Sunday, January 26, 2014

Its All About BASE-ics

you need to build a big base to reach high

In a previous post I mentioned stepping up and hiring a coach.  If you are serious about the sport you compete in hiring a coach is one of the best performance improvements you can make and its money well spent.  There are many benefits to hiring a coach, accountability, experience, motivation to name a few.   Anyone can read a book or pay for a training plan but nothing can replace the the personal interaction, experience and motivation that a coach can provide.  For me its more about the accountability.  While I believe myself to be at the higher end of the self motivation scale, having someone to answer to is the kick in the tail I need as an athlete. So what does hiring a coach have to do with BASICS?  When I first sat down with my Total Cyclist  coach, Jackie Crowell  and analyzed my data there was a huge glaring component missing form my training, BASE miles.  I had none!  all my riding was done at Tempo, Lactate Threshold, VO2 Max, Anaerobic Capacity and Neuromuscular Power…huh? in layman's terms too hard!  BASE miles are done in Zone 2 or Endurance.  The above terminology is used when training with a power meter. a power meter measures in watts (energy) the effort it takes you to propel the bike, it is a more accurate calculation than using heart rate.  The training zones (in the chart below) are based off of LT or FTP otherwise known as  Lactate Threshold. LT is determined with a power test.

•               Level 1 Active Recovery = < 55% of LT
•               Level 2 Endurance = 56-75% of LT
•               Level 3 Tempo = 76-90% of LT
•               Level 4 Lactate Threshold = 91-105% of LT
•               Level 5 VO2 Max = 106-120% of LT
•               Level 6 Anaerobic Capacity = 121-150% of LT
•               Level 7 Neuromuscular Power = maximum effort

Going into this off season I knew there would be a lot of BASE miles. So what is BASE.  “Base training is the foundation upon which everything else rests,” says Danny­ Suter, USA Cycling Level 2 coach and founder of the Boulder Performance ­Network. When you build endurance, eventually you can get more out of higher-­intensity riding and a heavier training load. “Riders who go straight into speed work can get fast on the bike,” says Hunter Allen, coauthor of Training and Racing with a Power Meter. “But they won’t have aerobic endurance, so their fitness lasts just a few weeks before they slow down.” 

When you ride for two or more hours (or less for new riders) at a steady pace—a typical base ride—your body responds with changes that allow you to use more oxygen and burn more fat as fuel, says coach Joe Friel, author of The Cyclist’s Training Bible. For starters, these rides build more ­capillaries, the tiny blood vessels that deliver oxygen-rich blood to your muscles. Your mitochondria—the parts of your cells that produce energy—also multiply and enlarge. And you churn out more enzymes that help turn stored fuel into energy. The result: You can ride faster and longer. 

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Out With A Bang: NCCX

By: Jay Forgione

The race on Sunday was the finial race of the NCCX series. It was on the grounds of the Biltmore Estates. This was a test course for CX Nationals that will be held at the Biltmore in 2016. My race was the first of the day at 10:00am. In a combined class of Masters CX 4/5 (35/45/55), I raced in the 55 category. It was a crowded start as there were a total of 48 riders in my class! I finished fifteenth overall and first in my category, so the day was certainly a victory!
I really enjoyed the course. It was a mixture of pavement, grass and  gravel, with a lot of fast sections going into a couple chicanes. There was a tricky off camber right hand down hill in to a hard left to an up hill where I really had to keep up my speed to make it up the hill. It also had a short run up, but the best part of the course was a really steep down hill behind a barn to a tight chicane between the barn and a rock wall. The start-finish line was a paved section, so I had a good 50-yard section to sprint to the finish line which I used on the last lap to gain one more spot.!I really enjoy cyclocross racing. It's fast, the courses are challenging and you are wide open the whole time. I can't wait till next season!

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

On Suffering.

Lofty title I know but stay with me. Far from some facile Nietzchean  "That which doesn't kill you makes you stronger" notion this is a blog about cycling not philosophy (duh) and besides, the good philosopher died at 46, quite possibly of syphilis. Keep that in mind the next time you quote a pop song. Ahem.

On New Year's Day I left my house for a training ride under grey skies and a temperature of 37 degrees (lack of effort on the part of the weather gods, who apparently took the day off as well). Heading into a chilly, windy metric on a mountain bike no less, my brain told me I was probably missing the point of the holiday. Be that as it may I remembered an article passed on by fellow lunatic Mark Drogalis of Toasted Head Racing - http://toastedheadracing.wordpress.com - which is one coach's diatribe on what separates good athletes from the elite: namely one's ability to suffer.

I pedaled my way through Waxhaw and into the nether regions of Lancaster County and recalled a quote from the article: “The true vision of a champion is someone bent over, drenched in sweat, at the point of exhaustion, when no one else is watching.” - http://changingthegameproject.com/more-important-than-talent/.

Far from an elite athlete I nonetheless kept this quote in mind as my intervals began, which in this case consisted of out-pedaling  doublewide-ejected canines  every mile or so (I don't think it counts if dogs are watching…).  After 60 miles it seemed as if my clothes no longer fit (they did), it was colder than when I left (it wasn't), and my legs felt like two foam rollers sticking out of my leg warmers (they were).

It struck me that I hadn't been willing to do this in previous years. Why was I doing it now? Well, because Training Peaks told me I had to, of course and my coach, Dr. Evil.


