Irish Dancing is a Sport

My group of Irish Dancers always kick butt during their weekly strength and conditioning training. Check out this short clip of some plyometric work.

Irish Dance Strong

Base Building for Endurance Athletes: Is It For Everyone?

A quick google search or a discussion with several endurance coaches will probably leave an athlete confused on whether or not to periodize an aerobic building phase into their training plan.  The choices are simple:  long endurance training or high intensity interval training.

Endurance training benefits:

Athletes who train in Zone 2 for 6-12 weeks will train their bodies to use oxygen more efficiently, burn fat as fuel, improve capillary density, increase mitochondria size and numbers, and give themselves a break from the high intensity workouts the season demands.  Many people have asked if this training model is worth the time citing several studies showing high intensity interval training throughout the year to be a better model.

High Intensity Interval Training benefits:

Athletes who chose to train at the high intensity throughout the year will not have to spend the long hours training.  The time commitment for base building is deterring factor for many amateur athletes.  Studies have shown a marked improvement during the season when this model was used as compared to a base building control group.  Many people will cite "specificity is king", meaning you compete at a high intensity, you should train at high intensity. 

Choosing the right model:

I am a big proponent of base building, but not every year for everybody.  First of all it is important for new athletes to build an aerobic base.  Lifetime athletes have built that base up over many years and can afford to skip a season of endurance rides.  The studies showing benefits of high intensity intervals used lifelong, elite athletes.

Second group are those who may be returning following an injury.  A back injury decreased my cycling training for a five year period.  This last season was the first I felt I could actually train.  The problem was I had lost a good deal of my base since I couldn't be on the bike for more than an hour and a half.  My season, therefore was inconsistent.  I am putting together an early base building period for myself in order to re-establish my aerobic fitness.

Third group are those with a shift in goals.  A base building period will likely be needed to go from a crit racer to a road or stage racer.

Lastly those who perform the high intensity work need to look at the quality of the intervals.  As a strength and conditioning coach, I have found there needs to be a specific order of fitness.  I can't teach speed drills to someone who becomes exhausted after the first two drills.  Strength and conditioning need to be established before improving speed.  Strength and conditioning can't be improved if the athlete doesn't have the endurance to complete the workouts.  The same concept holds true for endurance athletes, if you can't complete the prescribed intervals, what in your fitness is lacking?

A Little Bit Nervous

Alright, I'll admit, I'm a tad nervous about this weekend's races.  I've made the decision to race primarily 123 races this year in preparation for the World Police Fire Games at the end of June.  It seems to me, though, that in the past few years, everyone has gotten so fast.

Today is the Shamrock Crit in VA Beach followed by the rescheduled Snowball Crit in Chesapeake.

Here's hoping I don't end up on "You Got Dropped".

Richmond International Raceway Cat 3 Crit 2015 Race Report and Pictures

The 2015 racing season is definitely underway. I have always loved racing this raceway crit. In the past, when it was a Cat 3/4 race, there were 100 entries. We don't get to ride those numbers very often. This year, like last, it was a stand alone Cat 3. Tim Shockley and myself made the drive up.  On the way we talked about our plans and goals for the race.  We decided to see what we could do to really mix it up.  We planned on spending the first 10 laps or so getting comfortable and moving around the field. After that we would look for a break, ideally 5-6 riders. We were not going to spend much energy simply chasing down attacks since it was only the two of us in a field of over 40.  

The race began:  

It really wasn't bad.  The wind was tough and at times pretty tricky in turn 2 and the back straight away.  Within the first 6-minutes, a break formed with 5 riders.  It looked good, and I thought to myself it was the break Tim and I talked about.  However, it was early...very early.  No one told them because that break survived with four riders who ended up lapping the field (which later actually caused a problem).

Tim and I worked at the front, doing our share but also looking for a second break.  This race is funny, the finish is tricky because it's so wide across.  You can be 5 feet from first place and be 20th. We were sticking to the goal of getting a break going.  A few attempts happened:

None of them stuck.  The final three laps I decided to get on Tim's wheel.  No real thought of a lead out, but he was riding well at the front and I thought it would be a good place to be.

It was a good place. Despite a few racers blatantly going below the yellow line to advance their position (hint: red jersey from Cutaway) Tim did a great job holding position and legally advancing us up.  Then, for some reason, two of the four break away riders tangled up behind me.  One went down and crashed into my rear wheel. I dint go down, but this is what I saw:

Tire was flat and I couldn't ride it anymore. I got off the bike and walked to the finish line to avoid a DNF. 

