TRAINING SCHEDULE FOR 27–35 MILES

By Coach Mark Alderdice, CTS Performance Center

Main features of the course: The 30-mile course begins with approximately 10 miles of flat to slightly downhill riding to the junction of Snowmass Creek and Capitol Creek Roads. Here you begin 3.5 miles of gradual climbing to the turnaround point at the Monastery, followed by a fun downhill section all the way back to the Snowmass Conoco. From here, it’s about 8-miles of flat to slightly uphill riding, to the Woody Creek Tavern. (Some of you may wish to finish your ride at the raucous aid station at the Tavern) or to challenge yourself to a short but steep climb from the Woody Creek Bridge up past W/J Ranch to McLain Flats (aka Heartbreak or Heart Attack Hill). Despite the threatening names, the hill is only 0.7 miles long with a slight break about half way up. Include plenty of hills in your training and you’ll be fine. Once you tackle this, the only remaining challenge is the short climb up Cemetery Lane, which is nothing compared to what you have just done. From the top of Cemetery Lane, it’s a short, easy stroll to the finish at Paepke Park. 

Some suggestions as to where to train.

It doesn’t matter exactly where you do your training rides, getting the miles into your legs is what’s important. Below are some ideas for training rides that are close to the distances suggested in the chart above. Some of these routes include sections of the course, some are totally separate. Distances given are based on Koch Park as the start/finish. Some of the suggested rides, although shorter in distance, are actually harder than the event itself, but that’s ok, it’s all good training. The difficulty ratings are relative to the 35 mile course itself.

• 10 miles: from town, towards Independence Pass as far as the gate, and back (moderately challenging).

• 15 miles: Woody Creek Tavern and back (challenging—approx 13 miles so maybe continue on a little past the Tavern; try to include this ride a few times in order to familiarize with W/J hill).

• 20 miles:
   1. Maroon Bells and back (challenging)
   2. Lincoln Creek Rd and back (very challenging).

• 25 miles: Ashcroft and back (challenging—24.5 miles if you turn around at the town of Ashcroft; approximately 28 miles if you continue to the Pine Creek Cookhouse).

• 30 miles:  from town, McLain Flats Road, past the Woody Creek Tavern, turn around at the Snowmass Conoco (they have good food here, so maybe make it a lunch stop) and back to town the same way that you came. This represents a similar level of difficulty to the Ride itself—it’s a good one to do the weekend before.

Intensity of the workouts:

What is suggested here represents a basic approach to training that involves gradually building up the mileage and enough hill training to prepare your body for the demands of the course. In a more complex training plan, I would specify a number of different types of interval workouts, each with appropriate intensity levels, expressed in terms of heart rate or power output. As there are no intervals included in this plan, there are really only two levels of intensity that need to be considered: 

• Endurance Miles (EM). The bulk of your training should be at this intensity. EM workouts focus on building your aerobic capacity and thus your ability to ride further and further. This is the pace at which you will ride during the event. You should be able to talk while riding at this pace, but it should not be overly slow. For those who are used to training with a heart rate monitor, try to stay between 70 and 85% of your maximum heart rate (HR), most of the time. This will allow you to ride without accumulating lactate in the muscles. If occasionally your HR rises above 85%, eg on a hill, it’s ok. In general though, use your low gears to keep your HR within this range. Try to maintain cadence around 80 to 95 rpm.

• Recovery Miles (RM). As this plan includes only 3 rides per week, I have not included any recovery rides, and it is assumed that all of your riding will be at the EM intensity. I will leave it to you to schedule such rides if, and when, you see fit.  The idea of recovery rides is that riding at an easy pace, in an easy gear, preferably on flat terrain, will speed the process of repair and regeneration, allowing you to recover faster than if you just rested completely.  In a more extensive plan it is common to include recovery rides on the days following hard workouts. If you have the time, try to include some of these rides in your training, especially on the day after your long ride of the week. Or, on days when you may not feel up to completing your scheduled ride, do a shorter ride at RM pace instead. It’s a lot better than not riding at all.  Keep your pedal speed slower than normal, staying in a light gear to keep resistance low. Heart rate must also remain low even if you hit any hills, just slow down and use your easiest gears. These should be short, fun rides. 30 minutes is plenty. Don’t worry if it feels too easy, that’s exactly the goal. You can do it on your town bike as you grab some lunch or run errands, or on a Spinning bike at the gym. Just remember to take it easy or you’ll defeat the purpose of the exercise.

Notes:

• Week 4 is a recovery week where total mileage is intentionally reduced. Don’t be tempted to train hard during this week. This will give your body a chance to recover and adapt to the training stresses of the previous weeks.

• Hill training. In an effort to keep the plan simple, no specific hill workouts have been included. If you do your training rides in the Aspen area you will have no trouble including enough hill training, especially if you follow my suggestions for where to actually ride. If you are training elsewhere then try to plan your rides to include some challenging hills at least once or twice a week.

• You don't necessarily have to follow this schedule to the letter. If you have to switch the workouts around to be able to get the weekly mileage in, do it! For example, if your time during the week is limited, adjust the schedule so you do one mid-week ride and two rides on the weekend.

FOOD FOR FITNESS: EAT RIGHT TO TRAIN RIGHT

Chris Carmichael has a new book out. Food For Fitness provides athletes and all active people with the tools and step-by-step nutritional program to improve your performance, achieve your optimal weight, and support your active lifestyle. If you're confused how the current low-carb frenzy affects you as an athlete, you need this book. This nutrition plan keeps Lance Armstrong ahead of the pack, and it will do the same for you.

