FSC 4: I hate times like these

Unfortunately, this state series is going down hill faster than an acorn rolling off a tin roof. Sunday's race at what I consider my home away from home (Alafia River State Park) because I'm a Tampa native was an unmitigated disaster.


I probably was stale coming into the race because my wife Charmain and I drove to Tampa on Thursday in order to spend a few extra days in our former hometown. I rode Tuesday (2 hours consisting of a Functional Threshold Power time trial) and Wednesday (2 hours off-road at Markham) and planned to ride Friday at Alafia. However, it rained a lot on Friday and decided against going out there.


Riding so little before a race is not good for me and I felt stale when doing my preride Saturday on a wet and demanding course. Then, when I awoke Sunday morning, I had the dreaded "mild sore throat.'' It never got better but I raced anyway and never got comfortable on the bike.


I raced fairly strong on the first lap, but beginning on the second lap, I became a turnstile. Seemed like everyone from classes starting behind passed me like I was a statue. It's times like these when I wonder what the F am I doing out here.


I finished 8th out of 9. Pitiful.


So, now on top of a truly forgettable effort, I'm battling a virus and feeling my fitness dropping lower than the stack of tissues I need to keep close by. Oleta River State Park is hosting the FSC 5 this weekend, and it looks like I won't be there.


It's really hard to handle times like these. You train, suffer and plan with a single purpose: To do your best. When you fall short, it's difficult to handle. Then you start dissecting your plan, looking to see where you messed up. It's times like these when you just need some time to sort through it all. I guess I have that time now.

FSC 3: Risk with no reward

I gambled early in Sunday's Florida State Championship Series race in Tallahassee at the beautiful Tom Brown Park. I felt like I had great legs and really pushed the pace in the first lap and a half of the four-lap 27-mile race. But I paid mightily.


I was among the top quarter of the field after the first 30-minute lap and felt great going into the single-track for lap two. I was with two other racers, and I decided to try and drop them. I got rid of one but not the other. We were in sixth and seventh place. A short while later, I knew I was in trouble. The other guy built a gap and I started that slow drift back.


I ended the second lap nearly two minutes slower and knew I was in big trouble. I couldn't power up the climbs like before and my descending got sloppy. Halfway through the third lap, two guys from my class passed me, and as much as I wanted to get on their wheels, I couldn't. Then in the final lap, I was passed by another fellow racer. I crossed the line 10th out of 14 and was cursing my flawed strategy.


My final two laps were nearly five minutes slower than the first. Obviously, I rode way above my fitness. In other words, I blew myself up. A lot of times, I ride too conservatively. This was one time where I rode too aggressively. Well, sometimes you need to take a chance. This was not one of them.


One other factor that could've gone against me was the riding I did Saturday, when the team time trial took place. I raced for one of the On Your Mark teams and put out a lot of effort. I also rode fairly hard on the trail earlier in the day. All told, I turned 21 miles and that's a lot more than I usually do the day before the race. I'll never know how much that played a role in my performance Sunday, but I won't use it as an excuse.


I feel like my fitness is really improving. I'm building a strong engine that just needs more time to evolve. It might not be in time to do my best in the state series, but I think my second half of the season, consisting of the Coconut Cup in South Florida, will be really strong.

FSC 2: A breakthrough of sorts

I had my best race in two years Sunday in Fernandina Beach at Fort Clinch State Park. I was sixth out of 11, which doesn't sound all that great, but it was more about my effort than final placing.


I rode 2 1/2 laps with the racers who would fill out final positions 2 through 4, but I lost fifth near the end of the race when I was on empty. I also was passed again shortly thereafter but surged back into sixth near the line. That took every fiber of my legs and I felt like I was at death's door after crossing the line.


So how did I make this improvement from my flame-out in FSC 1? I simply started riding faster in training, paying as much attention to miles per hour as watts. I did a few rides in the 2 1/2 to 3 hour range, basically riding an hour or more in high endurance/low tempo range (19-20 mph on average). When I finished, my legs were heavy and sore into the next day, when I would rest or do a recovery ride. Also, I was in my Peak period, in which I reduced my volume but included high-intensity race-pace efforts.