Unfortunately it was more than a flat tire:

The rider who went down ended up ripping the valve stem off and pulling a spoke from the rim.  I guess it could have been worse. No frame damage, no body damage, the rim is replaceable. Tim and were planning to double up and do the 123 race as well, but I didn't have a spare wheel so we hit the road.

Thank you to the promoters, this was again another great event.

William and Mary Road Race- Cat 3 Race Report

I'm a little late on reporting this race but here it goes.  Mike Tamayo and myself made the short trip to Williamsburg to race the Cat 3 William and Mary Road Race Winter Classic.  We both discussed our goals and race plan on the drive up and they were pretty simple.

1. Stay up right.  Regain confidence riding in a pack (no pack riding for me during the winter).
2. Be able to keep an eye on the race.  Know who is up the road and what teams are represented.
3. Mix it up in the pack sprint.

Basically I was using this race as a skills training.  I am pretty confident with my fitness level but I did do a lot of base building since I needed to reestablish my endurance after the last several years of dealing with my back issue.  Therefore I haven't really had the chance to work on high level efforts and I was not confident with being able to survive in a break.

Things were going exactly how I had thought they would.  First time up the KOA hill a rider from Careytown went up the road.  We didn't go hard up the hill and he just rode off the front.  Josh Moore and a VT rider followed.  No problem, if they wanted to exhaust themselves for the next 35 miles, go ahead.  However, the VT rider was dropped and the other two stayed out.  Within a lap they had 2:00 on the field.  As much as I wanted to chase, and Mike even asked if I was planning on it, I wanted to stick with my initial plan.  Not all races have to be about the results.  Sometimes you need to just ride some of them in order to race others.

At times the race did open up, gaps were created and we got strung out.  I was able to sit in, ride at the front when I needed to and keep an eye on the activity, close gaps as they formed and rode what I thought was smart riding.  Mike was able to do the same, I did feel the need to be on the front a little more than me in the final lap.  Especially when a small group got off the front after the final turn before entering the park.  The rest of the race seemed content to let it go, so was I.

In the final stretch I figured I would work to stay near the front and sprint, even if it was for 7th place.  I was on the outside as the picture above shows.  I'm not really sure what I was thinking but as I attempted to go around, the rider in front also was moving up.  I ran out of road and the grass was really wet and soft.  I went from near the front to the back instantly and just rode in, no sprint.

Overall it was a good race, good way to start the season.  Now I'm ready for Richmond Raceway.

How to Train in Bad Wearher

My brother and I used to call them "Belgium Days". Those were the rides that built character, improved your mental toughness, and showed just how dedicated you were.  However, we lived in Hawaii so what the hell did we know.  

Living in Virginia Beach is unique.  It's unique in the fact that since we don't get consistent periods of really cold weather, it's tough to train when the temperature does drop.  The reason is we are not typically prepared for it, equipment, body conditioning, and mentality.  Over the last couple of weeks, the temperatures have hovered in the thirties.  We had a day in the forties, with 20+ mile an hour winds.  Whether you are building a base or trying to build your anaerobic capacity, the environmental conditions can have a negative effect on your plan.

I am a believer in cross training.  Cycling is a sport that has movements primarily in one plane and is done in a hip flex position.  Amateur cyclist spend  about 7-15 hours a week in this position.  Couple that with computer/desk work, it's easy to see why so many riders end up injuries related to muscle imbalances.  Cross training gives cyclists a chance to improve their fitness with high end training while decreasing the likelihood of burnout and injury.

Now I'm not advocating cross training as the only method of training, and I even suggest combining it with your cycling.  For example, last week I completed 20 intervals of 1:00 on and 1:00 off on the Versa Climber: 

Next I did a little strength training:

When I got home, I got a little food and within two hours got on my bike.  I've done this outside and inside.  The bottom line after an hour and a half of cross training, the final hour on the bike felt like the final hour of a 3+ hour ride.  I was able to get high end anaerobic training, strength work, volume of training, miles on the bike and even skill work at times:

All this without exposing myself to harsh environmental conditions. Therefore, when planning your winter training, be creative, embrace variety, and don't get caught up in simple mileage goals.  

