By Jennifer Sharp

Jennifer Sharp, a USA Cycling Level 1 Coach, started racing in 2004 as a means to fulfill her competitive itch. Previously a national level boxer, she grew tired of getting hit in the head and decided to pound the pedals instead. She bought a pink Kona road bike completing several recreational rides and found herself passing as many people as possible. Since then she has multiple podiums at elite track national championships, master track national championship titles and world cup finishes under her belt. 

by Patricia Schwager

If you want to get stronger and improve your performance, then you should make sure your rides (or workouts) are high quality vs. just adding up a lot of "empty training miles" or "junk miles." Working with athletes shows me that workouts quality isn't always executed properly. How does one prepare for a ride or workouts? Do you read the workout instructions clearly or do you go out on your ride and loosely follow the workout instructions? Are you aware of your focus on the bike?

Below are a few things that one should pay attention to in order to make training more efficient. 

Before the workout/ride:

• Read the workout instructions: Export the workout to your bike computer (if your workout is planned with the TrainingPeaks workout builder) or write stem notes if necessary. Ask your coach if you have specific questions that relate to the intent or focus of the workout.The idea is to relate your training to your fitness and race goals. Think about a good route for your training. If  you have intervals or efforts to do, make sure there is a good place/road to complete them within your route.
• Weather: Check the weather forecast and dress accordingly.

During the workout/ride:

• Cadence. Have you every looked at the cadence distribution chart in your TrainingPeaks account? If you check the cadence distribution chart (in uploaded workout's) you can see how much time or % of your rides are spent with coasting (0-5rpm). Coasting is empty training time. Sure there will always be some coasting in an outdoor bike ride but if 30% of your 3h ride was spent coasting, then you wasted training time and your workout was not high quality. It's important to keep your cadence up to respond to pace and terrain changes. It also helps keep your muscles activated and alert. Pay attention that you keep pedaling while riding in a group, sitting on the wheel/in the draft of a friend or while riding downhill.
• Are you riding in your correct power HR, or RPE zone(s)? Pay attention that you are riding in the zone you should be riding in. If you are doing an active recovery ride, you should be riding in Zone 1 (RPE <3). If you are doing an Endurance ride, you should be riding in Zone 2 (RPE 4-5). Make sure you also complete your intervals or efforts in the prescribed zones.
• Rest between intervals is really important. Make sure you are resting properly in-between intervals/efforts. This will make sure you are ready for the next interval and you will also have better quality in your intervals. Note that there are some specific workouts that won't give you a total rest in-between intervals so make sure to follow the workout instructions. 
• Listen to your body: Cut your ride time shorter if you are feeling tired or extend a ride for a bit if you are feeling great. Do not go out for a workout or ride if you are feeling sick.

Post workout/ride:

• Refuel your body. Refuel with a snack or meal within 30 minutes of finishing (ALP Cycles Coaching recommends having a recovery drink from NBS). Make sure you're getting enough protein for recovery.
• Stretching
• Upload workouts to TrainingPeaks:

Remember, riding longer isn't always the better option! It is better to do a high quality 2.5 hour workout/ride instead of a low quality 3.5 hour workout/ride. The same goes with how many intervals you are completing. It is better to do 4 high quality intervals vs. 6 low quality intervals. While most of your training is very structured, make sure you're having fun too! Incorporate an unstructured ride now and then to enjoy the bike. 

Happy training!

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" Walle, ALP Cycles Coaching

Winter is in full force and base-miles and intensity are increasing. With the increased training, cold weather training conditions, and all the viruses that are floating around, the body is often put into a suppressed immune state. The same formula occurs in season, with big racing blocks, added life stress and travel...point being, we are human and we will get sick.

This weeks' blog post is about what to do (nor not do) when sick. 

Some basic rules: 

• Rule #1. Your health is #1, always. Period.
• Rule #2 Be HONEST with yourself, both physically and mentally with how you are feeling. Acceptance of being sick and taking action towards getting healthy is the hardest thing to admit. Nothing is more annoying than being in denial about your health or having others (especially in a team environment) be in denial as well. Do yourself a favor, and be vulnerable and courteous to yourself and others.
• Rule #3: Communicate openly with your coach-even if you feel like you *might* be getting sick, include your coach in the conversation. You've hired your coach to mentor you, and your health status dictates the direction of training once you're feeling better.

So, how does one tell if they are getting sick??

First off, if you experience any of the below symptoms, you are sick and warrants time off the bike and NO TRAINING:

• Fever, chills, clamminess or "off" body temp (ie: sweating when you're cold)
• Scratchy or sore throat when swallowing
• Excess mucus or pressure in lungs
• Sinus pressure
• Aches in the body, general weakness
• Changes in resting HR (if you keep track, take note of resting HR in the AM when healthy as baseline. If HR is elevated more than 5%, there's a good chance your body is tired and/or fighting a bug).

No training means NO: riding, running, lifting, skiing, hiking, backpacking, or extensive walking, anything that demands any kind of strength or stamina.

• Increase your water and hydration and sleep and rest as much as possible
• Increase Vitamin's A and D (through supplements and nutrition) - Vitamin A - orange veggies (Beta carotene) - is a bacterial fighter. Vitamin D is a Viral fighter and helps with hormone production (amongst other things) and bone rebuilding. It's important to supplement and take with meals so it can be absorbed with fat. Fish, salmon, trout, sunlight, some dairy. Colloidal silver is a great supplement to take at the first sign of illness.
• Drop sugar levels as low as possible and eat lots of fruits and veggies

During the process of resting, keep your coach updated of your symptoms and progress. Remember Rule #2, be honest with yourself and your coach.

Once you're feeling better, a typical schedule might include the below:

• One day away from any of your symptoms: Recovery 30-60 min
• Two days away from any of your symptoms: Recovery 60-90 min
• Three days away from any of the above symptoms: Endurance training, up to 2 hrs (if you've been sick for longer, you might need more recovery rides before entering endurance)
• Four days away from any of the above symptoms: Talk to your coach about how to return to your regular training program

Our number 1 concern as athletes is that taking time off means a decrease in fitness and derails your game plan, but remember you can take 10 days off the bike before losing fitness. The sooner you can address your health, the faster you can come up with a game plan to bounce back. Also remember, it's easier to build an athlete back up than to recover from over-training, especially when in the deep dark holes of illness.

True story......In my racing career, there were a number of times when I was forced off the bike to rest from illness. It's a huge blow because you have big goals ahead of you and being sidelined by illness makes you feel like those goals are not attainable anymore. However, it can be a blessing....A great example was in 2014 - I was sick with bronchitis and flu symptoms. I took a full 10 days off the bike. Later, 5 days leading into Tour of California. I started up with some recovery, later some endurance and some openers for the Time Trial and Circuit race. That illness was a disaster, but it turned into a golden blessing in disguise. Before getting sick, I was on edge from months of hard training racing, I was overly susceptible, and in my "open window" got it, hard. On the positive side, being out meant forced rest and recovery after a hard block of racing. I was able to bounce back into action more energy and placed 2nd in the Time Trial, 3rd in the Circuit Race!

Being optimistic and positive is also very helpful in recovery. The mental game goes a long way...

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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.

Poor advice or over enthusiastic training can lead to a relapse

A frequent challenge as a coach is when clients come up against periods of illness. The need to manipulate training and lifestyle to allow for a return back to full health and training routine without hindrance to further progress takes precedence. A trusting relationship with a coach is crucial at this point.

Poor advice or over enthusiastic training can either send the athlete back into a relapse of illness or prolong the period it takes to resume full regular training again.

