Warm weather...now what?...Ride!

OK, we are experiencing a "heat wave" here in the Northeast. Spring has sprung, bosses are going crazy with a sudden rash of illnesses at the workplace and cyclists are hitt'n the roads. These are the facts. The question I received many times over this week in class was how do we juggle our Computrainer sessions and riding outdoors with our friends;playing hooky to maximize results. My response...

...don't get caught by the boss... that's how! Seriously, what needs to be done is an evaluation of your week. As a coach, I like to first determine how many times per week you are going to ride....lets say for sake of example 5 times...check! Next, decide on two interval days on the Computrainer...Tuesday & Thursday...check! We are almost there. How about a day where you have lots of time for a long ride, preferably a non work day...Sunday, OK...bam! All our rider needs to do is fill in the blanks for recovery and/or rest days. It's best to follow a high intensity ride day with a recovery day. Therefore, our rider will ride outside with his/her "not feeling so well or in a meeting" friends on Wednesday and Friday for easy "recovery" rides...hmm, lots of Friday afternoon appointments that will run till the end of the day. Saturday can be a rest day and Sunday will be our rider's long ride day(1:30+). The week will look like this:

Mon: Recovery(Outside)

Tues: "Speed Intervals"(PCK)

Wednes:Recovery

Thurs: "Hill Intervals"(PCK)

Fri: Recovery; "meeting day" or OFF

Sat: Recovery or OFF

Sun: Long Ride(Outside)

There you have it! If you are a current PCK rider or deciding how to juggle it all...just follow the above formula or have one of our professionals map your road or triathlon plan out for you. Next Spring Indoor Cycling Session starts Monday March 28th. Iron your days out before then. This next session promises to be an exciting one with a focused approach on interval training during the week coupled with the addition post ride cycling specific yoga stretching lead by three new additions to the PCK team, namely yoga instuctors. Endurance rides will continue during the weekend.

Remember, what happens on the road stays on the road...your boss is just as guilty as you are. Cheers!

Drape

Experiencing the Tour at PCK: Col du Tourmalet

When you get a opportunity to ride one of the "Big Three Climbs of the Tour," namely the Col du Tourmalet, where do you go to train. The Performance Center at Knapps, of course. Today, I had the opportunity to give a couple riders an opportunity to feel what it will be like to ride the Tourmalet through our Computrainers.

The Tourmalet is one of the "big three" in the tour, together with the Aubisque and the Galibier. The Col du Tourmalet is situated in the Pyrenees. Starting from Sainte Marie de Campan, the Col du Tourmalet is 17.2 km long...just under 12 miles;see graph). Over this distance, you climb 1268 heightmeters. The average percentage is thus 7.4 %.(FYI: weekly PCK Indoor Riders we experienced a more difficult ride in the 20 mile interval class at a steady 6%, but of course we didn't put in the 10 plus "Tour Days" prior followed by 80 miles before getting there...so Lance and the rest of the 'boys of the Tour win, but if you want watercooler bragg'n rights maybe you can leave that detail out).


Check out the Tour De France starting July 3rd and catch a glimpse of the Tourmalet July 22 as the riders make their way through the climbing stages. If you are going to be going away for a bike trip this summer, let us get you ready at PCK.



Go Epic,

Drape

Endurance Cycling Nutrition

They say, "Its just like riding a bike...you never forget." What is it "They" are pertaining to? The Line...the crossing of the endurance finishline; albeit an Ironman or the like. The oh so important line where you experience, for an instance, the forever lasting engrained memory of the culmination of all your hard work and sacrifice.

So, what does it take to cross that IM or other endurance event line? Discipline, persistance, sacrifice, want, need , desire or...it can be said all of these are required, but without one important tool you will never see that line or hear the "famed words." What is it you ask...Nutrition. Without nutrition an endurance feat of greater than 90 minutes is usually hampered or tagged with a big fat DNF; Did Not Finish.

Why am I focusing on food? Well, two reasons its National Nutrition Month and I just finished a coaching session with a mixed bag of endurance athletes(2 IM Athletes, A Century Rider, a partidge in a pear tree and me;IM athlete). So, lets paint today's scenario and teach you a thing or two about endurance sports nutrition.

The plan was to do a four hour Computrainer Ride on the Ironman Lake Placid Bike Course. Hell, for a couple of my riders they would deem this accomplishment a miracle if it went perfect. Hence, the choice in ride in the land of where "Miracles" happen, Lake Placid. So, now you have the picture...4 riders, a challenging hilly course and one goal...Finish...with blood sugar levels in check! Well, to put the cart in front of the horse... we all survived. But, how did the novice first timers do it. Coaching of course! I passed along my knowledge and experience of finishing multiple IM races through exhausted nutrition protocols and a lil college "edumacation" in Nutrition and Dietetics to my followers.