WE HAVE CERTIFIED NUTRITIONISTS AND COACHES WHO CAN HELP YOU WITH ALL YOUR FITNESS AND TRAINING NEEDS. CONTACT US AT (970) 544 5035 OR GO TO OUR WEBSITE AT trainright.com

Here are some reviews:

Eat Right to Train Right
by: Ian Melvin from www.roadcycling.com

As cyclists we spend hours reading through our favorite magazines for the latest bikes and trick kit in the search of propelling ourselves just that little bit faster. Maybe we want to win our local road race, maybe it’s just beating our club mates to the local coffee shop, what ever our race, we’re always looking for that extra edge. One thing often overlooked or rather eagerly dismissed is the role that nutrition can play in helping us in this quest. One more slice of your favorite cake, just another beer; surely it won’t matter? The problem facing athletes of all disciplines is distinguishing between the age-old myths; the tabloid endorsed ‘Hollywood’ diets and, those few facts that are actually relevant to us.

So what should you eat? How much should you eat? When should you eat it? How on earth should you cook it? Lance Armstrong’s coach and Director of Carmichael Training Systems, Chris Carmichael, has laid down the answers to these questions and many more in his latest book: Chris Carmichael’s Food for Fitness: Eat Right to Train Right. The book is crammed with almost 400 pages of nutritional do’s and don’ts and athlete friendly recipes.

By now, most of us are aware of the term periodized training. What the guys at CTS have come up with is a way to adjust both quantity and also the make up of your fuel to coincide with the adjustments in your training program as you go from burning off the excess Christmas turkey to finding your full fighting weight in the peak of your season. Welcome to the concept of periodizing nutrition. Carmichael explains in detail how during the stages of your season, your intake of carbohydrate, protein and fat should change to mirror the demands of your cycling, helping you to perform and recover better than ever before. A full chapter explains at length how the system works and complimentary tables help to show you what percentage of each food group you should be consuming at any given time.

The book discusses in detail each of the major food groups, vitamins and minerals and, the essential role that hydration plays in your performance. Quite literally the reader is exposed to the good, the bad and the ugly of nutrition. Unlike many other sources this book realizes that not everybody’s demands are equal and individual chapters are dedicated to Adolescent, Female and Older athletes.

Drawing on his experience as a rider and coach, Carmichael advises on preparing your pre and post training/race food and drink as well as ideas to maintaining your fuel levels when your biggest concern is just holding that wheel in front as the peloton snakes along another open wind swept road. We’ve all seen the high-energy bars and glucose drinks in the shiny packs. Which is the best for you? What does the job and which is simply a fancy marketing campaign? Included in the recipes at the back of the book are some fantastic snacks, which you may just want to try out before spending half of your next pay cheque on an assortment of these pre-packed culinary delights.

All cyclists spend time away from home. A race trip here, a long weekend there with a few mates riding around your favorite area? We don’t need an excuse; riding your bike in areas new is part of the beauty of our sport unparalleled freedom on two wheels. Unfortunately, this freedom comes with the price of being away from the confines of your own kitchen. Knowing what to look for in the local deli counter or what to order from the local restaurant could be the difference between a good ride the following day or the delight that all cyclists have endured at some stage the bonk. Carmichael selects a number of options for you to check out and is realistic enough to realize that sometime, there’s nothing else to do but go and grab a McDonalds—just in case you don’t get around to reading the book, the Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad is your best option!

Parts of the book delve a little deeper into certain aspects of sports nutrition, which may put some readers off. "Just show me how to eat to win!" they cry! The good news is that these sections are certainly few and far between and the book is written in such easy to handle chunks, that it really is quite feasible to read a few pages at a time and not lose the flow. All athletes, what ever their standard, should be aware of the importance that self-education can play in all aspects of their performance and recovery; this book will certainly help them and you to grasp the essentials of nutrition.

Overall, the book is a great read and what ever your level, what ever your race, you will benefit from reading this book. You never know, it might just help you to go and win that race?

Chris Carmichael's Food for Fitness: Eat Right to Train Right
by: Publishers Weekly

Marathon runners, triathletes, long-distance runners, bicyclists and other very active adults are "a minority group living in a society struggling to cope with the serious health issues." America's current focus on low-carb dieting is of no concern to them, but there are scant resources available to guide them through the morass of protein intake, hydration and carb-loading. With this comprehensive resource for fueling active bodies, Carmichael fills a much-needed gap. The author, Lance Armstrong's coach for 14 years, insists he doesn't want readers to eat calories to specifically balance out the energy they expend. Rather, they'd do well to follow his in-depth program, which matches activity with food by periods, breaking the year into four big segments: foundation, preparation, specialization, and transition. The amount of energy you burn changes as you go through weeks, month and a year of training, and eating the same basic number of calories all year results in over- and under-eating during certain months. It's a perfectly commonsense method, and Carmichael expounds upon it with charts and graphics that give facts on everything from sources of calcium to high-quality grains and cereals. Although the quantity of information can be dizzying, persistent and diligent elite athletes will come away from this book with plenty of ideas on how food can help them excel. (Aug.)

Chris Carmichael’s Food for Fitness: Eat Right to Train Right
by Stephen W. Medcroft from Bike.com

We all know how important nutrition is to cyclists. We knew it the first time we bonked or the first time we limped the last five miles of a ride dreaming about every food item waiting at home. We knew it the first time a PowerBar made it possible to complete a multi-hour ride without bonking.

But proper nutrition for cyclists is more than just knowing how to load up on pasta the night before a ride or understanding how many Clif Shots to consume per hour on the bike.

There’s so much information about diet and nutrition, it seems as if we’re obsessed beyond anything else. Thousands of books and products tell you they are the ultimate reference. But sports nutrition is a complex and ever-changing science. The proven knowledge and experience of the past is constantly challenged with the thought and ingenuity of new ideas.

