Winter is over and we are into the Monsoon season here in Iowa. Irrespective, I hope that all of you have been building that base of miles that is so critical at this time of year. If not, time to get out there, but remember you are building a foundation. That means slowly work the miles up at no more than 25% increase each week.

It is at this time of the year that many bike clubs and teams start to head out on the open road. This is a great way to start the season off. You will have company out there on your rides, and there is the added security of safety in numbers. It seems that it takes drivers a little time to adjust to sharing the road with riders again after a long winter, if at all.

You will have other riders out there to share the work when riding into the wind and you will become more adept at riding with other cyclists so close to you.

Always check the wind direction before heading out at this time of the year. Usually they are blowing stronger than during the summer and coupled with a lack of outdoor conditioning, can make for a miserable riding experience. You will notice that I said outside riding conditioning. Spending the winter in spin classes or on a trainer, while necessary, does not come close to the workout you would experience out on the roads or trails. For this very reason I spend most of my winter riding outdoors even when it is very cold. Getting back to the wind, always head out into the wind so it can blow you home. Remember to spin an easy gear while riding into the wind. Pushing a big gear can exhaust you, and injure connective tissues that have not been taxed during the winter months. Another thing to remember is to keep your head up, many cyclists drop their heads and stare at the pavement when they are bucking a headwind, and especially when they become tired.

Make sure that you are eating and drinking enough during the ride. The last thing you want to do is to bonk out there in a 20 mile per hour headwind, or cramp up due to dehydration. Make sure that you pack energy bars, gels or other foods with you and remind yourself to eat on a regular basis. If you ride the same route day in a day out designate a point that you call the feed zone, similar to the setup in virtually all races. Hydration is also very important, just because you don't see sweat running off of you in rivers does not mean that you are not sweating. The basic rule of thumb is at least 16 ounces of water or fluid replacement drinks every hour.
Take regular breaks if you become tired. A few minutes off the bike does wonders for pent up muscles and sore body parts that are not used to being in this specific position for extended periods.

When you return home down a glass of chocolate milk and stretch. The milk helps replace the nutrients that you lost during the ride and the stretch helps to flush the lactic acid and reduces the soreness in the muscle fibers.