Lake Placid 2010

Good to be back.  It's been a while since my last blog.  I needed a vacation after my Mom's passing and a trip to Lake Placid to re-charge the batteries.  What I want to do in this blog, for the benefit of the athletes that attended the recent TWiley Sports Camp in Lake Placid, NY, is to analyze my power meter file.  I rode the first loop of the IMLP course with a group of riders.  I did NOT necessarily ride the first loop as I would in a real Ironman bike leg but I did ride conservatively which is better than riding it hard.  That is, you can always ride the 2nd loop harder.  If you go out too hard on this course, I promise you that you will have not only a hard time with the 2nd loop, but also a tough time with the 26 mile run that follows.  Like Coach Todd Wiley, I like to break the bike leg up into quarters: Lake Placid to Keene, Keene to Upper Jay, Upper Jay to the down/back in Wilmington, and Wilmington back to Lake Placid. 

(Chart/Graph Key: Red Line= Heart Rate in bpm, Blue Line=Speed in rpm, Yellow Line= Power in watts and Orange Line= Elevation in feet.)

Lake Placid to Keene
You can see from the chart/graph that the first real climb is at the 3-mile mark.  I climbed this first hill SMART..very conservative. I was averaging 220w during this climb. My Functional Threshold Power (FTP) is approx. 275w.  (That's my hour power..the max power I can sustain for 1-hour.)  I kept my Power (yellow line) in the Tempo range- which is good.  That's where I want it.  If you remember from my presentation on pacing, you want your Normalized Power to be 80% of your FTP for a 1/2 Ironman and 70% for an Ironman which is 192w. You can also see that I did NOT exceed my Lactate Threshold Heart Rate (LTHR) of 175 bpm (red line).  I was averaging about 160 bpm which is in my Tempo range.  So, my power and heart rate were both in the Tempo range.  I could have definitely up'd the power here because of the rest on the long descent that awaited me.  But, I would probably only do that on the 2nd loop if I felt strong.  The high power spikes you see on the descent is where I "jumped on it".  Yes, I jumped on it going downhill (which you NEVER want to do) because Rick Fesler passed me and I just couldn't let a 150 lber blow by my 175 lb fat a$$...haha.  Normally, I would have pedaled at the same Tempo power (around 225w) until I spun out. i.e. ran out of gears.  Then, I would have tucked in the most aero position I could and ENJOY THE RIDE.  I did NOT touch the brakes at all on the descent.  To slow down, I sat up.  I was surprised that my max speed (blue line) was only 48 mph. I thought for sure I'd be over 50 mph. In previous years I know I exceeded 50 mph.  Anyway, enjoy the descent into Keene.  (Elevation profile is the orange line.)

Keene to Upper Jay
What is deceiving are the little climbs on this section of the course.  They don't look like much put they can put a hurtin on you if you attack them too hard.  You can see my power and heart rate both spiked on the little climbs to Threshold levels.  You want to back it off a little here.  Keep in the Tempo range.  When the road flattens out, this is when you want to get in your aero bars and go like hell.  Again, staying in the Tempo range.  This section is the flatest section you're going to see on the course.  It's also probably one of the fastest sections...or could be.

Upper Jay to down/back in Wilmington
I think the first two climbs after the left hand turn off of Route 9N to Highway 86E are two of the most underestimated/underrated climbs on the course.  Why?  Because they're the least talked about.  You just don't think about them like you do the first climb out of Lake Placid  of hills and you're in for a long day.  It's 3 miles worth of climbing.  I went too hard on both hills.  Look at my HR and Power profile.  Both are at or above Threshold.  Well, I do have an excuse.  I was trying to stay on the wheel of Coach Todd Wiley which aint very easy to do. Again, remember, keep it in the Tempo range.  I did NOT do the down/back...not only because the bridge was out but because I wanted to get back to the hotel to shower and grab my camera to take photos of the 2nd loop riders.  The down/back is 14 miles.  My recommendation for this is to keep your speed up and let your momentum carry you halfway up the hills.  The hills aren't long... but they will zap you of energy if you hit them hard or bleed off too much speed going into them.

