(Karen's note: this man is irritatingly phenomenal. He has maintained a perfect pace with us. To gain an advantage, we are shipping home half of our pannier load)
THE VALUE OF TRAINING----
I had only ridden my bike total of 55 to 65 miles in 2010 so I knew I would have to train really hard to prepare for this cross country ride. My base training was 25 miles per week on the Little Miami Bike Trail for three weekends in March. On the last weekend before leaving for this trip I ramped up to 15 miles on the bike trail and about ten miles in my neighborhood which has a few low hills. I was afraid I might have over trained but yesterday when we rode 94 miles I really appreciated all of that hard training. My advice for anyone contemplating a trip like this kind of trip is to follow my training program.
Cheers,
Bill
About Us
- Karen, David & Bill
- Based in Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati, we three are longtime single cycle riders. After early retirement, Karen and David bought a jumbo-sized Cannondale tandem. It's white (very), trimmed in red. We call it the Pillsbury Doughboy. We were joined by Bill, an old friend, on his 14-year old single Cannondale and made the call that started this adventure. He's supposedly retired but continues to find real work when he chooses.We planned to pedal self-supported across the U.S. in Spring 2011 from San Diego CA to St. Augustine FL. In beginning this adventure we agreed philosophically with Jean-Jacques Rousseau: "The person who has lived the most is not the one with the most years but the one with the richest experiences."
Proof that riding a bike isn't the only way to get in shape for such. Fitness can be gained in many ways, and takes time to fade. If you previously reached a high enough level, no training at all might be required for an event. However, I wouldn't be happy to discover that my previous regimen was not vigorous enough while riding cross continent. Good luck and have fun!!!
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