by Patricia Schwager

Eat a meal 2.5 to 3 hours pre-race. This is your last chance to fuel your body for the race. Aim for easy to digest carbohydrates and small amounts of fat and protein. This meal can be pretty big. So if racing in the AM, eat a good size breakfast. If racing in the PM, eat an early lunch. Before a TT you may want to have some more time to digest; eat 3.5-4 hours before your TT start time. Keep hydrating during the time till your race starts.

Have a small snack around the time you are warming up. If your race is short (1 hour) take 1 bottle and 1 gel with you.

If you are racing longer than 1 hour, drink at least 1 bottle per hour. Make sure that 1 or better both of your bottles contain some kind of a drink mix. Drinking plain water only doesn’t help you to replace the minerals you are sweating out. Eat something every 30min (gel, 1/2 bar, banana etc.)

It is easy to forget to eat and drink during a race. In cold conditions for example, you might feel less thirsty. Or maybe you are just too scared to take your hands off your handle bar to grab a bottle or a bar. Yep I admit, I made that mistake quite a few times while racing the spring classic races in northern Europe. Instead of eating and drinking enough during the race, I decided to rather keep my hands on my handlebar and not lose any positions in the bunch- it was a bad idea of course.

Remember to eat and drink during a race, the longer the race the more important it is. Try to eat/ drink small amounts but repeat every 15min or so instead of eating a whole bar in once and then nothing for the next hour.

Make use of calm moments or good places in a race to eat and drink. Don’t choose to eat your energy bar right before you head into the next climb.

Very important is also to test a new product at first in training before you use it in a race. Try to find out what works best for you. Not everyone is the same- make sure your nutrition and hydration is dialed in before you use it in racing.

Getting tired of the sweetness or always same flavors of your bars and gels? Try a savory version instead. (Personally I really like a salty nuts bar for a change.)

Sometimes the easy things can be better for you. Instead of always buying expensive bars, gels or drops you could make your own additional race food, just so you have something different in your pockets.

Here are some ideas to make your own race food, it is very easy! Buy waffles, cut them in smaller pieces, putting two together like a sandwich and fill them with jam, vanilla cream, Nutella, peanut or almond butter, etc. Wrap them with foil and they are ready to go in your pocket. Buy some milk breads (small soft breads). Cut them in half and take out some of the soft middle part. Fill in sweets like jam, banana& honey, almond butter etc. or go savory and stuff them with ham or cheese. In the end you put the top back into the bread to close it and ensure the filling stays inside. Again wrap up in foil. These “panini” are a typical Italian style race food.

Other foods that are great to put in your pockets are: coconut macaroons, stroop waffels (the originals are from the Netherlands), dried fruits, bananas, self-made rice cakes etc.

Some more tips:

• Take a scissors/knife and cut your bars in half. You will have less problems with unwrapping them during the race and that way they are already in a good size/serving to eat in once.
• If you need to eat during a race but you know it will be hard to do so, then prepare your bottle before the start with pouring a gel into your bottle. That way you get your energy in without messing around with opening that gel. Typical race to use that tip would be a criterium.
• Don’t throw the empty gel/bar wrapping just out into the nature, put the trash back in your jersey pocket and throw it out in the feeding zone (usually race organizers take care about trash in feeding zones) or then keep it in your pocket till the finish.
• Don’t forget that your nutrition is also important once the race is over! After your cool down keep drinking and within 25 minutes eat and/or drink something easily digestible with simple carbohydrates and a little protein –more protein and less carbohydrate if you are a woman.
• Eat a normal meal 2 hours post-race. Balance the calories you expended during the day of racing with the calories consumed the rest of the day. The right nutrition will help you recover from the race and feel better tomorrow.

ABOUT PATRICIA SCHWAGER

Patricia Schwager began cycling in 1998, racing as a junior. After racing on the domestic level and completing her Diploma as Pastry Chef, she got her first pro contract in 2006. 2015 will be here 10th year of professional racing. Patricia has a lot of experience racing in the European peloton. In 2013 she started working with Shawn Heidgen (Current ALP Cycles Coach) as her personal coach. In 2014 she changed her focus to racing in the US. Patricia is a 6 time national Swiss champion and has represented her home country, Switzerland, at the World Championships 12 times.

by Brianna "Brie" Wall

It's officially the start of "Stage Racing" season and riders are priming their legs and lungs for the first set of performance(s). All the off-season training and preparation will be displayed as athletes anxiously await in the final countdown before "game time."

There are two aspects behind preparation for a Stage Race: the physical time and energy and the mental aspects. Physically, you've done your homework training and tapering for the event, but how does one cope with the anxiety and stress behind the mental preparation? Below are some of my personal tips on how to mentally get zoned in and equally zoned out for optimal performance.

1. Mental preparation: studying the courses:

• Once available, skim through the race bible, making a mental "map" of the general flow and rhythm of the race.
• For me, it was helpful to draw a "map" of the stage and include visual cues to help digest the week ahead.
• If a race bible isn't available yet, use the previous year(s) bible as a guide. Make mental notes of adjustments to the courses and take in any "word of mouth" changes as well. 
• Take each stage one day at a time. Similar to chapters in a book, each with an individual theme with characteristics. 
• Note your strengths as a rider on particular days and hone in on those skills. Example: if one day is a "power climb" type of day, write "strength-power climbing!" 
• Note challenges or struggles to keep in mind ie: longer hilltop climb finish days and historically going out too hard in the first half of the climb - include a cue such as "ride within, know thy zones" or a cue to remind yourself of  your steady "pace" on that climb.
• Maybe it's even helpful to write "ride your guts out" or "beer on top!" It is really anything motivating or distracting if the the climb is daunting (rider preference). Point is to use your strengths and know your weaknesses.
• "Maps" are especially helpful for Time-Trials. In my race career, I would draw out the race profile, with my own personal cues and notes to help me visualize the course. I would include my own notes from doing a course recon on the actual course. Basically, notes to help me pace my race. 

