Eat-Clean Diet Women's Cycling Team CAMP 2010

On April 24th the Eat-Clean Diet Women's Cycling Team hosted a Learn-to-Ride camp. It started super early on Saturday morning with pictures of the team in our kits. We look super cute! Then I immediately stepped right out of my comfort zone into unfamiliar territory.

This was one of my goals after turning 50. I wanted to test myself in a different ways and so it began with signing up for a triathlon, joining the cycling team & attending cycling camp.

40 fabulous women learned about changing flats, bike maintenance, cornering, rocking our bikes on sprints (this requires pulling with your arms), falling while clipped in, bike etiquette, group riding, various formations (echelon, single pace, double pace), safety, etc etc.

I did my schpeel on nutrition, but even this is a learning adventure for me because endurance sport requires an entirely different level of thinking... I am educating myself quickly!

I was also the girl who forgot to clip out when coming to a full stop and fell on my *ss on the grass... it had to happen & it did! Ooops!

The Most Interesting Thing I Learned: that you can cook a tire in the heat by letting it sit in the back your car and it will explode without proper maintenance

What I Loved: sprinting up the hill & rocking the bike because I realized you actually are using your arms in this sport, rather than just using your legs

Overall, although group riding was interesting, it's not as applicable to triathlon training as I expected to be, however the skills are still extremely important and I feel much more comfortable on my bike.

Iron Goddess!!

Competing in a sprint-distance triathlon is my lastest & greatest goal. I'm preparing for the big event... the Iron Goddess Triathlon in Michigan. Here's my training plan so far:

Cycling: I have my road bike on blocks and a trainer so I can ride indoors until the weather gets better. I try to ride at least twice and sometimes three times per week for now going a minimum of 12 miles. But I am throwing in some harder training to build my strength.

Running: as much as possible wherever possible – indoors and out!

Bricks: I do bricks most of the time. This means I am cycling 12 miles and then jumping right into my running shoes for 4, 5 or 6 miles. I try to do at least one long run each week. That means I am running more than 6 miles and obviously will build up my endurance so I can run longer as time goes on.

Swimming: I swim in my own little indoor pool which is lousy for lengths but I swim the perimeter for now so I can build up my lungs. As soon as the snow and ice melt I plan to get into a wetsuit and swim in local water holes so I get used to the dark, muddy conditions. They freak me out so I have to push past that. I am a bit claustrophobic.

I have a long way to go but I try to work on breaking through barriers at least once a week.

Cheers,
Tosca

New To This... Cycling

On Friday I attempted my first road bike training class at the Riverdale Training Complex in Caledon. We were hooked up to a simulator that had us climbing Mt. Lemmon in Arizona. Here are some photos my husband took of the night. They each say a thousand words! It was hard work climbing 5200 feet uphill for 15 miles over 1 1/2 hours of grueling pedaling. Of course I was humbled by the task and by learning how to shift all 23 gears. I did feel sick at one point but I never stopped and I did not give up.

Enjoy,
Tosca

The man beside me is Don Coats who helped me purchase my road bike and who runs the classes. He knows what he is doing!

Sometimes you have to stand up while you pedal but apparently this is not terribly efficient for cyclists to do. I am practicing the push/pull of cycling to get better at it.


This is a look of focus and determination on my face - the climb is getting harder.


Almost at the top!


I did it!! Now it's time for a post work out stretch for my burning quads!