2011 begins Monday

I hope you all had an enjoyable celebration ringing in the new year. Look for more material to start appearing here now that the new year has arrived. 

It's a cycling ritual with me.

The new season starts Monday with a weight program and the start of regular workouts on the trainer, all leading up to getting back on the bike in spring for my 11th season of riding.

By weight program I am not talking about lifting weights. I'm talking about getting back on a scale as of Monday, something I have not done in months. During the season while I am riding and eating what I want there is no reason to weigh myself. I'm fine.

But without riding and eating non-stop (and whatever I want) since Thanksgiving, the time to have a reality check has once again arrived. Each year I put on about 5-6 pounds in that period, and each year I battle to lose it starting in January. It always works. But I have to prove to myself once again now that I can go cold-turkey on the sweets and starch. Plus, it's time to start riding the Klein on the trainer too.

Here's the plan for Week One:

--Ride for at least 30 minutes at least three times this week. I combine that with full stretching before and after, in addition to situps before and after. I start with only this to ease into it and work up toward starting those Carmichael workouts later this month.

--As for eating (not a diet) I immediately go cold-turkey on sweets, cut out most starches and nothing, quote, "bad for you" like pizza or burgers will be eaten either. That's all out the window now. Goodbye my friends the french fries.

--And Monday I'll step on that scale to see the magic number. I'll post it here too...shames me in public to keep track of whatever I am able to lose each week.


The goal here is to get into some form or riding shape and down to 190 pounds at the start of the outdoor season, which I usually start right around Easter weekend.


Stay tuned...and play along if you like...unless of course you didn't gain any weight and have been riding all holiday season long!