Machka 

It's the beginning of the holiday time, the last weekend before Christmas. What kind of cycling/ sports/ exercise have you been up to in preparation for Chrismas? Have you been able to ride outside? Are you riding inside these days? Have you taken up skiing or other sports?




Friday - Rowan and I joined a gym yesterday, for the month we're here in Canada, and today we worked out. For me, it was 30 minutes on a spin bicycle, 10 minutes on the rowing machine, 30 minutes on the treadmill, and I tried one of the weightlifting machines. Now I'm sore!!

It may be my imagination, but it seems to me that the weightlifting machines have become more complicated than they used to be.

I also wanted to use the freeweights, but sad to say ... the lightest one on the rack looked too heavy for me. Back in the good ol' days of bodybuilding, I wouldn't have had that problem at all!!

banerjek

You'll never catch me in a gym. Haven't been in one in my life and have never lifted weights. Skiing is the plan for tomorrow, some kayaking on Sun, and I'll figure out some riding. Exercise was meant to be done outdoors.

alexaschwanden

Today i did 35 miles and I finally reached 2000 miles on my trek mountain bike!

Machka 

I like gyms. Back in my early 20s I was into bodybuilding quite seriously, and it still gives me an adrenaline rush which cycling rarely provides.

Elevation

Have you raced?

Machka 

I have. I raced for 3 years (1998, 1999, and 2000), plus a couple races since then ... one in 2005 and one in 2006.

One of my last memorable cycling-related adrenaline rushes was during that race in 2006. I felt great, and had heaps of energy and enthusiasm the entire 24 hours. It probably helped that I placed well.

I think I've had a small cycling-related adrenaline rush occasionally since then ... seems to me it might have happened once or twice when I was doing intervals last January & February.

rho

Plan is to do a 60 mile ride tomorrow and go out every weekend untill the temperature drops and ears start to hurt while on the bike.

Meanwhile I´m doing some base miles on the rollers during the week.


Ronaldo

Leastbest

Weather in Ohio has taken a turn for the worse. I'm on my trainer every day that the weather sucks. 2013 is going to be my year so I want the weight off and the legs in shape.

Machka 

Saturday - Another good workout today ... 30 minutes on the spin bicycle, 12 minutes on the rowing machine, 35 minutes on the treadmill, and some weights. Plus a whole bunch of walking while doing some Christmas shopping.

I'm trying to build up my standing and upper body strength just in case I need it, starting in February.

alexaschwanden

Today I rode 36.2 miles with my mountain bike through some muddy trails because it was fun.

Rowan

We workout separately. I am doing more cardio aimed at some weight reduction ATM, but with some upper body work. Today it was 15 minutes on the spin bike, 15 minutes on the rowing machine, 15 minutes running on the treadmill, 15 minutes swimming (8x25m laps), then about 10 minutes luxuriating in the swirl pool at the gym.

I rowed way back when I was at school in a lightweight four, and have puddled about in dinghies as yacht tenders over the years. I love it. We have a light fibreglass kayak at home that seems eminently suitable for conversion to a single scull. Rowing is probaby more akin to cycling than my other favourite pastime, sailing, because the rower is the boat's power.

So the rowing machine has rekindled that desire, which is a good thing.

StephenH

I was off Friday, and rode 23 miles in the afternoon. It was cool, but still shirt-sleeve weather, so here's my "Neener Neener" picture for those in Frostbite Falls:



Today, I repeated the 211k Christmas Ride we did last Saturday. There were five of us riding. We stopped at Frost, at Christmas Creek, and at Frosa. Here we are at Frost, stil a bit cool as you can tell.



And here's the train a'chuggin' on down the track. That's not a triple, just a tandem, and Debbie's drafting us, with the recumbulators in the background.

Nachoman

40 mile ride along the coast. The waves were about 5-6 feet. Saw hundreds of surfers out today.

wapiti

I am in Arizona for the next couple of weeks. Far removed from ethos snow and cold in Northern Alberta.

i saw a fellow out on his bike today wearing more clothes than I would wear at zero F. It was 72* and this fellow was in full tights, jacket, long gloves, balaclava, overshoes, etc.

i don't wear that much going out in the snow at home.

MarkThailand

Last weekend, I did not get to ride because we took a three day trip to Laos by train - I wanted my sons to experience this mode of transport before it goes extinct.

