| I have seen a lot of people using all different types | | | | try to remember to spin there as well. It's often |
| of bicycles during a triathlon race including mountain | | | | easy to forget and revert back to the |
| bikes, hybrid bikes and touring bikes. Whether you | | | | "only-push-down" stroke. |
| are a serious triathlete or just a weekend warrior, it | | | | When I first started doing one-legged drills, I could |
| pays to use clip-in pedals on your bicycle. I can | | | | barely go 30 seconds on each leg. I would go 30 |
| understand if you are hesitant to spend extra money | | | | seconds, then add my other foot and go both legs |
| to have your bicycle outfitted with clip-in pedals. | | | | for a minute or two, then pop-out one foot again for |
| After all, that means you need to purchase bike | | | | 30 seconds and alternate legs back and forth this |
| shoes with cleats so that they can be clipped onto | | | | way. |
| the pedals. Or, you may use your bicycle for other | | | | Try to work up to longer and longer periods of time |
| purposes and you may not want to modify it. Or, | | | | with only one leg. I also count my strokes to make |
| you may be afraid to have your feet secured to the | | | | sure both legs can turn at the same RPM. I have |
| pedals. I know, because that's how I felt when I first | | | | found that one leg is a bit weaker than the other, so |
| started out. I used a mountain bike on my first | | | | I can't turn as many RPMs. In this case, you may |
| triathlon. Not only was it humiliating to have just | | | | want to do a few more one-legged drills on the |
| about everyone zoom past me on their road bikes, | | | | weaker leg until it can catch up to your stronger leg. |
| but my legs felt like rubber by the time I got to the | | | | As you develop strength, try a harder gear or add |
| run. So, my first suggestion would be to invest in a | | | | resistance to your indoor trainer. |
| good racing bicycle if you are even remotely serious | | | | Also, you will notice your heart rate and your |
| about participating in triathlons. There are a number | | | | breathing will increase during each one-legged phase. |
| of decent road bicycles available and the prices range | | | | Always be safe and use a heart-rate monitor when |
| from about $700 on up to about $4000. It goes | | | | you train. You should never begin an exercise |
| without saying that the bicycle should be equipped | | | | program without obtaining clearance from your |
| with clip-in pedals. Here's why. | | | | doctor. If you feel dizzy or lightheaded at any time, |
| With regular pedals, you can only push down on each | | | | or if you feel sick, stop the exercise immediately. |
| pedal stroke. Your legs and knees will take a | | | | Indoor Interval Training |
| pounding and you just can't generate even power | | | | Another great way to train indoors is to do interval |
| throughout the entire pedal stroke. It's like a | | | | training. A good way to do this is to purchase some |
| 4-cylinder engine running on only one cylinder. You are | | | | training videos (see our list of training videos and |
| making the front of your upper thighs do all the | | | | reviews.) I like to use them because the videos are |
| work. | | | | about 45-60 minutes long - enough time to get in a |
| You can add toe-clips to your pedals. Using toe clips | | | | good workout. I don't have to worry about weather, |
| is better than not using them, but you can't really pull | | | | traffic, darkness etc. Usually the workouts contain a |
| up on the back side of the pedal stroke (between | | | | variety of intervals, speed work and levels of |
| (B-C) because your feet will come out of the toe | | | | difficulty. This is great because you can practice |
| clips. Plus, I have found that I have to pull the strap | | | | keeping your stroke even and powerful regardless of |
| on the toe clip so tight that it hurts my foot and | | | | the type of interval. For example, some intervals may |
| makes my toes go numb. | | | | be high RPM with less resistance, or lower RPM with |
| With clip-in pedals, your shoe has a cleat on the | | | | higher resistance. Interval times can also vary. By |
| bottom that snaps into the clip-in pedal. There are a | | | | having a few different videos available, you can mix |
| number of different pedal and cleat options to | | | | up your workouts to help prevent boredom. |
| choose from (check this link to see our reviews | | | | If you don't have training videos, you can create |
| here). The bottom line is, with clip-in pedals, you can | | | | your own interval workouts. Make sure you give |
| generate smooth power throughout the entire pedal | | | | yourself at least 10-15 minutes of time to warm up |
| stroke. You will be engaging your hamstring muscles | | | | before doing any hard intervals. Once again, you |
| and your calf muscles in addition to your thigh | | | | should always be safe and use a heart-rate monitor |
| muscles. You will be able to go faster longer. You will | | | | for training so that you don't exceed your |
| be able to cruise up hills. Your legs will be "spinning" | | | | recommended maximum heart rate. You should |
| through the entire pedal stroke. | | | | never begin an exercise program without obtaining |
| One of the best ways to train with clip-in pedals is on | | | | clearance from your doctor. If you feel dizzy or |
| an indoor trainer. I have a trainer that lets me use | | | | lightheaded at any time, or if you feel sick, stop the |
