Coaches' Blog

Planning Your Season
Coach Ainslie

 

I spent a few years living and racing bikes in Europe. For the most time it was a good experience and a good time. But I look back on it now incredulously and think, “ What were you thinking?” And not from the perspective of “what were you thinking racing in Europe?” but what was my plan?

 

The truth was, I didn’t have one. I didn’t know what races I was doing, I didn’t know how I was going to set up my training from week to week and month to month but, in general, I was taking a fly by the seat of the pants approach.

 

Now, just on basic genetics, I was able to get by like this and get a few good results here and there. But this was not a long-term approach. Predictably, after a while this system broke down.

 

So, where am I headed with this? HAVE A PLAN. Even if that plan is that you have no plan. At least you’ve defined your approach somewhat.

 

Here’s a prime example. I spent some time racing in Belgium and at one point; I was lucky enough to get an invite to the Tour of Austria. Because I’d been just doing races haphazardly without too much thought to the long-term view, I declined this invitation because I was whooped and wanted to come home to take a rest. That fall I was in the process of trying to get a contract with a pro team, any pro team, and I happened to get on the phone with the US Postal team people. They had my resume in hand and said that they noticed I had done a considerable amount of racing in Europe, why hadn’t I gone to Tour of Austria? It turned out that they had made their team selections for the following year based on the performances of riders at that race. Some American riders they selected from that race went on to have some very high profile careers.

 

I’m not for a moment saying that I came close to the level of those riders. What I am saying is that because I hadn’t made a plan and structured my schedule, I may or may not have missed out on a great opportunity. Other riders had schedule that in and shaped their training around it and, without naming names, look how it turned out for some of them.

 

With that experience in hand now, I always ask my clients to outline goals at the start of the season, decide what races they plan to participate in on a month to month basis, what vacations and travel do they have on the horizon and so forth. This allows us to set up their training and racing so that it all makes sense and there are not conflicting events. We can schedule training and racing around the events of their life, family and any other elements. Additionally, it allows us to time and tweak their fitness according to how they’ve prioritized the races they’d like to do.

 

The top riders in our sport have their season, more or less, planned out from the start to finish. They know what they’re travel schedule will look like, what their races are and when they’ll arrive with their best fitness. You can take an approach like this too. It doesn’t require a personal assistant or over the top organization. It just requires you to sit down and write (or type) what your plan is.  

10 Commandments of Group Riding
Coach Ainslie

Ten Commandments of Group Riding:

We are into the time of year where many of us are under-taking regular weekend group rides. They are a great vehicle for training and a good way to learn the ins and outs of riding in large groups. Riders of varying levels and ability levels are likely to show up and they may or may not understand the dynamics of having so many riders so close together. Here are some tips for riding in groups. 

1. Thou Shalt Not Accelerate Through The Front of The Group
2. Thou Shalt Ride 2x2
3. Thou Shalt Not Half Wheel Your Partner
4. Thou Shalt Have Your Own Flat Kit
5. Thou Shalt Consider The Other Riders
6. Thou Shalt Do What The Group Is Doing
7. Thou Shalt Dress Appropriately
8. Thou Shalt Be Aware Of Traffic
9. Thou Shalt Be Encouraging
10. Thou Shalt Listen To The Ride Leader 

1. Thou Shalt Not Accelerate Through The Front Of The Group:
When you arrive at the front of the formation you shall continue at the pace you've been going. Accelerating through the front disrupts the group and is one of the most frustrating things I can imagine. Once you've come off to the side, THEN you decelerate to the back.

2. Thou Shalt Ride 2x2
Typical group ride formation is 2x2. That is, riders lined up no more than 2 abreast. Traffic laws (at least here in CO) allow for a 2 abreast formation. When you finish your pull, go back down the line until you're at the back. Try to avoid too much fooling around on your way back so you're not out in traffic for too long. If you find yourself anywhere in the group riding by yourself, go to the back and pair up again. DO NOT ride on the front by yourself. 

3. Thou Shalt Not Half Wheel Your Partner
1. Half wheeling acts to do only two things: Accelerate the pace and Piss off your partner. Ride hub to hub. If someone is half wheeling you, let them ride by themselves instead of letting your ego get involved. Tell Half Wheel Harry what he's doing and suggest to him you ride together.

