cardio

Things to Know When Planning Your First Century (100 mile) Bike Ride

September 30, 2015

This weekend was our first attempt at a century ride with our road bikes. My boyfriend and I have been riding a few years now and we love going the distance. We have both gone as far as 50 miles on our bikes and hoped to achieve a century one day. So this past weekend, we decided to check this off of our bucket list!

So we loaded up early in the morning, picked up my boyfriend’s brother (who also rides), and the three of us set off to Anniston, AL to start our ride on the Chief Ladiga trail. This trail is about 33 miles long and will come to the AL/GA state line. It will then change into the Silver Comet trail, ending in Smyrna, GA, which is right outside of Atlanta. Totaling right around 100 miles.

So during our ride, there were many things we learned traveling this amount of distance. Here are 10 things you should know when preparing to do a century ride.

PRACTICE

This is definitely something you need to train for. You have got to prepare your leg muscles and cardiovascular system. There are lots of questions to consider and you just won’t know the answer until you ride for a while.

How do you do on hills? Can your legs push you through? Can your knees hold out?

You also need to get a feel for what it is like to sit on a bike for long periods of time. The pedaling position is not like a comfort bike. It takes some time to build up the appropriate muscle to be able to sustain this position comfortably for hours on end. Our ride lasted from 8:30 AM to 7:00 PM (of course this allotted for breaks, lunch, and tire changes). This gives you an idea of how long you’ll be on that saddle.

Practicing on your bike also allows you to move through gears repetitively which will let you know if your bike needs any tune-up or maintenance.

WEATHER

Check the forecast! And even then, you will be moving a distance of 100 miles so the forecast may change. So it is best to have a plan for all types of weather.

During our ride it rained/sprinkled about 70-80% of the time. We definitely got filthy from each other’s spray flying up in the air which is something you just have to expect. But one thing about rain, is once you stop for a break, you lose your warmth if you stay stopped too long. We had shell jackets which helped cut the wind and prevent us from being too cold until we began pedaling again.

Also, if you are carrying a book bag or pack of any kind, make sure you have a pack cover for it. I forgot mine so some of the things inside that pack did get wet.

Food/Water Breaks

We really only stopped for quick stretch breaks and snacks about every 15-20 miles. And sometimes we ate while pedaling.

I would highly recommend eating something carbohydrate loaded every 15 miles. The snacks we packed were things like high protein granola bars, mini bagels to dip in pre-portioned cups of peanut butter, chocolate Belvita cookies, dried apricots/mangoes for the potassium content, and Gu packs.

While riding, I could definitely tell if I had gone too long without a snack because I would feel weak and sometimes a little dizzy. And sure enough I would check our current mileage and we would have passed the 15 mile mark since my last snack.

When it comes to water, it is very important to make sure you have two bottles and two cages on your bike. Check out your course map and make sure you have pit stops along the way for water refills every 20-30 miles.

CLOTHING AND SEAT

Bike clothing is extremely important when doing a distance ride. The bike shirts are great because of the pockets they have in the back. This is where we kept phones for photos and of course snacks. This way we could reach around and grab a granola bar without actually having to stop.

The bike shorts… THEY ARE A MUST! Definitely make sure you wear bike shorts because you need the padding under your tail bone. They also need to fit you properly by making sure the padding is protecting the right area. Not too far back and not too far forward. You can always go by your local bike shop to try shorts on and then sit on a seat to make sure they fit properly.

The seat will also be a big key. My boyfriend and I just swapped out our factory seats to Terry seats before this century. A 30 mile test ride confirmed that these seats were way better than our factory seats in regards to cushion.

One thing we did not realize regarding the seats until speaking with a bike shop employee was that the seat location can really affect your ride… Whether its too far forwards, backwards, or tilted. If you find yourself moving from your tail bone to soft tissue, you may need a seat adjustment. Local bike shops usually offer a fitting session if you have trouble finding a comfortable spot.

When it comes to clip in shoes, I can’t really say how important they are for a ride. I’ve never had them and I was still able to bike this amount of distance fine. It may be worth it to have them, but you definitely do need them to do it.

