Trek Across Maine

[oldbikah]

Hey, Maine Maid! I am a Mainer who has several friends who have ridden the Trek multiple times, and I have been "thinking" about it for several years. My son's girlfriend (age 23) asked me if I wanted to do it this year (and she didn't know I had been "thinking", otherwise known as procrastinating). So put to me directly I said "yes" in one of those hero moments that I couldn't take back! Seriously I am enthusiastic about it and I am going to put my trainer up in the living room this week and get going. I am age 63, so my goal is just to finish without doing anything spectacular. Let's keep each other motivated!

[traveller_62]

Hi Maine Maid,

I've heard very good things about the Trek Across Maine and I'll be riding it for the first time in 2007. All of my friends who have ridden it tell me that it is a blast (depending on the weather of course) and a very supportive environment. Until this last summer I did mostly solo cycling. But a friend convinced me to ride the MS 150 (out of Standish) in August and loved it so much I did a bunch more charity and group rides.

The TAM site has a training guide that you might want to take a look at. Building foundation miles as you are doing right now is a good approach. As the time gets closer you'll probably want to supplement the steady effort workouts with some drill work (fast cadence and power intervals) to get ready for the hills.

But don't focus on the hills! With a good fitness base, good form, the right gearing, and a good outlook on the ride you'll be fine.

Good luck and perhaps we'll see you at the event this year!

traveller

Happy New Year Everyone!

[MaineMaid]

Woozer!!!! It looks like there's gonna be 3 of us doing it for the first time!!! This will be great!!

Jan

[Bette Boop]

I totally hear what you are saying, I have been training all summer and all of fall and still riding 30 miles a day right up to Jan 9th.. Can you believe this weather. Let me tell you a little about myslef. I just got serious last April after retireing from Central Maine Power Co. I am now 63 years old and I can ride 30 plus miles three days in a row. I an scared to death of the hills everyone is talking about. I sure hope I can doit. Hopefully the inforamtional meeting will help calm some of my fears. Helpp

[traveller_62]

Hey BB,

Sounds to me like you have a good fitness foundation for cycling if you are doing 30 miles on multiple days. Very cool!

Don't fear the hills...just start finding some hilly routes and start practicing hill climbing. I don't know what kind of bike you have but it probably has gearing that will be appropriate for any of the hills on the Trek course. There are specific techniques for climbing hills that you can read about but for me it comes down to the following:

1) Relax. When you see a hill coming up, smile. Even if it looks like a monster steep thing just smile and if you can, laugh outloud. Sounds weird, I know. But it does work.

2) Release the death grip on your handlebars. All of that tension robs your body of strength. Think of flowing over the hill. Breathe deeply. Keep your head and chin up as you climb...don't hunch over as this makes it more difficult for your lungs to deliver oxygen to your muscles.

3) Find a cycling cadence/rhythm where you can work both in and out of the saddle. If you aren't used to riding/climbing out of the saddle practice it before the Trek.

4) When feel like you are at your limit on a climb, pick a point up ahead and focus on making it to that point. Or, tell yourself that you will do another 20 peddle strokes. Once you complete the goal, set another one.

When you make it to the top of the climb, let out a loud WHOOPIE! and don't care who hears it

If you aren't from a part of Maine that has hills, try to find a place that does to practice. I'm up here on Mount Desert Island and we have lots of hills to choose from and it is a great place to bike!

Hope to see you at the Trek!

-traveller