Training Update: Hills, Cold, Long Rides, Cross Training, and Power Test

Since my last post I have done a lot of training.  I have fallen slightly away from the amount of time I have scheduled myself to train in my training plan, but the training I have done has been high quality. The week between Christmas and New Years I was in Jefferson, MD riding the hills.  It was a great chance to test the Madone on the rolling, steep hills plus work on my leg strength. 

Last weekend I did a three hour ride with a couple of teammates. That was huge for me.  It has been at least three years since I was able to ride that far with no back pain. I followed it up an endurance cross training workout on Sunday.  It wen something like this:

8:00 with 2:00 rest interval.  3x on the Concept2 rower, 3x on the Versa Climber, 3x on the Jacob's Ladder, and 3x with a sled push.

It was very tough but a great accomplishment when I was done. 

This week was a recovery week through Thursday. On Friday I did an 8-minute power test.  I use the 8-min version during the base building months simply because I can wrap my mind around it better.  It still ends up being nearly a two hour ride because of where I ride to perform the test.  Basically I do two 8-minute efforts with a 10-minute rest interval. I average the two results and use 90% of the value. My FTP increased by 5 watts since last month and 20 watts from the month before.

Saturday was another cross training day for me in which I did the following:

5:00 on the Versa Climber, 20x push-ups, 10x pull-ups, 20x sit-ups, 10x Squats (35lb KB), 20x lunges (walking 10 each side), 10x KB swings (35lb), 20x Smartbell circles (10 each side).  I repeated this circuit five times with only taking breaks to drink water (there was one time I ended up taking a little break because of a conversation).

This really was a tougher training session than it may sound.  It hit all the critical movement patterns in sports (push, pull, squat, bend, lunge, and rotation).  It was also metabolic training by doing the Versa Climber first, all the strength work was accomplished with a high heart rate.  It was just over an hour of solid training but really was an endurance workout.

Today I went out for just over two hours with my teammate Mike.  We did a northern VA Beach ride which included several stops, starts, turns, wind changes, and conversation.  Sometimes I feel these types of rides hurt more than a steady fast county ride.

Also I finally got a K-edge.  I bought the one that holds the Garmin on top and GoPro under.  Here a two pics from today's ride including a selfie:

Thanks for reading and hopefully you get some good outdoor training prior to the big storms rolling through this week.

Weekend Miles

I have decided to revive this blog a little.  As a cycling coach I do a lot of research on how to train and how to improve. I was never what I considered a "natural athlete". I have always had to read, research and try different approaches to training.  Everyone is different and none of my clients are on the same plan.  I figured I would start talking about my training again.  This is for a couple of reasons:

1.  People who find themselves in the same time commitments may benefit from copying my plan.

2.  For the first time in 4 years I feel like my back is good enough to really train again and be competitive. 

3.  This is probably the most important, my family is tired of listening to me talk about training. 

At the beginning of December I brought home a new bike from East Coast Bikes. My new Trek Madone 5.2. 

I really like this bike. So far I haven't had any back pain and the only foot numbness I have had is due to cold toes.  Last season my longest ride of the year was 2.5 hours.  Last weekend I did 2.75 hours with no issues.

This last week ended my first 5-week segment of base building.  As I mentioned before with limited riding time for the past 4 years, I really needed to build a good base.  Week 5 was a recovery.  I took three days off during the week and did not do any cross training or strength training.  On Saturday I did a power test.  This time of year I use an 8-minute test for FTP.  It was very motivating to see my numbers increase 14 watts.  They are not where they were 4 years ago, but I'm on the right path.  Sunday I went out on a 2-hour ride in my endurance zone.  In the last 30 minutes I started to bonk because I was dumb and didn't eat anything.  Sometimes you forget how much sugar you burn just staying warm.  I came home and ate nearly everything in the house.

I ended up with two 2-hour rides this weekend.  Again this is a step in the right direction for me and I'm very excited to continue this training and even more excited to come out strong next year. 

2014 York Can Am Police Fire Games

I have looking forward to the 2014 York Can Am Police Fire Games all year long.  This was the first year in the past 4 seasons in which I felt I could train and gain enough fitness to be competitive.  My back still gives me problems and I have been limited to slightly shorter training rides, but I have been on the bike, running and cross training enough to feel I could be factor in these games.

What are the Can Am Police Fire Games?

The Can Am Police Fire Games are an Olympic style competition for law enforcement and firefighters.  Here is are the rules of who is eligible to compete:

• All sworn Federal, State/Provincial, County, Municipal and Military law enforcement officers, weight control officers, corrections officers and dispatchers employed by a law enforcement agency (male or female, active or retired) are eligible. Police reservists and cadets who have 180-days of continuous law enforcement service, have received formal training in law enforcement and have powers of arrest are eligible.
  
