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.