by Fred Matheny Every human activity has its own jargon, a unique set of words (or a unique way of using familiar words) that befuddles newcomers. Learning the lingo is the key to understanding the activity and getting accepted by its practitioners. Training on the bike may not be as jargon-ridden as medicine, yachting, pipefitting…
By Fred Matheny Cycling is traditionally a summer sport. Feeling the breeze on your bare legs and the sun’s warmth on your back is as much a part of riding a bike as lubing your chain. There’s something deeply wrong, many casual cyclists would argue, about riding in the cold with snowflakes sticking to your…
By Coach John Hughes When very cold weather hits, outdoor endurance riding isn’t possible. Or it it? My client Elizabeth Wicks who lives in Massachusetts rode 75 miles one very cold Sunday. Another client Rob (also in Massachusetts) reported, “Our weather continues to be ‘rideable’. Thursday ride was cold at 18 degrees but so far…
By Gabe Mirkin, M.D. “Carbohydrate loading” the night before a big race can impair your performance and damage your health. More than 45 years ago, in the Journal of the American Medical Association (March 26, 1973;223(13):1511-1512), I reported the case of a marathon runner who had a heart attack after carbohydrate loading. The “carbohydrate loading”…
By Coach John Hughes Eight inches of snow and it’s still coming down! Am I depressed because I can’t ride? No — I get to play! And I don’t mean building a snowman. In season I train, each week I ride a planed mix of endurance, tempo, intensity and recovery rides. My riding has structure…