Sunday's race began with about a mile asphalt road start that felt more like a road race than off-road race. We'd take that same long cruise to the finish line. The trails were dry and super fast. The whole race felt like a 28-mile short track race. The trails weren't technical and begged you to go as fast as you could. Which is what my 40-plus Expert Class did the whole race.


I made too many huge efforts on the long road sections early on and I paid for it in the final lap. In fact, in the second of the four laps, I actually felt like upping the pace while I was fourth (fifth overall) among the four-man convoy. As good as I felt then, it went downhill suddenly at the end, so it was wise I didn't attack then. Unofficially, my splits were 29:24, 29:40, 30:20, 31:38.


I have a long way to go to contend for a top-five position, but I'm closer than I was two weeks ago. Steady progress is all you can hope for in endurance sports. You can't rush it, as much as I'd like to. I'm back to rebuilding my base this week, upping my volume and miles in the next three weeks.


Hopefully, the best is still to come.

FSC 1: A weekend to forget

The opener of the Florida State Championship Series last Saturday and Sunday in Gainesville at Hailes Trails couldn't have gone worse for me. I brought a slingshot to a gunfight on both days.


The Saturday time trial went great for me as far as riding technically smooth, pacing my effort and saving enough for a burst at the end of the 4-mile test. Unfortunately, I just wasn't going fast enough. I was caught by the guy who started a minute behind me near the end. My time was 19:55, good for last place in the 40-plus Expert Class.


That set an ominous tone.


I got a great sleep Saturday night, awoke Sunday morning feeling ready to race. I had a good warm-up and went to the line feeling loose and calm. We blast from the line and I'm near the middle to back of the 16-rider field going into the singletrack.


I could tell early on I wasn't going to challenge the top quarter of the field. I had labored breathing and was riding above my fitness. I kept pressing until I finished the first of four laps in a pedestrian 25.02.


I knew I had to back off. That's when I began getting passed by a few riders and basically felt helpless. I brought the second lap in at 26.95. In the third lap, I began feeling much better and upped the pace. I found a rhythm climbing and I hammered the straights. I began catching some of the riders who passed me earlier. I finished Lap 3 in 26.31 and began the final lap invigorated. I ended up passing five riders during my last two laps. I passed the final guy to climb into 10th place right before a steep climb about two miles before the finish line. While beginning that climb, I snapped my chain while standing.


That's racing. And that was it for me. A DNF. I didn't bring a chain tool with me because I've never broke a chain in training or in a race.


I wasn't ready to race in Gainesville. I have plenty of miles in my legs, but not enough at race-pace. To go faster, you need to ride faster. It's really that simple, and I haven't been riding fast enough in training and haven't ridden off-road enough. That will have to change for me to improve.


Getting embarrassed like I did can do one of two things: cause you to focus or fold.


I'm focusing on getting faster.

The time is here

On Sunday, the Florida State Series officially opens in Gainesville. But on Saturday, there's a short time trial that gives racers the opportunity to secure up to 5 bonus points for each class. The event was started last year, and many racers seemed to enjoy it, but some skipped it, fearful of expending too much energy the day before the cross-country race.


I wanted to compete in it. I never had done a road time trial and always have been intrigued by the discipline. I did pretty well, finishing third in the Expert 40-plus class.


To do well in a steady-state event, you need to proportion your energy by using the 51-49 principal. TrainingBible Coaching founder Joe Friel, who has coached endurance athletes since 1980, writes at length about this in a Feb. 12, 2008, blog post http://www2.trainingbible.com/joesblog/2008/02/negative-splits.html. Simply, you want to complete the first half of the time trial in 51 percent of the total time and the second half in 49 percent. It's the old negative-split theory. You want the second half of your distance to be covered faster than the first half.


Easier said than done of course. How many times have you gone out too hard during a ride, race or interval session only to blow up before the end? Proportioning your energy is key and no more so than in a time trial.


