The 2015 Cycling Season is Ready for Prime Time: How Will You be Involved?
Cycling is a worldwide activity that people of all ages and backgrounds enjoy. Some people bike for leisure, while others bike to commute where they need to go in an environmentally-friendly way that also helps them improve their fitness.
However, competitive cyclists are the ones who enjoy testing their mettle against other riders. The 2015 cycling season is the time when these competitive athletes get to shine. As the 2015 cycling season prepares to enter its peak, here is what you need to know about upcoming events and how to prepare for them.
Highlights for the 2015 Cycling Season
The National Criterium Calendar (NCC) lists all the upcoming cycling events that are sanctioned by USA Cycling and allows cyclists to earn leaderboard points for high placements. Because of the growth in popularity of the NCC, three extra events have been added to the 2015 cycling season.
On March 28, cyclists in the southern U.S. can partake in the Sunny King Criterium, located in Anniston, Alabama. In May, east coast cycling enthusiasts can participate in the Wilmington Grand Prix, which will take place on May 16 in Delaware. Later on in the summer, cyclists can partake in the Intellogentsia Cup in Lake Bluff, Illinois on July 25. The last event of the year on the NCC calendar is the Connecticut Cycling Festival in Hartford, which will happen on September 20.
Getting Ready for the 2015 Cycling Season
While cycling can be a fun and relaxing activity, for competitive cyclists leisure is far from a priority. These are the cyclists who want to win, often, and by a significant margin.
Whether it’s your first cycling event or you are a seasoned veteran of the circuit, it’s important that you take steps to get ready for the peak of the 2015 cycling season so that you are prepared to perform at a high level. Some of the tips we suggest are:
- Start a training routine that focuses on the main muscles you use in cycling events. Leg, foot, and core muscles must all be stabilized in order to promote top-notch cycling performance. Crunches, curls, and bar lifts are all popular exercises for world-class cyclists.
- Work on your endurance. Cyclists depend on a tremendous amount of long-term energy to get through their races. Not only do you have to work on building up your endurance, you also have to understand how to ration it when you are on the saddle. Practice starting strong, conserving your energy, and finishing with a burst of speed so that you can stay competitive and avoid burning yourself out too early into the race.
- Find modern recovery and training tools to help you perform at the highest possible level. The Marc Pro is a great example of such a tool. Using the Marc Pro, cyclists can reduce their recovery time and improve muscle performance, which can make a significant difference between performing at a high level and struggling to keep up with the field.
As you prepare for the 2015 cycling season, be sure that you have all the tools needed to help you keep up with the field to enjoy both the physical and competitive benefits of bicycle races.