BICYCLE VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY THIS SUNDAY AT THE DES MOINES MARATHON: One of the things that makes the Des Moines marathon a great event is the bicycle support provided by volunteers on the course. For the past 10 years this has been a wonderful part of this significant event in our city. BIKE IOWA is looking to fill about 10 more volunteer bicycle slots to help the event, Sunday, October 16th. The day starts at 5:30 am and goes until your assigned running group finishes the race. It’s a fabulous way to see and support the marathon and the amazing athletes who come to race. (You would need a bike in good working condition, including an extra tube and ability to change a flat, helmet, and the ability to carry some first aid supplies. Contact Scott at Biker@BikeIowa.com if you are interested.
GOALS: I’ve recently had the opportunity to talk several new indoor cycling students about their interests, goals and fears about trying indoor cycling. The conversations caused me to think about the fitness goals we set for ourselves. We have, in the same class, people whose primary goal is weight loss, recreational riders who want to be sure they perform well on RAGBRAI next summer, people who want to finish their first triathlon, and others who want to improve their time for their latest one. While those appear to be diverse goals, there is really more similarity than difference. We all want to improve physically. And we all have made a commitment to doing so. That fact alone separates us from 95% of the population and gives us something very important in common.
Furthermore, we all enjoy the feeling of working hard (at least when it is over) and we enjoy doing it with others who share that value. We all go to class with the same sense of anticipation. We all leave class with the same feeling of satisfaction - that we have done something good for ourselves.
One of the amazing things about indoor cycling is that it can serve all our goals - even if they seem diverse. This is accomplished simply by adapting within the framework provided by the instructor. By using the program, we can all ride together and each of us get the workout we need. That makes indoor cycling a great program. Talk to your instructor about how to modify the standard class to best fit your needs and goals. And thanks for contributing to the program by your presence and your energy in class.
WHEN TO STAND: I've heard confusion from Spinning participants about climbing and specifically when to stand versus when to sit. For instance, I heard participants assert that standing was "easier" because it puts more weight over the pedals. Let's discuss why this isn't true.
A recent Norwegian study determined that if you are climbing a ten-percent grade, you should not stand until you are working at 94% capacity - nearly as hard as you can. Anything less and you're likely to be more efficient in the seated position.
What does this mean to you? As an outdoor rider, sitting is the more efficient way to climb a hill, but it is not always the fastest. If your goal is to preserve your energy, sit. On the other hand, if your goal is to climb faster (knowing you will pay a cost in efficiency) then stand.
Sitting encourages you to "spin" a smaller gear. The extra leverage of standing encourages you to use a bigger gear, but usually at a lower rpm. Finding the exactly right gear to use is one of the "arts" of climbing. Sometimes a hill is just so step it forces you to stand - depending on the gearing of your bicycle.
If you watch the Tour de France riders in the Alps and Pyrenees Mountains you will see them sitting far back on their saddles and pedaling smoothly most of the time. They do this on the long climbs until they need to pass, or prevent themselves from being passed, or until they simply need to stand because the grade becomes so steep. Then they stand to fight. Just like I've explained above.
So if sitting is so efficient, why do we stand so much in indoor cycling? First, precisely because it is harder. It burns more calories. Secondly, standing not only uses more muscles, it uses different ones than when you are sitting. Thata is also good. Thirdly, because the act of sitting and standing (such as with jumps) improves your form and smoothness on the bike. Lastly, because standing provides variety which makes the class more fun.
I've always liked to climb. My favorite event during my career as a long-distance bike racer was a race through the Ozark Mountains from St. Louis to Kansas City. The organizers claimed that only about 40 miles of the 275-mile race distance was flat. I always liked hills because they favor riders with patience and riders who stayed disciplined in their climbing technique.
Hills really are fun. I hope this makes you feel better next time you are climbing a long hill in class.
EXCELLENCE: "Excellence is...Caring more than others think is wise; Risking more than others think is safe; Dreaming more than others think is practical. Expecting more than others think is possible."
- Winston Churchill
RESOURCES:
Recent past issues of this newsletter are available at http://billroachblog.blogspot.com
Thank you!
Bill Roach
Star 3 Lifetime Certified Spinning Instructor
Certified Personal Trainer, National Academy of Sports Medicine
bill.roach@mchsi.com
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