Check the perspective of veteran coach Fred
Matheny,
who has been writing about road cycling performance for more than 30 years
and authored 10 RBR training eBooks and eArticles:
"Sure, you know how to train. But can
training co-exist with your busy life? Can you define your values and
set goals? Will your relationships survive 400-mile weeks?
"David Rowe's new eBook fills the gap
between training advice and event-day performance.
"He presents an
organized, analytical approach to basing your goals on your values so
you can seamlessly blend cycling with the rest of your life. Especially
useful are interviews with riders who have learned how to balance work,
family and cycling."
See more reviews
The heart of The Ride of Your Life
is a goal-planning system you will use to identify your
core values and
select cycling events that align with them. Setting a goal in this way, you
are much more likely to stick with whichever training program you choose.
You will understand how days missed on the bike or at the gym put your goal
at risk.
This eBook
also includes
interviews
with 6 sport-recreational cyclists who
accomplished remarkable long-distance riding goals while balancing
the demands of families and careers.
They did it . . . and you can do
it too!
In a nutshell . . . this
eBook is the bridge between desire and accomplishment.
It helps you satisfy your passion for cycling while keeping your
life in balance.
$19.95
eBook
Read what experienced riders and cycling
writers are saying about The
Ride of Your Life:
-
"One of the greatest aspects of cycling is that
it features disciplines and events to match every rider's goals and
ambitions. Endurance cycling is attracting a growing number of riders, and
The Ride of Your Life is an excellent guide for people who are
looking to expand their cycling horizons." – Chris
Carmichael, Lance Armstrong's coach and founder of Carmichael
Training Systems
-
"David’s eBook is an amazing asset covering a
challenging topic that had yet to be thoroughly tackled. It combines
evidence- and research-based training theories, nutritional strategies, and
adaptations of some of history’s most successful time management
strategies." – Heidi Swift of
everydayathleteblog.com
-
"The Ride of Your Life offers
something for all riders -- whether you are looking to improve yourself and
reach the next level or, just importantly, if you have attained some level
of success and want to make cycling an integral part of a balanced life." –
Tom Rosenbauer, Eastern Pennsylvania
Regional Brevet Administrator
-
“'Mainly mental.' How many of us have heard this
about endurance cycling? I have … and I have found it to be true! I’m a firm
believer in 'practicum' over pure theory, and The Ride of Your Life
gives you a wealth of useful, practical material to set and achieve your
extraordinary goals." – John Lee Ellis, endurance cycling legend
-
"The Ride of Your Life is well
worth the read ... even if you aren't considering a brevet. Why? Because it
is about goal-setting, staying focused and getting the job done. No matter
what your goal is, this eBook will serve as a thoughtful and effective
roadmap. Most impressive!" – Georgena Terry, founder of Terry
Precision Cycling for Women
-
"Impressively, David Rowe shows a deep appreciation for the
big picture. He keeps everything in perspective, encourages careful analysis
of goals, rewards, and their cost, and never forgets the fun factor. I
highly recommend The Ride of Your Life for anyone who wants to
get the most out of cycling -- and of life -- in today's busy and demanding
world." – Chris Kostman, Furnace Creek 508 race director and Race
Across America finisher
-
"Once you push into the territory of
long-distance riding, goal setting and mental preparation become as, if not
more, important than the riding itself. The Ride of Your Life
will help get your head and heart ready to tackle any grand cycling
challenge." – Selene Yeager, Bicycling magazine's "Fitness
Chick"
-
"The Ride of Your Life is an
inspiring eBook that will get you up off the couch and onto your bike. So
much of the difference between exceptional riders and wannabes is the mental
attitude and enthusiasm to go out and set new goals. This eBook is filled
with practical advice from real people who share their passion for
long-distance cycling. During the final miles of a long ride don't wish for
fitness, wish for motivation. The Ride of Your Life is the
kick in the pants you need to raise your cycling results to a new level." –
Lon Haldeman,
PAC
Tour director and 2-time Race Across America winner
For expert advice on cycling time
management and
setting & achieving extraordinary goals, don't miss the interviews with author
David Rowe as he discusses his powerful eBook, The Ride of Your
Life, at these 10 leading cycling websites:
Quickrelease.tv
Podcast
with Carlton "Vid Kid" Reid
The Fredcast
Podcast
with David Bernstein
Lon's Blog (PAC
Tour) Interview with Lon Haldeman
UltraRob's Adventures
Interview
with Rob Lucas
Cycleiscious
Interview
with Richard Masoner
BikingBis
Interview
with Gene Bisbee
AdventureCORPS
Interview
with Chris Kostman
The Everyday
Athlete
Interview
with Heidi Swift
BikePortland
Interview with Jonathan Maus
BikeLoveJones
Interview
with Beth Hamon
The following
passages from The Ride of Your Life
come from Chapter 6, "Taking Your Dreams to the Road," and Chapter 2,
"Clarifying, Aligning and Prioritizing Your Core Values."
EXCERPT 1:
When Cycling Stops Being Fun
Most of us who enjoy cycling as a recreational pursuit have toyed
with the idea of what it would be like to race bicycles. Most of what we
know about cycling’s history, and just about all of what we see on
television, is based on competitive cycling.
We sometimes see competitive attitudes filter
down to our own Saturday morning rides with the club, or even among friends
who enjoy the sport. Depending on your attitudes toward competition, you may
interpret this as a negative aspect of the sport. However, it is probably
wise to come to terms with the fact that competition is a part of cycling
culture, and it is not likely to change any time soon. In fact, there are
aspects of competitive cycling that are healthy and productive, even to the
recreational cyclist.
