It's fascinating how the environment you put somebody in influences so much of what that person becomes. You take a mediocre cyclist and have him train with stronger riders, and that mediocre cyclist will improve faster than he would have by himself. When a motivated rider upgrades to a faster category, that rider almost always has a big jump in fitness.
It's similar with skating. You get areas of the country that produce stronger skaters than the rest of the country. Sure, there are outliers, but one outlier usually ends up building a new group of fast skaters. Look at areas like North Carolina. They've had fast skaters since I remember. Sure, part of it might be good coaching, but I think that in a lot of cases areas have great skaters just because that area already has great skaters.
The same works out in other areas of life. The whole reason I started thinking about this the other day was because I realized what a positive influence Sarah has been on me. My wife is the most giving person I know. When we met I was as stingy as anyone could be, and even though I'm still very cheap when it comes to myself, she has really shown me the joy from giving to others. Her motivation is contagious. She sets a goal and has laser-beam focus on it until she meets it. It's how we got out of debt, how she won Redman, and how she qualified for Kona. Sure, there is a lot of natural talent there, but focus, motivation, desire, and a lot of hard work are the real secret. It is impossible to be around a person like her and not always strive to be the best you could be. I'm really a lucky guy to have somebody as caring, supportive, giving, and driven as Sarah in my life.
Plus, she made us some chocolate chip cookies today for Valentine's Day. I hope these cookies work some of the soreness out of my legs from skating on Sunday, because nothing else I've tried today seemed to work.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Monday, February 13, 2012
Race Wheels
Wheels seem to be the most sought after upgrade for road cyclists. In my opinion, there are a bunch of different purchases with more bang-for-the-buck than race wheels, but I can't deny the cool factor of deep carbon wheels. They will make the ugliest bike look pretty. When you're ready to pull the plug and buy some, there are a few key decisions you need to consider.
For triathlon and time trials, it isn't a very hard choice. Race a disc in the rear, or a disc cover if you are cheap like me. Run the deepest and fastest wheel up front you can handle. For road race/crits, the decision is more difficult.
The biggest is going to be whether you want tubulars or clinchers. There are plenty of purists out there that will tell you that you have to buy tubulars. They'll give you a list of reasons why. They will tell you that tubulars ride better, that they are faster, that they are lighter, and that you can ride out a flat.
In my opinion, only half of that is true. Yes, they are lighter. Quite a bit lighter in many cases. Do they ride better? It depends on your tire choice. There are clinchers out there that will ride just as well as tubulars and there are tubulars out there that ride like crap. The same is true when it comes to rolling resistance. Some tubulars are fast and so are some clinchers. A tubular probably is more safe to flat on a descent, but regardless of whether it is a tubular or clincher, you're still going to want to change the tire before the end of the race.
Then you need to decide how much you want to spend. You can spend $500 or $5000. In some cases you get what you pay for, but there is a point where you get very little return on your financial investment.
You have to decide how often you are going to ride the wheel. If you are only racing on it, are you cool with changing out brake pads every time you race? If so, you can get something with a carbon brake track. If not, consider a wheel with an aluminum brake surface. It will add some weight and hurt the aerodynamics slightly, but you won't have to worry with the brake pads each time you switch. Sure...it only takes a minute to swap pads, but some people don't want to do that.
If you are using the wheel every day, you'll want to make sure you get something with a quality braking surface. I bought a cheap Asian-made knockoff and I was amazed at how quickly the braking surface wore down, even though I always used the right pads. I wouldn't have gotten more than a few months of daily riding out of this wheel. The higher dollar wheel brands use a better resin that won't wear out as quickly. If you want your wheels to last, be prepared to spend some money.
With tubulars you are literally stuck with whatever tire you choose, unless you want to peel the tire off and re-glue it. If you have a flat, it costs a bunch of money to replace it.
With clinchers, you have the ability to select tires based on race conditions. Is the course well groomed? Use a fast tire. IS there a lot of debris? Take 5 minutes and put a more flat-resistant tire on. If you are doing an ironman on a course with broken glass and gravel, do you really want the same tire you use on a clean crit course?