3 STEPS GET BACK TO TRAINING FROM ILLNESS

These basic steps in training were developed by the Australian Institute of Sport (Pyne et al. 1995; Young 1999) which we recommend to use as a guide when working with athletes:

Frequency
Duration
Intensity

1. FREQUENCY

When resuming exercise, take care to allow the body to adapt again to the physical strain without the possibility of lowering the immune system. A gradual increase in frequency of training is the path to take towards full training again e.g. a light training ride every 2-3 days, progressing to a block of riding a bike for 3 days on, one day off. This may be a 1hr to 1 1/2hr easy ride every 2-3 days until progressing to 1-2hr training rides back to back for 2/3 days in a row without adverse symptoms.

2. DURATION

Increasing the duration too soon while maintaining the frequency can put a strain on the body. It requires listening to the body to ensure it is a gradual process without risking the immune system for a second time. Only once a regular pattern of training durations are accomplished pre-illness the last step in the process can then be implemented, e.g. increasing the training to 2hrs per ride building to 3hr rides on back to back days will enable the body to handle a considerable amount of stress through prolonged durations of exercise without intensity.

3. INTENSITY

Only when recovery from both frequency and duration of training sessions is back to a regular pattern is it time to load the body with another increased intensity e.g. this must be completed in small increments as the body can respond negatively to an increase in intensity. Adding intensity on certain days initially, building up the intensity to handle training at a higher intensity on back to back rides. This can take from 1 week to 1 month again depending on severity of illness and ability to recover. So be patient!

The above process can take perhaps a week, a month, even many months depending on the severity of the illness.

ILLNESS PREVENTION

Training – Careful management of training durations and intensities; periodised approach to training and recovery.

Environmental – Limit exposure to adverse conditions; cold, rain, humidity, heat etc.

Physiological – Teaching yourself to self manage stresses that come with training and competition and be able to monitor your body’s responses to training.

Behaviour – Increasing your awareness of how diet can affect your immune system and balancing nutrients and timing calories around training patterns along with limiting your potential exposure to illnesses and common infections.

Clinical consideration – Medication and supplementation, immunisation to certain illness. Daily pro-biotic can aid prevention along with cycled uses of Echinacea during high periods of high physical stress or exposed to others with illness. Vitamin C also can aid recovery from illness along with First Defence Nasal Spray when first feeling symptoms of sickness.

ILLNESS SYMPTOMS

Poor recovery between training sessions.

Under performance during competitions and training.

Elevated heart rate during training and rest.

Weight fluctuations.

Mood swings, loss of enthusiasm and lethargic feeling.

Increase pains and soreness post training that is not part of the regular adaptions to training.

This time of year can be very difficult for any athlete and often leads to a great frustration and de-motivation. However, if carefully thought through and intelligent decisions made recovery will be quick and full.

Coach and athlete contact is even more important than ever at this time. Trust what your Coach is telling you. It is for a reason…normally because they have been where you are. They understand your frustrations and have probably made all the wrong choices to get to the point of knowledge to guide you with the right advice.

You will get back to full health. You will be able to train at your maximum and more again…to make those gains. But listen to your body, make intelligent decisions and you’ll be back fighting fit in no time.

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Dig Deep Coaching provides unrivaled complete coaching solutions from specific coaching packages to an array of sports professional services. includes sports massage, sports nutrition, performance testing, power meter rental, professional RETUL bike fit and more! 

Visit digdeepcoaching.com for more information.

While other devices such as a heart rate monitor and cyclometer can effectively be used for training, this article will focus on the usage of power meters to accurately track performance.

Why train with Power?

The advantages of a power meter are:

1. It allows you to accurately and quantitatively measure your training
   
   
2. It define areas of strength and weakness so you can fine tune your training plan to meet your specific goals
   
   
3. And, it provides a common language with which to communicate with your coach

A power meter allows your coach to see exactly what you are doing during your workouts as if they were there. It gives insight into how hard your workout was as well as seeing if you completed the workout accurately, and how your body responded to the intensity.

The following benefits to using a power meter come from Charles Howe in the article titled Empower your Training:

• A power meter eliminates the guesswork from gauging exercise intensity
  
  
• Allows performance to be precisely quantified and the training log to be more realistically and effectively managed
  
  
• Allows for the utilization of data such as pacing during interval training and time trials, as well as aerodynamic testing.

Using heart rate and the Perceived Rate of Exertion scale in conjunction with the use of a power meter provides additional, useful data in examining the body’s response to training.

Make the most of the winter training

by Patricia Schwager, ALP Cycles Coaching

The winter and the holiday seasons are coming closer. Most of our ALP athletes enjoyed their off season break sometime back in October or November and by not it is time to be back training for next season.

How do we manage to get back into training and build up for the year despite the holiday stress and possible dark, cold, and nasty winter weather? It is time to come up with a plan! That's also why working with a coach year-round is important. A good winter training/build-up is key to perform. Here are a few tips on how to make the most of the training during the winter and holiday seasons:

• Have a goal: As always, having a goal is more motivating. By now you should have thought about your goals or events for the New Year. If not, think about a goal. It doesn't need to be a race. It can be an event, challenge, or ride.
• Mix up your training with different activities, especially this time of the year. Some examples include: nordic skiing, weight lifting/strength training, hiking, MTB-ing, cyclo-cross, running, yoga, snow shoeing, skiing, etc. This will also help you to keep balance and stay motivated.
• Work on skills and weaknesses. Fall and winter time is a great time to work on your skills and weaknesses. There is no stress or pressure of having to perform in the next race or event and that means you can really focus to work on your skills and weaknesses. The more you work on it, the more you will improve. Common weakness we see are lack of leg speed, lack of leg strength, lack of solid bike skills and bike handling.
• Wear the right gear. Make sure you are wearing the right clothing for the dark, cold, wet winter weather conditions. Having the right gear vs. the wrong gear will make a big difference. We highly recommend the winter bike clothing from Indy freelance for men and women!
• Ride with a group. It is a lot easier to stay motivated if you need up with folks for a ride or other activity. The ride and training go by faster with good company!

If you are in a time crunch with all the holiday activities: think about the holiday season and plan ahead. Let your coach know if you like to have a few days off to spend with family, friends, or for travel etc. Schedule 1-2hrs per day for yourself to get your training done and then spend the rest of the day doing holiday activities. 

Happy training!

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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 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 Jennifer Sharp, ALP Cycles Coaching

ABOUT JENNIFER SHARP

Jennifer Sharp, a USA Cycling Level 1 Coach, started racing in 2004 as a means to fulfill her competitive itch. Previously a national level boxer, she grew tired of getting hit in the head and decided to pound the pedals instead. She bought a pink Kona road bike completing several recreational rides and found herself passing as many people as possible. Since then she has multiple podiums at elite track national championships, master track national championship titles and world cup finishes under her belt.

Jennifer, a Seattle native, joins the ALP Cycles Coaching with a background in road and track. Her experience as a USA ParaCycling team tandem pilot, part-time work at USA Cycling in the Coaching Education Department and love for all things cycling is a welcomed addition to the ALP Cycles Coaching team.

By: ALP Coach Patricia Schwager

While working at the team TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank Pro Women's Cycling camp this spring, I had the chance to go to the FASTER AZ wind tunnel in Scottsdale Arizona. I spent a whole day at the wind tunnel with 3 of the TIBCO riders. I never had the chance to test my bike position/ equipment in a wind tunnel during my own racing career. So this day at the wind tunnel was a very interesting experience for me. It was impressive to see the results of each rider and understand how individual the most aero position really is.

Since this year, the team has a new wheel sponsor with EDCO wheels. Fun fact is that EDCO is a Swiss company/ brand and they name all their wheels after Swiss mountain passes or climbs :) The US headquarters of EDCO actually is at the FASTER wind tunnel so the partnership includes wind tunnel testing.

