Let the partying begin!!!
 

The "ride to train" season is over for this old fella. The last mountain century of the year/season was supposed to be yesterday-but with the forecast for a rainy cold day in the NC mountains I opted to walk 18 holes of golf instead. Climbing the 2 miles of Grandfather Mountain after riding 100 miles is something everyone should do on a clear fall day but when it's rainy and foggy its just a lot of work. From talking with folks that wound up doing the ride it was really smart to sit that one out.

Between now and December my training becomes how much Mexican food, margaritas, cakes, pies and popcorn I can consume. I'll probably do a few more organized rides but they become more "sit up and enjoy sightseeing tours" versus the challenge of finishing before a magic hour. The routine becomes letting the body and focus go and then start the rebuilding process again in December. It took me several years to figure out the right routine that helped to keep me sane. Thanksgiving is a really good target for peaking on calorie intake!!

I still have the final 10 mile TT to go next week but hopefully I can stay upright for 10 miles and avoid throwing up afterwards.

How about you?

You do ride year round, don't you?
I don't do anything different except when it's dark at 5:30 I don't do the after work Wednesday ride.
My best riding is in the fall/winter/spring. The summer takes a lot out of me at work. I hate the summer. We don't really have a winter, at least not down low.

September is a lighter month and our racing season is complete. We are going to spend 10 days in southern California (Newport Beach and San Diego) cycling next week. October starts the strength training and we are doing some of the low key hill climbs that culminates with a race up Mount Hamilton (19 miles 4400 feet) on Thanksgiving morning.

I plan to be at 165 (168 today) by then:D with a goal of lowering my time up Hamilton by 7 minutes from last year.:thumb:

It's a mixed bag. I love the warm weather and I love riding outdoors in it.

The thought of setting up my trainer in the basement for the season nauseates me. It's like going to the dentist. You know it's good for you but.....

As for me, I still am on the road bike although not as much because of the short days and more of them lost to weather. I will start on the mountain bike before long though which helps upper body and handling skills, and of course the trainer. Which, strangely enough, I sort of enjoy....weird

This will be my first winter and I am afraid of this exact thinking..... I'm scared to be honest.
My nephew has a trainer he is going to lend me but I need to see if this is what I really want to do , I may opt for some other type of exercise.

My Winter schedule this year will actually be tougher than my summer was. Although I subjected myself to a lot of punishment - I did not subject myself to dieting AND exercise. Although I ate responsibly I did not care too much about weight, my philosophy was to work on increased muscle. This winter I will switch into more low aerobic training with a strict diet. Like Hermes, my goal is to get to 165 consistently, which really means for me a weight of about 162/3. I ski aggressively in the winter but that is not enough exercise to keep me in shape and I loose fitness by spring. My daughter will also start ski race training this winter so that will keep us on the mountain every weekend from December through March. This year I will also do spinning classes and use the trainer more regularly - but I will also subject myself to a diet again - yuck! Luckily 165 is only 10 lbs from where I am now. I still have three more events before I switch over, a mountian even next Sat followed by two more centuries - so come mid October I should start getting grumpy. With my new lights and my cold weather gear I should continue to ride until late November.

One more big mountain ride I want to do before snow shuts down the higher elevations. I might get out this weekend.

Other than that - it's getting cool and dark enough that I'm getting ready for winter commuting. Got new knee warmers last night; put the headlights and tail light back on my commuter bike; considering an upgrade to my headlights for my commuter.

Commuted a couple of days in light mist already, and took a 15 mile ride in the rain Saturday morning. It's getting to be that time of year in Seattle...

Consider the Magic Shine. I tried mine last night - went to the store for ice cream (to go with the pie), the thing is amazing. I overheard some kids in their front yard say "Is that a motorcycle or a bike?" I found when I was in a neighboorhood with some ambient light all I needed was 1/2 intensity. Full intensity will light up a pitch black street well enough to easily ride at full speed.

In some ways, I wish we had a real winter where there were winter sports to pursue. We get a very inconsistent winter season and certainly nothing like those living in northern areas. So my opportunities to get on my xc skis are hit or miss and the few dh slopes are always so crowded or icy. Once you've skied in nice snow it's hard to go back to what we have here. I would probably speed skate if I had a track nearby. I think that is great crosstraining for cycling and I love to skate (though I don't ever do it anymore). I wonder if the local university would throw me off the field track if I went out there on inline skates? Hmmm, that might be an idea though I'm pretty sure I'd get bounced.

I've got a couple of more scheduled century rides this year, but I'm "over" training for the hilly stuff for awhile. I don't want to completely lose it over the winter, but I too am ready to stop and smell the leaves change... or something like that.

Let the suffering begin! I guess I am on the other side. I was so busy for so long that I put on a few pounds, time to start shedding them. Also, peak riding for me is around January to May, the dry season. Pretty good all year, but that is the best. So, I want to be ready for it this year.

We will begin doing more mountain biking as the weather cools and the monsoons abate - hardly any rain this year, but lot's of lightning! We'll still be road riding as long as there is no ice on the road.