Saturday - I rode 100 km nonstop with my brother along our usual loop around Souvarnabhumi airport. It was perfect riding weather - 76 F when we started at 7 am with overcast skies and a cool breeze that warmed up to 90 F by the time I finished my ride at 1030 am. I hit my next training milestone - 32 kmh / 20 mph average over two hours!

Sunday - I rode 55 km with my buddy that I have known since high school. He was the one who turned me on to riding bikes. Our ride was a casual side-by-side ride most of the way as we caught up over the two hour ride. The weather was cool but very windy - we were riding upright with the wind at 37 kmh but had to really ride deep in the drops to stay at 28 kmh.

Mark

aztimm

Most people who live in the warmer parts of AZ, such as the Phoenix area, are more sensitive to cold than people elsewhere in the country. I've lived here since 1995, and I really notice temps below 50F.


As for my weekend, I went out at a luxurious 11am for a spin today:
https://app.strava.com/activities/33695983

Gradually getting back to where I was at before my post-El Tour break.

Elduderino2412

I road the trainer today. First time i've had a day off in two months. Wanted to ride outside but didn't want to get run over by a mom in a minivan doing last second shopping.

Hobie

GF and I did about 25 miles this weekend. Temps in the high 30's.

Once the hands warmed up, we did pretty good.

hhnngg1

TrainerRd for me. Cathedral - made it thru 2 hrs of it. Not bad after coming off of a cold for 2 weeks (still did trainer work with the cold, but not as hi intensity)

MikeEckhaus

Glad I live where I do. Went hiking with the wife Saturday morning, then a quick but fun 13 miles with lots of stream crossings in the afternoon on the mountain bike. Today did 49 miles on the coast on the road bike. Probably take tomorrow off, then try to fit in a road ride Xmas morning.

Machka 

Sunday - Workout at the gym again, but a bit lighter today. Just 30 minutes on the trainer and 30 minutes on the spin bike. Plus a bit of walking outside as well.

Carbonfiberboy 

Friday I went Alpine skiing at Stevens Pass. Got a good workout. Snow was very good. This is my second year being back at skiing. I had about 10 seconds of perfect turns.

We took our tandem out on the Sunday group ride. It was really warm, 47° by the time we finished, and it didn't rain on us a drop! Another Perfect Ride™. We did about 43 miles. Only 4 bikes showed up, which was crazy. What's wrong with those folks? There are only two rules for life: show up, and pay attention.

I learned bump skiing in France in the mid-60s, when Jean-Claude Killy and his new Jet Turn technique was all the rage. I can still do jet turns on my 23 y/o "toothpick skis" and wow do they ever put some stress on the old quads. I could feel it on Sunday, when I seemed to have some extra strength coming over the top of the pedal stroke. Doing my 3 sets of 30 at the gym on Tuesday probably didn't hurt any either. Well, it did hurt.

DataJunkie

21: Lunch ride fighting a cold so just rode somewhere and back with no goal. Hell I don't even remember the ride.
22: 67 miler with a buddy. We met up with a few teammates and rode with them for a bit.
23: cold kicked into high gear because of the ride the day before. Napped. Took the youngest out for a ride. Napped more afterward.

Carbonfiberboy 

Machka,
since I stopped leading the geezer (45 and up) A ride a few years ago, I'd sloughed off on the lifting. I still did it occasionally, but not like I used to. This winter, I'm getting back to it. This is what I do, in order, after warming up with some aerobics:
Leg sled
Seated rows
Back machine
Barbell squats
Pushups
1-legged calf raises
Roman chair
Lat pull-downs

I start the lifting season with 1 set of 30, choosing weights that I can't quite or just barely do 30 reps with. Between sets, I let my HR drop to the 110-100 range, so as little rest as is reasonable. After a couple or few weeks when I'm comfortable with those weights at 30, rather than increase them, I add a second set, same weight, circuit style. When I'm good with that, I add a 3rd set, same weight. When I'm good with that, I start the more usual progression of hypertrophy, strength, and speed/endurance. Doing it that way, I don't get injured and it seems to make a major difference in my ability to deal with the heavier weights. My riding buddies definitely notice it when I've done 3 sets of 30 for a couple of weeks.

Ranger Dan

I rode outside a couple of days ago when the temperature was around 20 F. But today we only hit the single digits and the low tonight is forecast to be -11, so I'll be riding on the trainer this evening and again tomorrow morning before I have to go to work.