What is Your Claim to Fame?

1984 - My signature skill on the balance beam

Everyone has something they were known for in high school : the Homecoming Queen, the quarterback, the over achiever, the loser or maybe the cheerleader. What was your claim to fame? Mine was gymnastics: it was my life, my identity and my intense passion. I simply could not get enough time in the gym. I admit that I drove my coaches crazy by asking for correction, how I could improve and calling out "Watch this!" in practice more times than a 3 year old who wants approval.

A few years ago when I realized that I could be an athlete once again all of the hard work ethic that made me into a podium finisher in gymnastics flowed with urgency within my veins. At that time, triathlon had become my sport and it was easy for me to become obsessed with training. So much so, in fact, that I began having one nagging injury after another. Fast forward to late summer 2010 when I began group cycling with a local club. Running had become a thing of the past due to a ruptured disk, mild stenosis, a compression fracture (thanks to gymnastics), arthritis and a few bad disks. Cycling became my new love. Now, not quite two years later I have found myself ready to step up my game on the bike. I seemingly live for my next ride, dream about riding, spot cyclists on the road and feel an instant kinship with them. Can you relate?!

Determined not to succumb to over-training injuries as in recent years, I continually read and learn about how to train properly. For my last birthday my sweet husband bought me Joel Friel's book The Cyclist's Training Bible. Within the 330 pages are topics such as the self-trained cyclist, training with purpose, case studies and even how to design your own training calendar. Joel Friel has been coaching athletes since 1980 and has a vast wealth of information to share. Something that impressed me about him is his outlook on helping others in the sport: "I offer this book with the hope that it will make you a better racer and that one day you will return the favor by teaching something you learned along the course." To read more about Mr. Friel, visit this link:  http://www.trainingbible.com/aboutJoeFriel.aspx

http://www.trainingbible.com/

 

 

This book is not for the recreational rider who simply enjoys showing up to socialize. It is written with the competitive cyclist in mind who has racing in his or her blood. If you are serious about your training and you want to make your mark on the cycling world around you, then a quick trip to the book store is a must.

Forget high school notoriety; it is old news. Today is a new day with the sun is shining brightly on your future. What will your new claim to fame be? My sights are set on being the best darn cyclist I can be: on and off the race course.

Do You Show Up or Show Off?

You know who this is about today. Every club has one (or two?!) of them. Sometimes they draw lots of attention to themselves with fancy kits, shiny wheels, the latest power tap or other expensive toys that are impressive to most onlookers. Sometimes they seem to have more money than talent or skill but that doesn't seem to matter - they look the best and believe that they are, regardless of experience or riding ability.

These are the ones that thump their chests and tout "I am an A rider because I'm fast." Well, bully for them. Lots of cyclists are fast. But are they safe? Are they skilled? Do they know how to see a potential crash in the making and avoid it? Do they know how to encourage another rider who may be making mistakes that are not best for group rides?Not necessarily. These are the show offs and no one really likes being around them, except for the fast pulls and excitement occasionally generated when riding with them.

On the other hand, there is a more elite group of riders that I prefer to be around. They are what I call the show ups. These cyclists simply come to ride, ride hard and ride well. Sometimes they hang out in the middle of the group with an occasional strong pull but mostly keep to themselves, under the radar and out of the spotlight. They are safe, steady and non-aggressive. They are level-headed and trustworthy. With nothing to prove, the show ups come and do what they do, do it well and do it without fanfare.

Grant Potter, smiling on the right, not bothered by being in the group

What is the difference? 

It probably has more to do with maturity than it does testosterone. On a weekly basis I ride with Dave Viney, who has more records and wins that one can shake a stick at, including the Canadian National Championship. Occasionally I also have the privilege of occasionally riding with Grant Potter who is the current World Masters Champion. They come to group rides to ride. I have yet to hear either of them boast of their titles or break away from the group, or try some dangerous maneuver because they have the skill to do so. Do they have testosterone? No doubt! And grace. And patience. And passion. And enough maturity to overlook the hot dogs who come out to show off.I want to be like them when I grow up.

For further thought

Which category do you fall in for the most part? Here is a short quiz. Be honest. These are questions that I have spent time asking myself.

- Is every group ride a training ride for you or can you just come and relax sometimes?

- Do you see other "A" riders doing a particular skill that you secretly go practice on your own? (i.e. riding with your elbows on the handlebars)

- Do you eyeball a better rider and set out to 'beat' them somehow on a ride?

- When the ride is over, do you believe that you were "one of the best" out there in your group?

 

- If you had a pull, did you feel like you had to go faster than the last guy or girl to show that you are stronger?

- Do you set out to impress others?

Your answers, given in truthfulness, will reveal whether you are a show up or a show off. Each of us has at some point been a bit of a show off. It comes more naturally to some than others! However, in a group setting where safety is paramount, hot dogging is not welcome. Keep training rides as training rides and social group rides as such. Stay within your skill level. Look out for the new guys / gals and encourage them along with humility and kindness. Most of all - be a show up, not a show off. Those around you will appreciate it!