• Eligible fire service personnel includes both paid and volunteer, dispatchers, military fire personnel, (male or female, active or retired) who have received formal training as a firefighter and have 180-days of continuous fire service.
  
• Eligible EMS personnel includes E.M.S. personnel employed by a private entity or Governmental Agency (male or female, active or retired) who have received formal training as an EMS provider and have 180 days of continuous service.
  
• Eligible law enforcement, fire service and E.M.S. personnel described above from any city, county, state/province, and Country are eligible to compete.
  
• A spouse must complete a Registration Form listing the agency information representing the eligible spouse.

NOTE: Eligibility rules will be strictly adhered to.

Agencies specifically included:

Municipal Police Municipal Fire County Sheriff County Fire Harbor Police Harbor Fire CII Investigators District Attorney's Investigators Alcohol Beverage Control Officers U.S. Marshal's Office Secret Service Highway Patrol Parole Agents and Officers State Police Gov’t. Employed Corrections Officers Provincial Police Seasonal Smoke jumpers and Firefighters (with at least two years employment) US Customs & Border Protection (CBP)

Border Patrol Immigration and Customs Enforcement Department of Homeland Security University/Campus Police and Fire Depts. Federal Bureau of Investigation Customs and Immigration Service Government Employed Dispatchers National/State/Prov. Wardens/ Rangers Attorney General Investigators Tribal Police U.S. Park Service Police Military Police Military Firefighters Bureau of Narcotic's Investigators

Agencies specifically excluded:

• Private Business Firefighters
• Pre-employment Police or Fire Science students
• Private Security Services
• Civilian Jailers and Corrections Personnel
• Non governmental Dispatchers

Here is a list of events for the 2014 Games:



VBW Representation for Cycling Events:
John Gray (Suffolk Fire Department) and myself (Virginia Beach Fire Department) represented Hampton Roads and the Virginia Beach Wheelmen in this year's event.  We competed in three races: the TT, the Crit, and the Road Race.  We entered the Senior B category which was an age graded 35-39.  We really did not know what to expect as far as competition.  What we found was small packs that varied in experience.  There were Cat 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and even some unlicensed riders.  The courses were also challenging.  Both the TT and the Road Race were on very hilly terrain.  The road race featured a circuit with four laps and each lap had rolling hills and a steady steep 1.5 mile climb.  The Crit was on wide roads through a neighborhood.  The TT was on the same course as the road race but went the other direction.

For the TT, John was doing great but ended up loosing his chain and it got stuck in his bottom bracket.  He lost too much time.  I was able to hold on for third to bring home a bronze medal.

For the Crit, John and I were both in the front separation with two other strong riders.  They ended forming a deal with each other to combat the team work put forth by VBW.  The stronger rider was starting to counter all of our attacks while allowing the other one to just sit in.  Seeing this, I got to the front for the final three laps and set the pace.  The pace was high enough to stop all further attacks and it allowed John to sit in for the sprint.  On the final John was out sprinted but got the Silver medal and I held on for another bronze.

In the Road Race, I was concerned about the hills.  The mixed several categories for a little bit larger pack.  We had about 10 riders in our category we needed to fend off.  Not really knowing their ability, I got to the front immediately.  The race started with pretty steady climbing for the first 3 miles.  I set a tempo early on that got rid of half the pack.  Then the strong rider from the crit got to the front (he was actually in an age category lower than us) and John got on his wheel.  I allowed a gap to form while everyone else sat on my wheel.  A few riders noticed this and sprinted up to close the gap.  This acceleration depleted more of the original pack.  I sat on for a little bit but then settled into my own climbing pace.  John and the other rider was able to create separation from everyone else and I slowly started to pick off other dropped riders.  In the Senior B race, John ended up Gold and I got another Bronze.

The Best Part of the Games:

By far one of the best things about these games is meeting people from around the country. Public safety jobs are unique and offer challenges to being an athlete. Our jobs require a certain level of fitness but with sleepless nights, shift work and odd eating schedule, often it could be difficult to maintain this fitness. These games gives us the chance to promote our sport, competition, fitness and learn from each other.  It becomes easy to make new friends, even if some of them are cops.

