Riding in the Rain

It is winter time here in the Northern Latitudes and with winter comes cold temps, rain, snow and ice. We can choose to ride exclusively indoors this time of year and for some way, way up north there really isn't a choice but for many of us where the weather is not so severe we can still ride in the winter. Today for example I went out for a ride and it rained. There are a few things you need to watch out for and you need to make yourself extra visible this time of the year. Remember it's winter and the sun is lower in the horizon, colors do not show up as well this time of the year and vehicle windows are fogged up.

Here are some tips to keep you safe but you will get wet.

Tips for riding in the rain:

1) Wear bright clothes and dress appropriately for a cold winter day ride, shoe covers and head gear.

2) Now is a good time to layer up and carry a light bright rain jacket you can put on in a down pour.

3) Make sure you have food and an energy drink. Your body is burning more calories just to keep warm and if  you get wet you will get cooler and bonk sooner.

4) For commuting now is the time to ride something with fenders for road cycling you will probably get wet.

5) Watch out for cars, make eye contact, pull up to and into the crosswalk, be visible.

6) Avoid riding on any painted road lines and watch out for any thing metal like man hole covers etc they are slick.

7) Your eye protection may get fogged or at least rainy and your visibility will go down be aware of twigs and anything else that was blown into a bike lane or your path.

8) Use lights especially if it is cloudy and dark. These were not so easy to use and maintain in the past but now they are so use them.

9) On long cold wet rides watch out for hypothermia. Wear boot covers and a cap on these days.

10) Drink even if you're not thirsty. It will prevent you from cramping.

11) Take time to warm up before you go all out. It's cold and will take you longer to warm up. This will prevent you from getting a muscle injury which could put you out for a while.

12) Don't ride with chest congestion or lower respiratory infections. Now is a prime time to get bronchitis or pneumonia.

13) In first rains watch out for oil and tree oil slicking on the surface of the road. This will make the pavement slick.

14) Both your bike and clothes will get gritty from dirt, sand and whatever else was on the road surface. So after you get home and are warmed up and settled wipe down your bike, clean and lube your chain and possibly wash your clothes. 

Do not avoid riding outside in the winter if you can help it. Riding in the winter is just as fun. The scenery is beautiful and it's much cooler. You just have to be ready for it.

Good riding

Group Rides 101

A great training and motivational tool are group rides. At first some of these rides will challenge you but that is good because riding on our own leaves a lot of room for going easier that we need too sometimes. There is also the camaraderie and conversations that comes along with it. You will learn to ride in close proximity to other cyclists and your bike handling skills will improve. There is the safety factor, groups tend to be more visible and well organized groups tend to look out for riders. Depending on the level and purpose of the group you will get a chance to test your limits. 

Here are some rules to follow if you are just getting started that will help you out.

Rules:

1) Try and get some information on the group as far as what level of riding or training they do.

2) If you don't know anyone in the group try and get there early and introduce yourself.

3) Get a feel for the pace by staying in the back if you are a newbie or in the middle if you are more experienced.

4) Don't try to be a hero yet, stay in the pack for the first few rides to get a feel for what this group and ride is all about.

5) If you don't feel comfortable with the way they ride or what is going on don't be afraid to leave the ride and go back.

6) Most of all enjoy the ride, the scenery, the feeling of flying on a bike like the first time you were able to ride on 2 wheels!

I have found these rides to be a great training tool. They usually happen weekly and sometimes multiple times during the week. Some of these will be the noon lunch ride, some will be the after work daylight savings time rides and some will be weekend rides. They are free and can help you train for an event, race or just give you someone to ride with.

 Who knows you may get invited to a social gathering after.

 
For Cycling Fitnes Taining Plans and Consultaions Drop Me a Line

Calories in Calories out

In different forms of exercise there are specific needs for nutrition. In cycling as in all other sports the calories you take in will either be used up or go into muscle rebuilding, glucose storage or simple fat. Each of us has a different metabolic rate but we can compute approximately how many calories it takes to perform well and keep our weight in control. There is a fine balance there and it is slightly different for each of us. We can use the following formulas to calculate how many calories we need to take in everyday just to live and go from there. When we train or exercise we will burn more calories but our bodies and brains will tell us this; It comes in the form of hunger. If we eat at the right times we can control these feelings of hunger and become more successful in keeping our bodies both fit and our weights at a competitive range.

Men: RMR(Resting Metabolic Rate) = (10x metric weight kg)+(6.25xmetric height cm)-(5xage)+5

Women:RMR(Resting Metabolic Rate) = (10x metric weight kg)+(6.25xmetric height cm)-(5xage)-161

Multiply the above number from the formula with the following number to get how many calories you need to take in everyday in order to maintain your current weight. 

Sitting most of the day = 1.25
Standing and light activity = 1.55
Sustained activity most of the day = 1.65
Physical labor = 2.0

Examples:

Men: RMR(Resting Metabolic Rate) = ((10x 100lbs / 2.2 = kgs)+(6.25x 60inx2.54 = cm)-(5x50)+5 x( 1.25)) = ~1453

Women:RMR(Resting Metabolic Rate) = ((10x 100lbs / 2.2 = kgs)+(6.25x 60inx2.54 = cm)-(5x50)-161 x( 1.25)) = ~1286

  
If you want to loose weight decrease the amount of calories by about 500 per day. That is enough to loose about a pound a week. One pound should be about 3500 calories give or take. This may be more or less for an individual.
You need to remember that if you are also training or exercising that you will be burning calories. You can subtract those calories from what you have taken in. So, exercise is key to keeping fit and loosing weight.

The All Important Rest Period

A lot of us train, train train and we don't stop to think when we make our biggest gains. We push our selves harder and harder almost living on the endorphins but what are we really accomplishing? When I was younger I should have listened to some of the veteran cyclists that I road with. They would tell me all these guys break their bodies down constantly but they never give their bodies time to recover. If you sit at a desk all day it is much easier to recover. I would say 2 days tops you are ready to roll again from a long hard ride, maybe even a 3-5hr hard hilly ride. You have recovered enough to be able to push your self hard on the next ride. Hard enough to break down your body again and then when you rest again, Yes your body will have rebuilt itself stronger. Your muscles will have adapted.

The actual cycle looks like a sign wave where the trough is the rest period where your body is recovering and the peak is where you are ready, rested enough to push your body to the point where there is enough stress on the muscles that when you rest again you will feel the gain in performance. This may be a little or a lot depending on your particular body.

In the waveform above the x axis is time. This is the time between when you add training stimulus. You see the first training stimulus is where you are rested and you are able to adequately stress or fatigue your body. The next training stimulus should happen right before super-compensation if possible and not at involution. I say if possible because life is not perfect and sometimes we cannot hit these targets.

You say well how do I know when this is for my body? You will have to learn this. It is different for every individual but a general rule is to start with exercising or training every other day and see what happens. See how you feel. Listen to your body and do not over do it to the point that it will take several days to recover. Start slowly and be consistent. You will see improvements over the months.