planning Archives - Page 3 of 3

Coaching Updates: High Intensity Trainer Workouts and Announcements

Start thinking about next season

For those of you who are ending your season soon and haven't thought about the next one, all I can say is:

WHY NOT!?!?!

You should be reviewing the successes and failures of your current season and thinking about your goals and aspirations for next season. If you're contemplating hiring a coach to help you reach those goals, now is the time in the season to start thinking about it. I've been hard at work refining my training plans and building new workouts for my athletes. Of course, one-on-one coaching is extremely focused and for that reason I limit the number of athletes I'm able to coach one-on-one. Check out my coaching services if you're thinking of recruiting a little help to ensure you meet your goals. Hoping to race Battenkill? Want to PR at Gran Fondo NY? Have a crit series on the calendar? I've got the tools to make you leaner, stronger and faster, if you've got the drive and commitment.

HIT Workouts

As some of you may have seen from my Strava uploads, I've been busy testing a number of different High Intensity Trainer (HIT) workouts recently. These workouts are specifically designed for indoor trainer use (and with the shortening days and the holidays not far off, that's where you'll find most of us very soon) and are designed to build fitness and fundamental skills in very short times. I've made the first few of the available on my Training Plans page, and keep your eyes open for more and more of them. As a bonus (or an incentive, depending upon who you are) I'll be including ALL of my HIT workouts in my one-on-one coaching programs at NO extra charge! That means you'll have access to these killer workouts as part of your customized training plans, giving you even MORE improvement in your speed, strength, skill and endurance.

Keep your eyes on this space for future coaching announcements and new workouts.

Tags: Coaching, physiology, planning, power|

Stress, Training and Real Life

Stop and think for just a minute: how long has your season been? 6 months? 7 months? 8 months? Here in the northeast, we were blessed (or maybe cursed) with a lack of winter, so we've really been riding and training since December of last year. That's a LONG season, especially when you consider that many cyclists are just now gearing up for the impending cyclocross season, which will extend through December in most places. Imagine a periodized training plan with peaks and valleys, builds and tapers, for NEARLY A YEAR!! That's a LONG season, and it's not easy to pull off. In fact, I found that to be the case in recent weeks.

Why do I bring up this topic? Well, today I spent quite a bit of time thinking about it while on a training ride. I had enough time to think through the last few weeks and gained some insight into my training and life.

Maybe you'll gain some insight into your own training and stress as well….

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Tags: Coaching, injury, planning, training|

Coaching: Base Building Endurance

The importance of base building is often overlooked by many cyclists, especially those who have ignored or ill defined their season goals. Your aerobic base is the foundation for all future interval workouts, and without it, the risk of injury and/or burnout is distinctly higher than in a cyclist with a proper aerobic base. More importantly, poor endurance will ensure you falter before the end of your chosen events, so while it may be boring and redundant, it is one of the most important parts of your training.

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Tags: bike, cycling, planning, road, training|

Nuances of Route Planning

Mapping a route

Route planning is something every cyclist eventually has to tackle. While the idea of just going out and riding whatever roads strike your fancy that day is exhilarating, sometimes planning a route may be a necessity. Maybe you have a few friends joining you, maybe you have a club ride to plan or maybe you have some training that you need to plan a route for. In any case, planning a good route is more than just putting (virtual) pen to paper, and we're going to explore how to ensure a good plan and a good route.

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Tags: bike, cycling, planning, riding, road|

Layering Up: Surviving a Ride in the Cold

[dc]W[/dc]ith a week to go until Thanksgiving, the northeast is still seeing temperatures in the 50s and 60s. This means the season is (for better or worse, depending on when you started your season) extended another few weeks. But with the shortened days and dropping temperatures comes an increased need to protect oneself from the cold. It's not quite as simple as throwing on a ski jacket when you walk the family pooch, and requires a few pieces of more specialized equipment.

FIGHT THE COLD

When the mercury starts to drop, a host of cold-related problems can rear their heads. Along with severe conditions like cold induced asthma and frostbite come other hazards that are less dangerous but no less serious. We're all familiar with the typical feeling of cold, the feeling of shivering and being generally miserable. But cold also has an effect on our body's physiology; blood is pulled away from extremities to warm the core. Additionally, the cold itself can compromise muscle function by decreasing peak contractile force and slowing the time to peak force generation. Huh? In layman's terms, this means there's not as much blood in your legs and the muscles contract weaker and slower, so keeping ourselves warm and comfortable is important to our performance (and our health.) To combat the cold and keep us safe and performing well, it's best to start thinking about layering up against the frigid climate.

More info on how to survive the chill after the jump:

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Tags: planning|