The Season Starts When?

When does the Season Start? For some, it never ends..we go from road bike racing to cyclo-cross racing or mountain bike racing right into indoor interval workouts through the Winter. For most of us however, the road bike racing season ends in September and we take the month of October and November off and start training again in December. But, does the season really end or is it just a continuation of training with less volume? For me, it's definitely less time on the road bike and more time on the mountain bike and a return to the gym (for resistance training). Therefore, volume/duration (as well as intensity) is at an annual low..due to the shorter days and colder/rainy weather. In addition to volume & intensity of training being at an annual low I must admit my weight is at an annual high. For me it's hard NOT to gain weight because I'm spending less time outside and more time inside drinking beer, eating junk and watching football. No, I don't get FAT but I do gain anywhere from 5-10 lbs. in the off-season. I can tell you from past experience that you do NOT want to put on more than 5-10 lbs of weight in the off-season because it's hard as hell to lose in the Spring/Summer when your rides are longer (and higher intensity) where you'll be relying on a high Carb high calorie diet to keep from bonking.

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Start your season now! Drop that Jelly Donut and get out on your Mountain/Cross bike or get in the gym and spin and/or lift weights. (Notice I didn't say drop the beer or pizza? You'd have to pry the beer out of my dead hand this time of year) Yeah, I know it sucks to do indoor interval trainer workouts which is why I DO NOT do them until the weather really gets nasty and cold in January/February. And, when I do them, I try to do them in a group because it's too easy to quit on them if/when you do them on your own. Until then, I find every excuse to ride my Mountain Bike, join an indoor spin class (where you spin at high cadence and low intensity), go to the gym to lift, x-train, etc. If you start an indoor interval workout NOW I guarantee you that you will be burned-out (mentally and possibly physically) BEFORE the start of the road racing season in April. If you do engage in an indoor workout on the trainer..work on speed drills, endurance, cardio, etc. (see prior blog).

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In a nutshell..this is what you should be doing now and in the future:

Nov/Dec- base endurance training, hypertrophy resistance training, and x-training
Dec/Jan- build training for strength, strength resistance training and x-training

Jan/Feb- power training, power resistance training

Feb/Mar- muscular endurance training, muscular endurance resistance training

Mar/Apr- race prep training, maintenance resistance training

Apr-Sept- race season, maintenance resistance training

Oct/Nov- off-season?, maintenance resistance training

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For more detailed workouts, email me: mullerrj@gmail.com

Derby Ride

Many of you may remember the Derby Ride on Sunday mornings at 0900 from Cold Spring Elementary School the past couple of Summers. It was a (hard) group ride that was led by some of the strongest riders in the area which started at a relatively moderate pace (avg. 20 mph) on the PA side of the Delaware River that accelerated into fast paced ride (avg. 24 mph) on the NJ side of the Delaware River. It was a great ride for everyone..even riders like me that were dropped along the way- because I got an awesome workout. In keeping with that tradition, I was thinking of doing the same in the off-season, albeit at a more relaxed/fun/social pace (since it's indeed the off-season) AND with anything other than a road bike. Why no road bike? Because the terrain/route we'll be following will be more appropriate for hybrids, cyclocross or mountain bikes. And, unlike the Summer Derby Ride this will be a "no-drop ride" provided you can keep up with the 12 mph average which includes: hills, stops, flats, etc. (I hope I can..haha)

Here's the route: start in Stockton, NJ and follow the canal tow path from Stockton to Hopewell, NJ. In Hopewell, cross over a canal bridge onto Rt. 29 Northbound for approx 1/4 mile to Fiddler's Creek Rd. Follow Fiddler's Creek Rd. to the entrance to Baldpate Mtn. Ride up the gravel road to the grass paths which lead to doubletrack and singletrack trails. Follow the Ridge Trail (white) to the Upper Parking Lot. Turn around and follow the route back to Stockton. Total mileage 24 miles, approx. ride time 2+ hrs. We'll stick to the Ridge Trail (white) which can be ridden with either a Cyclocross, Hybrid or Mountain bike. Here's a link so you can see the terrain: http://www.pbase.com/mullerrj/baldpate_mtn If some of you Mtn bike riders want to explore the Mountain trail descents you can meet back up with the group.

