Skills and techniques

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Staying Safe In A Group

There are times when you'll find yourself in unfamiliar company, either on a group ride, a charity ride, a fondo or a race.  You'll be surrounded by people you don't know, you're not familiar with their handling skills and you're not even sure if they are comfortable riding in a group.  In situations like these, you'll need to be on high alert and ready to defend your space and yourself.  Let's face it: if you're stable, sure afoot (awheel?) and not afraid of contact while you're riding, you're actually pretty hard to knock over and crash out.  If you're nervous, twitchy and afraid of contact (I.E. you panic and steer away from the guy bumping you) then you're going down sometime sooner rather than later.

Protect Yourself By Protecting Your Bars
Defending yourself includes the space immediately around you and especially around your handlebars.  Your bars are your lifeline to your bike: if someone knocks them or takes them out, you lose complete control of your machine and are significantly more prone to crashing.  If you're always defending your handlebars, you'll be a lot safer, you'll be a lot more stable and steady, a lot more confident and you'll be a lot less prone to going down.

In order to defend your space and your handlebars, follow these simple tips (and practice them regularly with your regular group ride buddies and teammates):

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Lost Art of the Group Ride – Podcast #45

Everyone loves a group ride, right?  Group rides are chances to catch up with friends, get in a good workout, chase a  few stronger riders or tear the legs off your riding buddies.  But a group ride is as much a dance as it is a ride, and there are a number of things you SHOULD have learned along your journey as a cyclist. Whether you are a group riding sage or a newly minted rookie, you should observe the rules, the etiquette and the sanctity of the holiest of Sunday cycling practices (aside from watching the pros on Eurosport, of course…)

In today's episode of the Tailwind Coaching Podcast, I'll wax poetic on those things that you need to have learned in order to execute the perfect group ride, and I'll cover a couple of things in the cycling news sphere that caught my attention.

That said, today's podcast will include:

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5 Tips To Accelerate Your Fitness (Podcast #37)

First ride of springHere in the northeast spring has officially sprung (despite the recent short stint of cold, rainy weather) and that means everyone is starting to take their training outside.  The big question is how do you get that boost to your spring training that makes you nigh on invincible on the Sunday group ride?  You may have been putting in countless hours on the trainer and rollers over the winter, but you may still have trouble when the speed ramps up or you find yourself unable to cover those massive group surges.  A little adjustment to your training, a little specific work to boost your higher end energy systems, and you'll find yourself pushing the pace at the front of the group instead of dangling off the back.

On this episode of the Tailwind Coaching Podcast, I'll talk about:

  • The importance of having goals for your outdoor rides
  • How important it is to build your FTP (Functional Threshold Power)
  • How to ramp up your Zone 5 fitness
  • The importance of repeatability
  • The Fartlek concept
  • Why your recovery rides may be hurting you more than helping you

As always, if you enjoy what you hear, head over to the Tailwind Coaching Podcast on iTunes and rate it 5 stars.  Don't forget to post any questions to the Tailwind Coaching Facebook page, and don't forget to support our sponsors and help to keep this podcast free.

With the racing season quickly approaching, don't get stuck at the back of the pack or shelled on the first climb.  Check out my modular training plans in my online store and get started on the path towards killer fitness today.  And don't forget to save 10% with the coupon code in this week's podcast.

Climb Like A Pro – Part 3 (Podcast #23)

Climbing up Tower HillClimbing is often the albatross that follows us around on our two-wheeled adventures. Long climbs.  Short power climbs.  Varying pitch.  Everyone has a weakness when it comes to climbing.  I've spent the past two episodes of the Tailwind Coaching Podcast defining what “makes” a climber and the importance of leg speed skills in your climbing, hoping to give you the confidence to go out and hit the hills like a pro.  This time, I'm going to put the last pieces of the puzzle in place.  You'll hear about breathing and rhythm, reading the road, breaking a climb into parts, and finally the discussion will turn to how to tackle a variety of climbs that you may encounter, including:

  • Short “roller” type climbs
  • Short “power” climbs
  • Mid-length climbs
  • Long “grinding” climbs
  • The ultra-steep, long climbs

As I promise in this podcast, I'm including a couple of links to previous posts that I've published:

Breathing (part 1) – Physiology

Breathing (part 2) – Putting Skills into Practice

Reading the Road

As always, if you're on iTunes, please leave a rating: it helps the show move up the rankings and allows me to bring this information to more and more people.  And if you have any questions, feel free to contact me with questions.

Check out the previous episodes of the “Climb Like A Pro” series:

Climb Like A Pro – Part 1

Climb Like A Pro – Part 2

Climb Like A Pro – Part 2 (Podcast #22)

Climbing in CooperstownIn the last podcast, Climb Like A Pro – Part 1, I covered some of the basics of climbing physiology and what makes a good climber.  In part two, it's time to tackle some of the more technical aspects of your bike and your technique: namely gearing and leg speed.  Along with fitness, perhaps the most important choice you can make in terms of climbing strongly is your gearing choice.  Are you on a standard when you should be on a compact? Do you use an 11-23 tooth cassette when a 12-27 is more appropriate?  And how does your leg speed, or ability to control that leg speed, factor into those decisions?  I'll cover the following in part 2 of the “Climb Like a Pro” series:

  • Proper crankset gearing
  • Proper cassette gearing
  • The importance of leg speed while climbing
  • Leg speed out of the saddle and efficiency
  • “Flattening” the terrain

As noted in this podcast, here are links to some in depth information on choosing proper gearing:

Choosing Crankset Gearing

Choosing Cassette Gearing

Be More Efficient: Pedaling Efficiency

As always, take a moment to rate the Tailwind Coaching podcast on iTunes and help me reach more and more people.  And if you have any questions, you can either email me or post them to the Tailwind Coaching Facebook Page.

If you want to check out the rest of the “Climb Like A Pro” series, check here:

Climb Like A Pro – Part 1

Climb Like A Pro – Part 3

I'll see you next time: I'm going out for a climb or two…