2018 They Will Be in Hampton Roads:

Hampton Roads has won the bid to host these games in 2018.  Check out their latest banner:

  

The Next Focus:

In 2015, the World Police Fire Games will be in Fairfax, VA.  The cycling events bring many European competitors and are always very tough.  VBW will be looking to bring a full team and try to bring back some medals to Hampton Roads. 

Interval Training Versus Repetition Training

All cyclists understand the importance and suffering that comes with interval training.  Over the past many years there has been an even greater understanding of how to pinpoint this training by using power as opposed to heart rate as the gauge of performance.  For most of us we perform a power test on a regular basis.  The primary focus of this test is to determine or estimate your functional threshold power (FTP).  From your FTP you can determine your other zones and where you should be training.  In addition, you may even test the other zones by doing max efforts at 5:00, 1:00, and 15 second sprints.  I use the seven zone method found in Hunter Allen's book Training and Racing with a Power Meter to divide my power/heart rate zones.  These include:

Zone 1:  Recovery- less than 55% of FTP

Zone 2:  Endurance- 56-75% of FTP

Zone 3:  Tempo- 76-90% of FTP

Zone 4:  Lactate Threshold- 91-105% of FTP

Zone 5:  VO2max- 106-120% of FTP

Zone 6:  Anaerobic Capacity- 121-150% of FTP

Zone 7:  Neuromuscular Power- Over 151% of FTP

Since you don't train for "Recovery", there are six zones to train in order to be a well rounded racer.  Endurance and Tempo zones are typically trained on your long days or group rides.  For the threshold and anaerobic zones, interval or repetition training is the best way to improve.  The real question is do you know the difference and when to use interval or repetition?

Interval training is primarily designed to increase your VO2max levels.  Lets say you wanted to do a VO2max interval that would last 8 minutes.  How long will it take your heart rate to get into the zone and how long will it take for the goal power numbers to be challenging?  If your goal power for the interval is 280 watts, it might take two minutes for that to feel challenging and for your heart rate to start rising.  This means your 8-minute effort is only 6 minutes at your goal.  The following is 8 minute intervals as shown with power and heart rate:

  Obviously it is important to practice these long intervals to improve muscular endurance at the higher power ranges.  Next take a look at an interval set designed to improve VO2max also.  These are actually listed as anaerobic capacity intervals because they are done at a higher power level.  These intervals have an equal rest as they do work, but the rest could be less for these types of intervals.  They train you using a higher power level, but your heart rate responds like a VO2max level.  As these intervals increase in numbers, you can see the power is decreasing, it is alright.  The heart rate is also not coming down as quickly between intervals and climbing quicker.  The real training occurs as this workout progresses.

 

 

Finally I wanted to show you repetition training.  These are efforts that have much longer rest intervals than they do work intervals.  The goal is to be near full recovery before starting the next effort.  These are specifically designed to improve power output at a specific zone or time period.  The design here was a specific power to hold until he hit fatigue.  Then he rested for at least 2x the work interval and repeated.

2014 William and Mary Tidewater Winter Classic

The Virginia Beach Wheelmen took four riders to compete in the Cat 3 race.  All of them had goals to accomplish and something to prove to themselves.  For John Gray and Tim Shockley it was a chance to test some early season fitness and see if they could get into a break a do some work at the front of the pack.  Mike Tamayo has spent the winter attached to a trainer trying to get rides snuck in between work, a two year old and a brand new baby who arrived earlier this month.  Joshua Goyet has been building fitness back for the last several months after returning to the bike following a back injury.  The distance was going to be the challenge for both Mike and Joshua.

All four Wheelmen finished the race and felt good about their accomplishments.  They mixed it up in the breaks, assisted with the chase and even had parts in the final lead out.  When it was all over, although not on the podium, the Wheelmen were thrilled with the start of the 2014 racing season.

John Gray 11th

Tim Shockley. 15th

Mike Tamayo. 32nd

Joshua Goyet 35th

On a personal note for me, this race was big.  On the third of 5 laps I decided I was going to pull out the next lap.  My back was a little sore and I had not trained the distance. Really I was using a built in excuse.  I rode up to Tim and let him know my intentions.  When we came through again and I heard the bell, I changed my mind.  I am making a comeback to the sport after taking off last year and really fighting this back injury for the past 3 years.  It is not a comeback if I had dropped out of the first race of the season.  I ended up finishing strong on the front for the lead out in an attempt to keep it safe for my teammates.  That was my victory.