4. Thou Shalt Have Your Own Flat Kit
Please oh please have your own pump or CO2 and tube(s). Yes, there is usually someone who has a spare tube or a CO2 or pump but, if not then you're just plain outta luck. Be prepared. 

5. Thou Shalt Consider The Other Riders
Be aware of and courteous to your fellow riders. Make safety your paramount concern. That means if you stand on the pedals to go up a rise or hill, don't throw your bike back. DO NOT drop off the pair behind you at the bottom of said hill or rise. Pull to the top of the rise and THEN come off. Try to avoid overlapping wheels.

6. Thou Shalt Do What The Group Is Doing
 What ever variety of ride the group has agreed to do, then that’s what you're doing. Don't go against the plan of the ride. Not adhering to the plan only serves to get you uninvited from future rides. If they want to go easy and you wanna go hard, go do your own thing. If they want to ride hard and you wanna go easy, either go do your own thing or keep your belly-aching to yourself and follow wheels at the back. 

7. Thou Shalt Dress Appropriately
Appropriate dress for the conditions will make your ride much more pleasant. Riding is more fun when you're comfortable AND, other riders don't want to hear you complain about being cold or hot or asking if you brought clothes for them to wear. Be responsible for yourself. 

8. Thou Shalt Be Aware Of Traffic
At ALL times traffic conditions should be one of your top concerns. If road conditions call for it, reconfigure the group to single file. Keep your 2x2 pattern relatively tight and riders fading back do so expeditiously. If there are cars coming then wait before you swing off the front. A good way to look over your shoulder while riding in the group is to put your hand on your partners shoulder and then look. This will make for a steadier line. 

9. Thou Shalt Be Encouraging
Group rides typically draw riders of varying levels of experience and ability levels. If you're seasoned with group riding, be encouraging to newer riders and help them learn the rules of the road. Yes, it can be frustrating when riders make mistakes or disrupt the pace line but, as a more experienced rider, it's your job to educate newer riders, not disparage them. Someone was patient with you once, now its your turn. 

10. Thou Shalt Listen To The Ride Leader
Even if you're an old pro, if there is a ride leader, you listen to them. You can suggest constructive comments but do not contradict the boss unless it is something that is patently unsafe. Too many chiefs will make a ride too chaotic.

I resolve to do nothing...sort of.

Coach Ainslie

 

Resolve To Do Nothing...Sort Of

 

Happy New Year! Many of us resolved to do things like lose weight, exercise more, do this, do that. But what happens to those resolutions? By the end of January, maybe as late as February, those resolutions go by the wayside.

 

As a fitness professional, I see many people start out their resolutions with great enthusiasm and commitment. However, quite often, they let it go before they have a chance to effect a change of any real significance.

 

What’s the reason? That’s the $64,000 question. Many of us, when we resolve something, really mean it this time. But along the way we start to feel that it’s either not a reality, or we feel that we’ve gotten at least part of the way to our goal and we can relax a little. Well, here’s what I resolve: I resolve to do nothing…sort of…That’s right, I said nothing. And here’s my reasoning. Resolutions go by the wayside, because they are sudden and unrealistic goals. We resolve to make sweeping changes in our lives without laying down any of the groundwork, or setting attainable objectives.

 

In my professional opinion, the most effective way to make lasting changes is to start out small. What’s the first thing you do when you build a house? You build the foundation. Well, resolutions are essentially the same way. You have to start small and then build on that.

 

Now, even with 10 plus years of experience, I’m not saying that I know what to do in every case. What I am saying is that to make wholesale statements about what I am going to do is not necessarily a reality. If I am going to work out more, first I try to get myself into the gym or out the door to train once or twice a week for, say, one hour. After having achieved that on a regular basis, I up the ante. I get into the gym or out the door to train for 1hr three times a week. After that maybe its 90min two to three times a week. AND each workout has a purpose.

 

I see so many people in the gym or on the road on the first Monday after the New Year that I have never seen before. These people have good intentions and are determined to reach an advanced level of fitness and health. But by the end of February or early March they are no longer around. Most often the reason behind this is that they haven’t reached their goal in record-setting time. And at this point they give up.

