By: Christina Vipond Before I started racing, I used a bicycle computer to tell me how fast I was cruising and how many miles I had ridden. I never wore a heart rate monitor. When I started racing, I began wearing a heart rate monitor, using a power meter and using Zwift for off season training. My data showed my heart rate would quickly pop up to the 180s and even into the 190s during hard efforts. According to exercising heart rate zones, 220-your age, my max heart rate should only be 175. I was amazed at the number of people who looked at my heart rate during rides (on STRAVA or Zwift) and commented on the numbers; “Look at your
By: Cate Wittman My name is Cate Wittman, I am 15 and a member of the Athletic Mentors Junior Development Team. I primarily mountain bike race but occasionally race gravel. And I understand how hard riding can be in the early part of the year! Winter training is the time to build up for the season. It is the factor that determines how your year is going to go, yet it can be difficult to manage. All cyclists have experienced the weird feeling of going from indoor riding to outside cycling. For instance, my legs always feel like jello and my arms as stiff as a chopping block. But here is how it’s been so far… This winter season, I have
By: Paul Raynes Predictable sunny weather, beautiful mountains, and abundant training opportunities, all reasons why Tucson Arizona became my home for the first two months of 2022. At 2400 ft. of elevation, the valley of Tucson is a caldera, and the surrounding mountains the remains of an ancient collapsed volcano. Because of the beauty, weather, and available outdoor activities, Tucson has been my winter destination for the past four years. Tucson has an expansive and highly accessible recreational parks system. Just down the road from my Airbnb casita, a large 158 acre indoor and outdoor recreational facility, Morris K. Udall Park. Udall Park became my primary destination for biking, running, and relaxed evening walks. The desertscape of the back half of
By: Jay Campbell Like most triathletes, I wish I had cheap access to a wind-tunnel. I could fine-tune my cycling body-position, hydration system position, gear selection, and so much more. If you need to be convinced that reducing drag during the cycling leg of a triathlon is important, just wallow in this fact: A recumbent with fairing (eg. a very very aerodynamic bike/rider) only requires 50 watts to maintain 22 mph on a flat course!! (Wilson, D.G., Bicycle Science, 3rd Edition, 2004, p.188.) Last year, I read about a German company, AeroTune, that was using a rider’s speed and power data to calculate a drag coefficient. Whaaat??!! Here is the gist of how it is done: The rider pedals a 1000m
By Joel Bretzlaff: Hello, my name is Joel Bretzlaff, and I am 15 years old. I’m from Highland, Michigan, and I am a Sophomore attending school at Charyl Stockwell High School. I have been cycling for 10 years. Right around the time I was born, my dad started mountain biking with some of his coworkers, and as soon as I was able, he got me out onto the trails. A few years later, I rode in my first race through MiSCA, and I have been racing MiSCA ever since. This season, I will be racing in the Varsity category for the Orange Krush Junior Race Team, and I’m aiming to attain a podium finish at least once, and achieve a
By: Raquel Torres Metabolism is a term that describes all the chemical reactions in your body. These chemical reactions keep your body alive and functioning; the molecules are constantly changing shape, renewing and rearranging themselves to either build things (heal), use energy, or save it as fat. Sports training can have a significant effect on metabolic rate – this can determine weight gain and weight loss. This is because it boosts calorie burning. However, the word metabolism is often used interchangeably with metabolic rate, or the number of calories you burn. The higher it is, the more calories you burn and the easier it is to lose weight and keep it off. Having a high metabolism can also give you energy and
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