From Donald’s Daily Draft: (Raleigh, NC, USA)

I say garage… but if you read one of my recent posts… I’ve dubbed our garage the “Man Cave”. Anyway, because of the winter weather and my quest to really get going on training… I needed a new inspiration for some serious spins on the trainer. Enter Global Ride! In that recent post about pedaling away in my newly created “Man Cave”… a nice guy named Jeff commented on my Chris Carmichael training video and said…” If you like the Carmichael DVD’s you should try the ones from Global Ride. They’re the best virtual cycling DVDs out there.” I said OK… let’s ride. A week later, I was popping in the first DVD and pedaling the roads of Hawaii. My first choice, “Strendurance”. It’s a training ride that emphasizes strength and some good climbing. I think one of the great options with the Global Ride DVD’s is you can choose from three different coaches. They’re all pretty good but my favorite from the “Strendurance” disc is Sally Edwards. She does a great job of talking things out… pushing you and reminding you about proper form. It’s easy to let your mind wander when you’re on a trainer staring at a wall or some TV show… but not with Global Ride. The first person perspective of climbing the cliff side roads of Maui or testing your endurance along the ocean roads below makes the ride entertaining. Then changing it up even more… remember I mentioned you can choose a different coach the next time you ride. The other two DVD’s in the Hawaii Rides boxed set are “Maui Rollers” and “Oceanside Ride”. They’re both a good mix to my training. I rode the “Oceanside Ride” this morning… a great endurance or steady-state workout! You decide on your target heart rate and you stick it for a solid 45 minutes. It’s like a time trial in Hawaii next to the waves. I kept it in the big ring right at 150-152 bpm for the entire ride… NO RESTS allowed. It was a great way to switch up my training after a hilly 32 miles the day before (outside). Oh, I almost forgot… each DVD has a bonus feature at the end of each ride. From strength training to Yoga to Pilates… there are three options of cross training. The video gives you a brief break after your cool down to get off your bike and prepare for the additional training. I really liked this “extra” to make sure I’m getting that cross training (especially my arms) I seriously need!

These DVD’s are sold separately at $30 each but you can get the boxed for 75 bucks. I think that gives you the versatility of really switching up your training. So, here’s my final thought: If you can’t be there in person… why not take a Global Ride! (Yes, Global Ride, you guys can borrow my tag line if you wish.)

I understand the next DVD’s coming out will be on the roads of Italy. I’m looking forward to going Giro in my Garage… I mean Man Cave.

For now, here’s a sample of the Hawaii rides:

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