Training
Stepping It Up A Notch
08/03/10 17:10
Early Feb 2010 - Bike Tart progresses from 4th Cat racer to 3rd Cat
Early March 2010 - Bike Tart tries to mix it with the big boys in a 2/3 Surrey League race
The following day Bike Tart is a broken man…
Well actually, not all that broken physically - it’s more my pride than anything. But seeing the pack disappear in front of me whilst I blew myself to pieces trying to chase back on and find a wheel was quite ruinous it has to be said. If anything, it has made me want to focus harder on my training plan… or more to the point, just actually stick to the plan that’s presented to me.
I need more resilience.
The lap at yesterday’s race was like a mini-bombsite. Potholes were strewn across the road in various places and riding in the bunch often pushed us quite dangerously onto the wrong side of the road. We had a neutral race for pretty much the whole of the first lap to give us a chance to assess the parcour and get a feel for where the worst of the holes were. Even this neutralised zone was taken at quite a pace - this race was already an eye-opener.
Unleashing into full race mode saw me slip towards the back of the group, although I still felt comfortable and knew I could move up if I wanted to. On a really nice and flowing downhill others were taking things a little too steady and I easily worked my way up the field. What I actually should have done though is gone straight to the front as shortly after, and barely halfway around what was still only the second lap the road kicked up for a short sharp climb - I could claim I got my gears wrong or that I suddenly didn’t feel good or had some other kind of failure, but the cold hard truth is that I was too slow up the climb, too slow to get up to pace at the top, too slow to latch on to a wheel and too slow to realise I was about to be blown out the back of the pack. My race was run. The only failure was me. Well, that and my sense of humour.
I chased like a rabid dog to get back on to the group, but being out in the wind on my own at an average of around 38kph versus being rested in the pack and flowing along at a steady 40kph average meant I stood no chance. I got a second wind when I told myself to treat it as an individual time trial and I dug in once more, but when a long section of open road made it clear that the pack was long gone I called time on proceedings.
Game over. Do not pass go, do not collect £200. Ouch.
So what did I learn? Well, firstly that I need to train more. Secondly that without the 2nd Cat racers there I might have held my own. Thirdly, that racing is addictive. Fourth, that I need to train more. I’m concerned because this was a fairly flat course and I still got spat out. Chuck a couple of proper hills in and I probably wouldn’t have made it through the neautralised first lap. Would I have hung on around a hillier course with only other 3rd Cats? I’m not sure. Possibly not. This means I either need to choose my races to suit my strengths or that I need to get better at hills. That said, there’s a race this coming Sunday which is basically flat - annoyingly the 3rd Cat only race is already full, but I’m tempted to have another crack at the 2/3 race. If nothing else, it’ll be good training trying to hang on!
The only saving grace? The other two I travelled with both had mechanicals - the three of us were changed, numbers returned, car packed up and back on the road home barely ninety minutes after the race had started.
Oh, and only half the field finished so it would I was not alone in getting spat out. Scant reward.
Early March 2010 - Bike Tart tries to mix it with the big boys in a 2/3 Surrey League race
The following day Bike Tart is a broken man…
Well actually, not all that broken physically - it’s more my pride than anything. But seeing the pack disappear in front of me whilst I blew myself to pieces trying to chase back on and find a wheel was quite ruinous it has to be said. If anything, it has made me want to focus harder on my training plan… or more to the point, just actually stick to the plan that’s presented to me.
I need more resilience.
The lap at yesterday’s race was like a mini-bombsite. Potholes were strewn across the road in various places and riding in the bunch often pushed us quite dangerously onto the wrong side of the road. We had a neutral race for pretty much the whole of the first lap to give us a chance to assess the parcour and get a feel for where the worst of the holes were. Even this neutralised zone was taken at quite a pace - this race was already an eye-opener.
Unleashing into full race mode saw me slip towards the back of the group, although I still felt comfortable and knew I could move up if I wanted to. On a really nice and flowing downhill others were taking things a little too steady and I easily worked my way up the field. What I actually should have done though is gone straight to the front as shortly after, and barely halfway around what was still only the second lap the road kicked up for a short sharp climb - I could claim I got my gears wrong or that I suddenly didn’t feel good or had some other kind of failure, but the cold hard truth is that I was too slow up the climb, too slow to get up to pace at the top, too slow to latch on to a wheel and too slow to realise I was about to be blown out the back of the pack. My race was run. The only failure was me. Well, that and my sense of humour.
I chased like a rabid dog to get back on to the group, but being out in the wind on my own at an average of around 38kph versus being rested in the pack and flowing along at a steady 40kph average meant I stood no chance. I got a second wind when I told myself to treat it as an individual time trial and I dug in once more, but when a long section of open road made it clear that the pack was long gone I called time on proceedings.
Game over. Do not pass go, do not collect £200. Ouch.
So what did I learn? Well, firstly that I need to train more. Secondly that without the 2nd Cat racers there I might have held my own. Thirdly, that racing is addictive. Fourth, that I need to train more. I’m concerned because this was a fairly flat course and I still got spat out. Chuck a couple of proper hills in and I probably wouldn’t have made it through the neautralised first lap. Would I have hung on around a hillier course with only other 3rd Cats? I’m not sure. Possibly not. This means I either need to choose my races to suit my strengths or that I need to get better at hills. That said, there’s a race this coming Sunday which is basically flat - annoyingly the 3rd Cat only race is already full, but I’m tempted to have another crack at the 2/3 race. If nothing else, it’ll be good training trying to hang on!
The only saving grace? The other two I travelled with both had mechanicals - the three of us were changed, numbers returned, car packed up and back on the road home barely ninety minutes after the race had started.
Oh, and only half the field finished so it would I was not alone in getting spat out. Scant reward.
