Wii - great offseason workout??

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!! My family got a Wii for Christmas!! I am not sure who is enjoying it more... the kids or the parents. I played it quite a bit on Christmas, especially perfecting my bowling. I couldn't believe it when I woke up this morning and had a limp. My left butt cheek was really sore. I felt like a wimp and figured it is just because I haven't been working out enough. Then my wife said she had the same issue except her right quad was also really sore (I guess with my biking, that muscle is in better shape than hers). Also, I worked up quite a sweat boxing and playing tennis. I played golf when I wanted to take a break, but then I remembered why I gave up golf: It frustrates the hell out of me although my scores were much better than on an actual golf course.

Also, when you get a chance, take the fitness test. It grades you to a age of your fitness. I got down to my actual age on my second try. Feel free to post your fitness age in the comments.

Anyway, if you need to do a lot of lunges for your off bike work, get on your Wii and start bowling. Just make sure that you learn how to bowl with your weak hand also so that you can do your lunges on your other leg, as well.

Yes, this is somewhat "tongue and cheek", but if it is the only thing that gets you off your butt, then it is better than nothing.

The ideal foot warmer

I was at cyclingnews.com and noticed an article on Sidi Toasters. While I don't have a pair, they sound like a great idea and the guy at cyclingnews.com loved them.

Sidi Toasters are warming insoles. OK... sticking something in your shoe to keep your feet warm is nothing new, but these are different. These insoles replace your current insole and they will keep your feet warm for 3 to 4 hours. You just need to charge them up. Also, they have a remote for turning them on and off in case your feet get to warm. They are good for hundreds of charges so if you regularly use disposable warmers in your shoes, these will eventually pay for themselves.

So... that brings us to price. These insoles cost $299 msrp. Ouch!!! That seems a little pricey for foot warmers. I would think that this should attract copy cat products depending on how good Sidi's patent is (assuming they have one).

No matter, this is a cool product that will appeal to the diehard winter riders out there. In summary, pros: keep your feet warm for a long time cons: expensive solution, but could pay for itself if you ride in cold weather a lot.

The Psychology of setting goals

In case you haven't figured it out yet, most of the stuff I write about in my blog comes from articles that I read about cycling that really make me think. Today, there was another good article by Josh Horowitz of Liquid Fitness about psychology and setting goals.

The part I found most applicable to me is the part about positive self talk. I think most people who know me think I am a positive person, especially when it comes to cycling. That doesn't mean that I don't have issues with negative self talk. I am a poor climber; I just am. That is my personal belief. Does it have to be that way? No, but if I don't believe I can improve, then it won't happen. This is something I need to work on. Same thing goes for winning a race. If you don't believe you can win it, then you most likely won't. There are exceptions to that one. I won a race once when I thought I was chasing down a one man break with pack in tow in the last lap of crit. I caught the breakaway guy and kept going fully expecting to get passed. I didn't believe it until I crossed the line. A teammate of mine won a race this past year in a downpour. He attacked halfway through the last lap because he didn't want to be around anyone going through the last turn which was an off-camber turn. When he crossed the finish line, he wasn't even sure he had won. But I digress...

Positive self talk does work!! Sure, you feel goofy doing it, but if it works, aren't you willing to look a little silly in order to improve your cycling or any other part of your life?

Here is a link to the article:

http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=5533&status=True

Enjoy the article.

Winter Training: High Intensity vs. Base Building

I was reading an article about high intensity training in the winter at pezcyclingnews.com and it got me thinking about the right way to train over the winter.

The vast majority of cyclists and many coaches believe that the old way is the best way: Lots of base miles in the off-season. Of course, if you live in a warm or moderate climate, than this is a great way to work toward the next season. If you live in a cold climate, the thought of putting in long base miles on the trainer can be a hard pill to swallow. Also, if you are short on time, putting in high intensity work can be a good alternative.

There have been many studies, but the one I found most interesting was the follow up study done by Gibala in 2006. He tested a high intensity training regimen of only 2.5 hours with a more traditional endurance based training of 10.5 hours at 60-65% VO2peak. The result was that both training regimens produced similar results. They determined this by measuring muscle glycogen levels and the concentration of key enzymes in the aerobic metabolic pathway.

More work is required in order to adapt these results into real-life training plans, but it does indicate that using high intensity workouts in the off-season can provide some of the same benefits that base building does. The key is to use the high intensity workouts in moderation.

You can find the article here: High Intensity Training 2007: Latest Evidence

Good luck in your off season training!!

Finding Time to Workout

Do you have trouble finding time to workout this time of year? I know, the holidays, kids activities, work, etc. keep you really busy, but that is no excuse to not finding the time to workout. It is a matter of time management and prioritization. Here are a few suggestions:

• Do you watch a lot of TV? If so, substitute a bike ride for TV watching or watch TV while riding your trainer.
• Is work 15 miles or less away? Consider commuting to work by bike a few days a week. It will take a bit to learn (clean up, routes, clothes, etc.), but once you do, you will wonder why you hadn't done it before.
• Do you spend a lot of time on the internet? Get on the trainer!!
• Schedule your ride time into your day and don't miss your appointment.
• What else in your daily routine is less important than you health and fitness?

The bottom line is that it is up to you to prioritize the important things in your life. So, if you think you are too busy to get on the bike, reevaluate. I bet that there is time during the day to at least get on your trainer for 30 minutes. Remember, cycling is a sport of momentum; the more you ride, the more you WILL ride.

Lastly, if you are working toward goals for next year, then it is imperative that you start your training for next year NOW. Don't wait. I am speaking from experience of doing it both ways. Last winter, I didn't workout much at all and I wasn't as good as I should have been come summer. I was kicking myself the whole year, not to mention, my confidence wasn't there. If you start now, you will be impressing your riding buddies come spring and you will have the confidence to have your best year ever on the bike!! Good luck in your training.