Imagine yourself in one of the most beautiful cities in the United States, possibly in
all of North America- Boulder, Colorado. That’s where I was on January 17th and 18th, 2014. The backdrop of the Rockie Mountains (and the beauty of the city) made it the perfect setting for our first ever Moxy Monitor Seminar.

The following is a guest blog from Sandy Musson, owner of Trenton, Ontario-based Tri and Run Sports. An avid marathon runner, Sandy is a Certified Pedorthist (C. Ped) and ACE Certified Personal Trainer with specialized training in gait, biomechanics, orthotics, posture and run coaching.

Often trainers and athletes will refer to the importance of increasing cardiac output. But what exactly is cardiac output, and why is it a relevant metric for athletic training? In a basic sense, cardiac output (CO) represents the total volume of blood pumped by the ventricle, and is the product of heart rate (HR) and stroke volume (SV). Stroke volume refers to the amount of blood ejected by the heart with each beat, while heart rate reflects the number of beats per minute. The three are often expressed together in the formula CO= HR x SV.

The concept behind the central governor model is experienced by runners almost every time they compete in a race. If you have run a half marathon will have probably felt a sense of extreme fatigue around the eighth mile, and yet you were then probably able to increase your pace to several minutes per mile faster for the last 400 meters of the race.

After a hard workout, you may feel tempted to cut your cool down to just a few minutes of stretching, but it is important to remember that an adequate cool down will have lasting effects on your muscles and their ability to recover. Cooling down properly prevents muscle soreness, improves flexibility, and generally rounds out your workout.

If cycling is the most difficult feature of the triathlon for you, it is likely that you spend more time cycling than running; the same goes if the opposite is true. However, the best way to improve your overall race time could be through a well-structured cross-training program, as cycling can improve running ability, and running can help with cycling.

If you want to improve you speed throughout the year, whether for mountain biking, road cycling, or touring, power training is the way to go. The main purpose of power training is to improve your speed and ability to climb hills, but it is useful even if you only cycle on flat terrain where power is not an issue, as power training can help you to develop leg strength, tone muscles, and improve your overall fitness.

With virtual cycling, you can visit new places at any time of the year without leaving your home. This is a great option for those who have seasonal allergies, do not have good cycling tracks in their area, or just want to visit new places. The trend is already being embraced by cyclists and travelers alike. Currently, there are two main ways to partake in virtual indoor cycling.

Whether you have attended a spinning class or have just observed one through the window at the gym, you will be familiar with the tendency toward sprints, where legs are pedaling so fast you can barely perceive the movement. However, many students taking indoor cycling classes have not developed the skills to pedal at anywhere close to this speed, which results in riders bouncing in the saddle and wasting energy that is not used for productive power.

If you are new to indoor cycling, but plan to start this winter, it is important to familiarize yourself with the most commonly used indoor cycling terms. Whether you are taking a class, working out with a personal trainer, or reading about tips and workouts from resources online, you need to understand these terms if you are to get the most out of your training.