I noticed that my back has been bothering me near the end of the ride or when I first get back from my ride and I’ve heard a few others in my bike club complain of the same thing.

I am sure it has a lot to do with my lack of core fitness, so the email I received today from Graeme at Cyclo-Club came at an opportune time. I thought I’d share some of it with you as this advice is good for anyone, whether they have any back pain or not. Ask any fitness expert or accomplished athlete and they will confirm that core fitness is the key to improvement and excellence in any sport.

The video via this link (Cyclo-BACK IN 5′) will only be LIVE for the public UNTIL MIDNIGHT MONDAY March 16th, so take advantage of it in order to learn a quick & easy routine (only 5 minutes) that you can do on your own to strengthen your back and core for riding and to eliminate back pain.  Explore the club also if you like, as you may enjoy what it has to offer.

That video is a small part of the online cycling community & club called Cyclo-Club that I belong to, as do some of my other bike club members, and there is some great stuff there. However, I confess that I’ve been very lax about taking advantage of the excellent resources there and it shows in my current riding ability (or non ability!).

I’ve fallen off track and terribly out of shape over the winter months, and yesterday was another big wake-up call as I struggled to finish the B Ride and ended up napping on the couch for 2 hours Saturday afternoon, feeling totally zapped of energy.

I have LOTS of work to do in order to get back in shape, and hope to start putting some of the Cyclo-club resources to work again, among others. I’ve used them in the past and can attest it you USE them, they work!  I also plan to start an individualized training plan soon, courtesy of Coach-Al Lyman and will share my progress with you along the way.

Of course, here I sit working instead of out on my bike on a beautiful, Sunday morning. But honestly, I was afraid of getting so tired again that I wouldn’t get any work done today. I plan to go out on my own a bit later. You can all hold me to that (maybe you should!).

I plan to do only a short ride — but with a few intervals to get the heart rate up and give me a little mental boost, without becoming wasted for the rest of the day and then do the 5 minute workout as outlined in the video below.

So go visit the video link and jot some notes, as I plan to do. Even though I have access to return to this and other videos, I plan post them in plain view as a reminder to add this quick 5 minute routine anytime.  You can do the same!  :)  And if you really want to get serious and are interested in some great training plans, visit Coach-Al’s site and blog.

Enjoy — Thanks and have a wonderful day!
Christine

At the top of the 6th Gap in the Georgia 6 Gap Ride

Greetings!

I’ve gone by many nicknames in my long life… from “pumpkin” as a kid, to “twiggy” and “munchkin” in my teen and early adult life and finally to my favorites:  cyclogirl, cyclo-girl or FLPedaler. The last are my favorites because they demonstrate my passion for cycling, which I discovered at the ripe old age of 39 and have embraced ever since — for 16 years now and I don’t plan to stop anytime soon.

I was a founding member of our bike club 12 years ago, starting with a dozen of us and now boasting a membership of almost 400.  I’ve also been an integral part of hosting and handling all the marketing of our annual fundraiser event and love every minute of it.

I’ve been on my share of cycling trips and as a result of trial and error and my own life experience  (and research) have accumulated what I feel are some valuable tips that make that cycling trip more enjoyable or cycling tips in general.  So, whether you are a new rider or have a few years under your belt, I’m sure there’s something I can share with you that you’ll enjoy or learn from and I’m excited to be here to do so!

My other interest is finding or creating that special bicycle gift or item that express my passion for the sport. So stay tuned here as I locate, create and share with you all my great finds and maybe it will become a special cycling gift for you or that special friend of yours.

Welcome to my blog!