Solid Results at Louisville/Groove Subaru and Redlands

Locally, Lance Nelson from Primal pb Firstbank had two really good criterium results this weekend.

Lance Nelson 7th Place Louisville Criterium Cat 4

Lance Nelson 3rd Place Groove Subaru Criterium Cat 4

Nationally, Kasey Clark of Primal/Mapmyride pb BH had a really strong performance at Redlands Bicycle Classic. Two strong days of climbing moved her up to 26th on GC against the best women’s competition in the country.

Kasey Clark 24th Stage 3 Redlands Bicycle Classic Women’s P12

Kasey Clark 26th GC Redlands Bicycle Classic Women’s P12

2 Wins! Oredigger Classic HCTT Dominance

Great weekend of racing for all the athletes I coach. 2 wins!

Jordan Sher: 1st Place Oredigger HCTT Cat 3

Kasey Clark: 1st Place Oredigger HCTT P12 Women

Lance Nelson: 3rd Place Piece of Cake Road Race Cat 4

Alex Roberts: 6th Place DU Crit Cat 4

Eric Truman: 7th Place Oredigger Classic HCTT Cat 3

Frostbite TT: Power File Analysis

In my previous post I discussed several strategies to maximize your potential during the Frostbite Time Trial. These strategies included using a variable pacing strategy, getting up to race speed as quick as possible (but not above) and exhausting all your potential energy while on the course.  Examining an athlete’s power file can be a great way to determine how well an athlete executed the planned strategy and where improvements can be made.

The Frostbite TT course is 11.4 miles and is an out and back course. The course gently rolls down on the way out and then rolls back up on the return to the finish. On Saturday, racers had a slight headwind on the downhill out portion of the course and a slight tailwind on the uphill return to the finish.

Primal p/b Firstbank rider Lucas C had a great result at the Frostbite Time Trial this past Saturday. Lucas came in second place in the Cat 3 Men’s category with a time of 25:53 and was only 9 seconds off the winner’s time of 25:44.

Lucas was kind enough to share his power file from his SRM with me.He had an impressive ride, but could he have trimmed 9 seconds off his time with a different pacing strategy?

Below is his power file from the race and my analysis.

Lucas started the race with a surge of 848 watts for 2s and ramped blasted his speed up to 34.5 mph, his maximal speed for the course.

It took Lucas 25:53 to finish the race. His average power was 335 watts and his average speed was 27.2 mph. Lucas completed the first half of the course with an average power of 344 watts and an average speed of 28.1 mph. After the turn around, Lucas average 324 watts and 26.3 mph.  Therefore, Lucas produced more power and had a faster first half of the race than the second half of the race.

In the closing minute of the race, Lucas average 371 watts, well above his average for the entire race.

Lucas had a really great race and a very good placing in his category, but with a few modifications I believe he could have shaved seconds off his time, maybe even 9 seconds resulting in a win.

At the start, Lucas could have spent a little less energy. For example, he might have started with a 2s power burst of 650 watts and immediately got his speed up to 28 mph, as opposed to ramping it all the way up to 34.5 and then slowing down to race speed.

Applying the correct variable pacing strategy to the particular course and wind conditions is sometimes not obvious. The first leg of the course had a headwind, but was downhill and the return leg of the course had a tailwind and was uphill. In reviewing the file, the correct application of the variable pacing strategy would have been to ride at a slightly lower than average pace on the first leg and then a higher power on the return trip with the tailwind. Even though there was a tailwind, the return trip was the slower part of the race because of the uphill return to the finish after the turn around. The simplest way to think of using a variable pacing strategy is to apply greater effort on the slowest parts of the course. On that day, the slowest part of the course was the return trip to the finish.

There were also several opportunities for Lucas to apply power more effectively during the race. At the start, Lucas blasted out of the gates with an 848 watt burst of power at the speed of 34.5 mph, well above race speed. Tempering this effort might have saved him a bit of energy and time overall. The greatest savings of time likely would have come from reversing his pacing strategy – averaging 324 watts for the first half of the race and 344 watts after the turn around to the finish. Lucas gave an incredible effort during this race, but his final minute of the race was well above his average power for the entire race (371 vs. 335 watts). This extra effort should have been used to maintain a slightly higher speed elsewhere on the course.

Finding the correct pacing strategy given your fitness level, the course, and wind conditions is not easy and takes some experience. But by carefully reviewing your results, you should be able to find areas for improvement, develop an effective strategy for your next race, and move up in the results.

