[CR]Methodical training

(Example: Production Builders:Peugeot)

From: "garth libre" <rabbitman@mindspring.com>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Date: Sun, 5 Aug 2001 19:52:52 -0400
Subject: [CR]Methodical training

Well Rodney (52 and slowing) Handsfield as long as you ask, this is my methodical training program. Since many of us are aging (I am 47), this may help build a better connection and respect for the bikes we love (and maybe our bodies). First, I treat every moment on the bike as precious. Being older means slower recovery times, and being a working person, training time is precious. I have reduced my bike training days to three a week, and no more than one hour and a half in any day (not counting stretching, yoga etc). I do no more than five to ten minutes of warm up time on the bike before I start full out. I work out in places where traffic is not a problem and I never need to stop for traffic lights, but if I do need to stop, I take it as an opportunity to do a 30 second maximum effort sprint. All time on the bike is at 80 to 90% of maximum effort. That means about one hour of every workout leaves my lungs a little burning and my legs giving near max or max all the time. Every workout is to better the time of the previous one. I generally pick one gear for flat surface runs and continue to push it at high cadence (no low cadence for me so I never use over a high 80's inch gear unless I am going down hill. On some days I might take a high 90's to low 100's cadence and keep dropping one gear up until I can no longer hold that cadence without dropping into a lower gear. At the end of every workout I do one legged spins (left then right) with one leg hanging, and at least once a week I do weaves by leaning the bike quickly to develop ease and confidence on the bike. During no part of any workout do I ever freewheel, as the pressure is being applied to the pedals all the time and throughout as much of the circular stroke as I can manage. I never sit hard and sink into the seat as the arms and feet are holding up my weight all the time. After every workout I spend time looking at my bike, maybe wiping it down or greasing something, and always I feel like the luckiest son of a bitch for owning one the greatest mechanical works of art that man has ever put on this rich earth. I marvel at the machine and at my continuing ability to honor it with my hard earned sweat. Offered humbly and hoping that this is not off topic for Classic Rendezvous, I am Garth Libre