0 Comments
Bike Tart Gets Assessed
03/03/10 21:01
Earlier this week Bike Tart took himself off to Roehampton University’s Sport Performance Lab (known as SPARC) for a performance assessment - intrigued about what these tests consist of? Read on…
When I arrived I was greeted by a very chipper and friendly Bridgitte who is the Manager at the lab and her colleague Tom. After a bit of banter about my shiny new fixie we headed into the lab where I was shown around and the detail of the afternoon’s testing was explained - and in full and absolute detail to ensure I was fully aware of everything that would be happening.
During my pre-assessment rest Bridgette spent a bit of time going through a few measurements - height, weight, pinch tests to give an indication of fat percentage, blood pressure and Tom took a pin-prick blood sample to assess my resting lactate levels. This pin-prick sample would be repeated numerous times during the actual assessment to test the change in these levels during exertion.
Once the pedals on the stationary ‘bike’ contraption (which cost the lab an inordinate sum of money!) I was to be using had been switched to my favoured Looks we were ready to go. I was given a chance to familiarise myself with the setup, get comfortable on the bike and then they fitted the mask. All the while they were giving me explanations of what was happening, what the different readouts around me were for and why they were tracking what they were - very reassuring.
Tom talking me through some of the readouts
Once the mask was on and comfortable and the bike felt right the turbine which measures your breathing rate gets attached to the mask and you start the 5 minute warm-up at 75 watts. After that the test starts at 100 watts for 4 minutes before increasing by 50 watts for the next 4 minutes. This 50 watt increase after 4 minutes continues until your legs blow, your lungs blow, or you blow chunks. Any combination of the three would be most spectacular I’m sure, if a little unpleasant… I digress.
So, comfortable on the bike and steadily winding up to my natural level, I settled in at around 80rpm (often where I'm happiest). 5 minute warm-up done and the machine edges up to 100 watts - a noticeable change but a very smooth one, and heart rate (HR) and Rate of Perceived Effort (RPE) were both unaffected. Steadily through the 100, 150, 200 and 250 watt zones there then came a definite step change heading into 300 watts. My breathing rate increased and it was definitely now much more of a struggle. Nudging up to 350 watts and HR nudges the early 170bpm mark with the RPE right up towards 17. It’s really starting to hurt.
At the moment (and until the report arrives) I forget whether it was 350, 400 or 450 watts which was my undoing, but I definitely reached a point where turning the pedals was nigh on impossible, and when I jumped out of the saddle to try and keep things moving Bridgette signalled that I was done and the test was stopped. I was on the verge of passing out so as much as I'd loved to have dazzled with amazing figures that clearly wasn't going to happen so I’m actually quite grateful!
Yup, it hurt.
After the test and my warm-down we talked through a lot of the things that Bridgitte had seen and she gave me loads of feedback on how she felt I'd done, key points she'd spotted during the test, what she'd noticed and how the results could be used in future. One thing that really impressed me was her willingness to talk through the results with my coach if he feels he needs to when the report comes out - at my level this might not be entirely necessary, but if I were a high performing cyclist with specific training needs and really targeted requirements this would be invaluable. I just need to lose weight and get faster, the test was purely out of curiosity!
I'm not a 'numbers person', but I went along to this test when the opportunity arose purely because there's a lot of numbers banded about in cycling and I wanted to understand where I fit in amongst all of these - part of me hopes there's something in the report which will enable me (or rather, my coach) to identify opportunities to improve, and there's admittedly quite a big part of me that wants to see something that looks good! Bridgette did comment on how my numbers were 'textbook' which I guess is a good indicator of no major issues or concerns and an overall indication that I'm in good condition. All great. Importantly though, regardless of the numbers, results and content of the report I learnt a lot, enjoyed understanding what was going on and was made to feel entirely welcome and comfortable.
My thanks go out to Geoff from NAMUH for making the arrangements and taking the photos - worth noting here that should you be interested in carrying out a similar assessment NAMUH work with Bridgitte at SPARC and can not only help arrange the test for you but can also help with coaching off of the back of it.
I'd also like to thank Bridgette and Tom for carrying out the test, as well as for their hospitality before, during and after. If you're considering having any such testing done you can contact Bridgitte Swales, Sport Performance Manager on 0208 392 3564 or by email, or of course contact NAMUH and arrange it through them as mentioned above.
One more thing - make sure you rehydrate properly afterwards eh?!
When I arrived I was greeted by a very chipper and friendly Bridgitte who is the Manager at the lab and her colleague Tom. After a bit of banter about my shiny new fixie we headed into the lab where I was shown around and the detail of the afternoon’s testing was explained - and in full and absolute detail to ensure I was fully aware of everything that would be happening.
During my pre-assessment rest Bridgette spent a bit of time going through a few measurements - height, weight, pinch tests to give an indication of fat percentage, blood pressure and Tom took a pin-prick blood sample to assess my resting lactate levels. This pin-prick sample would be repeated numerous times during the actual assessment to test the change in these levels during exertion.
Once the pedals on the stationary ‘bike’ contraption (which cost the lab an inordinate sum of money!) I was to be using had been switched to my favoured Looks we were ready to go. I was given a chance to familiarise myself with the setup, get comfortable on the bike and then they fitted the mask. All the while they were giving me explanations of what was happening, what the different readouts around me were for and why they were tracking what they were - very reassuring.
Tom talking me through some of the readouts
Once the mask was on and comfortable and the bike felt right the turbine which measures your breathing rate gets attached to the mask and you start the 5 minute warm-up at 75 watts. After that the test starts at 100 watts for 4 minutes before increasing by 50 watts for the next 4 minutes. This 50 watt increase after 4 minutes continues until your legs blow, your lungs blow, or you blow chunks. Any combination of the three would be most spectacular I’m sure, if a little unpleasant… I digress.