Variable Pacing: The best pacing strategy for the Frostbite TT

The 2011 ACA racing season gets underway this Saturday with the Frostbite Time Trial in Fort Collins. The Frostbite TT is an 11.4 mile out and back course with rolling hills. Last year’s best time of 25:21 was set by Kevin Nicol, the best time in the 35+ 4s field was 29:10. This race has been the kick off to the ACA Road Racing Calendar for the past few years. The race’s location on the Front Range it is often characterized by strong winds. It is an ideal race for athletes to test their fitness and prepare for upcoming time trials at the Tour of the Gila and the rest of the ACA Road Racing Calendar. The strategic approach to time trialing I use with athletes is laid out below.

Time trialing is potentially the simplest discipline of road racing. The racer who covers the course in the shortest amount of time wins.

There are several components to competing successfully in a Time Trial. The most proven and substantial component of success is overall fitness, obtained through hard work and a structured endurance training plan.  Another substantial component to performing your best on race day is strategy, the major component of strategy for time trialing is pacing. Selecting and executing the best pacing strategy for the course and wind conditions allows you to achieve your best time given your current level of fitness.

The best way to think about completing a time trial physiologically is that you have a finite amount of potential energy to complete the course. Ideally, you want to convert all of your potential energy into going as fast as possible, finishing the course with nothing left in the tank. If you can and cross the finish line barely able to push the pedals around you have succeeded.

The Start:

How you start a TT is very important and will set up the rest of the race for you. There are several different start strategies you can employ when time trialing. In shorter time trials like prologues recent research and review of World Records on the Track suggests that going all out at the start is the fastest strategy. For longer TTs like the Frostbite TT, the best strategy is to ride at a higher power output until you achieve race speed, without going over.

The Middle:

Similar to the start, there are several ways to approach the middle of the race. The most common approach is to maintain a constant effort or power throughout the entire race. This strategy, while effective and seemingly simple to execute, is best on flat courses without any wind. Rarely are courses flat or windless, especially in Colorado. Atkinson and other researchers argue that the strategy that produces the fastest times on courses with varied terrain and windy conditions is a variable pacing strategy. To use a variable pacing strategy, you should ride with an increased effort or power into the wind and over hills/climbs and then recover with the tailwind or downhill. The research also suggests that with stronger headwinds and steeper gradients on the climbs, athletes who employ a more significant variable pacing strategy will have even greater time savings. Additionally, athletes with the lowest power numbers see the greatest time savings using a variable pacing strategy.

The Finish:

The last 10s of seconds of a time trial are a good indication of how well you paced yourself throughout the race. Ideally, you want to reach the finish line with nothing left to give.  This means that you should be near exhaustion at the finish and not capable of sprinting through the finish line. Both power output and speed should drop as you approach the finish line. The closer you are to the finish line when you have nothing left to give the better. If you ride through the finish line with similar or higher power output/speed compared with the earlier part of the course you should have expended more energy and effort throughout the race to maintain your race speed and increase your overall speed for the entire race.

In summary, to make the most of your many hours of hard work on the trainer or out in the cold, I suggest following these steps to achieve your fastest possible time at the Frostbite Time Trial:

1.       Arrive early and get a good warm-up and assess the wind conditions.

2.       Arrive at the start line a few minutes before your start time.

3.       Start with a relatively high power output and get up to race speed/power as soon as possible (try not to go over).

4.       Use a variable pacing strategy.

a.       If there is a headwind on the way out, shoot for 5% higher than average power and finish as hard as you can after the turn around

b.      If there is a tailwind to start, begin the race at 5% lower power than average and finish as hard as you can into the headwind.

c.       Modify this strategy depending on the strength of the wind.

5.        Use all your potential energy to maintain your speed throughout the race and finish with nothing left.

6.       Enjoy your success and review areas for improvement with your coach

References:
Influence of All-Out and Fast Start on 5-min Cycling Time Trial Performance. Aisbett B, Lerossignol P, McConell GK, Abbiss CR, Snow R. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009 Sep 2.

The effect of variable gradients on pacing in cycling time-trials. Cangley P, Passfield L, Carter H, Bailey M. Int J Sports Med. 2011 Feb;32(2):132-6. Epub 2010 Dec 16.

