How Do I Get There From Here?

Find a Cycling Buddy. A good cycling buddy —or group of buddies—is your lifeline during a long, strenuous ride. He (or she) is your motivator, teacher, and competition. He is steadfast or flexible when you are not. He is an entertaining talker, a patient listener, and the voice of reason when the terrain gets tough and the weather turns foul. A good buddy entertains, cajoles, laughs, grunts, and sweats at all the right time. He leads, follows, speeds up, slows down, and allows you to suck his wheel. He lends you a windbreaker on a chilly descent, and, most importantly, carries spare food, water, tubes, and an Allen wrench because you forgot. If you can find such a buddy (or be such a buddy), you will achieve your cycling goal with exponentially more enjoyment.

Develop a Cycling Strategy. Behind every victory is a sensible game plan. Cycling is no exception. One cyclist may point her bicycle towards Mt. Whitney and start pedaling, letting fate decide her outcome. A second may monitor her heart rate. A third may cycle at her buddy's pace or try to keep up with the first rider who passes her. A fourth cyclist may ride with the best-looking male or female cyclist lined up at Stovepipe Wells. In the past, these strategies have been successful for some cyclists and unsuccessful for others. Mark Allen (six-time winner of the Hawaiian Ironman Triathlon) offers a more universal strategy: "Your body can only do what you train it to do."

Determine Your Cycling Limit. A finite limit exists during which you can perform optimally, focus mentally, and cycle enthusiastically. This limit discriminates cycling for pleasure from cycling with pain. When you reach your limit, only a great deal of tenacity will bring you to the finish line. Proper training will help ensure you never go down this road. Valley cyclists agree that six hours is a realistic goal in which to complete the first day (78 miles) of the Death Valley event. To reach this goal and cycle relatively pain-free, your training program should emphasize (1) making your aerobic energy system more efficient, (2) strengthening your leg and heart muscles, and (3) training your body to deal more effectively with lactic acid.

Determine Your Maximum Heart Rate. Simply stated, cycling is a three organ sport: heart, lungs, and legs. To improve your cycling skills, these organs must be worked at various intensities simultaneously. The intensity of a cycling workout is modulated by two parameters: leg speed and heart rate. To determine your heart's upper limit—how many beats per minute your heart can achieve before it will give no additional beats (defined as your maximum heart rate (MHR)), use either of two formulas: 220 minus your age or 205 minus 1/2 your age. A more accurate method is to use a stationary bicycle. As you cycle, have your buddy increase the intensity of the effort every 60 seconds. The last minute is near the maximum effort; the last 30 seconds are at maximum effort. The highest heart rate observed is used as your maximum heart rate. The Lifecycles at the base gym, with built-in heart-rate monitors and adjustable work levels, are ideal for this purpose.

Warm Up, Cool Down, and Stretch. Before and after each session, cycle easily for 5 to 10 minutes to allow blood to be shunted to your legs or back to your torso and head. Do not stretch cold muscles. At the end of each cycling session, gently stretch each group of muscles used.

Go the Distance. Distance or endurance training is the backbone of your aerobic program. You must have an aerobic base before you can perform the more intense training that fosters power and speed. Your genetic makeup, trainability, athletic background, and nutritional status are factors that influence how long it will take you to develop your aerobic base. To begin, select a flat or rolling terrain and cycle at a leisurely pace—perceived as an easy to moderate effort for your heart, lungs, and legs—using low gears, a leg speed of 90 to 110 RPM, and a heart rate 66 to 80% of your maximum.

January Through March. Perform two distance efforts each week: one on a weekday (60 to 90 minutes) and one on the weekend. Begin your weekend effort by cycling 90 minutes, increasing this effort by 30 minutes each weekend. Endurance microcycles are provided, which include additional rest.

Start Climbing. As you increase the length of your weekend ride, increase its difficulty by climbing small hills and progressing to steeper ones. Adjust your gears to the terrain, keeping your climbing cadence greater than 80 RPM. Test climb Town's Pass and the Panamints early in the season so you know what to expect in May.

Eat, Drink, and Be Merry. Train your body to accept lots of fluids in small amounts by drinking 4 to 8 ounces of water or electrolyte replacement drinks every 15 minutes. Nibble portable snacks to train your body to digest food as you cycle. Stop periodically for a light lunch or to enjoy the scenery.

Lactate Threshold Training. Devote one cycling effort each week to train your body to work harder while still in the aerobic energy system. Perform this workout on a flat terrain or trainer. Warm up, then increase your leg speed to 100 RPM. Adjust gears to attain the specified heart rate and begin timing interval. Maintain a leg speed of 100 to 110 RPM. Leg speed for the rest interval is >90 RPM. The lactate threshold microcycles provided specify heart rate and interval time. For legs, the intensity of this effort is perceived as moderate to almost strong; for heart and lungs, strong to very strong.

Develop Muscular Strength—January through February. Devote one cycling effort each week specifically to strengthen your leg muscles. It is best to perform this workout following a day off from cycling. This workout can be performed either indoors on a spinning bicycle or outdoors on a steep hill. Warm up, then adjust gears so your leg speed is between 40 and 60 RPM and your heart rate between 75 and 90% of maximum. Cycle for 5 minutes. Adjust gears and increase your leg speed as desired to attain a heart rate between 65 and 72% of maximum. Cycle easily for at least 5 minutes (Exercise Physiologists McArdle and Katch recommend a rest interval twice as long as the work interval). Repeat work-rest interval four additional times. For your legs, the intensity of this effort is perceived as extremely strong to maximal; for heart and lungs, moderate to strong. Five intense intervals are adequate; never do more than ten.

Cycle Easily. Because most cyclists are very adept at working through pain, it is important to understand that rest is the second part of the training equation. A 4-day cycling program is provided, which can be expanded by adding one day of easy cycling. Rest cycling is cycling with very little effort (leg speed 90 to 100 RPM, heart rate < 65% of maximum, as defined by the USA Cycling Federation, or referred to by many as "junk miles"). The USA Cycling Federation recommends 60 minutes max; the College of Sports Medicine suggests 40 minutes max.

Play Something Else. Your body recovers faster if you do something (termed active rest) rather than nothing (termed couch potato). A wise cyclist in our valley told me, "American cyclists would perform better if they would rest between difficult work outs." Sometimes more is not better; it's just more. Regardless of how much time you spend cycling, if your heart, lungs, and legs are tired and your energy systems depleted, your performance will not reap the benefits of your training. In place of easy cycling you can actively rest by participating—at a low level of effort—in noncycling activities such as walking, playing basketball with your kids, or running errands for—or with—your spouse. Active rest includes weight conditioning. The USA Cycling Federation recommends upper-body weight training for 30 to 60 minutes, one to two times each week. Use adequate weights to perform three sets (each set 15 repetitions) so that when you finish the third set of 15, you can just finish. Lifting in this fashion will help strengthen your back, shoulders, arms, and stomach but not add mass.

SAMPLE 4-DAY CYCLING PROGRAM FOR JANUARY AND FEBRUARY

SAMPLE ENDURANCE MICROCYCLES

LACTATE THRESHOLD MICROCYCLES

SAMPLE RIDES AND MILEAGE