So, comfortable on the bike and steadily winding up to my natural level, I settled in at around 80rpm (often where I'm happiest). 5 minute warm-up done and the machine edges up to 100 watts - a noticeable change but a very smooth one, and heart rate (HR) and Rate of Perceived Effort (RPE) were both unaffected. Steadily through the 100, 150, 200 and 250 watt zones there then came a definite step change heading into 300 watts. My breathing rate increased and it was definitely now much more of a struggle. Nudging up to 350 watts and HR nudges the early 170bpm mark with the RPE right up towards 17. It’s really starting to hurt.
At the moment (and until the report arrives) I forget whether it was 350, 400 or 450 watts which was my undoing, but I definitely reached a point where turning the pedals was nigh on impossible, and when I jumped out of the saddle to try and keep things moving Bridgette signalled that I was done and the test was stopped. I was on the verge of passing out so as much as I'd loved to have dazzled with amazing figures that clearly wasn't going to happen so I’m actually quite grateful!
Yup, it hurt.
After the test and my warm-down we talked through a lot of the things that Bridgitte had seen and she gave me loads of feedback on how she felt I'd done, key points she'd spotted during the test, what she'd noticed and how the results could be used in future. One thing that really impressed me was her willingness to talk through the results with my coach if he feels he needs to when the report comes out - at my level this might not be entirely necessary, but if I were a high performing cyclist with specific training needs and really targeted requirements this would be invaluable. I just need to lose weight and get faster, the test was purely out of curiosity!
I'm not a 'numbers person', but I went along to this test when the opportunity arose purely because there's a lot of numbers banded about in cycling and I wanted to understand where I fit in amongst all of these - part of me hopes there's something in the report which will enable me (or rather, my coach) to identify opportunities to improve, and there's admittedly quite a big part of me that wants to see something that looks good! Bridgette did comment on how my numbers were 'textbook' which I guess is a good indicator of no major issues or concerns and an overall indication that I'm in good condition. All great. Importantly though, regardless of the numbers, results and content of the report I learnt a lot, enjoyed understanding what was going on and was made to feel entirely welcome and comfortable.
My thanks go out to Geoff from NAMUH for making the arrangements and taking the photos - worth noting here that should you be interested in carrying out a similar assessment NAMUH work with Bridgitte at SPARC and can not only help arrange the test for you but can also help with coaching off of the back of it.
I'd also like to thank Bridgette and Tom for carrying out the test, as well as for their hospitality before, during and after. If you're considering having any such testing done you can contact Bridgitte Swales, Sport Performance Manager on 0208 392 3564 or by email, or of course contact NAMUH and arrange it through them as mentioned above.
One more thing - make sure you rehydrate properly afterwards eh?!
Yesterday's Race
07/02/10 21:34
All through last week the only thing I could think about was racing at the weekend.
My 5th place from the previous week had left me thinking and realising that I was capable of doing really well, and despite needing only 2 more points all my thoughts were of nothing less than the win. I knew I had it in me, and I knew it was all about my position on the last couple of bends - the whole week led up to making sure I was in the top 5 or 6 places coming into the final stretch...
So, much like last week the first 30 mins were pretty quiet, not a lot going on - the odd failed breakaway attempt but nothing that looked threatening. The 3rd Cat race passed us at about 28 mins gone, and we had to ease up to get a decent gap, or we'd have risked the issue of the first race of the series where our race finished in the back of theirs and a lot of sprints were ruined. Once the 3rds had got a decent gap a fellow Dynamo went on the pounce and got a decent gap.
At the 5-lap board, he was still away and it was looking like it might stay that way - as he was a 'Mo and I only needed 2 points I was fairly happy with that so just resolved to do my best to bag 2nd. As it was we eventually reeled him in (and man did he look tired!), but only with 2 laps to go if I remember rightly.
And then that noise again! Doesn't matter whether it's aluminium or carbon, it makes you cringe - a few unfortunates were caught up in another crash, but thankfully I was in front of it and safe from harm. The pictures show a rather unpleasantly shaped (and far from cheap) Fulcrum Racing Zero wheel and a badly scraped knee was being tended to by one of the organisers (again, we cannot thank you enough), but that is all I know of from the aftermath. I hope everyone involved is ok.
And so to the final lap.
I was turning myself inside out to stay near the front - part of the issue being that in order to stay in contention I was having to ride in the wind. I had no shelter, and it was really beginning to do me no favours! Thankfully at the top of the circuit I was able to take enough of a breather to get a bit of energy back and rest my legs for a valuable few seconds. If it weren't for that (and the energy gel I gulped down on 30 mins) I might not have finished quite so well...
The final stretch - I had rounded the last corner well in 3rd or 4th spot and much like last week was driving up the left side of the climb. I don't know where I started my sprint, but I do know that this week I went too early. Maybe last week was perfectly timed after all. The good news is I held my place and held my nerve, even when the guy next to me as we went through the kink was making sure in no uncertain terms that he wanted me to stay put and not cut across him! I did the same last week though, can't blame him for telling me not to cut him up.
Me 3rd from right - is that 3rd or 4th?! Thanks to Gavin Morton for the pic
1st and 2nd (who happened to be my good mate Mike) were out of reach. Would they have still been out of reach if I'd timed my sprint right? Who knows. Who knows also what might have been had I not had far too much to drink the night before, but that's my own stupid fault! As it was, results are yet to be confirmed but I think I got 4th. Would have liked to have ended my stint in 4th Cat with at least a top three finish, but I should just be glad that I got the points I needed and am now (along with Mike who in getting 2nd claimed the 8 points he needed) a 3rd Cat.