What did we test at the wind tunnel? The goal of the testing was to make our riders faster on a TT-bike. This means to find the best/ fastest wheel combination(s) but also to optimize and make the position on the TT-bike faster. EDCO offers a bunch of different wheel types/ sizes. We tested the following types: 65mm, 85mm, 105mm (rear) and disc wheel (rear). For each rider the test session in the tunnel took about 1h30. For the whole test session, the riders were wearing their full time trial racing outfit with: long sleeve TT-suit, TT-helmet and aero shoe-covers. The riders had to complete 7 to 11 blocks of 10mins at or slightly below threshold. For each 10min block, another wheel combo got tested and wind speeds and angles were accounted for. As you can imagine, this was a pretty hard WO for the riders!

Interesting facts that I learned from wind tunnel session include:

-using a disc wheel for the rear is not always the fastest solution. It depends on your body position, your equipment, wind conditions etc.

-going lower with the front end doesn't always make you more aero or faster!

-there are 2 general types of TT body positions: people with a flat back and people with a round shaped back

-Long hair or pony tails are not fast...try to hide all your hair in/under your TT-helmet.

-the best/ fastest/ most aero wheel combo it not the same for each rider! It depends on the rider, body position etc.

-relaxing your back between your shoulders and dropping your chin  close to your hands as they grip the aero bar extensions is a good way to make your front end more aero

This day at the wind tunnel taught me a lot and our riders will for sure faster on their TT-bikes!

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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 Jennifer Sharp, ALP Cycles Coaching

ABOUT JENNIFER SHARP

Jennifer Sharp, a USA Cycling Level 1 Coach, started racing in 2004 as a means to fulfill her competitive itch. Previously a national level boxer, she grew tired of getting hit in the head and decided to pound the pedals instead. She bought a pink Kona road bike completing several recreational rides and found herself passing as many people as possible. Since then she has multiple podiums at elite track national championships, master track national championship titles and world cup finishes under her belt.

Jennifer, a Seattle native, joins the ALP Cycles Coaching with a background in road and track. Her experience as a USA ParaCycling team tandem pilot, part-time work at USA Cycling in the Coaching Education Department and love for all things cycling is a welcomed addition to the ALP Cycles Coaching team.

By Ruth Winder, ALP Cycles Coaching

By: ALP Coach Patricia Schwager

You’ve probably heard all the rage about making your own food on the bike. A lot of companies in the market are coming up with more organic and natural recipes for their bars and gels, but they can be expensive. Plus it’s not as much fun to buy them when you can make them inexpensively right in your own kitchen.  Over the past month, I’ve been experimenting with a few recipes for healthy and sustainable foods during training rides. My favorite food on the bike currently? Energy date balls! You might have already heard about these delights- this is my personal recipe. All ingredients are easy to find (Trader Joe’s!!) and it’s super easy to make. This recipe is best made using a food processor. Enjoy!

• Prep time: 10-15 mins
• Cook time: none!
• Freezer time: several hours until firm
• Serving size: as many balls as your heart desires :)
• Approx calorie count: depends on what you put in your tasty balls- but on average 200-400 cal
• Protein: depends on what you’re putting in- you can certainly add more with protein powder

Ingredients (this recipe makes 12-15 balls)

• Dates (454g, 1 lb) buy the pitted ones to save time
• Nuts (any kind- favorites incl: hazelnuts, cashew, walnuts or almonds) (1/3 cup) 
• Sea Salt (2-3 dashes)
• Coconut flakes (1/3 cup)
• Cocoa/almond spread- TJ brand or Nutella (1 heaping tbsp)
• Vanilla extract (1 capful)
• ****Food Processor****

Instructions:

1.) Place nuts into food processor in small batches, grinding roughly 10 seconds each batch. 

2.) Toss dates into food processor in small batches, chopping until a paste consistency.  

3.) Put nuts and dates into a big bowl, and add the remaining ingredients, mixed together using a spatula or using clean hands ;-)

4.) Shape balls using your hands. The size is preference- I like mine about the size of a pingpong ball 

*Hot TIP: use water to keep your hands moist- it will make the a lot process easier and less sticky*

5.) Roll the balls in coconut flakes (this keeps the balls from sticking to your fingers)

6.) Place balls on a baking tray and place in freezer

*Once the balls are firm, store them in a Tupperware container or plastic bag. 

*Keep them in your freezer until you’re ready to take them on your ride. 

*Transport energy balls in a plastic bag or wrapped in foil

Options- be creative with your own recipe:

• You can use a variety of nuts
• Use cinnamon or cocoa powder instead of the vanilla extract
• Add cranberries, raisins or chocolate chips
• Use peanut, cashew or almond butter instead of the cocoa/almond spread

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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/

About ALP Cycles Coaching

ALP Cycles Coaching is located in the mountains of Colorado, and is a cycling coaching company with over 25 years of professional sports experience. ALP Cycles Coaching is unique in that we have 4 coaches, Alison Powers, Jennifer Triplett, and Patricia Schwager who each brings her own coaching strengths and personal experiences. We work together to create a training plan that works for each and every person. Visit them online at https://indyfreelance.com/

By: Jennifer Sharp, ALP Cycles Coaching

Unless you live in the tropics or some warm southern state like Arizona or Florida, chances are you’ve succumbed to the trainer this winter. While the trainer is better than not getting on the bike at all, you may experience differences in power output. I asked a bunch of coaches, from my fellow ALP Cycles coaches as well as my network of colleagues to see what their experience is with indoor verses outdoor power, and it turns out they all agree that for some athletes, there is a difference. But just how much of a difference is unpredictable at best.

It would be easy to make a generalization that indoor power numbers are always lower than outdoor power numbers, but for some athletes just the opposite is true. Unfortunately, the cause remains a mystery.

This article is geared toward those who find the trainer insufferable. The following tips could help next time you straddle the saddle indoors. Just remember – the quality time you bank now in the off season and during winter is where the biggest gains can be made for the race season to come.

Tip #1: Get a fan. Riding inside can be hot. Really, really hot. Heat can elevate your heart rate, making those indoor intervals feel like you’re pedaling through the Mojave desert. Using a fan will help air circulation and keep you cooler.

Tip #2: Do an FTP test indoors. If you’re really struggling to maintain power zones that coincide with your outdoor power zones, then it is time to bite the bullet and do an FTP test indoors. Especially if you’ll be on the trainer for an extended period of time. If you’re using your outdoor power numbers and have noticed a difference, then you could either be over training or undertraining. Take the guess work out of the equation and do a test. The sooner the better.

Tip #3:  Keep at it. Yep, training indoors can be a chore. Your attitude toward your trainer has a direct effect on how much time you end up spending stationary. Embrace the locked down nature of your trainer and challenge yourself to raise your indoor numbers every time you get on the bike.

Tip #4: Calibrate! Make sure to calibrate your power meter and the power meter on your trainer (if applicable) to ensure you’re getting an accurate reading every time you get on the bike.

Tip #5: Distract yourself. Want to stay motivated throughout your entire ride? Using programs like Zwift, TrainerRoad, Sufferfest Videos, or just watching some old bike racing footage can help keep the mind occupied while you’re putting in the time on the trainer.

Tip #6: Keep it interesting.  The quickest way to get bored on the trainer is to do the same level of effort all the time. Intervals are a great and easy way to combat the boredom. Have your coach create an indoor workout for you with various degrees of difficulty.

Remember – work counts most when no one is watching. It’s what separates champions from recreationalists. Strive for excellence every time you saddle up and success will be in your future.

Happy training!

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ABOUT JENNIFER SHARP

Jennifer Sharp, a USA Cycling Level 1 Coach, started racing in 2004 as a means to fulfill her competitive itch. Previously a national level boxer, she grew tired of getting hit in the head and decided to pound the pedals instead. She bought a pink Kona road bike completing several recreational rides and found herself passing as many people as possible. Since then she has multiple podiums at elite track national championships, master track national championship titles and world cup finishes under her belt.

