Winter Conditioning - Eight Core Exercises for Cyclists

North Dakota winters provide ample opportunity for indoor training.  Since 2011, my winter conditioning has included exercises focused on abdominal and lower back muscles, or 'core'.  These eight exercises outlined by Dimity McDowell are highly recommended, as I've found them to significantly improve endurance on the bike once the roads clear in early spring.  Enjoy!

2012 Mileage

Despite my setback over Labor Day, 2012 managed to be a record year as far as mileage was concerned.  I rode slightly over 4880 kilometers (3032 miles) for the year, with rides recorded between January 4th and October 14th.  The favorable winter weather in February and March made all the difference, as our roads in central North Dakota lacked the typical snow/ice cover.

As can be seen from the table below, I had limited opportunities to tour or participate in brevets.  As it turned out, the randonneuring events planned for 2012 occurred after my accident.  Extended rides beyond two hours turned out to be particularly painful, so I had to withdraw from those events.  Here's to hoping mileage for touring/randonneuring is significantly increased in 2013!

ANNUAL SUMMARY - 2012
			Ride time	Mileage
		Ride	Cumulative	Cumulative
Bike		count	hh:mm:ss	km
Road		11	32:12:30	873
Mountain		21	40:12:44	775
Commuter		76	78:49:41	1632
Gravel		24	42:04:10	1073
Touring/Randoneering		14	24:08:58	526
TOTAL		146	217:28:03	4880