[Sportsandrec] cardio kickboxing or aerobics class

[Ron & the bears]

Hi Joe & all,

Music is such an important part of exercise for me. It literally blocks out 
the pain, or helps me maintain a certain attitude or tempo.

For fast group rides, I love the B-52's "Rock Lobster".

But Sir, if you like to climb, have I got a deal for you.

This Saturday, I am riding my tandem in the Tour das Hugel, or Tour of the 
Hills in German. www.tourdashugel.com

It is a 112 mile ride seasoned with 14,600 feet of hill climbing. For 
comparison, most 60-100  mile bike rides I do, have anywhere from 500 to 
4,000 feet of climbing.

I rode it last year with Travis, a 31-year-old, first-time tandem pilot, who 
was the 2007 Texas State mountain biking champion for his category. We were 
the first tandem to ever show up for, let alone  finish the event. Going up 
one of the hills, I was eating a Cliff bar, with one hand on the handlebar. 
As the hill became steeper, it got my attention as I felt the extra 
resistance in the pedals. I quickly grabbed the handlebar and pulled hard, 
while digging into my stroke. Travis, must have accelerated in a similar 
manner. Together, we pulled the front wheel of the tandem off the ground a 
few inches. We even had a witness next to us on his single bike. We cruised 
the ride at a leisurely pace in about nine and a half hours, including time 
at the rest-stops.

My favorite AC/DC song for sports motivation is "Shoot to Kill". However, 
for this ride, it was not about intense power as much as survival. I had 
never ridden so many steep hills in a row before, so I rode conservatively 
all day. With one of the most daunting hills, hanging over my head, at the 
95-mile mark, I mostly thought of that song, "Big Girl Now". I love how 
Fergie sings that one. The song kept me mellow and focused on completing the 
whole thing. On that last big hill, though, I was letting it all hang out 
while hearing Motley Crue's "Kick Start My Heart". For the last 50 meters of 
that climb, I became a little emotional and wanted to show the hill who was 
tougher. I tried to sprint with all I had. I impressed my pilot for a few 
seconds, before my legs were full of acid at the summit.:) For the last few 
miles of gently rolling terrain, back to the finish line, I meditated on the 
lyric, "When we started this ride, I'd admit, maybe we wouldn't last. Some 
Hills gone by, and I'd say we kicked some..."

Most of these hills are no longer than 3 or 4 blocks, but they are very 
steep, averaging around 23 percent grade. This means that as you move 
forward 100 feet, you go up 23 feet. This may be about the height of a 
2-story house in the length of two and a half city busses??

The whole ride is hosted by local volunteers and it is free to ride. Many of 
the rest-stops are in peoples yards or driveways. Last year, a girl scout 
troop managed a rest-stop for one of the brownie's 15 year-old brother, who 
was participating in the ride. The sense of community is a real empowering 
aspect of the event! Though the ride is over 100 miles long, it is all 
within Austin.

This year, I am riding with Patricia, a 55-year-old triathlete with a PHD in 
medicine. After my usual, team training ride Sunday morning, I rode a 
25-mile practice session with her. We are riding hills again on Thursday 
night to ensure the bike is set for her and mechanically sound. She has an 
excellent  attitude and wants to finish the whole enchilada.

I think I rode 80-85 miles on Sunday, but it has been a while since I have 
ridden a century, maybe back in May? The temps will range from 47 to about 
67, good hill-climbing weather, but it will be windy, which means that much 
more work. It will be a real challenge, but I try not to think about it too 
much. Mindset is important for this event. Just one hill at a time, then 
recover for the next.

Regards,

Ron & the uphill all day bears
Austin, Texas

"Joe Shaw" <jrs3147 at comcast.net>, wrote, "AC/DC is great climbing music. For 
Those about to Rock is a fantastic spin song.
: Joe 



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