Workouts and Eating on the Road

If there is somebody that travels as much as I do..you know how hard it is to get a "quality" workout on the road. Lets face it, hotel gyms are NOT setup for the cyclist/triathlete...they are setup for the average Joe with treadmills, an elliptical trainer and maybe some dumbbells or universal weight machine. Even if hotels are setup adequately, their equipment is usually in disrepair or being monopolized by some FAT guy/gal walking 3 mph on the treadmill for an hour or so. So, what do you do? The first thing I ALWAYS do when I check in is to ask what their fitness center is equipped with...then I ask them if they have a deal with a local gym. Most of the time they have an agreement/membership with a local gym that is FREE to its hotel guests. Even if they don't, most gyms will only charge $5-10 for a guest fee...which is not so bad. At least if you go to a gym, there is a good chance you can sign-up for one of their spin sessions.

Ok, back to the hotel. If your hotel doesn't have an exercise bike..don't sweat it. Most of the bikes at hotels are, as I said, in disrepair anyway. And, most are recumbent bikes made by Life Fitness. Recumbent bikes are ok, but I don't think they develop your leg muscles as well as an upright bike does. Whether it's an upright bike or recumbent bike..most hotel bikes don't even have straps to hold your feet in. So, you can forget about doing intervals or any workout which requires a hard effort. This is another reason to seek out a local gym that has "spin" bikes with SPD pedals. Now suppose you're hotel doesn't have a bike, and there aren't any local gyms nearby. I like elliptical trainers. They give you a good cardio workout, you don't get the pounding like you do on a treadmill, and it's probably the next best machine to the stationary bike. Just make sure that the incline setting is set to work your quads and glutes..which is usually one of the highest incline settings. If your hotel doesn't even have an elliptical trainer..most ironically have indoor shallow pools..in which case you can get an awesome leg workout by FAST walking the perimeter. If your hotel has neither, (what kind of hotels are you staying at? haha) then I recommend you bring along a thera-band kit (or equivalent) and use that. http://www.thera-band.com/ Lastly, don't forget you can ALWAYS bring your bike along with you if you drive. It's no big deal to pack up your bike and trainer and throw it in the back of your car. I do! The hotels don't care. If you don't want to drag your bike up to your room, you can always workout on the indoor pool deck and store (and lock) your bike in a hotel closet/room. I just did this on my last trip.

As far as food is concerned...the best advice I can give you is: bring as much of your own as you can. Yes, I have a cooler in my car when I travel..mostly because I travel to Maryland and bring back some AWESOME crab cakes. But, on the outbound trip I usually stock it with Gatorade, Water, Quality Sandwich, Trail Mix, Fruit, Energy Bar, etc. BTW, DO NOT eat fast food on the road..it's all crap. If you have to grab something on the road, stop at a Wawa. They have a good choice of sandwiches, drinks, energy bars, etc. to keep you going. Most have gas pumps so you can kill two birds with one stone. Plus, getting out of the car every so often is good for your back and keeps you awake/alert. Oh, don't forget your multi-vits for the trip. Travelling is stressful (especially driving w/ the morons on the road) and you don't want your immune system taking a nose dive w/ the combined exercise & stress.

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Lastly, there is nothing wrong with stopping at an Olive Garden, Panera Bread, etc. for lunch or an Outback Steakhouse (or whatever) for dinner when you're on travel. Nothing like a high protein plate of Salmon, Sirloin and Veggies to treat yourself after a hard workout. If you MUST drink a beer (or two- no more) make it a Michelob Ultra or some other light/lo-carb beer. You really don't need the extra calories or carbs this time of year. For breakfast, you can't go wrong with cereal..and EVERY hotel at least offers that for FREE. Some even include a HOT breakfast. Do NOT skip breakfast..it's the most important meal of the day.

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TRAVEL SAFE! Cheers Coach Rob

Aerodynamics on the Bike

I told you in January I'd write a blog on Aerodynamics- so here it is. And yes, there's that silly "Speed Triangle" again. For those of you that are seeing it for the first time..the "Speed Triangle" contains three major parameters responsible for going FAST on a bike: Comfort, Power and Aerodynamics. I briefly discussed Comfort in my January blog, therefore I'm going to talk about another leg of the triangle- Aerodynamics.

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It seems to me, that of all of the sides of the "Speed Triangle", most cyclists (and triathletes) are more concerned with Aerodynamics than any other leg. Why is that? Do you really want to know why I think so? Because in addition to aiding in going fast- it's cool. Yes, the "cool factor". And I'm not talking "cool" temperature-wise I'm talking "cool looking". Don't believe me? Go into any bike shop and other than a "cool looking" aero bike ask them what more recreational racers/triathletes/etc. spend their money on. I'll bet you it's a "cool" lightweight aero wheelset. (Seems like nobody has $$ for a $1300 Power Tap but everyone has $$ for a $2000 wheelset.)

