It’s no question Steamboat Springs locals Amy Charity and Katie Lindquist have extensive experience and impressive resumes in the sport of cycling. There are the years at the professional level, a Team Time Trial national championship and a motivational book for Charity. Lindquist is a former World Champion 24-hour solo racer and has finished grueling rides from Race Across America to the Leadville 100 on a tandem bicycle. Both have directed and organized races.
This winter though the pair is excited about improving the fitness of their fellow Steamboat cyclists.
The duo is offering an in-depth indoor cycling training program to get athletes ready for racing and riding this summer. The program will be offered in three training blocks that are each four weeks and eight classes long. The first training block starts Jan. 8 at Old Town Hot Springs.
“The idea behind this program is a four-week block that progressively builds and makes you accountable for the entire month,” Charity said. “It’s for any type of cyclist who wants to improve their overall fitness throughout the winter.”
What separates this program from a typical spin class is that it’s incredible specific to the individual rider. Charity and Lindquist will establish riders’ current fitness levels and build programs that meet their goals. The first class of each training block will consist of a baseline evaluation otherwise known as a Functional Threshold Power test.
“We will base all of the classes off of that first result so essentially it will be individualized for every person who does it,” Charity said. “We have these incredible Stages bikes. They show you your power, cadence, speed. We can tell exactly what a cyclist is doing at any point. With the baseline test cyclists really have the knowledge to know what their limits are and how they can push their limits.”
After the first class, session will build sequentially. Some classes will consist of longer intervals, while others will be more sprints with a lot of rest. Regardless, each class is structured and planned out by the two coaches.
“Adding a structured riding program now in the offseason really just adds to your spring and summer riding,” Lindquist said. “Whether you’re training for the Tour de Steamboat, Ride the Rockies, SBT Gravel or just commuting, this type of training will only make you stronger.”
Both coaches however want participants to know that any fitness level is welcome.
“There’s no competition in this,” Lindquist said. “The beauty of a stationary bike is that no one can see how fast you’re going and no one is getting dropped. No one can see what your power meter says, what your pedals are pushing or how fast your heart is pumping. The goal is to get people more in tune with that they can do on a bike and to have better seasons.”
For more information about this training program, please visit .
Nick Esares is marketing director at Old Town Hot Springs.
