I am weak...cycling is hard!

Hello everyone,


I have come to a rough conclusion over the last several days and that is I am weak! I want to be a really good triathlon racer and to do that I need to get my legs stronger. I thought they were strong, but they obviously need some development. That's how I came to understand that cycling is hard. I have taken to looking toward spring for new triathlons to take my fitness to the next level. To that end I have been doing some group training with friends and learning how to ride a bicycle. Yes you heard me right I am having to relearn how to ride a bicycle.

Sure, I learned how to ride when I was a kid, who didn't, and sure I had a ten speed when I was younger, but this... this... this... racing stuff is an absolute mystery to me. The aggressive posture, the tiny wheels, the quick movements of the bike, not knowing my pace or cadence, all foreign and truthfully a little scary. I know I need to do more miles to get myself set up on a riding style that works for me individually, before I go back to any group rides.

I tend to train alone for most of my races and when it comes to running I am good at knowing my pace, tempo, when to kick, when to hold back, it is in many ways my element. I may not be the fastest runner, OK I know I'm not the fastest runner, but that will come and after Disney in January I think I have to take a hard look at my training regimen to go to the next level of speed and endurance.
That is for another day, today however I am weak and a bad cyclist. No its true, I have calf muscles to spare and I can run for days, but when it comes to cycling my quads are pitiful. As I've said I have been doing a couple of group rides and I even borrowed an upgraded bike this past weekend and I manged to go about 3 miles faster on the group ride and it was killing me. Around my area I was getting an average of 15 miles an hour, I was cooking, but I feel apart on this group ride.

I think there are several factors impacting my group rides. The first is it could be mental, I know everyone else is very good and I also know that I hold them back because they are gracious enough to wait on me. Two the idea of leaning forward on these so called "aero bars" and biking harder and more aggressive is very different and I think it scares me that my legs will simply give out. Third I feel so wobbly, these wheels are so thin that my bike is all over the road when I go for my water or transition between sitting positions - frustrating! I know it will come in time, but until them my body is making a lot of new adjustments because it just hasn't had to work that way before.

So, having said all that it has become clear that strength training for me will be a must. I need to build my leg strength if I am going to be a serious contender in my triathlon adventures. I have settled on the idea that I need to retool all my training programs and perhaps stop thinking of myself as a runner who rides, but start thinking of myself as a whole triathlon racer. After all I hate being last, but improvements come in time, and I totally hate being the pity rider that everyone looks at and goes "Poor guy he tries so hard".

So as I go forward starting Monday (yes I get that I'm waiting several days, but I have a race this weekend) my new training will start taking place it will now be training for a specific goal and not a half effort at training for runs or events – next level training – training for true race results. So look out world this good looking man is going to get stronger, faster, and if possible even better looking. I know I already walk around looking like an Adonis, but I need goals people!