2. Mental Preparation: riding the courses

• Once the theoretical studying of the courses has been completed, go out and ride the courses. We're all visual learners - fill the gaps. 
• Take additional notes once you're on course.  I would bring my phone, sometimes take videos or pictures of parts of the course and write notes in my phone or voice messages. Basically take in all and everything that you can.
• Focus on lines (especially for TT's), wind patterns, obstacles on the course and note areas where you think there may be break-away opportunities. In TT's, I would note places on the course to go a specific zone or exertion, making notes of a physical cue ie: a BBQ stand on course. 
• If you are not able to preview the race courses in person, use Google Maps (street view) to virtually explore the course. Any preview is better than none. 
• Doing a recon will reduce your anxiety on race day.

3. Mental Preparation: RELAXING HARD & good distractions

• It's super easy to get fixated on the racing - teammates are talking about it outside of "team meeting" time frames, you've got a nervous roommate, etc...it's equally important to relax and let your mind flow onto other topics. Otherwise it could be detrimental to your race performance. 
• It's ok to be focused, but it's also important to sprinkle in the fun to keep you balanced - this keeps the anxiety levels lower and reduces "performance pressure."
• I would always make sure that in the days leading into racing, I had time carved out for: pedicures, coffee, a nice lunch, etc. This is especially good to do with teammates to cultivate team-chemistry and enjoy some fun before it's game time. 
• REST HARD between the Stages - feet up, take in your nutrition and watch a funny comedy, for example, play cards, read, etc. 
• The day/evening before the next stage, briefly (10-15 mins) read through your "notes" and re-familiarize yourself with the day ahead. This can help alleviate the race day jitters...then, put your feed up, do something fun and later something relaxing before bed, ie: bath or shower, meditate, read, some stretching, etc. 

Remember, you've done your homework. Now it's time to shine! Re-evaluate and revise your race goals daily, be flexible and most importantly HAVE FUN! If you have FUN, you actually go FASTER, and this is a FACT!

ABOUT BRIANNA "BRIE" WALLE

Brie is originally from Portland, Oregon and comes from a multi-sport background. Alpine ski racing and cross-country running were her early specialties, but cycling has always been #1.

Brianna has close to a decade of racing experience, including Cyclocross. She joins us after racing 5 years on UCI international teams TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank and Optum Por Cycling p/b Kelley Benefit Strategies (currently known as "Rally Cycling"). She was a General Classification (G.C.) rider with strengths in individual and Team Time Trial. Her proudest moments include winning the 2016 North Star Grand Prix, 2014 Tour de Feminin (Czech), 2015 USA Team Time Trial National Championship and working for Mara Abbott (USA National Team) at the 2013 Giro Rosa. Brianna specializes in: Road racing and tactics, cyclocross and exceptional communication skills.. She is looking forward to passing on her knowledge and assisting her athletes in reaching their full potential.

Photo: 2014 Tour of California (Time Trial): 1st: AP, 2nd: Myself, 3rd: Taylor Wiles

by Patricia Schwager

Some athletes have already completed their first race of the season, others will kick off their season very soon. Either way, everyone is excited to finally pin on a number and make use of all the training during the winter months.

But in order to have success, you should be well prepared for race day.

Ideally one should have a race day routine and maybe even a checklist that will help get the mind into the game.

Here are some tips and tricks:

1. Check the condition of your bike: Is your bike in good working order? Are the tires, brakes, drive-train and shifting in good condition and working? If the bike needs any work done, bring it to the shop early enough to have the bike "race ready." Especially after winter training, it is important that your bike will get a good maintenance check. Also make sure the cleats on your cycling shoes are in good condition. 
   
   
2. Check batteries: If your bike has electronic shifting; check the battery status and charge the battery if needed. 
   
   
3. Pack your trainer or rollers for a proper warm-up, especially for Time Trials or Criteriums.
   
   
4. Talk with your coach about the race course, strategy and how to approach the race. 
   
   
5. Look at the race course, profile, past results (how did the race unfold/end last year?) and check weather forecast. If needed write a stem (or top tube) tape with some important cues. The stem notes will help you to remember important key points during the race.
   
   
6. Pack your bag the day before the race to avoid any stress on race day. Don't forget to bring your race license. Pack bike tools, pump and any other items you will need. Bring enough clothing options and layers even if the weather forecast looks good. Having an extra jacket or arm/knee/legwarmer as options is always good. Also bring some warm enough clothing to wear during the warm-up and after the race. 
   
   
7. Nutrition: Prepare your race bottles and race food the night before. Bring food and hydration/water for pre and post race. Remember that you should have a recovery drink within 30 mins after finishing the race plus a snack (solid food). 
   
   
8. Pre-talk with your teammates: Show up at the race venue with enough time to pick up your race number, warm-up and also to have a chat with your teammates about the race. Having a plan/tactic for the race is key for success. Have a back up plan ready (plan B) in case plan A is not working out during the race. 
9. Pre-ride the race course or the last few miles. This may not be possible for every race, but if you can pre-ride a course or at lease the final few miles of a race, it will be an advantage for you in the race. If you live close enough to the race course, you should pre-ride the race course in training. 
   
