I said I would be back this month with more training ideas. I also
said that the snow should be gone by now. Well Iım back and the snow
is still here, and that means that those of you who have started
their training regiment have had more than enough of pedaling in
circles and going nowhere, whether it be at spinning classes or at
home on a trainer. Since the weather seems to be stuck in a
predictable pattern of snow followed by bone chilling cold, then more
snow, you might as well resign yourself to a continued relationship
with a bike that is going nowhere. Since variety is the spice of
life, adding a dash or two will mask the time and add to your fitness
level.

I have included some drills that will help simulate road efforts
while adding to your conditioning. But first off, a few things you
will need: a bike, trainer, a front wheel chock or a 2 by 4 to get
the front wheel parallel with the rear, a fan to cool yourself, a
couple of water bottles and either a TV or an mp3 player. One more
item that you might consider is a heart rate monitor. Training with
one is a great way to gauge your efforts and target training zones.
Many training programs have targeted heart rate zones for the drills
that are being performed, so you will need to know what your maximum
heart rate is prior to performing the drills. The basic method for
discovering your maximum heart rate is the following formula: 220 -
your age = maximum heart rate. So say you are our average RAGBRAI
rider and you are 42 years old your maximum heart rate should be 220 -
42 = 178 beats per minute. Since you are not going to be training at
your max , or at least not for very long, you need to calculate what
your heart rate should be in different zones based on intensity
levels. If you just beginning to train 40 to 50 % of your maximum
heart rate should be your target. So how do you get that number? For
that you need to know not just your maximum heart rate, but also your
resting heart rate. The best way to get that number is to get the
pulse rate on your wrist or the carotid artery on your neck prior to
getting up in the morning. Do this a couple of mornings in a row to
get the most accurate number. Actually the most accurate way to gain
this information is to wear your heart rate monitor to bed and check
it when you wake up. Now you have the two numbers that you need to
figure out what your heart rate should be at different intensity
levels.
Here is what the mathematical formula should look like:

220 - Age = maximum Heart Rate
Maximum Heart Rate - Resting Heart Rate times Intensity + Resting
Heart Rate = Training Heart Rate.

Confused? Ok here is a practical example:

Average RAGBRAI rider
220 - 42 (Age) = 178
178 - 75 (Resting Heart Rate) = 103
103 times .50 Intensity ) + 75 (Resting HR) = 126 Beat Per Minute.

A word of warning donıt get too hung up numbers and percentages,
there are many physiological factors that can affect those figures.
If you feel completely out of breath at 50% of your heart rate back
it off to a zone you feel more comfortable in, and slowly over time
build back up. Again make sure that you are healthy enough to
exercise in this fashion.

Onto the drills, and remember to warm up for about 15 minutes before
getting into the meat of the workouts.

This is a good general conditioning drill. Start pedaling in a gear
that will get you within a heart rate training zone of say 50% and
try and maintain that level for 6 to 10 minutes while running a
pedaling cadence between 85 to 100 RPMs. Spin in a slightly easier
gear for half of the interval time to recover, then do another set.
As you feel your conditioning improve increase the targeted heart
rate zone and sets.
After a good warm up start spinning in a gear that you can turn
fairly quickly while raising your heart rate to the target zone and
hold this pace for 2 minutes. Shift down and slow your pace to
recover for the same amount of time. Shift back up and increase your
RPMs for 1:45 this time, then back down for the same amount of time.
Continue the drills taking 15 seconds off as you work your way
through the session. Spin an easy gear to recover for 5 minutes, then
repeat. If you are too tired or feel light headed at any point during
the workout, stop.
This workout does not require monitoring your heart rate, it is more
for building leg strength especially for climbing. Set your bike up
with the front wheel jacked up higher than the back to simulate a
hill climbing position. Get into a big gear that forces you to pedal
at about 60 RPMs and maintain that cadence for 5 to 6 minutes.
Concentrate on pulling back on the pedal stroke as if you were
scraping mud off of your shoe while simultaneously pulling up and
pushing your opposite foot over the top of the pedal stroke. Make
sure that your upper body stays as still as possible during the
drill. Rest for an equal amount of time between sets. Repeat 2 to 3
times. As you become more comfortable add time to the workout and get
out of the saddle for 2 to 3 minutes at a time.
That old adage goes that once you learn how to ride a bike you never
forget. But that doesnıt mean you learned how to ride it properly.
Everybody learned to ride a bike with platform pedals. With those
pedals you learned to push down on the pedal stroke only, not to use
the entire range to get the most out of each stroke. With cages and
clipless pedals riders have the ability to engage their legs during
the entire revolution. But having the ability and actually doing it
are two different things. Many riders still engage in a pedaling
motion for only 1Ž4 of their pedal stroke. The following workout will
lay bare any deficiencies in your stroke and help you to remove the
dead spots and help you to begin to pedal in circles instead of
squares.

With your bike on a trainer take one foot out of the pedal and begins
to pedal with one leg. Not very easy is it? Try and pedal for one
minute with your one leg, then switch to your other leg for one
minute, then with both legs. Notice how smoother your stroke is? Do 3
to 4 sets once a week and try to increase your time from 1 minute to
2, and so forth as you get stronger.
Riding on a bike that goes nowhere can get old very quickly so try
not to do 2 days in a row. On those days work on upper body and core
exercises, or go for a run, jump on an elliptical, anything to keep
your exercise motivation up.

by RAGBRAI host Brian Duffy