| my bike indoors by lifting the rear wheel off the | | | | exercise immediately. |
| ground. In order to create resistance, there is a roller | | | | You can try all different types of intervals. For |
| that contacts the back wheel and has adjustable | | | | example: |
| tension on it. There are a number of types of indoor | | | | Do 40 minutes in total, maintaining at least 90 RPM. |
| trainers - some provide tension by using a fan, others | | | | Start in an easy gear and go 5 minutes. Then, drop |
| with magnets and others with sealed fluid (hydraulic). | | | | to a harder gear while maintaining the same RPM for |
| There are also dual-roller trainers where you ride your | | | | 5 minutes. Then switch back to the easy gear and |
| bike on rollers that are about 18 inches wide. See our | | | | keep repeating this pattern of easy/hard/easy/hard |
| reviews of indoor bicycle trainers for more | | | | etc. Try to concentrate on an even, spinning stroke |
| information. | | | | the whole time, even in the hard sections. |
| At any rate, there are a number of exercises you | | | | Or, you can do ladders. Start in an easy gear, and |
| can do on an indoor trainer that can help you develop | | | | pick a moderate RPM (60-90 RPM). Every 30-60 |
| a smooth, powerful and efficient pedal stroke. | | | | seconds, drop down to the next harder gear while |
| One-legged drills | | | | maintaining the same RPM. Keep going until you get |
| The best exercise that I know of is called the | | | | to your hardest gear. When you get to the hardest |
| one-legged drill. Essentially, you pedal with only one | | | | gear, work your way back up to the easy gear. |
| leg at a time with resistance applied to the wheel. For | | | | Once again, try to maintain the same RPM |
| this drill, I will place 2 chairs on either side of my bike. | | | | throughout the entire ladder. You can do a variation |
| I will take one foot out of the pedal and let it rest on | | | | on this by dropping back down to the easiest gear in |
| the chair and leave the other foot clipped into the | | | | between each harder gear. For example, if 1 is the |
| pedal. Proceed to concentrate on pulling and pushing | | | | easiest gear and 8 is the hardest gear, the interval |
| evenly through the entire pedal stroke. At the very | | | | would go |
| top of the stroke, you will push your foot forward | | | | 1-2-1-3-1-4-1-5-1-6-1-7-1-8-1-7-1-6-1-5-1-4-1-3-1-2-1. |
| as if kicking a ball. Then you push down through the | | | | You can try sprint intervals, too. For example, start in |
| front of the stroke. At the bottom of the stroke, | | | | a moderate gear at about 90 RPM. Then, go hard for |
| you pull your foot back and up, like scraping mud off | | | | 30 seconds at 110-120 RPM then drop back down to |
| the bottom of your shoe. On the back part of the | | | | 90 RPM again for a minute. Repeat the whole cycle |
| stroke, pull your foot up and forward back to the | | | | 5-10 times. |
| top of the stroke again. | | | | There are an infinite number of intervals you can do. |
| As you first try this exercise, try an easy gear and | | | | Use your imagination and come up with your own |
| or low resistance on your indoor trainer. The very | | | | variations. Once again, the important thing to |
| first time I tried this drill, I literally could not get my | | | | remember is to stay in a safe heart-rate range and |
| foot up the back and over the top. I had to use my | | | | concentrate on maintaining a smooth, powerful |
| hands to pull my thigh upwards just to get my foot | | | | stroke throughout the entire range of intervals. You |
| to come up the backside of the stroke! You will be | | | | can also combine the one-legged drills with your |
| engaging muscles that hardly ever get used, with the | | | | interval workouts and do one-legged intervals. |
| exception of maybe climbing stairs. When you first | | | | Finally, just training indoors on the indoor trainer and |
| try to pull up hard on the back side of the stroke, it | | | | doing a static workout is helpful. This workout is a bit |
| would be like climbing stairs with a heavy weight | | | | boring, but you can just ride at a steady pace in a |
| attached to your shoe. | | | | moderately hard gear for 30-45 minutes. Warm up |
| As you begin to develop strength throughout the | | | | first, then go steady in a gear where you can |
| entire stroke, pay attention to the sound that your | | | | maintain at least 90 RPM and stay at about 70-90% |
| indoor trainer makes. You will notice that the trainer | | | | of your maximum heart rate. Concentrate on |
| will hum throughout the stroke. If you notice that the | | | | maintaining an even RPM and an even, spinning stroke |
| hum gets significantly louder during the down-stroke, | | | | the whole time. Concentrate on pushing and pulling |
| then your stroke is not evenly-powered throughout | | | | both feet evenly throughout the entire stroke cycle. |
| the entire stroke. The goal is to have your indoor | | | | This will get you used to spinning at a good RPM for |
| trainer humming smoothly no matter where your | | | | long periods of time. |
| foot is in the stroke cycle. If you can get to the | | | | If you do just one indoor workout a week, you will |
| point where you are generating smooth, even power | | | | notice a big improvement in your ability to maintain a |
| throughout the entire stroke, then you will be | | | | higher speed when you ride outdoors. |
| "spinning". When you take your bike out on the road, | | | | |