So good luck this weekend to all the State Series racers. And in the time trial, hold back a little in the first half so you can give back even more at the end.

Are you a big fish or a little fish?

It was at the beginning of my weekly group road ride on Saturday -- the call going out, "Fast group leaving'' -- when a question hit me: When you ride in a group, are you normally the big fish in the little pond or the little fish in the big pond?


Too few cyclists on these Saturday rides elect to ride with the first group. Sure, some are just weekend warriors and don't race, so it's not worth it to them. Others, by the looks of their physiques, do a lot of riding and could stand a challenge but elect to take the safe route and avoid the possibility of being just another rider in the group, or heaven forbid, dropped.


This is a key choice that can either sharpen your fitness or massage your ego. In general, you should bury your ego and choose to ride in a group that's pushing the pace over your comfort level, i.e, be the little fish in the big pond. Nothing -- and I mean nothing -- will motivate you more and bring out your best than the fear of being dropped.


If you get dropped, you must resolve yourself to try and stick next week. That can be difficult; nobody enjoys getting their ass kicked and it's human nature to avoid uncomfortable situations. Confidence is mainly about ego, the thought that, hey, I'm one fast dude. There's nothing wrong with a heaping dose of it. Just don't let it get in the way of a nice challenge. Getting humbled now and then is healthy for a competitive cyclist.


Therefore, always electing to ride in a group where you're among the fastest, will massage your ego, but will it make you faster? If you train to successfully race a bike, you should begin every ride asking yourself, "How will this workout make me faster?'' not "How will this workout boost my ego?''


I like to be the little fish. If I had a nickel for all the times I've been dropped ... well, you get the idea. But when I'm able to finally stick, well, that's a real boost to my ego.


So next time you saddle up for a group ride, throw caution into the wind and join the fast guys. And if you become their equal eventually? Well, there's always someone faster in the group up ahead.

The perfect fit

Few bicycle purchases can make a profound difference in your performance and enjoyment of the sport. Buy a new crankset, and sure, the bling factor is nice and maybe there's a weight savings, but does it really make a difference? Same with a wheelset, bars, seatpost, stem and the like.

I made a purchase last month that has made a huge difference in my comfort and enjoyment. It's not something I can show off to the world, but most importantly, it is something I can feel: I received a Wobble-Naught bike fitting by Matt Goforth of On Your Mark in Palm Beach Gardens.

While I had no physical issues like knee or back pain and felt comfortable on my road and mountain bikes, I always had the suspicion that I wasn't lined up properly. And I wondered if that was costing me watts and forcing me to work harder.

I can't say for certain that I'm faster now, but I can proclaim I'm more comfortable and feel more powerful after letting Matt do his thing recently. After taking numerous physical measurements and running them through a program, he dialed in my position. Basically, in both instances, he lowered my position to get me more aerodynamic.

I feel much more "at the ready'' and both positions have me wanting to hammer. It's hard to put into words, but it's a comfort level I haven't had before. On both my road and mountain bikes, my feet are playing a bigger role in power transfer.

"The fit pays close attention to your feet and their ability to perform work,'' Matt said. "Many fitting styles out there are based on leg angles, which means very little, in my opinion. I've seen many different angles in legs (due to different leg dimensions) and the client is still super happy. Your feet are the foundation to your house; we must build them strong and able to play all day!''

Along those lines, Matt recommends SOLE footbeds. I was surprised at the difference they made in both my road and mountain shoes. After an initial break-in, these beds are extremely comfortable while snugly keeping your feet poised to mash.

On my road bike, where I've been spending most of my training time on so far, I have equal comfort in the drops, on the tops and on the hoods. One other nice benefit: I don't have sit-bone discomfort or saddle sores anymore. It's like my seat is more comfortable.

I related this to Matt and he made an astute observation: "Instead of sitting on the saddle, you were hanging from it. It's amazing what 10-15mm will do, huh?''

