Enduro Ride: Sunny Times and Happy Vibes

This workout is targeted at building your aerobic base, which will increase your lung capacity and build your body's ability to use energy efficiently during your training and on race day. There are actually several really interesting ways that aerobic training can improve your fitness and if you're looking at bettering your health, aerobic training should be a part of your regular routine.

During an aerobic process, the body converts glucose (from the food you eat) into ATP- the energy currency of the body. ATP is manufactured in your body by mitochondria, and a cool plus of regular aerobic training is that your body produces more mitochondria, which then improves your body's ability to produce ATP more quickly and efficiently. Another cool plus is that with regular aerobic training, your body needs less oxygen to produce the same level of energy output, so you won't be breathing as hard as your aerobic base improves. In addition, a person who practices aerobic training regularly has a heart that is able to pump more blood with a single stroke than an untrained person, because endurance training helps make the muscle wall of the left ventricle stronger and thicker, and the heart can contract harder to push more blood with each beat. These combine to ultimately mean that as your aerobic base fitness improves, you're able to exert the same level of performance with less effort, and you see improvements in your fitness level as you can exert the same energy and get better performance.

Photo taken along the side of a road near Quito, Ecuador

Playlist: Ain't No Laws Vol. 1 by TOBER

HP = Hand Position. Follow Sitting and Standing Cues. If you're curious what positions you should be focused on, check out my blog post. Please use HP 1, 2 or 2.5 when sitting and HP 2 or 3 when standing - beyond that it's whatever you are comfortable with.

Workout

Warm-Up ~ 10 mins

1 min: Sitting Flat road. RPM 95. HP 2 or 2.5.

3 min: Sitting Climb. Add 1 gear every minute. RPM 90. HP 2 or 2.5.

1 min: Standing Climb. Add 1 gear. RPM of 75. HP 3.

2 min: Sitting Climb. Add 1 gear every minute. RPM 90. HP 2 or 2.5.

1 min: Standing Climb. Add 1 gear. RPM of 75. HP 3.

5 sets of 5 second jumps (5 seconds out of the saddle, 5 seconds in the saddle = 1 set). Maintain RPM 80. HP 2 or 2.5.

1 min: Sitting Flat Road - Recovery. RPM 90. HP 2 or 2.5. Drink some water, take it easy.

Moderate Hill Climb ~ 10 mins

2 min: Sitting Flat. Add 2 gears to flat road. RPM 95-100.

1 min: Standing Flat. Add 2 gears. RPM 80.

2 min: Sitting Flat. Drop 1 gear. RPM 95.

6 sets of 3 second jumps

1 min: Sitting Climb. Add 1 gear. RPM 90.

1 min: Standing Flat. RPM 80.

1 min: Sitting Flat Road Recovery. RPM 80+.

Aerobic Intervals ~ 10 mins

Aerobic are long intervals targeted at building your aerobic capacity- improving your lung capacity, blood circulation, and overall endurance.

5 min: Aerobic interval #1 - Sitting Flat. Add 3 gears. RPM 95+.

30 sec: Sitting Flat Road Recovery. RPM 80+

5 min: Aerobic interval #2 - Sitting Climb. Add 4 gears. RPM 95+.

60 sec: Sitting Flat Road Recovery. RPM 80+

5 min: Aerobic interval #2 - Sitting Climb. Add 4 gears. RPM 95+.

30 sec: Sitting Flat Road Recovery. RPM 80+

Stretching ~ 18 mins

If you have high or low blood pressure, please consult your doctor before attempting any type of exercise that might invert your head. You are responsible for your body. Please click on the hyperlinks for stretch descriptions.

2 min: Stretch calves on bike, 1 min each side

2 min: Standing calf stretch off the bike, 1 min each side

2 min: Standing Quad Stretch, 1 min each side

1 min: Standing Downward Dog

1 min: Downward Dog

2 min: Hip Flexor Lunges, 1 min each side

2 min: Standing Glute Stretch, 1 min each side (or Pigeon Pose)

2 min: Hurdler Hamstring stretch, 1 min each side

1 min: Frog Pose stretch

1 min: Butterfly Pose

2 min: Forward Fold, 1 min each side