As a cyclist, how do you wade through the clutter to obtain information about food and nutrition that’s relative and meaningful? One way is to turn to Chris Carmichael’s Food for Fitness: Eat Right to Train Right by ubercoach Chris Carmichael, co-written with Carmichael Training System’s Jim Rutberg and Kathy Zawadzki, who collaborated on Carmichael’s training book, The Ultimate Ride: Get Fit, Get Fast, and Start Winning With the World's Top Cycling Coach. Food for Fitness, an almost 400-page treatise on nutrition for cycling, could be everything you need to break through the next physical plateau.

Food is Fuel

The basic philosophy of the book is that food is fuel that can be defined, measured, and managed to benefit cyclists in ways never before achieved. In the foreword, Lance Armstrong writes that "I paid little attention to what I ate when I started out… the biggest lesson I’ve learned about sports nutrition is that paying attention to it can make your dreams come true, and neglecting it can be your undoing."

What you eat, drink, and take are the elemental building blocks that will be used by your body to create the muscle and tissue you need to be effective. Put in bad fuel and your body has inferior raw material to work with. Put in the wrong kind of good fuel and your body lacks all the elements it needs to construct the greatest whole. Fuel yourself properly, and you just might get the absolute most out of what genetics has blessed you with; it’s that critical of a science to understand as an athlete.

I like many things about this book. One in particular is the way Food for Fitness debunks the idea that nutrition is a static concept. Many of us, even those who think they know a little about eating healthy, have been taught globalisms about nutrition: eat pasta, lean proteins, whole grains, vegetables and organic foods; avoid saturated fats, glutens, sugar, and caffeine. But Carmichael says you can’t take a straight-line approach to nutrition when, throughout a normal training season, you’re putting different kinds of demands on your system.

He says your nutrition needs to change with your workload since different fuels are suited to different kinds of work. It’s a concept born out of the principle of food as fuel and is a complement to Carmichael’s complete training system, which uses the now widely accepted principles of specialized training blocks and cycles to bring an athlete to a physical peak for competition.

For example, when athletes move into specialized periods of training, "High intensity training and participation in goal events require a lot of carbohydrates for fuel, and the workouts during this period will burn through your glycogen stores faster than during any other portion of the year. This increases the importance of protein… there is a lot of muscle repair going on."

Another thing I like about the book is how Carmichael takes time to work out the different nutritional needs people besides just the Lances of the world. He recommends, “During pregnancy, you need only 300 or so extra calories a day, a bit fewer during the first trimester… When a woman continues to exercise (during pregnancy), she needs to pay even more attention to her dietary intake.” Besides offering sage advice for pregnancy and nutrition, Food for Fitness also includes sections for active teens, female athletes, older athletes as well as information on eating disorders and how to eat if you’re spending too much time on the road.

The Low-carb Confusion

Although the Atkins diet has become a national craze, it is the anti-cyclist diet, robbing us of everything that is good fuel for cycling. (The Atkins diet calls for eschewing almost all carbohydrates, allowing your body to burn off excess fat stores and lose weight. Although I have several friends for whom this has worked swimmingly, I know twice as many people who have bounced off Atkins only to see the fat return at an alarming pace.) It’s a terrible concept for an endurance athlete, whose metabolization of carbohydrates is one of the absolute keys to sustaining and fueling the effort of our sports. Carmichael takes Atkins (although he refers to the concept as “low-carb diets”—better to avoid litigation) head on.

He says that low-carb diets "...were devised to help overweight and obese people lose body mass in order to improve their health... You, the athletic community, were not the audience those diets were targeting... Not only do power, endurance, stamina, and strength decrease as a result of glycogen depletion; athletes sometimes feel nauseous, dizzy, and/or lightheaded... Athletes participating in low-carb diets bonk much earlier than normal because they start workouts glycogen-depleted. As a result, they have far less fuel than they need to supply energy for muscles and their central nervous system." He also details the other nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and fiber that athletes miss when not consuming healthy carbs.

Carmichael lays out an entire meal plan instead, showing you what to eat, when and why. Besides advice about the proper foods for delivering nutrition throughout every section of the book, there are 70 pages of recipes indexed with their carb-protein-fat ratios and calories to accompany a core theme of Carmichael’s plan to balance the intake of fuel against the work performed. The tuna burger is pretty good but I think my favorite has to be the Seriously Filling Strawberry Oatmeal Breakfast Smoothie. (Oh yeah.)

The Bottom Line

Not many people are as qualified as Carmichael to deliver a nutritional message to cyclists. Although his principle mantle of fame is as Armstrong’s coach, Carmichael was an accomplished athlete, has been involved with USA Cycling and was instrumental in past U.S. Olympic successes. His coaching franchise, Carmichael Training Systems, is a global enterprise that provides coaching and training science to endurance athletes of all walks.

Food for Fitness is the sixth book to carry Carmichael’s name and another great resource for cyclists looking to intelligently improve themselves. Buy it if you know that lack of proper nutrition is holding you back, or if you just want to learn how to incorporate solid nutritional science and thinking into your everyday life. 

LOOKING INSIDE THE BOTTLES

Written by: Chris Carmichael

With the temperatures rising in southern France, hydration is going to become a serious issue in the next few days of racing. The best preparation in the world is no match for the damage that can be caused by dehydration. If there’s one thing that can stop a potential Tour de France champion in his tracks, it’s running low on fluids. What you drink, however, is just as important as how much you consume.

The science of sports drinks has come a long way in the past twenty years. Instead of simply mixing sugar and salt into water and hoping for a good result, modern sports drinks are carefully formulated to deliver carbohydrate and electrolytes in the most efficient manner possible.

