these simple drills. You’ll be amazed at how quickly your balance and comfort level on the bike improves… and you’ll have some great new tricks to show your buds at the next group ride! Always remember, just like in any training session, safety comes first. If you feel a fall coming on, pull back and then try again — and save the 22 mph speeds for after you’ve mastered the con- cepts.
The Bar Dance Ride at a moderate cadence on a flat,
low traffic road (empty parking lots are ex- cellent for many of these drills), with hands starting up on the brake hoods. After four pedal strokes, move down into the drops (the curved portion of a road bike bar) one hand at a time. After another four strokes, move back to the hoods. Take another four strokes and move your hands to the straight portion of the bar, then move back to the hoods after another four strokes. Continue to rotate positions until it be- comes comfortable. You can also practice this with aerobars on a TT bike. The Winding Snake
Set up 8-12 cones in a zig-zag pattern about 15-25 feet apart on a flat, low traffic surface (street lamps in an empty parking lot can make a great substitute). Start at the first cone with your hands up on the hoods, and alternate right and left turns until you’ve made it through all of the cones. Focus on pedaling up to the cone, then bringing the knee closest to the cone up during the turn, keeping the outer leg straight to maintain your balance. Try to maintain a light grip on the handlebars. As you get more comfortable, move the cones closer together for increased challenge. Repeat this drill with the hands on the drops (the curved portion of the road han- dlebar) or aerobars (on TT bikes). Can’t Touch This
Ride single file at a moderate cadence
on a flat, low traffic road, with hands on the brake hoods. The cyclist in the back yells instructions such as “touch your hel- met with your right hand,” or “touch your water bottle with your left hand.” The front cyclist (or cyclists) has to comply by following the instruction and immediate- ly bringing the hands back to the brake hoods. Rotate every 2-4 minutes until ev- eryone has had a chance to call the instruc- tions.
Repeat this drill with the hands on the drops (the curved portion of the road han- dlebar) or aerobars (on TT bikes).
Delly Carr/ITU
Find your balance on the bike with some simple drills.
Can’t Touch This… for Long! Ride single file at a moderate cadence
on a flat, low traffic road, with hands up on the brake hoods. The cyclist in the back yells instructions such as “touch your hel- met with your right hand,” or “touch your water bottle with your left hand.” The front cyclist (or cyclists) has to comply by following the instruction and staying in the position until the cyclist in the back yells “let go!” Rotate every 2-4 minutes until everyone has had a chance to call the instructions.
Repeat this drill with the hands on the drops (the curved portion of the road handlebar) or aerobars (on TT bikes). — Morgan Johnson
NUTRITION:
SUPPLEMENTS 101 There are three different categories of supplements: mi- cronutrient, sport and ergo- genic. The first, micronutrient, includes supplements such as multivitamins, iron, calcium and zinc. These are usually taken for known deficiencies or for “in- surance reasons.” The second,
sport, includes energy bars, sport drinks, energy gels and all other products that triathletes take before, during and after training sessions. The last, ergogenic, in- cludes supplements such as caffeine, cre- atine, rhodiola rosea and cordyceps. It is important to realize that the use of supplements throughout the entire year is not necessary. Many triathletes consume these instead of food during the offseason and base training cycle, but they can simply
Before you reach for a supplement, try to increase your daily fruit and vegetable intake.