The argument that tubulars can hold more pressure has been ruined too. A tire inflated to 160psi is actually slower than one inflated to 110psi unless you are on a perfectly smooth track.
The last question is what you want to get out of the wheels. If you want something that looks cool, the Asian-knockoff will look cool. If you want something fast, again, you'll have to spend more money.
I did some aerodynamic testing using Golden Cheetah's aerolab and found that my 50mm deep carbon wheel was slower than a stock roval wheel that came on a specialized tarmac. I was amazed, but I tested it again and again and the results stayed the same.
I was looking for the wheel that would be the fastest. I believe (and any calculator will agree) that aerodynamics trump weight in almost every scenario. The only exception would be an uphill time trial like at Joe Martin. I wanted to buy the most aerodynamic wheel. I looked at tests from pretty much every manufacturer. They all rate their own product as the best (obviously) but they almost all have the same brand in 2nd. Independent tests almost always say the same. Zipp.
I ended up buying a set of Zipp 808 firecrests. It's hard to argue with Zipp wheels. SRAM is the parent company, and I've never dealt with a company that had better customer support. IF I'm spending a couple thousand on wheels, I want a company that will stand behind the product like I know Zipp will.
I went with the 808 firecrest because the new firecrest design is supposed to handle better in the crosswinds, and the 808 is the deepest and fastest firecrest model. The firecrest rim is wider, and it comes in a clincher model that has carbon brake tracks.
I love these wheels, but if I had to do it all over again I would probably do the 404 front and 808 rear. It might not be quite as aerodynamic as the 808 front/rear, but the handling would be much less sketchy. The 808s are great in crits, but in road races with 40+mph descents, the 808s can be a handful. If you aren't a big rider, a more shallow front with a deeper rear will work together to provide more predictable handling.
I'm not saying Zipp is the only option. There are lots of other good companies out there. I think HED, Mavic, and Bontrager all make nice wheels; but for everything I was looking for, the zipp firecrest came out on top.
For triathlon and time trials, it isn't a very hard choice. Race a disc in the rear, or a disc cover if you are cheap like me. Run the deepest and fastest wheel up front you can handle. For road race/crits, the decision is more difficult.
The biggest is going to be whether you want tubulars or clinchers. There are plenty of purists out there that will tell you that you have to buy tubulars. They'll give you a list of reasons why. They will tell you that tubulars ride better, that they are faster, that they are lighter, and that you can ride out a flat.
In my opinion, only half of that is true. Yes, they are lighter. Quite a bit lighter in many cases. Do they ride better? It depends on your tire choice. There are clinchers out there that will ride just as well as tubulars and there are tubulars out there that ride like crap. The same is true when it comes to rolling resistance. Some tubulars are fast and so are some clinchers. A tubular probably is more safe to flat on a descent, but regardless of whether it is a tubular or clincher, you're still going to want to change the tire before the end of the race.
Then you need to decide how much you want to spend. You can spend $500 or $5000. In some cases you get what you pay for, but there is a point where you get very little return on your financial investment.
You have to decide how often you are going to ride the wheel. If you are only racing on it, are you cool with changing out brake pads every time you race? If so, you can get something with a carbon brake track. If not, consider a wheel with an aluminum brake surface. It will add some weight and hurt the aerodynamics slightly, but you won't have to worry with the brake pads each time you switch. Sure...it only takes a minute to swap pads, but some people don't want to do that.
If you are using the wheel every day, you'll want to make sure you get something with a quality braking surface. I bought a cheap Asian-made knockoff and I was amazed at how quickly the braking surface wore down, even though I always used the right pads. I wouldn't have gotten more than a few months of daily riding out of this wheel. The higher dollar wheel brands use a better resin that won't wear out as quickly. If you want your wheels to last, be prepared to spend some money.
With tubulars you are literally stuck with whatever tire you choose, unless you want to peel the tire off and re-glue it. If you have a flat, it costs a bunch of money to replace it.
With clinchers, you have the ability to select tires based on race conditions. Is the course well groomed? Use a fast tire. IS there a lot of debris? Take 5 minutes and put a more flat-resistant tire on. If you are doing an ironman on a course with broken glass and gravel, do you really want the same tire you use on a clean crit course?