With that said, recognize that setbacks may occur. And that’s okay. The key is realizing that along the way (because we are human and we are making changes in our normal routine), sometimes we will lose focus or stray from the path. The trick is maintaining that focus and getting ourselves back on track.

 

Attaining your fitness and/or health goals is like climbing a mountain. You may lose a few steps along the way, but you’re still higher than you were when you started. It’s important to remember that, like most things in life, the path is not always a smooth ride. There are twists and turns that are unanticipated and will slow us down, but if we are patient and deliberate we will ultimately reach our end goal.

 

It sounds corny, but it’s not necessarily about the goal; it’s about the process. Cycling, health and fitness are lifelong pursuits. Our bodies and lives are dynamic. Therefore goals are constantly evolving. Even the most highly trained athlete is always trying to achieve the next level. Perfect health and fitness is hard to define.

 

So give yourself a break! When you lose focus or fall short of the goal, look at what went wrong and ask yourself “what are the changes that need to be made to get back to where I want to be?” Here are some tips:

 

-First, set short term, reachable goals as well as long term goals.

 

-Second, write down these goals and put them in a place where you can see them everyday. Repeat these goals out loud to yourself every morning and night. Never mind the fact that anyone who hears you saying this out loud may think that you’ve truly tipped over the edge, just do it! Affirming your intentions in open air goes farther than you’d think.

 

-Third, when your short term goals have been met, set the next set of short term goals that will help you towards your long term goals. As you get further along the continuum of success, treat yourself with small rewards to positively reinforce the behavioral changes that you’ve made.

 

The combination of setting realistic goals, reassessing your progress and reaffirming your commitment will help you to make the healthy lifestyle changes that you can maintain for a lifetime.

Ice baths as a recovery tool
Coach Ainslie

After a hard workout many cyclists look for ways to accelerate their recovery so they can hit another hard workout the next day. While massage is not always accessible, ice baths ("Cryo-Therapy) are usually pretty approachable. Spending a few minutes in an ice bath will help accleraate your recovery and clear metabolic wastes from your muscles.

Ice baths are beneficial because while youre in the ice submersion your muscles and blood vessels constrict there by flushing the muscles. When you get out of the tub and your body warms up, the blood vessels and muscles loosen up and expand and the corresponding influx of blood infuses the muscles with oxygen and nutrients.

 

Alex Hagman with Jelly Belly Pro Cycling says "Ice baths are nice in the summer...They're good to reduce inflamation, cool your core temperature down and the "surge" of new blood feeling that you get when your legs warm up is good." Alex raises a good point about reducing inflamation. Hard workouts damage the muscles so finding ways to reduce inflamation can potentially speed up the recovery process. 

Master Fitness Trainer for the US Army Major T.G. Taylor says "Not only does an ice bath feel good, it relieves pain and swelling and allows your body to recover more rapidly from hard and long workouts." Taylor suggests that you alternate 10 minute periods of ice and warm water. Get in a warm/hot shower in between periods if you can. Otherwise, do one extended period in the ice immersion and then take a hot shower to warm up again. 

Studies are, at best, inconclusive regarding cryo-therapy. There seems to be some evidence to suggest that, compared to doing nothing, cold water immersion has some benefit. It could be included with other recovery techniques such as stretching, compression and active recovery techniques.

Using ice baths as once part of the recovery puzzle will help you prepare for the next days workout. Training is about appropriate workout intensity and finding ways to allow your body to recover maximally between workouts will allow you to feel like a rockstar for your next workout!

 

Photo: BenGreefieldFitness.com

My quest for 5000km

Coach Ainslie

Hard to believe we are about to enter December.Daylight is becoming shorter and temperatures are cooler during the day. This has made is harder to train for me. I put in many years training in chilly conditions when I was racing full time. I'm not in a big hurry to go back to that kind of thing. I'm still putting in more miles outdoors than in but, I'm already around 200km on the rollers since Sept. 1! Thats a lot for anyone. I was talking with my wife last night saying that, yes it is unpleasant BUT, I've gotta get the time in AND it is less time intensive than getting all bundled up to ride outdoors and then unbundled and so forth when I get home. I know over in Girona Spain, ex-pro woman Katrina Grove (nee Berger) is laughing at me.