Gloves are extremely helpful if your handle bars are not very padded. I would highly recommend gloves for any distance ride to prevent any blisters from occurring.

SORE BUTT

I always get the question… doesn’t your butt hurt riding distances like that? And my answer is yes. You really want to make sure you have the appropriate shorts and a good seat to avoid this. But during a century ride, you are seated on this bike for 8-9 hours. So no matter how you sit or what you wear, you’re going to feel it. The best advice is going to be practice which we have discussed above. The more time in the saddle, the more used to it your body becomes. But there is also a product called Bordeaux’s Butt Paste. It is a product for babies that helps prevent rash and irritation. People who run or bike long distances usually keep this product around. Try experimenting with it to see what may work for you.

MEDICATIONS/FIRST AID

During a distance like this, you really want to make sure you have a small first aid kit in case of a crash and Ibuprofen for inflammation or pain.

Once we stopped around mile 45 for lunch, I noticed my knees were aching. Knowing how much further we had to go, I took some Ibuprofen to pull through.

Luckily none of us crashed, but we did have a few close calls. With consistent sprinkles throughout the ride, it sure did make things slick. In case anyone does go down, you want to have an appropriate stock of medical supplies in a saddle bag or backpack.

FLAT TIRES

Prepare to have a flat tire. If you don’t experience this, you’re lucky! Between the three of us, we went through 4 tire tubes. Three being flats and 1 tube malfunction. No matter how careful you are, there may be things on the trail/road that you cannot avoid. You can never have too many tubes. For any long distance like this, I will always have about 2-3 tubes on me.

SUNSCREEN/EYE PROTECTION

Even if your forecast is cloudy with a chance of rain, those clouds may part for an hour and you don’t want to burn. Like I previously mentioned above, weather is unpredictable especially over a 100 mile distance.

Eye protection can help protect from the sun, rain drops, or even bugs. We carried contact solution with us because we’ve had rides where we’ve gotten bugs or dirt in our eyes. Luckily during this ride we didn’t need it, but during previous rides, we have.

BACKPACK

This can be a great idea, but also a horrible idea. It was a learning experience for us. Our thought process was to have a pack and carry first aid, snacks, and our shells (jackets) in it. Little did we realize, the extra weight would put more pressure on your tail bone and shoulders.

Luckily as we kept eating, the pack continued to get lighter which was great. But overall, I would’ve loved to use saddle bags hanging off the bike instead of the pack.

Between the three of us, we passed off the pack about every 30 miles. So rotating the extra weight really helped.

MAP

Always map out your ride and know where your food/water/rest stations are going to be. If you are hydrating well, you will still need to use the restroom. Look for a location about halfway through your ride to stop and eat lunch, and you will still want to make sure there are places to get off the bike and stretch.

The trail we rode from AL to GA was well marked with mile markers and had portable restrooms at each trail head. We also traveled through towns that allowed you to stop for a bite to eat.

SUMMARY

I hope this post has been helpful if you are getting ready to experience your first century ride. We had such a blast challenging ourselves in a way we never have. Hopefully all the information discussed above will help your ride go smoothly so you can enjoy the scenery!

NAFUTSAL – What is it? What are the Benefits?

August 10, 2015

Exercise doesn’t always have to be walking on a treadmill while staring at the wall. You can actually get involved in local sports! Sports like futsal!

What is futsal? Futsal is five-per-side game played on a flat (sometimes indoor) court with hockey sized goals and a heavier ball for reduced bounce. Games are about 20 minutes per half with time-outs allotted.

As the nafutsal.org page states, “Futsal is the way the world plays indoor soccer. It is played on all the continents of the world in over 100 countries by more than 12 million players.”

It doesn’t mean you have to have played soccer your whole life to get involved. Because I sure haven’t. And, I have slowly gotten the hang of the game and the rules.

The teams and staff for NAFUTSAL are extremely friendly and helpful as I was beginning to learn the ways of the game. The team below is Manchesthair United. This is the team we played with this summer season.