Jennifer, a Seattle native, joins the ALP Cycles Coaching with a background in road and track. Her experience as a USA ParaCycling team tandem pilot, part-time work at USA Cycling in the Coaching Education Department and love for all things cycling is a welcomed addition to the ALP Cycles Coaching team.

By: Jennifer Sharp, ALP Cycles Coaching

"How many of you have overtrained?"  asked Dr. San Millan to a room full of 25 coaches and athletes.

Every single person raised their hand.

Everyone, at some point in their athletic lives, will overtrain. In the summer time it's easy to throw in extra mileage even though you've done 15 hours of riding that week and it's only Friday - what's the harm? And while it's ok to pile on the extra miles every once in a while, making a habit of it means you'll eventually find out why rest days are super important. And that lesson could cost you a week, a month, a season or a full year. 

Myth: Overtraining only happens to professionals.

Myth: Overtraining is curable in a few days.

It’s actually pretty easy to over train. We’re bombarded with TSS and CTL and ATL charts and graphs. We’re obsessed with tracking our upward growth and it’s hard to not be a slave to a performance manager chart. We get used to pushing through pain. But what those CTL’s, ATL’s, TSS’s and TSB’s don’t show in flashing red lights: “CAUTION - OVER TRAINING AHEAD” until it's too late.

Can you tell when an athlete is prone to overtraining?

As coaches, we’re constantly monitoring our athletes data. Thankfully power coupled with heart rate data can paint a picture of that individual athlete’s reaction to training stimulus on a daily basis. We watch for trends and see if we can explain patterns. And we’re also reliant on our athlete’s feedback to clue us into things we may have missed on first glance. Like decoupling of the heart rate,  lack of motivation, stress, insomnia, or mood swings. All of these factors come into play for each individual in their own unique way. Unfortunately in regard to overtraining, there’s no one specific marker that is the cause. Rather it’s a combination of factors.

So, how do you track different metrics to see if you’re headed down the path of overtraining?

One suggestion is to do a blood test in the offseason to obtain a baseline measurement. You could include this into your annual physical requesting your hematology, biochemical and hormonal markers. Then about  1-1.5 months prior to your peak event, do another test. Have a trained professional compare the results and determine if you should back things off if needed or continue the training as prescribed. 

Another cheaper method of tracking is through daily monitoring of your resting heart rate. You can expect to see a 5% fluctuation from day to day heart rate but anything above or below that could be a sign of overtraining. If you see a big outlier in your heart rate, play it safe and smart and call it a day.

How do you avoid overtraining in the first place?

First of all, listen to your body. If you’re tired, rest. Use a heart rate monitor, as mentioned above, to track your resting heart rate.  You can use the metrics portion of TrainingPeaks to log your sleep quality, overall feeling, soreness, menstruation, fatigue, weight and more. Use it! Eat a well balanced diet and stay on top of hydration. If you have a prescribed off day - take it. It pays to train smarter, not harder. 

Metrics located in TrainingPeaks are a great way to track various markers that paint a clearer picture of your coach. 

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ABOUT JENNIFER SHARP

Jennifer Sharp, a USA Cycling Level 1 Coach, started racing in 2004 as a means to fulfill her competitive itch. Previously a national level boxer, she grew tired of getting hit in the head and decided to pound the pedals instead. She bought a pink Kona road bike completing several recreational rides and found herself passing as many people as possible. Since then she has multiple podiums at elite track national championships, master track national championship titles and world cup finishes under her belt.

Jennifer, a Seattle native, joins the ALP Cycles Coaching with a background in road and track. Her experience as a USA ParaCycling team tandem pilot, part-time work at USA Cycling in the Coaching Education Department and love for all things cycling is a welcomed addition to the ALP Cycles Coaching team.

By: Jennifer Sharp, ALP Cycles Coaching

We’ve become obsessed with data and athletic performance: watts/kilo, time spent in specific zones, nutrition, strength training and conditioning - yet very little emphasis is placed on the importance of sleep as a means to optimize athletic performance. You work hard at hitting your numbers during interval workouts, gaining strength at the gym, logging your every move - but are you sabotaging your efforts by not getting enough sleep? 

The benefits of sleep are many: recovery, repair and rebuild of muscles, neurofunciton, injury avoidance, increased response time, etc. Reducing the amount of time you spend sleeping can have a big (and negative) impact on your training. Want to increase the quality and amount of sleep you’re getting each night? Try the following methods:

- Sleep rituals. Brushing your teeth, putting on your pajama’s, making a cup of herbal tea before bed, etc. all are ways to unwind from the day so start by setting your own ritual around going to bed. 

- Turn off electronics. Roughly 1-2 hours prior to getting into bed, shut off your phone, tablet, computer or other electronic devices. Our thoughts can keep us up late into the night and illuminating your face with an electronic screen can mess with your melatonin.

- Regular sleep time. Make an effort to go to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each day.

- Sleep in a cave. Or darken your room. Make sure it’s cool too (as in temperature). Get rid of any lights (digital alarm clocks, night lights, etc) and use black out shades if possible. The darker and cooler the cave, the better. 

- Avoid caffeine, especially after noon. 

- Avoid hyper-hydration. Drink too much right before bed and you may find yourself waking up frequently to urinate. 

- Read before bed, but nothing too stimulating. And yes, I’m talking old school hard/soft cover books (remember no electronic screens!). 

Improve your length of sleep and you’ll see improvements in performance. A study conducted in 2008 on a group of healthy student swimmers extended their sleep to 10 hours per day for six to seven weeks concluded that "athletes across all sports can greatly benefit from extra sleep and gain the additional competitive edge to perform at their highest level.” (For details on the study, click here.)

Want to read more about the benefits of sleep and how to fall back to sleep before competition? Check out the following links:

https://indyfreelance.com/2015/05/recovery-how-does-sleep-loss-influence.html?q=sleep

https://indyfreelance.com/2016/07/recovery-recommendations-for-improving.html?q=sleep

https://indyfreelance.com/2014/09/many-athletes-report-worse-sleep-in.html?q=sleep

Here’s to a good nights rest and quality training!

PS - Join us in Tucson this January 23-29, 2017 for our annual training camp! More details can be found here. 

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ABOUT JENNIFER SHARP

Jennifer Sharp, a USA Cycling Level 1 Coach, started racing in 2004 as a means to fulfill her competitive itch. Previously a national level boxer, she grew tired of getting hit in the head and decided to pound the pedals instead. She bought a pink Kona road bike completing several recreational rides and found herself passing as many people as possible. Since then she has multiple podiums at elite track national championships, master track national championship titles and world cup finishes under her belt.

Jennifer, a Seattle native, joins the ALP Cycles Coaching with a background in road and track. Her experience as a USA ParaCycling team tandem pilot, part-time work at USA Cycling in the Coaching Education Department and love for all things cycling is a welcomed addition to the ALP Cycles Coaching team.

by Alison Powers, ALP Cycles Coaching

Good fitness requires consistency. Good bike riding fitness requires consistent bike riding. However, for some of us, it can be tough to find time to fit in 3 bike rides a week. And for others, due to travel, work, family, and other constraints, being able to ride once a week is a good week. So, the question becomes, “how do I stay fit, when I can’t be on my bike?”

If consistent bike riding cannot be achieved, then the goal becomes consistent exercise. Being able to exercise 3-4 days a week goes a long way in gaining and maintaining physical fitness.

Options for off the bike training include:

-Strength training and plyometrics. Squats, lunges, box jumps, plank, push-ups, pull-ups, jump rope, and hip bridging are all great examples of strength exercises that can be done anywhere and with little to no weights needed. Aim for full body, multi-joint exercises, 2-3 times per week.

