What is the point of this GCCF thing anyway

It's good to get out of the routine once in a while. It gives you opportunity to mull over things that are just sitting out there waiting for answers. I'm in AZ for a business trip. Most of the time, it's fun and educational. There are seminars to go to and other meetings. Mostly, it's a change of pace. I'm on my rest week from training.

I had the opportunity to have dinner with Jeff and Jacqui last night. They are the couple that inspired me to start Gulf Coast Cycle Fit. Dinner was filled with discussions of the technical aspects of being a cyclist. Things such as neuromuscular control, balance, length-tension ratios and such. We also touched on training. It's interesting that the smallest portion of our conversation focused on the fitness training. If you look at the world of cycling coaching, it's all about fitness training. There are so many other aspects to cycling. Things that don't even get addressed. Jeff and Jacqui are not creating machines that ride bikes faster. They are in the business of helping people become better cyclists. At first glance, you may say that it's all about going faster. I contend with Jeff and Jacqui, it's about people. It's about using my time, knowledge, and desire to make a positive change in another person's life. It's about ministering to others.

Gulf Coast Cycle Fit is in the business of helping people get the most out of cycling. It's my job to address the various aspects of that sport that are overlooked by others.

Riding from a remote location

I've been out of town for a few days. Each year, I take the family to visit my mom and brother. There's a good group of riders here. I would assume that each town it a bit different. Here in Corpus Christi, TX, there are big group rides on the weekends and several small groups during the week. Both yesterday and today, there were 40+ riders for the 40 mile ride. It's the typical group ride with fast sections, sprint points and the typical rider who tries to get away.

As far as my personal training. TODAY IS THE START OF REST WEEK!

I've completed a 6-7 week training period successfully. I'll take a the next week off. If I get on the bike, it will be for very light spinning at a heart rate lower than 140 bpm. By the time I get home, it will be time to step it up again.

Voluntary Flogging aka "Rooster Ride"

I think a sharp stick in the eye would have felt better that the 24+mph average rooster ride this morning.

Yes, I'm still getting dropped on the hills. Today, it was bad luck. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Overall, I still think I'm making progress towards greater fitness.

After today, I'm looking forward to rest week. I still have 3-4 rides/workouts before rest week begins. I can tell you that I'm ready.

In retrospect, I'm very satisfied with my progress. 10 weeks ago, I would get dropped without hope of bridging back to the leaders. Now, with some good breaks, I finish in the lead group. Looking forward, I still see the potential for significant improvement. Even though the peak of race season is over, I'm looking to be ready for the LA/MS Criterium Championships on July 22nd. That will be my first race.

New testing results

It's been two weeks since my last conconi test. Last time, I completed the 320 watt stage and partially completed the 330 watt stage. I've been doing my intervals at 323 watts for the first week and 333 watts for the second week.

Tonight I retested myself on the Modified Conconi test. Tonight, I was able to complete the 340 watt stage and I failed at about 8 seconds into the 350 watt stage. That's a pretty good gain for 2 weeks of training. I followed the test with a max time test at 340 watts. I was able to sustain that intensity for 3 full minutes.

So, in two weeks, I've been able to increase my power and duration at max power. I'll take it. To date, I've only had one training session that didn't go well. Every other workout has been completed and exceeded.

I'm training specifically for aerobic and anerobic tolerance. It's working just as planned.

Hard 50

Long, Fast, Steady

That was the plan. As it turned out, it wasn't as long as I thought it was going to be but it was every bit as hard as I needed. Typically, my HR averages about 148 for a hard ride. Today, I averaged 155. That was for the entire ride which included warm-up and sitting and talking for a few minutes before starting the ride. That's the most intense ride that I've had all season. However, aftwards, I don't feel drained and I plan to do a workout on the trainer tonight to get in a few extra miles. Tonight's ride will be a moderate intensity effort for 1 hour.

Four of us rode across the bay into a tremendous head wind. We averaged 22mph going across. Scott and I turned around in Spanish Fort. He had a migraine headache and had to get to work. I had to get back for honey-do's. We averaged 30mph heading home.

I tried a new Hammer Nutrition product(Perpetuem). I really helped. I mixed it up as a paste in a flask. It was easy to get down and tasted pretty good.

iBike update

I rec'd an email from John Hamman. He's one of the guys at Velocomp. According to him, they made a good bit of progress towards solving the software bugs with the ibike. It's his hope that the next communication will indicated that the units have shipped.

New addition to the website - Trainingpeaks!

