Schedule for Saturday

I couldn't find any new information to share, so I thought I would just publish the schedule for Saturday.  Please be there for the team pictures and Tour de Tulsa and don't forget to wear your team kits.

7:00 AM On-site Registration Opens

7:45 AM Everyone should be at the start

8:15  AM Team Pictures

8:30 AM 10 Mile Family Fun Ride (notice the time change)

10:00 AM Training Ride

There is currently a 66% chance of rain on Saturday but I am not sure how that will (or will not) alter this schedule.  Regardless of the weather, I plan on being there for all events prior to the training ride.  If I am already wet, I will probably do some sort of ride, but I might not go for a one hundred miler (that sounds like a saddle sore waiting to happen).  It should be a good time and I look forward to seeing a picture with the entire team.

BTW, I think some people might still be waiting on jerseys.  If you have extras, maybe you could bring them with you so that everyone can be wearing one for the team picture.  Feel free to comment on this blog if you need a jersey.

Training for Stage Racing

On the eve of Joe Martin, I found this article on the physiological demands of stage racing to be pertinent and interesting.  I had to read it a couple of times in order for it to really make sense to me,  but there is some good information in here (even if you don't plan on participating in a stage race).  I like how they take the analysis of the different types of racing and then mention using this information to create training that simulates these demands.  This is known as "specificity" and I think we could all benefit from doing more of this in our training.

Recovery (Part 2)

I had no intention of writing another post on recovery but I stumbled upon this gem today and thought I would pass it along.  I don't think there is any new data here, but I thought this paragraph summed up the training process well:

An optimal training process is based on the alternation of training load and recovery in order to allow the adaptation induced by training stimuli to take place. Hence, it is of great importance that both the recovery days within the week (micro cycle), those within the month (macro cycle), and between the yearly seasons take place. Too often athletes underestimate this essential need, and when they don’t improve their performance, they usually increase training volume and intensity, thinking that is what is needed to improve. More often, this lack of improvement is due to the lack of recovery between training sessions, not because you are not stressing the body enough.

What is a Recovery Ride?

After last night's ride we had a lot of discussion on what exactly is a Recovery Ride? I believe there is a good definition of a recovery ride in The Cyclist's Training Bible; but I don't have my copy of this publication at work, so I had to result to the Internet. I did a quick search and found "Power Training Levels" by Andrew Coggan, Ph.D. which, as the name implies, defines the different training levels/zones.

In short, a recovery ride is any ride spent in Level 1 also known as "Active Recovery". Coggan defines this level as <= 55% of your power at lactate threshold or, for those people training with heart rate monitors, less than or equal to 68% of lactate threshold heart rate. He goes on to describe this zone as:

"Easy spinning" or "light pedal pressure", i.e., very low level exercise, too low in and of itself to induce significant physiological adaptations. Minimal sensation of leg effort/fatigue. Requires no concentration to maintain pace, and continuous conversation possible. Typically used for active recovery after strenuous training days (or races), between interval efforts, or for socializing.

The article continues to expand on all of the different training zones, describes the types of workouts that stress the different zones, and provides a chart of the physiological/performance impacts of working out in such zones.

My search also took me to the article James sent out last week on post ride recovery. This article provides a fantastic description of the type of fatigue we cyclists will experience as well as proper nutritional guidelines for recovering from this fatigue. For your reference, I have linked this article here.

Finally, I found a bike forum where other riders discuss the importance of being disciplined while on a recovery ride.

Mad Skillz (with a "z")

I just saw this while reading Bike Snob and wanted to pass it along. While watching this I was wondering if this guy would be scared going three deep into a turn at 30 MPH while clipped in or if the abilities translate. Regardless, I wish I had this guy's bike-handling skills.

James Secures 2nd in Training Crits

Congratulations to James for placing 2nd in last night's "B" race. We had a big roll out last night and I think everyone had a good time. As mentioned before, I can't think of a better way to train for a criterium than participating in these events. Even if you don't plan on racing in a criterium this year, I encourage you to participate in these "training rides" as it will make you a better (read "faster") cyclist. Good job everyone and I hope to see you out there next week.

Train Smarter not Longer

I was going to title this blog "Train Smarter not Harder" when I realized that part of what I am advocating *is* harder training. What I am not advocating is the need to spend more hours on the bike at the same selected speed that you feel most comfortable riding. That type of training is effective during the off-season; but we are in the meat of the racing season, so it is time for a change.

I have read quite a few resources on training for cyclists (while somewhat educated I am not always the best at putting it into practice) and my favorite book so far is "The Cyclist's Training Bible" by Joe Friel. This book is a treasure trove of information that I will try to pass on through subsequent entries in this blog. If you have the inclination and the resources available (about $17 from Amazon), I recommend purchasing and reading this book.

In "The Cyclist's Training Bible", Friel tells us, "The biggest mistake of most athletes is to make the easy days too challenging, so when it comes time for a tough training day, thy can't go hard enough. This leads to mediocre training, fitness, and performance". In other words, if you are training at about the same intensities and distances each time you ride, then your body is no longer adapting and you are actually losing fitness instead of gainingfitness and speed. All training rides should have a specific goal and the goal of the training rides should help you reach for specific goals as a bike racer.

Unfortunately for me, this probably means that I won't be doing the Monday Night Ride. I love this ride. It is one of my favorite routes and I enjoy hanging with most of the riders that participate in this ride. However, it doesn't fit in my training routine because I want to be able to go very hard at the Tuesday Night Crits. Therefore, I need Monday to be an easier day so that I can go harder on Tuesday. I am in no way saying that you shouldn't participate in the Monday Night Ride. If it fits your training schedule and goals then by all means do it.

I think most of us knew that this would be a "lessons learned" year for us. One thing that I really look forward to doing through the course of this year is developing an annual training plan with the knowledge gained from this year to better prepare myself for next year. For more on that, stay tuned to this blog.

Training for Criteriums

We seem to have hit the time of year where most of the road races have been replaced by criteriums. Those of you who have made it out to the practice crits know that the physiological demands of a criterium are different than that of a road race. In order to perform well in a criterium, your training needs to include workouts that simulate the demands of these races. Here is a link to an informative article on training for criterium racing.

In short, the best thing you can do is participate in the Tuesday Night Crits. These events will not only create the physiological stresses needed to improve fitness for criterium racing, but also improve the bike and mental skills needed for these events. If you can't make it to the Tuesday Night Crits, then try to spend one day a week performing the interval workout described in the linked article.

Twitter

I just wanted to let you know that Bryan is responsible for the Twitter feed now. I will not be held accountable for his actions...

Sorry

Guys (and gals)...sorry about not updating this more frequently or showing up to very many rides. Work has been really busy and it has put me behind on maintaining this site, riding my bike, and hanging out with the team. Hopefully, I will get things more organized in the near future and I can keep this blog updated in a timely manner. I am not sure that it matters though as I don't think anyone is reading this anyway...