Indeed. But, I have to say, that first road ride was strange at first. My seat felt way too low, but after about 25 miles, everything felt right again. Only better.

My new position on the mountain bike wasn't as big of an adjustment, just a bit more aggressive. Matt also adjusted the sweep on my bars to turn my wrists downward. Like the road bike, I feel like going hard from the get-go. While sit-bone discomfort was the main issue on the road bike, left-hand numbness was my chief complaint on the mountain bike. Well, so far, so good.

Now, if I could find the magic bullet to produce more watts with my limited genetics ...

While spending money on getting your position dialed in by a real professional like Matt might not be as sexy as that new crankset or lightweight wheelset, I guarantee having Matt fit you will be the best investment in bicycling you can make.

To read more about Matt's service, go to http://www.laserbikefit.com/. To read more about the Wobble-Naught process, go to http://www.wobblenaught.com/.

Random thoughts from the saddle

I completed Base training on Sunday. Some numbers and observations.


I got in 97 hours, turning 1,820.28 miles (124 off-road). I consistently averaged more than 200 miles a week during the eight weeks. This is very close to the Base I laid down when I had my best season in 2006.


I improved my limiters and enhanced my aerobic system.


I regressed in completing chores around the house.


I dodged rain, roadkill and vehicles.


I ran into rain, waves of gnats, and once, a wayward dragonfly that wouldn't get out of my jersey.


I lost weight, from 142.4 pounds to 135.2.


I gained knowledge on what a difference proper bike fit makes. More on this later.


I saw my Functional Threshold Power go from 201 to 228 watts.


And I saw a boy on a bike crossing a busy street nearly get creamed by a car; about a mile away, a mockingbird cheated a similar mechanized death when returning to her nest in a tree in a median. Within five minutes, I witnessed the razor-thin difference between just another day and end of days.


I missed Hillary's big announcement. I was out riding.


I barely hung on to wheels on some group rides, an engine in the red, but ultimately getting saved by a well-timed red light.


I lost wheels and began that terrible drift backward, bleeding sweat like a blown engine spewing oil and realizing I'm not fast enough.


In summary, I'm in better shape to build my high-end fitness than I was a year ago. It's in these next eight weeks where I will enhance Vo2Max, anaerobic fitness and continue improving muscular endurance. And that spells race shape. How good? I'll let you know.

Riding for a purpose

Sometimes you come across opportunities you can’t pass. That occurred to me last month, when I was approached about helping a group of cyclists prepare for a charity ride to raise awareness about breast cancer.


The Ride to Empower, organized by the Breast Cancer Network of Strength, will take place Oct. 23-26 in Solvang, Calif. If that town sounds familiar, it’s where Lance Armstrong and his Discovery Channel teammates trained in the winter. This is hardcore, mountainous cycling territory.


I won’t lie. The chance to ride 100 miles in Northern California, Wine Country, intrigues me. As does helping cyclists prepare for the demands of that and shorter routes throughout such beautiful countryside. But the main attraction is doing something to help breast cancer survivors and their families.


My mom, Cassie Yobbi, was a breast cancer survivor. She was diagnosed in the early ‘80s, had a mastectomy and ultimately beat cancer. It wasn’t easy, however, on her and the family. It terrified us at first but drew us closer. What cancer couldn’t do heart disease did in 2006 at age 78.


She instilled many things in me -- respect all living things, treat others as you would like to be treated and stand up for what you believe in. She was physically and mentally tough and a sage giver of advice to friends and family. Though only a cassette-tooth over 5-foot, she never backed down, fearing no one or no thing. That’s why cancer never stood a chance against her. It’s that toughness every breast cancer patient needs to draw upon or build. Families, too.


Cancer has touched just about everyone. Take it from my mom: Don’t fear it. Stand up to it. Securing pledges and getting on your bike to celebrate life and remember loved ones is a tremendous first step. Go to www.networkofstrength.org/ride to get more information and register. If you can’t ride in the event but would like to make a pledge, go to http://ride.y-me.org/site/TR?px=2286413&pg=personal&fr_id=1319


The pledges fund YourShoes, outreach programs, breast health awareness workshops, wigs and prostheses banks for women with limited resources, and advocacy on breast cancer related policies.