The argument that tubulars can hold more pressure has been ruined too. A tire inflated to 160psi is actually slower than one inflated to 110psi unless you are on a perfectly smooth track.
The last question is what you want to get out of the wheels. If you want something that looks cool, the Asian-knockoff will look cool. If you want something fast, again, you'll have to spend more money.
I did some aerodynamic testing using Golden Cheetah's aerolab and found that my 50mm deep carbon wheel was slower than a stock roval wheel that came on a specialized tarmac. I was amazed, but I tested it again and again and the results stayed the same.
I was looking for the wheel that would be the fastest. I believe (and any calculator will agree) that aerodynamics trump weight in almost every scenario. The only exception would be an uphill time trial like at Joe Martin. I wanted to buy the most aerodynamic wheel. I looked at tests from pretty much every manufacturer. They all rate their own product as the best (obviously) but they almost all have the same brand in 2nd. Independent tests almost always say the same. Zipp.
I ended up buying a set of Zipp 808 firecrests. It's hard to argue with Zipp wheels. SRAM is the parent company, and I've never dealt with a company that had better customer support. IF I'm spending a couple thousand on wheels, I want a company that will stand behind the product like I know Zipp will.
I went with the 808 firecrest because the new firecrest design is supposed to handle better in the crosswinds, and the 808 is the deepest and fastest firecrest model. The firecrest rim is wider, and it comes in a clincher model that has carbon brake tracks.
I love these wheels, but if I had to do it all over again I would probably do the 404 front and 808 rear. It might not be quite as aerodynamic as the 808 front/rear, but the handling would be much less sketchy. The 808s are great in crits, but in road races with 40+mph descents, the 808s can be a handful. If you aren't a big rider, a more shallow front with a deeper rear will work together to provide more predictable handling.
I'm not saying Zipp is the only option. There are lots of other good companies out there. I think HED, Mavic, and Bontrager all make nice wheels; but for everything I was looking for, the zipp firecrest came out on top.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
The hardest workout I do
It's hard to compare one sport to another and say that either one is more difficult. All sports take a ton of skill to get to the highest level. It's impossible to say which is the best.
I've spent a lot of time skating, biking, running, swimming, and even wrestling. All of them have their unique challenges. I've always gravitated more towards endurance sports, probably because I've never been all that great at sports that involve throwing, catching, and kicking. I guess you could say any of those would be the most difficult sport for me.
Out of all of the fitness related sports I've done, the workout I get from skating is by far greater than any other. It doesn't make any sense really. When you watch somebody skate, it looks pretty easy. It doesn't really look like they are working all that hard, but it's like no other workout I do. I can't even describe it, but a 500m race takes between 45-50 seconds and it will destroy my entire body. It doesn't matter how hard I try and run or ride for 45 seconds, the feeling doesn't come close. Same with riding...it would take 5 sprints of the same duration to make me feel that way.
Since the bike racing season kicks off next Saturday, today was my last indoor skating workout for a while. It's a little disappointing because each week I could tell I was getting stronger, but cycling is my main focus right now. As much as I'll miss skating indoor, I'll enjoy racing the bike even more.
Skating really seems to compliment cycling. Both male and female skaters have crossed over to cycling recently and the transition looked seamless. Take a look at the career of Theresa Cliff-Ryan or Chad Burdzilauskas. Hopefully the indoor skating I did during this off-season will give me a little extra boost heading into the road season.
At our indoor practice we do a plyometric workout. Each week we seem to go through each exercise a little quicker, which makes it harder and harder. I guess if you do each of these exercises right you can get a similar feel to how hard a skating workout is. Your legs start to burn, your heartrate jumps up out of nowhere, and you fight for each breath. Instead of trying to explain each exercise, here is a video. This is about half of the workout we do. Do each exercise with 10 reps and between exercises hold a 90 degree leg bend for 10 seconds.
The other thing I love about these practices are how serious all the kids are. They are the same type of kids that show up at our Team Undiscovered kids tri. Motivated, dedicated, and extremely fun to watch. Here is a quick little video I put together from today's practice. We had a bunch of people travel from Tulsa to skate practice with us.