   
10. Post Race: Put on some dry and warm clothing, have your recovery drink and go for a cool-down ride (spin your legs out with an easy gear for 10-15 mins). Don't forget to have your post race snack. Have a chat with your teammates and coach about what went well and what could have been better/can be improved for next time.

Good luck to all our ALP Cycles Athletes for their race season!

ABOUT PATRICIA SCHWAGER

Patricia Schwager began racing as a junior in 1998. After racing at the domestic level and completing her Diploma as Pastry Chef, she got her first professional cycling contract in 2006. Patricia raced 10 years on professional level and has a lot of experience racing in the European peloton. She raced for some of the best and biggest teams like: Raleigh-Lifeforce, Cervélo TestTeam, Nederland Bloeit, Faren-Kuota, TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank. Patricia is a 6 time national Swiss champion and has represented her home country, Switzerland, at the World Championships 12 times.

In early 2016, Patricia ended her pro racing career due to a chronic leg injury. She enjoys sharing and passing on her knowledge in her role as an ALP Cycles Coach. Patricia has 2 Diplomas from the Swiss Federal office of Sport as Cycling Coach J&S and Cycling C-Coach J&S. She also has a TrainingPeaks Level 1 certification. Along with coaching, she also works as Logistics Coordinator for Team TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank.

Patricia specializes in road racing and race tactics. 

by Patricia Schwager, ALP Cycles Coaching

In order to have success in a race, you have to be prepared for the race. Great training alone won’t do it.

This means you have to know the facts about the race and race course and then come up with a tactic on how you can reach your goal for the race.

Use tools such as the race bible, previous results, online resources (GoogleEarth, Strava, etc) and check out the race map, course description and profile. What is the race distance? Is the race a certain amount of laps or from point A to B? It is also important to know where and when primes, sprint points, KOM’s (QOM’s), etc. are. It might s not be your plan to go for the primes, KOM’s, etc- but you have to know that at this point in the race; some other riders will go for it and the pace of the race will pick up. After a prime or mid race sprint it is always a good situation to launch a counter attack.

The more important facts to find out are: is it flat or hilly? Long or short climbs? Any technical parts where you better stay in the first positions? Tricky descents? Is the race course wide open or covered by trees/ houses? Wide roads or narrow roads? Is the pavement bad or good? Cobbles or dirt sections? If it is windy, make sure to know the wind direction. It is very important to know the tail- head or crosswind sections.

Once you know all the facts, you have to create your race tactic. What is your goal, what is your team’s goal, and how can you reach those goals?

Maybe it is your plan to play it defensively and wait for the final sprint. Or maybe you decide to race offensive and try your luck in a break.

You also have to find an answer for these questions:

• Where do you need to be in the first positions of the pack?
  
  
• In which part of the race course can you hide in the bunch and save energy?
  
  
• Where are good places to attack?

Pay special attention to the last km/mi of the race. Where is the final corner, what position should you have going into it and where do you start your sprint?

If you have done the race before- you should remember the race course and how the race unfolded the last time (make sure to use a training log so you can make notes about each race- what went well and what could have been done better).

If you are doing the race for the first time, you can ask other riders or teammates who did the race before about how the race went and what to expect. This can be helpful to get a few tips, but it could be confusing too, as you might hear completely different opinions about the exact same racecourse.

This is why I personally prefer to see the racecourse myself, just so I get my own opinion/picture of it in my head.

The best option is if you can pre ride a race course. For a TT is it absolutely essential to pre ride it. You have to know the corners and the shortest line through the TT-course. And you also need to figure out how to pace your TT.

For a criterium or circuit-race; you should be able to pre ride a lap or two during warm-up as the laps are short.

However, for a road race it isn’t always possible to see the whole racecourse, especially if the race goes from point A to point B. This is when you have to do some research. If the race website provides good info with a map/profile make use of that. You can also use Google Earth, as it gives you a pretty good idea how it will look like. Another good thing to do is to create the race route and profile. This is pretty easy to do, on Strava for example, and will help you to understand the race course better.

Most helpful tip: write down the important things on a small piece of tape and put it on your stem or top tube.

Mileage of things like sprints, climbs, feeding zones and finish. That way it is easy to remember the important points in the race, especially when your mind is getting tired from suffering during the race.

Before you go to a race, you need to have a picture in your mind about the race course. It is important to know what will await you and during the race you should know exactly what will come up next. You need to have a personal goal for the race and a plan how to reach it. If you need help, ask your coach for advice and tips!

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ABOUT PATRICIA SCHWAGER

Patricia Schwager began cycling in 1998, racing as a junior. After racing on the domestic level and completing her Diploma as Pastry Chef, she got her first pro contract in 2006. 2015 will be here 10th year of professional racing. Patricia has a lot of experience racing in the European peloton. In 2013 she started working with Shawn Heidgen (Current ALP Cycles Coach) as her personal coach. In 2014 she changed her focus to racing in the US. Patricia is a 6 time national Swiss champion and has represented her home country, Switzerland, at the World Championships 12 times.

For 2015, Patricia will race for Team Tibco. Along with racing she’s looking to share and pass on her knowledge in her new role as an ALP Cycles Coach. Visit her online at https://indyfreelance.com/

by David Newcomer / Customer Service Manager

Getting back to racing this year taught me some good lessons. It was a modest re-introduction, don't get me wrong. There have been some issues in the last couple years that certainly didn't help, but a lot of it was on me. I just needed to make the time and commit. That took more than I expected.

When I decided this fall to get back with a few cyclocross race, I went into it with just three objectives: have fun, learn from it, and do it again. I'm happy to report that in my first race, I achieved two out of three! And by the time I raced in the Colorado State Championship last weekend, I'd met the third objective a couple of times.