Wilmington to Lake Placid
This 10 mile section is really NOT as hard as one might think or say it is.  Yes, it's a climb but there are also flat sections, and some short descents, where you can recover.  The hardest/steepest section, other than the end, is as you're passing the entrance to Whiteface Mtn. ski area.  Just watch your power and HR at this point.  You can see that my HR was at or near Threshold and my Power was almost FTP.  Well, again, I have an excuse.  I knew Coach Todd was going to try to pass my fat a$$ on the climb because I wussied out on the down/back to the detoured bridge.  (Todd took the group down to the bridge that was out.  I didn't join him). And, good thing I did keep the Power Up or he would have passed me.

Summary
Before I summarize the IMLP loop, lets take a look at some of the numbers/metrics on the right hand side of the graph.  Lets start with Duration: 2.5 hrs. for one loop minus the down/back.  Therefore, I'd say that one loop would have taken me 3 hrs.  Next is Work: remember work in kJ is similar to kCal.  It says I burned 1472 Calories in one loop.  That's a lot.  I didn't eat a thing during the first loop and just barely drank one bottle of Gatorade.  Terrible example of proper nutrition there. I should have been drinking and eating (at least a Gu or two). TSS=Training Stress Score.  Remember my pitch said your TSS should NOT exceed 300 for the entire 112 mile bike leg.  Well, my score was 172 after only 42 miles..which definitely means I went too hard.  I bet you those HARD accelerations on the descent was responsible for this number being so high.  Normalized Power.  It says my NP was 204w.  That's the power I averaged taking into consideration not pedaling while in a draft or on a descent.  Although 204w would be ok for one loop of the IMLP course it is too high if that were my average after 2 loops (112 miles).  Remember, I said my 2 loop NP should be 192w average?  Variability Index (VI).  I didn't say much about this during my pitch except that a score of 1.3 is indicative of a hilly course like IMLP..so that number is in order.  Elevation Gain.  It says 2600 ft.  That's really not that much.  I have a 3-mile course around Bucks County that I ride that is over 3500 ft. Call me if you want to join me.  Good IMLP training.  Cadence. It says I averaged 78 rpm. I think that took into consideration the times where I was riding loops at 20 rpm waiting for the people in the group to catch up and soft pedaling at the start.  I'm guessing I averaged more like 85 rpm.  Speed.  16.4 mph average?  Similarly, I think what brought the average down was the slow ride out of town..where I only averaged 12-13 mph.  I think I would have averaged closer to 18.5 mph if I rode it at race pace.  Temperature.  How do you like that..started at 66F and ended at 82F.  What a beautiful day!

In summary..not a terribly difficult course to ride.  The climbs are NOT really that steep..8-10% grade max.  But, if you go too hard..you WILL pay the price.  You can't go wrong by sticking in the L3 Tempo Zone.  If you have time to experiment on the course..go a little harder on the climbs where you can recover afterwards.  See if you can get away with it. If you can, you can distance your competition.  Anyway, that's what you can see/learn from a Power Meter.  More information than what you can possibly imagine.  All good stuff to help you pace yourself better during race day to set yourself up for a great run and a successful race.

Photos are available at the following site: http://www.pbase.com/mullerrj/lake_placid_2010

Power ON!  Coach Rob

Many Thanks

Thanks to all of you for your condolences/well wishes re: the passing of my Mom.  It was quite unexpected and a shock to the entire family.  We will miss her dearly.  Life goes on however, and we must continue our journeys- each and every one of us, until we meet again.  I will start publishing new blogs in a week or so, after a return to normalcy.  Coach Rob

Postings

I won't be posting any blogs for the next week or updating any ATPs.  My Mom passed away unexpectedly last night and my entire family is in mourning.  To all my athletes I coach, and friends, please be patient with the Annual Training Plan updates.  I think I have most of you covered for this week.  If in doubt as to what training you should be doing next week, you can't go wrong with including one Threshold Workout (2x20s) and one VO2max Workout (5-8x3s).  Also, try to get out on a group ride (and ride hard) at least once a week..as well as one long Tempo/Endurance ride (2-3 hr) on the weekend.  Coach Rob

Recovery

It's usually long after hard rides, and after long hard rides like today's Hell of Hunterdon ride, that I think about post-ride nutrition and rest for recovery.  Yes, at times even I forget how important it is to consume high quality protein and complex carbs immediately after a hard ride...that is if you want a speedy recovery.  (And no, pizza w/ pepperoni and beer doesn't count as high quality protein and complex carbs.)  Because it's the AFTER part of the ride, when the recovery occurs, that your body builds back up- stronger...not during the ride.  (During the ride, you're tearing down the muscle tissue/fibers.)