So, I've passed  1500km. Definitly behind schedule. I went through a pattern of only getting in about 3 rides a week and binging riding on the wekeends. Now, I'm settled into a ride every other day pattern. This seems to be a more manageable plan. I've been averaging somewhere around 9-12 hours a week on the bike. For the time I'll take that. 

In the process of building up the base and regular training again I've noticed a couple of things. Its been since 2003 since I put in regular training. In the intervening 9 years my body has changed. I'm something like 25 pounds heavier than I was. I'm definitely healthier like I don't get injured or sick like I did in those days. I've noticed that I don't get as out of shape as I used to. I've also noticed that its MUCH harder to lose weight than in the good old days. Additionally building fitness is much harder than it was 9 years ago. Actually making any forward gains moves much slower and my recovery, while still pretty good, is not what it was in 2003. There are a variety of factors that influence these things. 

1. Age (I've decided I refuse to participate in my 40's. My wife says I can milk 40 for about 5 more years)

2. Decreased activity (I just don't have the time or desire to train as much as I used to)

3. Less sleep (Gotta get the kids on the bus every morning)

4. Less ability to rest after hard efforts (my wife can't stand to see my laying on the couch! I wanna do stuff with the kids after I ride)

5. Less strict dietary rules (I think I'll have another helping/glass of wine)

And there are probably a myriad of others I have missed. The point being that training AND life are not like they were nearly 10 years ago.

So, with all this said, it outlines how there is a need to train smarter. I've gotten much better about doing focussed rides. Less garbage mileage/time. I'm also more disciplined about polarizing my training. That is, hard efforts are hard and easy efforts are easy unless otherwise specified. I DO enjoy not having to spend as long on the bike and frankly, I don't WANT to spend my whole day on the bike (unless the weather is superb, then I'll ride till someone tells me to stop!)

I admire some of my peers who never really stopped but rather, just reduced what they're doing. Guys like CJ Gauss, Dan Porter and Marcel Van Garderen (among others) are now my role models. I'd LOVE to get so I can manage time and riding and whatever else as efficiently as they seem to do!

Thats about where I'm at as of today. I'll continue to chisel away at it. 3500km to go!

What a tangled web we weave
Coach Ainslie

I read with interest this morning about the exit of Sean Yates and Steven De Johng (http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/yates-and-de-jongh-out-of-team-sky) from Team Sky. The team had asked everyone involved with the program to sign a declaration that they had never and were not currently involved with drugs in any way. The article indicates that neither Yates or De Johng admitted to doping but yet, they were shown the door. Similarly, Bobby Julich (working in management at Team Sky) and Levi Leiphiemer (a rider with QuickStep) were released from their jobs recently too. Julich and Levi, however, had admitted to doping. The teams have created a catch 22 in my opinion. They've asked people to confess their sins but, what incentive do they have to be honest if doing so guarantees that you'll lose your job?

Both Julich and Levi were almost immediately sacked after they came clean. This new wave of admissions and subsequent firings has demonstrated that you're virtually putting the last nail in your own coffin by coming clean. What incentive do other riders have to be honest after seeing what doing so will result in? 

My wife and I were discussing this the other night. She has been around cycling for quite a while but, has an outsiders perspective. Even she was indredulous about the current situation. Cycling is calling for a revolution but is cannabalizing itself in the process. As much as anyone, I'd love to see cycling be able to change for the better and regain its credibility but, in light of the actions by teams like Sky and QuickStep, I can see how the riders would be gun shy. 

Several entities have called for an amnesty like program where-by riders could come clean and not necessarily put their jobs at risk. In my humble opinion, I think this option has merit. But, there would have to be very clear boundaries/guidelines...a solid plan in place. Past infractions would have to be forgivable. Current dopers, thats not so easy. And I'll readily admit that I'm not sure how the handle the spectrum of admissions/information such a plan might yield. What I do know is that the current environment is not conducive to riders and former riders being honest and up front. 

Just a few rambling thoughts.....A

 

(Photo Cyclingnews.com)

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