Someone is wrong on the internet… I hate that. And I woke up feeling self-indulgent and ranty, so here’s what we old-schoolers would call a “flame”.

An article appeared in my news feed: “The Health And Fitness Audit: 15 Questions You Must Know in Order to Succeed in Fitness”.

Well, I’ve been an endurance cyclist for twenty years-and an inline ( Read more... )

The first weeks of focused Dirty Dozen training are interrupted by the final long charity ride of the year: the Woiner Foundation’s 3-2-1 Ride.

At this time of year a completely flat metric century requires very little effort, so I don’t worry about any physical impact on my training. The biggest risk is if the date collides with one of the Dirty ( Read more... )

It’s been five years, so it’s probably safe to tell the long-suppressed tale of my Gatorade Escapade.

Prior to 2012, I could walk to some shop like GNC and find two-pound tubs of Gatorade’s special Pro Endurance Formula powder/mix in my preferred flavor (orange). It worked out nicely, because one of those tubs would last nearly one full season/ ( Read more... )

A proficient cyclist rolling down the road is an image of liquid grace, economy of motion, and effortless speed. Like a soaring seagull, otters playing in the water, a swan gliding along the surface of a pond, or deer running through a forest.

Whether it’s a seagull in flight or a cyclist on a long ride, grace comes from an organism adapting to ( Read more... )

When people learn that in any given week I might spend 15 to 20 hours on the bike, they often ask, “Isn’t that boring? What do you think about during all that time?”

No matter how familiar it is, this question always catches me off guard. To me, it’s absurd: a bizarre, nonsensical question.

I wasn’t sure whether other cyclists (or other athletes ( Read more... )

This week is the halfway point in my ten-part weekly series of hints, tips, pointers, and advice for other Pan-Mass Challenge charity riders. These are the things I've learned during more than a decade of participating in the PMC.

The full list of posts will be compiled and permanently available online at http://www.ornoth.com/bicycling/hints.php
( Read more... )

This is the third post in my weekly series of hints, tips, pointers, and advice for other Pan-Mass Challenge charity riders. These are the things I've learned during more than a decade of participating in the PMC.

The full list of posts will be compiled and permanently available online at http://www.ornoth.com/bicycling/hints.php

Whether ( Read more... )

Over the past few months, I’ve been re-reading my back catalog of cycling magazines, pulling out points that I thought were worth remembering and/or sharing. Installment number three contains all kinds of crazy health and nutrition advice.

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  The average person has a resting heart rate of 60-80 beats per minute ( Read more... )

In my last post I promised more details about my pre-PMC reading about training, technique, and nutrition. Well…

Last night I finished reading “The CTS Collection: Training Tips for Cyclists and Triathletes”. CTS stands for Charmichael Training Systemsa prestigious coaching organization founded by Chris Charmichael, a ( Read more... )

Allow me to introduce you to one of the most sublime delights of life. I call it “Corrugated Fun”.

What is it? It’s a frappe, or a “milkshake” if you are one of those benighted people who don’t have enough vocabulary to differentiate between an ice cream drink and flavored milk.

When you say “frappe”, most people think vanilla, chocolate, and ( Read more... )