Here are some things you can do AFTER your ride to speed-up recovery:
a. Consume high quality protein and complex carbs.  As I mentioned previously, consume high quality protein and complex carbs within 20 minutes of the end of your ride.  Consuming foods (w/ protein and carbs) within this time period, which has been scientifically proven, speeds up the recovery process.

b. Replace fluids.  Even I don't drink as much as I should on a ride..or afterwards.  If your urine is dark in color, you're not drinking enough.  And, it's probably NOT a good idea to drink beer (or any alcohol for that matter) after a ride (even though I do) because the beer will only dehydrate you more.  Water supports just about every metabolic function and nutrient transfer in the body.  So, drink plenty of it.

c.  Rest.  Sounds easy enough but it's amazing how much running around I seem to do after a hard ride.  If you can swing it, try to take a nap for an hour or two when you get home from a hard ride.  (see sleep)

d.  Massage.  I know we don't all have the luxury of a masseuse after our rides..like the big boys (pros) do.  (BTW, the reason they get massages is not because they are pampered athletes, but because it speeds-up recovery.)  But, you can get a similar effect by using a "massage stick" or "electronic rollers". I use an electronic roller pad, made by Home Medic that I originally bought for my lower back, and it works great.  A massage will improve circulation.  Plus, it feels great on sore/tired quad muscles.

e.  Sleep.  Get lots of it.  While you sleep, your body produces a growth hormone which is responsible for tissue growth.  Unlike the photo above, try a bed..it's much more comfortable and relaxing and you'll sleep better/longer..haha.

Having said that, time for BED..need to start recovering.  Power ON! Coach Rob

Patience

When I hear the word "patience" I think about the song "Patience" from Guns & Roses.  Maybe you remember the lyrics- "All we need is just a little patience"  Maybe not. (Good song by the way).  Regardless, there may be times during your Annual Training Plan (ATP) where you're just not seeing the results you want.  i.e. your FTP is not increasing and you don't seem to be getting any stronger.  Or, perhaps, you're NOT shedding any pounds from all those workouts you've been doing and what seems like starving yourself to death.  Well, I've got some advice for you: PATIENCE! 

If you have a sound ATP and a good coach assisting you with it..just be patient and stick with it.  You WILL see results.  It doesn't happen over night..sometimes it takes a couple months (depending on the shape you're in).  Same with your weight loss program.  Stick with the resistance training and continue to eat right.  You WILL see results...sooner or later.  How do I know?  It JUST happened to me..all in the last 2 days.  And, I thought the day would never come.  I've been mildly depressed lately because I haven't seen any progress increasing my FTP.  But, just last night, I did a 2x20 L4 workout and on each 20 min. interval my power was 25-30 watts higher than my best 20 min. interval in January.  And, just today, I jumped on the scale and I noticed I had lost 5 lbs. since January.  That may not sound like much...but it's progress.  And, the best part is...it's giving me the motivation to continue to increase both my FTP even more..and drop more lbs.  In fact, I'm counting on increasing my FTP another 25w by my peak in June...and losing another 5 lbs.