It felt good handing back that yellow number at the end of the race...
My 5th place from the previous week had left me thinking and realising that I was capable of doing really well, and despite needing only 2 more points all my thoughts were of nothing less than the win. I knew I had it in me, and I knew it was all about my position on the last couple of bends - the whole week led up to making sure I was in the top 5 or 6 places coming into the final stretch...
So, much like last week the first 30 mins were pretty quiet, not a lot going on - the odd failed breakaway attempt but nothing that looked threatening. The 3rd Cat race passed us at about 28 mins gone, and we had to ease up to get a decent gap, or we'd have risked the issue of the first race of the series where our race finished in the back of theirs and a lot of sprints were ruined. Once the 3rds had got a decent gap a fellow Dynamo went on the pounce and got a decent gap.
At the 5-lap board, he was still away and it was looking like it might stay that way - as he was a 'Mo and I only needed 2 points I was fairly happy with that so just resolved to do my best to bag 2nd. As it was we eventually reeled him in (and man did he look tired!), but only with 2 laps to go if I remember rightly.
And then that noise again! Doesn't matter whether it's aluminium or carbon, it makes you cringe - a few unfortunates were caught up in another crash, but thankfully I was in front of it and safe from harm. The pictures show a rather unpleasantly shaped (and far from cheap) Fulcrum Racing Zero wheel and a badly scraped knee was being tended to by one of the organisers (again, we cannot thank you enough), but that is all I know of from the aftermath. I hope everyone involved is ok.
And so to the final lap.
I was turning myself inside out to stay near the front - part of the issue being that in order to stay in contention I was having to ride in the wind. I had no shelter, and it was really beginning to do me no favours! Thankfully at the top of the circuit I was able to take enough of a breather to get a bit of energy back and rest my legs for a valuable few seconds. If it weren't for that (and the energy gel I gulped down on 30 mins) I might not have finished quite so well...
The final stretch - I had rounded the last corner well in 3rd or 4th spot and much like last week was driving up the left side of the climb. I don't know where I started my sprint, but I do know that this week I went too early. Maybe last week was perfectly timed after all. The good news is I held my place and held my nerve, even when the guy next to me as we went through the kink was making sure in no uncertain terms that he wanted me to stay put and not cut across him! I did the same last week though, can't blame him for telling me not to cut him up.
Me 3rd from right - is that 3rd or 4th?! Thanks to Gavin Morton for the pic
1st and 2nd (who happened to be my good mate Mike) were out of reach. Would they have still been out of reach if I'd timed my sprint right? Who knows. Who knows also what might have been had I not had far too much to drink the night before, but that's my own stupid fault! As it was, results are yet to be confirmed but I think I got 4th. Would have liked to have ended my stint in 4th Cat with at least a top three finish, but I should just be glad that I got the points I needed and am now (along with Mike who in getting 2nd claimed the 8 points he needed) a 3rd Cat.
It felt good handing back that yellow number at the end of the race...
Yesterday's Race
31/01/10 10:26
As I sit typing this I am propped up in bed, thankfully for reasons of pure laziness rather than anything more serious. That said, in yesterday's race it was a close call as some guy just behind me was a little less fortunate, tangled with someone else and started heading towards the black-top - as he did so he clipped my back wheel. Any bigger contact and I'd have gone down with him, and then I might be propped up in bed for a very different reason.
Today I was also supposed to be riding the 'Hell of the Ashdown' sportive in and around the Kent countryside - fears over the conditions and ice that might be present put paid to my lift out to the start. I only mention this as riding that today was my driver to determine my race strategy yesterday as I wanted to remain fresh enough to get through the Hell in a decent (preferably Gold standard) time. This meant for almost all of the race yesterday I sat in and did nothing. A rarity for me as I usually do a fair amount on the front, and occasionally find myself having a pop at a (usually unsuccessful) break.
On that basis, for the first 30mins of the race there is basically nothing at all to report. The last 10 minutes or so were a little more interesting...
At 30 mins gone I decided it was time to work my way towards the front of the field - that 3-lap board always appears sooner than you think and if you're not near the front you're sure to panic and do yourself no favours. It was at about this time that a break got away, and in a very short space of time they'd amounted a decent gap. A couple of laps later and I could sense that it was looking like quite a decisive break and I was beginning to think I was watching my much-needed points ride off into the distance.
Time to switch on.
A few others clearly had the same thought as there was a concerted (and very well controlled) effort from the front of the field to reel them back in. About 8 of us were actually working quite well on the front, and in doing so had strung the field out quite nicely behind.
3-lap board. We were now catching the break and pulling them back in quite easily, but as we went up the hill heading towards the end of the lap there was a bit of shouting over my left shoulder - I didn't see what happened but my wheel got clipped and some rather unpleasant noises ensued. Not good.
At the end of the penultimate lap we had caught the break, but the work to do so had taken it's toll and I had to sit in and recover as much as possible for the two-thirds of the lap that were available to me prior to winding it up for my sprint. Down the back straight I had a mate in front who had also worked to pull the break back. I was shouting at him to keep his place and push on - we were both in a good position on the final two bends.
And then the final corner, all hell breaks loose...
Racing through my mind are thoughts of my current position: "I'm guaranteed a top ten placing here... don't wind it up for the sprint too early... but don't go too late... damn, those guys at the front might just be out of reach... I'm penned in, what can I do?!".
Today I was also supposed to be riding the 'Hell of the Ashdown' sportive in and around the Kent countryside - fears over the conditions and ice that might be present put paid to my lift out to the start. I only mention this as riding that today was my driver to determine my race strategy yesterday as I wanted to remain fresh enough to get through the Hell in a decent (preferably Gold standard) time. This meant for almost all of the race yesterday I sat in and did nothing. A rarity for me as I usually do a fair amount on the front, and occasionally find myself having a pop at a (usually unsuccessful) break.