When you mix a sports drink too strong, or the carbohydrate content of the drink is too high, it takes longer for your body to move the drink out of your stomach and into the small intestine, where the majority of digestion and absorption occur. The same is true if the concentration of sodium and other electrolytes is either too high or too low. Most sports scientists and drink manufacturers agree that a 6-8% carbohydrate solution leads to fast absorption of carbohydrate and fluid. If you follow the directions when mixing a sports drink, the carbohydrate concentration will fall within that range. Incorrect mixing, or adding more powder to get a little more carbohydrate, may actually slow the absorption of both fluids and energy.

Taste is another reason to mix sports drinks correctly. During the process of developing the formula for PowerBar Endurance, CTS coaches and I found that when drinks are too sweet or the taste is too strong, athletes stop drinking earlier than when the taste is lighter. This has important implications for riders at the Tour de France because they need to consume at least two bottles per hour while on the bike. If the taste of the drink is just right, they will consume more fluid each time they grab the bottle, which leads to a greater total fluid consumption over the course of the stage. When they’re losing as much as 1.5 liters of fluid per hour due to sweat, getting someone to drink more during a stage can drastically improve their performance.

What about plain water? About half the fluids a Tour rider consumes on the bike is plain water, and the other half is sports drink. The sports drink, besides delivering energy, replenishes electrolytes lost in sweat. Were riders to drink only water for the duration of a stage, they would risk running low on electrolytes. Since the nervous system relies on electrolytes like sodium and potassium to conduct nerve impulses, running low on electrolytes can have significant effects on performance. However, even if you consume only water, the risks of hyponatremia (water intoxication) are relatively small, especially considering the amount of food the riders eat during the stage. Besides the physiological impact of consuming a mixture of sports drinks and water while racing, riders just don’t want to drink sports drink in every bottle they take.

The riders in the Tour de France, even riders on the same team, drink a variety of different sports drinks because they have each found the one that works best for them. That said, there’s often no time to be picky when you’re getting bottles from the car or from a teammate. The right drink for you is the one that tastes good to you when it is mixed correctly. If you have to dilute your sports drink in order to tolerate it when you work out, you’re not getting the best performance from the drink, and it’s not helping you achieve your best performance.

© 2004, Carmichael Training Systems, Inc.
THE 2004 ASPEN – SNOWMASS RIDE FOR THE CURE MAY NOT  EXACTLY BE THE TOUR DE FRANCE, HOWEVER, ADEQUATE HYDRATION IS STILL EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
FOR FURTHER NUTRITIONAL OR TRAINING ADVICE PLEASE GO TO
trainright.com

PROPER STRETCHING CAN MAKE YOU RIDE FASTER AND FURTHER

By Jeff Nachtigal

What’s the first thing a cat does when it wakes up? It stretches out as far as it can.

Cats instinctively stretch all the time, and for good reason. By keeping muscles loose and limber, a cat is ready to jump at any moment.

While you might not have to chase squirrels up trees, you probably will have to jump out of your saddle to accelerate. Cyclists can learn a thing or two from our feline friends about flexibility, which keeps riding muscles healthy and much more efficient.

But stretching doesn’t mean a couple deep-knee bends and a set of jumping jacks, despite what your high school coach might have prescribed.

Stretching is easy, but when it is done incorrectly, it can actually do more harm than good, writes Bob Anderson in his definitive book, Stretching. For this reason it is essential to understand the right techniques.

Like any type of training, stretching takes time and patience to achieve results. Unlike racing, it isn’t hard to learn stretching basics.

The biggest step is stretching regularly. A regular routine will yield improved flexibility, not too mention that you’ll feel less resistance while pedaling, be more comfortable on technical mountain bike sections, feel better while tucked into an aero position, and able to avoid soft-tissue injuries.

When to stretch
Muscles don’t like to be worked out before they’re warm, and the same goes for stretching. Just as you wouldn’t do a set of interval efforts without a warm-up, don’t stretch cold.

Make sure your muscles are warm before you stretch. That often means riding easily for a few minutes and then stopping to stretch, or doing a quick self-massage before stretching.

The best way to spot a beginner is to watch them stretch before a race or ride when they’re still cold. They pull really hard, bobbing as they hold a muscle taut for a scant few seconds. Don’t imitate this.

Stretching is a workout for your muscles, not a warm up. The best time for a full stretch is after a ride or workout, not before.

Many people make the mistake of stretching to warm up, but cold muscle stretching is likely to do more damage than good, by producing small tears in the muscles. Any stretching prior to exercise should be very gentle - your aim is to s-l-o-w-l-y elongate the muscle, not yank it fast.

Avoiding injury
It’s easy to pooh-pooh stretching and skip it when you’re running late, or only stretch now and then. This is a mistake. Most cycling injuries start out due to tight muscles.

One of the most common, tendonitis, can largely be avoided by maintaining good flexibility. It’s too late to start stretching once you’ve hurt yourself - the few extra minutes it takes to stretch in comparison to your hours-long ride is well worth the time.

Stretching is a huge part of staying healthy, writes professional mountain biker phenom Matt Kelly in Velonews.

My dad’s been telling me for years to stretch more, and not listening to him almost made me miss cyclocross world’s last year, because my back was strained - something I could have prevented with stretching.

While you stretch
Don’t let your body take over. Your muscles will naturally take the path of least resistance to deflect away from a stretch.
Even though you might be in good position, a muscle deflection means that you don’t get a good stretch on the specific muscles you’re trying to work. For example, when you do a simple bent-over hamstring stretch and try to touch the ground with your hands, your knees naturally bend forward, compensating for the stretch you’re asking your hamstrings to do.

Some knee bend is ok, but at a point you stop working your hamstrings by allowing your knees to take over and bend out too far.

Your hips are also a major deflection culprit because they have so many ways to rotate.

Example: When you pull your leg back to stretch your quadriceps; don’t let your hips push out, which dissipates the muscle stretch and does very little for your legs.  Instead, focus on isolating the muscles you’re working by maintaining proper alignment and balance.

