Knowing what your goals are and setting a mountain cycling training program around them will help you keep fit all year round. Winter workouts can include a lot of sports that can keep your muscles in shape and provide a lot of fun at the same time. Ice skating, skiing and working out in a gym can all keep you in shape.

Have both long and short term goals and keep a log book to track your progress. Winter riding can be fun if you have a partner to keep you company. Dress for the cold weather and enjoy the activity. Riding in snow can be thrilling, it will keep your speed down but provides for a great workout.

Ice skating can be really fun and will give you a good cardio workout as well as exercise your legs. Riding your bike in the snow allows you to take in all the beauty, but be careful of the ice and cold. Cross country skiing is a great workout, it takes a lot of stamina and will also give you a good cardio, upper and lower body workout.

Keep an open mind to other types of cross training you can do that will develop your strength for riding. Minimally try for riding three times a week for an hour to keep your spin at peak levels and work the muscles you use when you ride. There are a few tricks you can use when riding the trainer, you can increase your cadence with minimal effort, smooth your pedal stroke or do some one-legged spinning to get a feel for the 360 degrees of your stroke.

If the trainer report watts, use a heart rate monitor to check your efficiency at different cadences at the same speed and resistance. You can analyze cadence versus heart rate versus watts. Also monitor how your ride is when you eat and drink different foods and liquids. Position the handlebar to optimal setting.

Weight training can be an important component of your plan. This will give you an edge when you are doing sprints or jumps and is worth the time it takes. You need to select a program designed for your style, your strength and goals.

Cross training is a great idea in the winter to keep you fit and toned. A written log of your progress will keep you on track and help you to attain your goals. Mountain cycling training in the winter will allow you to ride even when the weather is not so great outside and you will have nothing to distract you except maybe a good book.

Mountain cycling training will help you to keep fit and healthy. Get the exclusive low down instantly in our complete overview of all you need to know about Cycling Water Bottles and were to get the best bike water bottles .

Technorati Tags: biking, cycling, exercise, extreme, fitness, health, Health and Fitness, lifestyle, mountain biking, people, sport, sport and recreation, travel

Tags: biking, cycling, exercise, extreme, fitness, health, Health and Fitness, lifestyle, mountain biking, people, sport, sport and recreation, travel

Mountain Cycling Training will require you to spend time on and off the bike. There is strength and endurance involved in climbing hills and doing sprints. You will also need to know how to handle off road conditions like descents and cornering through thick brush and forests, dealing with mud conditions and how to handle rocks and boulders. You will need to train yourself to rest and recover for the best benefits.

Train on different types of terrain so your muscles can all get a workout. Find paths that require you to stand on your pedals and shift your weight, this will exercise your hamstrings and gluts and not make your quads do all the work. Climbing hills will increase your aerobic endurance and flat country will increase your stamina. Balance your workout terrains to avoid working too much in any one area.

Wear a heart monitor to measure your efforts. You can get one made specifically for cycling that will show your heart rate, calorie burn, speed and distance. There are some models that will show you comparative information and they also come with a GPS feature. Power meters measure your power output.

Gradually increase the connective tissue and muscle temperature when you prepare for your training. This will prevent you from getting injured, having cramps and having a feeling of tightness. A 20 to 45 minute warm-up is recommended.

Mentally focus on your workouts and ride at about 90 rpm at low pedal resistance for about 5 to 10 minutes. Add more pedal resistance after 10 minutes and remember to breathe deeply and stay relaxed. When you get off the bike stretch your shoulders, neck, lower back, calves, hamstrings and quads.

Weight lifting will help you to control your bike off road. Do squats, dead lifts and use a stability ball to make it a bit harder. Inverted rows, push-ups, bench presses and chin-ups are good exercises to do.

Prepare your body for the ride, three months before begin drink electrolytes when training. Two months before the ride pay attention to mental and physical fatigue and when it is likely to happen. At these points an electrolyte drink will stabilize blood sugar levels and provide amino acids. On hot days drink water every 35 to 40 minutes and on cool days every 45 minutes. One month before the ride take a balanced vitamin supplement and eat well-balanced meals including whole grains, vegetables and fresh fruit.

The day before eat some protein and fat and plenty of carbs, avoid foods contain protein and fiber as they will cause you to take more pit stops. Stay hydrated. On the day of the event eat either pancakes, toast or a bagel, avoid caffeine and stay hydrated. Drink electrolytes hourly and replenish your carbs. Mountain Cycling Training requires a full body workout to perform at your best.

Looking for more information on mountain cycling training ? Get the low down instantly in our complete guide to cycling water bottles and all you need to know about where to get the best bike water bottles .