For those not familiar with racing formats, you don't need to qualify for State Championships, by the way. 

My first race was in Louisville, Colorado. It was warm, dusty, and fast. The race venue has a reputation for bad weather and is often called the "Bowl of Death." That wasn't the case this year, and my wife and daughter both joined me to cheer me on. I had fun. I learned a lot.

A couple weeks later I raced the Cross of the North in Fort Collins. Introduced my wife's sister and her husband to cyclocross racing. Didn't hurt that it was at the New Belgium Brewery. This was a 2-day race and we had a blast cheering on the races Saturday. Sunday morning brought my start time with snow and cold. The course had changed routes and the conditions made it a whole new experience. Fun? Yes, again. Learning? Oh boy.

Racing States I was nervous. Really nervous. It was even colder than the race in Fort Collins and my rear brake had acquired moisture somehow in the cable housing. It was frozen. I had to stuff the bike in the back of the car and crank the heat to defrost it while I warmed up on the trainer with my road bike. 

In cyclocross races you get called up to the start based on how many points you've accumulated in the season. To bring the point home about my participation in the state championships, I was the last name called. Fine. Made my objective this time a clear one. I'd decided to race. Race hard. The first couple races I was still getting my bearings and taking it easy. This race was going to be different. Or so I thought. 

I got a flat in the first lap. I was doing pretty well prior to that. I had already passed a number of racers and was mid-pack. But the flat set me back. All the way back. I'm going to list my learning "opportunities" here in a minute, but this one will stick with me. I don't have a pit bike. I don't have spare wheels. But I should certainly have my CO2 and inflator in my pocket, not the seat bag (though, thankfully, I at least had that). 

What else did I learn? Here's the short list.

1. Riding isn't training – Commuting isn't training. Next year will be one that sees a specific training schedule. Likely with the help of a coach.

2. Warm-Up – Find a pre-race routine and stick to it. You've got to put in some hard efforts and get ready for the start which is fast and furious.

3. Look up – Particularly in CX, you've got to see the exit of the turn. The courses demand good handling and have a lot of tight spots, challenging short hills to climb, and barriers to dismount and run over or through. Staring at your front tire helps with none of these.

4. Yes, practice your dismount and remount – But don't be too intimidated by it. You can do it. 

5. Be prepared with the right equipment – Tire choice is a big one. Toe spikes can be helpful for hills encased in ice! Clothing-wise I was fine!

7. Share the love – I introduced a few new people to the scene (thanks for cheering me on!) and ran into a lot of old friends I've not seen for a while.

Racing is a great community and it was so much easier to come back to than I'd built up in my head. The exeprience was amazing. I'm looking forward to next year already!

Scratch that. I'm training for next year!

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About the Author

by Alison Powers, ALP Cycles Coaching

The art of being prepared comes down to one simple thing – no surprises on race day.

Preparing for race day is more than training and recovery. Success on race day requires precise preparation. This means the things you can control should be dialed in, ready, and give you confidence to have the best performance possible.

“Fail to prepare and prepare to fail” – famous quote by someone who inspires people to get their shit together.

Preparation begins the weeks leading into the race. Do your homework and learn things such as – what is the length of the course, what are the fitness and skills demands of the course/race, when do I need to register for the race, who will be my competition, winning times form previous years, average weather temperature for that time of year, etc. Once you know this basic information, talk it over with your coach, and come up with a plan for success.

Preparation continues the week of the race. During this time, make sure your equipment is dialed in. Bike is clean and in good working condition-same with tires, cleats, suspension, etc. Missing the winning breakaway because you couldn’t get it in the big chain ring is not a good excuse for a bad race.

The day before the race is where little things you do to prepare can make big differences. These include, pre-riding the course, checking who’s pre-registered so you know your competition, eating and hydrating well, preparing your race bag (clothing, shoes, helmet, extra clothing, recovery drink, etc.) and day of and race food and resting and sleeping.

Preparation continues the day of the race. Most successful racers have a well-tested pre-race routine and they stick to it. Dialing in your own pre-race routine will ensure that you arrive at the start line feeling calm and ready. This pre-race routine includes things like; having a schedule for when to eat breakfast, when to pack the car, drive to the race, pick up race numbers, and pre-ride the course. This will help ensure you don’t forget items at home and you’re ready for everything. This routine also includes food, drink, bathroom, etc. The goal is to know exactly what to eat, when to eat it, when to pee, and when and how much to drink.

The goal of all this preparation is to give you  the best possible chance to have as successful race. During the race, you must put this preparation into place. Have a pre-race plan and stick to it as best as possible (or have a plan B and/or C in case plan A didn’t work). Make sure to eat and drink according to plan, and trust that all the hard work you have put in will pay off.

Finally, your preparation continues post-race. After cooling down, make sure to have a change of clothes, post-race nutrition (food and/or recovery drink), and give some thought as to what went well and what you can improve upon so come next race, you are better prepared for success.