In preparing to ride 100 miles or more in a
single day, you will use many of the same training protocols used by
cyclists who train for road racing. The key to maintaining the proper
balance between improvement and enjoyment is to know what your goals are,
and to ride according to your own plan, and not someone else’s.
Not long ago, I was stopped at an intersection and I watched as two
riders approached on the main highway. I smiled at the first one as he
pedaled by. He returned a glance, but there was no smile from this guy. He
focused on keeping his pace steady up the grade, getting to wherever it was
he was going, as quickly as possible.
I smiled again as the second rider approached. His face lit up.
“How is it going?” I asked.
“Pretty good…now that we are almost home…” He let out a sigh of relief, or
maybe it was exhaustion, as he rolled by.
I wondered, how many cyclists find themselves in his situation?
You have been dreaming all week about your Saturday morning ride. You have a
great bike, beautiful clothing, bars in your jersey pockets, electrolytes in
your water bottles, and you head out with a more experienced rider who isn’t
considering your fitness-level as he hammers up the road. You wind up riding
too fast or too far or both, just to keep up.
Whatever your current level of fitness, you have a limit and you should know
what it is before you roll off your driveway. It could be speed. Maybe it is
total distance. It could be altitude gain. Or it could be heart rate.
Whatever it is that defines your training zone, don’t let anyone pull you
out of it unless it serves you and your ability to reach your goals.
If you let someone else define your ride, cycling stops being fun. If
it’s not fun, or fulfilling something important in your life, it becomes
exercise. When cycling is “just exercise,” that beautiful bike of yours will
wind up in the attic alongside the rowing machine and the rack of free
weights
Click here to see 34 actual pages from The Ride of Your
Life.
EXCERPT 2:
Think
About Your Relationships
Committing to improving your health and
fitness will require effort, and for most, that means a change in your
usual behaviors. You may be okay with that, but are the important people in
your life going to be supportive? Whether you measure it in hours spent at
the gym or on the bike, or in dollars spent at the store on food and
clothing and equipment, the people in your life are going to notice the
changes you are making, and they are likely to have an opinion. Even though
you may see the changes as positive, they may not.
Your goal of riding a long distance event is going to change your daily
habits.
In the past, you might have slept in on Saturday
mornings, enjoyed a leisurely pot of coffee and a bagel and cream cheese
with your significant other. Now, you are getting up early. For you, the
change represents a step toward the successful attainment of your goal. But
for those who are used to having you around the house, in your pajamas until
noon, or available to shuttle the kids to the soccer field, this new
commitment to cycling will represent something quite different. For many it
can become a source of conflict.
How much are you and the people in your life willing to sacrifice for a
goal, which they measure as time apart from you? The answer is not
clear-cut. It varies from time to time, depending on what is happening in
life.
There are times when my wife will be
right there with me as I get into my cycling clothes. She will fill my water
bottles, make me a sandwich, kiss me goodbye. There are other times when she
cannot be so supportive, because she is facing a challenge in her life, or
she simply does not want to spend another weekend apart.
If I am aware enough, if I am in tune with her, then I will often stop, sit
with her and talk, and in the process I may offer to reset my plan for the
day. Usually, she won’t take me up on that. But sometimes, she will. She
knows that I place more value on our relationship than I do on cycling, but
she also knows that I must train in order to do the long rides safely, so
she rarely asks me to pass on a planned ride. When she does, I respect her
request and I have never regretted it.
Click here to see 34 actual pages from The Ride of Your
Life.
$19.95
eBook
TOC: The
Ride of Your Life
|
Contents
Introduction
1. PLANNING FOR CYCLING SUCCESS
The why factor
The lure of long distance cycling
Time Power is not measured in watts (but there is a connection)
Ready to Ride Interview: Gregory Paley
2. Clarifying, aligning
and prioritizing your core values
Think about your body
Think about your relationships
Think about your work
Step 1: Clarify your core values
Worksheet I: Core Values
Ready to Ride Interview: Jill Homer
3. Getting down to this
business of goal-setting
Guidelines for goal setting
What do you want to accomplish on the bike?
Step 2: Evaluate your past performance
Ready to Ride Interview: Del Sharffenberg
4. PICKING THE RIGHT RIDES
Step 3: Create your wish list
Step 4: Rate the rides
Step 5: Use your value system to evaluate the rides
Step 6: Sort the goals list
Step 7: Chunk it down to one-year milestones
Step 8: Make a plan to achieve each goal
Why I didn’t ride in the Paris-Brest-Paris
Ready to Ride Interview: Kitty Goursolle
5. CREATING YOUR ANNUAL PLAN
Every rider needs a plan
Choosing a calendar
Your season at a glance
Ready to Ride Interview: Kent Peterson
6. TAKING YOUR DREAMS TO THE ROAD
Keep your plan visible
Record and analyze your training program
Where to get direction and feedback on progress
Keep your plan (and attitude) flexible
When cycling stops being fun
Define your own limits
Ready to Ride Interview: John Spurgeon
READY TO RIDE WORKSHEETS
Downloads
Print-ready template
Acknowledgements
About R2R
Our mission
Our web site
Ready to Ride®
Our eBooks
A Rider’s Guide to Building the Long
Distance Bicycle
Ourselves
David Rowe
Evan Rowe
Excerpt 1
Excerpt 2
$19.95
eBook
|
