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Criterium Training and Racing Tips

Call it a criterium, a crit, or a short circuit race.  Whatever you call it, it's a tough race for sure.  It's also one of the most common races on most racing calendars.  What makes it so tough to succeed at and what training do you need to perform well in these races?

In this episode of the Tailwind Coaching Podcast, I'll tell you how to build the perfect criterium training plan.  I'll show you what specific training needs to be included in your crit training plan to help you crush the field and hit the line first.  There are also a few tips, tricks and secrets to help you make the most out of your training and races.

So if you're ready to tune up your crit fitness, click through the jump and listen for tips on dominating your next criterium.

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Time Trial Training and Racing Tips

The time trial is an integral part of racing a bicycle.  It's the race of truth, the race against the clock and one of the truest tests of who is a stronger cyclist.  To ride a time trial efficiently is an amazing skill and watching a well executed time trial is a beautiful thing indeed.  With the racing season in full swing, I've been getting a lot of questions from athletes about time trial training and racing tips.

In this episode of the Tailwind Coaching Podcast, I'll explain some of the nuances of time trialing and give you the tips you need to race a better time trial.  I'll cover the key aspects of a time trial training plan and how to squeeze more fitness out of your body.  You'll also get some of my favorite tips, tricks, and marginal gains to help you ride stronger.

So if you're ready to turn the pedals in anger, click through the jump to listen to my best time trial training and racing tips!

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Quick Tips For Maintaining Cycling Motivation

How do you maintain cycling motivation through a season?  What about those people who seem to race season after season and still have the drive to compete?  It seems like some people are able to keep going out and riding for years on end.  Those cyclists never get tired of training and they always have an infectious enthusiasm about the sport.  Riders like that have a unique kind of cycling motivation that we all envy a little bit.

How do you grow that kind of cycling motivation?  How do you keep climbing on your bike every week and have enthusiasm about flogging yourself for a couple of hours of training?  Wouldn't it be nice to wake up every morning and be excited about the day's workout?

Just like you, I struggle with motivation sometimes.  When the mercury hits triple digits or it's drizzling outside, it's easy to sit in front of the TV with a coffee and watch racing on TV.  But if you want to become a beast, you have to train like one.  That means having the motivation to get off your sofa and onto your saddle.

Here are a few tips to help you keep your motivation levels up.

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Keys To Effective Track Cycling Training

Track cycling is one of the toughest, most physically demanding disciplines in cycling. These cyclists are the kings of power, finesse, and cunning.  Not only do they have to account for their own positioning and tactics, they have to account for the tactics of the track they're riding on.  Track cycling training is also quite unlike almost any other cycling training.  Compared to road racers who spend hours on end putting in miles on the road, track training is heavily dependent on strength work and short interval work.

This can be difficult for a lot of cyclists to come to grips with because it's much more dependent on high-intensity work than other cycling disciplines.

So, if racing on the track or being a stronger sprinter is on your checklist, click through the jump. 

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What is Aerobic Decoupling?

As a cyclist finishes their base training, it's important to evaluate how strong your aerobic base truly is.  By using a metric called “aerobic decoupling” you can quickly and easily determine if your base work was effective and if you're ready to progress into harder high-intensity interval training.  But before you can evaluate your aerobic fitness, you need to learn what aerobic decoupling is and how to use it effectively.

What is aerobic decoupling and why do we care about it?

If you're training with power, aerobic decoupling is a key measurement to evaluate as you perform base training.  Aerobic decoupling is a numerical measurement of aerobic efficiency and endurance.  It's representative of your body's ability to process oxygen and produce energy (as detailed in Biohacking Energy Systems) and is a marker of overall aerobic fitness.

Before you can appreciate the value of aerobic decoupling, here's a refresher about how your body produces aerobic energy and the concept of heart rate drift.

To produce energy, your body takes in oxygen through the lungs and passes it to working muscles via the blood stream.  Oxygen and a fuel (fat, protein or sugars) are processed in the mitochondria to create Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP).  ATP is the actual energy molecule that allows your muscles to contract and create pedaling force.  Constant demands on the aerobic energy system can create a phenomenon known as heart rate drift.

Click through the jump to read the show notes for episode 78 of the Tailwind Coaching Podcast:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 46:53 — 33.6MB)

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