Now you can login to Trainingpeaks software directly from the Gulf Coast Cycle Fit website. I've purchased the Trainingpeaks coaching software to help manage client training programs. A subscription to Trainingpeaks is included with each coaching agreement.

If you are a trainingpeaks subscriber, just go to www.gccyclefit.com and scroll down to the login form to login. If you haven't tried the trainingpeaks software, there is an option to sign up for a 7-day trial. I encourage you to give it a try. There's tons of information and resources at your disposal.

On the training front, I'm in rest mode for a couple days. I'll be back out for a very intense ride with Tim and Ed et. al. on Saturday morning. Jay will probably catch up with us as we cross the bay. I hope to do better this week. I'll let you know.

Steady plodding brings prosperity...

The writer of Proverbs understood persistence towards achieving his goals. The Living Bible paraphrases Proverbs 21:5 this way: "Steady plodding brings prosperity while hasty speculation brings poverty". There are so many ways this passage can be applied to life! Cycling and Training are no different. Foundations must be laid and careful planning must be done before we set out towards a goal. I could go on... but you get the point.

Last night was a great workout for me. It was incredibly difficult effort but, I chose to keep going in spite of the pain/suffering. As cyclists we need to suffer and persevere so that we can endure greater suffering later. From a training perspective, the suffering should be measured out so that the body is challenged but it doesn't fail.

I programmed the Computrainer for 282 watts and set out for my 23 minute goal. About half way through the effort, my legs began to build up lactic acid. However, my HR wasn't at my LT threshold. I continued the effort and it actually became easier towards the end. After a 15 min rest, I was able to complete a few short high intensity intervals. My next Computrainer workout is set for Sunday evening. I'm planning to ride at 284 watts. I'll keep going as long as my legs respond.

I have a rest week scheduled for the week of June 25th. Another week and a half of hard work and then I get a break before starting again

I'm already formulating my plans for next year. It's obvious that I started my training plan too late in the season. Next year, things will be different. I'll start earlier with a graduated training plan that has a solid foundation so that I'm race ready in April or May.

Package on the doorstep!

Many of you are aware that I've been waiting for the ibike power meter. Well last night, my waiting was over.

There was a package on the front door step! It was from Dallas, Tx!(headquarters for velocomp/ibike sports). It was curiously heavy. The ibike unit only weighs 58 grams. I envisioned owners manuals and other stuff. Maybe a T-shirt for being so patient.

My daughter ran for a knife to cut the packaging tape as I tried to visualize the contents of the package. Quietly, I tried to figure out how I was going to remove myself from family responsibilities so that I could play with my new toy!

I carefully cut the tape and slowly lifted the flap on the box. And, what did I find when I peered into the box........







IT WASN'T THE iBike! At this point, we shouldn't be allowed to receive any parcels from Dallas, Tx unless they contain the iBike!

I didn't have time to fret because family duties called and I was off doing other things. I'll check to doorstep again this evening.

The thin line between success and STUPID

Cycling is a sport of skill, of logic, of discipline and... of fitness. Being fit is great, but it can only cover up so much "stupid". One bad decision can make the difference between a podium appearance or being pack filler. And, in my case, today was a great example.

I haven't attacked all year. Mostly because I haven't had the fitness. When you lack fitness, you don't have as many opportunities to be stupid. But, recently, my fitness has improved and I thought I would roll one out to see what happened. I spent most of the ride on the ragged trailing edge of the lead group. Several times, I got gapped and had to fight back to get in the group. Somewhere towards the end of the ride, hypoxia took over and I attacked up one of the little hills coming back into town. It felt great!!! I looked back and I has a sizable gap. But, then...the CHECK ENGINE light came on. I was gone! No power!. The group easily caught me. I laughed as they passed. I didn't have the power to jump on. They just rode away.

Long story short. I'm not back just yet. But, I'm fit enough to be stupid. If I keep it under control, thing will continue to improve and my fitness will cover some of the stupid and I'll finish well.

Training plan looking forward. My next workout will be a CP20 workout at 282 tomorrow night. I'll try to add in a few 333 watt intervals as well. Then, I will partake of a well deserved rest for 2 days. This week has been one of my hardest training cycles. I have a rest week scheduled for June 27-July 1.

ibike update. I rec'd a nice email from a guy in Georgia. It's his understanding that the power meters will be shipped soon. :) He's been in the same predicament. Once it arrives, it will give great insight to my road rides.