BCCX 2013 Results

Here are the results for the 2013 Bennett's Creek CX race.  I will also post some pictures later.

2013 BCCX results

Thanks Kurt Kinetic!

On Saturday my trainer felt odd. 

Two cracks on my Rock n Roll trainer. One on each side of the weld on the top frame. 

Two emails later here it is Wednesday. 

Brand new top frame. If you are in the market for a new trainer take a serious look at Kurt Kinetic. Great trainers and excellent support. 

Progress Mixed With Setback

One hour prior to my first session of Rolfing, my back started to ache after picking up a heavy object.  Not hurt, but not comfortable. I went ahead with the session.  My first impression of Rolfing is pretty good.  I really felt like she was making positive changes in my posture. However, due to the soreness in my back from lifting the object, I can't feel a difference. Actually I feel like I have taken a step back. 

Two days later I'm feeling better but not where I was.  My next session is next Sunday. My thought is to take a picture BEFORE each session. If my posture changes after each session but goes to crap in the following week than it probably was not worth it.  I did take a picture a couple of weeks again and the focused on changing my posture myself. 

The one on the right was my posture two weeks ago.  The one on the left was my posture just before going to my first Rolfing session.  Next week I will take another and compare it to the most recent and the first one to see if any changes are noted.  Of course I want physical changes to be noted, but I am primarily concerned with reduction of back pain.  

The Next Stage to Fix My Back

For me, this year, I have more or less given up on the racing season. My back continues to be a problem. This injury has gone on for more than two years. I guess by definition, it is now chronic back pain. I have not given up hope and I am still seeking treatment with the hopes if correcting this problem.

What is my problem?

First: if I were not a cyclist then I really would not have much of a problem. My primary issue is numbness in my left foot while riding. This occurs about 30-40 minutes into every ride.

Second: at times my foot will go numb while standing or walking. Not very often any more, but it still happens.

Third: occasional back pain.

This injury does not effect work or everyday living. It really only effects working out. Cycling, running, strength training and other workouts are hard to do for the length I want to do them.

The reason for this post is to set up a diary for my next treatment endeavor. Tomorrow I start with a massage technique called Rolfing. Rolfing is specifically designed to correct posture due to gravity. My posture is terrible and could easily have been the reason for my back injury. I will post posture pictures of myself though this process along with updates on how I am feeling.

Why New Year Resolutions Fail and How to Make SMART Goals

The ball dropped, a new calendar was purchased and it's the time of year that everyone asks "where did the year go?".  It can only mean one thing, if the year changed, so must you.  Time to make those New Year Resolutions.  What is your resolution that is going to make 2013 a stellar year?  Last year a poll was conducted on the most common resolutions, here are the results:

37% stated they intend to lose weight

18% stated they don't make resolutions

12% stated they wanted to spend more time with friends and family

12% stated they were going to get out of debt

7% were going to quit drinking or smoking

 Missing off this list but related to losing weight would be going to the gym more or simply getting more fit.  The bottom line is resolutions fail because they can never really succeed.  If you resolve in 2013 to quit smoking or drinking, and on 12/31/13 you have not been sober or tobacco free for at least several weeks, then you can say your resolution was a success.  If however, you resolve to lose weight in 2013, then you must be more specific in order to measure success.

Resolutions are nothing more than goals.  Most people think setting goals are easy, but in fact they can be quite challenging.  In order to set goals you must be SMART.  This goes for professional, personal and athletic/competition goals.

• S- Specific.  Goals must be specific.  Getting in better shape is non-specific.  Running a mile in under 6 minutes is an example of a specific goal.
• M- Measurable.  In order for a goal to be successful you must know when you have reached the benchmarks or the goal itself.  Instead of having a goal to lose weight you must set a number to reach.  This number could be pounds lost or inches around the waist.  Regardless you must know when you have reached your goal.
• A- Attainable.  Think of this as being capable of achieving your goals regardless of outside influences.  Those individuals who say they have a goal, or resolution, to spend more time with friends and family might do everything in their power to achieve that goal, but friends and family might be too busy.  Athletes should choose goals that can be obtained regardless of the competition.  I know it sounds strange, but if your season goal is to win Nationals and you train hard, show up on race day, and end up getting out sprinted or team tactics played into a different outcome, then you have set yourself up for failure.  You did everything possible but the day did not go your way because of influences beyond your control.  Instead set a goal for a sub 1hour 40k TT, or a PR on a 10k run.  You can still strive to win Nationals, but it shouldn't be your season goal.
• R- Realistic.  I am 36 years old.  I should probably start thinking that my goal of an Olympic gold medal is not very realistic.  For weight loss goals, regardless what you see on the Biggest Loser, long term weight loss of more than 3 pounds a week is not realistic.  You want your goals to challenge you, but not make them impossible.  Shoot too low and you will reach them too fast.  Shoot too high and you will get discouraged and give up.
• T- Timely.  Your goals need to be time sensitive.  Set smaller goals leading up to the big goal.  For weight loss you might have an overall goal of 25 pounds to lose.  Set a date to lose this weight.  It would be realistic for you to lose this weight in 8 weeks.  If you have a spring break trip planned, use that date as benchmark date for your goal weight.  