On that basis, for the first 30mins of the race there is basically nothing at all to report. The last 10 minutes or so were a little more interesting...
At 30 mins gone I decided it was time to work my way towards the front of the field - that 3-lap board always appears sooner than you think and if you're not near the front you're sure to panic and do yourself no favours. It was at about this time that a break got away, and in a very short space of time they'd amounted a decent gap. A couple of laps later and I could sense that it was looking like quite a decisive break and I was beginning to think I was watching my much-needed points ride off into the distance.
Time to switch on.
A few others clearly had the same thought as there was a concerted (and very well controlled) effort from the front of the field to reel them back in. About 8 of us were actually working quite well on the front, and in doing so had strung the field out quite nicely behind.
3-lap board. We were now catching the break and pulling them back in quite easily, but as we went up the hill heading towards the end of the lap there was a bit of shouting over my left shoulder - I didn't see what happened but my wheel got clipped and some rather unpleasant noises ensued. Not good.
At the end of the penultimate lap we had caught the break, but the work to do so had taken it's toll and I had to sit in and recover as much as possible for the two-thirds of the lap that were available to me prior to winding it up for my sprint. Down the back straight I had a mate in front who had also worked to pull the break back. I was shouting at him to keep his place and push on - we were both in a good position on the final two bends.
And then the final corner, all hell breaks loose...
Racing through my mind are thoughts of my current position: "I'm guaranteed a top ten placing here... don't wind it up for the sprint too early... but don't go too late... damn, those guys at the front might just be out of reach... I'm penned in, what can I do?!".
Pic copyright of British Cycling - that's me second from the left (bizarrely everyone else is sprinting seated!)
We were driving up the left side of the climb when a gap opened up going through the kink. I crossed the track to the right side, shouted at a couple of others not to move off their line and promptly turned myself inside out trying to catch the top four.
I think I bagged fifth place but at the time of writing the Imperial website is yet to be updated, and I was too out of breath to speak to the guys in race control! I'll confirm back as soon as I know more...
Lucy Collins and the guys who run this Hillingdon series cannot get enough praise for their efforts and I'm sure I speak for everyone who has, does and will race here when I say a whole-hearted thank you to them for putting this on every week. It really is a fantastic introduction to racing for us lowly 4th Cats, and is a great early season warm-up and form guide for those in the higher categories. If you've ever thought about racing but haven't got around to it mark Hillingdon down as a start point. I believe they run a mid-week summer series on a Tuesday evening too.
I hope those who didn't survive the race unscathed are not too seriously injured, and wishing you a speedy recovery.
The Training Plan Arrives
28/01/10 23:09
So after musing about the numerous different training approaches available for us cyclists to consider I finally decided to take my own advice and get a coach on board. The training plan arrived today and starts in earnest on Monday.
Well, I say it starts on Monday - in reality Rich's advice was "race on Saturday, then do a steady 2-4 hours on Sunday...". Hmmm, I have a sportive on Sunday that I don't think I told him about... oops, sorry Rich! Ok so it's a bad start, but it doesn't officially start until Monday, and to be honest if there's any inclement weather in store for Sunday I'm likely to stay nicely tucked up in bed. Besides which, I'm reliant on a lift, and my lift might bail anyway!
Anyway, the general gist of what's in order for me over the next 6 weeks is something along the lines of:
Hurt yourself on the rollers
Have a day off riding, but hurt yourself doing weights
Steadily increase the self-inflicted pain on the rollers
Have a couple of easy days
Hurt yourself racing
Bore yourself to death staying in zone 1 for a few hours
Repeat
This is interspersed with some really painful sounding weights and rollers days, some really hard club park ride efforts and a self-inflicted Capital-Coast-Capital 130 mile twitter ride. This is gonna be a painful 6 weeks!
Yes, alright - I'm exaggerating, and let's face it I signed up for it all for a reason. And for once I really have some focus to my riding which I'm really looking forward to. At the end of this 6-week session Rich and I will be having a catch-up to see how I've got on, and this is a part of the reason I've gone with a coach. Having to report in to someone is (I'm hoping) going to give me the incentive to actually do what's been suggested, not to mention hopefully being able to see some good improvements in my riding.
But what of the other methods I spoke of in that previous article? Well, power isn't being ignored - it will help both myself and Rich to ensure I'm doing exactly what I'm supposed to rather than having to use the not-perfect-but-it'll-do (can I say 'old-fashioned'?!) method of using heart rate. A power meter of some description is still likely to appear at some stage. On this front, I've recently become more and more intrigued by the iBike Pro. It seems difficult to workout how it works and many seem to slate it, but many of those haven't used it's latest 'Generation III' incarnation. I'm tempted too by it's significant price difference over my other favoured option of a Quarq Cinqo Saturn for my Rotor 3D cranks. It costs 50% less!
Powercranks? Nah, binned that idea - even despite positive endorsements from some big-name pros (Cuddles uses them apparently!). Too expensive for something that basically exaggerates what the rollers do. Oh yeah, and they're ugly (remember who you're dealing with here!).
A turbo? Nah - prefer rollers. MUCH prefer rollers. I've also come to the conclusion that rollers with resistance are still going to be a kicker of a workout, as well as working my core and technique at the same time. Turbo schmurbo.
Cross-training? Yup, sticking with this one - I'll probably run on the days that Rich has advised to take it steady or do light weights or something. Switching things up a bit and chucking in some 'body shock' is no bad thing to my mind, as long as I don't overdo it.
So, a coach for now, and Power Training set to arrive just as soon as I can justify the expense. I'll keep you posted on how things pan out...
Oh, did I mention I fancy doing some TTs too?!