Wait, not that one, this one.

Professional Mountain Biker and TotalCyclist Coach Chris Wieczorek

would be waiting to look at lines on a graph and send a text telling me what a great job I'd done (I wouldn't see the text, I'd be crying in the shower). Let's just leave it at that.

Now the holidays are over and it appears the weather gods are back on the job (they do seem to lack focus…).Thankfully (in a way) we still have plenty of opportunities to push the suffer line out further so that next summer we might look back and be reminded that this is the time of year when the season is made.

Without a strong aerobic base and power training done months ahead of time, the best bike and fancy tires won't help you in July in the heat, at altitude, or in your most anticipated race . You'll be like that old Mazda we've all seen with the spoiler on the trunk.




Don't be the old Mazda with the spoiler on the trunk. If you live in the southeast you already know about TotalCyclist and classes designed to enhance your fitness and power on the bike. Did you know they also have expert coaching, fitness classes, Yoga, and everything else you need to get you all strong and bendy for the upcoming season?

They can rebuild you
So head over to  http://totalcyclist.com and pick a day to suffer. Some truly dedicated athletes even work out at 5:15am (they serve donuts….ok, not really but the staff is awfully chipper for the time of day). There are now four locations so you shouldn't have to go far to make your legs hurt. Don't be afraid to crack…or crack a smile.

Even more fun (and surely more painful), the Winter Short Track series began January 12th, so borrow a mountain (or CX) bike and come fill your lungs with icy air at Renaissance Park http://www.charlottemtnbike.com/short-trackhome.htm. Neil Boyd and his minions have categories for racers of any age and ability (c'mon kids!) and there is always great food and hot cider.

I'll be the old Mazda at the back with the spoiler on the trunk….

Thursday, January 9, 2014

One to Go!



People always ask how I can sit on a trainer for hours on end. Truth is it’s not easy. In fact it’s fairly miserable at times. The weather this past weekend was just as miserable; cold, rain, wind, dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria. Yes, I slipped in a line from Ghostbusters. It just had to be done.

Since the weather outside was frightful I spent four hours on the trainer. While not the best solution in the world my training regimen required it.  How did I make it through? Here are a couple of tips to make the time go by a little more quickly. Give them a try and see if they help.
  1. Do intervals: it’s amazing how much more quickly the time goes by if you throw some ten minute intervals into the mix. They don’t always have to be intense. Try some intervals at heart rate zone 3.5 followed by five minutes of easy pedaling. Do this five times with a 15 minute warm up and you’ve already gone 90 minutes.
  2. Harder intervals: if you want to go a little harder try this: five minutes at HR zone 3.5 followed by five minutes at zone 4. Do this for 45 minutes and you’ll be cooked.
  3. Do an indoor group cycling class. Riding with others is a great way to break up the monotony. Try doing classes back to back. The time in-between sessions is a good way to recharge and get ready for the next one.
  4. Watch TV: yes, I know this isn’t a huge revelation but make up some games to pass the time. Try going all out during the commercials and cruise during the program. Personally, I like the show Gold Rush. For those of you that follow the program you know how much Todd says “frick”. Every time he says it sprint for one minute.
  5. Break it up: if you have multiple hours to burn break it up. For instance, if you have four hours to train ride for two hours in the morning and two at night. It’s a lot easier to handle mentally opposed to four straight hours.
If you have any time tested ways to make your time on the trainer go by more quickly please feel free to share.

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Frustration

Frustration. It is a theme in my house these days. My three year-old daughter is becoming more and more independent, and “I can do it” comes out of her mouth millions of times a day, whether or not her ability matches her aspirations. Before her frustration with the task at hand sets in, mine is sometimes in full swing. The time it takes to get anything done: shoes and socks, coat, backpack, out the door, into the car seat, etc., is infinitely longer than a sane person can handle. This is not news to any parent reading this, and it certainly isn’t new to me, but I’ll be darned if my type A self still inwardly grits her teeth at the time it all takes. Coat with buttons? Better allow an extra 20 minutes. Buckling your own car seat harness? Extra 10, while standing out in the cold and waiting, oh so patiently, to turn the key and get the heck GOING already. Frustration…
This is a time of year that frustration tries to creep into my training as well. Cold temperatures, monotonous trainer rides and structured intervals threaten to suck the fun out of mountain biking for me. I know I should have structure, but really I just want to play in the woods with my friends! If done right, all of the long rides and training will leave me exhausted at the end of the day. If done incorrectly or not at all, my season will surely be a disappointment. But just like I TRY to suck it up and be patient when the kids won’t leave the house before ‘brown bear’ has his shoes AND dress on, I will put in the training work now, to be prepared for the racing fun once it finally arrives. We are all dealt a good bit of frustration these days. Perhaps your new year’s resolution is proving harder than you thought, or the boss is pressuring you to meet a deadline. I get it. We all struggle to balance the structure with the fun, balance what we need to do with what we enjoy right now. In just a few short years, my little girls will be teens and too embarrassed to walk next to me in the mall (or so I’m told). Even though this stage has frustrating moments, I want to do the best I can because they won’t be kids forever. I suppose the same goes for training: the frustrations of today will be short lived, but what is built now will hopefully translate into a successful year. Maybe...if I am lucky…

Time to go pick up the little one from preschool. Where did I put my socks?