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Old 02-20-16 | 10:33 PM
  #13  
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Carbonfiberboy
just another gosling
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Joined: Feb 2007
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From: Everett, WA

Bikes: CoMo Speedster 2003, Trek 5200, CAAD 9, Fred 2004

Originally Posted by sgtdirt
i put down 2,500 miles last year and i'm up to 300 already this year. most of my rides are 30 to 40 miles with approx 1,800 to 2,00 ft. of climb. usual pace is 17 to 18 mph. in the winter months i do 2 days of leg exercises (squats, leg presses...) a week plus 3 days of spin class. when the weather breaks, it's a 5k run 3 times week and 120 on the bike with some swimming mixed in for good measure (i do triathlons too). i don't know how much more training i could do !
your point about bike fit is very plausible. this will be my next step.

the thing about my cramps is, they are very frustrating. i hate it when i'm climbing and WHAM! legs go stiff and debilitating pain occurs.
Good for you! I don't do tri, so don't know much about the specifics that might arise. Try over in the tri forum. It could be that running has something to do with it.

It's still winter, so I assume you're doing weights and spin class. I used to do spin class, but don't anymore. There've been a couple of big threads about spin classes on the 41 and the Over 50. My position is that they're not necessarily a good thing because the flywheel effect creates an unnatural pedal stroke. I much prefer resistance rollers or a trainer to spin bikes. There are spin bikes with a freewheel which don't have that flywheel effect issue, but I've never seen one in a spin class. It's vaguely possible that changing from a flywheel fixie spin bike to a road bike creates a different pattern of muscle contractions for which the muscles are, in a way, untrained.

At this time of year I spend one roller session a week doing a lot of one-legged pedaling. I think that's helpful. I spend most of my roller sessions just doing steady-state zone 2. Most weeks, the only intensity Stoker and I do will be a 30-70 mile ride on our tandem outside on one weekend day, where we'll go absolutely all out 'til we can hardly walk at the finish. Since it's winter, we'll take no electrolytes and drink maybe 1/2 bottle of a malto/protein combo each. Stoker will sometimes get a cramp if it's been a big jump up, but I never do, probably because I get in more roller hours during the week.
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