Sources

http://www.prweb.com/releases/stradalli_phantom_tt-717/grant_potter_time_trial_m/prweb8773412.htm

http://www.usacycling.org/results/?compid=221360

"SIDSY" - NOT What You Want to Hear

Just last week a client of mine asked me, "So it's really not a matter of 'if' but 'when', isn't it?" The topic of conversation was about cyclists crashing on a ride, which up until last week I had been so fortunate to avoid. With close to 20,000 miles on a bike under my belt I felt very lucky indeed to have managed to stay in the "crash free club" but all of that changed very quickly last Friday morning.  Save for some deep road rash on a couple of fingers I am just fine but it's good to have a little dose of reality before complacency sets in.

"Sorry, I Didn't See You" (SIDSY) is what they guy said once he doubled back to check on me. I had taken quite an impressive tumble (heels over head) as he saw in his rear view mirror and he was visibly shaken by the incident. On the other hand I was just plain mad. He turned off of a side road, swung wide and into my left and simply pinched me to the curb. There was nothing I could do: either his car or the curb was going to take me down, so I tucked and rolled instinctively (all those years of gymnastics paid off!). His excuse was that he was watching the car behind me and he wanted to make sure he got in front of it. Well, he certainly accomplished his goal.

SIDSY is an acronym that we cyclists would prefer not to ever hear but since crashes occur daily and are mostly caused by motorists, let's have a bit of a refresher course on what to do when your 'if' becomes a 'when'.

Pre Ride:

-  leave your ear buds at home; you need to hear traffic more than music 

-  wear bright colors; have a safety light if near dusk

-  always have your cell phone with you

-  let others know about cycling safety; many drivers are simply ignorant of our needs and vulnerability

 

During Ride:

-  be vigilant, always on the look out, expecting the drivers to not see you

-  take side roads when possible; stay off of heavy traffic thoroughfares even if it costs you more time

-  don't ride alone; there really is safety in numbers

-  watch for other cyclists to show signs of tiredness or carelessness and  stay alert

Post Accident:

- attend to victim, call 911 if unconscious or injuries appear to be serious

- collect driver's information even if you think you are alright; some injuries appear hours after the impact; take a photo of license tag or driver if possible

- seek medical treatment even if injuries appear to be minor; road rash can get infected very easily

There are many, many more tips on this topic so let me encourage you to spend a little time browsing the links below.

http://tdc-www.harvard.edu/mink/bike/info/statistics.htm

http://www.bicyclinginfo.org/facts/crash-facts.cfm

http://www.mcminnlaw.com/bicycle-accidents/austin-bicycle-accident-attorney

http://vdleek.blogspot.com/2010/05/perspective-on-bicycle-crashes.html

 

What are some other suggestions you may have for taking SIDSY out of our vocabulary?

Hot & Sweaty? No Sweat!

You have certainly seen people from each camp: the non-sweaters and the excessive sweaters. One group can not ooze out one drop of perspiration while the others can practically hear the word "exercise" and the skin dampens immediately. While one is trying hard to break a sweat the other one happens to be riding directly in front of you as you are trying to dodge huge, salty drops that are flying right into your slipstream. 

So, which is the healthy bunch? The sweaters. Consider for a moment the sole purpose of sweating during exercise: to efficiently regulate the body's core temperature. Those who sweat more are typically in better physical condition as their bodies are working the way they were designed to:  

• to increase blood flow to the skin surface that in turn releases heat
• to release fluids (mainly water but also minerals, lactate and urea) to the skin surface for evaporation
• to maintain homeostasis (the body's self-regulation system of keeping in proper balance)

There are several factors that can influence your sweating - or lack of. First and foremost is air temperature. Secondly is humidity in the air. Next is your attire: are you in layers that you can remove as your core heats up?  Finally, are you properly hydrated? If your urine is clear the answer is 'yes'. If it is amber or gold-colored then you need more water. Once you are thirsty you are already slightly dehydrated. For more information on proper hydration, refer to this post.

Two health conditions that are known to be associated with sweating are hyperhidrosis (extreme sweating) and hypohidrosis (diminishing sweat). Each condition is rare and can only be properly diagnosed by a physician. However, there are many factors that can affect our sweat secretion: caffeine, medications, certain diseases and medical disorders, hormones, stress, fever and infection to name a few.

Since the majority of us are in the 'normal sweating camp' here are some things to consider as you train as the weather starts to warm up outdoors:

- hydrate well before and after each work out (see post link above on hydration)

- weigh yourself before and after a work out to get a general sense of how much water weight you lose

- be sure to replace that water weight within the first couple of hours post-work out

- add a bit of salt to your diet the day before a long ride (60 miles or more)

- be sure to ingest electrolytes after the first 30 minutes on your ride

Finally, don't sweat it! Embrace the fact that your body is working properly. One last hint if you are going on group rides: up the ante on your antiperspirant / deodorant; those behind you will thank you. 

Sources:

http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/conditioning/a/aa052001a.htm

http://pilates.about.com/od/faq/tp/Sweating-And-Exercise.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperhidrosis