2023 Is in Progress. Are you progressing?

     I hope everyone is staying motivated and thinking about the upcoming season. Last year has come and gone. How was it for you? Did you meet your objectives? Think back about your best performance, or your worst. What could have been different? Not just in that particular event, but what could you have done differently to have a better result before the event? If you won your event, well I guess you are pretty happy. If the event had a less than expected result, what was the cause? Do you need a stronger and faster sprint, higher FTP, better VO2Max, or better race tactics? Let's talk about a key point that a lot of riders miss in training; race tactics. We all go out and perform our intervals, long rides, and whatever else we are told to do by our coach, team mates, or whomever is directing you toward that path to glory. In my years of coaching and racing I have seen time after time that the rider with the most horsepower does not always see the results that the training numbers show he/she should receive. How many times do you go out and practice winning a race? How many times do you go out and train to win? What data do you look at to see how you performed and why you just could not pull off the race results you hoped for? Personally I upgraded to category II and I am definitely not the strongest rider around. Race smarts, experience, and having a game plan (and goal) was my key.

     Some race tactics that are often overlooked are cadence, and conservation of energy. 

     If you have trained all year and timed everything just right for your A event of the year, then you will most likely be feeling very good on the bike. You will feel like you are unstoppable. You may feel like hammering away to show everyone you are king. However, the only time you can claim the title of king is when you are standing on the top spot of the podium. Your A event is not the time to make senseless attacks or efforts. The thing to do today is know your competition, conserve and let other riders make the unsuccessful attacks and moves. Why waste all your training on showing off today. How many times have you seen the race come back together in the final few miles? You need to stay in the shelter of the peloton as much as possible, this is your A event and what matters most is achieving the goal you set for yourself months earlier. Save your legs for when things really start to heat up, like the last break away with 10km to go, for the final climb before the finish, whatever you have determined to be the deciding moment! Many riders that did the earlier work, attacks, moves, will fall by the wayside. If you know the competition, and you should, after all this is your A event, keep an eye on the riders that have a history of placing well or better yet, try to learn why they are racing today (what is their goal). Watch the riders that always seems to make moves that stick. These are the ones that you will need to go with if an early move is made. Do you know the race course? Is the course one that always ends in a field sprint, or is it the course that has that key 1km climb, 5km from the end? Plan for the race, make a game plan and stick to it as much as possible. Game plans are great, but sometimes you have to be aware that the plan needs to be adjusted slightly if circumstances warrant. Think, be smart, and do not react senselessly. This is a race and things most likely will be unpredictable. Be aware of the environment around you; wind, course conditions, road surface, other riders, cars/traffic, etc.

     Cadence is something I will touch on briefly. Research with your coach all of your racing and the key training files and compare cadence in training to cadence in racing. So many times I see riders train at X watts and Y cadence. In a race they still race at about X watts, but the cadence is higher than in training. This excessive cadence variation if not trained can cause a higher respiratory rate, increased heart rate, a higher perceived exertion (and this is one I have heard many times destroyed the riders mental focus), and a different level of fatigue that many times spits a rider out the back. Key here is to know "your" cadence and stick to it in training and racing. Watch cadence in a race just like you watch watts and heart rate. If race data shows you always exceed training cadence by 10 or 15 rpm during a 30 second blast out of a corner, or a 2 minute effort to close a gap in a criterium, then you would benefit greatly by training at a similar cadence and power as you plan for your racing block. We must prepare the body for the demands of racing, while in training.

     Now is the time to look back and educate yourself about the previous race season and get a grip on what you need to be doing right now so that this year has a happier ending. Now is not necessarily the time to do only months of long, slow, and easy riding. The fall and winter hold the keys to a successful race season ahead. Now is the most important time to work properly to move to the next level in the coming year. What must you do to make the coming season a success?

Training Plans Available Here


https://www.cyclingcoachpaul.com

2023 - Time to get off the couch and fit for the year ahead.

Get It In Gear!

