Gino ask me to review the video and give my opinion. I had no idea what to expect, all of the other cycling workouts I have used were not very interesting, and actually they were boring. So I started the DVD with a little bit of trepidation, but I must admit that I really got into the workout and had a lot of fun while struggling up the hills and really enjoying the downhill’s! The scenery was terrific, so much so that I am planning my own cycling trip to Italy, hopefully next year!
The workout was so real, actually like being on the road in Italy. My first trip was without the music, the second, third and forth had the music and I had a lot more fun on the last the three trips. Try it both ways and see which suits you best. And remember as you are riding your bike mounted on a trainer it is a lot easier to maintain a steady heart rate on the trainer than when riding outside so be sure to make allowances for that.
I have done some Pilates, mostly on my own and the 30 minute workout that is included on the DVD was really great! I am using the workout and the ride in combination so I will be ready to ride when the snow goes away next year.
I highly recommend this training DVD, you can pick and choose the way you want to train, you can get a great Pilates workout and really enjoy a trip through the Italian country side! Hopefully you can find the time to actually fly to Italy and ride the route in person!
Linda Imle
Anchorage, Alaska
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Hey, Mom it's DARK OUTSIDE! But I still want to RIDE MY BIKE! PLEASEEEEEEZ!!!!
During the summer it doesn't get dark outside, it gets a little dusky but not dark. Alaskans look in the newspapers or listen to Jackie Purcell, meteorologist extraordinaire to hear how many hours, minutes and seconds of daylight we get. Anchorage gets about 22 HOURS of SUNSHINE and no darkness. So wanting to go on a bike ride at 0130 in the morning is not something that we consider unusual, it is still light out, the sun is up and we forget what time it really is.
Alaska has two seasons, manic (summer) and sluggish (winter). They both last about 6 months. During the summer we have the most incredible flowers, the colors are so vibrant. Our summers are just so wonderful and it is no wonder we hate to see it go. I have a watch that I can set to the 24 hour clock so I know what time of the day or night it really is. When there is company in the house we urge them to close the dark curtain because the sunlight will play havoc with their sleeping pattern. Most folks don’t believe me until they find themselves very tired after a day or two of no sleep. That’s when the curtain comes down and they sleep the full night through. It is kind of funny but it is a fact!
Winter is a lot of fun, too. It starts getting dark in July, not REAL dark but darker than Jun, our brightest month. By the middle of September it is dark, like everywhere else Outside (what we call the lower 48 states). Snow usually falls around October but not this year. Global warming has been rearing its terrible head here in the Arctic for the past several years with the tardiness of the first snowfall, shorter more intense winters and longer summers. Now don’t get me wrong, I LOVE summer, but I came to Alaska for the WINTERS!
A few years ago I was reunited with cycling and the thought of putting my bike away for the winter was not acceptable. So I bought studded tires, a lot of warm biking clothes and shoes and enough pairs of gloves and socks to keep an entire population warm. I rode my bike in the snow and on the ice. I signed up for a crazy race, www.susitna100.com and tried to ride 100 miles in the snow in 24 hours. I didn’t finish because the course was yucky, wet, sloppy and generally unsafe, my opinion. So I stopped after I did one third of the course and went home.
Since that first aborted attempt to complete in 100 mile course I did almost complete the baby sister to the Susitna 100, it is call the Little Susitna 50 K, a 32 mile shorter course that is a lot of fun. The first time I participated I got to the half way point and decided NOT to try and climb the icy slope to the official turn around point, the slope was scary, I watched about a dozen people attempt the climb and descend and they all fell. Some got hurt. Being a coward, and being basically alone out on the tundra I chose to turn around and head back to the start line. It was dark by the time I got back and I was tired but I had fun. I didn’t officially finish but I learned the a lot about myself and I fell in love with winter cycling.
Now, I love to ride my bike during the winter, I love the summer riding even more. One of things I wait for during the early part of the winter is the first snow. We have moose, lots of moose in town, actually everywhere and they are always grumpy, but the moms with babies are really grumpy and mean. As the light fades and the long dark winter sets in the moose become invisible. You are probably doubtful but a full grown bull moose with record set of antlers can hide behind a small tree and suck up any light that might be flashed on them. This ability to disappear is part of why they can be standing behind you and you never even know they are there.
Mother moose will charge a tank if she thinks the tank is a threat. Mom moose can be deadly, we have had people get killed by moose stomping them. Skiers have lots of encounters with moose during the winter and they pay the price with lots of injuries because the cranky mom “took them out, did what she needed to do.”
So why am I rambling on? Well, there is no snow yet and the moose are still out there, so are the bears and you can’t see them in the dark, in the woods because there is no light. With the snow on the ground you can see the moose; the trees have no leaves on them and that helps to spot them. The bears are just there, invisible, lingering and deadly but they usually are not a problem, unless it is a grizzly and a mom with a bay or three. The moose are somewhat avoidable; if you see them in time you can turn around soon enough to get away. They are fast, agile and grumpy, all of the time!