-Cardio cross training. The goal of cross training is to maintain or increase your cardiovascular fitness (the ability of the heart, blood cells and lungs to supply oxygen-rich blood to the working muscle tissues and the ability of the muscles to use oxygen to produce energy for movement) which is what cycling requires. So, the better your cardiovascular fitness is, the better your bike riding fitness can be.

Examples of Cardio cross training are- running, hiking, Nordic skiing, stair master, brisk walking, etc. The goal is to get the heart rate elevated and have it stay there for a certain amount of time. If you are short on time, aim to do more intense intervals.

-Make the most of your bike riding time. The time that you spend on the bike is valuable- especially if you can ride only 1-2 times per week. This means every pedal stroke matters, every minute matters, and time should not be wasted. Quality rides limit the amount of coasting and/or soft pedaling. Also, when you are on your bike, ride hard and come home tired. When you are on your bike, you are getting the best training for bike fitness, so don’t waste it.

When I have athletes that travel and will be off their bike for several days, I plan their training to accommodate that. This usually means that prior to the travel, they have a hard training block. The goal is to recover from the hard training prior to travel and then rest and recover and be ready to train and ride hard once they return back home. Their ‘travel training’ is usually a hotel gym strength and plyometric workout followed by foam rolling and stretching.

If you can’t spend consistent time on your bike, aim for consistent exercise. Make sure to have quality training/exercise and balance it with 1-2 days off a week-more if you had a big bike riding block. Make the most of the time that you have on your bike. The goal is always quality over quantity of bike riding.

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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 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

We all know that to become better at something we need to practice.

Consistent training is key, in order to make progress in your training. If you like to become better at riding your bike you have to train. By training hard we stress our body physically. During recovery, after hard training, is when the body adapts.

It’s important to plan structured, targeted and regular training followed by rest days and rest periods. If your coach is giving you a day off or a rest week then it is for a reason…stick to it and don’t be afraid of taking a day off or heading out for a very easy recovery spin.

If you are following a training plan, then make sure you follow the plan as well as you can. Don’t change up your training days. If you change workouts around, be careful, because all of a sudden you are going hard when you should be resting or you are doing 2 hard sessions in the very same day followed by 3 days of no training at all. This means the plan you were following doesn’t make sense anymore and consistency and structure is gone. It is better to ask your coach to adjust your plan. An important rule is: if you missed a workout or ride – then you missed it. Don’t try to make up for missed training sessions by doing double sessions or extra hard/long rides.

Following a training plan can be tricky. If you are a pro rider then you have the privilege to build your day around your training. However, most of us have to juggle many other things along with getting the training session done. Work, family time, other hobbies, walking your dog, etc. the list goes on.

Below are a few tricks and tips to make it easier to follow a structured plan and bring more consistency in your training!

Realistic goal settings/realistic training load!

Before you commit to a plan think about how much time do you really have for training. How many hours per day and per week? Very important is that you are realistic about the time you have available for training. Doing 2 solid/good quality rides per week is better than planning on 6 rides per week but you almost never get them done because it is just too much to handle next to all the other tasks on your schedule.

Set a goal!

Why are you training or working out? Working towards a goal is motivating! Having a goal in mind helps you to get your workouts done and will make you wanting to keep with the routine. If it gets hard you know that you need this workout or session done because it will help you to reach your goal. This goal can be something simple, for example: getting more fit. Or it could be a certain group ride and you like to be able to ride with the group instead of getting dropped.

Sign up for a race or competition!

Signing up for a race or competition is a great goal. But think before you are signing up for a race/competition. What does it require to compete that race or competition? Do you have enough time for the preparation?

A training plan that fits the individual needs of every athlete!

If you are working with a good coach then she/he should come up with an individual plan for you. The workouts have to fit into your personal schedule. The more details and info you can provide, the easier it is for your coach to create a good plan for you. Plans that are coming out of the drawer won’t work and you shouldn’t spend your $$ on it.

Variety!

Variety helps you to stay motivated and will avoid that you get burned out by riding your bike only.

Also riding your bike only can create imbalance because you are using the very same muscles over and over again. Especially during the off season/winter time your plan should include other activities like: riding MTB, riding a Fatbike, working out in the Gym, hiking, snowshoeing, running, Yoga, cross country skiing, swimming, etc.

Ride with friends!

Riding with a buddy or a bunch of friends makes it easier! Good company makes the time go by faster before you know the session is already in the books!

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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/

About ALP Cycles Coaching

ALP Cycles Coaching is located in the mountains of Colorado, and is a cycling coaching company with over 25 years of professional sports experience. ALP Cycles Coaching is unique in that we have 4 coaches, Alison Powers, Jennifer Triplett, and Patricia Schwager who each brings her own coaching strengths and personal experiences. We work together to create a training plan that works for each and every person. Visit them online at https://indyfreelance.com/

by Patricia Schwager, ALP Cycles Coaching

Off season is here and that means time off, time for vacation, or time for activities that you can’t really do during race season. Unless you are racing CX races-then your situation is different.

There are some things you should and shouldn’t do during off season. Even though it sounds like an easy time, off season is an important time. Believe it or not, things you do during the off season have a big influence on your next race season.

Spending your time on the couch for a whole month isn’t the right thing to do and neither is riding/working out like crazy.

I have had to learn it the hard way-I admit that. I’ve made mistakes during my past off seasons. Mainly because I can’t sit still and just like to be active. Resting can be hard too!

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 Jennifer Sharp, ALP Cycles Coaching

Last month, Alison and I attended the TrainingPeaks Endurance Coaching Summit held at Colorado University in Boulder. The Summit brought together over 150 coaches, physiologists, businesses and thought leaders based in the field of endurance sports. During the break out sessions, attendees could choose between different lectures, depending on their interest. While there, I attended Carrie Cheadle’s The Psychology of Suffering lecture. Carrie is a certified consultant through the Association for Applied Sports Psychology and is passionate about educating others on sports psychology. The following are my observations from her talk, broken into three parts (Part 2 is below).

The psychology of suffering is complex because it is a subjective experience. Fatigue is a limiter, as is our expectations, which affect our behavior. We also fear pain and can be afraid to burn our matches and always hold something back, preventing us from performing at our potential. 

There’s good news! You can increase your pain threshold by using some mental training tools. In part 2, I discussed five tools you can use to overcome pain. Acceptance, having a race goal, relaxation, choosing your focus and establishing an end are all ways you can mitigate pain when the going gets tough.

And by now, you’ve probably figured out that your perception of pain affects your tolerance of it. If you frame pain in a positive light, that pain is your friend, you’ll likely be able to tolerate much more of it.

So how do you do that?

You can train your mind to tolerate more pain by pushing just past the point of when you’re supposed to stop and keep going, which sends a message to your brain to move beyond that perceived limiter. The next time your coach prescribes intervals, do one more and send the message to your brain that no, you’re not going to die from discomfort and pain but that you’ll survive and be stronger for it.

If you practice this in training, you’ll be able to use it in racing. Planning how you’ll behave in certain situations can set you up for success when it comes down to a race scenario.

Do be aware though – sometimes pain is not always mental. Hydration, nutrition, and your preparation for an event can also play a role. Working with an ALP Cycles Coach can lessen the learning curve but the mental training portion is ultimately up to you.

Imagine you have a challenging race coming up. It’s hilly, it’s fast, and it has technical sections with tight corners and speed. You know that the course will push you to your limit and demand 100% of your ability. Your expectation of suffering will lay the road for your experience. However, if you accept the pain and use practiced tools to mitigate it, you can set yourself up for success.

Suddenly, suffering becomes part of the reward.

