training

It took a lot of work to prepare for the ride. We started with a 6-mile ride at the end of 2001, shortly after I had completed the Northeast AIDSRide. We increased our mileage slowly, to 8 miles, then 10, 12, 15, 20, until it got to cold to ride. While many cyclists do ride in the winter (and I do occasionally), the cold air is not good for Sharona’s asthma and it really requires a significant investment in the appropriate clothing that Sha wasn’t ready to make then. Little did we know that such an investment would have paid off.

We got a pair of trainers, which are devices that attach to the rear wheel of a bicycle and essentially turn it into a stationary exercise bike, so that Sha and I could keep cycling. We would use these from 3 to 6 times a week as the winter went on. We got a handful of Spinervals videos that lead you through some very demanding workouts in anywhere from 45-90 minutes

As March rolled around, we started riding outdoors again. We rode with a group of other AIDSRiders every Saturday and Sunday. The group was led by Bobby Mac, an inspiration himself, who has trained hundreds of riders for AIDSRides over the years. This is where the experience started to take shape.

Most of the people who participate in these rides are not hard-core cyclists to begin with. They are ordinary people who want to do something dramatic to help a cause that they believe in. Many people aren’t sure of themselves and have never attempted anything like this before. As the weeks progress, people start to transform. They get stronger. They ride farther than they ever have before. They ride a little faster. We all go through it together, week after week, and develop very strong bonds with each other. Bobby Mac has said that the training rides, and everything else leading up to the event, are the AIDSRide and the event itself is just the victory lap.

There are more details on the training journal page.