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ABOUT ALISON POWERS

Alison Powers only recently retired from cycling, finishing her final season on the UnitedHealthcare Women’s Team. Her career has spanned a wide array of wins, including the 2013 USA Cycling Professional Criterium National Championship where she won in memorable fashion by soloing after an early breakaway that obliterated the pro women’s peloton. Other standout results during the 33-year-old’s 2013 season include the win at Redlands Bicycle Classic, second at the Tour of Elk Grove, third at the US National Road Championship and the US National Time Trial Championship, and stage wins at Cascade Classic, Tulsa Tough, Tour of the Gila and Redlands Bicycle Classic. Hailing from Fraser, Colorado, Powers has been racing bikes professionally for eight years and is a true athlete with her career beginning as a teenager in mountain bike racing. In her mid 20s, she added in alpine ski racing before switching over to the road. In addition to being the current Criterium National Champion, Powers has two other national championships (Time Trial, Team Pursuit) and 2 NRC titles (2009, 2013).

by Jennifer Sharp, ALP Cycles Coaching

This past April and May, I had the pleasure of racing the Cherry Creek Time trial series with ALP Cycles Coaching Athlete, Kimberly Hodes. Kimberly (who is very goal driven – she is a master kettle bell world champion!) and I have been working together since January. When she put the time trial series on her calendar, I agreed to join her as an opportunity to dial in both of our time trial skills and give her some hands-on coaching. We carpooled together in my van from Boulder and made a ritual of meeting for seven consecutive Wednesday afternoons before traffic so we could better our times on the 9.5 mile course with 300 feet of elevation gain.

Our first appearance at the time trial was almost comical – if it could go wrong, it did. From mistiming the warmup, to putting a ding in a brand new Zipp rear disk, to going out too hard from the start and detonating later in the effort. The good news? This was a perfect coaching moment. We could improve our pre-race ritual, mental approach, execution of the ride and post-race ritual. I knew to trust the process and that each week was an opportunity to get better. I suspect Kimberly thought I was nuts.

How could we go from a botched time trial and mediocre performance to being within striking distance to win?

The next week still proved comical as Kimberly nearly took out the starting tent when the volunteer holder decided to hold onto her. But we both reigned in our initial start in order to save ourselves and finished strong during the second half of the ride. Our times shot up the leader board and it fostered confidence and optimism that we were headed in the right direction. We both saw marked power improvements and a steady correlation between our average power and our normalized power. The closer the two numbers are, the more steady of a ride. Time trialing is all about pacing and skating the fine line between going too hard and not hard enough.

The following week, we applied our refined pre-race ritual and aimed for even higher average power. A “strapping young fellow” held the riders at the start and Kimberly was thrilled to get a clean start and not take out the starting tent. She focused on her ride and when her legs started to hurt she told them to just keep going. The result? A win for Kimberly and a near win for myself. Kimberly couldn’t believe it – thinking it was some sort of fluke. I assured her – it was not. It was a testament to her hard work, persistence, perseverance and willingness to try, week in and week out.

Week four I had a last minute trip come up to the South East Speedweek crits and Kimberly had to fend for herself. After creating a well established pre-race routine, she didn’t let the change mess her up. Instead, she took everything she needed in her own car and made her way to the start, getting into the zone for her warmup and won again! She dialed in her mindset and found what worked for her.

When we did a post-race debrief, she said that she felt a little more pressure to perform from her husband and her team since she had two good weeks in a row. What she recognized was that her mindset was the biggest contributor to her success – if you believe in yourself you can do anything. All you have to do is show up to the seating line and ride the best of your ability. Below is her reflective piece on figuring out what worked best for her.

“In a nutshell, there seem to be three types of activities that are done pre-race: required (pinning on the number, getting to the start line, etc.); recommended (inflate your tires, eat a meal x hours before, drink x ounces of water, warmup for x minutes, etc.) and finally, those that I’ll call the ridiculous – activities which are usually linked to the required and recommended, but have no real value in the big picture. It seems like the perceived value of the ridiculous can skyrocket if the activity is performed and the race outcome is a good result. Now what seemed to be an arbitrary thing will be mandatory before the next race.

For example, when I pin on my number, it really doesn’t matter what order I insert the ins. Going clockwise or counterclockwise will not guarantee a spot on the podium. Whether I put seven or twelve pieces of arugula in my pre-race meal sandwich will not guarantee a spot on the podium. And yet, because of the way our brains are wired, these meaningless activities can take on a greater importance, to the point of becoming a distraction.

I think the trick is to try to recognize these activities as ridiculous and non-essential, and realize that they can take away from getting into the proper mindset before a race. Having a well-ordered routine is good and can facilitate a calm mind, but cluttering that routine with unnecessary rules is a good way to keep chaotic dialogue going in your head, and plant seeds of self-doubt.

Differentiating between something that is valuable and something that is not can usually be summed up by answering the question: “Is this useful?” Knowing that eating a turkey sandwich for lunch on the day when I have an afternoon TT may seem like it’s not useful, but there is real value in knowing what sits well in your stomach and provides adequate fuel, and that makes it a recommended pre-race activity. It only becomes ridiculous when the caveats enter the picture – like the seven versus twelve pieces of arugula on the sandwich.

It can be very liberating to eliminate the need to keep track of and perform the so-called ridiculous pre-race activities. Why carry the extra burden?”

I returned from my travels and joined Kimberly for the final time trial. we met at my house at 2pm and loaded her accoutrement. We parked in our spot near the start, prepped our equipment, and started our warmups. I could sense a new energy – a mis between nervousness and a little pressure. I think it’s an understatement that we both wanted a win and to complete the series with strong performances. Time trialing can also come down to who wants it more.

When I found my mind drifting during the ride, I brought my focus back on my breath and pushing even power. And when I found my legs protesting, I used Kimberly’s “just keep going” mantra to get me through. Coaching is a two way street – often the best coaching moments come from my athletes. Mouth agape, snot and droll encrusted in my aero helmet, I crested the final hill a mere 3 seconds ahead of the series leader. My first time trial win of the series. Kimberly finished with her best time yet – 24:36 and netting another win, placing second overall in her age group.

Packing up the van that final time was bittersweet. Our work at the Cherry Creek reservoir was done but rest assured we will be back next year ready to improve our times. Maybe next time I’ll try 8 pieces of arugula instead of 7.