Welcome! 2023 is here. It is time to stop procrastinating and prepare for your year ahead. 

Whether you race bicycles, mountain bikes, cyclocross, or just want to ride your bike faster, this is the time to work on making it happen for you. I will lay out several thoughts on what to do now to make your Spring and Summer bicycling season your best ever; or Winter if you race cyclocross. 

The idea is to 'not' bury yourself under a mountain of fatigue inducing workouts. Rather we need to do quality work, focusing on our weak areas while at the same time not letting our bodies forget what we are already good at doing. Do all this without causing mid Winter burnout. We need to become strong, stay sharp, stay fresh. Read ahead to learn more of what we can do now to be better later.

The key is shorter high quality workouts. These can be done during the week when most of us have limited time anyway. 

Let's use a rider that has a not so speedy sprint. OK, sprinting generally requires a lot of brute force effort and high leg speed. It is Winter and we don't really want to perform brute force work. The key is to work on leg speed now. You must learn to spin a small ring 16, 15, 14 tooth cog at 110-120 rpm before you will ever be able to turn the big chain ring that fast. Also work on slow rpm form sprints. These are done at a moderate effort, paying attention to pedal form, upper body form, etc. As Winter moves along you will turn the big chain ring 19, then 17, 16, ... tooth cogs, etc. Build that leg speed first! Faster legs will accelerate that bike much quicker than the guy next to you that is over geared and bogged down.

FTP...How can you get better without performing crushing FTP+ efforts. Sweet Spot (SST 88-93℅ of FTP) is the work that will get you there. Most riders will work their tail off to kill it on a 20 minute 'test' effort. Then we magically think we can take 5℅ off that number and ride like a pro all day. No way! Most riders honestly will have trouble riding 20 minutes the next day at 95℅ of test results. The key is to build your SST to 60-90 minutes straight, no rest. This is tough. Start off with a few 15-20 minute sets. Work up to it. Repeated work will have a rider seeing slightly lower heart rate over time for the same effort. You are adapting. Work up to 2 hours SST and you will be miles ahead come Spring. Of course we will throw in some short duration FTP+ efforts as well as lightly hitting zone 5 power.

Training Plans Available Here

https://cyclingcoachpaul.com/

updated 1/26/2023

Training Plans and the new iLevel Optimized Intervals

I am in the process of updating the training plans I sell. With the advent of the new WKO4 iLevel training intervals, my plans will need to be more customizable for the client that uses WKO4 and desires to have the plan written to be iLevel compatible. If a client chooses to have their plan written for iLevel there are a few things that are particular to accomplishing this. To do this I will need to have access to your Training Peaks account. To do this the athlete can add me as a 'coach'. Then I will be able to see all their ride data and import this into my WKO4 so I can personalize your iLevel training zones. If the plan is 4 weeks, I will disconnect at the end of 4 weeks. If the plan is 12 weeks I will stay on for the 12 weeks, but every 3 to 4 weeks I will download the data and send you an updated iLevel profile. For example, you will be able to see that you may need to change your FRC/FTP Intensive Aerobic (FTP) zone to a new duration and wattage target. iLevel training is simply a game changer. iLevel zones are specific to you, and you alone. WKO4 takes your personal ride data and calculates various power and duration to target for you to make the most gains in each training zone and have quality work designed specifically for you.

Training Plans Available Here

https://cyclingcoachpaul.com/

Winter - The Perfect Time To Get Fast!

Cycling Training Plan for Winter and Speed

Welcome to my article on getting fast for the upcoming cycling season. Whether you race bicycles, mountain bikes, cyclocross, or just want to ride your bike faster, this is the time to work on making it happen for you. I will lay out several thoughts on what to do now to make your Spring and Summer bicycling season your best ever; or Winter if you race cyclocross. 

The idea is to 'not' bury yourself under a mountain of fatigue inducing workouts. Rather we need to do quality work, focusing on our weak areas while at the same time not letting our bodies forget what we are already good at doing. Do all this without causing mid Winter burnout. We need to become strong, stay sharp, stay fresh. Read ahead to learn more of what we can do now to be better later.

