Motivation Archives - Page 8 of 9

Getting Back On The Bike For Spring

With the arrival of daylight savings time, sunshine and warmth comes the itch to get on the bike and get outside again. You see, many cyclists spend the winter taking a break from their bikes; snowshoeing, hiking, skiing, and the dreaded gym often take up many dreary winter hours, keeping us fit and strong, ready to ride again in the spring.

But not so fast, and especially not if you're only a beginner (someone who's only been riding for 3 years or less.) There are a few things you'll want to keep in mind as you begin to dust off your bike and head back out on the open road (or trail, if that's the case.) After the jump, you'll learn just what you should be doing to get yourself moving safely and effectively after a winter layoff.

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Tags: beginner, Coaching, Motivation|

Strava, Challenges and Training (Podcast #7)

Unless you've been living under a rock recently, you've heard of Strava. But just in case you HAVE been one of those sub-rock-dwellers, let's review:

Strava ia a social media based site in which cyclists can upload their GPS recorded rides. Not only are they able to see their rides along with other “friends” (much like Facebook in this regard) but they are also able to compete for King Of the Mountain (KOM) segments on various stretches of road. Usually hill climbs, but there are certain downhills and sprints that are contested as well.

In any case, Strava has been hard at work trying to increase the interactivity and utility of their site. They've added tools to allow you to analyze power meter numbers (premium subscription, of course) and they've ramped up the number of challenges they're offering lately.

Now, I understand that a “challenge” shouldn't be something easy. But in many cases, I've seen athletes want to take on these challenges and end up wrecking their training plans because of it. So without further ado, let's talk about Strava, challenges and training…

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (3.9KB)

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Tags: Coaching, Motivation, podcast|

The Nature of Pain

[dc]P[/dc]ain is an interesting, often elusive and sometimes debilitating creature. Almost always negative in connotation, it denotes a kind of suffering, either physical or mental, as a result of some assault upon our body or mind. As human beings, we associate pain with misery, with suffering, with disability and typically strive to avoid it wherever possible. However odd it may seem, athletes in general (and cyclists in particular) seem to live for the rush of agony that often accompanies competition.

But why? What is it about this universally negative condition that drives some of us to seek it out while the majority of the population tries to escape it?

What, really, is the nature of pain?

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Tags: Motivation, physiology, training|

Being Honest With Yourself

Here in the northeast, we've been blessed with about 10 days of "good" weather; "good" being in quotes because good winter weather is essentially anything that isn't snow, ice or hail and temperatures above 38 degrees (the point at which I prefer to sit on the trainer in front of the TV.) While the sun hasn't shone often and the roads aren't often dry, warmer temperatures create the itch to imbibe fresh air and feel the road slip by under 23mm tires.

Since motivation is high on these rare gems of days, it's only right that we get out, rain or shine. And let's be honest, when it's 45 degrees and you've HTFUed (Hardened The F*** Up, for the uninitiated, or see rule 5) you're not going to do a 10 mile round trip to the coffee shop and then call it a day. No, you'll seek out climbs, descents and (if you're anything like the classics lover that I am) dirt and gravel roads. Basically, the gnarlier and more "Belgian" the route (and the weather) the harder you'll push yourself.

There's only one problem with that line of thinking….

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Tags: Coaching, group riding, Motivation, training|

Coaching: Back to Fundamentals

At a time of year when the leaves are flying, centuries are calling and fondos are in full swing, many cyclists struggle with holding their hard earned summer fitness in the waning daylight of the fall. In the past couple weeks, I've seen (and received) a number of questions about maintaining form and fitness “for just a few more weeks.” I'm going to let you in on a couple of secrets for your end of season woes.

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Tags: Coaching, Motivation, physiology, planning, training|