One of the benefits of living in Winslow is that we have 4 seasons and even get a smattering of snow. However, while the thermometer may drop below freezing for protracted periods, it is usually sunny and clear enough for riding. If we want to see snow, we have only to head west or south for less than an hour, but we never have to deal with snowbanks or slush.

This will be our first Winter on the Ruby and Roubaix and we may be doing more 0:dark:30 rides, so we will probably be investing in brighter lights than the minimally legal Planet Bike 1200s. I've been enlightened by the recent threads regarding various systems, though somewhat nonplussed by the prices for high-power LEDs! I found the link to the Russian site with the comparison images particularly illuminating!

We are planning on doing the Tour of Tucson, but there won't be any other long rides this year. Like several others, I am shooting for something in the 160-170# range by next Spring. Unlike you, I have 40-50# to drop to reach that goal. I'll be satisfied to accomplish this goal by 2011 as long as I'm making steady progress. I've been losing a steady pound a week since I retired in July, so it isn't unreasonable to think I might be there by this time next year.

Well, it is lunch time and there is still half of a triple-berry pie on the counter :love:

When I used to do that BIG Offroad ride each year-I used to train for the majority of the year. The ride was in June- and after that I used to take a couple of months off to recover. That was basically July and August but there were a couple of road metrics I used to do and a 100 miler that I used to participate in. If you can call 100 miles in 8 hours participating.

But then came September and it was time to get in a few hard Offroad metrics before the season finished. October and think about the gym but just time to get in a few Technical hiily rides. BUT then came November. That gym work was hard- so to keep fitness up the lights went on the Tandem. December and Play at the gym but still the bike rides. Then January to April and Gym work started building up- weekend rides were at least 50 miles but evening rides were only done if I had enough energy and there was less than 2" of mud on the trails. May and the tough evening rides came in at least 3 times a week and the weekend rides were done faster. June and the ride.

I am glad that I have come to my senses and stopped entering this ride. The ride was hard but the training hurt.

I'm going to try to keep riding and buy a trainer. I also bow hunt in the fall so it cuts into my riding time. If I keep in my mind how much I hate trying to get back all the fitness I lost from not riding more in the fall/winter months I should do okay.

I was just able to return to the bike after an 8 wk absence due to a broken fibula so I'm already a bit behind my usual fall fitness level...just hope I can keep myself motivated.

Anyone else do any bowhunting? Whitetail deer are definately an adrenaline rush when they are within bow range.

If it's the team in purple all you'd need to do is dress in school colors and they would probably welcome you with open arms-if the track team was practicing and the professors weren't running.

[QUOTE=big john;9713428]You do ride year round, don't you?QUOTE]

Yes-but it's more for smiles in October-November.

You could take your running shoes as well and if they complained about the skates put on the shoes and do some 400 meter intervals.:innocent:

That would be one option. :notamused:

They might even set up some hurdles for you.:roflmao2:

Once the bad weather starts, a lot of the hard core roadies start showing up at Burnaby's 200-meter indoor velodrome. The training sessions start to get crowded, and the winter track season gets going for the national-calibre racers headed for the World Cups. This would be a great time to race, were I still racing. We've got a series of 10 weekly races for at least three ability categories starting up, usually with a 6-day around New Years. Nothing like being flying fit in the middle of January! Well, it worked for guys like Erik Zabel.

Luis

Does Magic Shine come with full accessories? Is there only one US distributor? Is there additional sources for the batteries?

Pretty much done here as well, though I have to keep the weight under control or it gets away from me quickly. One more local event, and perhaps another trip into the mountains to visit BikeWNC and do part of a ride we both did in May. Otherwise, a business park close by that's limited access, nice road surface, and well lighted, is the venue for training at night(s) during the week. Lots of the "High Zoot" crit riders train there thru the winter, so it's a great way to do interval work.

I might try spin classes at the Y this winter, along with weight training and core work. Weekends will be weather dependent, but the organized calendar is about finished at the end of October. Come March, I'm hoping to do a PAC Tour training camp week in Arizona, maybe the mountain tour: http://www.pactour.com/

Hi,

Mentally, my hard season is over, but I still have the difficult task of keeping weight off during the winter. Can you say old guys who get fat over the winter? ;)

I may do a century and I will be doing some short time trials but all of those things will target maintaining my current end-of-season weight.

With our hot weather season coming to an end, our best cycling weather is just around the corner! :D I look forward to riding in the cooler season when we don't need to confine riding to the early hours, and a jacket and longer pants can cover my sun-sensitive skin without making me hot. I call it ideal gardening or cycling weather --- I can be out there for hours and hardly break a sweat.

My "training season" is about to begin:) I don't ride fast and seldom ride anything over 65 miles in a day. I like doing the weekly tours that average 50+ miles a day. I need to maintain my weight and stamina over the winter months so I hit the gym. Hmmm....change that to lose a little weight over the winter:(

I've started checking the schedule at the gym for Pilate's and yoga classes. I'll do these in addition to the weights and swimming. I didn't do any spinning classes last year but plan to do them this year. I'm hoping they'll help rebuild the strength in my left leg.

I'll continue to cycle outdoors as long as the roads are clear and the temps are above freezing.