By Gabe Mirkin, M.D. Mary Cain was unbeatable in high school races. At age 16, she became the youngest athlete ever to represent the U.S at a World Championship track meet, and at age 17, she was the 2014 World Junior Champion in the 3000 meter run. After high school, she turned professional and broke many records while running for the world-famous Nike track club. … [Read more...] about Mary Cain and Forced Weight Loss for Sports
1Training & Health
What’s the Best Food for Cycling?
By Coach John Hughes We’re each an experiment of one. Here’s what I’ve learned from almost 50 years of research and experimentation. … [Read more...] about What’s the Best Food for Cycling?
30 Cycling Training Tips to Get Faster on Your Bike
By Arnie Baker, M.D. The only way to get finished is to get started. As an introduction to training on your bike, the following is a list of general hints to keep in mind during the course of your training regimen, whether you are a beginning or seasoned cyclist, or are training indoors or out. Come back to this list for a quick reference occasionally as a way of … [Read more...] about 30 Cycling Training Tips to Get Faster on Your Bike
Isolated Leg Training: Single Leg Pedaling Drills
By Arnie Baker, M.D. What if I told you there was a simple method of bicycle training that would improve almost all aspects of fitness? A method that would help strength, spin, leg speed, anaerobic power, focus, and breathing? A method so powerful that in training hundreds of athletes, I have never met one who did not benefit and see improvement within a few training … [Read more...] about Isolated Leg Training: Single Leg Pedaling Drills
Can Coach Hughes Still Improve? I Hope So!
By Coach John Hughes I turned 70 this year and in an earlier column I wrote about Lessons from my Journey Through Life. The basic message is that chronological aging is unavoidable; however, you can choose how you live the journey and control physiological aging. … [Read more...] about Can Coach Hughes Still Improve? I Hope So!
Cycling Training with a Power Meter
by Arnie Baker, M.D. Power is the rate of work. Power meters provide the best measure of muscular work. Power on a bicycle is measured in watts. Power over time, or work, is measured in kilojoules. Power is a measure of workout intensity. Its key features are: Absolute, objective measure Race predictor Not affected by confounding variables. Unlike speed, for … [Read more...] about Cycling Training with a Power Meter
Lost in Translation
by Scott Martin I made a huge tactical error on last Sunday’s group ride. I’m not talking about missing the break, getting boxed in during the sprint or blowing my nose on the beefy guy known as Steroid Sid. No, my big mistake was believing my buddy when he called that morning and said, “We’re going to take it easy today.” … [Read more...] about Lost in Translation
Is Road Cycling Dangerous?
QUESTION: I'm a mountain biker, but I want to get faster and I've heard that I should be training on a road bike if I want to improve my cardiovascular fitness. But I'm a little worried about traffic. Is road cycling dangerous? Bob R ANSWER: Worrying about distracted and drunk drivers or those with road rage against cyclists is a common occurrence with road cyclists. … [Read more...] about Is Road Cycling Dangerous?
Potatoes Just as Effective as Energy Gels for Cyclists
by Lars Hundley We've heard it from Coach John Hughes many times that regular foods from the convenience store like Peppermint Patty and Fig Newtons have more carbs than energy bars and gels, and often taste better. A new scientific study in the Journal of Applied Physiology shows that regular potatoes are also just as effective as energy gels when it comes to cycling … [Read more...] about Potatoes Just as Effective as Energy Gels for Cyclists
A Reader Responds: Getting Older Doesn’t Have to Mean Getting Slower
by Martin Sigrist Editor's note: A few weeks ago, we received an inspiring comment from one of our readers on the article by Coach Hughes, Setting Goals As You Grow Older. I traded emails with the commenter and asked if he would let us adapt his comments into a short article, and he agreed. Below is his commentary. … [Read more...] about A Reader Responds: Getting Older Doesn’t Have to Mean Getting Slower
Pursued by the Peterbilt
By Stan Purdum One memorable day on my ride on US 62, from Niagara Falls, New York, to El Paso, Texas, occurred when I crossed the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. I started the day in Paducah, Kentucky. Here’s an excerpt from my book, about that ride, Playing in Traffic: … [Read more...] about Pursued by the Peterbilt
Quick Tip: Find Nearby Roads for Your Next Gravel Riding Adventure
PROBLEM: You just picked up a shiny new gravel or all-road bike, but you don't know where to ride it yet. How do you find gravel roads that are within a reasonable distance from your home? SOLUTION: Turns out that there are several different options to easily find nearby gravel roads and routes. Here are some that you might find helpful. … [Read more...] about Quick Tip: Find Nearby Roads for Your Next Gravel Riding Adventure
Older Riders: Why Max Heart Rate Is Irrelevant
By Coach John Hughes In last week’s newsletter Dr. Mirkin wrote an informative column Tips for Keeping Your Maximum Heart Rate Up As You Age. He’s correct that the formula of (220 – your age) is a wildly inaccurate way to determine your maximum heart rate. However, your max heart rate – even if determined with a heart rate monitor by riding all out – is … [Read more...] about Older Riders: Why Max Heart Rate Is Irrelevant
Listen to Your Body
by Gabe Mirkin, M.D. The best way to achieve a high level of fitness without injuring yourself is to listen to your body. Don’t depend on heart rate monitors, fitness trackers or other gadgets. The most sophisticated fitness tracker and injury-avoider is your brain. Training to achieve a high level of fitness and to prevent diseases usually involves intense exercise, and … [Read more...] about Listen to Your Body
Dealing with a Pinched Neck Nerve
by Alan Bragman Question: It appears that I have a pinched nerve in my neck, probably between C6-C7 (according to my retired neuro nurse wife.) Sometimes the pain is really strong, radiating down my left arm and/or near my left scapula. I'm hoping this is not from riding! Obviously, when in the drops I am bending my neck back in order to see, which on most … [Read more...] about Dealing with a Pinched Neck Nerve