Whatever resolutions were made while raising a toast with friends and family, look at it closely and use this system to refine them and make them SMART goals.  Good luck in the new year.

Return to the bike after back injury....slowly

The problems with my back forced me to take some time off.  After the Franklin race in July I hung up the bike.  I tried for a while to get things back to normal with very little success.  I finally went to get an MRI.  It revealed bulging/herniated discs, spinal stenosis and arthritis.  That explains my problems.

Physical Therapy was not really an option for me.  In all reality they could not do anything that I wasn't already doing by myself.  However, with a confirmed diagnosis, I could target my problems with more confidence that I was doing the right thing.

Since the MRI I have had some really good progress.  I'm by no means healed, but I'm getting there.  I have targeted the bulging/herniated discs with extensions exercises and inversion therapy.  Day to day activity does not bother me.  Running is good, rowing is good, but I still get pain in the back and numbness down my leg when I ride, Versa Climber and Jacob's Ladder workouts.  Much of that is due to changing my posture and my muscles becoming tired quickly because they are being used differently.

While on the bike, my piriformis and QL on my left side get tight, tired and that is what causes the pain.  I have decided for the time being to limit my rides to trainer rides.  This allows me to ride, focus on posture and when I get tight, sore or numb, I can get off the bike to fix the problem.  I get back on feeling fresh again.  I will continue this format until I can ride with out pain for at least an hour.  This same protocol will be used for cross training activities like the Versa Climber and Jacob's ladder.

I am optimistic that I will be back to my old self soon.  Maybe not for a early season start, but by May I feel I can be competitive again.

I know many cyclist suffer from back issues so I will continue to post here to give information about what works and what does not.

Wandering Wheelmen

I cam across this video today on twitter.  I thought it was very cool.  Really made we want to get back on the bike, especially with a group of friends on back country roads.  All of these racers are inspiring and motivating.  American cycling hope is alive and well.

Training Levels and Training Zones for Cycling and Running

Cyclist tend to train in two different methods.  First would be Zone training.  These are focused zones which are defined by heart rate and/or power levels.  Every day is a focused day working on a specific zone.  Secondly would be those racers who use group rides as mock races.  There is no focus on zones the ride dictates what is being trained.  Then compare that to runners who often train within the same zone consistently.
Training Zones
Training zones, as mentioned are often defined by heart rate, power or pace.  Typically there are enough zones to cover most of the energy systems used by your body.  Keep in mind that you can never isolate an energy system, but you can focus on its development.  For me and my clients I use the 7 zone method.

1. Recovery
2. Endurance
3. Tempo
4. Threshold
5. VO2max
6. Anaerobic Capacity
7. Neuromuscular Power

Heart rates and power levels are defined within these zones.  Also defined within these zones are time limits for the intervals.  For example Zone 5-VO2max:  it takes your body about 2 minutes to reach this level.  Therefore in order to train that level, each interval should be longer than 2 minutes.  If you go too long you won't be able to maintain this level and you will drop down.  The time limits than would be set at 3-8 minutes.  Does the rest period matter much when doing these intervals?  Obviously a shorter rest would mean a harder workout.  Is there a method to determine rest intervals?  For many people the answer is no.  Do you rest until your HR comes down?  Or until your legs feel better? Or is it just a number of minute/seconds that you have used before?

The question to ask is what exactly are you training?  For cyclist do you go exclusively on power numbers?  Runners, do you go exclusively on heart rate numbers?  The reason I ask is because those are two different measurements that though they are related could mean very different things.  Have you ever wondered what your limiting factors are?  Legs or lungs?  That statement really asks the question where is your weakness?

