Bicycling Blogger

Failure Is Not A Finish Line

2022-03-07T10:29:00.004-07:00

Photo by the blowup on Unsplash Maybe the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing were the most fake Olympic Games in history. The outdoor events were taking place on almost 100% artificial snow. China had filled some of their teams with “citizen-ized” North Americans who couldn’t (or wouldn't) make their own national teams…But for those athletes that were competing for binary win-versus-lose results,

Sleep Is Your Superpower

2021-11-07T18:33:00.005-07:00

Photo by Alexander Possingham on Unsplash The clocks they are a-changing.Sorry Bob Dylan. That’s not quite what you sang.With the clocks changing this weekend, it's a prime time to look at your sleep. Is it working for you and supporting your Epic Cycling Lifestyle?If you've worked with me one-one-one you know I always say get your sleep habits dialed-in.

2021-10-16T12:11:00.001-06:00

The Pause That RefreshesCoke had an ad campaign that first appeared nearly 100 years ago. It was the late 1920s and the American economy was cratering … Hmm, does history repeat? The Spanish Flu epidemic was also coincidentally 100 years ago.Coke wanted an ad campaign to make itself appealing when people were struggling. Their "modern” life was getting busier. Getting ahead was becoming

Create Your Own COVID-Crusher Cycling Event

2020-05-26T11:33:00.000-06:00

Photo by Holly Chisholm on Unsplash Hopefully the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic will soon be behind us. But for now, we're in the miserable middle of it all. We're experiencing everything so close up in such detail that it's easy to lose sight of the big picture. Let’s find ways to get through this crisis. Be a helper for those that need it. Hold the long term purpose in mind:

Lean Into Your Physical Distancing

2020-04-13T18:08:00.000-06:00

It’s clear. Physical distancing is the new way of life. For now. Let’s accept it and lean into it. Let’s not pretend it’ll be easy, or in any way natural. This is not the way we and our society around us have evolved to get along. But it’s possible to cope if you set your mind to it.Here's one way to look at it, through the lens of the endurance athlete that you are.I have an acronym I use for my

Connected and Apart

2019-09-13T19:38:00.287-06:00

Sena R1 Bicycling Helmets Perfect for Cycling CouplesRecently Mrs. Bicycling Blogger and myself celebrated our 30th anniversary by joining a wine, food and cycling trip through Tuscany, Italy. What a fantastic way to celebrate our milestone anniversary!Now, not every couple will be riding rolling terrain anywhere in the world - let alone the beautiful Tuscan hills - at the same side-by-side speed

24 Astounding Tour de France Numbers

2019-07-05T04:00:00.000-06:00

The 106th edition of Le Tour de France starts Saturday, July 6th. Riding hard, day after day, for three weeks is no easy task. Racing everyday for those three weeks is life-changing. They say a rider who completes all 21 stages makes life-long changes to their physiology. Beyond making it through, over time racers have created astounding numbers. Knowing some will make Le Tour more

What are Soigneurs?

2019-06-07T18:41:00.001-06:00

Soigneur is a strange-looking French word. It’s roughly pronounced “swan-YER.” And sometimes, just “swannie.” A near English translation is “caretaker.” When we were children our parents were our swannies. They cooked for us, washed us, drove us where we needed to be. Pro cycling teams have a staff of swannies that take care of the riders in similar ways. They often sign-on as massage

When Failure is Progress

2019-04-15T07:55:00.000-06:00

I was riding some Maximum Aerobic Power (MAP) intervals the other day. These suckers are hard, executed around 110% to 112% of Functional Threshold Power (FTP). The intervals were 3mins each. The first two were super hard. 9/10 Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) hard. But I got through them. My third one wasn’t so pretty. At 2mins my legs were hitting the wall. Technicolor EXPLOSIONS! My

Cannabis and the Canadian Athlete

2018-10-19T12:49:00.000-06:00

© Oren neu dag Dateline October 17, 2018, nationwide, Canada. Cannabis Enters the National Realm of Legality Society hasn't fallen apart. I'm sure there will be no lost generations. Unless you've been living under a rock of denial, marijuana is used around the world already. The majority of users aren't hapless flakes. But with criminal risks of buying and possessing pot now eliminated

Peter Sagan Is a Smart RIDER!

2018-08-24T13:54:00.000-06:00

I have a RIDER code of conduct. I use it myself, and expect all the athletes I coach to follow it too. Are You A Smart RIDER? A Smart RIDER is one of those truly dedicated Cyclists who demonstrates: R = Respect I = Initiative D = Determination E = Enthusiasm R = Reliability If you want to maximize your potential in Cycling, then you must be true to the RIDER philosophy. Undeniably, Peter

Tuesday Night Crit Racing Returns to Edmonton!

2018-06-27T14:17:00.000-06:00

After too many years, Tuesday night criterium racing returned to Edmonton on June 26, 2018. Late in the afternoon, the darkening skies looked ready to cry their rainy eyes out on the event. It was nearly cancelled. Dedicated cyclists don't often stop for rain. They train and race right through. But a car racing cicuit like Castrol Raceway wouldn't be safe to ride when wet. All the tire rubber

FFAST Riding for Endurance Results

2016-11-29T21:26:00.000-07:00

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 it's only during the last hour that your metabolism gets challenged to adapt. You spend the first couple of hours getting your body into a glycogen-depleted state. At that point, your body is forced to

Product Review: Trekz Titanium Bone Conduction Headphones • No Ears Required

2016-05-24T16:00:00.000-06:00

Listening to a portable device while riding is not without controversy. Many people question the safety of not hearing cars coming up from behind. In my 10+ years of experience riding while listening, I've never had that problem. With or without headphones, I hear traffic as it arrives over my left shoulder. Keeping myself safe means being a predictable rider … on the shoulder of the road. My

Say No to Ice for Injuries or Recovery

2016-04-21T12:11:00.000-06:00

This is no longer a good idea! Recently I suffered a soft-tissue injury to my knee. During the start of a sprint interval, my chain dropped. As I lurched forward, my right knee rose hard and fast into my handlebars. Luckily I kept upright, sitting on my top tube as I slowed to a stop. But my right vastus medialis became badly bruised. I felt it during every pedal stroke. As with most elite

Book Review: The Endurance Handbook

2015-11-28T10:00:00.000-07:00