Technorati Tags: biking, cycling, exercise, extreme, fitness, health, Health and Fitness, lifestyle, mountain biking, people, sport, sport and recreation, travel

Tags: biking, cycling, exercise, extreme, fitness, health, Health and Fitness, lifestyle, mountain biking, people, sport, sport and recreation, travel

Central America MTB Races - To maintain energy levels and to cultivate mind-body endurance, I wonder what mountain bike racers tank up on? Participants from all three of the regions top MTB championships — including the most difficult mountain bike race in the world, Costa Rica’s La Ruta de los Conquistadores, as well as the Nicaraguan San Juan Howler and the Guatemalan El Retro del Quetzal — share their tips for carb-loading. Read on!

[I:http://www.picmig.com/freedownloads/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/SunamitaLim36.jpg]La Ruta de los Conquistadores - Toughest race on the planet. http://www.youtube.com/v/F4sbnYQhxb0&rel=0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3

Energy Foods of Bicycling Champs

Manny Prado?, Champion of La Ruta 2009. The article on the website www.manuelmannyprado.com can be found very inspirational as it says the effort made by previous year’s Costa Rica La Ruta Elite Men’s in winning their country’s ruthless course. Manny worked in pineapple fields and grew up in poverty. However, even with all of this stacked against him, he worked hard and was able to become a national mountain biking champion. He continued to pursue his aspirations, while repeating to himself: “Even the impossible is possible!” Revealing is Manny’s mantra.

By challenging his mantra : “Even the Impossible is possible, this Southern California resident continues stoking his dream. Accepting the odds, and overcoming them with a powerful determination in any challenging situation and developing mental prowess is vital. Dreaming the impossible and working hard towards achieving it, his indomitable spirit starts from within. Manny wanted to excel as a bicyclist.

If you’re thinking about your recovery foods, some of Manny’s favorites include baked potatoes, milkshakes, and McDonald’s fries — though he tries to keep sodas off this list.

[I:http://www.picmig.com/freedownloads/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/SunamitaLim23.png]Rob Thomas is not only a San Juan Howler Racer, he is also a Howler Sponsor. ” the important point is replacing ions.” Rob says: “I carry a big water bottle and a water pack, added a electrolyte solution to them”. You can order them online or find them at your local bike shop. You need to eat as the Howler race takes several hours. He makes his own trail mix using a blend of granola, honey and peanut butter.

To make sure your body has stored sufficient trace minerals, Rob also advises that starting a month or two before the event, participants should take a nutritional supplement. ” Rob sells super food smoothies in his San Juan del Sur cafe, El Gato Negro and is an avid connoisseur of it”.

How do warrior athletes battle it out? Endurance is Key

The 20-year odyssey of Juan de Cavallon, the Spanish explorer, provided Roman Urbina (the race’s creator) the inspiration for La Ruta, according to the website. Racers in this four-day stage race encounter rain forests, active volcanoes, climbs to over 9,500 feet, surging rivers, blistering heat, and high humidity while making their way from Costa Rica’s Pacific coast to the Caribbean, as de Cavallon and his team did.

It is inspiring to know endurance can be cultivated to meet and overcome personal challenges of any stripe, even Central America MTB Races, while recognizing this isn’t daily fare for everyone!

Author: Uncover the mountain bike adventures that Brian Richter and Sunamita Lim uncovered in Central America! Indiana Jones could only hope for such an extra-ordinary area for mountain bike adventures. Click on mountain bike action now to discover this unique area.

Technorati Tags: Adventure Travel, adventure vacations, Central America MTB races, extreme sports, Health and Fitness, mountain bike adventures, mountain bike races, mountain biking, sports

Tags: Adventure Travel, adventure vacations, Central America MTB races, extreme sports, Health and Fitness, mountain bike adventures, mountain bike races, mountain biking, sports

For individuals who are looking for unmatched rustic mountain bike action, Nicaragua’s San Juan Howler off-road racing series is a very unique, premier sporting event. Guatemela’s El Reto del Quetzal and Costa Rica’s La Ruta de los Conquistadores have longer histories, but Howler’s offers a unique attraction. Participants in this Central American race have the opportunity to experience Howler monkeys up close and naturally along the race route. And, of course, the San Juan Howler series races for 18K, 28K or 42K that take place on December 11, 2010 are a moniker that is a must-ride.

San Juan Howler Race Trail

Why do Howler mountain bikers find this trail mesmerizing? From San Juan del Sur, a charming coastal town on the Pacific coast, bikers wind uphill. Fast. From steep switchbacks and uphilling into cool mountain forests (or montanos), mountain biking in Nicaragua becomes an exceptional experience.