Breathe! You’ll find that by taking slow, deep breaths, your stretch will be much better.

As you breathe, your muscles will elongate due to the increased oxygen running to them. It’s natural to try to hold your breath while you stretch, and it sometimes takes conscious thought to overcome.

Stretch regularly
You’ll find that the cumulative affects of stretching add up, just as if you were visiting the weight room or doing hill repeats on a regular basis.

And like the weights, it’s important to stretch the same muscles more than once. Plan to do three complete sets, with the first an easy warm-up; then gently increase the stretches, holding them deeper and longer on the next two. You’ll find that you have more flexibility after the first round.

Consider taking a yoga class for advanced stretching techniques. A class allows you to focus your full attention on stretching (typically for an hour), instead of the typical “stretch fast, gotta ride” mentality every cyclist is guilty of at one time or another.

Stretching (Shelter Publications) has sold more than 2 million copies in nine languages since it was originally published 1975.

The book organizes stretches into specific sports and muscle groups, which makes it easy to identify new muscle aches that need attention. Anderson - also known as the Sultan of Stretch- is a Colorado mountain biker.

You can order Stretching at: www.stretching.com.

Get with the program: a series of cycling stretches
There are many types of stretches and most are good, if done correctly. The main cycling stretches focus on the lower body.

Reading a stretching manual or following an experienced person is the best way to learn the best form.

"Even if you're obsessed with cycling, you still do more than ride, Anderson writes. If you run, play other sports, or just sit at a desk all day, stretching helps protect you from injury and dissipates tension, says Bob Anderson in his definitive book, Stretching.

Calves
Standing with your feet pointed straight ahead, step forward with your right leg and bend your knee, keeping your left foot firmly planted on the ground behind you.

Keep your upper-body erect and drop your hips forward until you feel the stretch in your calf (don’t bend over at the waist ( use your hips to move) Hold for 15-30 seconds, then rotate.

Quadriceps
Standing, reach back with your right hand and grab your right foot at the top of the ankle, and pull up towards your butt.

The quads are the biggest cycling muscle, and deserve a very slow stretch, careful not to pull too hard too fast. Hold for 15-30 seconds, then rotate legs.

Quick tip: Heighten the stretch by tightening your butt muscles.

Ilio-tibial (IT) Band
The IT Band runs down the side of your leg and helps in balance and control; the section of this band that affects cyclists is between the hip and knee.

A tight or inflamed IT band can cause tendonitis or knee alignment issues.

Stretch from a sitting position: cross the left leg across the right knee and gently push down on the left knee. You should feel the stretch on the outside of your leg. Hold for 15-30 seconds, then rotate.

Hamstrings
The pedaling motion develops short and powerful hamstrings. Unlike running, which lengthens hamstrings, cyclists are prone to tightness in these muscles. This is why your "hams" might ache if you're a cyclist who runs on occasion.

This makes it very important to stretch hamstrings slowly and carefully.

Standing, bend over at the waist and let your arms dangle toward the ground, letting the knees bend slightly outward. This stretch benefits greatly from deep, steady breathing - you’ll find that you can touch the ground after several slow, deep breaths.

Gluteus
The butt muscles are perhaps the most oft-overlooked muscles in cycling stretching.

From a cross-legged sitting position on the floor, angle your left leg over the right and plant left foot next to right knee, so your left leg forms a triangle.

Grasp the front of your left knee and lean forward, careful to keep your back straight. Feel the stretch along your left hamstring. This releases the piriformis, a connecting muscle that often tightens after sitting on a saddle. Perform this stretch with both legs.

Neck and shoulders

Checking for traffic and other riders behind you is where the neck muscles come into play.

Standing, gently roll your head in a circle several times, then rotate directions. Shrug your shoulders upwards and hold for five seconds. Repeat several times.

Body core
Your trunk of abdomen and back muscles are the support system for your legs as they pedal.

The best stretch is actually doing crunches or back extensions to help strengthen these varied muscles.

You can do a simple back twist from the gluteus-stretch position, by twisting your trunk to look behind, one side and then the other. Feel the stretch in your abdomen.

 FOR MORE ADVICE ON PREPARING FOR THE RIDE FOR THE CURE, A PERSONALIZED TRAINING PROGRAM, NUTRITIONAL GUIDANCE, BIKE FITTING AND MORE, GO TO: trainright.com 

GET ON UP: FIVE WAYS FOR CYCLISTS TO IMPROVE THEIR CLIMBING

By Edmund R. Burke, Ph.D.

If you watch the best climbers in the world, you begin to notice that they are small in stature, try to keep their bikes and components as light as possible and pay close attention to their gearing and position on the bike while climbing. Here are some key points I have learned from some top cyclists over the years to help improve your climbing performance.

Reduce the weight of your bike
Climbing is mainly a fight against your weight and the weight of your equipment, so anything you do to reduce the weight of your equipment will make hills easier.
For example, replacing your gel-padded saddle with a titanium-rail light saddle model saves about half a pound. Replacing both hubs' steel quick-release skewers with alloy or titanium versions spares about three ounces. Having your next pair of wheels built with alloy spoke nipples rather than brass will save several ounces, and you can also choose lighter rims, spokes, and tires if your weight and road conditions.
And, of course, remove any unnecessary equipment from your bike before a hilly ride.

Reduce the weight of yourself
The easiest way to increase aerobic power is to decrease body weight. To illustrate how lightness can improve climbing speed, Chester Kyle, Ph.D., created a computer model that he reported in my book High Tech Cycling.
It consisted of a course with a steep one-mile climb (10 percent slope) followed by a mile-long descent. The model showed that a rider/bike weighing 180 pounds finished 22 seconds ahead of one 6 pounds heavier, which equates to a distance of about 300 feet. Even on a milder 4 percent slope, the advantage was 170 feet at the top of the climb.

