"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - My last major improvement was due to...

My last major improvement was due to...

No option for flat bars? :D

No option for flat bars? :D

What's funnier is that an insanely fast friend of mine can seriously make that claim. Of course his flat bars are all of 14" wide on his TT machine.

As a surgeon, I wonder if you were ever tempted to shorten your own tibiae? Heck you probably have a lot of bod-mod options.

Stacking days...

Today will be the 5th and last day of a stack. I'm ending with the Tuesday Night practice Crit...

Stacking days like this always makes me faster about a week down the line. After tonight, I'll have 15 total hours in the 5 days with two intense days, two tempo days and one spin day.

I said training technique because it was closest to training program. My volume and intensity had not changed. Just training smarter.

I couldn't vote. All the poll choices are physical and my last major improvement was due to mental improvements: racing smarter and more confidently.

Weight loss over the last year has probably made the biggest difference for me....down about 25 pounds from this time last year.

I just clicked off a 50 miler yesterday (solo), without really killing myself, in 2 hours and 38 minutes. Last year, I would've heaved a lung trying to do that.

Weight for me too. Now I get dropped after the climb on the club ride cause i cant keep up the high
pace after the damn hill.

"supplements"

Being pissed off after being demoralized.

riding fixed up hills with big gear.

I said intensity because I think doing pretty close to the same thing for the last 18 months gives me a pretty big jump every 8-12 weeks. Seems like my cardio-pulmonary function leapfrogs with my legs every other cycle. When I get more fit, my hr always seems low for a few weeks until my legs catch up, then my hr always seems high...

After spending most of July overtrained I now realize what it truly means to recover. Since I don't have the self control for recovery rides I stay off the bike completely the day after a hard effort no matter how nice it is outside. I am a lot faster because of it.

How 'bout a "change in attitude"? As a guy who had been racing for a bit less than a year, and getting no results, I reached the epiphany that I simply hadn't been willing to endure enough pain. When I started to hurt a certain degree, I didn't push through. I decided that, since it was a "race" after all, I needed to go 'til I saw stars -- either I would do better or hurt myself trying. Overnight -- or, at least, from one race to the next -- my results improved dramatically. Weird. Turns out that I hadn't been totally untalented, but just a wuss. This probably isn't too helpful to a bunch of long-time racers, who presumably are already at the psychological stage I just got to, but it emphasized to me that alot of Cat4/5 racing is ninety-percent physical, and the other half is mental.

racing is ninety-percent physical, and the other half is mental.

Actually it's 90% mental and one-half physical.
That's why everyone tries to give 140%.

Personally, I give 'er 160% every day. I don't know what you slackers are doing...

I selected new training technique, which would more accurately be stated as more organized and structured training technique based on a training program prescribed to me by a good coach.

The organization is more intensity than I did previously, similar volume, but with more recovery built in.

How 'bout a "change in attitude"? As a guy who had been racing for a bit less than a year, and getting no results, I reached the epiphany that I simply hadn't been willing to endure enough pain. When I started to hurt a certain degree, I didn't push through. I decided that, since it was a "race" after all, I needed to go 'til I saw stars -- either I would do better or hurt myself trying. Overnight -- or, at least, from one race to the next -- my results improved dramatically. Weird. Turns out that I hadn't been totally untalented, but just a wuss. This probably isn't too helpful to a bunch of long-time racers, who presumably are already at the psychological stage I just got to, but it emphasized to me that alot of Cat4/5 racing is ninety-percent physical, and the other half is mental.

I had a similar experience when I kept getting dumped into the second group on the local hammerfest. There are a couple of spots where the prevailing wind is a crosswind and typically the strong guys would ramp it up to shatter the group. One day I just said to myself that when that happened I was going to just keep pedaling hard for five more seconds and I'd just bury myself. And if I blew up, I'd just drop off and ride home by myself.

But that 5 more seconds was enough to keep me locked on the front group. That was all it took. And then I realized that the strong guys weren't supermen, they were just able to suffer a little bit longer.

http://www.firstendurance.com/images/optygen_bottle2.jpg

Optygen is useless ^^^ . I have power data to back that statement up.

Anyways, 1st and foremost, training with a coach made me faster. 2nd, buying the SRM and training with power.

For me it'd be weight loss. This time last year I was 195+. Constant riding and trying to watch my diet has brought that down to the 175-180 range. I still plan on getting down to the 165-170 range, but I've definitely noticed the lost 15-20 lbs.

I had a similar experience when I kept getting dumped into the second group on the local hammerfest. There are a couple of spots where the prevailing wind is a crosswind and typically the strong guys would ramp it up to shatter the group. One day I just said to myself that when that happened I was going to just keep pedaling hard for five more seconds and I'd just bury myself. And if I blew up, I'd just drop off and ride home by myself.

But that 5 more seconds was enough to keep me locked on the front group. That was all it took. And then I realized that the strong guys weren't supermen, they were just able to suffer a little bit longer.

This one's really important. I seem to remember it intermittently, always failing when I forget.

I started using a new technique during my intervals, but it's more of a visualization or helpful trick than anything:

Not sure who does this (Dave Z?) but I basically look for landmarks like a tree, a mailbox, that stoplight. I tell myself "only just a little bit further, now" on my way to each little marker. And then, I lie to myself over and over again. It keeps my mind off the pain, keeps me aware of my surroundings, and helped me set a new 20 minute mark a couple days ago.

Staying away from group rides more than once or twice a week. Also planning actual rest days and easy weeks, when necessary.

Optygen is useless ^^^ . I have power data to back that statement up.

Anyways, 1st and foremost, training with a coach made me faster. 2nd, buying the SRM and training with power.

I was kidding, the only supplements I take are a daily multi-vitamin, glucosamine, and a C/E after a ride. I'm too much of a cheap skate to buy into the snake oil.

Identifying and working on my weakness.

As a sprinter I have to work on my threshold more than the pure endurance types. I learned this from racing, group rides and the Coggan power tables. To address this I did tons of sweet spot and threshold work, I've done so many 20 minute intervals this season...Only problem is that I need to do more, lots more for next season if I'm going to be at all competitive here in CO as a 2.

I should add:

I grew a pair. Decided I was going to be hurting, so might as well get it over as fast as I can (another method of lying to ones self, during a 20min interval, where speed is irrelevant).

I should add:

I grew a pair

I wanted to say something, but then decided to type nothing. It was too easy.

I wanted to say something, but then decided to type nothing. It was too easy.

You can't just leave me hanging like that, YMCA. Swinging in the breeze, even.

edit...oh god, please let this not be a tammy thomas reference coming...

I had been doing a Tuesday Crit, and riding solo the rest of the week.
I went to my first race, started near the back and was spit off the back after 20 miles in a 30 mile race.
I was DNFed at the crit the next day after being lapped.

I added a fast group ride after that weekend, worked on tactics and improved my climbing. I also started hydrating 5 days prior to my next race (last weekend) and ate really clean all week.
I finished 9th at the state Champ RR and felt like I hadn't pushed myself nearly as hard as I should have.

I think the powermeter is going to help for next season. It's a very sobering (and humbling) tool I have found.