Saturday, November 14, 2009

New Season

Inspired by a guy called Ashwin Amana, I think I need to do some weight training to get to the next level of racing excellence. But, I don't want to go to the gym. Here's some quick research on no-weight weight training.

The Set Progression Strategy:
By increasing the number of repetitions each set, increasing the number of sets performed and reducing the rest periods between exercises and sets... you can systematically improve total body function!
Workout Without Weights
The Alternating Set Progression Strategy:
By alternating the exercises you do each set, your muscles will get a greater rest... furthering your progression by allowing you to add more exercises to each workout!
Workout Without Weights
The Superset Progression Strategy:
By performing the exercises in supersets, you up the intensity of the workout by placing greater stress on both the muscles and cardiorespiratory system... leading to greater muscular, heart and lung strength AND burning more fat!
Workout Without Weights
The Giant Set Progression Strategy:
By performing multiple exercises without rest in one giant set, you will again turn up the intensity placed on your entire body... blasting you to further body transformation!
Workout Without Weights
The Circuit Progression Strategy:
By performing a succession of different exercises without rest, you intensify and vary the stress placed on the body without increasing workout duration... meaning more progress in the same amount of time!
Workout Without Weights
The Peripheral Heart Action (PHA) Progression Strategy:
By alternating between upper extremity and lower extremity exercises you effectively and intensely train all the muscles in the body, the heart and lungs and burn large quantities of fat... this is the supreme muscle blasting, heart pounding, chest heaving and fat burning workout that will impact your fitness, health and physique the most!

As you go from one strategy to another, your muscles become stronger and harder, your heart and lungs will strengthen so you can do more, longer AND the fat falls away.

Calisthenics = body weight training.

Now I need to look for some cycling specific exercises.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

End of an Era



Photo credits to Ramona

Sunday was the season-ending finale of cyclocross 2009. Kildonan Park was great. No mud, no snow. Lots of speed! I could have used a bit more of this. Also haikus, and poker derby!

Winning Haiku:

End of the season
Rest awhile, soon you'll find me
Back in the saddle

That was worth two loaves of Hal's bread, a bit of fancy cheese, and a bottle of wine (by draw).

I'm so thankful to have participated in 3 of the 8 races. It was fantastic!

I placed:
22/28 at the Belgian Club
16/22 in Altona
11/17 at Kildonan Park

I felt faster every time. I still couldn't catch Jonny G (my rabbit) or Ian Hall. Guess they were getting faster too.

I can't help thinking - would I be faster with the cyclocross style bike?
CX: lighter, no suspension bob, low roll resistance, aerodynamic position, quick spin-up
mtb: good in mud, cornering, and most of all - I have this bike!



And I love it.

Still, without going to the expense of buying a cx bike, I could do some modifications to make it faster for this format.

Fork - buy a carbon rigid - $200 ish
Tires - buy narrow knobbies (1" or less?) keep tubeless if possible - $maybe 100?

so - $300 for my cx conversion. That's a lot. But, it's less than a full cx ride - $1000 - 2000.

Other repairs that would help:
Rear Wheel- I should fix it anyway - needs a spring for the WTB hub. Then I could use the lighter wheel that I haven't been riding. - $?