Some friends posted these two pictures on facebook today. Carnage.
I can't even explain what took place here. It looks more like rugby than women's bank track skating.
I've spent a lot of time skating, biking, running, swimming, and even wrestling. All of them have their unique challenges. I've always gravitated more towards endurance sports, probably because I've never been all that great at sports that involve throwing, catching, and kicking. I guess you could say any of those would be the most difficult sport for me.
Out of all of the fitness related sports I've done, the workout I get from skating is by far greater than any other. It doesn't make any sense really. When you watch somebody skate, it looks pretty easy. It doesn't really look like they are working all that hard, but it's like no other workout I do. I can't even describe it, but a 500m race takes between 45-50 seconds and it will destroy my entire body. It doesn't matter how hard I try and run or ride for 45 seconds, the feeling doesn't come close. Same with riding...it would take 5 sprints of the same duration to make me feel that way.
Since the bike racing season kicks off next Saturday, today was my last indoor skating workout for a while. It's a little disappointing because each week I could tell I was getting stronger, but cycling is my main focus right now. As much as I'll miss skating indoor, I'll enjoy racing the bike even more.
Skating really seems to compliment cycling. Both male and female skaters have crossed over to cycling recently and the transition looked seamless. Take a look at the career of Theresa Cliff-Ryan or Chad Burdzilauskas. Hopefully the indoor skating I did during this off-season will give me a little extra boost heading into the road season.
At our indoor practice we do a plyometric workout. Each week we seem to go through each exercise a little quicker, which makes it harder and harder. I guess if you do each of these exercises right you can get a similar feel to how hard a skating workout is. Your legs start to burn, your heartrate jumps up out of nowhere, and you fight for each breath. Instead of trying to explain each exercise, here is a video. This is about half of the workout we do. Do each exercise with 10 reps and between exercises hold a 90 degree leg bend for 10 seconds.
The other thing I love about these practices are how serious all the kids are. They are the same type of kids that show up at our Team Undiscovered kids tri. Motivated, dedicated, and extremely fun to watch. Here is a quick little video I put together from today's practice. We had a bunch of people travel from Tulsa to skate practice with us.
Some friends posted these two pictures on facebook today. Carnage.
I can't even explain what took place here. It looks more like rugby than women's bank track skating.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
A beet root a day keeps the doctor away
Ok...maybe it doesn't, but I've been seeing a lot of articles about the positive affects of beet root juice on endurance athletes. Sarah and I bought a Breville juicer a couple weeks ago, and I've been trying to drink about 12oz of fresh juice per day. Just in case the beet root doesn't keep the doc away, I put a couple carrots, some parsley, kale, and two apples through the machine for good measure.
The jury is still on on whether or not it works. I actually kind of like the taste (Sarah doesn't) and I like the fact that my pee is a new color. The pale lemonade look was getting old :)
I spent some more time yesterday getting my time trial bike ready for the Mineral Wells Stage Race. I never really liked the saddle I had, so I switched to a Fizik Arione Tri 2 Wing Flex saddle. I wanted a saddle that was flat, and as soon as I saw that shiny patent leather I knew this thing had to be mine. The old Selle Italia was kind of scooped at the nose and I could never get comfortable. Schlegel's has a few more of these that they've taken off new bikes when customers have another saddle they prefer, and they sell them for about $90, which is quite a great deal.
Quite a few other things have changed on the bike since this time last year. For one the fit is much different, but some equipment has been upgraded too. The bike had compact gearing before, and now it has my old ultegra 6700 crankset on. I also got some zipp handlebars. I topped it all off with a new chain yesterday, and between the bars, cranks, saddle, chain, and the zipp wheels, it hardly looks like a 5 year old bike.
Today was a very cold ride. The windchill was right around zero for the whole ride. Pretty miserable, but it was nice not seeing many other riders. It makes you feel pretty good about your level of dedication. I tried using some of those handwarmer packets today. They seemed to work out pretty well. My hands never lose their feeling, but gripping the bars felt a little awkward with 2 layers of gloves (one of them being thick ski gloves) and the hand warmers. Once my feet became unbearably cold I put one of the warmers inside my left sock, on the top of my foot. It definitely helped. For about $1 per ride, these things are definitely worth using when the windchill dips below 20.
