Let the training begin

Spring is in the air and it's feels like it's time to ride. I think I finally caught the bug...the training bug that is.

Once again, life with school age children is proving itself to be complex. But, I've settled into a training schedule that appears to be productive on paper.

Monday evening - Computrainer
Tuesday evening - Computrainer
Wednesday evening - Computrainer
Thursday - off
Friday - Morning road ride
Saturday - Long road ride
Sunday - Skills work or trail ride with the kids

Productive training is all about priorities and making the most of the time that you have available. I don't imagine that I would use the computrainer as often if I had more time to ride on the road. But, time is not my luxury. On the positive side, computrainer training is very specific and it can be designed to be the perfect workout from a physiology perspective.

It should be noted that I make a distinct separation between training and rides/races. I'm in total control of my training. If I were doing my training on the road, I would do it solo or with one other person with similar objectives. It's hard to do a training ride with a large group because the group may decide to do something that is contrary to your training objectives.

It appears that this more of a deconstructive entry. That said, before you decide on your training objectives, you need a plan. The plan is established based on your goals and your strengths and weaknesses.

Neuromuscular problems require neuromuscular correction

Neuromuscular problems require neuromuscular correction.

This type of adage comes from my clinical days as a manual physical therapist. My mentor would say "Syndromes that arise from mechanical dysfunction require mechanical correction". Specifically, if a joint is stuck and not moving correctly, there's no amount of medicine that is going to change the mechanical dysfunction of the joint. The joint would require a mechanical solution in the form of a mobilization to restore proper mobility.

The same is true in cycling. The biomechanics of a proper bike fit improve the potential of the neuromuscular system. That's why I typically see a 7-10 point improvement in a clients spinscan after being fit properly. However, if a client presents with a inefficiency of neuromuscular origin, there's no amount of tweaking bike fit that is going to solve the problem. Proper bike fit becomes a the foundation for the solution because it establishes the proper environment for neuromuscular control.

What is the solution? Training in proper techniques. Depending on the client, this may be simple or very difficult. It all depends on the patients ability to control their body in space. This is their proprioceptive and kinesthetic sense. Where is their body in space, how fast is it moving, in what direction, with what intensity? The body has millions of tiny sensors that report information back to the brain so that movement plans can be created. Michael Jordan had fantastic sense for where he was in space at all times.

As I said earlier, the approach is dependent on the client. I prefer to bombard the body with visual, auditory and tactile information that helps the brain begin to create the correct movement pattern that would be most efficient when pedaling a bike. Someone with good position sense, can listen to instructions and make the appropriate change. Others require much more sensory input and time.

Our brain has a fantastic ability to change. It's called plasticity. Under normal conditions, it never stops optimizing as long as it is continually bombarded with corrective sensory information. That make this coaching thing a blast.

USA Cycling Level 2 Coach

It's official. I was notified that I passed the Level 2 Coaches exam earlier this week.

Alabama USA Cycling Coaches

Camping at the 'bouge

It's been a while since we've been camping as a family. Our camper has become more of a yard ornament than a recreational vehicle. I had considered purchasing an old Chevy Chevelle so I could park it in the back yard next to the camper. Obviously, I would have to remove the wheels and put it on blocks and I would open the hood so that weeds could grow up through the engine compartment. In spite of searching for that certain "county - junk yard of the month" look, we decided to hook up the camper and use it.

For convenience, we decided to camp at Chickasabouge Park. We haven't camped there but we were impressed. The bathrooms were clean and the park was well maintained(with the exception of the 20 year old BFGoodrich T/A Radial with raised white letters on the side). Obviously, it came off the Chevelle mentioned earlier.

To the point...
The campsites are right near one of the trail heads. The kids loved being able to ride up and down the hills and across the bridges. For me, it's been about 7 years since I've been on these trails. It brought back a lot of memories. Pretty soon, I was back in a groove.

We think of Chickasabouge from a convenience perspective regarding the trails. However, don't miss out on some local camping too. We plan to go back soon.

Saddles and their impact on bike fit

It's interesting to observe how individuals sit on their respective saddles. We would have to assume that each rider is sitting on their saddle where it is most comfortable. While there are those times when we forsake comfort for other priorities such as aerodynamics, it should be noted that during the vast majority of our time, we want to be comfortable.

Over the course of the couple years that I've been working with cyclists directly, I've made some interesting observations. Some riders naturally select a position towards the front, others towards the back. I've had clients(of the same general shape and size) that end up with the nose of their saddle 3.5cm behind the bottom bracket and others that end up 8cm behind. This has to be driven in part by saddle design, rider anatomy, flexibility and pedaling technique.

Because of this observation, I think it's important to note that changing saddles could have a significant impact on rider position. Changing saddles changes everything. Several things have to be thought out completely.

Maybe you are not considering a new saddle specifically but you are getting a new bike(that comes with a different saddle). Your fit and potential the size frame you ride could be determined by how you sit on the saddle. At the very minimum, seat post design(setback vs. center mount) and stem length are significantly impacted.