Billy Molina is one of my favorite mountain bikers! He’s lived in Nicaragua for almost 15 years, but before then, he raced bikes on the U.S. pro circuit. Finds this a thrilling experience. You can cross various impediments under Howler’s course. Every single thing is natural. This could be aptly named a real thriller. In the span of a couple kilometers, you traverse vastly different kinds of terrain — lowlands by the sea, mountain peaks, everything in between. [I:http://www.picmig.com/freedownloads/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/SunamitaLimandBrianRichter9.jpg]If you see things like howler monkeys, beautifully colored birds flying through the sky and colored crabs running through the lowlands. The odds are that Mother Nature is just trying to show off. Billy smiles.

The Howler Moniker

[I:http://www.picmig.com/freedownloads/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/SunamitaLimandBrianRichter8.jpg]Not many have heard of howling monkeys either, the loudest land animals. (Only whales are louder.) The males grunt, howl, cackle and emit surreal sounds at dawn and at dusk. However, they’re safe to whiz by on mountain bikes. Howlers are by nature, “tree potatoes,” hanging out from trees literally, by their tails. About 80 percent of the time howler moneys lie around, napping.

The stunning beauty of Nicaragua’s eco-environment is enhanced by gorgeous views of the sea and mountains, and the Howler trail celebrates all three. Billy affectionately calls “Land of Lake and Volcanoes”. He said, “Once people visit, the unimaginable beauty is lodged in their memories like scenes from a scene fiction movie. ”

Central American Mountain Biking

There are many reasons to take a mountain bike holiday in Central and South America. Magazines such as Mountain Bike and Bike are starting to notice. La Ruta, crowned the world’s toughest mountain bike, has Lance Armstrong quipping, “Oh well for that one I have to train! ”

San Juan is hosting the Howler mountain bike race. Event organizer, Larry Thraen said, “The promotion of mountain bike racing is Central America is our first priority and the best way to accomplish that task is to sponsor the San Juan Howler race.” We’re firmly convinced that the best results happen out of team work. “What they are really trying to do is create a buzz about the world-class regional event, in 2011, with the MTB Pan American Championship Race.

Remain focused. Begin your training program now.

And we will see you in Central America a favorite place for mountain bike action. San Juan Howler is just one of many places for either mountain bike racing or a great mountain bike holiday! Did you say there was surfing to?? Hhhhuummm.. mountain biking surfing all in the same place. I could handle that.

Author: Discover the mountain bike adventures that whereintheworldareyou.com and Sunamita Lim uncovered in Central America! Indiana Jones could only hope for such a fascinating region for mountain biking. Click on mountain bike action now to discover this unique area.

Technorati Tags: adventure holiday, biking, cycling, Health and Fitness, mountain bike action, mountain bike holiday, mountain biking, recreation and sport, San Juan Howler, sport

Tags: adventure holiday, biking, cycling, Health and Fitness, mountain bike action, mountain bike holiday, mountain biking, recreation and sport, San Juan Howler, sport

Let us show you how easy it is to rock to Central America’s newest premier mountain bike action racing scene-Nicaragua’s San Juan Howler.

San Juan Howler, Nicaragua’s Mountain Bike Racing

San Juan Howler is an undiscovered premier mountain bike race in Central America that literally rocks seasoned mountain bikers and those new to cycling adventures. Young compared to Guatemala’s El Reto del Quetzal and Costa Rica’s La Ruta de los Conquistadores, and ounce for ounce just as exciting, Howler’s third annual race on December 11, 2010 juices up adrenalin on Nicaragua’s pristine mountain trails.

Howler, what makes it so unique?

It’s totally refreshing to find mountain bike action that is purely gratifying in connecting body, mind, spirit and nature at a time when we’re jaded out of our senses and craving for unusual experiences. [I:http://www.picmig.com/freedownloads/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/SunamitaLim3.jpg]

“Test of Metal” for Cycles and Riders

A February 2010 participant, Rod Dagneau’s photo essay Mountain Biking in the Second Poorest Country in the Western Hemisphere, outline’s how Bob Bombardier’s, Howler’s course is “strung together horse and foot trails, steep chundery and loose descents, dry stream beds and constructed several kilometers of new single track.”

Rod also points out that Nicaragua is the third safest country in the Americas after Canada and Chile. Coupled with a low foreign currency exchange rate, San Juan Howler is a mountain biker’s dream come true-to “test the metal” of a person’s true spirit with his or her mountain bike while racing on unspoiled terrain.

Making Howler Rock

Registering for this cheap mountain bike holiday treat is real easy.

* Sign up online at, wwwsanjuanhowler.com (Wouldn’t it be nice to surprise someone with a Howler gift?)

* Write larry@bodhin.com

* Or, call toll-free 866-GO-BURRO from the U.S.