In addition to the Sunday ride (preferred over Saturday because there is no hunting on Sundays) I was thinking of doing a weekly night ride as well. Let me know if you're interested in either. mullerrj@gmail.com This would be an all-weather ride: cold, snow, sleet, rain, etc. Unless of course there is heavy snow/sleet/rain. Lastly, I said it would be a more relaxed/social/fun ride but that doesn't mean you're not going to get a great workout. Baldpate Mtn. rises 300-400 ft. above the Delaware River so you'll be climbing at an average 8% grade for one mile to the top. Once on the top there are rolling trails..so you can count on half the ride being dead flat (canal path) and the other half being hills.

Do It Yourself (DIY) Bike Repairs

As a kid I had a higher than normal mechanical appitude. I was also good at building things and fixing things that broke. If I wasn't fixing things, I was destroying them by setting them on fire or blowing them up just to see what happens. I'm serious! This interest in how things work led to a lot of science and math classes in HS and later more advanced classes as a Mechanical Engineering student in College and later Grad School. To this date, I'm continually intrigued with new technology, new science and how things work. What particulary appeals to me in the biking industry are: bike computers, power meters, bike suspension systems, shifting systems and basically how bikes work.

So, what does this have to do with DIY bike repairs? You would think with my higher than normal mechanical aptitude, being good with my hands and fascination/interest in how things work that I perform my own bike repairs. Well, I don't. It's not because I'm not interested in working on my own bikes (I have four: hybrid bike, 2 road bikes and a Mtn. bike) or that I don't have the know-how to work on them, it's because I either don't have the time or I'm really not sure how to fix-it. (Actually, I think it's the latter reason) Instead of fixing things myself, I take them to the LBS and have them make the repairs for me. I've been happy with the Service I've received at my LBS in the past until recently. Therefore, instead of getting mad at them I've decided to start doing my own repairs...after all, working on a bike is not rocket science. (Hey, don't tell your LBS mechanic I said that..you'll hurt his/her feelings). And, working on your bike will give you a lot of self-satisfaction in addition to saving some money. Besides, I'm willing to bet that I can do a more thorough job than any LBS mechanic can- provided I know how to do the job correctly.

Now that's the $64k question (in my opinion)- how do you ensure you do the job correctly? There are 3 ways: 1) buy a book like Lennard Zinn's, "Zinn & the Art of Mountain/Road/Triathlon bike Maintenance 2) go online and Google whatever you want to do, for example, Google- "bleed hydraulic brakes", or 3) take a mechanics course at either a LBS or better yet one of the Nationally Certified Bike Mechanics Schools like UBI, Barnett, Park Tools, etc.

Why do it yourself? Here are a few reasons why I'm going to start doing it myself:

a. a lot cheaper to do it yourself

b. you get your bike back faster if you do it yourself

c. learn how your bike works/operates. It will come in handy if you ever breakdown on the road or trail

d. you'll do a more thorough job than a LBS mechanic

e. it's fun and self-satisfying

f. as I said previously, it's really pretty easy (definitely not rocket science)

g. you'll have more confidence in your equipment..especially at high speeds or during steep descents

If anyone is interested in joining me (email me), I'm going to sign-up for a Bicycle Assembly and Maintenance (BAM) course at the Barnett Bicycle Institute in Colorado Springs in July of 2010. It's a 5-day course (8 hrs. per day). I figure July would be an awesome time to head out to COS and do some Mtn Biking in the hills (cooler air) after a day of class. Here's a link to their website: http://www.bbinstitute.com/

Mountain Biking Baldpate Mountain

Funny, but I had a choice to go Mountain Biking or ride my Road Bike (on a beautiful day)yesterday- and I didn't even think about it, I chose the Mountain Bike. For you Roadies out there, that exclusively ride a road bike, you really ought to try out Mountain Biking in the off-season. Why? Because it's FUN. Here are some other reasons why I love Mountain Biking:

a. It gets you off the roads AWAY from traffic, cars, trucks, etc.

b. It's slower..and allows you to see, smell, hear (and taste if you do an occasional header like I do..haha) more.

c. It gets you "back to nature". I can't tell you how many animals I've seen Mountain Biking.

d. It takes more skill and hand-eye coordination on a Mtn bike which will only improve your road skills.

e. It's a different kind of workout...more full ON/OFF than road biking and great exercise.

f. It's a good excuse to throw the bike on the back of the car and travel and discover new areas...new paths...new routes, etc.

g. It's a lot more friendlier. Mtn. bikers actually acknowledge your presence on the trails unlike roadies on the road.

h. It's quieter and more peaceful than riding on the road. It's calming...stress relief for sure.

i. It's a lot safer than riding on the road. Nobody said you MUST do extreme Mountain Biking. There are plenty of smooth, flat, open trails to ride.

j. Did I say- IT IS FUN!