Climb in low gears
This is especially important on long hills. By starting the ascent in a gear that lets you spin lightly, your muscles will be spared for the harder work ahead. Maintain a good cadence in the same gear, or shift to the next higher one and really make time.
Meanwhile, those who begin climbing in a relatively high gear will fatigue and start reaching for an easier gear, and seem to be going backward as you spin by. If necessary, change your 23-tooth cog to a 26 or 27 for rides with plenty of hills.
In addition, everyone who does not race should consider a triple chainring instead of a double chainring combination.

Shift up when you stand up
Because you can't pedal as fast when standing, shift to the next higher gear (smaller rear cog) on the stroke before you rise from the saddle. Your speed won't decrease much as your cadence slows.
Conversely, shift to the next lower gear (larger cog) on the first stroke after sitting. Your faster cadence in the easier gear will maintain your speed.

Sit as long as possible
On all but short and steep hills you will climb faster and more efficiently if you stay in the saddle. Standing makes your legs, arms and back work extra to support your body, and this increases use of oxygen and energy.
However, a few strokes out of the saddle can help relieve muscle fatigue in the midst of a long hill, and on steep pitches you may need to stand to keep the crank turning. But when given the choice, stay seated. 

WE CAN HELP YOU BECOME A BETTER CLIMBER THROUGH ON-THE-BIKE INSTRUCTION, NUTRITIONAL COUNSELING OR A PERSONALIZED TRAINING PROGRAM DESIGNED TO INCREASE  YOUR CLIMBING POWER.

PLEASE GO TO OUR WEBSITE: trainright.com  OR CALL 970.544.5035.

HOW “NET CARBS” CAN HURT ATHLETES

Written by Ashley Kipp, CTS Expert Coach, USAC Cycling Expert Coach

Over the past several decades, American weight loss trends have shifted from low-fat, low-calorie, to the strict regimens of the “Grapefruit Diet” or the “Cabbage Diet,” to the current miracles of the “low-carb” diet. Recently, it seems like everything revolves around controlling carbohydrates, and athletes are getting caught up in the frenzy. What athletes often fail to realize is that low-carb diets were designed for significantly overweight, sedentary people; they were not designed to supply the nutrition active people need to support exercise and training. While small ‘net carb’ numbers are welcomed by low-carb fanatics, athletes should regard these same numbers as energy that’s been stolen from them.

Grocery store aisles are lined with low-carb snack bars, low-carb breads, and even low-carb catsup. Honestly, if someone is eating enough catsup to be worried about its overall contribution to their carbohydrate intake, there are probably some other eating habits that need to be addressed. Fast food chains have also embraced the fixation with bashing carbohydrates. Low-carb burgers without buns and low-carb sausage, egg, and cheese breakfast bowls fill television and billboard advertisements day after day. For most people, in an examination of the connection between extra body weight and frequent consumption of fast food hamburgers, it’s not the bun that’s the problem.

The claims that backers of the low-carb diet trend are taking are that sugar and refined carbohydrates (like bread, pasta, rice, and cereal) increase the body’s production of insulin and thus promote body fat storage. Further statements argue that the insulin “spike” caused by carbohydrates eventually causes “insulin disorders” which greatly increases the risk of obesity, coronary heart disease, and diabetes. Low-carb diets are based on the goal of eliminating the blood sugar “spikes” that supposedly lead to and cause insulin mediated storage of carbohydrates as body fat.

What Is a ‘Net Carb’ Anyway?
In an effort to reduce the amount of carbs that are reported on product package labels, manufacturers have come up with the term: ‘Net Carbs.’ What this refers to is the number of total carbohydrates in a serving size of a product, minus the fiber content of the food exceeding 5 grams per serving, and also minus the sugar alcohols that are said to have little or no effect on blood sugar. Because fiber is generally indigestible and sugar alcohols (hydrogenated chemicals designed to compensate for the bulk missing from the lack of carbohydrates in the product) are not absorbed very well, manufacturers do not report these numbers as “impact” or ‘net carbs.’ It would seem that the solution to weight loss is easy…consume food that is not digestible.

Where Do the Carbs Go?
The truth, though, about low-carb assertions, is much more complicated and entirely realistic. The term ‘net carbs’ is really just creative marketing terminology used to sell popular and pleasantly textured and flavored foods as “low-carb.” The FDA requires no testing or regulation of foods marketed with these terms and does not approve the expression. In fact, there are also dangers associated with some low-carb foods, due to the way manufacturers produce them. The artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols that are used to replace the original carbohydrate content in the foods are not absorbed…so where do they go? If you consume more than 25 – 50 grams of sugar alcohols in a day, you’ll find out it goes right through you. Such products can have a significant laxative effect when eaten in excess, and need to have a laxative warning on the label. Sugar alcohols aren’t digested or absorbed in the small intestine, and are fermented in the large intestine, which can cause gastrointestinal distress and/or diarrhea. The carbohydrate goes right through you! The only truly “Low Carb” foods that have little to no sugar content are meats, nuts and seeds, some cheeses, and creams.

Furthermore, the initial and rapid weight loss (4-6 lbs.) that followers of low-carb diets experience is almost entirely from glycogen depletion and loss of water weight. Each gram of glycogen (or carbohydrate energy) in the body is stored with 3 grams of water. So, each gram of carbohydrate energy, then, accounts for 4 grams of body weight. By eliminating carbohydrates from the diet, the body is forced to burn through its stored glycogen. For a sedentary person, this may take up to two days; for an athlete, all it takes is a few hours. It is important to know, though, that the water weight lost during this time does not directly lead to dehydration. The water lost is from muscle tissues, not from other body tissues, organs, and blood volume.