Interested in learning more about the mental component of sport psychology? Pick up a copy of “On Top of Your Game,” by Carrie Cheadle.

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by Jennifer Sharp, ALP Cycles Coaching

Last month, Alison and I attended the TrainingPeaks Endurance Coaching Summit held at Colorado University in Boulder. The Summit brought together over 150 coaches, physiologists, businesses and thought leaders based in the field of endurance sports. During the break out sessions, attendees could choose between different lectures, depending on their interest. While there, I attended Carrie Cheadle’s The Psychology of Suffering lecture. Carrie is a certified consultant through the Association for Applied Sports Psychology and is passionate about educating others on sports psychology. The following are my observations from her talk, broken into three parts (Part 2 is below).

 As mentioned in my previous post about digging into the pain cave, pain is a complex and subjective experience. By using mental skills training, you can increase your pain threshold. 

Sport, and more specifically cycling, is riddled with different degrees of pain. Hill climbing, time trials, and getting pushed to your limit can create physically painful experiences. Each person is unique in how they experience pain. Below are five tools you can use to grow your pain threshold. 

1. Accept the pain. Pushing your body to its limit is uncomfortable. You must embrace it. Enjoy what you’re doing and you’ll mitigate the pain. Ask yourself what it is you don’t and be objective.

2. Have a race goal. Get specific. You’re more likely to push yourself when you are at your limit if you set a goal that you can accomplish. Be sure to have both an outcome goal and a process goal. 

3. Relax, relax, relax! If you’re tense, you won’t perform to your full potential. Use music, practice breathing and use mental cues to relax your mind and body.

4. Choose your focus. You can use association or disassociation. Association is when you are at your peak suffering and you can focus on technique (such as pedaling) and tune into your breathing. Disassociation happens at lower thresholds and usually longer distances. Using music or audiobooks help disassociate from what you are doing. 

5. Establish an end. Tell your brain there will be a finish to what you’re doing. To do this, pick a marker along the route as an end and once you reach it, pick another end. Distract your brain one goal at a time. 

In the final installment of digging into the pain cave, we’ll talk about how changing your perception of pain can affect your tolerance of pain. I’ll provide you with a few more tips on how to grow your pain threshold by practicing it in training. Having a toolset of how to deal with pain can be part of your reward. 

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by Jennifer Sharp, ALP Cycles Coaching

Last month, Alison and I attended the TrainingPeaks Endurance Coaching Summit held at Colorado University in Boulder. The Summit brought together over 150 coaches, physiologists, businesses and thought leaders based in the field of endurance sports. During the break out sessions, attendees could choose between different lectures, depending on their interest. While there, I attended Carrie Cheadle’s The Psychology of Suffering lecture. Carrie is a certified consultant through the Association for Applied Sports Psychology and is passionate about educating others on sports psychology. The following are my observations from her talk, broken into three parts (Part 1 is below).

Pain is complex because it’s a subject experience. Your pain differs from your teammate, from your spouse, from your kids, from the person sitting next to you. Everyone experiences their own unique reaction when it comes to pain. 

So what is pain? Pain is a signal from your brain that you’re suffering (either a real physical danger or that you’re pushing close to that edge) and our brains try to shut down the source of pain. It’s a warning signal our brains excrete that as athletes can prevent us from preforming to our potential. But there’s a difference between pain and suffering. 

If you examine pain in the form of fatigue, it’s experienced as a limiter, which affects your brain to make decisions. 

When we have expectations of pain, it can change our behavior. How hard or how easy something is will affect what we experience. Like a self-fulfilling prophecy: If you think it’s going to be hard, then guess what? It’s hard.

When we’re afraid and have fear it’s often that we’re weary of burning all of our matches. And therefore we always hold something back, which can mean not racing to our full potential.

Think of your pain threshold as a combination of body and mind experience. Your body sends a message to your brain and you brain sends a message back to your body. How you deal with pain is up to you. Some athletes can push their pain thresholds to the extreme, while others struggle with it. And if you struggle with it, you’re not alone. 

Ready for the good news? You can increase your pain threshold using mental skills training. 

Want to learn more? Stay tuned for the additional five tools you can use to grow your pain threshold. 

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ABOUT JENNIFER SHARP

Jennifer Sharp, a USA Cycling Level 1 Coach, started racing in 2004 as a means to fulfill her competitive itch. Previously a national level boxer, she grew tired of getting hit in the head and decided to pound the pedals instead. She bought a pink Kona road bike completing several recreational rides and found herself passing as many people as possible. Since then she has multiple podiums at elite track national championships, master track national championship titles and world cup finishes under her belt.

Jennifer, a Seattle native, joins the ALP Cycles Coaching with a background in road and track. Her experience as a USA ParaCycling team tandem pilot, part-time work at USA Cycling in the Coaching Education Department and love for all things cycling is a welcomed addition to the ALP Cycles Coaching team.

I had an idea in mind for this blog post, especially after recent events with a few of my athletes and a conversation I had with Alison (Powers). This led me to google things like, “What makes a Champion,” and various similar topics.  Although I did find many useful and accurate references, none conveyed the exact message I had in mind. They were all missing a key point that for me was the difference between success and failure.

Many of you know my history, 5 hip surgeries, lots of complications, 1 month as a patient and graduate (one of my proudest achievements) of the Mayo Clinic for Chronic Pain Program. Despite the predictions and odds, I raced full time for 3 years nationally and internationally. What most people don’t know is prior to the first hip injury, I just wasn’t that talented as a racer or an athlete. I had the will and determination but I was just not gifted in my athleticism or physical characteristics.

When I found out I would be a patient at the Mayo Clinic for a month to learn how to live life in chronic pain, I decided to tackle it like any other challenge I take on. I was going to do whatever it took to get through it. I came across one of Michael Jordan’s quotes. Someone had asked him how he went from being cut from his high school team to one of the best to ever play the game and he said something to the effect of, “I just tried to be as coachable as possible and worked harder than everyone else.” That became my mantra for the month I spent as a patient at the Mayo Clinic. I was going to listen, and do whatever asked of me for the entire time I was there. I was one of the few who did “graduate” and was invited back for several years as a guest speaker.

Then, after a few years off the bike, I started riding again. And I remembered my mantra and ended up coming back with a laser focus that I never had prior to breaking my hip. I was a completely different athlete the second time around and went on to race nationally and internationally for 3 years , earning several podiums at national events. Some were in disbelief and some asked how I did it.  How did I do it? There were two main reasons:

#1 I was coachable And #2- I did whatever it took. On and OFF the bike.

 Physically I was limited, no way around that. I did become super analytical and specific in my training (which led to becoming a power and training data specialist and ultimately a successful coach) but I also was 100% committed to doing whatever it took on and OFF the bike to help me become the best cyclist and teammate I could possibly be.

I didn’t do my best, I did whatever it took. I figured out ways off the bike to maximize my potential on the bike. With specific regards to cycling and racing, do you do whatever it takes to reach your goals? Other than training, do you do whatever it takes to get the best result?

What I am talking about here are the intangibles, the extra 1%, commitment, call it whatever you want but it is the extra piece that can mean the difference between winning and also ran or a DNF.  Never underestimate the power of the intangibles.

What are the intangibles?

1) Mental focus. 100% of the time whether training or racing. This is another article on its own – stay tuned in 4 weeks.  J But without mental focus, you are literally just spinning your wheels.

2) Be Coachable. Be honest. Be moldable and trust your coach. Ask questions for sure but follow the plan laid out for you, do the work, and upload/record the work and give feedback so that your coach can in turn do whatever it takes. Communicate with your coach and never lie about training (either doing more or less). Put travel or special considerations in your calendar or emails, don’t be afraid to say when you are tired or sick. I often tell my athletes that I am only as good as the information I get.