The key is shorter high quality workouts. These can be done during the week when most of us have limited time anyway. 

Let's use a rider that has a not so speedy sprint. OK, sprinting generally requires a lot of brute force effort and high leg speed. It is Winter and we don't really want to perform brute force work. The key is to work on leg speed now. You must learn to spin a small ring 16, 15, 14 tooth cog at 110-120 rpm before you will ever be able to turn the big chain ring that fast. Also work on slow rpm form sprints. These are done at a moderate effort, paying attention to pedal form, upper body form, etc. As Winter moves along you will turn the big chain ring 19, then 17, 16, ... tooth cogs, etc. Build that leg speed first! Faster legs will accelerate that bike much quicker than the guy next to you that is over geared and bogged down.

FTP...How can you get better without performing crushing FTP+ efforts. Sweet Spot (SST 88-93℅ of FTP) is the work that will get you there. Most riders will work their tail off to kill it on a 20 minute 'test' effort. Then we magically think we can take 5℅ off that number and ride like a pro all day. No way! Most riders honestly will have trouble riding 20 minutes the next day at 95℅ of test results. The key is to build your SST to 60-90 minutes straight, no rest. This is tough. Start off with a few 15-20 minute sets. Work up to it. Repeated work will have a rider seeing slightly lower heart rate over time for the same effort. You are adapting. Work up to 2 hours SST and you will be miles ahead come Spring. Of course we will throw in some short duration FTP+ efforts as well as lightly hitting zone 5 power.

Training Plans Available Here

https://cyclingcoachpaul.com/

Fall/Winter - Reflect and Plan

2023 Is in Progress. Are you progressing?

I hope everyone is staying motivated and thinking about the upcoming season. Last year has come and gone. How was it for you? Did you meet your objectives? Think back about your best performance, or your worst. What could have been different? Not just in that particular event, but what could you have done differently to have a better result before the event? If you won your event, well I guess you are pretty happy. If the event had a less than expected result, what was the cause? Do you need a stronger and faster sprint, higher FTP, better VO2Max, or better race tactics? Let's talk about a key point that a lot of riders miss in training; race tactics. We all go out and perform our intervals, long rides, and whatever else we are told to do by our coach, team mates, or whomever is directing you toward that path to glory. In my years of coaching and racing I have seen time after time that the rider with the most horsepower does not always see the results that the training numbers show he/she should receive. How many times do you go out and practice winning a race? How many times do you go out and train to win? What data do you look at to see how you performed and why you just could not pull off the race results you hoped for? Personally I upgraded to category II and I am definitely not the strongest rider around. Race smarts, experience, and having a game plan (and goal) was my key.

Some race tactics that are often overlooked are cadence, and conservation of energy. 

If you have trained all year and timed everything just right for your A event of the year, then you will most likely be feeling very good on the bike. You will feel like you are unstoppable. You may feel like hammering away to show everyone you are king. However, the only time you can claim the title of king is when you are standing on the top spot of the podium. Your A event is not the time to make senseless attacks or efforts. The thing to do today is know your competition, conserve and let other riders make the unsuccessful attacks and moves. Why waste all your training on showing off today. How many times have you seen the race come back together in the final few miles? You need to stay in the shelter of the peloton as much as possible, this is your A event and what matters most is achieving the goal you set for yourself months earlier. Save your legs for when things really start to heat up, like the last break away with 10km to go, for the final climb before the finish, whatever you have determined to be the deciding moment! Many riders that did the earlier work, attacks, moves, will fall by the wayside. If you know the competition, and you should, after all this is your A event, keep an eye on the riders that have a history of placing well or better yet, try to learn why they are racing today (what is their goal). Watch the riders that always seems to make moves that stick. These are the ones that you will need to go with if an early move is made. Do you know the race course? Is the course one that always ends in a field sprint, or is it the course that has that key 1km climb, 5km from the end? Plan for the race, make a game plan and stick to it as much as possible. Game plans are great, but sometimes you have to be aware that the plan needs to be adjusted slightly if circumstances warrant. Think, be smart, and do not react senselessly. This is a race and things most likely will be unpredictable. Be aware of the environment around you; wind, course conditions, road surface, other riders, cars/traffic, etc.

