Got a minute? Try these ways to increase climbing power.

7:00 a.m. "Ouch", According to Lydia Faesy, a naturopathic physician who treats endurance athletes "The caffeine in coffee depletes your adrenal glands, and hard riding is already a stress on the adrenals." So trade your morning joe for a cup of green tea "Yuck". Green tea has 20% of the caffeine in coffee and it's full of beneficial antioxidants, which help your body repair and prevent muscle damage. There goes my java down the drain.

7:45 a.m. First Coffee now this!! Don't cram in the elevator with your colleagues "I have people climb stairs while on vacation or on a business trip when there's no bike available," says cycling and multi-sport coach Gail Bernhardt (www.ultrafit.com). Apparently climbing stairs uses the quads, hamstrings, calves and glutes--the same muscles used for climbing on a bike. For an extra dose of power, take the steps two or three at a time, pushing off with authority.

10:00 a.m. Don't touch that , yeah leave the tea and cookies, rather drink a glass of water. "Your muscles are like a sponge," says cycling coach and two-time national cyclocross champion Tom Masterson. "The more you put into them, the better they perform." If you can't remember to hydrate, set your wristwatch alarm to remind you. Better yet, keep a full water bottle on your desk.

10:30 a.m. Calf raises during conference call, or those long distance call to Mom. This keeps you awake and buffs your calves at the same time. "Calves fatigue during long climbs, so work on calf-raises," says cycling coach Bernhardt. From a flat-footed, standing position, slowly rise onto your toes. Get as far up as possible, pause, and lower with a two-count. Repeat until you start grunting into the phone.

11:10 a.m. More water!

13:00 p.m. Pass the restaurant and try to walk a kilometer at lunch. Climbing is power vs. weight. The best climbers have more of the former and less of the latter. A kilometer stroll won't do much for your aerobic fitness but it burns about 100 calories. Big deal? Keep it up for a year and you'll drop nearly 3 kilograms.

2:00 p.m. Watering time! Yes rehydrate after the long walk

3:28 p.m Ditch the chocolate, embrace the apple. Instead of fat, sugar and empty calories, you get valuable doses of flavonoids to help fight heart disease and certain cancers, more fiber than a bran muffin, and potassium that will regulate your body's fluid balance during the weekend's climbing.

4:33 p.m. Hit the water cooler!

5:10 p.m. Belly breathe on the drive home. In the high mountains, the bellies of top climbers bulge like bowling balls. It's not from endless plates of pasta; the riders know that muscles need as much oxygen as possible for peak performance, so they utilize every bit of lung capacity. Practice breathing slowly and deeply, pulling air so far into your lungs that your stomach expands with your chest. "Imagine you're swallowing the air," explains cycling coach Masterson.

7:00 p.m. Stretch during the news. Hey you get off, don't curl up on the couch, clear a spot on the floor and lightly stretch. Cyclists tend to have overbuilt quads and wimpy hamstrings--a combination that can lead to injury from rigorous climbing. Regular stretching makes your hams resistant to pulls and tears. Sit with your left leg pointed straight ahead (knee straight but not locked), and bend your right leg at the knee so that the bottom of your right foot rests against the inside of your left thigh. Reach for your toes, breathing deeply and easily. Hold a comfortable stretch for 20 seconds, then switch legs. Repeat until the weather report.

10:14 p.m. There is a saying :Think it and you'll be it.  "If you think you're a crappy hill climber, you probably are," says cycling coach Bernhardt. "I encourage athletes to imagine they're good climbers." As you lie in bed waiting for sleep, don't think about bills or work. Picture yourself climbing with the perfect form of your favorite, non-EPO-fueled superstar, and repeat to yourself "I am a strong climber...I am a strong climber...I am a strong...snock, snock, snooorrr."
Before you know it, you will be.