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ABOUT JENNIFER SHARP

by  Jennifer Sharp, ALP Cycles Coaching

3%

You spend money on equipment, coaching, nutritional advice, etc. yet are you getting the most out of your racing? If you knew that you could improve your cycling by 3% and increase the likelihood of winning a race – you’d do it right?

At this point, you’ve probably pined a number or two to a jersey and raced. And by now, you should have a good idea about what you need to take with you in your race bag. You’ve likely figured out that a gel 15 minutes after you complete an effort. And hopefully it’s been at least a little while since someone clued you in on not wearing under-roos beneath your cycling shorts.

While there are a million general rules of thumb you could apply to becoming a better racer, there are two things that can help you with that top 3% of improvement: you warmup and cool down.

Why focus on a warmup? A proper warmup promotes blood flow to your legs by increasing your muscle and body temperature. By warming up, you dilate your blood vessels, improve your range of emotion and can mentally prepare for the effort at hand. Your warmup should be specific to the type of race you’re about to do – whether that be a road race, crit, time trial, short track, endurance mountain bike race, etc.

What kind of warmup? For the sake of simplicity, I’m going to focus on crits. At ALP Cycles we prescribe the following warmup protocol:

Total crit warmup time: 38 minutes
10 minutes in zone 1/2, easy spinning
3 x 1 minute high cadence (110+ rams) with 1 minute of easy riding between
2 minutes zone 3
1 minute easy
4 minutes zone 3
1 minute easy
2 minutes at functional threshold power
2 minutes easy
:30 seconds HART
5 minutes easy

After you complete your race, you should immediately start thinking about your cool down as a way to aid recovery. Post-race go for an easy recovery spin or hook up to the trainer. Your perceived exertion should be a 3 or less out of 10, with a cadence between 80-100. Easy cool down rides help you recover from the race more quickly and allows you to train again in a shorter amount of time. If you can grab a recover drink (3:1 – 5:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio) and sip it while you cool down, even better. Cool downs should last anywhere between 15-20 minutes.

Contact ALP Cycles Coaching if you want to learn more about the 3% rule or other warmup protocols designed for your specific race and what you can do to maximize your results on the bike.

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ABOUT JENNIFER SHARP

by  Jennifer Sharp, ALP Cycles Coaching

As winter becomes a distant memory and spring arrives with a bang – you can look back and reflect on the dozens of intervals, hours of gym workouts, and mental preparation you’ve devoted to the dark winter months. Race season is here!

Whether you’ve been racing for several weeks (or months!) or just getting started, below is a checklist of important things to do before you toe to the line.

Clean your bike. My husband told me when he ran the USA Cycling Junior National team showing up to a race with a dirty bike, especially when traveling abroad, was forbidden.

Think about it – you’re  about to push your limits on your equipment (and in their case, representing the United States; and in your case, representing your sponsors) – whether that be cornering, descending, climbing, etc. You want to ensure your bike is in excellent working condition and by cleaning it you may stave off disaster before it strikes. A thorough inspection could reveal a worn out tire, rubbing brake, mis-firing shifter, loose headset, etc. While you may not know how to fix everything you encounter, being aware of any problem and then takin your bike to a mechanic can save you a lot of time, money, not to mention skin.

But how do I wash my bike? Good question! Here’s a good place to start.

And while you’re at it – don’t forget to change your DI2!

Pack your race bag. It’s nice to know that everything you could need is packed and good to go the night before you race. Early mornings make it challenging to make sure you grab everything. And even though you’re likely to forget something at some point, the list below should help you eliminate any last minute scrambles.

Race Bag:
– Helmet
– Jersey and shorts or skinsuit (used for time trials, cries and track)
– Socks
– Cycling Shoes
– Base Layer
– Arm Warmers
– Leg Warmers
– Knee Warmers
– A trainer or rollers
– Embrocation
– Heart rate monitor
– Garmin
– Lube
– Spare tubes
– Pump
– Water Bottles
– Nutrition
– Allen Key
– Safety pins
– Sunscreen
– Recovery drink

Once you get back home from the race, un-pin your number form your jersey, throw it in the wash and then once clean and dry, put your race jersey, shorts and/or skin suit back in your bag.

Create a race plan. “Failing to plan is a plan to fail.”

Whether you’re showing up at a local race, nationals or world championships – you should have a plan. Talk to your coach about coming up with an appropriate race strategy. Race plans could include being the first person into a technical section, positioning yourself in the final few laps of a race, going for a breakaway, etc. Have a plan, stick to it and enjoy the process. If that plan doesn’t work, then reflect on why and what you could do better next time. Every single race is an opportunity to be better – write down what worked and what didn’t so you can learn from it.

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ABOUT JENNIFER SHARP

by ALP Cycles Coaching

We think the most important thing a coach can do for her/his athletes, is to ride with them. So much knowledge and information can be gained from seeing an athlete on their bike. A power meter won’t tell you how their bike fit is or how smooth of a pedal stroker they have. A ride file won’t show you their cornering skills (or lack there of). An email can’t do justice in describing a course and explaining how to race it. Intervals done alone will never be as intense or as fun as riding with 10 strong, competitive riders.

Here at ALP Cycles Coaching, we make it a priority to ride with our Colorado athletes. Last weekend was our March ALP Ride and we focused on criterium skills and drills. We rode to the Louisville Criterium course, a moderate course with 1 tough corner and an uphill finishing stretch that is usually windy.

