Cadence Cadence Cadence

Well, the coaches talk about it incessantly in class and, now that the newer spin bikes come with computers on them, we can keep better track of it. What is it? It's cadence!
Going into week 10of Iron Horse Training, we'll be focusing on cadence as well as gearing and climbing. we'll talk about what a proper cadence is and why is it important, how to achieve a higher cadence, gearing, and climbing position. We'll put additional focus on relaxation techniques for climbing long distances because pushing as hard as you can the whole time won't get you very far. See you in class!

Recovery?

Hello All and welcome to Week 7 of Iron Horse Training. Let's think this week (and really every week) about Recovery! Let's also think about relaxation and stretching. Recovery is extremely important in training. Keep in mind that adequate recovery will ensure that you are getting the most out of this training we participate in.
One way to gauge recovery is by using heart rate; if we spend all of our time in the pink, orange, or red zones, we're not allowing our bodies to recover during a ride - that is why your spin instructors train you using segments or high and low intensity...or intervals. Other points to focus on this week are: the importance of relaxing on the bike for comfort and longevity, stretching, staying hydrated to help with recovery, what to do if you are not recovering enough.
Ask questions, spin perfect circles, and drink lots of water.

Happy Dreary Monday

As we're going into week three of Iron Horse Training, we're also going into the holidays...yum yum! By the way it's pretty dreary outside eh? Good thing for us we're spinning inside; we can shed some calories and thumb our noses to the elements.
As we go into that third week of training, we'll be focusing on proper bike position and bike shoes, this includes concepts such as the Importance of proper position for comfort and strength (your ride will be 4 – 6 hours in the saddle), benefits of proper position to aid in breathing & raxation, the difference between road & mountain bike shoes, the benefits of cleated shoes, and how to work on feet problems. Don't forget, there are NO CLASSES ON DEC 24th – 25th, 2010...but you can still show up because there are no roadblocks in the extra mile.

Happy Holidays and Happy Training!

Christmas Week, tests and stress

Hi folks,

The testing week went very well and now we should all have our baselines for going forward. It's great to have a reference test and HR numbers so that you can train within yourself, push yourself, and recover knowing your own personal zones. For students in the Iron Horse Power Training class, we also have baseline wattage values with which we can keep ourselves honest with our power output- and in combination with the heart rate.

And while all the numbers are great tools for training and riding to our potential, remember that the reason we ride is to have fun! So, While I encourage everyone to become familiar with your numbers and use them to help you become a stronger rider, I also want everyone to keep fun at the forefront and have a good time in class and out on the road.

It's a week of big spiritual and family celebrations; even so, there may be a bit of increased stress for some of us. SO, get into class and blow it off!! A little Iron Horse Training does wonders for stress reduction. We have the standard class schedule this week, but nothing on the 24th or the weekend of the 25th. Same goes for the following week with nothing on the 31st or the 1st.

Thanks for being a part of Iron Horse Training, invite your friends and others to join us in training, because it isn't too late, and have a wonderful week!

Wonderful Week 2! Have you field tested yet?

Here we are in  the middle of week 2! This week we are focusing on pedal stroke, heart rate, and building the foundation that will get us to our destination. In classes, coaches will go over following points:
- Importance of a round pedal stroke.

- How can building a foundation help your cycling
- Why and how to use a heart rate monitor
- Adapting our training logs with morning heart rate and exercise heart rate. 

Target heart rates will be at 65% - 75% of max, or in the upper yellow zone.

MOST IMPORTANTLY:  we will be conducting field testing to find our optimum heart rates.We will do field testing at the Durango Rec Center on Saturday, December 18th at noon.
We will do field testing at The Hub Training Center on Saturday December 18th. 

Let The Good Times Roll...Or Spin

We're at the beginning of Iron Horse Training. With seven months to go-time, we are focusing on fundamentals. Our first priority is to set up our bikes to fit. Once set up, we will record our set up positions for reference. Along with the benefits of proper indoor bike set up, we'll also go over the  goals of the whole program/ commitment & motivation, how spinning helps prepare for Silverton, and much more.

See you in spin class!

Welcome To Iron Horse Training

Stand by for the fun!