A few keys to my athletes success would be highlighted by:

1. Sticking to a regimen. Most worked the 15min and 45min points; alternating between solids and liquids at these time intervals. Terrain would someimes alter this experience. "Take in" on the downhills and flats and "pass" during the uphills especially the 18% grades(right Bill B).

2. Planning Ahead. All the atletes had their arsenol of nourishment including gels, bars, bananas, Gatorade, Powerade and any other simple sugars they could stash into their jersey(Bill K. remember that extra gel next time).

3. Listening to the gut. If it was churning, they backed off and popped in a lil water. As the gut settled, nutrition regimen back on. Intensity can reap havic on your digestion and absorption...practice! Don't FORCE it down if bloated.

4. Prescribed calorie amounts. Have your nutritional professional setup what your hourly needs are. Then just pick your poison. If you don't have a nutrition professional; an RD. Check out my partners at Trismarter.com they can meet all your endurance nutrition needs and they are running a special this month. Just mention "PCKTRI."

Well, its about that time to take advantage of the 4th event of triathon....Recovery. See you all at the "line". And yes the partridge did make the 4 hours solely on "pear power."

Carb Up!

National Nutrition Month®: $100 OFF SPECIAL!
March 5th, 2010
This press release from the American Association of Dietetics is just in time for the rapidly approaching 2010 triathlon season.

“National Nutrition Month® is a nutrition education and information campaign created annually in March by the American Dietetic Association. The campaign focuses attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. Registered Dietitian Day, also celebrated in March, increases awareness of registered dietitians as the indispensable providers of food and nutrition services and recognizes RDs for their commitment to helping people enjoy healthy lives.”

In the spirit of National Nutrition Month® and Registered Dietitian Day® (March 10, 2010), we’re excited to offer $100 OFF any of our Eat2Win Sports Nutrition Services including the popular Comprehensive Training Diet Analysis, Meal Planning Solutions and Weight Managment for Peak Performance Program. This $100 OFF offer is applicable to the first month only of any of our Eat2Win monthly services and only new clients are eligible. This offer expires at midnight on March 12, 2010.

Take a look at our expert team of dietitians and triathlon nutrition experts at http://www.trismarter.com/ today for more information or to find out which service is right for you. Mention “$100 OFF" and The Performance Center at Knapps(PCKTRI) to take advantage of this special offer!

Granny, Compact or Standard Chainring

If you're reading this you survived the climbing fest this week which included some brutal climbs i.e., Richtor Pass(Actual Pass on IM Canada bike course) amongst others. By the way, for those of you who asked the actual elevation change was 1500 ft over an 11km(6mile+) climb;see diagram second arrow. So, here we go: Granny, Compact or Standard?

First, lets define each and then tell to whom or when each is relevent. If you don't care...hell, go have a cold one...I don't blame you. Ok, lets get serious...


...Granny- that lil old lady in front of you at the checkout taking forever, right? No...no...no...Granny is the term used for a triple ring up front. It usually has, referring to the number of teeth on each ring of the three rings in front, 50+,40+,30+. The standard bike with this setup usually has a 12-2o something in the rear cassette. Take home, three rings up front with each having progressively less teeth than it's larger predecesor and a 12-20 something cassette in the rear. Kappesh! Hold that thought.


Compact- only two rings up front. Large has 50 teeth and smaller has 34 teeth usually coupled by a rear cassette with 12-25.


Standard- 53/39 with a 12-25 on the rear or for weaker riders 12-27...ahh haa!

Ok, so we have defined each and just mentioned weaker riders, that begs the question, "Am I a weak or a strong rider and which setup do I need already?" Ok...ok...patience.

If you are a novice cyclist and looking to just enjoy the experience of riding then go with the triple. It will give you many options for comfortability when undergoing hilly terrain, rolling terrain or if you are just plain fatiqued on the end of a longer ride. Why? Why...because I said so...why because think of this, If the "Jolly Green Giant"(7 ft tall) was walking with "Sprout"(3.5 feet) tall...Sprout would have to take double the amount of steps to keep up with the JGG. Thus, having to work harder to keep up to the Giant who would be just plotting along. This is how gearings work. The smaller the gear ratio the faster and the larger the slower, more spinning,more comfortable choice, but you do not progress as far with each pedal stroke or in the case of Sprout neither does he.

To explain further, find the ratio between the front and back rings i.e., 50/11 equals 4.5 revolutions and 34/11 equals 3 revolutions...what?...4.5 and 3 is the amount of times your back wheel will turn based upon a pedal stroke if you chose the respective gearings. Take home, you want that ratio as close to 1:1 so put a 53/39 front chainring on and a 53/11 rear cassette on your chariot and pick the 53/53pairing(you cant do that...hehe). But, you can choose the highest gearing possible to get up that hill without experiencing a 9 out of 10 effort. This takes experience and time in the saddle. So, read on...categorize yourself, if you haven't already for a "Granny" and pick your poison(compact or standard) that will get you as close to the 1:1 within your ability.