Well, I say it starts on Monday - in reality Rich's advice was "race on Saturday, then do a steady 2-4 hours on Sunday...". Hmmm, I have a sportive on Sunday that I don't think I told him about... oops, sorry Rich! Ok so it's a bad start, but it doesn't officially start until Monday, and to be honest if there's any inclement weather in store for Sunday I'm likely to stay nicely tucked up in bed. Besides which, I'm reliant on a lift, and my lift might bail anyway!
Anyway, the general gist of what's in order for me over the next 6 weeks is something along the lines of:
Hurt yourself on the rollers
Have a day off riding, but hurt yourself doing weights
Steadily increase the self-inflicted pain on the rollers
Have a couple of easy days
Hurt yourself racing
Bore yourself to death staying in zone 1 for a few hours
Repeat
This is interspersed with some really painful sounding weights and rollers days, some really hard club park ride efforts and a self-inflicted Capital-Coast-Capital 130 mile twitter ride. This is gonna be a painful 6 weeks!
Yes, alright - I'm exaggerating, and let's face it I signed up for it all for a reason. And for once I really have some focus to my riding which I'm really looking forward to. At the end of this 6-week session Rich and I will be having a catch-up to see how I've got on, and this is a part of the reason I've gone with a coach. Having to report in to someone is (I'm hoping) going to give me the incentive to actually do what's been suggested, not to mention hopefully being able to see some good improvements in my riding.
But what of the other methods I spoke of in that previous article? Well, power isn't being ignored - it will help both myself and Rich to ensure I'm doing exactly what I'm supposed to rather than having to use the not-perfect-but-it'll-do (can I say 'old-fashioned'?!) method of using heart rate. A power meter of some description is still likely to appear at some stage. On this front, I've recently become more and more intrigued by the iBike Pro. It seems difficult to workout how it works and many seem to slate it, but many of those haven't used it's latest 'Generation III' incarnation. I'm tempted too by it's significant price difference over my other favoured option of a Quarq Cinqo Saturn for my Rotor 3D cranks. It costs 50% less!
Powercranks? Nah, binned that idea - even despite positive endorsements from some big-name pros (Cuddles uses them apparently!). Too expensive for something that basically exaggerates what the rollers do. Oh yeah, and they're ugly (remember who you're dealing with here!).
A turbo? Nah - prefer rollers. MUCH prefer rollers. I've also come to the conclusion that rollers with resistance are still going to be a kicker of a workout, as well as working my core and technique at the same time. Turbo schmurbo.
Cross-training? Yup, sticking with this one - I'll probably run on the days that Rich has advised to take it steady or do light weights or something. Switching things up a bit and chucking in some 'body shock' is no bad thing to my mind, as long as I don't overdo it.
So, a coach for now, and Power Training set to arrive just as soon as I can justify the expense. I'll keep you posted on how things pan out...
Oh, did I mention I fancy doing some TTs too?!
Take Care Of The Little Things
03/01/10 16:29
Had a little reminder to myself today about how much the little things count. Allow me to explain...
Over the last couple of rides I've been nervous - my bike hasn't felt right. Or to be more precise, I've felt underpowered which was consequently making me nervous as I (quite logically at this time of year) figured that I'd eaten too much, put on weight, lost fitness and slowed over the festive period. Bugger.
Rewind to yesterday evening and a spot of bike fettling - a ride before I went to New York had left my bike quite dirty and I'd had no time to clean it. Riding out to watch the racing yesterday had added another layer of winter road muck and so I wanted rid of it. I also needed to resolve an issue with my front derailleur cable and add a couple of links to make my iLink cable outer longer (damn I love those iLinks)... but I digress. What I'm getting at is that I also decided to measure my saddle height, just to be sure. 7mm too low. Ah.
So back to today's ride, and a most welcome return to the sublime feeling bike I built back in November - thank Christ for that.
It was a timely reminder for me though - the bike wasn't feeling good, I was beginning to worry about my position, was ready to drop a line to someone about having a fresh fitting session and just check things out, was trying a couple of the spare stems I have laying about to see if I could do anything to make myself comfortable again. All along all I needed to do was to get the tape measure out and check my saddle height. It's like riding with your tyre pressures lower than normal where you feel like you're riding through treacle, yet it's such a simple thing to check and resolve.
Today's ride was a return to the 'souplesse' delights I enjoyed when I first built my bike and tried the longer cranks - the bike felt amazing again. And all for the sake of 7mm...
Take care of the little things my good reader - they often make the biggest difference.
Share
Over the last couple of rides I've been nervous - my bike hasn't felt right. Or to be more precise, I've felt underpowered which was consequently making me nervous as I (quite logically at this time of year) figured that I'd eaten too much, put on weight, lost fitness and slowed over the festive period. Bugger.
Rewind to yesterday evening and a spot of bike fettling - a ride before I went to New York had left my bike quite dirty and I'd had no time to clean it. Riding out to watch the racing yesterday had added another layer of winter road muck and so I wanted rid of it. I also needed to resolve an issue with my front derailleur cable and add a couple of links to make my iLink cable outer longer (damn I love those iLinks)... but I digress. What I'm getting at is that I also decided to measure my saddle height, just to be sure. 7mm too low. Ah.
So back to today's ride, and a most welcome return to the sublime feeling bike I built back in November - thank Christ for that.
It was a timely reminder for me though - the bike wasn't feeling good, I was beginning to worry about my position, was ready to drop a line to someone about having a fresh fitting session and just check things out, was trying a couple of the spare stems I have laying about to see if I could do anything to make myself comfortable again. All along all I needed to do was to get the tape measure out and check my saddle height. It's like riding with your tyre pressures lower than normal where you feel like you're riding through treacle, yet it's such a simple thing to check and resolve.