Oh, you might be wondering why all of a sudden I'm seeing a marked improvement in both my FTP increase and weight loss.  First, the FTP increase.  If you've been following my blogs all Winter long you'll see that my Annual Training Plan (ATP), as well as the ones I start my athletes on, are designed to work on the more general fitness elements of cycling first: Force, Endurance & Speed.  These types of workouts, although being a necessary part of the total cycling fitness plan, are NOT really designed to improve your FTP (they improve other things).  These workouts are primarily performed in the L2/L3 zones.  If you want to improve your Threshold Power, guess what?  You've got to train in the Threshold (L4) power range.  Only recently (last month or so) have I started working on the more specific cycling fitness elements such as Muscular Endurance, Power and Anaerobic Capacity.  These are the more intene workouts performed in the L4/L5/L6 zones.  Therefore, it's the more intense interval workouts at the L4/L5 that are responsible for my FTP increase.  The weight loss?  Well, lets just say that your body is resistant to change and it likes staying at a fixed weight...regardless of what you try to do.  You eat less, your body will make you tired so you don't exercise.  It will also slow your metabolic rate down (i.e. you burn less calories).  But, what really drops the weight is the hi-intensity rides on the bike and resistance training in the gym.  Because even when you get off the bike or leave the gym..your body is STILL burning calories unlike a hi-spin low intensity cardio workout or high repetition resistance workout.  HINT!...to all you Spinners out there that think your weekly Spin Session at the local gym is helping you lose weight..or getting into cycling fitness shape.  Probably not.  It will help your Cardio Fitness but I'm not sure about your weight loss.  Plus, these low intensity spin sessions will do nothing for improving your FTP on the bike..unless you crank up the resistance- which nobody does.  Been there..seen it!

One last thing.  You might be thinking after reading this blog (as I did), why not just train at hi-intensity from the beginning of the ATP in December until now?  Well, the problem with that is..you'll eventually plateau, if you don't injure yourself first..and then you'll burn out.  And, that plateuing and burning out will usually happen around NOW.  So, just when everyone else is improving their fitness..you're peaking.  And, when everyone else is peaking in June..you're toast..spent.

So, hang in there and be patient.  If you persist, on the correct training program, and you're determined and motivated you WILL reach all your goals for 2010.  Power ON! Coach Rob

Cycling Fitness

What is Cycling Fitness and how does one improve it?  Cycling fitness is comprised of many fitness elements.  And, the word "fitness" alone means different things to different people.  For me, cycling fitness is about getting stronger on the bike.  Stronger means being able to ride FASTER and LONGER.  The important thing is how to train  to improve ones performance.  Before I discuss how to train, here's what Cycling Fitness entails:

Cycling Fitness = Muscle-strength + Endurance + Neuromuscular + Aerobic + Anaerobic + Power + Other

These fitness elements are involved in every aspect of our riding..whether it's training or racing.  In the early-season, you SHOULD BE working on the more general fitness elements to increase Muscular-strength in your legs via Isolated Leg Training and resistance training. Additionally, you should work on Neuromuscular fitness via hi-speed skill drills.  Finally, you should work on your Endurance..the long steady rides. i.e. the 2-3 hr. Tempo/Endurance rides.  These rides help train your body to utilize fat for fuel, sparing your carb/glycogen stores.  These fitness elements are all relatively low-intensity fitness elements, in the L2/L3 zones, designed to develop your Aerobic energy system and establish a good base/foundation for the more intense fitness training to come.  I know there are some coaches and exercise physiologists that say this lo-intensity stuff is a waste of time and that if you really want to improve performance (get stronger) you should be doing hi-intensity training all year round.  Well, to those athletes that follow such a training regimine I say, "All the power to you if you can."  Notice I said, "...if you can."?  Because, I don't know about you but if I tried to follow such a program I'd burn-out for sure..or worse get sick or injured.   

Later on in the training season, you build on-top of the solid base with the more intense interval training workouts.  The L4, L5 and L6 interval workouts.  This is where you work on the more specific fitness elements such as: Power and Threshold training (which is still aerobic) and the hi-intensity L6 Anaerobic training.  These are tough-ass workouts...and are best done with a friend because they are soooooooooo easy to quit on if you do them alone.  Don't believe me?  Try a 5x4 VO2max workout with 2 min. rest intervals and tell me if you don't feel like quitting after the 3rd one.  How about a 3x20 Threshold workout, with a 5 min. rest interval, and tell me how you feel midway into the 2nd interval knowing you've got another one to do?  Or, maybe you want to do some Tabata intervals?  BTW, just because it's later in the season doesn't mean you should/can neglect some of the fitness elements you worked on earlier in the season- they are ALL important.  You want to continue working on your Neuromuscular fitness. i.e. the form sprints, spin-ups, etc.  (Just add them at the end of your group rides)  You also want to continue to "maintain" the Muscle-strength you built-up during your ILT on the bike and your resistance training in the gym..that's in addition to your Power workouts that you're currently doing (or should be doing) on the bike.  And, as long as you're in the gym, continue to work on maintaining your core-strength.  The last thing you want to be doing is nursing a bad back during race season.  Core strength is often neglected w/ cyclists because most cyclists don't even own a swiss ball at home to do crunches on...which is a great for maintaing/developing your abs and lower back muscles.  HINT!