Darrell Schmidt, President of NAFUTSAL, says, “I have always described futsal most concisely as a fast paced, high scoring, intense and very exciting sport.”

A huge benefit to NAFUTSAL is that it has allowed me one night per week to get great exercise. Indoor soccer is all about quick movement and controlling the ball since you’re on a smaller court (compared to an outdoor field). These short sprints that take place during a game are considered HIIT (high intensity interval training). This is one of the most beneficial types of exercise that we could do.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, HIIT training can improve:

aerobic and anaerobic fitness
blood pressure
cardiovascular health
insulin sensitivity
cholesterol profiles
abdominal fat and body weight while maintaining muscle mass

You want to consult a physician if you live a sedentary lifestyle before considering HIIT exercise. Establishing appropriate exercise form and muscle strength are important to have before beginning any type of HIIT to avoid potential injury.

Futsal incorporates a lot of sprinting which has also been proven to induce significant fat loss while allowing muscle building to occur. Especially with the right recovery fuel and time. This stronger muscle will allow you to run faster, harder and further than before.

“I envision futsal growing in the Huntsville area until it is played all year round by adults and played routinely in the winters and summers by youth, which fits nicely between their fall and spring soccer seasons, ” Darrell says. “Plans are already in the making for futsal tournaments to be held here in the not too distant future, some even to draw teams from other states.”

If you want to find other ways to stay active, I would highly recommend getting involved in the local sports around town. If you are in north AL region, contact the local NAFUTSAL group to get started in the next season.

Benefits of Biking!

August 2, 2015

For the past two years my boyfriend and I have taken up biking and we have really grown to love it. Sometimes we use our bikes for joy riding through our local park for stress relief and other times we use them specifically for exercise.

We have both ridden in a 50 mile ride and really enjoyed it… So we decided this year we would like to shoot for completing a century (100 miles)! And today was the day to get started on our training journey!

Our usual rides are as short as 12 miles and as long as 25 miles. Today we agreed that a 30 mile ride would be a great place to start so that’s exactly what we did!

Luckily, we have plenty of country back roads in Alabama and are able to ride 30 miles without riding in circles. Instead we get to see farming fields, livestock, and enjoy beautiful weather! Believe it or not, it was actually not all that humid today!

The shot below is my boyfriend trailing behind his brother and his brother’s coworker. It is so nice to have like-minded people to bike with on a beautiful Saturday morning.

When biking, you immediately begin to notice 3 things:

Leg muscles are completely engaged!
Heart rate increases – yes the cardio!
Arms and shoulder muscles also become engaged!

Biking is excellent resistance exercise for legs. The quads, hamstrings and glutes will work hard like never before! Especially as you climb hills and fight the head wind. You will definitely be sore the first few times biking until your muscles have grown stronger in order to push you further.

The cardio side is really great also. On flat road, your heart rate will stay up consistently as you stay pedaling. But in hilly areas, you begin HIIT training (high intensity interval training). That is when the heart rate stays elevated for about a minute or so (pedaling uphill) and then your heart rate will begin to fall (coasting downhill). Learn more about HIIT training HERE from the American College of Sports Medicine.

It is EXTREMELY important to stay hydrated while biking. We stopped for refills a few times during our ride.

Below you see my boyfriend and his brother relaxing while taking a quick break for water refills at a local country coffee shop. This was about 13 miles into the ride.

I would recommend biking for many reasons. It has helped me stay in shape, relieve stress, and made my relationship stronger with my boyfriend. When couples do activities together, it gives them a chance to talk and have fun together which is so important for a healthy relationship. I had one of my former patients tell me that since he has lost weight, he no longer goes home and sits in front of the TV. Him and his wife go for an evening walk to discuss their day which he strongly believes has improved his marriage.

The benefits of biking are endless. If it is something you would like to try, start slow. Use a stationary bike first. Once you have built up your cardiovascular system and some leg muscle, then move to the outdoors. Start slowly and work on biking balance before speed. Practice turns, stopping, and changing gears. Always review biking safety tips. Click HERE to see 10 helpful tips for cyclists. And once you feel comfortable, pedal on!