Health, Fitness and Training - All Comments

re: NEVER RIDE HARD ON TIRED LEGS. NEVER. EVER.

Doug Rennie — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 21:27:21 GMT

Mark, The really odd thing is that Dr. Gilden is a PHYSICIAN. I mean, you'd think he would have the go hard-recovery thing figured out before he finished the first year of med school.

Jay. Totally correct. This (that too many of us speed too much of our saddle time in the "gray zone", that is not fast/hard enough to make significant fitness gains, but also too hard to promote true recovery). I wrote about this very subject a few months back.

I think Scott Springer is among the few who actually practices this, that is really easy days, even if it means (as Scott has done from time to time) riding with the 17s,

re: NEVER RIDE HARD ON TIRED LEGS. NEVER. EVER.

Mark Friesen — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 23:50:31 GMT

Actually, The O article (which is here: http://is.gd/1u19 ), makes the same point:

<blockquote>"Coaching Dan has its joys and demands, says Jeremy Hyatt, Dan's coach for the past seven years at RiverPlace Athletic Club and the leader of our training group, the Tsunamis.

" 'My biggest challenge was to slow him down. Knowing the body gets stronger through a progressive cycle of effort and rest, I had to get him to start resting and allowing himself to get stronger. He didn't like that very much.'

"Call him bullheaded -- we use a different word -- but Dan does listen to Hyatt."</blockquote>

re: NEVER RIDE HARD ON TIRED LEGS. NEVER. EVER.

Jay Brown — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 03:43:32 GMT

I didn’t read the article you are referencing about riding hard.

If you are trying to improve your performance, you go HARD or EASY aand nothing in between. Most of us, spend to much time in that medium/hard zone causing you to be too tired to go hard on a hard day and too fresh to go easy on a easy day.

re: RIDE HARD, STAY YOUNG LONGER?

Dean Lee — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 05:27:32 GMT

I will continue to subscribe to being in denial when it comes to the subject of age. I still have too many (cycling) goals to allow my age to slow me down. And for you young bucks and gals- turning 50 does not mean hanging up your cycling shoes :. >

re: RIDE HARD, STAY YOUNG LONGER?

Mark Castle — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 22:05:46 GMT

I subscribe to the "use it or lose it" philosophy. But I agree that you need to "use it" wisely. I see plenty of older PV riders who are still riding very strong, which is very encouraging. I'm riding and running stronger than I ever have, but that's because I'm training better than I did when I was younger. It's true when they say youth is wasted on the young. I'd like to go back to my 20s again and see what I could really do. :-)

re: RIDE HARD, STAY YOUNG LONGER?

Scott Strahm — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 17:53:29 GMT

This is all very encouraging. At my age, as your title suggess, I just want to continue to stay hard and ride young. Did I get that backwards? Opps. My bad.

re: RIDE HARD, STAY YOUNG LONGER?

Linda Jellison — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 14:28:14 GMT

Pat,

Thanks - but I just post the articles, our "mystery author" actually writes them. I do agree with you though, it's a good one!

Linda

re: RIDE HARD, STAY YOUNG LONGER?

Pat Gibson — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 05:30:41 GMT

Linda, this is great. I love these reminders that its ok to be back in spandex after 35 not having riden since college.

re: RACE TEAM: DON’T BOTHER EVEN PERUSING. THIS ONE IS FOR THE CIVILIANS.