Legs or Lungs?
During a given workout, do you want to train your leg strength/endurance or are you looking to improve on your heart and lungs ability to work within the zone prescribed.  If you are going on exclusively power numbers, then you really are more concerned with muscular strength and endurance.  Let me pose another training scenario.  You want to train Zone 5 but are looking to do intervals that last only 30 seconds with a rest interval of 30 seconds.  Since it takes about 2 minutes to reach Zone 5 (which is the absolute top of your aerobic capacity), the first few to several intervals are not training this system properly.  However, once you reach that zone, the short rest interval will not allow your body to recover.  Eventually you will spend the entire 30 seconds of an interval in Zone 5.  If using power exclusively, the first several intervals might be in or above zone 5 power, but you are not training zone 5 at this point.  Near the end of the series you may not be able to maintain zone 5 power, but your body is still working in that training zone, your legs just don't have enough endurance to keep up.  I have come up with a method to better define the goals of your workouts.  I call these training levels.  Combine them with the training zones to better focus the outcome.

Training Levels
I have defined training levels into 4 different areas:

1. Steady state
2. Impulse
3. Intervals
4. Repetitions

Example:  Level 4 Repetitions in Zone 5 VO2max.  This workout could be defined as 5-minute repetitions with 5-8 minutes rest or full recovery.  The goal of this workout would be to see if you can give 100% effort during each of the repetitions.  This will primarily work the muscle endurance at that level as well as the energy system.  For cyclists this could be a prologue practice.  Each effort would be the equivalent of a short prologue.  For runners it could be mile pace practice.  In this type of workout you would want to stop the repetitions at the point that you could no longer maintain the proper power output or pace, because that is the goal.

I define steady state as any training done in any zone that is just a constant effort.  Impulse training usually has a foundation zone and you would perform short bursts out of that zone and then return to that zone after the burst.  Think about it as covering an attack.  You are at tempo, burst to Zone 6 then have to settle back into tempo.  Intervals usually will have a rest period no more than the work period.  These typically will work Zone 5 regardless of the length of the interval.  Repetitions are defined by having the rest period equal to or greater than the work period.

By combining Zones and Levels together, you can get much more out of your workout and better attack your weakness and strengthen your strengths. 

Lose fat, lose muscle, recover from injury and get ready for next season

I chose to end my season early this year because my back issue really becomes an issue on my bike.  I had still been getting the numbness down my left leg while riding.  I was evaluated by a physical therapist and given a number of exercises to do to recover and fix my problem.  The issue stems from currently having a muscle imbalance in which I have weak glutes and weak obliques.  My sacrum is stuck in a flexed position.  The bent over riding position would require the sacrum to extend.  Since it does not, it pinches my sciatic nerve.  Riding is hindering my recovery. 

For the past few weeks I have done the exercises and worked on strengthening and cross training to keep at least somewhat in shape.  I am not yet fixed, but I do have more good days than bad days.  Most everyday activities do not effect my back now.  Sitting for long periods, or being in a car for a long time will irritate it a little.

Right now posture is key.  I really need to focus on posture for everything I do.  If during a workout I let my posture suffer and pinch the nerve, then I probably push back my recovery a little.  It has been difficult to find good alternatives.

Versa Climber:

I use the Versa Climber as an off season conditioning tool.  It really works well to do short high intensity interval training (HIIT).  However, currently it has been hurting my back.  You can see here that you do have to hold your posture and currently it is still pinching my nerve.

Jacob's Ladder:

Another great cross training machine that we use during the off season for conditioning.  Talk about tough work.  Once again though, its tough for me to maintain posture and it pinches my nerve.

Running:

I would not have thought that running would have helped me but I gave it a shot since I was training someone who was getting into running.  I have been using my five finger shoes which force a mid foot strike and improved posture.  Guess what?  No back pain.  It actually relieves any aches that I have before the run.  This has been my primary source of exercise except for the strength training I have been doing to fix the imbalance.

Because of the lack, or change in time I have spent working out, I have gained some extra weight.  Therefore I am struggling to get my weight down to were I want it and not overdo the training which would slow my healing process or create new injuries.

Here is a picture of me from this morning:

Usually I have been racing at a weight of 183 lbs.  Currently I am above 195.  My goal will actually be to get down to 175 for next racing season.  Follow this blog as I will report the workouts, diet and challenges that I am facing while trying to work through this challenge.  I know many athletes push through nagging chronic injuries and are challenged in finding the right amount of training and diet that works for them.