A few of our cat4 riders have REALLY stepped it up lately. I'm extremely excited to see these guys succeed this year.
The jury is still on on whether or not it works. I actually kind of like the taste (Sarah doesn't) and I like the fact that my pee is a new color. The pale lemonade look was getting old :)
I spent some more time yesterday getting my time trial bike ready for the Mineral Wells Stage Race. I never really liked the saddle I had, so I switched to a Fizik Arione Tri 2 Wing Flex saddle. I wanted a saddle that was flat, and as soon as I saw that shiny patent leather I knew this thing had to be mine. The old Selle Italia was kind of scooped at the nose and I could never get comfortable. Schlegel's has a few more of these that they've taken off new bikes when customers have another saddle they prefer, and they sell them for about $90, which is quite a great deal.
Quite a few other things have changed on the bike since this time last year. For one the fit is much different, but some equipment has been upgraded too. The bike had compact gearing before, and now it has my old ultegra 6700 crankset on. I also got some zipp handlebars. I topped it all off with a new chain yesterday, and between the bars, cranks, saddle, chain, and the zipp wheels, it hardly looks like a 5 year old bike.
Today was a very cold ride. The windchill was right around zero for the whole ride. Pretty miserable, but it was nice not seeing many other riders. It makes you feel pretty good about your level of dedication. I tried using some of those handwarmer packets today. They seemed to work out pretty well. My hands never lose their feeling, but gripping the bars felt a little awkward with 2 layers of gloves (one of them being thick ski gloves) and the hand warmers. Once my feet became unbearably cold I put one of the warmers inside my left sock, on the top of my foot. It definitely helped. For about $1 per ride, these things are definitely worth using when the windchill dips below 20.
A few of our cat4 riders have REALLY stepped it up lately. I'm extremely excited to see these guys succeed this year.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Vegan Rice Cakes
I mentioned yesterday that I would put together a little video on how to make the rice cakes. It didn't come out very well, but I'll post it anyway. I'd recommend watching Allen Lim's video instead at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UiuqIWGe_s. You can just substitute firm tofu for scrambled eggs and season it with some salt, pepper, and a little louisiana hot sauce.
These cakes taste awesome. If you are tired of gels and other sweet stuff, give these a try (the vegan version or the regular version). Unlike bars, they really don't take much chewing. The white sushi rice has a high glycemic index, so it turns to fuel almost instantly.
Last week I tried packing pancakes. I cut them in half and put some peanut butter and maple syrup on them. It was kind of like a sandwich. I looked forward to eating them all day...something I can't say about any gel or bar I've ever taken with me. These were a little more difficult to chew and swallow because of the peanut butter, but for a training they worked out great.
And here is the crappy video.
These cakes taste awesome. If you are tired of gels and other sweet stuff, give these a try (the vegan version or the regular version). Unlike bars, they really don't take much chewing. The white sushi rice has a high glycemic index, so it turns to fuel almost instantly.
Last week I tried packing pancakes. I cut them in half and put some peanut butter and maple syrup on them. It was kind of like a sandwich. I looked forward to eating them all day...something I can't say about any gel or bar I've ever taken with me. These were a little more difficult to chew and swallow because of the peanut butter, but for a training they worked out great.
And here is the crappy video.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Calories during workouts
A friend of mine asked me about my poptart eating from the mountain bike race the other day.
Poptarts, in many ways, are NOT the perfect food, but they are pretty convenient. They are cheap, pretty easy to eat, readily available, lightweight, slim, and pretty dense in calories. Each poptart has 200 calories. Since there are 2 poptarts per package, that is 400 calories. If I have to choose between eating 4 gels or 2 poptarts, the poptarts will win every time. Are poptarts healthy? Probably not, but they are good fuel during a ride.
At the race I was eating one every time we hit the last fireroad before the finish. I carried 3 packages with one (a package in each pocket) and had them pre-opened at the top so I didn't have to fumble with them on the trail. I only hit the pit twice; each time to get another bottle of EFS and to restock my pockets.
