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HEALTH AND FITNESS: THREE BOOKS TO MAKE YOU FASTER
Katharine McCoy
August 15, 2009
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Let’s face it you can’t always be on your bike. There are times when you have to eat, be on planes, stand in line and even sleep. And when you can’t get online to read the latest on the Road Bike Action website, you still want to be thinking about how to get faster on your bike. When those times come don’t panic. We have three books that can help you to do just that.
The Time-Crunched Cyclist
By Chris Carmichael and Jim Rutberg
VeloPress
Who better to get training advice from than Chris Carmichael, trainer to the cycling stars? But usually the problem about getting advice from trainers to the stars is simply that they are trainers to the stars. Cycling stars don’t have full-time jobs; coach their kid’s soccer teams and have spouses who want quality time. But in this book Chris Carmichael gets that. This book is for those guys and gals that may be able to remember a time when they could spend 16 hours a week on a bike, their lifestyle has changed but they don’t want having fun on a bike to be a dim memory as well. Let’s face it cycling is not a lot of fun if you don’t feel that you are getting faster. This book gives detailed instructions on how a person with a full schedule can get fit and fast and still keep their job. Using the newest research about intensity training versus time as well as his vast experience Chris empowers you to use the time that you have rather than feeling bad about not having more. Any cyclist who can relate to that will appreciate this realistic approach to training.
The Athlete's Pocket Guide to Yoga: 50 Routines for Flexibility, Balance and Focus
By Sage Rountree
VeloPress
To those who don’t come to it naturally, flexibility can be one of the most mysterious of the athlete’s goals. We tend to get how to up our VO2 or build up our quad muscles. But becoming more flexible seems like the antithesis of fast paced, push yourself to the limit program that leads to success in other arenas. It requires that we slow down and focus on details. The other problem seems to be that it is exactly the type of people that need instruction is this area that tend to shy away from it, either because they can’t make themselves take the time or the thought of being the stiff, newbie in a yoga class is just too much.
This guide is directed at the athlete and understands the athlete’s goals. With clear pictures to demonstrate the moves, this book guides you through and allows you to fit the workout to your needs. As a USA Triathlon coach and USA cycling Coach Sage understands the needs of seasonally training and preparing for competitions. If you have wanted to try yoga and are looking to an alternative to a class at your local gym you will enjoy this book.
Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain Spark
By John J. Ratey
If you ever wanted more inspiration to go for a bike ride than simply having fun and eating dessert you will want to pick up this book. Spark is a book written for lay people about how exercise changes the brain. The idea that the mind influences the body is not new but this book shows how the body influences the mind. This book explains how riding your bike/or any other form of exercise can actually increase your intelligence. It also gives good advice on how to use this to your advantage. Should you go for a ride before work or after? Maybe after reading this you may be able to convince your boss that a couple hours on your bike is just what you need before a big presentation. Parents or students will definitely appreciate learning the best way to prime your brain for learning new information.
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