Training this year has been way too intermittent for my liking and I have spent much of my rides suffering because of it. After SC ride for life I found myself not being able to get many miles like I am used to. I am excited about my return to training though as I try and work my way back to the form that I had in June. I have to constantly remind myself that I have a life, family, and job that hold priority over cycling and that I'm just not a pro who can ride every day and watch all of my calorie expendature and intake like them. I am constantly worried about eating too much and training to little(I'm guilty!) and have gained new enthusiasm lately with the cooling temperatures and the thought of fall riding. I struggle to find riding partners this time of year though with most of my freinds having children in sports and various other activities that take them away from the road, so I spend most of my time during off days in the week riding alone. I find that our area, upstate South Carolina, is really a wonderful place to ride. Theres nothing like northern Pickens and Oconee counties with the fall leaf display! Eastatoee valley produces some gorgeous scenery in fall and winter that makes riding all of the hills worthwhile. the http://www.cyberspinners.net/ crowd introduced me to these areas for cycling almost three years ago and I've not stopped riding them yet.
I am motivated this fall in part because of my dad. He has started riding with me often and is an inspiration due to his years of dedication, not to cycling, but to fitness in general. Dad was an avid runner for most of my life and after retirement and building his own home near Tamassee, SC is back at it! His addition of cycling to his routine has made me want to train harder and get leaner and meaner so that he doesn't completely blow me away when he really gets his legs in the next year or so. He is the 64 year old size of Alberto Contador at 5'9" and 138 or so lbs! Alot to contend with when I am 38 and 5'11" and 200lbs! Thats a bad recipe for getting dropped if I don't do something about it. It is a complete blessing though to have my dad envolved in the sport and hope to recruit him for the scride4life next year. Our last training ride together we took off on his first really challenging climbing ride up to whitewater falls from Tamassee. He hung in there and stayed right with me for the vast majority of the climb and only has about 3 or 4 months on his bike! On few occasions I was able to pull away slightly but he is riding like a champ! Power-to-weight ratio is definitely the key to climbing success.
I am motivated this fall in part because of my dad. He has started riding with me often and is an inspiration due to his years of dedication, not to cycling, but to fitness in general. Dad was an avid runner for most of my life and after retirement and building his own home near Tamassee, SC is back at it! His addition of cycling to his routine has made me want to train harder and get leaner and meaner so that he doesn't completely blow me away when he really gets his legs in the next year or so. He is the 64 year old size of Alberto Contador at 5'9" and 138 or so lbs! Alot to contend with when I am 38 and 5'11" and 200lbs! Thats a bad recipe for getting dropped if I don't do something about it. It is a complete blessing though to have my dad envolved in the sport and hope to recruit him for the scride4life next year. Our last training ride together we took off on his first really challenging climbing ride up to whitewater falls from Tamassee. He hung in there and stayed right with me for the vast majority of the climb and only has about 3 or 4 months on his bike! On few occasions I was able to pull away slightly but he is riding like a champ! Power-to-weight ratio is definitely the key to climbing success.
