Category Archives: Training

The humidity in Denver today is 4%.  It’s perfect for biking because your sweat evaporates instantly, keeping you cool.  Since you don’t feel your sweat, though, you may not realize how dehydrated you are.  So, how do you tell if … Continue reading →

Though it seems simple, biking efficiently requires a lot of balance.  A lot of small (and typically unnoticed) core muscles help you balance effectively. That’s why a stationary trainer only approximates a real bike ride.  On a trainer, you don’t … Continue reading →

As you develop your training program, think about the three planes of motion: The frontal plane (sometimes called the coronal plane) divides your body into the front half and the back half. The sagittal plane divides you into left half … Continue reading →

So, when you think of your hips, what area of your body do you think of?  Yeah, so do I.  But it turns out that your hips — or at least your hip flexors — are also on the front … Continue reading →

I work out with Alison, my personal trainer, two or three times a week.  We start each session with a round of dynamic stretching. This is simply stretching while moving. What most of us learned in high school gym class … Continue reading →

I wanted to watch the last round of the Master’s so I went to Pura Vida health club in Denver.  It’s a great club with lots of cool stuff and really good looking people.  It was voted the best club … Continue reading →

Myofascial self-release sounds like it ought to be illegal but it’s actually an important treatment for cross-country cycling.  Remember the IT bands?  They’re a fascia — a bundle of fibers connecting the hips to the knee.  (The Latin root for … Continue reading →

The illiotibial band (IT band) is a thick bundle of tissue that runs down the outside of your thigh, from your gluteus maximus to your knee.  Its primary purpose is to stabilize the knee.  Since it’s not muscle, it doesn’t … Continue reading →

Here’s an training tip from Alison that will improve your balance, core strength, and leg strength all in one exercise. Take two kettlebells of different weights — say, five pounds and ten pounds — one in each hand.  Then do … Continue reading →