Dean Lee — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:31:28 GMT

Really appreciate your insight. I've stumbled onto some of what you speak to via trial and error. Like the discipline of checking what works- throwing away what does not. Even on the curve (50+) I can say- I still see untapped potential - the body is an amazing engine. I can see improvement year to year. Recovery on the other hand takes a bit longer nowadays. :. >

re: May Fit Bit: Proper Pedaling

Cecil Reniche-Smith — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 22:00:34 GMT

Nice article, with good tips, but I'm pretty sure that in suggestion #1 you mean fixed gear, not fixed wheel (although trying to pedal a fixed wheel could have some effect on technique) . If you don't want to some across as too much as messenger-manque, or if the idea of having to pedal down Laurelwood is scary, go with a non-fixed single speed. Many fixed gear bikes on the market come with a flip-flop hub (mine did), so all you have to do is turn the wheel around and you have a single speed. You'll get much the same technique training on flats and climbs that you would with a fixie; the only difference would be the ability to coast - but you can just train yourself not to do that, right?

re: Fit Bit O' The Week: HGH (Human Growth Hormone) 101

Mike Northcott — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:17:31 GMT

In the interest of fair and balanced reporting, folks should remember there's generally a very good reason the human body switches hormones on and off throughout our lives. HGH is probably no exception and there are side effects which are sadly not mentioned here. They include:

* Swelling in your arms and legs

* Arthritis-like symptoms

* Carpal tunnel symptoms

* Headaches

* Bloating

* Muscle pain

* Diabetes

* Abnormal growth of bones and internal organs

* Hardening of the arteries

* High blood pressure

Click on the URL for the full overview from the Mayo Clinic. All of the trials so far have been relatively short-term, so the long-term effects are not well understood.

Fully support the writer's goals for increased training that boosts hormones naturally in response to exercise. Just remember that there are no panacea's (yet) for old age, and no excuse for skipping that 30 mile ride in favor of an orange mocha frappaccino.

MIKE

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re: Fit Bit O' The Week - The Caffeinated Cyclist

Mark Biedrzycki — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 05:36:19 GMT

This seems true to me. I drink no less than 2 cups of coffee almost every day, and live pain free. The only days I hurt, there are no bikes. Determine effect/cause on your own. Mercifully, there aren't many days like that. "Really good riding days" always have espresso or capuccino in the kickoff - the latter if professional services are availabe, otherwise it's what the machine and I can do...

As I see a lot of raw sugar intake in and around bicycling - am I alone in longing for purity of coffee products, without sugar?

Is there a study of lumps vs. first hour entry enjoyment?

re: Fit Bit O' The Week - Base Miles BS

Dean Lee — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 02:22:08 GMT

Well ..guess what I stumbled across..

www.active.com/.../High-intensity-Training_-The-Latest-Evidence.htm

Seems the jury is still out- but worth review and further investigation.

re: Fit Bit O' The Week - Base Miles BS

Dean Lee — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 01:18:58 GMT

Hey folks. Not to disagree with the Doc but there is another aspect to base training that is neglected here. I'm not a Chris Charmichael expert but I've come to understand base miles are critical for getting your muscles in (aerobic) shape for intense training later. For the PV guys/ gals who've been putting in the miles all winter- you've got a good start to completing your base. For the rest of us weekend wheel suckers/ cross trainers, base miles= (aerobic) endurance + fat burning.

This article seems to sum up my understanding:

www.active.com/.../Train-Smart-This-Winter_-Base-Training-Basics.htm

Personally I have to count to ten when I see folks blast past me during base training period... regardless of any real chance of actually catching 'em :.>

Perhaps someone with more expertise can speak to research that challenges the ole base standard process? If so .. please forward. Thanks.

re: Fit Bit O' The Week - Base Miles BS

Paul Vanderwal — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 18:33:16 GMT

Doug's after 7 rule has worked for me - a pastry-addicted rider. Fitness coaches have told me the carbs are OK as long as I burn 'em soon. Eating fuel late in the day allows them to be stored as higher density stores for your body to use later - as in fat.

That said, the Ratio thing regarding slower FBZ training is good to keep in mind. Pulling the fat off from a winter of relative inactivity is difficult at best. Using that ratio zone to burn the fat stores is no magic pill, but it is effective, . Also studies now say that mixing it up with some higher-intensity workouts is beneficial to start your body getting accustomed to hills, sprints and higher speed intervals later in the season. Something I have trouble doing in any season.