Remember, October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. You can make a difference.

The invisible foe

In the past week, I've been made fully aware of how training and emotional stress leaves you vulnerable to illness.


I just completed my Base 2 mesocycle, where I averaged over 200 miles a week. Little intensity but a lot of volume. Then it hit last Wednesday during the rest week: the beginning of a sore throat. Remembering the last time this happened and my persistence to train through it that made it worse, I got off the bike, determined to get well.


Five days later, I got back on the bike, surprised how long it took to get right again.


When you push your body to its physical and emotional limits, you leave yourself susceptible to illness. That's when proper recovery nutrition can play such a vital role. Still, even if you do everything right following a workout, you can still get sick. And when you do, especially if the illness is at the neck or below, your best course of action is rest and possibly antibiotics.


Here are a few tips that can help you avoid getting a virus when your training volume and/or intensity increases:


1) Following either a high-intensity workout or high-volume workout, limit your interaction with other people. You don't necessarily have to become anti-social, but be careful who you come in contact with. For example, this is not the best time to go to a movie theater, get on an airplane or go to a party.


2) Be careful eating someone else's home-cooked food. For much of the same reasons as above, it's not worth the risk of inviting something foreign into your depressed immune system.


3) If you do any of the above, you might want to consider taking the Airbourne tablets that are becoming popular for cold prevention. I'm not totally sold on these but they won't hurt. Prevention, I believe, is best accomplished by limiting who you come in contact with. Better still, eat nutritious meals and snacks you've prepared that contain antioxidants to help rebuild your immune system.


Fortunately for me, my illness came during a rest week. Still, this will set me back some. If this would've happened during a race week, it would've been disastrous. So, be careful out there and realize that sometimes your most formidable opponent is something you can't see.

In The Paceline With ... TBC's Bryan Hoskinson

This is a feature I hope to run periodically, spotlighting TrainingBible Coaching associates and their athletes. I'll ask 10 questions and post their answers.

For the inaugural one, we'll talk with Bryan Hoskinson, 45, who has been coaching full time for six years, specializing in triathlon, functional strength training and nutrition. He competes in triathlon, cycling, open-water swimming and adventure racing.


1) Best aspect of coaching?


Simple, helping people meet and exceed their goals.


2) Most frustrating aspect?


People not sharing what their goals are.


3) What makes an ideal client?


Anyone with a committed desire to improve, in any domain of their life.


4) What's more exciting about an athlete's makeup: genetics or drive?


Drive, without question.


5) Strangest thing you heard or saw an athlete do or consume in order to perform better?


Good question, nothing really jumps out. Too many people like to listen to others right before a race and change their fuel source and amount with out testing in training. A sure recipe for disaster.


6) Best advice to calm race-day jitters?


Don’t get them! OK, use them to your advantage by expecting them and going over everything in training so you are ready for anything that could happen.


7) The best cross-training activity you endorse?


Functional strength training, yoga, mountain biking, kayaking. Anything that keeps them moving, sports like tennis are great.


8) The quickest way to get faster is ...?


1. Build Endurance 2. Improve Form 3. (A distant No. 3) Speed drills and racing.


9) The best piece of equipment an endurance athlete can purchase to go faster?


Power meter and heart rate monitor.


10) Most common training mistake you see endurance athletes make?


Too much, too fast, too often.

On the Menu: Get Up & Go Muffins

I came across this recipe from my wife's Cooking Light magazine, submitted by Toronto pediatrician Charlotte Moore. These moist, delectable muffins taste good, are healthy and easy to make. They're perfect if you're time-strapped in the morning and need to hustle to eat something before hitting the trail or road. One of these guys makes the perfect before-ride fuel , after-ride snack or between-meal snack. You can sub raisins for the dates, but I have to say, the dates-pineapple combo works. Also, to balance the flaxseed flavor, you can add a sprinkle of toasted coconut flakes if desired.


