Imagine sitting down with someone and having a coaching discussion at your dining room table. That’s basically what my “coaching discussion” archives are. These archives are a repository for all the coaching discussion I’ve penned in the past few years.
Browse through the archives of my coaching discussion and learn how to be a stronger cyclist. Don’t forget you can contact me with questions or check out the Tailwind Coaching Newsletter for more great coaching discussion.
Black Friday is here, which means the official kick-off of the holiday shopping season. There's no doubt many of you have bike parts, clothing and other upgrades on your holiday wish list. But really, which of those upgrades are going to give you the most performance for your dollar? Which one of those upgrades will actually help increase YOUR performance?
In today's podcast I'll explore all of the above and more, including:
I'd also like to take a moment to welcome aboard two new sponsors of the Tailwind Coaching Podcast: RoadID and Competitive Cyclist. I've long been a user of RoadID and a proponent of carrying sufficient ID and contact information with you while riding or training. My partnership with RoadID will allow me to further advocate for the peace of mind that carrying ID allows for. Meanwhile, Competitive Cyclist is a leader in the high end online bike retail industry. While I'm always an advocate of shopping locally at your LBS, sometimes shopping online is necessary in order to get exactly what you need or to stretch your dollar further (an important concept in these tough economic times.) Check both links on my pages (off to the right hand side, underneath my contact/”follow Coach Rob” pane) periodically for great deals on all kinds of equipment and help support the Tailwind Coaching Podcast. (Proceeds from affiliate sales go to web hosting space and bandwidth.)
If you like what you hear, go 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: Tour of the Battenkill race and fondo are on April 5th and 6th. You can get my new, revised and improved 20 week Battenkill Training Plan in my online store, and be well on your way to the podium. Remember to save 20% with the coupon code in this week's podcast through MONDAY 12/2 ONLY!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 46:20 — 42.4MB)
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Have you ever heard of the phrase “if you have a question, ask it. Someone else probably has the same question but is afraid to ask it?” Over my time in practice and coaching athletes, I've found this to be true time and time again. Cyclists both young and old, new and seasoned, racer and group rider come to me with many of the same questions, each one looking for an answer as to why they are having trouble with something and how they can advance their fitness. In most cases, it's simple changes to their program that can produce stellar results.
In today's podcast, I'll go over a couple of questions and concepts that I've been seeing a lot lately. These are all things that you average cyclist needs to know in order to become a faster, stronger rider. I'll shed some light on:
If you like what you hear, go 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: BATTENKILL registration is November 15th at 7PM. You can get my new, revised and improved 20 week Battenkill Training Plan in my store, and be well on your way to the podium. Remember to save 10% with the coupon code in this week's podcast.
A power meter has become ubiquitous with performance in the past few years, and their popularity has led many companies to jump headfirst into the power market. Previously dominated by Saris and SRM, the power meter market has expanded significantly in the past few years. Quarq, Power2Max, Look/Polar, Rotor, 4iiii, Brim Brothers and Stages Cycling have joined the fray, while Ergomo has disappeared, iBike has suffered mightily from the lack of direct measurement and Garmin has finally brought the long-awaited Vector to market.
Despite the myriad of options, one thing has remained (fairly) constant in the world of power meters: the high cost of admission. True, the Stages power meter has entered the market at a very attractive price and older model Powertaps are plentiful and more affordable, especially since the G3 price drop. The fact remains that your average power meter will run you around $800 or so.
It's expensive, yes, but that doesn't mean you don't need one, and you can read why after the jump:
For years, magazines and forum denizens have discussed and advocated the concept of the “off season” for competitive cyclists. While the idea of sitting around and drinking beer on the sofa is appealing, it really doesn't do much for your hopes and dreams of competing next season, finishing that century or stomping on your friends during the Saturday shop ride. In fact, it may do just the opposite. You may find yourself digging into a hole you can't train out of next year.
Why is this the case?
The biggest culprit is the fact that amateur cyclists have always seemed to have taken their training cues from the professionals that they idolize. Unfortunately, the difference between pro and amateur is not at all inconsequential. Pros train 40 hours per week and race 90 days per year. Amateurs train 10 hours per week and race 12 days per year. Could there be a maybe be a slight difference between amateurs and pros?
Everyone should be nodding their head right now. Everyone.
Knowing that, should you, an amateur, be following a pro's training plans and take an off season like they do?
Now everyone should be shaking their heads. In today's podcast, I discuss why a pro's offseason will destroy an amateur's hard won fitness gains and how your fitness for next season starts NOW. I'll also talk about a few ways to keep your mental outlook fresh while maintaining some of the fitness you built this season, such as gravel rides, exploration rides, coffee shop rides, skill work indoors, cross training, and more.
As always, questions and comments are welcome. Head on over to the Tailwind Coaching Facebook page and post away, and don't forget to rate the Tailwind Coaching Podcast on iTunes!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 40:57 — 37.5MB)
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[dc]H[/dc]alf of cyclocross is fitness. The other half is skill, otherwise known as "getting out of your own way." While it's important to be able to ride until your eyes bleed and your face peels off, if you continually botch your run ups, mounts, dismounts and barrier hops, you're guaranteed to be disappointed come race day. So that means it's time to get out there and practice your skills, dammit!
Here's the story behind this workout: You'll perform this ON YOUR CROSS BIKE! No, your road bike is NOT suitable for this workout, period. We're going to teach your body how to get off your bike. Then we'll teach it how to get back ON the bike. Finally, we're going to put it all together so that you can actually do it when it matters the most (hint, that's during a race!)
Here’s the program:
