Energy Legs!

For the past three years, intermittent lower back pain has turned the bike portion of my races into sort of a crapshoot.  But after years of repeated bike fit work, physical therapy and technique work on the bike, I think that I have finally figured out the right formula to stay comfortable on the bike.  I hope I’m not jinxing myself by saying this!

The key things for me have likely been:

• yet another bike fit check-up, realizing in the process that my saddle had slid backwards a full inch
• more time on the road bike, minimal time on the TT bike, given my ITU focus this year
• switched over to the ISM Adamo saddle
• two years worth of back/core strengthening work with lots of functional movement
• targeted exercises for my hips & glutes
• when things get difficult on the bike, be sure that I stay forward on the saddle and use my hips instead of my back … often using a higher cadence and spinning rather than mashing

All of this has added up to some confidence-enhancing rides at Whidbey Island, on the trainer and at RCR team rides. 

So in honor of my new-found energy legs, here is the infamous PowerThirst video.  Note that there is one item of foul language about 40 seconds in.