you move into the 4th and last week of the Winter Wake-Up/Get-Back plans, here are some training strategies to keep in mind.Feeling Lousy All Day After a WorkoutPost-workout nutrition is vital to properly starting your recovery process . If

Winter Wake-Up Week 3

2011-03-20T22:00:00.018-06:00

This week in the training plans we pick up the volume a little. If you've got extra time to train, you could add some more endurance riding to these plans, but stick to at least one day of complete rest - Monday usually makes the most sense if you've been using your somewhat free weekend days for the longer rides in these plans.Endurance Means Building the Proper Metabolic PathwaysTraining your

Winter Wake-Up Week 2

2011-03-13T22:00:00.003-06:00

Before I get into week 2 of these training plans, I want to say a few words about recovery, one of the key components of getting fitter as a cyclist. I've discussed this before on Bicycling Blogger, but as I'm trying to lay out a basic training program here, I should also touch on some of the basics for recovery.Here are the three keys to effective recovery:FluidsCycling will dehydrate you,

Winter Wake-Up Week 1

2011-03-08T22:00:00.004-07:00

For snow-bound cyclists, March is the time of year we really start looking for open roads. Some have been able to get away to someplace warm and sunny for a week of road riding. Most have been stuck indoors, staring at basement walls. sweating on trainers - or should I say those of us with enough motivation have been doing that. Others have been cross-training with some cross-country skiing,

ABA Spring Camp Returns to Penticton in 2011

2011-03-07T22:00:00.004-07:00

Epic or awful - that's been our weather in Alberta so far this year. Epic if you're a skier. Awful if you're a cyclist. Somewhere in between, I guess, if you do both. While we're still shivering here in the sub-zeros (more like sub-minus-10s!), this week - yes the first week of March - Penticton is already flirting with +10°C temperatures! So if you haven't done it before, certainly this year

ABA Spring Camp 2010

2010-03-22T12:00:00.000-06:00

After logging more than 50 hours of training in the past 4 weeks, with most of that being riding - outdoors! - in Alberta, I began to wonder why I should be looking west, to the Okanagan valley, to help lead a group of Alberta cyclists at this year's Alberta Bicycle Association Spring Camp. But then this morning, I woke up to a snowy blanket covering everything and I immediately knew why it's

Riding Across Hawaii - At Home!

2009-07-30T16:00:00.001-06:00

After my little cardiac episode, my cardiologist told me I should initially return to stationary cycling. He felt it best for me to stay in a safe environment should anything strange happen to me again. But who wants to ride indoors during the summer? Anyway, I used my predicament as an opportunity to review Global Ride's "Hawaii Rides" DVD set. Read on and you'll find some reasons why you may

How CPR Saved My Life

2009-07-08T10:11:00.001-06:00

Okay. So I haven't posted for a while. Not because I've got nothing to say. Far from it. I just don't know quite where to begin...My 2009 race season hasn't really gone as planned. Pre-season training was good and very consistent right through from October '08 to April '09. I capped off the pre-season by logging a massive week of hours and miles at the ABA Spring Bike Camp in Penticton, BC.I

TT Position Testing With Lance Armstrong And Tom Danielson

2009-05-18T12:00:00.001-06:00

In late 2008, Lance Armstrong returned to the wind tunnel to test his Time Trial (TT) position. You can see a short video excerpt here.The audio quality is a bit flaky, so I've made a summary of his comments for you.What Armstrong TestedSteve Hed had Lance try 3 hand positions:Fully out on the ends of the TT bar extensionsChoked up half-wayChoked up all the way back on the extensions, close to

Masters Cyclists Stick With Your Programs

2009-05-11T16:00:00.000-06:00

Are you a cyclist for the long haul? Are you already a "Master" (30+ years old), but think it's too late to start riding? Not according to a recent study published in the British Medical Journal1.The study looked at the activity levels and mortality rates of men over 50 years old. Low physical activity levels were defined by sedentary activities. Medium activity levels were those who walked or

ABA Spring Camp 2009

2009-03-25T10:30:00.001-06:00

The roads in Alberta are still a slushy mess. But this time of year, Alberta cyclists can find some great spring riding in the Okanagan area of BC. From March 27 to April 5, 2009, the Alberta Bicycle Association is taking an enthusiastic group of ABA member cyclists to Penticton for a week of riding adventures, taking in some climbs unlike any found in Alberta.Because this Bicycling Blogger

Pro Cycling Classics On Steephill TV

2009-03-19T08:00:00.000-06:00

As a huge cycling fan, I'm always frustrated by the lack of media coverage our sport gets in North America. Newspapers barely even whisper race results, let alone any race coverage. Versus TV in the US has been a little better over the past few years thanks in large part to the "Lance Armstrong" effect. But OLN in Canada (a sort-of partner to Versus) has dismal coverage at best. Professional

The Bike Needs To Look Like The Rider - Andy Pruitt

2009-02-17T16:00:00.000-07:00

Dr. Andy Pruitt is the Director of the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine. He has more than 35 years of experience as a specialist in Sports Medicine. He's also one of the world's experts in bike fit.I can attest to getting a proper bike set-up. For years, on my old Cannondale I would develop low back pain after as little as 1.5 hours of riding. When I bought my Cervelo Carbon Soloist, I

Are You Scrubbing Your Arteries Until They're Raw And Inflamed?