Treat yourself. You've earned it.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 all-purpose flour

1 cup regular oats (don't use instant)

3/4 cup brown sugar packed

1 tablespoon wheat bran

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup fat-free plain yogurt

1 cup mashed banana (about 2 should do it)

1 large egg

1 cup chopped pitted dates

3/4 cup toasted walnuts (chopped)

1/2 cup chopped dried pineapple
3 tablespoons ground flaxseed (grind about 2 tablespoons whole flaxseed)

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place 12 muffin cups (I like the foil ones) in a pan and lightly coat with cooking spray.

3. Lightly spoon flours into measuring cups and level with knife. Combine flours and next 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir with whisk. Make a well in the center of mix. In another bowl, mash the bananas and add the yogurt and egg, mixing until combined. Add to flour mixture until just moist. Fold in dates, pineapple and walnuts. Spoon batter into cups, filling about 3/4 to top. Sprinkle each muffin with ground flaxseed.

4. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Slightly underbaking will make them more moist. Remove from pan immediately, cooling on wire rack.

NUTRITIONAL BREAKDOWN

Serving size: 1 muffin.

Calories: 186

Fat: 4.4 grams (less than a gram of saturated fat)

Protein: 4.2 grams

Carbs: 35.2 grams

Fiber: 3.4 grams

Sodium: 190 milligrams

Calcium: 42 milligrams

Testing, 1-2-3

Field testing to establish training zones for endurance athletes makes up the backbone of the annual training plan. This is when you establish your zones and measure fitness gains or losses.


Most use a 30-minute time trial and measure average heart-rate for the last 20 minutes. A more precise way is training with power and using watts to track an average output over a 20-minute time trial.


But to get a definitive snapshot of your fitness, any serious endurance athlete should consider expired-gas testing. Not only will it help define your zones, it can give you a glimpse into your endurance potential (Vo2Max) and measure the amount of fat vs. carbohydrate used at difference intensities. The more your body can be trained to use fat at increasing intensities (increasing aerobic threshold), the harder and longer it can go.


It used to be you needed to go into a lab and get hooked up to various bits of uncomfortable equipment-measuring devices. Not anymore. Now a specialist can come to your nearest bike shop and test you on your own bike placed on a trainer.


The test is painless -- except for the final moments of the Vo2Max test when you're trying to go 100 percent -- and equipment-measuring devices are more comfortable. The test last between 8-10 minutes.


It's best to be tested twice a year, the second time when you notice RPE changes in your training zones, i.e., your Zone 4 now feels too easy. A really cool benefit of expired-gas testing is that it can help you determine the number of calories needed for a race.


Perhaps the most important fact that expired-gas testing confirms is that most endurance athletes are training too hard for any given zone. This can lead to underperforming during training and worst of all, overtraining. If you think you're doing a Zone 2 ride but your body is actually in Zone 3, you're beginning to burn carbs and not only fat. This can lead to failing to build your aerobic base sufficiently and increased recovery time for any given workout.


If you live in South Florida and are interested in scheduling an expired-gas test, contact me. Prices range from $130-$150 for a single test. If you're a multi-sport athlete, it's best to be tested on your bike and for running. Combo rates are from $220-$250.


Expired-gas testing is one test you're guaranteed to like the results.

On the Menu: Recovery Smoothie

I modified this original Emeril Lagasse smoothie recipe to kick up the recovery quotient. I love milkshakes, and this is the closest to mimicking their silky consistency. But, of course, this one is a whole lot better for you.


One 12-ounce glass packs 125 grams of carbs and 21 1/4 grams of leg-healing protein. In all, it's 570 calories guaranteed to help you recover from today's ride and shred the roads or trails tomorrow.


1/4 cup fat-free milk
1/8 cup fat-free yogurt
1/8 cup orange juice
1 frozen banana*
2 cups fresh strawberries
2 scoops Hammer Nutrition Recoverite (with this, you're also getting 3 grams of immune-system-boosting Glutamine). If you don't have Recoverite, sub your favorite vanilla protein powder.


