Springing Into Gear
After a winter of stationary spinning, rowing and interval training Springs’s just around the corner. So its time to hit the road with some real outdoor cycling. It’s been a long winter. I’ve been alternating one day on one day off rowing for 25 or 30 minuets. I start up with two sets at 110-120 rpm for 2 minuets resting about 2 minuets between. Then 6 times max for 6 seconds at 100 percent increasing wattage resting 30 secounds between. My max wattage reached was 535 a earlier this month. Usually by the 6th time my heart rate is high enough to go for some longer interval sprinting. I follow the same on the stationary bike for between 30 and 40 minuets on alternate days as I do on the road in the park.
I usually hit the weight room afterwards with a few sets of warm-ups on the leg extension machine with really low weight for 3 sets. Following that with 6 sets of heavy squatting 135 for 15 reps, 225 for about 10 -12 reps, then 295 for 6, 225 for 8 135 for 12 -15 reps. If I’m really feeling some mild pain I hit the quads and calves instead. On upper body days I do the same but train the arms and back instead.
So I’m not sure if I will be racing again this season. After my experiences with last years race and all the crashes that I’ve seen happen I might just play the low road again this year. Then again at 54 I would only be competing with a few people in my age category so chances are better that I would place well. I could get into time trials rather than full flegded races.
There’s something about being on a real bike moving along in space that I don’t experience in the gym so time to get outdoors in Central Park.