Cadence is something I will touch on briefly. Research with your coach all of your racing and the key training files and compare cadence in training to cadence in racing. So many times I see riders train at X watts and Y cadence. In a race they still race at about X watts, but the cadence is higher than in training. This excessive cadence variation if not trained can cause a higher respiratory rate, increased heart rate, a higher perceived exertion (and this is one I have heard many times destroyed the riders mental focus), and a different level of fatigue that many times spits a rider out the back. Key here is to know "your" cadence and stick to it in training and racing. Watch cadence in a race just like you watch watts and heart rate. If race data shows you always exceed training cadence by 10 or 15 rpm during a 30 second blast out of a corner, or a 2 minute effort to close a gap in a criterium, then you would benefit greatly by training at a similar cadence and power as you plan for your racing block. We must prepare the body for the demands of racing, while in training.

Now is the time to look back and educate yourself about the previous race season and get a grip on what you need to be doing right now so that this year has a happier ending. Now is not necessarily the time to do only months of long, slow, and easy riding. The fall and winter hold the keys to a successful race season ahead. Now is the most important time to work properly to move to the next level in the coming year. What must you do to make the coming season a success?

Training Plans Available Here


https://www.cyclingcoachpaul.com

Happy New Year and Happy Cycling!

Wow! Last season has come and gone in the blink of an eye. So many things I wanted to do got left behind. Seems there is only so much time in the day to work, train, eat, and sleep. How did you do? How will you do this year? I can help answer the 'how will you do' in the coming season. But a lot depends on what you do now to prepare for the upcoming race season and what you have done for the past few months. Don't slack off and wait until March or April to start frantically training, trying to catch up your fitness to match all of your buddies. I hope you have been riding the past few months, keeping fitness, working on your weaknesses, planning for the new year. If not, then now it is critical to start getting on your bike at least 5 days per week. You must build a base of solid ground before you start zone 5, 6 and 7 efforts. The base needs to be built of steel, the kind of steel you get from loads of Tempo and Sweet Spot Training (SST). Sure we need the long zone 2 Endurance ride, but not as much as you think right now if you are playing catch up. We can work together to formulate a plan to get you back on track and have you rocking and rolling by May or June. This season can be very rewarding if you are patient, do the work that MUST be done now to build a strong foundation, and follow the plan as we move along toward the race season. Best of luck in this year!

Training Plans Available Here

https://cyclingcoachpaul.com/

Fall and Your Priorities

It is almost winter and I would like to know how you are doing with your fall/winter training plan. As a full time Nissan parts manager, an avid road and mountain bike racer, and a coach, I keep a very "full time" schedule. On top of that I run the Nissan parts website www.nissanpartsnow.com for all of our worldwide Nissan customers. Sometimes it is a challenge to juggle everything I do. So getting to the point of this article, how are your priorities arranged? First, most of us work full time jobs and that is probably close to the top of your list. But, besides family and work, how are your cycling priorities arranged? What is most important for you with cycling right now? Is it a new bike, a bike fit, simply setting aside time to train, or being lazy and chilling this winter? What we do now will be crucial to our upcoming season goals. Decide what you need to do over the next 3 or 4 months so your next season is a success. Get off that couch if you chose the last option as your fall and winter training plan. Something I do around November is to write down all my season goals, my strengths and weaknesses, race dates that are already published (or ones that typically run the same weekend every year), and my current weight (and a goal weight if I need to add or lose pounds). Let's get ready for a great season with some time set aside now to lay out a success plan. Then get out there and train smart.
Best of luck in in the new year

Training Plans Available Here