The Core - (I hate Abs work)

Before I met my wife, I dated an aerobics instructor. At the time, I thought I was pretty fit, getting lots of miles on the bike and doing some running. We got into a bet about who could last the longest going through a series of her aerobics classes. There was running-in-place, rope-skipping, stair-stepping, calisthenics of various sorts and (ugh) abs. I forgot that I didn't do abs. It ended up being a draw I recall, but by about the 14th set of crunches, I came real close to losing control of that little muscle that keeps your stomach contents from reversing flow. Dating aerobics instructors had its finer points, but I'm glad that the relationship didn't last long enough for us to repeat the challenge.

Years later, as a soccer coach, I learned the he significance of training the soccer player's core. Strong abs help with balance, shifting your weight and changing direction, and -- a big surprise to me -- kicking. So I started doing abs work just in case one of my players happened to be an aerobics instructor with an intent to challenge me.

I've stopped coaching soccer, but I haven't stopped with the abs work. I've come to appreciate my increased mobility and flexibility, my lack of back pain, and my reduced recovery time after hard riding. Best of all, I'm no longer afraid of aerobics instructors.

Cyclists -- particularly road cyclists -- aren't known for working their abs. Do you do abs work as part of your cycling training?