In six weeks my family and I will depart on an epic trip with Trek travel to cycle from Tuscany to Cinque Terre, Italy! The road bike journey consists of four days of riding anywhere from 20 to 60 miles with 2,000 to 5,600 feet of climbing followed by a day of hiking along the coast. We are going to need all the pizza, pasta, and wine to get us up those hills if you ask me! Needless to say, the whole family has been in training mode.
Dallas is relatively flat compared to where we will be riding in Italy, but we have managed to find some great hill routes to practice on around White Rock Lake and into Lake Highlands. Aside from seeking out all the hills, my main training goal is to just get more time in the saddle. That means at least one long ride on the weekends and fitting in two spin classes during the week. Lately, the long rides have been around 35 miles with hopes of getting up to 45 miles before the trip. Spin classes are 30 to 45 minutes with a focus on watts/power and endurance. Each of those rides are usually followed by foam rolling and stretching so my quads and hip flexors don’t tighten up too much. My family and I joke that we are also training our stomachs because instead of cutting back like we hoped to before going to Italy, we have gone full throttle on our “Pizza Friday” nights, but I wouldn’t have it any other way! Food is fuel right?
Another major part of a successful bike trip is having the right gear and when you are facing the elements outside for extended periods of time, proper eye wear is important. This is especially true for someone like myself, who underwent lasik surgery not too long ago. Our eyes can dry out very easily and are more sensitive to direct sunlight. Thankfully, I discovered Tifosi Optics which specializes in sunglasses for runners, cyclists, and all around sports enthusiasts, and I could not be happier with the Alliant sunglasses. These full frame lenses are extremely light weight, comfortable, and durable. Not to mention, the price point is amazing. Plus, each pair comes with two interchangeable lenses for you to switch out depending on the weather condition outside which can be very helpful.
I highly recommend Tifosi if you are looking for a pair of sunglasses to fit your active lifestyle! And with graduations, mother’s day, and father’s day coming up, they would make for a great gift. Check out the various Tifosi Optics collections online and be on the lookout for @aneverydayfit Instagram giveaway next week for a chance to win you own pair of Alliant sunglasses!
Besides the MS150 that I participated in a few years ago, this trip will challenge me with some of the longest road rides I have been on to date. Have you ever trained for a long distance ride or race? I’ll take all the tips I can get! And of course I’ll be sporting my spring Shebeest cycling kits all across Italy! Don’t forget to use code: aneverydayfit25 for 25% off your next Shebeest order online.
If you are interested in getting into biking but not sure where to start, check out my step by step process for purchasing a new bike and get out there!
Happy riding!
-Kylie