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In the 2010 Velo News Buyer's Guide, there's a good article on pgs. 16-17 written by Robbie Stout entitled, "Which Aerodynamic Equipment benefits most during the race of truth?" For those of you that don't know, the "race of truth" is a Time Trial...because it's all you..no hiding. In that article there's a chart on p. 17 listing the aerodynamics savings (in seconds) of various equipment/clothes for a 40k (25 mile) Time Trial. I was actually a little surprised at the top savings. Here's a quick summary:

1. Speed Suit- frm normal road bib/jersey to Nike Swift Suit- 134 seconds

2. Body Position- frm upright position on bullhorns to tuck position on aerobars- 122 seconds

3. Aero Helmet- frm road helmet to tear drop helmet- 67 seconds

4. Body Position- frm tuck position on aerobars to tuned wind tunnel tuck position- 56 seconds

5. Front Wheel- frm 3-5 spoke to deep rim 12 spoke- 42 seconds

6. Shoe Covers- from no covers to covers- 30 seconds

7. Rear Wheel- frm Full Disk to 3 spoke- 29 seconds

8. Front Wheel- frm 24 spoke Al box-section rim to 5-spoke- 23 seconds

9. Aero Bike Frame- from std tubing TT bike to Aero tubing TT bike- 17 seconds

10. Aero Helmet- frm tear drop helmet to best Aero helmet- 13 seconds.

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What the article didn't list, however, is probably the largest savings..and that is going from riding a road bike in the drops to a Time Trial bike in aero bars. Ready for this- a whopping 5 1/2 minutes savings. That's equivalent to about 60-70 watts of power...which is HUGE! (BTW, the 2. body position listed above is going from an upright position on the bullhorns of a road bike to a tucked position with clip-on aero bars on the same road bike.)

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So, if you're a Time Trialer (or wannabe) and you REALLY want to go as fast as you can..you better have a state-of-the-art Time Trial bike ($7k), with the latest aero wheels ($3k), a Nike Swift Skinsuit ($300), the best aero helmet ($300), shoe covers ($50) and a well tuned wind tunnel tested aero body position ($500/hr). If not, you're already racing at a disadvantage. That's the reason why I don't Time Trial local races anymore with my road bike and clip-on aero bars. Why? Because it's not a level playing field I'm competing on. The fastest/faster time trialer (locally) is NOT always the strongest cyclist..perhaps just the richest. Power ON! Coach Rob

Let it snow..let it snow...let it snow!

If you've been following my blogs for a while you'll notice that when it snowed the first time in my area (back in December), I titled the blog.."Let it Snow". The 2nd time.."Let it Snow..let it Snow". Now, for the 3rd time (in Feb) I'm entitling it.."Let it snow, let it snow..let it snow!". The only difference this 3rd time is that there is NO WAY in hell I'm going to be able to get out and ride in it (unlike the last two times). The first two times it only snowed a couple inches. As you can see from the pic (above), there is already 8 inches of snow on my deck railing this morning with another 2-4" on its way. So, whatya do when you have to get a ride in? You RIDE INDOORS.

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I'll be the first to admit that riding indoors is NO FUN. It's even worse when you have to get a tough interval workout in. Let me retract that statement and say...I DETEST riding indoors. I know some of you have no problem with it. I've heard some athletes being on an indoor trainer for 3+ hrs. If you ask me, that's NUTS ..especially if you're NOT a professional cyclist or triathlete. But, if you MUST get a workout indoors..you do what you have to do.

If you're like me..the only thing you can do is...make the best of it. That is, make it as enjoyable as you can. Here are a few suggestions I have:

a. set your trainer up in front of the TV and watch a good game/movie/whatever. Ride at a steady L3 Tempo pace, and every commercial..do a spin-up.

b. play a rock concert DVD (or two) with upbeat/up-tempo music.

c. if you don't have a TV/DVD player nearby...use an iPod set to shuffle songs..again upbeat/up-tempo music. In fact, you might want to make up a workout playlist. You finish when the songs are done playing.

d. set up your trainer with a group..it's funny how BSing with your friends takes your mind off the workout

e. use a virtual reality trainer like Tacx, Computrainer, etc. It's really the best thing to BEING THERE...outside. If you can afford one..I HIGHLY recommend it. Not only do you get a great workout in, it's as realistic as it's going to get.

