Category Archives: Exercise And Fitness

(Courtesy of Spokes)

Ladies — Did you ride?

Yesterday women across the country hopped on their bikes and rode in events hosted by Specialized for Women’s Ride Day. I headed out with a friend to Spokes in Asbhurn to join more than 100 others and had a great time. It was my first just-for-girls event.

I’ve mentioned the incredibly fit chick who rode past me while I was barely able to walk my bike up a hill at my first Livestrong event and how she motivated me to get into shape like her. Well it’s hard for me to judge how I’m doing when I ride primarily with guys. At 103 pounds I’m tiny for women; forget about competing with men!

So I thought that by doing the Women’s Ride Day event I might be able to get a sense of how fit I really am now and also maybe make some new friends along the way.

Spokes offered two categories of rides: a fifteen-mile recreational ride and a twenty-five mile fitness/century-training ride. I chose the longer one. Within each category we were set off in groups of ten to twenty with a leader and a sweep (no woman left behind!).

The recreational riders ranged from first-time event riders needing assistance putting their helmets on correctly to avid townie riders to even one ElliptiGO rider. Everyone stared in amazement at her “bike.” My friend noticed that the ElliptiGO had carbon fiber components. Nice!

Our fitness ride was advertised as 14-16 mph, and honestly I wasn’t sure how I’d do with that. I’ve been riding my hybrid a lot more than my road bike this “winter,” and I thought maybe I’d be huffing to keep up. Not an issue. I fit right in.

Early on in the route the one man joining our crew told me he loved my bike — a Specialized Amira in black with neon green accents. Turns out our guy was the Specialized regional rep. It’s not a coincidence that this women’s day was a Specialized creation. I believe they make the best women’s bikes around. He asked if I am a sitting or standing climber and I mentioned that I have traditionally sat, but since losing so much weight this year I’m finding the need to stand more. He said that my bike is built for standing. So I played around with it on the few climbs we faced, and I loved it. I climbed with ease and with speed. A new technique to work on this season. Fun!

I usually feel a bit intimidated when I ride with a group and Tommie and I will break away from the pelaton to ride on our own, but I found yesterday’s environment to be so mellow and friendly that I stayed with the pack the whole time. I reconnected with one rider that I had actually met a couple years ago at the Spokes in Alexandria, and I chatted with others about things like pedaling techniques, clips vs cages, work, and family. One rider’s husband and children cheered from the side of the road as we passed them at mile twelve.

A number of the women asked if Spokes leads rides like these more often (they do!), and that made me smile. I hope that yesterday’s ride inspires them to get out on their bikes more. Cycling might have started out as a man’s sport, but it’s perfect for women too. And with the summer-like winter we’ve been experiencing in the northeast, there’s never been a better time to ride than now.

Tomorrow we join Tim Johnson on his Ride On Washington in support of Bikes Belong into DC. Stay tuned…

There is nothing like feeling the weather warming and gearing up for another season on the bike. Yes. I’ve been riding for exercise, and I’ve been riding for errands, but now I’m back to riding for pure fun.

Our calendar is already filling up with events — I even have two next week. Pretty soon we’ll be spending the day riding from rest stop to rest stop, enjoying good company, eating delicious foods (often pie!), and sometimes even listening to live music.

If you have never participated in a bike event in the past, or if you want to troll the internet for some new rides to try, here are some links to start your search.

• Active.com — Bike, run, walk, swim events, you name it. Active has them all.
• Specialized Women’s Ride Day — This Sunday the chicks are taking over the roads and trails across the country. Join us! It’s free!
• Team in Training – If you would like coaching, resources, and teammates to train with, then start here.
• Livestrong — To me, Livestrong throws the best cycling events around. How could they not with Lance Armstrong at the helm?
• Tour de Cure — This year Tommie and I will be riding for the first time in the American Diabetes Association’s annual event in Reston, VA. I’ve heard only great things.
• Bike MS — Friends tell me that the National MS Society hosts an amazing bike ride. They have events EVERYWHERE!
• Local bike clubs — All over the country there are bike clubs that host rides for all levels of riders every week. In the DC area we have tons of options for rides through the Oxon Hill Bicycle and Trail Club, the Potomac Pedalers, and the Reston Bike Club.
• Local bike shops — Same thing. Find any local bike shop, and they will not only advertise bike events, but they will almost always offer group rides like the clubs do. Take a look at what these shops are doing: Mellow Johnny’s (Austin, TX), NYC Velo (New York, NY), Cycle World (Miami, FL), Helen’s Cycles (Santa Monica, CA), Revolution Cycles (DC area), and Intown Bicycles (Atlanta, GA).

Have other suggestions? Please share! Nothing is more fun than Bike Season.

Do you find that your throat closes up when you exercise in cold weather? Every year I’m a bit disheartened when I ride my bike up a hill that I find invigorating in the summer and am suddenly gasping for air to climb in the winter.

It turns out that cold dry air can trigger bronchospasms and asthma. Dr. Stephen Pribut, a sports medicine doctor in Washington, D.C., says that athletes can work to prevent this issue by covering their neck and face. Most assume the problem comes from the chilled air going into their throats, but Dr. Pribut says that “facial cooling” also triggers the response. He says it triggers a vagal nerve reaction, which not only can constrict your breathing but can also slow down your heart beat. He recommends wearing a balaclava (see image) to warm your neck and face.

People who are already prone to asthma, including highly allergic individuals and those who suffer from exercise-induced asthma like me, are more likely to experience cold-air induced attacks. For severe cases, medications are available, and if that doesn’t work some cross training in the winter months might be in order. Swimming is an asthmatic-friendly sport, and so are short-burst sports like baseball and track and field.

Growing up I could play tennis with no difficulty, because it is a short-burst sport, but as soon as I had to jog even a quarter mile, my throat would close up. I’ve learned to overcome that problem by warming up properly before intense exercise as well as using a bit of mind-control and calming myself down when the hill I’m climbing on my bike gets steeper and longer. If I can mentally chill out, my breathing stays relaxed. If the air is cold, however, my throat will constrict no matter how much zen I achieve.

I ride my bike in the winter on warmer days, and because I don’t enjoy feeling out of breath (who does really?), I cross train in the gym on very cold days. Periodically I’ll still ride in the cold, and if my throat closes up I feel better knowing that it’s not due to poor conditioning — it’s just the cold air. I pull over, allow my breathing to normalize, and then I get back on the road.

Do you find it harder to breathe in cold air? How do you combat the problem?