X-Training Diary: Park Ride, My Menu and Kit of the Day

Kit of the Day: Lazer Helium in Flash Flouro, XX2i France1 Eye Wear, Gore Bike Wear Countdown Lady AS Vest, Victoria Thermal Jersey and Spinnaker Capris by Terry.

RAPHA WOMEN'S 100, NJ: What a beautiful weekend! I started with a bit of cross-training on Saturday by doing some curls and chest presses on my Nordic Flex machine. Many cyclists neglect the upper arms but you do need a certain level of strength and tone for steering and quick handling.

Sunday morning started off right with a new multi grain cereal. Hodgson Mill Multigrain with milled flaxseed & soy.  It is a hot cereal and takes a little less time to cook than my Irish oatmeal.  It contains oats, wheat bran, milled flaxseed, soy grits, untoasted wheat germ and cracked whole wheat. It is SO delicious and is rich in Omega 3 oils due to the flaxseed. Complex carbohydrates like these were just what I needed for my training ride. Today, I went to my local park to avoid weekend street traffic.

My training buddy. Fully loaded Nishiki Sport Touring

A Ride in the Park
I find riding to my local park to be a cross-training adventure in itself. Once I arrived, there is a fitness trail that you can either hike or bike. It's about a 7 mile loop around the park and past meadows and marshy areas. 
The bright sunshine and blooming flowers and trees we amazing. I stayed on the main road and pulled into this bike rack here to stretch and take a few sips of water. I would have stayed longer but the wind and low temps were making it difficult to extend my training session.

My Menu for the Day
I was glad to have had the multi-grain cereal under my belt. I also had a cup of Rainbow Light's Chocolate Protein Energizer with a shot of coffee added to it. This gave me a bit more alertness and energy. I only did about 5 miles but after bucking the wind most of the time, I was a bit hungry when I got home.  Here is my menu for the day, not including dinner which will most likely be rotisserie chicken and mixed vegetables:

Chocolate milk is a great recovery drink. This is even better!

Breakfast
1 Cup Multi Grain Hot Cereal
1 tsp Butter + Canola oil
Splash of Milk

1 Cup Rainbow Light's Chocolate Protein Energizer

Lunch
15 Small Shrimp fried in Coconut Oil
1 cup mixed organic spring greens
3 marinated mushrooms
1/2 fresh avocado
1 tsp lemon juice
1/3 cup ramen noodles 

I try to keep anti-inflammatory foods like avocado & shrimp high on my training table list.

Kit of the Day
It was only about 48 degrees when I went out just before noon. Add in the wind chill factor and it felt more like 42. I prefer it a little warmer if I can get it of course but it was dry and sunny so I took a chance.  Here is my "weekend kit" which has more visibility due to the flashy green Lazer Helium helmet and white vest. My jersey and knickers are mostly black so I wanted to be sure and stand out for those Sunday drivers.

This thermal kit is good for between 44-48 degrees.

Lazer Helium Lid in Flash Flouro Yellow and XX2i France1 Eye Wear.

Terry's Victoria Jersey had a mandarin collar and is soft brush lined. Terry's Spinnaker Tights have minimum padding as they are more suited for spinning class.
With the added Gore Bike Wear Vest, I was very comfortable despite the wind. That's due in part to the built in Windstopper fabric. You want to keep your core warm.

In the 40's, I prefer full fingered gloves. These soft, fitted Pittards by Pearl Izumi are perfect and I also have a fingerless pair.  That's how much I like them! So this kit offers adequate to good comfort for between 44-48 degrees outdoors.

Last but not least, I always wear my RoadID FIXX ID tags just in case of an emergency. These go on with every kit and I pray I'll never need them.

X-Training Diary: Nike Leaner Legs, My Menu & Cycling Kit

KIT OF THE DAY: Rudy Project wins this round with their: Windmax Helmet, Kylix cycle eye wear and Long Sleeved Team Racing Jersey. Gore Bike Wear Shorts, Smartwool Hy-Fi Knee Warmers, Pearl Izumi Cycling Gloves.

Training Day
Well the temperatures finally broke a bit in the northeast and even though it was windy, 63 degrees felt pretty good!  As you may know, I am in training for the Rapha Women's 100 Cycling Sportive coming up on July 7, 2013. Now for the past two or three years, I've ridden through the winter but since Hurricane Sandy hit my area, there is still so much debris on the side of the road along with fallen trees whose branches lean in to snatch you. I have used my bicycle for short errands but that's not the same as a good long fitness ride. Over the next three months, I'll try to give you a snap-shot of one of my training days including what cross training exercises I did, menu ideas and my Kit of the Day.  Here we go with day one:

Oatmeal is delicious, full of protein & fiber. I'm going to need it!

Nike Leaner Legs
So I started off today with a group outdoor exercise class. It was beautiful outside and about 53 degrees at the time. We did the Nike Training Club App: Leaner Legs which takes you through 15 minutes of leg toning jumps and lunges. Just what I needed!  To fuel all this fun here is my breakfast & lunch menu:

Breakfast: 1/2 cup Oatmeal + handful of dried cranberries & 1 tsp. coconut oil

(15 Minute Nike Leaner Legs Workout plus lots of water)

Lunch: Egg Salad on 1 slice whole wheat bread. 2oz portion of grilled boneless skinless salmon & whiting

(After lunch, 6 + mile bicycle ride on my Nishiki Sport Touring)

Dinner: Homemade California Pizza with Avocado & bell peppers

Salmon is rich in Omega 3 fatty acids and can help with post exercise recovery.

