Tired of the same ride at the same pace yielding the same results day after day? With Fitness Cycling, you will achieve maximum results from every cycling workout, whether you’re trying to improve your times, bike longer distances, or simply increase your fitness level. With 60 workouts and 13 proven training programs at your fingertips, you will improve your physical conditioning and your performance.
World-class cyclists Michael and Dede Demet Barry, with noted exercise physiologist Dr. Shannon Sovndal, guide you through assessing your cycling fitness level and selecting a training program based on your individual goals.
The dozens of workouts include endurance rides, hill and speed training, time trials, and strength and lactate threshold sessions. Workouts are then arranged into four training zones to lead you from building a base to maintaining peak condition based on your fitness level and cycling ambition. Warm-up and cool-down methods, as well as expert conditioning guidelines, provide the information you need for more informed training, faster times, and improved fitness.
Put an end to the monotonous rides and begin cranking out meaningful miles. Whether you’re looking to jump-start your training or to peak for a race, Fitness Cycling ensures that every workout keeps you on pace to meet your goals.
Part I: The Essentials
1. Choosing Cycling Equipment
2. Mastering the Bike
3. Understanding Cycling Training
4. Assessing Cycling Fitness
5. Enhancing Cycling Workouts
Part II: The Workouts
6. Endurance Workouts
7. Strength and Lactate Threshold Workouts
8. Hill Workouts
9. Time Trial Workouts
10. Speed Workouts
Part III: The Programs
11. Building a Base
12. Increasing Lactate Threshold and Strength
13. Building Toward a Peak
14. Maintaining Peak Condition
15. Cross-Training in the Off-Season
Dede Demet Barry was a professional racer and member of the United States Cycling Team from 1988 to 2004. A 2004 Olympic silver medalist, Barry also won three World Championship medals, two Pan American Games gold medals, two World Cup championships, and six national titles before retiring at the end of the 2004 season. She also was named the 2004 North American Cyclist of the Year.
Barry now writes columns for various cycling and sporting publications, including VeloNews; lectures extensively on the topics of training and her experiences as a female athlete; and serves as a coach and consultant with Thrive Health and Fitness Medicine. In her spare time, she enjoys trail running, cross-country skiing, reading, and cooking. She resides in Boulder, Colorado, and Girona, Spain, with her husband, Michael, and son, Liam.
Michael Barry has been a professional cyclist since 1998 and a member of Lance Armstrong's cycling team since 2002. The two-time Olympian (1996 and 2004) is also author of the book Inside the Postal Bus (2005 VeloPress), which recounts his experiences on Armstrong's U.S. Postal team. Barry has several victories in international races and has placed prominently in the World Championships and World Cup races. In 2003 he was named Canadian Cyclist of the Year by the Canadian Cycling Association.
Barry also writes articles for numerous newspapers, magazines, and Web sites, including the Toronto Star, Pedal magazine, VeloNews, www.thepaceline.com, and www.bike.com. Along with cycling, in his leisure time Barry enjoys mountain biking, hiking, and running. He, his wife, Dede, and their son, Liam, reside in Boulder, Colorado, and Girona, Spain.
Dr. Shannon Sovndal is the owner and founder of Thrive Health and Fitness Medicine (Thrive HFM), an elite team of medical doctors, exercise physiologists, and athletes that provides clients with the highest level of personalized health care, life management, and fitness training. Additionally, he serves as a board-certified emergency medicine physician at Boulder Community Hospital in Colorado, the medical director for AirLife Denver, and a physician at the General Center for Clinical Research at the University of Colorado.
Before becoming a physician, Dr. Sovndal raced road bikes in the United States, during which time he won the California/Nevada District Championship as well as many other road races and criteriums. He has written numerous sports-related articles and has lectured to a wide range of audiences on exercise-related topics. Dr. Sovndal is a member of the American College of Sports Medicine and the American College of Emergency Medicine. He attended medical school at Columbia University in New York and completed his residency at Stanford University in California. Dr. Sovndal resides in Boulder, Colorado, with his wife, Jane, and their two sons, Soren and Theron.
"This book should be added to every cyclist's library. Understand why and how to use your time wisely to improve your cycling--whether for fun, fitness, or performance."
Connie Carpenter
Olympic Gold Medalist, 1984
Women's Individual Road Race
“Dede's savvy training knowledge and technical skills, Michael's experience on the professional tour, and Shannon's physiological expertise and cycling background make this the perfect trio to provide training advice, workouts, and season-long programs in a way that will help beginners and more advanced cyclists make the most of their time on the bike.”
Jim Miller, Head Coach
U.S. Olympic Women's Road Cycling Team, 2004
"Fitness Cycling is the ideal book for most cyclists learning to get fit and get the most out of their body. Michael, Dede and Shannon offer the cyclist a rare combination of competitive experience and medical/scientific expertise."
Tom Danielson
Discovery Channel Cycling Team
"A rare opportunity for the beginner to the advanced cyclist to learn the tricks of the trade from a dream combination of resources. From Dede's phenomenal cycling career, to Michael's professionalism and Shannon's expertise, Fitness Cycling offers the wisdom and insight that will allow goals to transform into realities."
Clara Hughes
5-time Olympic Medalist in Multiple Sports
Cycling: Double Bronze, 1996; Speed Skating: Gold & Silver, 2006; Bronze, 2002
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