Training Back to Bike Stories // Back to the Weeville Home Page
The Herald Friday, March 29, 1991
You've got a bike, now comes training
The sad news is that simply owning a bike won't make the mirror your friend, and
it won't have you walking lightly while your friends are huffing and puffing.
You'll never know the adventure of touring unless you start a riding program and
stick with it. What it takes is that four-letter word called effort.
As with any exercise program, check with you doctor before beginning if you have
been sedentary for a number of years, or if you are over 30.
The big minus for the popularity of bicycling is the fact that people try it
with enthusiasm once, and it makes them hurt in private areas as well as
creating an overall feeling of soreness and fatigue. A 10-mile ride will
cripple a rookie, and they always multiply this feeling by 250 to imagine what I
must have felt after my ride across America.
Not so. What is required is conditioning. That excruciatingly painful "little
bitty seat" feels like a recliner after months of regular riding. That mammoth
hill becomes a gentle rise, just part of the trip.
The bottom line is that a bike ride across America begins as you ride around the
block.
For your first ride, stay very close to home. When it's not fun anymore, stop
immediately. Be patient and you'll be able to go farther next time.
At the outset, always skip a day before you ride again. Better yet, skip two
days, but stay steady. A regular program is far better than a rack -up-and-wait
program. As your conditioning improves, you'll be able to do back-to-back days,
as will be necessary when you hit the road.
The beginning days of a riding regime are a hundred times harder than what
you'll experience after you're in shape, so don't rush the start. If you rush
at the onset, you'll only turn yourself against the sport. Above all, skip
riding days to allow your muscles and entire metabolism to heal and grow.
As your program progresses, expect to be hungry all the time. This is a natural
reaction to regular vigorous exercise. What's happening is that you are burning
more calories than you are consuming. If you are overweight, you'll see the
pounds peel off. Don't starve yourself and continue to ride in an effort to
lose weight. During this period your body is changing and it requires
nutrients. You are trading fat for muscles, and it is a complex transaction.
Go ahead and eat, but lean toward carbohydrates (bread, pizza, spaghetti,
potatoes). This is what your body needs during the first two hours of a ride to
provide boost. Without it, you will experience the marathon runner's nightmare
called "hitting the wall." The cycling term for the same syndrome is
"bonking." Your body has now become an engine, so fuel it accordingly.
When I'm on the road I am forced to eat about four times more food than I could
consume at Thanksgiving. I have a catalog of stories about amazed waitresses
who simply can't believe a 135-pound skinny guy could eat so much. Little do
they know that I do it five times a day on the road. It's a simple formula-if
you burn it, your body needs to replace it.
You can't enjoy the adventure of a road trip without first training, and
training itself can be fun. Vary your route if you get bored, and listen to
your body. If you feel stiff and sore after five miles, take the shortcut
home. If you feel progressively better, keep riding. Your body is in command,
so obey it.
Before you know it, you'll be dragging out the state maps and plotting a trip,
which is the subject of the last part of this series.
Back to Bike Stories // Back to the Weeville Home Page