What Does this Have to Do With Me?
Artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols certainly have their place. They have allowed millions of diabetic Americans to enjoy an increased variety of foods. They have also allowed clinically obese people to drastically cut back on overall calorie consumption while still enjoying the satisfaction of good and sweet tasting food on a regular basis. However, for athletes, low-carb diets can be bad news.

Once glycogen stores are depleted, the body seeks out fat and protein sources for energy. First it turns to protein, converting amino acids from muscle tissue into glucose in the liver. This process is relatively slow and can really only produce enough carbohydrate to fuel your brain and nervous system. When no relief comes from ingested carbohydrate, you start producing ketone bodies (byproducts of fat metabolism) and releasing them into the bloodstream. As ketone levels increase, you enter a state of ketosis, which suppresses the appetite, but can also be accompanied by undesirable side effects, such as nausea, headaches, fatigue, and breath that smells like ammonia. Athletes on low-carb diets have difficulty sustaining even moderate intensity workouts of 50-65% of max heart rates when ketone levels are elevated.

Although low-carb diets and ‘net carb’ counting may have their place for some people in society, it is clear that these dietary practices are not appropriate for athletes. The routine and guidelines for maintaining the diet call for avoiding exactly what athletes need: digestible, usable, and absorbable carbohydrate that powers our muscles with energy. Carbohydrate is the most versatile type of energy. It feeds your brain and powers your muscles during both anaerobic and aerobic metabolism. Carbohydrate is the fuel that can be burned quickly, providing the power for acceleration and high performance.

CONFUSED ABOUT THE RECENT LOW-CARB DIET FAD? INTERESTED IN FINDING OUT THE TRUTH ABOUT PROPER NUTRITION AND EFFECTIVE WEIGHT LOSS? CONTACT
trainright.com

CENTURY TRAINING FOR MERE MORTALS

By Chris Kostman

The Roman Poet Horace probably put it best when he noted that "nothing is too difficult for mortals to accomplish." In the case of training for, and completing, a 100 mile century ride, he couldn't have overstated it better. In more earth-bound terms, just about anybody with a pair of lungs, a bike, and a decent dose of perserverance can succesfully complete cycling's #1 goal: a one day century ride.

A few basic components are necessary before embarking upon this journey of training, transformation, and triumph: a reasonable fitness level, a dependable bike of reasonable quality (anything from 3-speed commuter to ATB to road racer will do, depending upon ability and century event of choice), a specific century event on which to focus, and preferably, at least eight weeks of training time. Of course, eight weeks is an arbitrary period of time; you may need more or less, depending on your cycling background and base fitness level.

The best way to approach a distance cycling goal is to plug the actual event date into your calendar and then work backwards to the starting date of your training and preparation phase, which theoretically begins now.

Your goals for the interim training period are many: to improve your base fitness level, become accustomed to several hours in the saddle, work out the kinks in your equipment and positioning, refine your diet both on and off the bike, increase your speed and endurance, and generally get psyched for your century. Each of these topics is an article in itself, but hopefully by pointing these all out now you can begin working on all of them. For now let's concentrate on training.

Your most immediate concern is preparing your body to go the distance. Basically this just involves getting out and riding, gradually increasing the mileage over a period of time. How gradually you increase the mileage depends on your starting point, ie how long you have until the event. Most coaches will agree that you shouldn’t increase mileage by more than about 10% per week. If you only have a few weeks to the event, you may have to increase more rapidly. You should probably take a stepwise approach, increasing mileage every week for three weeks, followed by a recovery week, where you purposely cut back on distance, giving your body a chance to recover and adapt to the training you’ve done over the previous three weeks. After this well earned break, continue to increase the mileage for the next three weeks.  There is  lot more to training than just gradually building your endurance capacity. For most people, concentrating on this aspect of fitness, however,  will be enough to get them through a century. If you wish to develop your fitness beyond this basic level it is best to work with an experienced coach. At the CTS Performance Center (trainright.com) we can help you with all of your coaching and training needs.

So, get on that bike and ride. Consistency is paramount here, so try to get out three to six times a week, if even for only 30 or 45 minute rides. Regular riding will bring a lot of other important factors into play, as you'll find out if you're dedicated to getting on your steed. Randomly alternate shorter and longer rides in a variety of routes, terrains, and conditions. Do not get settled into a rut in any way, shape, or form, when it comes to training! Ride at all hours, in all kinds of places, in all types of weather. This will improve your adaptability and keep things fresh and interesting as the weeks go by. Also, don't forget to rest and eat well, plus drink lots of agua on a daily basis, both on and off the bike.

Whatever else you do, have at least one weekly "long" ride (gradually increasing in distance from perhaps 20 miles in week one to 60 – 70 miles in week seven) and one "short," high intensity, weekly ride (ten miles at maximum speed with 20 minutes each of warm-up and cool-down). This will simultaneously build both endurance and speed, not to mention your confidence level. Otherwise just break things up by riding in the hills, in club rides, on a mountain bike, or anything else that's different from the norm.

I'm not big on giving mileage advice, but here are some basic numbers with which to play: Ride 50 to 100 miles in week one, then add perhaps 20 miles a week until you reach 150 to 250 miles a week. One and/or two weeks before your century do back to back 50 mile rides on two adjoining days to work on the fatigue factor. Do at least one ride near the end of this phase of 60 to 70 miles in length. Most experts agree that if you can prepare your body to handle such distances, then on the day of the event an extra 30 – 40 miles won’t be a problem.

With a regular training program and a healthy attitude, a century is within reach of nearly anyone who has a bike within reach. Go for it!

 For more specific advice on preparing for the Ride for the Cure, an individualized training program ensuring that you are in the best possible shape for the ride, or help with nutritional advice, bike fitting and more, contact:
970 544 5035; trainright.com.