Weekend finishes well

It was a great training weekend from a couple perspectives. I realized my continued weakness as a longer duration rider, but I finished well with a new high with critical power training at the 20min duration.

There are few guys in town that can go out and ride just that little bit higher intensity for long durations. I'm not one of them(at least, not for the moment). For those of you who are concerned that Ed is over the hill, washed up or has otherwise move on to shuffleboard, you need to rethink your opinion. There are few riders in Mobile that can ride with his kind of determination. He will get you out of your game and into trouble if you aren't careful. Here's the short version. We rode with the intention of maintaining a 22mph average for 4 hours. As you know, that means that you have to ride 23 or above with stop light and traffic. Let's say that I couldn't hack it. I made it almost all the way across the bay where we met Jay.

Jay was fresh and decided to take the pace to 25-26mph. That was my ticket out. They were kind enough to tow me along until crossroads where to turned around to cruise home. I was surprised that I was able to maintain 19-20 on the way home. Otherwise, I was toast.

Last night was better. You may have noticed that I converted my workouts from 20 minute intervals to 1-2 minute intervals. I did that because I wasn't able to successfully complete the CP20 workout at 280 watts. After a bit of a change in the program, I returned to attempt 280 watts for 20 minutes. I was able to complete it and surpass it by 3 minutes. That means I get to raise the bar to 282 for my next CP workout. In addition, I completed 3 intervals at 333 watts for a total training stress score of 80. It was a tough effort but it felt great. I can't wait for rooster ride?

Intervals completed for the week

This post is a bit late. The riding position information was more important.

I completed my training week on Wednesday evening. My training week runs from Saturday morning to Wednesday Evening. I take Thursday and Friday off. In the past, I've taken two days off but they were usually separated by a few days. Having a longer rest period allows me to recover from higher intensity efforts. Granted, it is just for this period of training.

Wednesday, I continued with the 323 watt intervals. I extended my time to 101 seconds per interval with a 200 second rest. I was able to complete 9 efforts.

Here's the training week starting tomorrow.
Saturday ride(3-4)hours
Sunday - 87 second intervals at 333 watts
Monday - Moderate intensity ride
Rooster Ride Tuesday - Race simulation
Wednesday - 101 second intervals at 333 watts
Thursday - Rest
Friday - Rest

Curiosity/Change

I had several emails regarding my last post. It brings me satisfaction that I've been able to write something that spurs curiosity. Why are we doing these things? It doesn't matter if is relates to riding position, training protocols, diet, etc. Are we using a logical progression of analysis and following it up with objective testing, or are we making decisions based on fad or feeling?

Every once in a while, we need to question everything. Then, re-assess our stance. If you do these self checks, you will stay in line with the things that are important.

So, what's my goal?
"I want to ..."
What are the things that could potentially prevent me from achieving my goal?
1)
2)
3)
4)

Of these impediments, which things can I change?
1)
3)
4)

After analysis, which ones need to be changed?
1)
4)

What is my plan to make effective change in these areas?
1)
a)
b)
4)
a)
b)

How will I know if these changes made a difference? Retest and start all over!

Forgive me if I left something out. Take the time to go through the process. I know this is getting a bit long but I'll put some personal information in here to see how it works

Goal:
I want to be one of the top 3-5 riders in the Mobile area. Nothing personal, just a goal.

Impediments
1) Poor training schedule and dedication during the early season
2) Overweight as a result of the bountiful holiday season
3) Bad dietary habits overall
4) I turned 40
5) Family, Job etc.

Things that can change:
1) Training schedule
2) Weight
3) Dietary habits

What needed to be changed?
Training scheudule and eating habits. If I did these things, the weight issue would take care of itself.

Plan:
1) I changed my training plan to better fit my family's needs.
a) I picked the two most important rides of the week(for me). Tuesdays(fast) and Saturdays(long)
b) I supplement other training days with prescribed indoor training that is geared toward my areas of weakness
1. Base
2. Short duration power
2) I changed my eating habits. More fruits, vegatables, no caffine, smaller portions. I kept my periodic cup of Blue Bell Chocolate Chip ice cream

Re-assess:
I've kept track of my objective power changes. Things are better.
I'm not getting dropped as bad on Tuesday morning.
I've lost 10 lbs

I still haven't achieved my goal. I will reassess everything once I hit a plateau.

This works for everything.

What's the point?

You are probably wondering why I made my previous post. Maybe you aren't. I'll tell you anyway.