I haven’t ridden my bike to work for about a month, since it has gotten really dark. It will get darker earlier every day until after December 21st when the Solstice occurs. So, until the snow falls the reflection of light from street lamps and cars help to brighten things up again I will catch a ride to work in the morning and ride home after work. We do have a few days in December that have bright daylight for about 4-5 hours then it gets dark again and I get to ride home in the dark.
I have a very strong headlight I wear on my helmet, a great Light in Motion that works well, but nothing on the moose (and bears) reflects the light. I don’t have a death wish so this is my life for the moment. It isn’t cold enough to force the bears into hibernation and the moose are hiding in plain sight. So I will just suck it up and enjoy what I can during this in between time.
I sure miss my commutes, but it will get cold and it will snow eventually!
Alaska has two seasons, manic (summer) and sluggish (winter). They both last about 6 months. During the summer we have the most incredible flowers, the colors are so vibrant. Our summers are just so wonderful and it is no wonder we hate to see it go. I have a watch that I can set to the 24 hour clock so I know what time of the day or night it really is. When there is company in the house we urge them to close the dark curtain because the sunlight will play havoc with their sleeping pattern. Most folks don’t believe me until they find themselves very tired after a day or two of no sleep. That’s when the curtain comes down and they sleep the full night through. It is kind of funny but it is a fact!
Winter is a lot of fun, too. It starts getting dark in July, not REAL dark but darker than Jun, our brightest month. By the middle of September it is dark, like everywhere else Outside (what we call the lower 48 states). Snow usually falls around October but not this year. Global warming has been rearing its terrible head here in the Arctic for the past several years with the tardiness of the first snowfall, shorter more intense winters and longer summers. Now don’t get me wrong, I LOVE summer, but I came to Alaska for the WINTERS!
A few years ago I was reunited with cycling and the thought of putting my bike away for the winter was not acceptable. So I bought studded tires, a lot of warm biking clothes and shoes and enough pairs of gloves and socks to keep an entire population warm. I rode my bike in the snow and on the ice. I signed up for a crazy race, www.susitna100.com and tried to ride 100 miles in the snow in 24 hours. I didn’t finish because the course was yucky, wet, sloppy and generally unsafe, my opinion. So I stopped after I did one third of the course and went home.
Since that first aborted attempt to complete in 100 mile course I did almost complete the baby sister to the Susitna 100, it is call the Little Susitna 50 K, a 32 mile shorter course that is a lot of fun. The first time I participated I got to the half way point and decided NOT to try and climb the icy slope to the official turn around point, the slope was scary, I watched about a dozen people attempt the climb and descend and they all fell. Some got hurt. Being a coward, and being basically alone out on the tundra I chose to turn around and head back to the start line. It was dark by the time I got back and I was tired but I had fun. I didn’t officially finish but I learned the a lot about myself and I fell in love with winter cycling.
Now, I love to ride my bike during the winter, I love the summer riding even more. One of things I wait for during the early part of the winter is the first snow. We have moose, lots of moose in town, actually everywhere and they are always grumpy, but the moms with babies are really grumpy and mean. As the light fades and the long dark winter sets in the moose become invisible. You are probably doubtful but a full grown bull moose with record set of antlers can hide behind a small tree and suck up any light that might be flashed on them. This ability to disappear is part of why they can be standing behind you and you never even know they are there.
Mother moose will charge a tank if she thinks the tank is a threat. Mom moose can be deadly, we have had people get killed by moose stomping them. Skiers have lots of encounters with moose during the winter and they pay the price with lots of injuries because the cranky mom “took them out, did what she needed to do.”
So why am I rambling on? Well, there is no snow yet and the moose are still out there, so are the bears and you can’t see them in the dark, in the woods because there is no light. With the snow on the ground you can see the moose; the trees have no leaves on them and that helps to spot them. The bears are just there, invisible, lingering and deadly but they usually are not a problem, unless it is a grizzly and a mom with a bay or three. The moose are somewhat avoidable; if you see them in time you can turn around soon enough to get away. They are fast, agile and grumpy, all of the time!
I haven’t ridden my bike to work for about a month, since it has gotten really dark. It will get darker earlier every day until after December 21st when the Solstice occurs. So, until the snow falls the reflection of light from street lamps and cars help to brighten things up again I will catch a ride to work in the morning and ride home after work. We do have a few days in December that have bright daylight for about 4-5 hours then it gets dark again and I get to ride home in the dark.
I have a very strong headlight I wear on my helmet, a great Light in Motion that works well, but nothing on the moose (and bears) reflects the light. I don’t have a death wish so this is my life for the moment. It isn’t cold enough to force the bears into hibernation and the moose are hiding in plain sight. So I will just suck it up and enjoy what I can during this in between time.
I sure miss my commutes, but it will get cold and it will snow eventually!
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