Combine all in blender at high speed. Garnish with whole strawberry.


*Cutting up a banana and freezing it overnight eliminates the need for smoothie-diluting ice.


Here's to going faster. Cheers.

A return to basics

It’s easy to skimp on Base training. Long solo rides at the beginning of an annual training plan quickly get boring, but don’t forget their importance, even if you forget to charge the iPod beforehand.


Being impatient and failing to build a sufficient base -- consisting of Long Steady Distance rides followed by force, speed and muscular endurance intervals -- can shorten your season. Even after building it in 8-12 weeks, without going back to Base during the season, you risk seeing your race fitness quickly dissolve.


Like mine did last year during the Florida State Championship Series.


I built a good base in 10 weeks going into the series and completed nine weeks of discipline-specific intensity, otherwise known as Build training. But because the state series had its eight races spread over 13 weeks, I worried about accumulated fatigue and staying fresh. So I cut my volume, doing only a few 2 ½ to 3-hour rides, and focused primarily on intensity. I didn’t realize it then, but I was trying to hold a peak for 3 1/2 months.


Consequently, my base eroded and my series went with it after a decent first three races. At the time – and this is common for athletes who train themselves – I misdiagnosed the problem. Later it dawned on me that I needed a high-volume block of some LSD rides. This would’ve enhanced my endurance, which would’ve boosted fitness when combined with some intensity.


LSD rides help the aerobic engine become a more efficient fat-burner. During races, that helps spare glycogen, which is the primary race-pace fuel that’s available in limited quantity. Run out of glycogen and the body turns to burning fat and you bonk. I bonked in Races 4, 5, 6 and 7. I had brief periods of good power, but nothing I could sustain. Of those forgettable four, I DNF’d twice.


I bring up Base training because for the past week and a half, I’ve been getting in some LSD road miles and a low-keyed 45-mile group road ride to prep for Base. I began these low-intensity workouts grossly out of riding shape.


With just a few LSD miles – 153 to be exact – I noticed a huge difference riding my single-speed off-road at Markham Park on Wednesday. My off-season lap times have been predictably slow there, anywhere from 36-41 minutes a lap, with a very high RPE. And until Wednesday, I couldn’t turn more than two back-to-back laps on either my geared or single-speed bikes. While not concerned with speed right now, I do want some off-road volume. So on Wednesday, I was able to turn three consecutive laps (22 miles) and just as importantly did them at a much lower RPE.


The morale here: Don’t underestimate the need for and importance of Base in your annual training plan. Go long and steady now in order to go faster later.

Set the controls for the heart of the sun

Summer is here in South Florida. Last week included a couple days with record highs, and this makes training a challenge. Not only can it zap enthusiasm, it can be dangerous. It doesn’t have to be. Here are a few facts and tips to help you make the best of it.

Easy does it: Let your body acclimate to the heat gradually. Closely monitor your rating of perceived exertion (RPE). Stay below race pace until RPE lowers. Don't plan your toughest or longest workouts in the heat of the day. Try to avoid the 1-4 p.m. hours when it's hotest.


Here’s to your performance: It’s not enough to drink on the morning/day of a ride or race. Proper hydration should be practiced at all waking hours. You’re drinking enough water daily when your urine is straw-colored. However, be careful not to over-hydrate while training/racing, which can lead to hyponatremia (water intoxication).


Sip before thirsty: If you begin a ride or other workout properly hydrated, you might not drink until you’re well into the activity. That can lead to dehydration. Grab for the bottle before getting thirsty.


Replenish, don’t try to replace: You can't replace all the electrolytes and fluids you lose. You can't prevent fatigue; you can only delay it. Work with the body's chemistry, don't override it. Less is better (and cheaper) with supplements during training and competition.


