Winter here in Iowa is slowly releasing it's grip and the roads are finally free of snow and ice. Now the only surface hazard is the tons of sand spread over the roads during this very long winter. It is officially time to get your bike out of doors and head out on the open road. But before heading out go back a take a refresher course on stretching, it is still cool out and your muscles and other connective tissues need to be stretched and warmed for the task ahead. So what is the task ahead? The task at this time of the year is to build a good base of miles that will be your foundation for the riding season ahead.

This is the Tortoise and the Hare time of year. The hare blasts out of the garage at top speed, putting in big miles and hard efforts early in the season. The tortoise slowly builds base miles and increases intensity incrementally over a longer period of time. Many of those who use the hare approach end up burned out by midseason, if they haven't sustained an overuse injury first. Be the tortoise if you want to have a successful cycling season. Start gradually; only increase your miles by 25% over the previous weeks training. Spin an easy gear, do not mash down on your pedals, but work on engaging your muscles during the entire pedal revolution. Head out on group rides but don't get caught up in someone else's testosterone trip and start hammering down the road until you are ready.

RAGBRAI requires riders to use their heart, lungs and legs, and their stomach, but not the way you think. I am talking core area here and believe it or not the core is the center of a cyclists universe, their base of equilibrium. Without a strong core the legs, lower back and arms fatigue quicker.
Here are a few exercises to start out with:

Crunches: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place your hands behind your head with your elbows out, now slowly raise your head and shoulders off the floor then lower back down. Keep your head in line with your shoulders; do not pull your head forward. Start out with a couple of sets of 20 reps.

Bridge: Balance yourself on your elbows and toes keeping the rest of your body as straight as you can. Hold this position for 30 seconds, rest, and repeat. Try and build the time up to one to two minutes.

Side bridge: Balance yourself on one elbow and the side of one foot, while resting your hip on the floor. Slowly bring your hip off the floor until your body is in a straight line from your feet to your head. Lower and repeat 10 times, then switch sides.

Good Mornings: performed with a light bar. Hold bar behind your head resting on your shoulders while standing straight up. Bend at the waist while flexing your knees until your head is at approximately at a 3:00 position. Return to an upright position to complete one rep. While performing this exercise make sure that you keep your head up and looking forward. Too much weight on the bar can cause injury so keep it light.

Reverse sits up: This exercise is performed on a stability ball. Place your stomach on top of the ball with your feet against the wall. Hold your hands behind your head with your elbows out. Keep your body straight from your knees to your head, then lower your upper body down towards the ball and back up again. Perform two sets of 10 and work up from there.

Reverse Leg Lift: Again performed on a stability ball. Lay on the ball with your lower abdomen over the center. Place your hands on the floor palms down and in a pushup position. Rest your tips of your feet on the floor, then lift your feet, keeping your legs straight until your body is parallel to the floor. Lower your legs back down and repeat. 2 sets of 10. For a bit of variety, try and lift one leg up while lifting the opposite hand off the floor until they both are aligned with your torso, then switch sides.

These are just a few of the many core exercise that you can perform to make your riding more comfortable and efficient. You should try and perform them at least 3 times a week.