As we were riding this morning, the group was cruising along at about 26mph. The lead changed and I was second in line. The new leader assumed the aero position and rapidly slowed to 24mph and bailed out. Why?

He was aerodynamic! He was low. He should have been fast.

Here's the fact: Each time he turned the crank, he was spending more effort overcoming internal resistance than pedaling the bike. As the crank moved towards the top, his hip would go to maximum flexion. However, the crank still had to go over the top. Since his hip was in maximum flexion, he compensated by rotating his lumbar spine to give the crank enough room to cross top dead center.

Where does the effort come from to hoist the leg up and rotate the pelvis and trunk? It comes from the leg that is pushing down! The pushing leg(for lack of a better term) is suppose to be pedaling the bike, not altering posture.

Here's another issue: Each time the center of gravity shifts on the bike, you have to steer to keep the bike underneath you. If you are contantly steering back and forth, you are taking a longer line from point A to point B.

Please understand, this is not an indictment of the person. It's an indictment of priority. If you choose Aero as your first priority, you will be limited based on biomechanics

Positioning

One main goal of good bike fit or position...

You should be placed on the bike so that you have the least amount of intrinsic resistance to movement. If your aero- position increases your intrinsic restistance to motion, you accomplish nothing. Ultimately, you will slow down or you will develop over use injuries.

Give your body room to move on the bike. Use muscular effort to pedal the bike!

Great interval workout

Now that's an oxymoron.

I don't think I've every used "great" and "interval" in the same sentence. That is, unless I've said that they are a "great pain in the a$$!".

I hope that you have noticed one thing over the course of the last few weeks. My workouts are not hap-hazzard. They are based on objective information from objective testing. Therefore, the workouts that follow are in the appropriate intensity range for my fitness and physiology.

Last night, I did eight(8) 87 second intervals at 323 watts. Training with power allows you to tap into the exercise physiology research that is out there and do workouts that are designed for you. 323 watts was my maximum wattage on the Modified Conconi Test. 87 seconds is 60% of my Tmax (Max time) at 323 watts. My next interval workout will be eight to ten 101 second(70% of my Tmax) intervals at 323 watts. Next week, I'll be doing 50%, 60% and 70% Tmax workouts at 333 watts. I'll retest my Conconi and Tmax tests during the third week.

After the workout, I downloaded the information into Cyclingpeaks software. My Training Stress Score was 62. Training stress score is a calculation that was developed by Andy Coggan, pHd. It estimates your training load for each workout. I can get into this more on another post.

I can tell that I've taken another step up in riding performance. I'm looking forward to the Rooster ride tomorrow.

iBike news - I wish it were good!

As many of you are aware, I've been waiting for the release of the iBike Pro. It's the latest entry into the cycling power meter market. Originally, it was to be released in October, 2005. However, when they demo'd the product at interbike 2005, they realized that they had more work to do. They went back to the drawing board and worked to improve the durability of the device. Since that time, they have delayed shipment multiple times for one problem or another.

As I understood it, the devices were suppose to ship last week. But, due to some newly discovered bugs, release was delayed again. I exchanged emails with John Hamman. He is one of the principles of iBike Sports/Velocomp. He sounded pretty frustrated. However, his response to my questions centered around a desire to release a quality product. He is willing to deal with the delays if it assures that the iBike does it's job correctly. He said that he has tested the product against the Ergomo and the results are within 1%. That sounds pretty good. When I asked about timeframes, he was reluctant to say anything. He's hoping that it will be soon.

So do I.

Modified Conconi Test Results

Personally, I was a bit disappointed with my test performance. But, the facts are the facts. Now I have a short duration interval baseline. I'll test again in a couple weeks.

The Modified Conconi Test is a wattage based test that increases resistance by 10 watts every minute. I made it to the 330watt step and failed. 320 watts was my last successful step.

I followed up with a duration test. I set the computrainer to 320 watts and rode as long as I could. With the computrainer set to 320, I was able to ride 2min, 23 sec. Also, I took some HR data from the Conconi Test.

With this data in hand, I can do programmed interval training. Over the next few weeks, I plan to increase my training intensity. Also, I plan to increase my rest time. I will be riding Saturday - Tuesday with rather high intensity and doing active recovery or resting Wednesday-Friday.

As I said before, I was a bit disappointed but it's a place to start and I will adjust the intensity of the workouts once I retest in a couple weeks.

Here are the goals of this training program.
I am riding well at high speeds. However, when there's a surge, I get dropped. Doing high intensity work will help me stay with the lead group when the heat gets turned up a bit.

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