Category Archives: Training

June 10 – 9 days to go. Trail Ridge Tune-Up.

I was wondering if my legs were ready for big mountain passes, so I decided to test them out on Trail Ridge Road.  Trail Ridge connects Estes Park to Grand Lake — about 50 miles (80 km) — by cutting … Continue reading

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June 7 – 12 days to go. Lookout! It’s a mountain.

I decided to add some longer, steeper hills to my training rides so I headed to Lookout Mountain just west of Golden, Colorado.  It’s 18 miles (29 km) from my front door to the foot of the hill and then … Continue reading

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May 19 – One month to go. Smile.

I used to teach research methods and statistics at the University of Denver.  The holy grail of research is to prove a cause and effect relationship: x causes y.  The only way to do that is with the experimental method … Continue reading

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May 18 – 32 days to go. Both sides now…

I’ve read that one of the things that made Leonardo da Vinci so creative is that he essentially taught himself to be ambidextrous. Everything he did with his dominant side, he tried to replicate on his non-dominant side.  That made … Continue reading

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May 17 – 33 days to go. Glute release…

Let’s face it: cyclists tend to get big butts.  That can be a fashion problem for some of us. It can also cause some pinching and pressure that results in serious aches and pains.  For me, I’ve noticed that a … Continue reading

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May 16 – 34 days to go. It’s a bit of a stretch…

Some of my biker friends don’t stand up straight when they walk.  Their hamstrings are so big and tight that they never straighten out to their “natural” length.  The hamstrings then pull down on the lower back and my friends … Continue reading

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May 15 – 35 days to go. Breathe in….

I once showed up unannounced at a Shinto monastery in Kyoto.  The monks were surprised to see a “gaijin” at their door but welcomed me and made me feel very much at home.  My Japanese was non-existent and their English … Continue reading

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May 14 – 36 days to go. Brushing for fitness.

My dentist tells me that, every time I brush my teeth, I should brush for at least two minutes.  In fact, I now have a fancy electric toothbrush that runs for exactly two minutes. It also beeps every 30 seconds … Continue reading

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May 12 – 38 days to go. Can the plank help you crank?

I ride better when my core muscles are strong.  I balance better and sit up straighter rather than slumping forward on the bars.  My favorite core exercises include variations on the simple plank position. The plank is simply the “up” … Continue reading

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May 11 – 39 days to go. What’s in your water bottle?

Traditional wisdom among mountaineers is that you should drink water and eat carbohydrates.  The thought is that drinking carbohydrates simply slows down the absorption of the fluid and impedes your rehydration.  Supposedly, nothing absorbs into your system as quickly as … Continue reading

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