I grew up on a farm.  I loved being outside with my animals, climbing trees and was definitely a tomboy.  I attended a small country school and was in track, played baseball, basketball and volleyball from the fourth grade through high school.

 

While raising my family and working in the family business I remained active playing city league slow pitch, jogging five days a week and joining a gym when step classes first started (about 35 years ago).  Health and fitness was a lifestyle for me long before it was popular.  I always had a garden, preserved my own fruit and vegetables, cooked from scratch and made homemade bread as my mom and grandmothers had done.

 

I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, an autoimmune disorder about 30 years ago, and while I accepted the diagnosis I did not accept the prognosis.  Regular exercise which included yoga was a lifesaver for me.  It helped to minimize the stress in my life and the positive endorphins and other benefits of aerobic exercise helped me achieve remission.

 

Fast forward to 2001 (age 62).  A friend convinced me to join Team in Training for the El Tour de Tucson.  We trained for several months and that November I rode 112 miles in one day.  You would have thought I won the Olympics.  I was so proud of myself.

 

The next few years my career required most of my time so I wasn't able to ride very often.  About four years ago I decided it was time to get back on my bike on a regular basis.  I became a ride leader with Cascade Bicycle Club which gave me a reason to ride more.  Two years ago I had two surgeries and treatment for thyroid cancer.  Last year I had major back surgery because of arthritis.  I am pain free when I'm on my bike so I try to ride 100 miles a week when the weather permits.

 

I learned about Cycle the WAVE last spring.  I saw an opportunity to support a cause I believe in and challenge myself to riding the Burly Girl.  It was a wonderful experience and my ride buddy and I had a great time.  While the distance is not as easy for me as it once was I just kept remembering the cause and kept going.

 

When people ask me why anyone would want to ride 40, 50 or more miles I simply say "because I can".  I have learned not to look at what I can't do, rather what I can and be grateful for that.  Yes, I'll be 72 this January and plan on riding many more years.

 

 

Last month we highlighted walking lunges as a superior all-over lower body exercise.  Hopefully you've mastered the movement and are ready for the next bike-body-beautiful exercise.  While Santa may be cute when his belly shakes like a bowl full of jelly, it's ho-ho-horrific for the rest of us.

 

Tighten your tummy and tone your adductors (typically thought of as the inner thighs) to improve your endurance, balance and form on the bike.  Most abdominal exercises focus on lifting your head and shoulders off the floor.  They fail to effectively recruit the abdominal muscle fibers below the belly button, unaffectionately known as "the pooch".  This is a tough area to target.  Start by teaching your brain how to activate these dormant muscle fibers.  Place your fingers two inches below your belly button and push your lower back flush against the floor.  You should feel the abdominal contraction underneath your fingers as the pelvis tilts and tailbone lifts.  Once you have mastered this isolation try the complete Ab Vice.

 

* Place a small stability ball (45cm or less) between knees and lift feet off the floor.

* Use your abs, not your legs or arms, to lift both the tailbone and the shoulder blades off the floor simultaneously.  do not use momentum!

* The lower vertebrae will be the only part of your body in contact with the floor.

* While in the complete crunch, forcefully squeeze the stability ball between your knees by contracting the adductor muscles.

* Slowly return to starting position.  The return is the eccentric phase of the abdominal contraction and thus working against the gravitational pull will make your abs even stronger.

 

To target the obliques, modify this exercise by lifting and twisting the right shoulder toward the left knee.  Be sure to keep elbows open wide to prevent pulling on the neck.  Do a full set on the right before switching to the left.

 

If you haven't used your REI 15% off coupon from your goody bag, this is an excellent time to stop by REI for some holiday shopping.