We took a couple of laps on the course together and discusses the things we noticed-rough pavement, open corners, where to pass, where the wind was coming from, and how to get out of the wind. Then we took some laps working on our cornering-looking ahead, carrying speed, navigating around slower riders, etc.

From there, we split up into 5 teams of 3 riders and did 3, 4-lap, mock races. Each race had a goal for the teams to focus on and try to execute team work and team dynamics. The 3 coaches split up and coached on bike-gave directions, helped, told riders where to go and what to look for. We talked about sprinting, making breakaways, knowing which breakaways would stay away, and how to approach the last lap. A lot of information was covered because a lot can go on in a 40 min criterium race.

It was a successful day and a very challenging workout with harder than race pace efforts. The Louisville Criterium is in 2 weeks and we are hoping our hard work during the ALP ride will pay off.

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ABOUT ALISON POWERS

Alison Powers only recently retired from cycling, finishing her final season on the UnitedHealthcare Women’s Team. Her career has spanned a wide array of wins, including the 2013 USA Cycling Professional Criterium National Championship where she won in memorable fashion by soloing after an early breakaway that obliterated the pro women’s peloton. Other standout results during the 33-year-old’s 2013 season include the win at Redlands Bicycle Classic, second at the Tour of Elk Grove, third at the US National Road Championship and the US National Time Trial Championship, and stage wins at Cascade Classic, Tulsa Tough, Tour of the Gila and Redlands Bicycle Classic. Hailing from Fraser, Colorado, Powers has been racing bikes professionally for eight years and is a true athlete with her career beginning as a teenager in mountain bike racing. In her mid 20s, she added in alpine ski racing before switching over to the road. In addition to being the current Criterium National Champion, Powers has two other national championships (Time Trial, Team Pursuit) and 2 NRC titles (2009, 2013).

by Patricia Schwager, ALP Cycles Coaching

For my May blogpost, I chose to write about teamwork. What does it really mean to work together as a team? And what does it require? It isn’t that easy and it takes a while to put a team together that also really works together- in every situation no matter what.

Cycling is an individual- and team-sport. It isn’t a game like soccer or football but it really can become a game of strategy. You might be able to win a local race just because you are super strong but on the pro level, this doesn’t work.

We all know; together you are stronger than alone. However, if not all the riders are fully committed to the team, you can have a very strong team, and still fail. On the other hand, you can achieve great things with a team that really works together, even if the team doesn’t seem the strongest on paper.

Racing for a (pro) team means the team has a plan and strategy on how to win the race. Things that play a role on what that plan is: race profile and type, as well as skills/abilities/fitness of the team riders and the GC situation- if it’s a stage race.

For example, the race plan could be that it is your job be to work early in the race. This means covering attacks or create a breakaway. It can also mean you must ride in the wind all day, if the team has a leader-jersey to defend. Or you might have to save your energy to be fresh for the final and help your leader in the sprint lead-out. If you are a protected rider/ leader, your team mates will work for you. But this also means you have a lot of responsibility to pull off the result in the end.

A very important role in the team, is the Team Captain. Racing without radios makes communication more difficult and communication within the team is super important during a race. The Team-Captain’s job is it to keep things organized in the race, make decisions or change tactics, if getting advice back at the team car isn’t possible.

Whatever job or team role, for that day is, you have to be committed to it 100%. Every team rider has to fulfill their job to make the plan work. You can’t have any thoughts about doing your task at 90% and save some energy to get your own result in the end too.

We all like to achieve good results or win a race. I think the hardest thing to understand about teamwork is that sometimes you really have to sacrifice your own chances in order to make the team-plan work. Of course- roles change from race to race. One time you are the “workhorse” another time you are in the right breakaway and get a chance to win the race yourself.

This might sound strange, but for myself- there is no better feeling than winning a race because of great teamwork. It doesn’t matter if I, or one of my teammates, won the race. Teamwork is one of the facts I like most about cycling!

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ABOUT PATRICIA SCHWAGER

Patricia Schwager began cycling in 1998, racing as a junior. After racing on the domestic level and completing her Diploma as Pastry Chef, she got her first pro contract in 2006. 2015 will be here 10th year of professional racing. Patricia has a lot of experience racing in the European peloton. In 2013 she started working with Shawn Heidgen (Current ALP Cycles Coach) as her personal coach. In 2014 she changed her focus to racing in the US. Patricia is a 6 time national Swiss champion and has represented her home country, Switzerland, at the World Championships 12 times.

For 2015, Patricia will race for Team Tibco. Along with racing she’s looking to share and pass on her knowledge in her new role as an ALP Cycles Coach. Visit her online at https://indyfreelance.com/

Vacation, kids off for the summer, demands in work or perhaps reduced motivation for the bike, all can play their part at this time of the year.  This is where the importance of CONSISTENCY comes into play even more so.

So you have been committing to getting out on the bike each week.  Your feeling great on the bike, climbs seem not as tough as before, your now taking turns at the front in the fast group of your local club or perhaps you completed your first sportive and now have got the bug.  We all understand that priorities must be given to lifestyle factors like family and a well deserved holiday, but momentum must still be there to get on two wheels and maintain your development as an athlete (yip you are one!).  Those hard earned gains made over the winter and spring months can be lost in 6 weeks of inactivity during the summer.  Furthermore it will put you back further when focussing on your 2014 goals and getting to work on them.  It doesn’t stop.  Consistency and year round development. As vital to think like this as it is to stay hydrated when on a bike.

So what are your options?