3) Take an active role in your development.  Look at the plan laid out for you, understand where you have been and where you are going.  Track your own progression.  Understanding your own training will only give you more confidence.

4) Take responsibility for not only your training but also your equipment. I once had a coach and team director that told me, “there is no such thing as having an equipment issue”. A little harsh and not completely true but you get the point. Do not self-sabotage yourself.

5) Bring more than you think you will ever need. Always. Hikers call this “Just gonna’s” Never let yourself have a “Just gonna”. I was just gonna head out for a quick easy spin and then flatted in the rain without a jacket, phone, or spare tube. Even if it is a 1 hour recovery ride bring a little food, pack a spare tube, bring a phone, etc. Take a 5 or 10 dollar bill and put it in your shoe (under the insole) just in case you need it someday. Always carry ID/emergency contact info. When packing for a ride, race, camp, etc. pack and bring more than you think could ever possibly need. Be prepared.

6) Use Time Management. Plan and schedule your time accordingly. Plan ahead. Be realistic, don’t over commit, and allow yourself plenty of time to not only train, but get ready to train, train, and  complete the post training routine ( pack, drive, change, shower, put equipment away, etc.)

If you are riding at 8 (either with a group or alone) be ready roll on your bike at 7:55.

Make all of the above routine. Make lists and schedules if you have too. Order a few extra parts or batteries, learn how to do basic bike maintenance. Make recovery days bike cleaning and bike check days. It might seem like extra work at first but it will be worth it. Being prepared and ready for when things do go wrong (and they will) will allow you to calmly address the situation and carry on. All of the above will allow you to be more confident and less stressed in your preparation, your equipment, and ultimately create an environment that will allow you to train and race to the best of your ability.

Do whatever it takes.

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About Shawn Heidgen

Shawn Heidgen has been involved in cycling for over 20 years. She raced professionally for three years during which she completed 2 Giro D’Italia Donne (Women’s Tour of Italy ) and competed on the National Race Calendar circuit.  Shawn has also coached cyclists of all abilities for many years, and has led and directed training camps all over the world. Shawn also has a unique history, as a former Chronic Pain Patient at the Mayo Clinic (before racing professionally), she overcame what should have been a career ending hip fracture and went on to race professionally. 

Coaches James Spragg and Stephen Gallagher give another 3 sessions on what to focus on and explain why you need to focus on this particular area of performance.

In this article we are looking at sessions to aid Weight Loss, SweetSpot work & training to improve your cadence. All the zones and intensities are done in accordance with Coggan’s training zones, check out the table of Coggan’s zones here.

Weight Loss

Stephen says: “The old ethos for people looking to ‘burn fat and get lean’ was to spend endless hours pedalling at a low intensity to develop your body’s ability to utilise fat as a fuel and save your glycogen stores. This is still a method to help your body adapt to becoming more efficient and lose weight but for those people who do not have endless hours to train midweek and at weekends, we need to find alternative methods and sessions to meet our requirements and weight loss goals.

“Your number one goal needs to be burn as many calories as possible in your time available, i.e. one hour’s riding, and High Intensity (HI) training does that. HI training even in short bursts, efforts of one to three minutes, will dramatically increase your calorie cost and lead to a bigger overall expenditure along with the added benefit of increasing your speed and power.

“HI training maintains a higher metabolism for as long as ten hours post-training so you continue to get the benefits during the day and this all adds to the overall calorie expenditure.”

The Training Session – High-Intensity Calorie Burner

• Ten minutes warm-up (zone two)
• 2×7 minute tempo efforts (zone three) with five minutes steady riding (zone two) between each effort
• Five minutes steady riding (zone two)
• 3×2 minute hard efforts (zone five) with three minutes recovery (zone one) between each effort
• Five minutes recovery (zone one)
• 4×30 second maximum efforts (zone six) with one minute recovery (zone one) between each effort
• Five minutes cool down (zone one)
• NB the key to any weight loss and efficiency is good day-to-day nutrition

Sweetspot

James says: ”This session is perfect when training for events with long climbs such as the Etape de Tour. The sweetspot efforts will simulate the intensity of climbing a long ascent in the Alps. The goal here is to increase your muscular endurance while also working to push up your lactate or threshold.

The bursts introduce an anaerobic effort into the exercise and replicate the power you will need to produce to get up steeper sections of the climb, out of a hairpin for example. For this reason its best to do the bursts out of the saddle. Pretending you are climbing Alp d’Huez while doing these intervals is optional!”

The Training Session – Sweetspot With Bursts

• Twenty minutes warm-up – a slow progression from zone one, through zone two, with the last five minutes in zone three
• Five minutes easy (zone one/two)
• 2×20 minute sweetspot efforts (upper zone three/lower zone four). During these efforts every two minutes you need to incorporate a ten second out of the saddle burst. This isn’t a sprint! A burst means clicking down two or three gears and pushing on out of the saddle (for those training with a power meter 120-150% FTP). Once the burst is finished settle straight back down into sweetspot effort
• Fifteen minutes recovery (zone two) between efforts
• Ten minutes cool down (zone one)

Cadence

Stephen says: ”If you are to look at any file that details cadence from a road race/chaingang/sportive etc, you will see many variances in your cadence along with the power/torque produced with each change of rhythm. These small but important changes in your cadence can not only leave you fatigued quicker than normal because of a lack of muscular ability to change and adapt to numerous rhythms, but it can also lead to never being able to reach your full potential because you have not worked on this ability.

“Switching from one dominant muscle fibre type to another, Fast Twitch (FT) to Slow Twitch (ST) or vice versa, is something that needs to be worked on with specific cadence drills that can assist in your ability to adapt. Every rider’s genetics are different and the objective is not to boost one fibre type but to help switching from one to another, for example, when you are on sitting at 25mph on a flat road in a bunch of riders at 90rpm and then hit a ten per cent hill which takes you two minutes to climb at 60rpm – this has different torque requirements along with aerobic abilities.

“Lower cadences (-70rpm) generally use a larger amount of FT fibres and require greater glycogen requirements, while high cadences (90rpm ) use more ST fibres and tend to utilise fat better as an energy source along with recruiting more muscle groups.”

The Training Session – Adapting To Cadence Changes

• Ten minutes warm-up (zone two), 90rpm
• 4×30 second alternate left/right single leg pedalling (zone three), 90rpm, with 30 seconds recovery (zone one) between each
• Five minutes steady riding (zone two), 80-90rpm
• 3×8 minute cadence drills (zone three). These should be done as one minute at 60/70rpm and one minute at 100/110rpm, repeating four times for a total of eight minutes
• Six minutes recovery (zone two) between efforts
• Five minutes cool zone (zone one)

To really make the most out of your ability and time to train why not use our expert coaches to build your fitness and make each turn of the pedal count towards your goal. Focused and objective training based around your lifestyle with expert coaches will see you reach a new level of fitness never before achieved.

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Check out the coaching packages and drop them an email at [email protected] if you would like to talk to one of their coaching staff and learn more about their services.

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Dig Deep Coaching provides unrivalled complete coaching solutions from specific coaching packages to an array of sports professional services. includes sports massage, sports nutrition, performance testing, power meter 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.

We all have ambitions of riding fast this summer and, after a long winter of training, where slow and steady base miles are largely the order of the day to build endurance, now is the time to up the intensity.

There’s something for everyone, depending on your objectives this summer: hill repeats for riders training for a sportive with lots of short sharp climbs, threshold intervals to perfect your breakaway riding, sprint drills, a high-intensity calorie burner, a sweet spot session to prepare for long Alpine climbs, and cadence drills.