The goal should be to consume as many calories as your gut will be able to digest. That is a tough number to come up with. The higher the intensity, the less you can digest. Same thing with heat. You'll have to lower your caloric intake (and increase water intake) on a hot day. For the 6 hour race, I knew I'd be in the aerobic zone the whole time, so 400 calories an hour wouldn't be an issue. I wouldn't even attempt that for a crit.
Ideally, you should enter a race with your glycogen stores topped up. The calories you consumed going into the race can get you through a pretty good distance, but you'll want to start eating early, before your body is depleted. Saturday was a pretty tough ride for me. It was 85 miles at a good tempo and I was averaging about 880 kilojoules of work per hour. That translates to about 850-900 calories per hour according to what most books say. If my body can only digest half of that in food, the deficit grows pretty quickly. Once your calorie stores are empty, you bonk. Your race is pretty much over. I experienced this at Hell's Kitchen last year.
Joey Mesa turned me onto Allen Lim's rice cakes a few months back. Do a search on youtube and you can find a video on how to make them. It isn't a rice cake like those Styrofoam things people eat to lose weight. It is a calorie dense, tasty little square that is full of quick burning fuel. The typical Lim rice cake isn't vegan, but since I'll be making my vegan version tomorrow in preparation for my weekend workouts, I'll try and take some pictures or video to show you how it's done on my next post.
Poptarts, in many ways, are NOT the perfect food, but they are pretty convenient. They are cheap, pretty easy to eat, readily available, lightweight, slim, and pretty dense in calories. Each poptart has 200 calories. Since there are 2 poptarts per package, that is 400 calories. If I have to choose between eating 4 gels or 2 poptarts, the poptarts will win every time. Are poptarts healthy? Probably not, but they are good fuel during a ride.
At the race I was eating one every time we hit the last fireroad before the finish. I carried 3 packages with one (a package in each pocket) and had them pre-opened at the top so I didn't have to fumble with them on the trail. I only hit the pit twice; each time to get another bottle of EFS and to restock my pockets.
The goal should be to consume as many calories as your gut will be able to digest. That is a tough number to come up with. The higher the intensity, the less you can digest. Same thing with heat. You'll have to lower your caloric intake (and increase water intake) on a hot day. For the 6 hour race, I knew I'd be in the aerobic zone the whole time, so 400 calories an hour wouldn't be an issue. I wouldn't even attempt that for a crit.
Ideally, you should enter a race with your glycogen stores topped up. The calories you consumed going into the race can get you through a pretty good distance, but you'll want to start eating early, before your body is depleted. Saturday was a pretty tough ride for me. It was 85 miles at a good tempo and I was averaging about 880 kilojoules of work per hour. That translates to about 850-900 calories per hour according to what most books say. If my body can only digest half of that in food, the deficit grows pretty quickly. Once your calorie stores are empty, you bonk. Your race is pretty much over. I experienced this at Hell's Kitchen last year.
Joey Mesa turned me onto Allen Lim's rice cakes a few months back. Do a search on youtube and you can find a video on how to make them. It isn't a rice cake like those Styrofoam things people eat to lose weight. It is a calorie dense, tasty little square that is full of quick burning fuel. The typical Lim rice cake isn't vegan, but since I'll be making my vegan version tomorrow in preparation for my weekend workouts, I'll try and take some pictures or video to show you how it's done on my next post.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Key Workouts
I typically do about 4 "key workouts" per week. What I mean is, out of the 6 days per week I exercise, 4 of them include training hard and the other 2 are pretty easy. It seems to work pretty good for me, so I'll keep doing it.
This time of year, I'll usually do longer intervals at or just above threshold twice during the week. I switch up the interval duration and intensity throughout the year. On Saturdays I will put in a long ride with a variety of efforts that leave me pretty wasted at the end. On Sundays I've been skating in Wichita, which usually includes some strength training and shorter, more intense intervals. Lately, Sunday has been the most painful day of the week. Mondays are off, and two other days a week I just ride for the enjoyment of riding and to help recover a bit. If it is really windy or really cold I will take my mountain bike to the trails instead. When it is really windy, it is hard to have an easy day. I experienced that yesterday after riding about 9mph into a headwind for nearly an hour to try and keep the intensity where I wanted it.