2009-02-14T08:00:00.001-07:00

I've read a few descriptions about the ultimate chaos that high blood sugar levels can cause. But none have really said it as well as the following article.The message is so important for everyone to know - us athletes and our families as well.What does it mean specifically for us? Certainly you can be liberal with the carbs immediately before and during your workouts. Just as important, take

FFAST Riding For Endurance Results

2009-02-12T16:00:00.003-07:00

Can you get four hours of riding done in one hour?You can if you time things right. Let me show you how...A basic endurance ride usually lasts three to four hours. But really, it's only during the last hour that your body gets metabolically challenged to make training adaptations. You spend the first couple of hours getting your body into a glycogen-depleted state. At that point, your body is

Svein Tuft - Canada's Most Under-rated Athlete

2009-02-10T16:00:00.001-07:00

And maybe that's the way he wants it. Read the linked New York Times article down below, and I think you'll agree.He's won the silver medal in the Time Trial at the 2008 World Cycling Championships. 7th in the 2008 Olympic Time Trial. Four-time Canadian National Time Trial Champion. 1st overall in the 2007 UCI America Tour as well as the top podium position at the US Open Cycling Championships

Time Efficient Totally Effective Cycling Training Program

2009-01-15T12:00:00.000-07:00

If you put the lives of us modern athletes on the time-line of humanity's existence, we are but an evolutionary blip. Could we have really changed physiologically in the last 1% of our collective existence? There's no rational need to fight evolution.This is the theory behind Paleo Diet For Athletes: A Nutritional Formula for Peak Athletic Performance by Loren Cordain, PhD and Joe Friel, MS. It's

Uggh - I'm Sick!

2009-01-11T16:00:00.002-07:00

Okay, not me, but one of my coaching clients sent me that message. He had one of those heavy, achy, sore throat things happening. As hard-working athletes, we always have our immune systems running on red alert, simply because our training taxes our body systems so much.And if you have young children, and they are experiencing their first year in daycare - BE PREPARED. The first year I had my

Merry Christmas From Your Bicycling Blogger!

2008-12-25T14:00:00.002-07:00

As we finish off 2008, during this festive season, I want to thank all of you, my readers, for staying tuned-in to BicyclingBlogger. You're the reason I'm doing this.I know you've got a choice about whether you read this blog or not. Your continued reading shows you find value here at BicyclingBlogger. So I thank you again for reading. If you really like a post, make sure you bookmark it and let

Tis The Season For Overeating - NOT

2008-12-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

I enjoy the Christmas season. The pace of work slows a bit. Maybe you can take a few quiet days between Christmas and New Year's to finally clean out those Inboxes at work - both the physical box and the e-mail one.I also enjoy all the foods around at this time of year. There's so many tasty morsels everywhere you go. At the office someone is bound to bring in a box of baked goodies - and you

High Intensity Exercise Training For Weight Loss

2008-12-17T16:00:00.000-07:00

As I try to stay warm in our Edmonton winter this year (-16°C right now, mid-day, and dropping) I'm perusing the Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise article database. I know, sounds geeky, but it's what I do to bring you some valuable information you might not otherwise discover.I have found a new report published just this week that supports my approach to training: High Intensity

Open Track

2008-12-13T18:00:00.000-07:00

Note the tag for this post. It's "Open Track".If you've ever been to a track meet at a velodrome, you'll have an idea what it means. During a meet there will usually be some periods of time between events when the track is open for everyone to ride. Time to spin, do some sprint starts, cruise at pursuit speed. Anything, so long as you mind the others sharing the track.Warning: Open Track Might

Your Resistance Training Program Only Needs 5 Exercises

2008-12-02T10:00:00.001-07:00

All cyclists will benefit from adding a resistance training program to their overall training plans. But you don't need to spend much more than an hour in the gym for each session. And there are certain exercises that as cyclists, you can avoid - they simply waste your time (like leg extensions, hamstring curls, and calf raises to name just a few).A High Five For Multi-Joint SuccessYou need to