Pacing strategies during a cycling time trial with simulated headwinds and tailwinds. Atkinson G, Brunskill A. Ergonomics. 2000 Oct;43(10):1449-60.

Variable versus constant power strategies during cycling time-trials: prediction of time savings using an up-to-date mathematical model. Atkinson G, Peacock O, Passfield L. J Sports Sci. 2007 Jul;25(9):1001-9.

Frostbite Time Trial Pacing Strategy

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/11245533

Coaching Defined

There are many useful definitions of coaching.

Wikipedia has become a leading source for information and definitions on the web, but some definitions are more useful and guiding than others.

Wikipedia defines coaching as the practice of supporting an individual, referred to as a client or athlete, through the process of achieving a specific personal or professional result.

This is a good generic definition but it is as powerful and informative as it could be.

In my practice as a coach, I use a more dynamic and powerful definition of coaching to define the work I do with athletes.

The definition comes from Myles Downey

Coaching is the art and practice of inspiring, energizing, and facilitating the performance, learning and development of  the player (athlete).

In this definition, each word is instructive.

art – coaching is definitely a science but understanding the art of coaching is essential, “when practiced with excellence, there is no attention on the technique: the coach is fully engaged with the player and the process of coaching becomes a dance between two people, conversationally moving in complete harmony and partnership. At this point the intelligence, intuition and imagination of the coach become a valuable contribution – rather than being interference for the player.” (Myles Downey)

inspiring – coaching is about helping the athlete to unlock their true potential through raising awareness, inspiring new ideas and encouraging creativity

energizing – coaching is about energizing the athlete through effective communication, soliciting suggestions, and building a positive attitude

facilitating – implies that the athlete has the capacity to have insight, creative ideas and the ability to think something through for himself

performance – everything a coach says or does should be driven by the intention to improve the athlete’s performance.

learning – refers to how to approach a task or master a new skill; look beyond immediate objectives, the future performance of the athlete and coach depends on learning

development – refers to personal growth and greater self-awareness of the athlete.

Coaching is a very powerful and dynamic process between an athlete and a coach, there are many different structures and methodologies to coaching but when the above definition is used and applied both the athlete and coach will see greater results.

 

Espresso Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Over the holidays, I received a beautiful gift of several pounds of espresso from Stumptown Roasters, Counter Culture Coffee and Conscious Coffee.

Since then, I have been making multiple espresso con pannas per day, but have also been thinking about other ways to use this wonderful espresso.

One idea that came to mind was using it in some cookies. So, I took my favorite cookie recipe from the New York Times and adapted it.

The cookies came out fantastic with a very rich chocolate and espresso flavor, for a milder espresso flavor, try brewed espresso in place of the ground/powdered.

The original recipe and my adapted recipe is below.

By Michael Hanna

Time: 45 minutes (for 1 6-cookie batch), plus at least 24 hours’ chilling

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8 1/2 ounces) cake flour

1 cup (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour

2/3 cup Cocao Powder

1/3 cup Espresso Powder (finely ground)

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract

1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content (see note)

Sea salt.

1. Sift flours, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.

Yield: 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies.

Chocolate Chip Cookies (Original)

Adapted from Jacques Torres

Time: 45 minutes (for 1 6-cookie batch), plus at least 24 hours’ chilling

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8 1/2 ounces) cake flour

1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract

1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content (see note)

Sea salt.

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.

Yield: 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies.

Smarter, More Effective Goals for the New Year

The start of the New Year is a good time for athletes to take stock of the successes and failures of 2010 and start to develop new goals and construct a training program to reach those goals. Over the next few days/week, I will work with all the athletes I coach to develop smarter more effective goals with them. Below is a framework for the process I use.

The first step in constructing a successful training program is setting effective goals. Athletes, teams and their coaches use many different techniques and strategies to improve performance. Effective goal setting is the first step for athletes, teams and coaches in constructing a successful training program and having a successful year.

The effectiveness of goal setting is evident. Research on goal-setting in the worlds of business and in sport and exercise has consistently shown that it can lead to enhanced performance. A recent meta-analysis (statistical technique used to evaluate the data from a whole series of experiments) showed that goal-setting led to performance enhancement in 78% of sport and exercise research studies, with moderate to strong effects.

Goal setting can improve motivation and help athletes enhance performance. The accomplishment of appropriately set goals will represent a victory for athletes and produce confidence in both the athlete and coach.