I do have one thing I'd like to change, and actually started implementing last week. On one of my easy days I should be skating really easy with 100% of my focus on technique. Technique/form in skating is so much more important than it is in cycling. Anyone with a decent fitness background can ride a bike quickly with just a short period of training. Skating is different. I get on to other people about not perfecting their technique, but I get just as lazy with mine sometimes. Doing this between key workouts is a great idea because you aren't putting added stress on your body (in fact, you are helping it recover) but at the same time you are building speed through the efficiency of your movement.
There are a lot of different training theories out there. A lot of people seem to believe that doing less intensity but working more frequently is better. For example, they will do multiple days in a row of intervals at about 85%-90% of their threshold. The thought is that while each workout provides less net gain than a workout at 95%-105% of your threshold, you can do the workouts more often because it doesn't fatigue your body as much, and in the big picture you get even stronger. It makes some sense, but I'm not willing to apply it yet. I can handle (and even sometimes enjoy) long and hard threshold intervals twice a week. I don't really want to do intervals every day. Maybe if I was stuck on the trainer, since intervals make the time go by faster. I just like having some variety to my workouts. I like riding hard on some days and easy on others.
Since today wasn't one of my key workout days, I decided to play around with my TT bike fit in preparation for mineral wells. My saddle felt a little high, so I lowered it. I played around with it a couple weeks ago and decided to move my elbows out a little bit. It is 10x more comfortable, and my shoulders actually look tighter this way.
I also tried the LG Rocket and Giro Advantage to see which looked better on my back. Sarah prefers the Rocket for herself, but the Advantage feels a lot better on me. It's way more comfortable and it seems to line up with my back pretty well. The pictures are a little dark, but you can see the outline at least.
This time of year, I'll usually do longer intervals at or just above threshold twice during the week. I switch up the interval duration and intensity throughout the year. On Saturdays I will put in a long ride with a variety of efforts that leave me pretty wasted at the end. On Sundays I've been skating in Wichita, which usually includes some strength training and shorter, more intense intervals. Lately, Sunday has been the most painful day of the week. Mondays are off, and two other days a week I just ride for the enjoyment of riding and to help recover a bit. If it is really windy or really cold I will take my mountain bike to the trails instead. When it is really windy, it is hard to have an easy day. I experienced that yesterday after riding about 9mph into a headwind for nearly an hour to try and keep the intensity where I wanted it.
I do have one thing I'd like to change, and actually started implementing last week. On one of my easy days I should be skating really easy with 100% of my focus on technique. Technique/form in skating is so much more important than it is in cycling. Anyone with a decent fitness background can ride a bike quickly with just a short period of training. Skating is different. I get on to other people about not perfecting their technique, but I get just as lazy with mine sometimes. Doing this between key workouts is a great idea because you aren't putting added stress on your body (in fact, you are helping it recover) but at the same time you are building speed through the efficiency of your movement.
There are a lot of different training theories out there. A lot of people seem to believe that doing less intensity but working more frequently is better. For example, they will do multiple days in a row of intervals at about 85%-90% of their threshold. The thought is that while each workout provides less net gain than a workout at 95%-105% of your threshold, you can do the workouts more often because it doesn't fatigue your body as much, and in the big picture you get even stronger. It makes some sense, but I'm not willing to apply it yet. I can handle (and even sometimes enjoy) long and hard threshold intervals twice a week. I don't really want to do intervals every day. Maybe if I was stuck on the trainer, since intervals make the time go by faster. I just like having some variety to my workouts. I like riding hard on some days and easy on others.
Since today wasn't one of my key workout days, I decided to play around with my TT bike fit in preparation for mineral wells. My saddle felt a little high, so I lowered it. I played around with it a couple weeks ago and decided to move my elbows out a little bit. It is 10x more comfortable, and my shoulders actually look tighter this way.
I also tried the LG Rocket and Giro Advantage to see which looked better on my back. Sarah prefers the Rocket for herself, but the Advantage feels a lot better on me. It's way more comfortable and it seems to line up with my back pretty well. The pictures are a little dark, but you can see the outline at least.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)