Sizzle82

Im 32. In the two races I did I eded up decent I guess. First race ended in a bunch sprint, positioned bad and got 6th. Second race was in a break riding second wheel with two to go and flatted out, caught a sharp edge of pavement and tore the sidewall.
I guess experience will come with more racing.

furiousferret

The group dynamic really helps push you and when training solo its hard to get a gauge on what you need to be competitive. If I own all the KOM's in some remote area that only has 4 other riders it gives a false sense of where you are as a racer. A coach would help you with that. You don't really know what fast is until you do a group ride with fast guys who have real racing experience.

At least that was my experience. The old town I lived in had cyclists and I used to blow by them on my afternoon rides but when moved to an area that had group rides where actual racers lined up, I realized how badly I actually sucked.

The other thing I did with my coach last season was filming my races. After the races, he would analyze what I did wrong and give me tips on how to improve; that helped tremendously.

carpediemracing 

Your two short race summaries sound good. You were in for the field sprint and you were in a break. If your FTP is accurate and didn't go up tremendously then you're doing well for yourself.

Take a look at some of the clips in the video thread. Look at the newer racer clips and look at the more experienced racer ones. Check out the gaps to other racers, how they corner, etc.

bbbean 

Yes. If there was a reputable coach near me, I would absolutely work with him/her. There's no substitute for a second set of eyes on your form and the performance pressure of having someone push you and force you to stick with a training plan.

BB

Sizzle82

Thanks, it was fun I spent as much time hiding from the wind as I could. I wish I could post my power profiles from the race but Poweragent has failed me and for some reason I cant get any data off of it or even look at any past rides which is disappointing, so now Im trying golden cheetah and see if I can figure it out and make sense of things.

bbbean 

This is precisely my experience. I essentially own the segments within 30-40 miles of my house, so it's easy to get lulled into a false sense of complacency. Trips to Memphis and STL always serve as a wakeup call, as do training races. It'd be nice to have the same sort of feedback on my daily rides.

shovelhd

Mattm, the OP posted his numbers after my reply so we do agree at least in principle. One can push FTP from below or pull it from above. Both work, both have their places. Since it sounds like he has some kind of reasonable top end based on the results be posted, the next steps, with a coach or not, would be to do a legitimate FTP test, and maybe 1,5 and 10 minute tests to find the holes in his profile.

Sizzle82

I was actually thinking this since its been 10 months since I tested anything. One problem I have is I suspened my trainer road account till the beginning of the year. So what would be the best way to do the FTP test, indoors outdoors, 20 minute test, 8 minute test? Any help would be great.

furiousferret

Outdoors, unobstructed 20 minute course (I prefer a slight grade), and times the result by .93. At least that's what I and many others do.

Sizzle82

So good warmup, then 20 minutes 100% effort times by .93?

gsteinb

where you do your FTP test should be representative of how you train and it should be repeatable. For instance, I do most of my structured work indoors, so I test indoors. Others who do it outside would be wise to do their test outside, ideally on the same course each time so the results can more accurately be compared to one another.

Sizzle82

Yeah I got ya. I do most of my structured training indooras as well. I think this weekend I will do a 20 minute test just to get a idea of where im at. I have a good goal race and a few particular ones during the season, so I have a pretty good idea of when I would like to start some structured training and when I should be peaking and and that, but I just want to make sure Im doing the right kind of training. Do you guys have a go to workouts you kinda stick to during the off season?

Ygduf

just as n=1 I have done 20 min 100% efforts and a full 100% 1-hour effort recently and only managed .90 on the ratio. I think because I'm familiar with 20-30min climbs, and those minutes from 30-60 feel exponentially more difficult.

Racer Ex 

Stating upfront that I coach an (intentionally) limited number of folks, some of them here. Also stating that I got a coach as a Cat 5 and made it to Cat 1 pretty quickly, especially for a guy who started at 45. I've had 3 coaches in 10 years. I'd ask:

If you were learning to fly, do you think you'd benefit from hiring a flight instructor?

I see a lot of folks come and go quickly because they are clueless from a racing AND training perspective. Because they don't know any better, they take bad "advice", and there's plenty of that here from time to time. Such as telling people there's no logic to getting a coach if you're just learning. It's the opposite. See above.

If you are uninformed or misinformed about any activity the likely hood of you enjoying or being successful at that activity is greatly reduced. In a sport where you can suffer severe injury, it would make sense to seek out good counsel. How much does a broken frame or collarbone cost? How about a knee injury from overuse or a bad set up? How much is having a good time vs. being spit out the back worth?

Some coaches just provide training plans. Others provide a bigger overview. Seek out the latter. Not all coaches are created equal. Ask around. A good coach will greatly shorten the learning curve in many things, help you avoid pitfalls and identify problems early, and generally set you in a better direction than you're likely to end up wallowing around on your own and taking questionable advice.

misterwaterfall

This is a good point that should not be overlooked. My coach provides training plans, diet help, ect. What has helped the most is everything outside of that not only with racing but how to approach training, racing(wins and failures), balancing life and the bike, and on and on. It's a huge help to have someone else there to bounce things off of over and above what intervals you should be doing next week.

shermo

Yes I've never understood the 'learn it first before you get a coach' attitude. I've had a coach from day 1 and don't regret it. I got much more value out of him when I knew nothing.

Alaska Mike

The OP mentioned that he is an USAT coach (not sure what level). Depending on your opinion of USAT, that could be a good thing or a bad thing. I'm an USSA coach, which provided me with exactly zero functional knowledge for riding a bike fast or slow. However, he said he was familiar with creating and sticking to a training plan, which is 90% of what he should be doing as a new Cat 5. The rest of what he needs as a 5 could just as easily be gained from a book (oh, if only a BF member had written one) and competing. Every area is a little different in how the races play out, depending on terrain, field size, weather..., but at least he'll get an overview of tactics and other basics.

I'm of the belief that you should grab the low hanging fruit first on your own, before you hire the guy with the ladder to help you with the rest. For me, it's about the long game. If I hire a coach and make extremely rapid progress, then taper off dramatically, I'm more likely to lose interest. If I make slower, steady progress to get to the same point, I stay engaged in the training and feel like I'm moving forward. YMMV.

Sizzle82

Well to honestly answer your question it provides me almost zero knowledge as well other than what you said. I can structure a great training plan set up cycles, prioritize race and rest periods. Just not sure what I need to be training. I'm reading "Training and racing with a power meter" right now, as I'm not 100% percent sure what info I'm looking for and how to use that info in a constructive manner. Maybe I can get a better look at things once I get done and assess exactly where I'm lacking. Or go race get my a$$ kicked and know right away!!!!! LOL!

gsteinb

You can say ass.

shovelhd

My coach is on the other side of the country. We have never ridden together, training or racing (yet). Proximity isn't a benefit that I need, but I could see how some would prefer it.

shovelhd

Excellent point. I test outdoors on a course that I have to drive to. It's not perfectly repeatable due to weather (wind, mostly) but it is just the right length.

Ygduf

back to back twss.

gsteinb

yeah I've given some thought to driving over to bear mt to start testing there. it's a 20 minute hill for me, but it's probably a 40 minute drive each way.

shovelhd

Mine is 30 minutes each way, over the bridge to a road along the river. It's not pan flat or straight, but this is a hilly area and stretches like this are rare. There aren't any 20 minute steady climbs, either, not without steps.

gsteinb

I think they also close the top portion when there's ice or snow, which in a bad winter could pretty much screw me. I got spoiled riding in Maine this summer going up and down that hill.