* Stop by the offices of Grupo Max in San Juan del Sur, 9-5, Monday to Friday

* Not quite sure? Well then, just show up one hour before the race starts on December 11, 2010 and you can still be a shoo-in Howler mountain bike racer

[I:http://www.picmig.com/freedownloads/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/SunamitaLim4.jpg] San Juan Howler mountain bike action is organized by Bodhin Adventures of San Juan del Sur. Owner Larry Thraen’s goal is, “to offer a great race, for a great cause,” for athletes and their supporters, while also benefiting the local community. Long after athletes have returned home, two charities continue to rock with proceeds from Howler - Comunidad Connect and Fundacion Tierra. US$10,000 is the goal set to be raised for these two nonprofits.

Author: Uncover the mountain bike adventures that Brian Richter and Sunamita Lim uncovered in Central America! Indiana Jones could only hope for such a fascinating region for mountain biking. Click on mountain bike action now to discover this virgin area.

Technorati Tags: adventure vacations, biking, Central America, charity, cycling, Health and Fitness, life style, mountain bike action, mountain bike racing, mountain biking, outdoors, recreation and leisure, sports

Tags: adventure vacations, biking, Central America, charity, cycling, Health and Fitness, life style, mountain bike action, mountain bike racing, mountain biking, outdoors, recreation and leisure, sports

There’s always some new sport brewing, whether it’s something more extreme that somehow makes its way to the mainstream, like skateboarding and rollerblading, or something so weird that not many people are ever going to take it up, like kiteboarding or skydiving. And most sports that have been created have something to do with invention and innovation, where there’s a need for a new use for an area, or an object.

A growing number of alternative sports for independent-minded people of all ages have been succeeding lately in The States, but nothing is doing quite as well as mountain biking, which has managed to carve out a niche previously only seen for skateboarders, who transformed from weirdos to mainstream. With a variety of different styles and methods, mountain biking is quickly sweeping the nation.

Rather than regular bike riding, which involves pavement and less attention paid to the surroundings, mountain biking is something where going off-road is par for the course. The terrain encountered while mountain biking is uneven, difficult, and tough sometimes to even walk on.

Yes, during the course of mountain biking, there have been many developments in different styles and techniques. Whether it’s learning to do a backflip while flying through the air or just going out and riding a designated trail for a couple of hours, there are many different approaches to the sport of mountain biking, all of them correct, fun, and healthy.

The best way to get to know mountain biking is by getting to know the different categories of riding. There’s trails, where bicyclists can be either in a more urban area or off-road, but the main goal of hopping over different objects without placing feet on the ground. It looks a little bit like those courses with jumps and hills, but is a little more extreme.

Next, there’s dirt jumping, one of the other newer variations of the sport, which involves launching bicycles and riders off of man-made or naturally occurring jumps, where the object is to complete a series of tricks before landing on the ground. The protective gear for this is usually more extreme, and riders usually have a great deal of practice before heading into this style of riding.

Since not everyone has access to mountain trails or even large urban parks, a popular style for those living in cities, especially teenagers, is known as urban or street riding. The only gear needed here is a bicycle, usually one with a smaller frame and smaller wheels that is lighter to carry. Riders go out alone or in groups, and like skateboarders who used to figure out how to ride railings and sidewalks, do very much the same thing with their bicycles. Balance and creativity is a huge component to this style of riding.

For most people with access to the trails, the obvious starting off point for riding is to begin with cross-country mountain biking. Just as simple as the name sounds, cross-country is all about the bicycle and the terrain, with no added obstacles or epic jumps. Cross-country riders have larger, more durable bicycles, and tackle everything from bumpy uphill trails to muddy, tricky downhill slopes. It’s a great way to learn about balance and endurance.

There are also newer, more intense takes on previously existing forms of mountain biking seen as more professional and challenging. One, known as short cross or speed cross, pits riders against a very short, very challenging trail. Usually, there are a great deal more obstacles, and the trail is a lot thinner. This is not a good starting point, and is recommended for experts only.

Whether it’s a relaxing day out on a simple and easy to ride trail, or a gutsy afternoon of taking on different jumps and courses, mountain biking is a hugely valuable and helpful sport in getting people back outside, enjoying nature. Even in urban areas, the change between exercising indoors and finally enjoying fresh air again is apparent, and very helpful for teenagers, children, and adults alike.

Damian Papworth adores the excitement of mountain biking, but always ensures he fills his bike water bottles before he goes. A cycling water bottle is so important to maintaining hydration in this grueling sport.

categories: mountain biking,cycling,biking,extreme,health and fitness,exercise,fitness,sport,sport and,recreation,health,travel,lifestyle,people

Technorati Tags: biking, cycling, exercise, extreme, fitness, health, Health and Fitness, lifestyle, mountain biking, people, recreation, sport, sport and, travel

Tags: biking, cycling, exercise, extreme, fitness, health, Health and Fitness, lifestyle, mountain biking, people, recreation, sport, sport and, travel