There are two basic goal orientations, each with a distinct structure. The first is performance-based goal orientation, and the second is outcome-based goal orientation. Performance based goals focus on learning, improving, and mastering new tasks. Athletes who adopt a performance-based orientation have a positive, optimistic outlook.

Outcome based goals focus more on results than the process and learning.  Athletes who select these types of goals are more focused on how others see them, and less on learning or overcoming challenges. These athletes view success or failure based on results, such as winning or advancing to the next category. These goals put a greater focus on how an athletes compares to others athletes abilities.

Setting appropriate and effective goals takes knowledge and understanding of the goal setting process.  Goals should be set systematically with an appropriate structure in place for reviewing progress toward goals and revise goals, if necessary, based upon that progress.

A measurable goal, one that is quantifiable, allows both coaches and athletes to understand whether they are on track and are progressing toward the goal or indeed have met the goal. Goals should be documented, in order to help track progress or regression. Documentation can increase the level of commitment to goal achievement and, again, helps keep athletes and coaches on track, always pursuing the goal.

It is especially useful to document short-term goals, measureable goals that keep athletes motivated without overwhelming them with the larger process of achieving a long-term goal. Short-term goals present an opportunity for success on a weekly and/or monthly basis, on a schedule that will eventually bring the athlete and coach to the long-term goal. It can be difficult for an athlete to maintain their motivation and focus without these short term goals and only the long-term goal as an indicator of success.

Effective goal setting requires that each goal have a method of evaluation. Regular monitoring and evaluation of progress helps make sure that the athlete remains on track toward both short- and long-term goals.

The coach has a very important role in effective goal setting, both for teams and individuals. A good coach help their athletes set their short- and long-term goals. They need to ensure that the goals are both realistic and relevant to the athlete. After the goals are set, coaches need to take time to measure and evaluate progress toward goals, making sure their athletes are on track to meet them. Coaches must assume an important role in both education and implementation if the goal setting process is to work successfully.

Fueling for a day of skiing!

Last week, I started working with an alpine skier who would like to work her way back to the Olympics in 2012 after suffering an injury. Our first task was to revamp her nutrition plan to match the intense energy demands of training for alpine skiing. I summarized the information I used to construct a nutrition plan below and think this information can be used by anyone who wants to have a great day or weekend of skiing.

Energy demands of alpine skiing:

Alpine skiing is an intense activity with unique nutrition and hydration demands because of the intensity of the activity and the potential exposure to environmental factors including cold climates and high altitude.

The information below will help you ski stronger, get more runs in and enjoy your day on the slopes more.

The energy demands for the muscular activity of alpine skiing with runs of 45 seconds to 2 minutes predominantly relies on the the carbohydrates that are stored in the muscle fibers (muscle glycogen). Adequate storage of carbohydrate in the body (glycogen) is an important factor in supporting the intense activity of skiing.

Carbohydrates are the most important nutrient for the exercising muscles of skiing. Carbohydrates serve as the primary fuel source for the working muscles, provide the only source of energy for the nervous system and help to maintain the skiers blood glucose and replenish the bodies depleted stores of carbohydrates (glycogen).

A ski run lasts between 45 seconds and 2 minutes, this doesn’t deplete a skiers glycogen stores, but repeated runs can definitely work towards depleting this store. A skiers initial muscle glycogen stores as well as the replenishment of these stores are an important part of a skiers nutritional plan. Alpine skiers can maximize their glycogen storage and replenishment by consuming a diet high in carbohydrates. Alpine skiers should consume 65 to 70% carbohydrates to meet the energy demands of skiing.

Flow and Cycling

Flow can be difficult to understand, in 1996 Jackson and Marsh created the Flow State Scale (FSS) in an attempt to measure the existence of flow during an activity. Examining the sub-scales of the FSS, as listed below, allows for a better understanding of what flow really is and how to achieve it in an activity.

An athlete doesn’t need to meet all the criterion below to experience a flow state, but the sense of flow is greater when more of the sub-scales are met at the highest degree.

Action-Awareness Merging: The individual is so deeply involved in the task that action is automatic. The cyclist does not think about pedaling, but just does it. The cyclist may even feel like a machine because pedaling feels so smooth and automatic.

Clear Goals: Unambiguous objectives give the cyclist a clear idea of what they need to accomplish. For example, a clear workout objective may be to do three 10 minute Lactate Threshold intervals with 5 minutes of recovery between them.