After Saturday’s epic ride through the northern part of Mallorca I was pretty enthusiastic about all the fantastic rides that I’d be squeezing into my final week before returning to Toronto. Then it happened, the unthinkable; an injury.
All in fitness
foreplay
Mallorcacation With an impending storm looming for much of Thursday, the wonderful gentlemen at Hotel Galeon suggested I take the day off to rest because the wind had picked up to 40km’h and the clouds were threatening to pour buckets of rain.
wednesday's lesson: how to waltz down a descent
One of the valuable cycling (and life) lessons I learned today is that to face your fear you have to make yourself more vulnerable ** Today I climbed and descended a mountain, stared down a mountain goat at 67km’h and pushed the pace at over 40km’h on the flats.
ups and downs today
Bring on the climbing with a side of fear… After getting some much needed rest last night (and sleeping in until 9:24) I found my way down to breakfast where I gobbled down 3 scrambled eggs, some toast, fresh orange juice and a café con leche. My friend Oscar was arriving at 10 to ride so I needed to get ready fast…
Changin’ it up… Funny thing happened today; I went out for a good hard 2 hour ride; ground myself into the usual pulp and then came home and decided to go for a run. Now I’m well aware that this has a name that triathletes like to call ‘brick’ training but as a pure road cyclist I’ve seen little value in doing anything other than riding my bike over the past few years. Maybe its fear of injury or fear of messing with efficiency on the bike however, maybe triathletes are onto something.
Cardiovascular exercise is great to ‘burn’ calories and improve your overall health by strengthening your heart and lungs. When performed alone, cardio exercise will provide a short boost for your metabolism and the benefits of improving your body’s ability to use oxygen more efficiently. When partnered together, weight training AND cardio will boost your metabolism far more than when done alone.
After a recent show during Toronto fashion week, a handful of models were chatting about what they did in order to stay slim. "Seriously? I don't do anything," said a tall, lithe, blond-haired beauty. But when asked about specifics, she admitted that she walks everywhere and takes the occasional yoga class.
Depending on your age, level of conditioning, and your fitness goals, you should train in a particular heart-rate zone. Beginners should attempt elevating their heart rate to 50%-60% of their predicted maximum (220-AGE) while intermediates and advanced should aim for 70%-85% of their maximum.