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Coaching: The Myth of More Miles?

Fall easy miles

[dc]F[/dc]all has hit, il Lombardia is in the books, Paris Tours has come and gone, and cyclocross is in full swing.  For those riders who have been training since the dark hours of January, the season has wound down and rides consist of trips to the coffee shop amid the crunch of fallen leaves.  If not for a double espresso run, it's time to put feet up on the coffee table, read the gossip (USADA decision anyone?) and recover while starting to plan for next year.

Regarding planning for next season, one of the biggest fallacies that I've run across lately is explained by the post below:

I've been thinking about racing this coming year, but I live in (northern state that gets a lot of snow).  I'm worried that I can't get enough miles in during the winter to keep me fit and get me ready for next year.  Should I go out during the winter and try to build up my miles in the cold and snow?

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2013 Tour of the Battenkill Route Released

While I've long talked about riding dirt roads and getting out into the back roads of east rural nowhere (all in an attempt to find your inner child and just plain enjoy riding your bike) there's something special about racing on dirt.  There's a modicum of uncertainty as the tires slip, the increased resistance ratchets up the pain meter and your face cakes with dust (or mud, depending) and sweat.  It's a thrill like nothing else, unless you're heading over for the Tour of Flanders or Paris Roubaix.  Since most of us aren't pros, and we don't generally have the time to fly to Europe just for a sportive….

Battenkill - Meeting House RoadEnter Tour of the Battenkill.  The toughest one day race in America.  America's Queen of the Classics.  America's answer to the Hell of the North.

It's 63 miles of pain, 5,000 feet of grinding elevation, and about 25% dirt, gravel or broken up, nasty roads.  Combine that with an early April race day, and you could have anything from a beautiful sunny day to a greasy, nasty, gritty fight for survival.

Oh what a race it is!

It's no secret that this week was the release of the 2013 route, which you can see below:

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Coaching: Back to Fundamentals

At a time of year when the leaves are flying, centuries are calling and fondos are in full swing, many cyclists struggle with holding their hard earned summer fitness in the waning daylight of the fall.  In the past couple weeks, I've seen (and received) a number of questions about maintaining form and fitness “for just a few more weeks.”  I'm going to let you in on a couple of secrets for your end of season woes.

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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.

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