Virtual Tour of Italy: Our DVD Review

Avoid the weather but not the workout!

Have you worked hard all spring, summer and into the fall to be race-ready and able to lead or at least stay with the group on tough hill climbs? Worried about losing your fitness over the winter? If you have a trainer, you can set up your bike and keep going. I often start the winter with good intentions on my trainer, but without someone to push me to go harder, faster or longer, I find my fitness levels slipping quickly.

Last week we had our first snow storm in the Rocky Mountains, so my friend Paula and I set up our trainers and popped in a DVD called “Climbing Sufferage in Italy.” Yes, that sounds intense, and it is. If you like to ride hard and to be pushed into the red zone for awhile, you’ll love this DVD. It features beautiful Italian scenery the whole way through, taking the rider up the same roads as the Giro d’Italia (Tour of Italy.) The video is shot in such a way as to give you the look of really being in Italy and the feel of being there comes from the intense workout. You’ll get your heart rate up and then do a 30 minute continuous climb, which actually is a great focus on keeping a steady cadence going. After a little break, you’ll climb some more as the DVD takes you up steep switchbacks, getting the riders off their seats and working hard.

The coach on this DVD is Sally Edwards, a Masters Ironman Champion and veteran of many other professional athletic endeavors. She holds a Masters in Exercise Physiology and takes a very professional and scientific approach to training which I appreciate. For this DVD, she was my coach and her pushing to go longer at a higher intensity or hold on while climbing was what I needed. Outside, the snow was swirling down and inside we were sweating through a climb in sunny Italy on the Ligurian coast. How sweet is that?The music is good, motivational music and the whole thing is followed by a good 30 minute yoga session geared toward cyclists—a great way to balance out the day’s workout.

Global Ride has produced other “shot on location” cycling videos so you can enjoy a tough workout and beautiful scenery in Hawaii as well as Italy. Go to Global Ride Virtual Cycling DVDs to order.