Competitive: Midweek club races or local criterium’s can be a perfect way to maintain intensity developed. Focusing on Vo2 and anaerobic efforts are intensities which play a vital role in the ability to sprint over the top of a hill, attack the bunch or go for the win in a sprint finish.  Maintaining this is key to your ability to perform to your full potential at any upcoming event. The mid-week races or perhaps the local chain gang ride can provide some of these intensities which can be an easier way to perform these efforts.  A focused training session in these areas are not enjoyable, which I think we would all agree, but none the less essential, so by maintaining this intensity via other forms other than a structured training session is a great way to build and maintain fitness.  For those of you who do not have the availability to ride local mid-week races or chain gangs you can find some sessions and information at this article Are you Training to be Race Ready?

Non-Competitive:  Maintain your aerobic base by completing regular training rides. even at a lower volume is important.  Focused rides of 1-2hrs will keep muscle memory and maintain a metabolism that will help you plateau your fitness before another build phase towards an upcoming event or sportive that you have in your sights.  Allowing your body to ‘tick over’ with short rides will allow you to keep a solid fitness base so when you what to raise your game again that platform is there to start from.

We also have to contend with very changeable weather which is a real influence in our ability to ride and also on our immune system. With different temperatures and weather systems that hit the UK and Ireland we are very susceptible to illness and allergies such as hay fever.  Cycling and triathlon are sports that cannot be performed indoors for the majority so we are always battling the elements. The eagerness to come back quickly from illness can be more of a hindrance than assistance at times with re-lapses of illness are a prolonging to full recovery, all of which we want to avoid.  A great guide can be found at ‘Get Back to Training From Illness’.  It can be very frustrating watching the sun shining from behind a window dreaming of a bike ride or run on your favourite roads or trails.   Don’t let this over eagerness hinder you from making the right decisions to get back to full health and fitness the quickest and best way possible.

The summer months can be a pivotal point in not only your development in the short term but also for longer term goals, don’t let this opportunity slip past you.

This is your golden chance to get ahead of the rest.

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Stephen Gallagher, the Dig Deep Coaching Head Coach, is an Irish professional cyclist, who last rode for the British continental cycling team Sigma Sport-Specialized. He previously rode for the An Post-M.Donnelly-Grant Thornton-Sean Kelly Team team. His most notable wins include the FBD Rás Tour of Ireland in 2008, Tour of Taiwan and he has represented his country at the Commonwealth Games as part of the Road World Championship winning team.  

Dig Deep Coaching (formerly Forme Coaching) provides unrivalled complete coaching solutions from specific coaching packages to an array of sports professional services. includes sports massage, sports nutrition, performance testing, powermeter rental, professional RETUL bike fit and more! 

Visit digdeepcoaching.com for more information.

Indy freelance is proud to partner with Dig Deep Coaching in Belfast to bring premium cycling apparel to the UK and Ireland.

As a coach and rider, I fully understand the importance of the science of training and the necessity to concentrate on your functional threshold power (FTP), Vo2max and sprint etc.  How this directly impacts on your fitness and, in turn, enables you to gain results and performances in races you set out to achieve can never be underestimated.

BIG REVELATION: through experience in racing and coaching, I can see there is not a solid correlation between a high pwr/kg ratio (power to weight) and the position you finish in a race compared to another cyclist with a lower pwr/kg ratio.

To help explain what I mean, I have many examples of power files from riders in the same race who have different pwr/kg ratios.  What you would normally expect is that the strongest rider wins or finishes in front i.e. the rider with the highest pwr/kg ratio.  WRONG!

Having access to many riders’ files provides me with a unique opportunity to analyse race training data.  I have seen riders with a pwr/kg ratio of 5.10 watts per kilo (this number is derived from dividing their weight by their threshold power) on 2 separate occasions finish mid pack behind a rider who has either finished in the lead group or won the race with a ratio of 4.66 watts per kilo.  You may say this is luck, but this is just one of many examples where I have seen riders in the same race finish in vastly different positions, but who have similar pwr/kg ratios.

What does this mean?

It proves that there is a lot more to road racing than simply science and watts.  This is not a key indicator for your finish position in a race.  What is important to take into consideration are individual external and internal factors that influence ability and performance when racing.

External and internal factors…what might they be?

These factors include experience in making the right tactical decisions and the ability to cope with the psychology when racing.  When under pressure, nerves or fear can influence your performance during the race.

How often do we spend training physically?  Every day?  Perhaps up to 7 times a week on the bike?

How many times do we work on the other internal factors that have as much direct influence on our performance?  Not too often I would suspect.

Everyone’s level of experience and ability to ‘read a race’ is vastly different, as is each individual’s mental ability to make decisions under physical and mental stress i.e. when in a bike race.  So, know your mind.  Do you need to start training it to think differently?  Are you mentally focused in every race?  Do you believe and have the desire to achieve the results you want?

Open your mind to many other variables that directly influence your performance.  Start the process and training to find out the best method for you to improve this.

Every detail counts.

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Stephen Gallagher, the Dig Deep Coaching Head Coach, is an Irish professional cyclist, who last rode for the British continental cycling team Sigma Sport-Specialized. He previously rode for the An Post-M.Donnelly-Grant Thornton-Sean Kelly Team team. His most notable wins include the FBD Rás Tour of Ireland in 2008, Tour of Taiwan and he has represented his country at the Commonwealth Games as part of the Road World Championship winning team.  

Dig Deep Coaching (formerly Forme Coaching) provides unrivalled complete coaching solutions from specific coaching packages to an array of sports professional services. includes sports massage, sports nutrition, performance testing, powermeter rental, professional RETUL bike fit and more! 

Visit digdeepcoaching.com for more information.

Indy freelance is proud to partner with Dig Deep Coaching in Belfast to bring premium cycling apparel to the UK and Ireland.