Here are the considerations:
1) Padding thickness - If there is a significant amount of padding, you have to consider how much the padding is going to compress. Arbitrary comparison of saddle height between models could leave the rider 1cm lower than a saddle with less padding.
2) Rail height - saddles have different distance between the rails and the actual riding position on the saddle and different distances between the rails and the top. If you just slap a new saddle on the existing seat post, your eventual saddle height will be different
3) Rail angle - some saddle manufacturers angle the rails so that moving the saddle fore and aft doesn't impact saddle height. It's a novel concept but it can't compensate for the variations in seat tube angle. Depending on where you mount the saddle, it might be higher or lower than the previous saddle based on the angle of the rails.
4) Saddle shape - All saddle manufactures are trying to design comfortable performance saddles. Changing saddle shapes may force you to sit more forward or backward to find the most comfortable position. All of this is in comparison to the nose of the saddle. This has a significant impact on the saddle fore/aft position.
5) Sweet spot - Some saddles have one finite sweet spot while others seem to be veritable sofas. Fizik Saddles make a model in each of these categories. The Aliante has one defined sweet spot. If you move forward, you know it. On the other end of the spectrum you have the Arione. You can move a couple centimeters forward or back and you wouldn't be any more or less comfortable. However, your pedaling mechanics could be significantly impacted.

Here are the rules:
Take the time to find a saddle that really works for you. Pardon the pun, it should be an "intimate relationship!" Comfort is king. Not fashion and definitely not weight. If you find a saddle that is comfortable and stylish and weighs less, great.

Once you find that saddle that works for you, continue to use it until you can't find them anymore(perhaps you should purchase two). If you get a new bike and it comes with an OEM saddle that doesn't work for you, pitch it in the nearest trash can or Ebay. Don't let a saddle determine your opinion of the bike as a whole. If the saddle sucks, you may think that of the entire bike when it may not be true.

If you change saddles, get your fit tuned again. Changing saddles should not be allowed to change your mechanics!

Expensive saddles aren't always best(for you). Top end saddles are designed for 135lb. European males. Not 170lb. to 200lb. office monkeys(myself noted) who like to get out and do a little riding for fun and self abuse.

It's time for a little soapbox

Here's the topic of the week.

Coaching.

This coaching thing continues to be a blast. I am so grateful for those of you who have trusted me to help you along your journey. The pleasure is all mine and there aren't many things that I enjoy more than seeing someone perform better because of some information or technique that I imparted. Teaching has long been my greatest satisfaction.

Here's the soapbox: (I don't even know if you call it a soapbox. It's just an opinion and an opportunity to have a rather one sided discussion.)
How many sports or recreational activities thrive from remote coaching? If I were going to take up golf, swimming, running or anything else for that matter, I would probably consider a few sessions with a coach who specializes in that event. Especially, swimming. It's a huge skill sport. Consider golf. Who would want to be coached online by some guy in Oregon and trade lessons by email. In my estimation, the higher the degree of skill, the greater the need for direct coaching.

Cycling is a skill sport. Especially with regard to motor patterns that produce appropriate force to the pedals. These are skills that can be developed once they are properly identified. That's what I have enjoyed the most when I work with my clients.

Unfortunately, cycling has been identified(by it's participants) as a sport of fitness only. Thus we have had the development of hundreds of online "coaches" that use software to produce workout program for riders. Don't get me wrong, the software does a very good job of helping with program design. I use it as a check and balance. However, online coaching cannot tap into the information that can be gained by direct interaction with the athlete. An online coach cannot assess how a cyclist performs an activity from a technical perspective. If two athletes may complete the same prescribed interval set, does that mean that they are equals? Absolutely not.

Before anyone goes postal: Let me acknowledge that the vast majority of online coaches are excellent in their art. It's my opinion that online coaches misuse of their time and talent and it under serves that client.

Now, let's address self coaching. I'm all for it. It is prevalent in all sports and it should be in cycling too. Every rider should be reading about their sport so that they can enhance their personal knowledge. So, I don't have the beef with self coaching.

What's the point?
I am so glad that I started learning about coaching from someone that had already distilled cycling coaching to the finer things before I came along. He had already been down the road and determined what he thought was the most premiere method of applying his talent. Direct one on one experiences where he can share information without distraction. He decided that seeing a rider in person was the only way to gain the most information about their riding styles/habits. I'm glad that I've chosen the same path.

I think online coaches miss out on those critical times when athletes "get it". It's the difference between seeing your child walk for the first time and hearing about it on the phone or email. In this case, the parent misses out significantly more that the child.

Overall, I want to get the most out of being a coach that I can get. That means that I want to be there in person. The relationship is just as important to me as it is to you.

Once again, thanks to all of those individuals who I have worked with over the past couple years. It's a blast for me to work with you.

I love that new bike feel

If you ride a significant number of miles per year, stuff gets worn out. You don't even realize it. It's kind of like your kids growing up. (They are getting bigger but you don't notice the changes).

You remember that new bike feel. It was solid. It didn't sound like a rattle trap every time you ride down a bumpy road. I like to pick my bike up a few inches and drop it. Just to make sure that it sounds solid.

Well, you need to treat yourself to that new bike feel. Don't worry, it won't cost that much.
Here's the formula:
New cables and housings
New chain
New brake pads
New cleats for your shoes
And for God's sake, change the grip tape on your handle bars. (Take a sniff!)

You won't believe the change this makes. The local shop can do all of this and check the headset and other critical components.

If you have a little extra cash. Get ride of the "may pops" and pick up some new rubber.

Last but not least, take these things into consideration.
Handlebar manufacturers recommend changing your handle bar every two years.
That goes for helmets as well.

You will love the new bike feel without the cost.