It's this hi-intensity training that will make you stronger on the bike...provided you recover properly.  The recovery period is where/when you get stronger...NOT the hi-intensity training per se.  And, everyones recovery period is different.  For some, 24 hrs. is adequate.  For me, I need at least 48 hrs.  For others, I've heard some need at least 72 hrs.  Generally, the older you are the more recovery your body needs.  I can't reiterate this enough...it's the "recovery period" where you get stronger.  So please, make sure you get adequate rest after a tough workout or training ride.
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If your coach isn't prescribing a similar Annual Training Plan (ATP) to develop your cycling fitness which includes all of the aforementioned fitness elements- THEY SHOULD BE!  Why?  Because it's scientifically proven to work..that's why.  And, it's one of the easiest to follow...at least I think so.  The ATPs I prescribe my athletes incorporate all of the cycling fitness elements.  Each workout builds on the prior in both duration and intensity.  Keep in mind, all of the hi-intensity stuff is saved for later in the season, after you've built a good base/foundation, and closer to your race season which will give you the motivation needed to get through the tough workouts.  In addition to being scientifically proven to show results- it just makes sense.  At least it makes sense to me.  I hope it makes sense to you.

(Yes, that's Kathy Ireland on the bike, in the drops, in a great aero position..and yes, that's what cycling fitness looks like..haha.  Sorry ladies, couldn't find a photo of Brad Pitt or George Clooney on the bike.)  Power ON! Coach Rob

PA/NJ access via Bulls Island

Good news!  The bridge(s) leading from River Rd. (on the PA side) to River Rd. (on the NJ side) via Bulls Island are no longer under construction.  They are open! You can now ride your bike from PA, across the walking bridge/Delaware River, through Bulls Island, and onto Rt. 29 in NJ.  Whoo Hoo! 

Physics 201

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WORK= POWER X TIME

In one of my November 2009 blogs, entitled Physics 101, I defined "Power" and its importance in cycling.  Now, that you've (hopefully) grasped the concept of "Power", it's onto Physics 201 and the definition of "Work" and its importance.

We know that in order to increase our overall cycling fitness we have to perform more work on the bike.  More work, rest and recovery makes us stronger...right?  Not necessarily.  For now, lets take a look at the Power component in our equation above.  You would think that if one pedals at say a relatively low power for a long time which would be the same as pedalling at a high power for a short time..that one would create the same amount of work and thus improve overall cycling performance...right?  

Not really..let me explain.  Here's an example:  Training ride 1- a 2 hour (120 minutes) ride at an average of 150 watts for a total Work of 1800 kJ.  Training ride 2- a 1 hour (60 minutes) ride at an average of 300 watts for a total Work of 1800 kJ.  Both training rides produce identical total work of 1800 kJ but the power or intensity produced during one ride (training ride 2) is double the other (training ride 1).  What's not clear in the Work equation (above) is that the higher, more intense, power training rides have more performance benefits.  i.e. the higher more intense workouts require higher force muscle contractions where more fast-twitch muscle fibers are recruited...in addition to 100% of the slow-twitch muscle fibers.  These muscle contractions are what makes your muscle stronger..thus making you FASTER on the bike.  It's the composition and work capacity of our muscles that is the limiting factor on how hard/fast we ride.

So, what's all this mean?  It means the "intensity" of the exercise (or training ride) and the "recovery" from that intense exercise is what makes you stronger..NOT just an overall High Work or workload...via high volume training.  It's what "hi-intensity" interval training is all about- High Power Short Time intervals.