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Motivation Monday: Getting Dropped By The Group

If you've been following any of my previous Motivation Monday posts, you'll know that I had a big date with Monkey Knife Fight 9 earlier this year.  Suffice to say, the northeast winter put the damper on most of my training and I ended up bailing out on my first goal of the season after only about 55 of the 72 miles.

That was a bummer.  A big bummer.  And it kind of tanked my motivation for the next couple months.

However, if you've been looking at my Strava profile recently, you'll have noticed a big bump in the amount of riding I've been doing.  That's because I've been through “the reckoning” that most of us have been through in the past.  I've suffered at the hands of others.  There are times I've looked down at my legs and wondered why.

I've been dropped out of the group.

Click through the jump and let's figure out why getting dropped out of a group is such a motivating experience.

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The Importance of Cycling Pedal Stroke Work

I've long been a proponent of tuning your pedal stroke and increasing efficiency to squeeze the most out of your training.  By increasing your efficiency, you increase the amount of power that goes to the pedals.  That increased power translates into more speed and less fatigue.

But how do you go about improving your pedal stroke?  What workouts will help you build an efficient pedal stroke?

Click through the jump to listen to this episode of the Tailwind Coaching Podcast.  I'll explain the importance of pedal stroke work and how efficiency makes your training more potent.  Don't forget to like and share with your friends, and don't forget to rate the podcast on iTunes!  If you want to support the show, consider doing some of your shopping through my affiliate program: remember, it costs you nothing and helps support the podcast.

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Training With the Zwift Mayan Expansion

Zwift continues to expand their offerings with the new Mayan expansion to Watopia.  Yes, the south pacific island wonderland just got a little bit bigger and unlocked yet another set of training options.  With the mountain, the volcano, and now the Mayan expansion, Watopia has a huge variety of training possibilities.  You can do a little bit of everything in a single 26 mile loop or you can focus on smaller loops and more specific training goals.

For more information about Zwift training, check out these links first:

Once you're up to speed on the different training options Zwift offers you, click through the jump and get the low down on the new Mayan expansion!

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The Importance of RPE in Cycling Training

You've no doubt heard about an RPE scale in the past.  You may have even done some of your training by RPE.  But in a world where power meters, heart rate monitors, and analysis software rules, is there any room for this subjective measurement?

I'd honestly argue that it's more important now than ever.

In a sport that has become increasingly dependent upon technology, cyclists are losing that “feel” that separates the good from the great.  The best and most successful cyclists are able to instantly tell you how hard they are working.  It doesn't matter if they're at tempo pace or flat out VO2 max level efforts.  They know.  And knowing is the key to performing.

Click on the jump to find out what RPE is and how it can benefit your training.

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Diagnose Your Climbing Weakness

I can't tell you how many times cyclists contact me and ask me to help them improve their climbing weakness, but they don't even know what climbing weakness is holding them back!  Do you climb better in the saddle or out?  Are you more efficient at a lower cadence or higher?  Do you tend to go out too hard and burn out too quickly?  Are you leaving speed on the table by being TOO conservative?  These are all questions you can answer if you're willing and able to head out, do a couple of laps of your favorite climb and sit down to take a look at your data.

Let's figure out how to find your climbing weakness and correct it!  Click through for my best tips on determining what's limiting your climbing capacity and a couple ways to correct it?

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