So, that leaves the question Compact or Standard. To help you choose try to answer these two questions what type of terrain and how aggresive/strong of a rider am I. If you ride mountain passes like Richtor, long hills and/or you are an intermediate to low end rider...hit the Compact. If you predominately ride smaller hills, rollers and/or are a stronger rider choose the standard(you can always change the rear cassette for appropriate conditions i.e., 11-23 Timetrialing/racing vs a 12-25 or 12-27 for climbing. If there are longer descents following the climbs and you are worried about spinningout and losing topend speed, pick yourself up an 11-2o something rear cassette.


Well, there you have it! You are now an expert...now go wow your friends or a "Granny" with this pneumonic device, The key to "G"reat "C"ycling "S"uccess is to know your gearings from low to high. Cheers!

Climbing Tips Anyone?

Welcome new riders and returning riders! I look forward to your cycling success over the next six week session. Ok, enough of the formalities...lets get down(or get up..thats, how to get up) to business. If you haven't guessed I'm going to pass on some tips for making your climbing sessions successful. Tip numero uno...head out to Home Depot and pick up a sturdy ladder. OK, ok seriously:

1. Up or down: Stay seated! Resist the temptation to stand. Standing utilizes more energy and causes HR to spike...save the matches. You will be more efficient utilizing the old saying, "Slow and Steady." However, if it is a long climb then stand, legs centered over the pedals, pedal approximately 20 pedal strokes to flush the legs then resume climb seated. You may also stand to crest a hill to get the legs ready for what is on the other side.

2. Hand position: keep the airway open! Keep hands, gripped loosely, shoulder width on the bars and not on the stemcap. Triathletes you do not need to be aerodynamic on the ascents...get out of the aerobars; I promise you will still look sleek and sexy!

3. Hips back: slide back slightly on the saddle. You will be able to produce greater power and you will be utilizing greater endurance muscles vs sitting up on the nose of the saddle where quads dominate the pedal stroke; hammies & glutes good/quads no so good for climbing.

4. Shifting: take home message...NO MASHING! Approach hill in gear you were carrying for the flat, if you can power over the hill do so. If not, drop approxmately two gears on the rear cassette for each section of the hill. For example, if you break a hill into thirds you will shift down 6 gearings(two rt clicks for each section)...if you run out of gears and you are riding the "Big Ring" i.e., a 53 shift down to the "small ring"i.e., 39 and reestablish your rear cassette gearing as necessary to keep efficient cadence(not less than 60rpms) within your HR and watts zones.

Well, thats all I have for climbing today. I gotta run out to Lowes because Home Depot was out of ladders. See you on the other side of the moutain.

Training Zones, Fuel and Effect on Physical Appearance

I'm fat...no you're not... yes I am...Ok, you are...now what? Sound familiar? I am asked time and time again, why am I not losing body fat although I am riding better or why am I not riding faster but my jersey is fitting looser. Stay tuned on the next Dr Oz for all your questions and answers to these problems and many more.

What you need to overcome these problems is an understanding of your training zones, the fuels burned in each zone and patience/discipline to stay in or go out of each zone based upon the nature of your daily planned ride or physical goals.

First, lets utilize Joe Friels Training Bible Zone Classification System with the addition of the last column, created by me Outcome; pertaining to what happens to the size of your fat cells due to the zone you choose to ride in:

Zone /Perceived Effort/ % Max HR/ Metblc sys/ Fuel/ Outcome
Z1 /Easy /50-65% /Easy Aerobic/ Fat/ Leaner*
Z2 /Moderate/ 65-80%/ Aerobic/ Fat/ Leaner*
Z3 /Moderate-hard/ 75- 85%/ Aerobic-ana Fat&Carbs/ Lean*/no change
Z4 /Hard/ 80-90%/ Anaerobic/ Carbs/ no change
Z5a/ Threshold/ 85-92%/ Anaerobic/ Carbs/ no change
Z5b /Very hard/ 85-95%/Anaerobic/ Carbs/ no change
Z5c /All out/ 95-100%/ Muscular/ Carbs/ no change
*fat cell reduction

There you have it! If you want to stay a "FB" from Austin Powers ride hard all the time or if you are tuning up for a race and have no desire for physical change ride 80% or Zone 3 on. Of course, only on your Tempo/Speed days, but we'll save that for another discussion.

However, if your desire is to see physical change and build efficiency for a stronger season ahead...ride Zone1 to Zone 2. Do not get caught up with the Hammerheads! Groooovy Baby...now go shag yourself a nice ride.