No Cure For This Addiction

Before I started cycling I was always told that it was an addiction. Everyone told me that once I started I wouldn't stop. Yeah, yeah...whatever, I thought. In my mind I couldn't fathom that a former football and basketball player would EVER take to cycling. No way was I wearing spandex and other skin tight clothing (mind you, this was when I was in good shape, my shape now is round). I briefly started in the fall of 2004. I continued through the winter and into the spring but then I was offered the job as the head varsity girls' basketball coach at a local high school. Cycling was put on the back burner. Some people considered cycling like this:

Pringles...once you pop you can't stop. Me? I considered it taking cold medicine.

Fast forward roughly seven years. I was fortunate enough to have some very successful years coaching girls' basketball. We've been to the state championship game in Virginia twice and the state semi-finals once. We've won three straight district championships (never lost a district game in that span) and two regional championships. I've won several Coach of the Year awards and been asked to coach in the state all-star game for three years running. With all that being said, something brought me back to the bike.

It all started with me wanting to get back into shape. As a former athlete and now as a coach I needed a goal, something I could train for, strive for. I began doing an internet search and found a duathlon in September of this year. It was more of a sprint type as it started with about two mile run followed by an eight mile bike ride and finished with a three mile run. That was manageable to me. Unfortunately, my knees didn't necessarily agree with the running. After having two knee surgeries (one on each knee) I could run in spurts. Basically, I could play a full court game of basketball at moderate intensity for about an hour and then I had to shut it down. But when I hopped back on that bike it felt like magic. I was drawn to it. I couldn't wait to ride again. I looked forward to getting back on that bike the next day. It was like being a kid again.

The freedom you feel back on the bike is exactly like it was when you were a kid. You could feel the wind blowing on your face and the sun shining on you and you just felt like you could do anything or go anywhere on your bike. It's the same now. That freedom is back and I love it. Maybe the love hit because I feel like my basketball coaching career is nearing an end. Maybe it hit just because I needed that challenge, that goal to push for again. Who really knows. I do know that this time the bug isn't going away. And I've approached this from the same standpoint that I did with coaching basketball. I'm absorbing any and all knowledge about cycling, maintenance, gear, coaching, tactics, etiquette, repair, etc. that I can and I'm loving every minute of it.

With that being said, I've been training for the upcoming Shenandoah Valley Century on September 11th. The event is sponsored by the Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition and is currently in its 29th year. I'm excited and nervous all at the same time. This is where I'm glad my degree in Exercise Science and my certification as a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist through the NSCA come in handy. I've been able to prepare the right way and do things the right way because of my background knowledge. Is there  more I could learn to make my training more efficient? Absolutely. And believe me, I'll find the information if it's out there. In a future blog post I will share my century training plan as well as some cycling specific weight training exercises.

Other News & Notes


As you can see, the design and look of the blog has changed. Call it a work in progress. But in the upper right hand corner you should find the new logo for the blog. I'd love to have some feedback on the logo. It was simply designed and I thought the idea behind it was pretty cool. Let me know your thoughts.

You can follow the blog on Twitter (@pelotonfred) and we have also created a FaceBook page. Just search Peloton Fred and it should come up.

To all those participating in the 19th Annual Shenandoah Bicycle Festival this weekend, best of luck to you. Ride strong and ride safe! Wish I could be there with you!