Today's ride was a return to the 'souplesse' delights I enjoyed when I first built my bike and tried the longer cranks - the bike felt amazing again. And all for the sake of 7mm...
Take care of the little things my good reader - they often make the biggest difference.
Share
Training - Which Approach To Take?!
02/01/10 10:46
Power? Heart Rate? ‘Feel’? Tabata protocols? Intervals? Sufferfests? Rollers? Turbo trainer? Computrainer? Powercranks? PowerBreathe? Cross-training? Diet? Don’t diet? Carb load? Don’t carb load? The list goes on... But if I read every bit of advice on ‘how best to train’ I’d never have any time for anything else - so what really is best, and does ‘best’ mean different things to different people?
Confession time: I’ve never really paid much attention to anything that goes on with my cycling other than the distances I’m doing and the pace I’m doing them at. I know my heart rate has improved because I can feel it has. I know my speed has improved because it’s visible. I know my stamina (and, as such, distance) has improved because I can beast myself for 130 miles and still go and have a few Guinness with a mate later that evening. Whether or not I should actually have those Guinness is a completely different story... I’ve always just ’trained’ (and I use the term loosely, as it’s more ‘just riding’) on feel - when I want to ride, I do. When I don’t want to ride, I don’t. When I want to ride hard and fast, I do. You get the picture.
So why change that? Well, I haven’t. Yet. But I think I need to. I’m just at a loss at which approach to take.
Power appeals to me more out of intrigue than anything else - I’d just like to know what I push out! The issue here is that I’m a Mac user, and most power software is PC-based. Yuk. There are some new folk on the scene who have developed an ANT+ device for the iPhone with a web-based interface to track and record your rides. All good, but I think I’d rather just use my Garmin and keep my iPhone for, well, phone use... But that’s not to write off power as an option. Booting my Mac into a Windoze virtual machine to use something like WKO+ isn’t the end of the world, I’d just rather not need to! And then of course there’s the SRM / Powertap / Quarq Cinqo / Ergomo / MetriGear choice to make, which is a minefield all in it’s own right!
The problem with power for me is that I’m not really a numbers person, or at least I haven’t been historically - is it really that difficult to change though? I’m sure it isn’t... but I reckon it might a) bore me b) give me something to worry about, and c) potentially take away my enjoyment... or, will it enhance it? Who knows. Maybe I need to get in touch with CyclePowerMeters.com and hire a Powertap for a while to see how I get on.
I spend a fair amount of time on the rollers during these dark winter evenings, but knowing which workout to do is enough of a challenge without the boredom of indoor training as well. Tabata protocols are hard, but don’t last long - ideal for minimising time spent training indoors then, and reportedly give quite remarkable results for what is ultimately 30mins warm-up and warm-down time with a 3min hard stint in the middle (well, really hard, if done properly). Sufferfest videos make indoor training much more bearable too, but pretty much pin you to a 1 hour stint. This isn’t a problem as such, but if I don’t have time for a full hour or (as is often the case) I get bored before the hour is up I then feel guilty that I’ve not completed a full session (although clearly not guilty enough to not complete it!). But let’s not forget other options like intervals and 2x20s, both of which are really useful, and both of which are also pretty painful when done right. So there’s no shortage of options, but which do you choose to do and when?!
The rollers Vs turbo trainer argument continues to be debated amongst those who train indoors, and for what it’s worth I know I should be including turbo use in my indoor training as the rollers just don’t offer enough resistance. The issue here is the need for not only the turbo itself, but also the spare rear wheel with cassette and trainer tyre - suddenly you’re looking at a good couple of hundred quid for something that I hate using with a passion! They are possibly more boring than boredom itself, not to mention the fact that they feel horrible... I much prefer the more natural feel of the rollers and the fact that you really have to concentrate on your technique to ride them well. Using them last winter not only sorted out an issue with waggly knees but also gave me a significant speed increase on the flat. Great, but my hillclimbing now needs work, and the rollers just can’t help me there.
And what of alternatives such as Powercranks? Sure, they look hideous, but the reported benefits are massive. I have to say these really appeal to me - they don’t give you the numbers that you can pore over and analyse, but as I’ve already said that’s generally not the approach I take (or at least have taken in the past). I just really like their more basic ‘just do it’ approach and the fact that they will (reportedly) improve your riding every time you use them, and given that I only have one bike these days I would be using them every time I ride. Couple these with roller use and I reckon you’d have the smoothest, most controlled pedalling technique of everyone you ride with! Couple Powercranks with power training and you’re sure to see some big benefits, but your bank account will take quite a knock!
The most cost-effective training method is probably some cross-training - running, pilates, gym work and swimming are the kind of things that spring to mind, and in most cases a small outlay on a pair of trainers and maybe some gym kit is all you’d need. Running in the winter may need a slightly bigger spend to get some warmer gear, but even then you’ll be able to use a lot of your cycling kit. I’ve done exactly this and got myself some running kit. To date it’s been used twice, maybe three times... hmmm. Whilst I do enjoy the variation brought on by running (and actually so far I’ve quite enjoyed the running itself on the few times I’ve been) it all just feels like time off of the bike, which somehow feels wrong. Ignore that and it’s actually probably not going to hinder your cycling (at worst) and may even improve it, certainly in the case of something like pilates or yoga. The risk is injury which then forces you off of the bike, but that’s not to be ignored with bike use anyway.
At the end of the day much of this comes down to cost - power meters and the Powercranks will most likely rid you of around £1000 depending on the option you take. Rollers are likely to be in the region of £150+, but the bike will need no modifications to run them. A turbo can be had for around £100 and up, but it’s sensible to have a spare rear wheel with trainer tyre on (or in an ideal world, an old bike permanently setup on the turbo!). If you want a computrainer option for the turbo then budget for at least £500. Cross-training is clearly the most friendly on your bank account, but it’s valuable time off of the bike which may put some off. Decisions decisions...
