Late to the Game? Ways to Make up for Lost Training Time

May 15, 2014

image003Even the best made training plans go awry. Work demands, family obligations, illness, injury, or even weather challenges all can take a toll on training.  Now with the Colorado racing season underway, the pressure is on to get into racing form.

But what do you if you are behind the curve? Stress out? Freak out? Beat yourself up?  No! There’s nothing you can do about the past so you have to let it go and move forward.  Here’s how to make the best of what you’ve got.

The post, Making up For Lost Training Time, suggest to focus on what you can control and let go of things beyond your control.  What can you control? The intensity, duration, and consistencies of your workouts.  You can also control the elements surrounding your training, as in, your bike parts, bike functioning, and being well prepared nutritionally to get the best out of your workouts.

You can also focus your efforts on training with power and heart rate. Both play a key role in training and you can use both to target weaknesses and strengths.  Other options include Dialing in Your Race Day Nutrition Needs adjusting your goals to reflect your current fitness level and your aims for the season and preparing race strategies that you can build upon as the season progresses.

The post, Missing training – Adjusting the plan, reminds us, “ It’s easy to beat yourself up over missed training, but if you have been steady with training, give yourself a break. Gaining fitness doesn’t happen in one or two days and losing fitness doesn’t happen in one or two days. It takes months of steady training to gain good fitness. A few days missed or logging a fewer less hours than planned for a week is a small blip on the radar.”

You may or may not be at the front of the pack in your early Spring races, but you can definitely show up at the line in the best form possible, mentally race ready, and prepared for a healthy and strong 2014 cycling season.

1 Comment | Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by staffwriter8

4 Leadville 100 Mountain Bike Race Strategies

August 8, 2013

What is all the Leadville hype about?  For starters, the start and finish of the race are in the heart of Leadville, Colorado at 10,200’. More than 90 percent of the race is on dirt or double track roads featuring steep climbs and serious descents. There is a seven-mile climb to the 50-mile turnaround at 12,600′ and an approximate 14,000’ elevation gain. Whew!  That’s exhausting just thinking about it!

Not only is the race tough, but it’s gained national attention due to Colorado cyclist, Dave Wiens winning the event six years in a row. Levi Leipheimer won in 2010 and Specialized racer, Rebecca Rusch, has finished first in the last four races — 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.  For non professional athletes, what are successful race strategies to help conquer this demon of a race?

1.  Plan Right!  Sure, getting your bike parts  in order, lubing your chain, checking your tires are all good to do to prepare before the race.  But, what happens out on the course?  Crazy stuff can happen out there!  Be sure to carry an extra tube or C02  with you, have extras in your drop bag along with some tires , bike nutrition, and extra clothing.  Lube is good to carry on hand too if the course is dry.  Not sure if a certain bike part will hold up?  Have an extra one handy with some bike tools  in your drop bag to keep you in the race.

2.  Fuel Right! Proper nutrition leading into a race is critical.  Yet, staying properly hydrated and taking in appropriate levels of protein and carbs during your race will not only help keep your energy up, but it will help keep your mind fresh and alert for those technical sections.  Consider stocking up with bars, gels, and an assortment of nutrition requirements to have in your jersey and in your drop bags.  Also, consider how you are getting your fluids: bottles or hydration pack?  It’s important to plan your water intake between aid stations so if you think it will be a while between them, opt for a hydration pack.

3.  Pace Yourself! While the nerves are high and the muscles and energy are fresh, it’s easy at the start of the race to get after it and go out too hard and too fast.  Keep in mind, the more you spike your heart rate at the beginning of the race, the less you have available to pull from at the end of the race.  The trick to finishing this race is to ride a steady ride keeping your heart rate in check and knowing when to back off.  Use your cycling computer to keep yourself in check.

4.  Get Your Mental Game On!  Check in with your mental attitude, preparation, and willingness to “get after it.”  The level of digging deep and mental suffering for this race exceeds that of training rides or even shorter (60 miles or so) races.  Be prepared with mantras or mini goals to keep yourself going with the going gets tough.

There you have it!  Success strategies to get you to the finish of the Leadville 100 Mountain Bike race.  Good luck to all racers at the Leadville 100 this weekend!

1 Comment | Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop, Races | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by staffwriter8

5 Race Day Strategies for Spring Races in Colorado

April 11, 2013

11895116_879913045419413_8627429630943288070_oThe Spring Racing Season in Colorado is here! With upcoming events like the Karen Hornbostel Memorial Time Trial Series, Front Range Cycling Classic, Ridgeline Rampage, and Fruita Fat Tire Festival, road and mountain bike racers are ready to ride.  But, don’t think that just showing up on the line is enough.  Preparing mentally, physically, and being bike ready will ensure a successful start to the season.  Following are 5 strategies successfully used by our Bike Parts Race Team. 

Set Goals – For some, early season races are just about getting harder efforts in and saddle time.  However, having defined goals can help reduce pre race anxiety and also help you better evaluate your performance post race.  Identify what you want to accomplish with this event whether it be a targeted Heart Rate or Power zone, a solid nutrition plan, or attacking certain areas on the race course.

Race Route – Know the course and the conditions.  Spring weather can alter race course conditions considerably.  Take into consideration the bike parts you’ll be racing and confirm you have the bike components and gear needed to successfully race the course.  For mountain bike components – consider tire selection carefully when riding wet and muddy trails.

Race Day Rituals – Designing and refining a pre-event routine is an important part of building a successful race season.  Does having a checklist of race day activities help structure your preparation to the start line?  Include items such as nutrition, hydration, clothes, gear, extra bike parts and basic bike tools. This way, you won’t be forgetting anything as you prepare for your start.  Maybe visualization, mantras, and breathing exercises are your thing.  Regardless, early season races offer a chance to build on race day rituals that have helped you in the past and also enhance your support for the season going forward.

Start Line Mental State – Your thoughts, emotions, and pre race behaviors are components of your mental state, so take inventory of your mental state and align them with your goals.  It’s easy early Season to compare your training and fitness to others.  Here is where having your race plan and goals specific to this event comes in handy.

Success Parameters – Evaluate your results based on your goals.  What worked?  What didn’t?  What can you do next race to get a better result?  Be objective and explore how your mental and physical training helped prepare you for this event.  Remember to evaluate your bike and cycling accessory selections.  Did you race the right bike?  Would a different wheel set make a difference?  Did you suffer from mechanicals?  Now is the time to dial in, replace, and buy the bike parts that you need going into your next event.

Do you have any race strategies you’d like to share?  Post them here or stop by the Peak Cycles Bike Shop in Golden, Colorado!  We’d love to hear them!

6 Comments | Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop, Races | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by staffwriter8