Forgot password?
Off-season, Return to Training, and a Thanksgiving Surprise
My off-season this year was longer than I have had in the last few years but it was certainly busy. I made the move to Trexlertown permanent, got accepted to Penn State, and signed on with a new team. I stayed away from the bike but kept active with some hikes in the mountains and even found the time to travel out to Pittsburgh for a fun weekend with friends. After 2 ½ weeks off my legs were rested and my head cleared, and it was time to get back on the bike. The weather was still pretty warm and some of the trees even had some of their leaves left, so it was easy to get back to it. Usually when I take time off I feel really bad and it takes a while to get back into shape. This time, however, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I felt great on the bike right from the first pedal-stroke. The big change this year was to add weight training in the gym. I had not been in the gym for a number of years and it was also my first time performing these particular exercises. I have been very pleasantly surprised with the results, however, as they are really helping my back and also adding power to my legs which has always been a weak-point of mine. I supplemented the gym workouts with riding, mostly easy 1-2 hr spins with the odd group ride. After 2 weeks it was time to head home to New York for Thanksgiving. It was my first time back since last Christmas, but I was only home for a day before the phone rang on Thanksgiving morning. A spot had opened up in the U23 Zurich Six Day, and the promoters were inviting me to race. This only gave me 4 days’ notice before the race began and I was not very confident about my condition, but a quick call to a couple of my mentors encouraged me to go after all. By 11 AM I was in the car again, en route to Trexlertown. I got in and packed everything quickly, then left immediately for London, Ontario – home of the Forest City Velodrome. It was 8 hours away, but it had a good racing program on Friday and Saturday to help my legs get going. It was also where my partner for the race lived, so we got a chance to train and race a bit together before going to Europe. The racing went well – I just threw on an 81 inch gear to get my legs going in preparation for Zurich. My partner and I won Friday’s Madison, then went 1-2 in Saturday’s big scratch race. Everyone up there was really helpful and supportive of us too, which was great. It was great training and preparation given the circumstances, and soon enough we were climbing onto an airplane on Sunday bound for Europe. Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for my write-up on the U23 Zurich Six-Day. Barry
Pennsylvania, United States
Cycling, Athletes/Active Lifestyle
PowerBar® Energy Gel Green Apple
High-quality protein — in the amounts you need, when you need it, and without the extra calories that come from fat or added carbs.
By: Christopher D. Jensen, PhD, MPH, RDNutrition & Epidemiology Researcher
All trademarks and other intellectual properties on this site are owned by Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., Vevey, Switzerland or are used with permission.