I think it’s fair to say the best investment would probably be a coach, but I bet they’d recommend using a power meter anyway!
Bike Tart is still making his mind up...
Share
Confession time: I’ve never really paid much attention to anything that goes on with my cycling other than the distances I’m doing and the pace I’m doing them at. I know my heart rate has improved because I can feel it has. I know my speed has improved because it’s visible. I know my stamina (and, as such, distance) has improved because I can beast myself for 130 miles and still go and have a few Guinness with a mate later that evening. Whether or not I should actually have those Guinness is a completely different story... I’ve always just ’trained’ (and I use the term loosely, as it’s more ‘just riding’) on feel - when I want to ride, I do. When I don’t want to ride, I don’t. When I want to ride hard and fast, I do. You get the picture.
So why change that? Well, I haven’t. Yet. But I think I need to. I’m just at a loss at which approach to take.
Power appeals to me more out of intrigue than anything else - I’d just like to know what I push out! The issue here is that I’m a Mac user, and most power software is PC-based. Yuk. There are some new folk on the scene who have developed an ANT+ device for the iPhone with a web-based interface to track and record your rides. All good, but I think I’d rather just use my Garmin and keep my iPhone for, well, phone use... But that’s not to write off power as an option. Booting my Mac into a Windoze virtual machine to use something like WKO+ isn’t the end of the world, I’d just rather not need to! And then of course there’s the SRM / Powertap / Quarq Cinqo / Ergomo / MetriGear choice to make, which is a minefield all in it’s own right!
The problem with power for me is that I’m not really a numbers person, or at least I haven’t been historically - is it really that difficult to change though? I’m sure it isn’t... but I reckon it might a) bore me b) give me something to worry about, and c) potentially take away my enjoyment... or, will it enhance it? Who knows. Maybe I need to get in touch with CyclePowerMeters.com and hire a Powertap for a while to see how I get on.
I spend a fair amount of time on the rollers during these dark winter evenings, but knowing which workout to do is enough of a challenge without the boredom of indoor training as well. Tabata protocols are hard, but don’t last long - ideal for minimising time spent training indoors then, and reportedly give quite remarkable results for what is ultimately 30mins warm-up and warm-down time with a 3min hard stint in the middle (well, really hard, if done properly). Sufferfest videos make indoor training much more bearable too, but pretty much pin you to a 1 hour stint. This isn’t a problem as such, but if I don’t have time for a full hour or (as is often the case) I get bored before the hour is up I then feel guilty that I’ve not completed a full session (although clearly not guilty enough to not complete it!). But let’s not forget other options like intervals and 2x20s, both of which are really useful, and both of which are also pretty painful when done right. So there’s no shortage of options, but which do you choose to do and when?!
The rollers Vs turbo trainer argument continues to be debated amongst those who train indoors, and for what it’s worth I know I should be including turbo use in my indoor training as the rollers just don’t offer enough resistance. The issue here is the need for not only the turbo itself, but also the spare rear wheel with cassette and trainer tyre - suddenly you’re looking at a good couple of hundred quid for something that I hate using with a passion! They are possibly more boring than boredom itself, not to mention the fact that they feel horrible... I much prefer the more natural feel of the rollers and the fact that you really have to concentrate on your technique to ride them well. Using them last winter not only sorted out an issue with waggly knees but also gave me a significant speed increase on the flat. Great, but my hillclimbing now needs work, and the rollers just can’t help me there.
And what of alternatives such as Powercranks? Sure, they look hideous, but the reported benefits are massive. I have to say these really appeal to me - they don’t give you the numbers that you can pore over and analyse, but as I’ve already said that’s generally not the approach I take (or at least have taken in the past). I just really like their more basic ‘just do it’ approach and the fact that they will (reportedly) improve your riding every time you use them, and given that I only have one bike these days I would be using them every time I ride. Couple these with roller use and I reckon you’d have the smoothest, most controlled pedalling technique of everyone you ride with! Couple Powercranks with power training and you’re sure to see some big benefits, but your bank account will take quite a knock!
The most cost-effective training method is probably some cross-training - running, pilates, gym work and swimming are the kind of things that spring to mind, and in most cases a small outlay on a pair of trainers and maybe some gym kit is all you’d need. Running in the winter may need a slightly bigger spend to get some warmer gear, but even then you’ll be able to use a lot of your cycling kit. I’ve done exactly this and got myself some running kit. To date it’s been used twice, maybe three times... hmmm. Whilst I do enjoy the variation brought on by running (and actually so far I’ve quite enjoyed the running itself on the few times I’ve been) it all just feels like time off of the bike, which somehow feels wrong. Ignore that and it’s actually probably not going to hinder your cycling (at worst) and may even improve it, certainly in the case of something like pilates or yoga. The risk is injury which then forces you off of the bike, but that’s not to be ignored with bike use anyway.
At the end of the day much of this comes down to cost - power meters and the Powercranks will most likely rid you of around £1000 depending on the option you take. Rollers are likely to be in the region of £150+, but the bike will need no modifications to run them. A turbo can be had for around £100 and up, but it’s sensible to have a spare rear wheel with trainer tyre on (or in an ideal world, an old bike permanently setup on the turbo!). If you want a computrainer option for the turbo then budget for at least £500. Cross-training is clearly the most friendly on your bank account, but it’s valuable time off of the bike which may put some off. Decisions decisions...
I think it’s fair to say the best investment would probably be a coach, but I bet they’d recommend using a power meter anyway!
Bike Tart is still making his mind up...
Share