A TRAINING SCHEDULE

If you're fairly new to biking, try to give yourself at least 12 weeks to prepare. If you're already riding on a regular basis (3 or more times a week) then jump onto the following training schedule wherever you match up weekly mileage wise, and build up from there. (For example if you are already doing 100 miles per week, start with the 5th week.)

Week	Mon Rest	Tues Hills	Wed Recovery	Thurs SS	Fri	Sat EM	Sun EM	Total Miles
1	OFF	10	10	OFF	10 (EM)	OFF	20	50
2	OFF	15	10	OFF	15 (EM)	OFF	25	65
3	OFF	15	10	OFF	15 (EM)	15	30	85
4	OFF	10	OFF	15	OFF	15	30	70
5	OFF	16	15	16	OFF	20	45	112
6	OFF	18	15	18	OFF	25	50	126
7	OFF	20	15	20	OFF	30	55	140
8	OFF	10	OFF	20	OFF	30	50	110
9	OFF	22	20	22	OFF	35	65	164
10	OFF	25	20	25	OFF	40	70	180
11	OFF	30	20	30	OFF	40	75	195
12	OFF	20	20	OFF	15 (easy spin)	CENTURY		155

Notes:

• This is a pretty basic approach to training for a century, but if you follow this you should be adequately prepared.

• Weeks 4 and 8 are easy weeks where total mileage is reduced. This will give your body a chance to recover and adapt to the training stresses of the previous weeks.

• You don't necessarily  have to follow this schedule to the letter. If you have to switch the workouts around to be able to get the weekly mileage in, do it! This is only a general guideline, you need to follow a schedule that will get you out there on your bike.

• For more specific training advice, or to take your training to the next level, go to trainright.com

Intensity:

4 levels of intensity are indicated in the chart above. You do not have to push  yourself to the limit each time you go out and ride. Unfortunately, many people train this way, despite the fact that it is counter productive and a sure fire recipe for staleness and burn out.

If this is your first century, don’t focus too much on time, focus more on just finishing the ride and having a good experience.  After you have finished your first century, and want to challenge yourself more, then go ahead and push your pace up. But take it easy the first time around, set a pace that you can manage over the long haul and you'll accomplish a century. More importantly you’ll give yourself a chance to actually enjoy it.

• Endurance Miles™ (EM): The bulk of your training should be at this intensity. EM workouts focus on building your aerobic capacity and thus your ability to ride further and further. This is the pace at which you will ride your century. You should be able to talk while riding at this pace, but it should not be overly slow. Try to stay between 70 and 80% of your maximum  heart rate (HR), most of the time. This will allow you to ride without accumulating lactic acid in the muscles. If occasionally your HR rises above this, eg on a hill, it’s ok. In general though, use your low gears to keep your HR within this range. Try to maintain cadence around 85 to 95 rpm.

• Steady State Intervals™ (SS): These are designed to improve your ability to produce power for extended periods of time (by increasing your lactate threshold). Basically they are long intervals at a moderate pace. Your breathing should be such that you could blurt out a few short sentences if you had to, but generally you should not feel like talking. Don’t go harder than this though. As you get more fit increase the length of the intervals. For most people this means between 80 and 85% of  max HR. Start with 2 x 8 -10 minute intervals, with an equal recovery period. Aim to increase the length of these by about 1 minute per week. Your goal should be to perform 2 x 20 minute intervals during the final few weeks of the program. These can be done on any terrain—long steady climb, rolling hills, flat road. Just use your gears to keep your HR where it needs to be. Pedal cadence is flexible—while climbing, stay within 70 to 80 rpm; on flat terrain, 85 to 95 rpm.

• Hills: The Ride for the Cure includes a considerable amount of climbing, so you need to prepare yourself. Try to devote at least one day a week specifically to this. There are a number of options here. At the most basic level you can just find yourself a hilly course and go for it. If  you are more serious about increasing your sustainable climbing power then include some Climbing Repeats™ (CR) in your hill workouts. These are similar to Steady State intervals, except they are performed while climbing. Again start with 2 x 8 minute intervals with equal recovery time. If the hill is long enough, continue on uphill during the recovery period, in a very easy gear. Alternatively, turn around and head back down, recover, then repeat. Gradually increase the length of these intervals; aim to be able to do 2-3  x 15 minute intervals during the last few weeks of your preparation. Due to the fact that you recruit more muscle fibres while climbing than on the flat, HR will be slightly higher than for SS intervals, 85 to 90% of max for most people. Try to maintain a cadence of 70 to 85 rpm. After a few weeks of doing these you should really notice a difference in your ability to climb.

• Recovery Ride™ (CR): These are relatively short workouts designed to help speed the recovery process by riding at an easy pace, preferably on flat terrain. The concept is known as active recovery and studies have shown that such rides can lead to faster recovery than complete rest. HR on these rides should purposely be kept low. Try to stay below 65% of maximum. Cadence 75 to 85 rpm. These are fun rides. Don’t worry if it feels too easy, that’s exactly the goal.  You should feel like  you’re just  out there  working  on your tan. They also can be used as a substitute on days when you just don’t feel like doing your scheduled workout. Don’t be afraid to throw in a recovery ride on a day off, either. If you feel like riding, get out there and do it.
  
  On the longer weekend rides, experiment with nutrition. Find out what works for you. What food sits well in your stomach, and what to avoid. What drinks hit the spot, and what drinks miss. You need a good number of calories to keep your internal engine going. Try various energy drinks and bars during your training sessions.
  
  Practice your pedal stroke. An efficient pedal stroke is very important over the long haul. Focus on keeping a comfortable cadence between 80-100 rpm. A straight stroke will deliver energy to pedals all the way around, and will help to avoid injuries.