Here is a pic of Baldpate Mtn. no more than 1/2 hr. drive from my home. I've been spending quite a bit of time here lately on my Mountain Bike and having fun exploring new trails. It's a beautiful area in Hopewell, NJ across the Delaware River from Washington's Crossing. The picture was taken on the Ridgeline 400-500 ft. above the Delaware River. I'll be sending a link in a future blog to a site with photos of where to park, different trails, etc.

Anyway, if you're contemplating buying a Mountain Bike for off-season training and fun..DO IT..you won't regret it. Power On! Coach Rob

Indoor Trainer Workouts

Not all indoor trainer workouts are "interval" workouts...nor should they be. I think there are a lot of cyclists out there that ALWAYS seem to be doing not only indoor "interval" workouts when they put their bikes on the trainer but hi-intensity interval workouts. Why? Because that's all I think they know how to do. At least that's what I see/witness when I join a group indoor training session...ESPECIALLY this time of year. Sure, it's ok to do an occasional hi-intensity "interval" workout to help maintain your cardio fitness and try to maintain some semblance of your peak Functional Threshold Power (FTP) (if that's important to you). But, this is NOT the time of the year to be going hard on the indoor trainer...or outside for that matter. In fact, when I ride outdoors this time of the year I keep the chain in the small chain ring and pedal at an average of 90+ rpm for the entire ride..including hills. And, NO COASTING. This is the only time of the year where I can honestly say I pay particular attention to cadence and ignore my power output. And, for all you "paralysis by analysis" Power Meter owners, this is a great time of year to ditch the Power Meter. I'm serious!

According to the classic Annual Training Plan (ATP) or Periodization Schedule (which I follow and recommend the athletes I coach to follow- for the most part), this is the "Preparation" period/phase...a period where you focus on general adaptation with weights, crosstraining, and on-bike drills. I already wrote a blog or two about crosstraining and weight training so I'm not going to get into that here. So, what kind of on-bike drills am I talking about? I'm talking about: Isolated Leg Training (ILT) drills, Spin-ups and Form-Sprints (and/or a combination of the three). Here's how to do a workout for each:

Isolated Leg Training (ILT)

Use a light resistance on the indoor trainer (Level 1/2). Put one foot in the pedal and the other on a chair (or hold out to the side for the ride). Spin with a higher than normal cadence. Change legs when fatigue begins to set in. Repeat for several sets switching from left to right leg. Focus on eliminating dead spots at the top/bottom of the pedal stroke. (I usually include ILT as part of another workout, such as a fat-burn/endurance workout, instead of doing them as a single workout)

Spin-ups

Use a light resistance on the indoor trainer (Level 1/2). For one minute gradually increase your cadence to the maximum (a cadence you can maintain WITHOUT BOUNCING). Hold your maximum cadence for as long as you can. Recover for at least 3 minutes and repeat several times. Continually monitor cadence during workout. (I usually include spin-ups as part of another workout, such as a fat-burn/endurance workout, instead of doing them as a single workout)

Form Sprints

Warm-up at Level 2/3 for at least 20 minutes. Sprint for 15 seconds while standing for the first 10 seconds then sit for the remaining 5s while maintaining a HIGH cadence. Power should be no more than Level 5. These are NOT all-out sprints. Concentrate on building leg speed. Repeat 6-10 times...making sure to rest 5 minutes between each one. (It is best NOT to combine this workout with any other.)

BTW, you can do all of these workouts outside on the road as well as on a trainer. For the ILT, instead of clipping in/out, concentrate on using one leg to do all the work while the other one is along for the ride. Also, perform the ILT (as well as the other drills) on a flat section of road. And remember, SMALL RING only.

A Balanced Off-Season Cycling Program

A "balanced" off-season cycling program SHOULD include: resistance (weight) training, time on the indoor trainer and x-training. The key here is "balance". If your off-season cycling program does NOT include "balance" at this time of year- it should, if you want to maximize your performance for the 2010 season. What do I mean by "balance"? Here's a good example:

Monday- Weight Training

Tuesday- Indoor Interval Workout

Wednesday- Weight Training

Thursday- Indoor Bike Workout

Friday- OFF

Saturday- Mountain Biking

Sunday- Mountain Biking/Roller Blading/X-Country Skiing/etc.

If you're not sure what kind/type of weight training or bike workout you should be doing this time of year, email me and I'll get you started.

What are the benefits of a "balanced" off-season program:

a. psychological break

b. builds muscle strength

c. improves hand/eye coordination

d. improves cycling skills

e. helps maintain sense of balance

f. cardiovascular benefits