When I have to do longer workouts indoors...like the one I have on-schedule for today...I'll use my Computrainer. You hardly realize you're on the trainer for 1-2 hours..because the scenery is always changing..not to mention the terrain (hills). I usually play one of the many Ironman Real Course Videos. The videos are ACTUAL race-day videos. When you start to climb a hill the Computrainer Load Generator automatically increases the load based on the percent grade and based on your bike/body weight. Like I said, it doesn't get any more realistic. I believe the Tacx trainers even allow you to steer your bike. That is REALLY cool.

If any of the athletes I coach want to buy a Computrainer, email me. I'm a Computrainer dealer and get Computrainer Lab Quality trainers at a discount. Sorry, the offer only applies to the athletes I coach/or have coached.

So, next time it snows too deep to get outside and ride...ride indoors and make it as fun as fun can be- riding indoors. Power ON! Coach Rob

Multi-sport Expos coming to your town

Mark your calendars with these dates: Sat/Sun March 13/14 for the Endurance Sports Expo in Philly: http://www.endurancesportsexpo.com/ Sat March 27th for the Multisport World Expo in Bethesda, MD and Sunday April 18th in New York, NY: http://www.multisportworld.com/

Even if you're not a tri guy/gal there will be plenty of bike dealers and equipment dealers there to show you their NEW stuff for 2010. I'll be at the Endurance Sports Expo in Philly on both days. Look for me, I'm the guy with the bald head that will probably blind you with the reflection from the lights. I'll also be manning the TWiley Sports table/booth w/ brochures and photos of our upcoming IMLP Training Camp. A camp for multisport athletes and roadies. Stop by and say Hi! More information on Camp coming soon. Coach Rob

Power Training for Triathletes

Hey Tri guys/gals..check out this freebie webinar from Saris/Cycleops on "Power Training for Triathletes" this Thursday night. You "roadies" might like it too!

CycleOps Power News
Webinar: Training with Power for Triathletes
Join us for a Webinar on Thursday February 4 at 8pm.

Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/111573315

This webinar is geared to anyone looking to learn more about using a PowerTap on their bike in order to take their cycling capabilities to the next level! However, there will be a focus on triathletes of all abilities and how this awesome technology could benefit you in 2010.

Coach Angie Sturtevant will guide you through the following topics:
-What Is Power?
-Power to Weight Ratio
-The Kilojoule
-Power vs Heart Rate
-Benefits of Training With Power
-Power Applied to the Principles of Training
--Overload & Recovery
--Progression
--Specificity
--Individuality
-Power Testing
-Power and Racing Triathlon
-Power Based Workouts

In only an hour we'll just be scratching the surface of all that surrounds training with power, but that just means you'll have to join us again in the future! We welcome feedback and questions for this presentation as well as recommendations for future training events and webinars.

Learn more about Coach Angie at http://www.saris.com/t-angieBio.aspx

Clubs/Teams Forming for 2010

Just wanted to start posting/recognizing some of our area riders. Here's an article from the Columbus Dispatch of a new Elite cycling team for 2010 called, "Pelotonia" with one of our local riders, Jason Wood (Cat 2), riding for them:

CYCLING
Pelotonia to form race team
Saturday, January 30, 2010 2:57 AM
BY JEFFREY SHEBAN

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Pelotonia, the charity bike tour for cancer research, is forming an eight-man elite racing team to compete in professional and amateur events in the East and Midwest.

Elite riders are top-level amateurs who also compete against professionals in National Racing Calendar and USA Criterium events.

The first race for the Pelotonia Cycling Team will be April 4-5 at the Philadelphia 2-Day Cycling Classic.

Seven of the riders are Category 1 and 2 cyclists, the highest levels for amateurs in the United States. They are: Elliot Gaunt of Lock Haven, Pa.; Turner Johnson of Renfrew, Pa.; Adam Kahler of West Chester, Pa.; Alexander Pratt of Columbus; Anthony Rienzi of Cleveland; Jason Wood of Doylestown, Pa.; and Jonathan Wood of Canal Winchester. Pratt will be the team's director.

Team member Griffin Weiler, of Dublin, is a triathlete.

The team will be racing in Ohio, New York, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia, Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky, finishing the season in September with the Univest Grand Prix in Doylestown, Pa.

The Pelotonia Tour is a cycling event between Columbus and Athens to raise money for cancer research at Ohio State University. Executive Director Tom Lennox said the racing team will help publicize the fundraiser and recruit riders for the event, which will be held Aug. 13-15.

The team will hold training rides around central Ohio for tour participants this spring and summer.

Good luck and GO JASON! You can root-on Jason at the Philly 2-day event in April.