TRAINING For those of you who may be growing tired of your current exercise routine, or who need another way to "cross-train," to avoid repetitive stress injuries- which can result from doing too much of any one thing- cycling has a lot going for it. I've found the bike to be a perfect form of physical training. It's very easy to regulate the effort involved- by using the different gears- and stay within a good heart rate/training range; plus, as I said earlier, it sure is a lot of fun. You get a great sensation of speed, even though, in reality, you may only be going 30-35KPH. ____________________ I saw again today the difference that having a road bike would make. While riding in the hotel zone I was passed by a group of about twenty cyclists, all on road bikes, out for their morning workout at around 6:10 AM. Deciding to stick with them for awhile, I quickly ran out of gears; and, after reaching a heart rate of 98% of maximum, decided it was time to give it up.... Watching them pull away I began thinking it was time to "trade up" to something faster, when I reminded myself I'd bought the bike as an alternative to stair climbing- and not as a way of "keeping up with the Gonzalezes!"
Best places to train Well, I still haven't found a better place to train, on a bike, than Puerto Cancun (corner of Bonampak/Uxmal) which, although it continues to be developed, still has few people living there; so, with its excellent paved streets and light traffic, it remains the premier spot. A few other cyclists have discovered it, but not many, it seems. I've tried the Ciclopista in the hotel zone, numerous times, but find it a poor second. In spite of its name, it has more walkers and runners on it than cyclists; and, we each present a hazard to the other, bikes being inherently quiet running and coming upon people, unawares, at times. The Ciclopista poses other hazards to cyclists, as well, with lots of entrances/exits to hotels. Vehicles pulling out are watching for traffic on the road, and don't notice bikes bearing down on them at high speed. The hotel zone roadway, itself, is no good, unless you happen to be a member of the cycling club who work out there with a pace car- guaranteeing, to some degree, their safety- otherwise, you have to contend with buses passing at 80 KPH, less than a meter away, not something I find easy to accommodate, even if I trust their drivers' judgment of distances. ______________________