Avoid that tell-tale sign: Salt stains on clothing do not indicate a deficiency in sodium; it illustrates an excess. And that leads us to …


Shake free from the shaker: A low-sodium diet is imperative for an endurance athlete. Don’t be misled into thinking you need more sodium while training and racing. All things equal, consuming less salt will keep you from feeling as thirsty during training/racing.


Downsize expectations: Your heart needs to shuttle more blood to the skin’s surface to aid in cooling, so less will be available for the working muscles. Therefore, lap times/splits will be slower than in optimum conditions. That will be true for everyone, so accept it and work on being as efficient as possible.

Rehydrate afterward: Continue drinking water after a workout/race until your urine returns to being straw-colored.


Wear sunscreen: While this won’t necessarily improve performance, it will save your skin. Get into the habit of using enough of it.

Max your Mo

Want to go faster on your mountain bike? This won’t require hellish intervals or even purchasing the lastest and lightest equipment.


Now that I have your attention, here’s the scoop: Use your brakes less.


Riding a single-speed teaches you to keep the digits off the levers out of necessity to make it up inclines and over obstacles. This aggressiveness should be carried over to the geared bike. A fear of crashing makes most of us a little careful riding in the woods. Likely, though, you’re clutching the blades too often and zapping momentum needlessly. Keeping your head up and looking farther down the trail can be the first step toward breaking this habit.


If you’re chasing faster riders, chances are they’re braking less. They’re feathering into sweeping turns, carving and carrying speed out of them like a slingshot. They’re supple while attacking obstacles at speed, flattening them like a wave crashing the beach. That’s momentum unleashed and also one facet of riding economically.


Trust your balance.


Relax.


Remember, momentum is precious.


Maximize it.

The Plan

When I begin my 450-hour macrocycle on May 19, there will be 17 weeks until the first race, the Florida State Championship opener on Sept. 13-14.


I’ll use a PowerTap SL on the road bike, so most workouts will be measured by watts. Off-road, I’ll measure with lap times, perceived exertion and heart rate. I’ll download the power files to a TrainingPeaks WKO+ program.


My natural abilities profile shows weakness in speed skills (ability to pedal and ride with more economy) and force-generating skills (strength to power up short steep hills, turn a bigger gear quicker). I didn’t work on those limiters enough last season. I tend to ride big gears and mash at low cadence. The other training goal is to increase my threshold power to weight ratio to 4 watts per kilo.

To reach race shape, a minimum of 16 weeks will be required, broken down thusly:


8 weeks of Base training (long steady distance, speed skills and force work followed by tempo and muscular endurance work).
8 weeks of Build training (lactate threshold, Vo2Max and anaerobic work).
I’ll also weight train once weekly for a half hour.


To get ready to train again, I’ll spend 2 weeks doing easy endurance rides on the road bike and off-road single-speed and geared riding.


It’s hot out, there’s traffic on the roads and the trails are dusty and jagged. Time to train.

Is there anybody alive out there?

Welcome to my blog. Clip in and get on my wheel. While in my draft, you'll benefit from some knowledge and insights gained from seven years of training and competing in mountain bike racing. I'm detail-oriented and believe that in order to compete, you need a plan of attack -- but always be ready to alter it if necessary.




In other words, we'll plan in pencil, not ink.




In 2008, I'm beginning my part-time endurance training business, dedicated to helping other athletes. This blog is one means to that end. Being afiliated with TrainingBible Coaching gives me a vast resource pool from which to draw. With TrainingBible, you're not hiring one coach; you're hiring a team.




For the last couple of months, I've been enjoying the off-season after my disappointing '07-08 season ended in March. More on that in subsequent posts. You can't hold form all year, and after putting in 5,000 or so road and off-road training and racing miles, a break from steady riding is needed. I know my season is near when I begin getting itchy to ride regularly again. The itch will be scratched in a couple of weeks when I start my '08'-09 macrocycle (training year), leading up to the Florida State Championship Series. I won't detail every facet of my training, but I will use examples of what I do, when I do it and why I do it.




I hope you find these postings helpful while we train with a purpose.