Most of the cyclists I know are not people I usually think of as athletes. We enjoy riding our bikes, but we also enjoy sitting around afterward. Sometimes some of us skip the ride and just enjoy the sitting around afterward. On BRAG, and on the Wilson century, you see a lot of different sizes of people, if you know what I mean.

I wrote in the April issue that I am starting to think of myself as an athlete, and not just a cyclist. And then I started to think about what that might mean:
· Do I have to buy steroids, or are bulk protein supplements enough?
· Shall I pay $200 to shave 100 grams off my frame? What about my wheels?
· Will I start running, and end up like Forrest Gump?

My answer to all of them is no. I’m not making big changes to my diet, or my biking gear. I’m primarily a bicycle tourist and commuter, not a runner. But I own some of the attitude of an athlete.

If I consider myself as an athlete, I treat my body with more respect. I am more careful with what I put into it, both liquids and solids. I work out regularly, building strength, heart, endurance, and bone mass. (If you didn’t hear, it looks as though cyclists lose much more bone when they age than walkers and runners.) In my case, I acknowledge that I have a life, a job, and a family, and that all of those need time and attention, as well as my body.

The biggest change for me was taking a treadmill test and finding out how to train my heart. The best tool is a heart monitor. As with any exercise program, consult your doctor before you jump into this. I’ve done strength building weights for years, but adding in heart training inspired me. My best heart workouts are in the gym, working intervals on a machine; six minutes near my maximum heart rate, then two minutes at a slower pace. Repeat three times, then cool down. This has allowed me to increase my average speed on my usual ride. (Any teenager can still pass me, but it’s better than I’ve done in the last twenty years.)

Second best workout: climbing hills. I have climbed a few hills four times in a row, and it’s not exciting; ride up, speed down, ride up, speed down, etc. It’s so boring that you find yourself looking forward to passing the same trash by the edge of the road. I wear the heart monitor for this, to make sure I don’t push across my anaerobic threshold, which builds lactic acid in the muscles. The heart monitor can be a game: ride faster here, slower there. It can also be a cruel taskmaster --- whaddyamean, my heart can’t have slowed down that much! It can be frustrating, since the radio signal from the chest piece can be lost to interference on some roads. But all in all, it can tell you that you are training effectively, when you want to train.