On the Road Again
After lunch, it was time to hit the road (bike). My strategy (yes I do have one) is to train on the heavier Nishiki Sport Touring bicycle replete with stuffed panniers for that extra drag. This should strengthen my legs and make it easier to push a much lighter bicycle on the day of the ride. That would be my Terry Symmetry.

Cycling Kit of the Day
I chose the long-sleeved Rudy Project Racing Jersey because it was windy today and I didn't want to get chilled. The full zip feature allowed me to regulate my temperature very easily and I like that it is white and highly visible. I topped it off with their new Windmax lid which is super light and airy. I could actually feel cool air blowing over my scalp! Comes with a bug net to allow air in but keep those critters out.

Rudy Project Kit - 
The Rudy Project Racing Jersey, helmet and glasses were so comfortable for my opening day ride. 100% polyester it offers some sun protection. Three open pouches in the back. Soft spun, it allows just the right amount of air to pass through so I stayed comfortable and dry.

Rudy Project Windmax Helmet - This thing is so light and comfortable.  Weighing only 250 grams (8.8 ozs) with out accessories, it is my favorite lid.  Comes with a removable mountain bike visor and insect net plus extra replacement padding for a custom fit.  Turn the knob in the back to dial in the perfect fit for your noggin. Helmets are always a problem for me due to my long hair but this one has that situation covered.

Rudy Project Kylix Eye Wear - I really like these for style and their ability to accommodate my eyeglass Rx. The nose and earpieces are totally adjustable but the payoff are the inter-changeable optics. I'm wearing the Lazer Red lenses here but most of Rudy's eye wear allows you to replace the lenses with another color / tint according to your specific riding conditions.

Smartwool Hy-Fi Knee Warmers

Smartwool Hy-Fi Knee Warmers

I wanted to wear my Gore Bike Wear shorts today but it was still a little too cold for all that air to be hitting my quads sooooo. I added these soft Merino Wool knee warmers from Smartwool to the kit. The silicone bands both on the skin and fabric sides keep them in place. They didn't move for the whole ride nor did they cause my shorts to shift.

I really can't say enough about these.  You get double duty out of your shorts and short sleeved jerseys because you can add these and extend the season.  It's still not warm enough to me for bare arms and knees.  I guess I'll be using them a while longer until the temps heat up.

Another side benefit I noticed is the leg/thigh compression the knee warmers offer. This gave me a little unexpected boost on the hills the first day out.  Thank you!

Smartwool Knee Warmers & RoadID Bibs on my Terry.

Next Stop, Bib Shorts!

I enjoy my cycle shorts but nothing beats the comfort and convenience of bib shorts.

Next to my Smartwool Knee Warmers, I enjoy wearing my Road ID Bib Shorts.  You never have to worry about pulling them up so they make the perfect companion for longer, more intensive rides.

So are you taking on the Rapha challenge or any others this season? Share what exercises programs or apps you're doing to get in shape this spring!

My "Trainer".  I figure with all the stuff I have in these panniers, I should shape up in NO time!

Transitional Cyclewear

Smartwool Blueprint patterned Cycling Socks, Arm & Knee Warmers, Cycle Cap by Gore Bike-Wear

According to Punxsutawny Phil, we can expect an early spring this year. Personally,  I think the groundhog knows his stuff!   It may still be winter on the calendar but there are days that are just about warm enough to jump on your bike or take a bold stroll.  There's no need to waste these precious days indoors!  You can easily and comfortably move into late winter, early spring X-Training with the right accessories.

When cycling your arms and hands are often the first to get cold.  Basically they're just along for the ride and unlike your legs, aren't generating much heat.  If you don't wear cycling gloves, you might want to rethink that for cooler weather.  Depending on the temps, you can choose full fingered or half fingered cycling gloves such as myLeather Pittards by Pearl Izumi.  They will protect your hands from road vibrations while keeping them comfortably warm.

Likewise arm and knee warmers are a must on cooler mornings.  These shown here are by Smartwool and are made of super soft, non itchy Merino 
Wool.  They can turn any short sleeved cycling jersey into a warmer long sleeved 

version!  These really extend your cycling wardrobe. During the ride, if it gets warmer, you can take them off and stuff them in your trunk or panniers.  That's something you can't do with a long sleeved cycling jersey.  The Blueprint pattern on the Smartwool set is really beautiful so you'll find uses for them for jogging and hiking too.

Pearl Izumi's full length cycle tights

If you are like me, there are certain tops & cycling chamois you just love to ride in such as Pearl Izumi's Women's Elite Thermal Cycle Tights shown here.  These have zippered ankles allowing you to easily get your cycling shoes on and off.   Full length tights such as these are excellent for temps down to 50 degrees, have a built in chamois, 8 panel construction and flat lock seams. If you still prefer wearing your cycle shorts, pair them up with Smartwool's knee warmers.  That way you can get more wear time out of your cycling kit.  Add some full length cycling gloves and enjoy the ride!