All six sessions can be done on the road and specify the intensity according to Andy Coggan’s power and heart rate zones, based on a percentage of threshold power or heart rate – the maximum pace you can sustain for an hour. You can find a full table of Coggan’s zones here. If you don’t train with heart rate or power then the table also lists a perceived rate of exertion.

That’s enough of the science, here are six sessions from coaches James Spragg and Stephen Gallagher to ensure you’re first over the line this summer.

Hill Repeats

James says: ”This session is perfect when training for a sportive with lots of short sharp climbs. This session would be perfect, for example, when training to ride the Tour of Flanders sportive, or a UK sportive with similar climbs in quick succession. When climbing such famous climbs as the Koppenburg and Paterberg you have no choice but to go hard from bottom to top.
“Therefore the goal of this session is not only to increase your five-minute power but also to improve your ability to recover between efforts. If you are using a power meter you should aim for no more than an eight per cent drop in power between the first and the last effort.”

The Training Session 5×5 Minute Hill Repeats

Twenty minutes warm-up – a slow progression from zone one, through zone two, with the last five minutes in zone three.

• Five minutes easy (zone one/two)
• 5×5 minute hill efforts (zone five). Five minutes recovery between efforts – recommend descending the hill, go a few hundred metres past your start point then turn around and ride back ready to start the next effort
• Ten minutes cool down (zone one)

Threshold Intervals

Stephen says: ”Every cyclist, young and old, has had the pleasure (or displeasure) of riding in a breakaway with fellow sufferers in an attempt to forge a gap that will take you to the finish line with a chance of a win or perhaps you have simply jumped away from your training group hoping to get the best seat in the café before the others arrive.

“No matter the reason for this effort the principals of your development stay the same – boosting your threshold and ability to go slightly ‘over’ your threshold and slightly ‘under’ your threshold as you take turns in the pace line and keep up the speed of the group.

“One of the best ways to develop your threshold, which is an essential objective to all endurance cyclists, and also your ability to go over/under your threshold, is using specific pace/intensity changes during a tailored interval session. This is normally done at an elevated effort than that which you would ride in a breakaway but the adaption and development brought by such training sessions see great gains in not only your threshold riding but your three to five minute maximum power.”

The Training Session – Lactate Tolerance Efforts

• Ten minutes warm-up (zone two)
• 3×30 second fast cadence efforts, 120rpm (zone three), with thirty seconds recovery (zone one) between each effort
• 5×5 minute lactate tolerance efforts. Each effort should consist of:
• one minute VO2 (zone five)
• one minute threshold (zone four)
• one minute tempo (zone three)
• one minute threshold (zone four)
• one minute VO2 (zone five)
• 5-7 minutes recovery (zone one) between each effort
• Five minutes cool down

Sprinting

James says: ”This session works on the two aspects of sprinting individually and then puts them together.
“The first sprints work on muscle power and torque production – how hard you can push on the pedals. The second sprints work on leg speed – how quickly you can turn the pedals. Both the first and the second set of sprints work on muscle activation and the number of muscle fibres that your body can fire at once – the more fibres the quicker and the stronger the force through the pedals.

“The aim of the third set of sprints is to put the two elements together and work on your sprinting speed. It is important to remember that sprinting isn’t only about pure power but also about technique. Work on sprinting as smoothly as possible and trying not to waste precious energy by moving your bike wildly from side to side.”

The Training Session – Sprint Drills

• Twenty minutes warm up – a slow progression from zone one, through zone two, with the last five minutes in zone three
• Five minutes easy (zone one/two)
• 4×15 second standing start sprints – use a gear that allows you to get off the line yet means that your cadence at the end of the effort doesn’t exceed 100rpm (suggestion is 53×17-19). Three minutes easy (zone one) between efforts
• Ten minutes easy (zone one/two)
• 4×15 second cadence sprints – sprints from a rolling start (25-30kph) in a small gear where cadence exceeds 120rpm for the entire 15 seconds. Three minutes easy (zone one) between efforts
• Ten minutes easy (zone one/two)
• 4×15 second max sprints – sprints from a rolling start (25-30kph) in a gear that means you can sprint as fast as possible for 15 seconds, feel free to shift down during these efforts. Three minutes easy (zone one) between efforts
• Ten minutes cool down (zone one)

To really make the most out of your ability and time to train why not use our expert coaches to build your fitness and make each turn of the pedal count towards your goal. Focused and objective training based around your lifestyle with expert coaches will see you reach a new level of fitness never before achieved.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Check out the coaching packages and drop them an email at [email protected] if you would like to talk to one of their coaching staff and learn more about their services.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Dig Deep 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.

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.

We are entering part of the year when all of our focus is on the first races and how we are going to fare against our peers after a hard winter’s training.  The excitement is part of the anticipation, as the sign on sheet awaits to kick off the 2013 season.

What you maybe haven’t thought about is how you will fit in your training and progression through the racing months, enabling you to get the most out of your racing and still develop specific areas and build towards your ‘A’ event.

This is a real Juggling Act.  So, what are the factors you need to take into account?

• Current levels of fitness
• Ability to recover and how you have trained to improve this over winter
• What your ‘A’ event and ultimate goals are for the coming season
• How much you have improved your weaknesses prior to the racing season
• Illness/injury that might inhibit your racing when started
• Race program leading up to ‘A’ event

So often we see riders head into the season with good legs and improved fitness from the previous year, only to see that form disappear by April.  The normal quotes we hear in the cycling community are that the rider is ‘burnt out’ or has ‘over trained’ during the winter period and simply could not sustain the form.  More than often this is not the case and the loss of form is down to less obvious factors.  More than often it is actually from a cycle of de-training come the race season.  Strange? I hear you say.  Well, not really.

When we hit the race season, we often place all of our physical and mental energy into the weekend and our focus is on results.  Of course, this is not a bad thing, but we have to keep our focus on mid week training and continuing to work on areas we need to develop and specifics necessary for peak events.  The de-training often comes from too much rest pre and post race, which is a far reduced physical training stimulus than may have taken place over the winter months.  An example of this is a typical Sunday race, the lead up and subsequent recovery from this.  Traditionally, Friday is an easy or rest day, Saturday is an easy pre race spin of a couple of hours, Sunday is a race (2-3hrs) and Monday is another rest day.  So, you can see from the example that only 1 day involves proper physical training stress (the race on Sunday); out of 4 days this is not a lot.  Take into account a puncture/crash or abandoning a race, this again constitutes a lowering of any physical training stimulus or progression that is needed to maintain or grow your form.  Of course, there are many individual factors to take into account, but something we should all take on board.

The flip side of this ‘Juggling Act’ are riders on the other side of the fitness spectrum, those who are under trained or lacking ‘race form’.  We often hear these riders want to race themselves fit and into form, but I would like them to consider the following variables to progress and make marked improvements.

Your ability to recover from the weekend’s racing is a big factor in how you train mid week and achieve consistent, structured training.  We often feel an onset of muscle fatigue 24-48hrs after a race and this muscle fatigue is what leads us to take that extra rest day or sub standard training. So, what is the reason for this?  Your body needs to repair damaged muscles from the previous strenuous effort (the race), the nervous system is working to repair muscles and your cells are working overtime to rebuild damaged tissue.  The good news is that this leads to increased muscle strength and fitness.  However, with lowered fitness, your body’s ability to recover from effort takes longer, which in turn leaves you unable to perform constructive training as your muscles ‘heal’ from the race.  Along with the cellular and nervous system’s process, this strenuous weekend effort can also lead to a lowering of the immune system, which can in turn result in illness/injury that will inhibit your training.  This is not just the result of an intensity your body is not used to, but also poor post event care and nutrition.

So, be aware of the dangers that lie come the race season.  Make your goals clear and continue to look at your physical progress and how best you can achieve this through training and regime, rather than overwhelming emphasis on race day.

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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.