Key Off-Season Objectives

Flexibility, Core Strength and Leg Strength. These are areas that every serious cyclist should be looking to improve in the off-season. So what will each one do for you:

1. Flexibility - increase your power output - especially when TT'ing, reduce the risk of injury.

2. Core Strength - increase your power output, improve bike handling.

3. Leg Strength - increase your power output.

As you can see, increasing power output is common to improving in all these areas and isn't that what we all want. Three is a no brainer except for maybe the most elite level of cyclists. Most people know about #2, but may not do anything about it. With #1, most people understand the importance of stretching, but may not understand that lack of flexibility will hamper our muscles ability to operate correctly and thus, produce less power.

Anyway, this is what my athletes will be working on for the last few months of the year while still getting in their share of miles. Here are a few links for core exercises and other off bike work:

http://training.active.com/TransactionManager/viewPlan.do;jsessionid=537108FCFD7AEFC4E69B431A9F3F8C25?tpId=146 (be sure to click on the "strength training" days to bring up more detail)

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1138272038/bctid958475643 (from Fit Chick at Bicycling Magazine)

http://www.coreperformance.com/eodArchive.php?p=1&s=3 (Exercises of the Day from Core Performance)

These three sources should give you plenty of exercises to choose from to constantly challenge your body to adapt.

Group Rides... help or hinderance?

This is a question I have struggled with for a long time. I have a structured training plan, but I enjoy my 3 group rides every week. I have a hard time getting in the workouts I am supposed to riding these 3 group rides every week. I am a coach so I know what I am supposed to do, but that doesn't mean I always do what I should. As my parents used to say "Don't do as I do; do as I say." :-)

The problem with group rides is that the are unstructured and impossible to accomplish the specific tasks that your training plan calls for. Of course, there are some exceptions like when the group ride is a recovery ride and you need that. Also, there are "training" rides where a group of riders get together and agree on a specific purpose for the ride that agrees with their training plans. Training rides have structure while group rides do not.

For me, I need to make a change next year. While I will continue to do my 70 mile Saturday Club Ride, I will need to think about what I will do on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I really want next year to be a break through season for me, so I need to make some changes.

You may ask, why I am thinking about this at the end of the season. I read an article on Pez Cycling News that talked about this very subject. That article can be found here:

http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=5336&status=True

Let me know what you think about this topic.

Floyd and Bike Crash Incident

There are 2 items that have been on my mind this week:

Vehicle causing crash of cyclists - A pickup truck went around a group of cyclists riding single file in Lake County and then proceeded to slam on his brakes. The cyclists piled into the vehicle which then sped away. No one was seriously injured, but some were serious enough that they had to be taken to the hospital for stitches and x-rays. The good news is that the driver was caught and arrested. Thanks go to the two witnesses who attempted to follow the pickup, but returned to the scene when they could not follow. Thanks also go to the driver for returning, although he did give a bogus story about something being in the road, which is where the witnesses come in. Also, thanks go to the officer on the scene that took the report seriously and the police are pushing for a charge that would be a felony. You can find more information about the incident at:

http://www.chicagobikeracing.com/

Floyd Landis - After reading more about the majority and dissenting opinions, I am more convinced then ever that Landis got shafted. As I have said before, I am not proclaiming his innocence, but if the data isn't clear or is corrupted, then you can't have a decision against the athlete. First, all of the original testosterone to epitestosterone tests have been thrown out as worthless. This is the initial test that is done to determine if a rider is cheating. The follow-up test that determines whether the testosterone in the rider's body is his own is what held up according to the majority decision. This is the topic that is highly debatable. This topic is being discussed on 2 sites in detail. I find this very interesting, but others will find it good bedtime reading material because it would help them fall asleep. To each his own. Here are the two sites:

http://rant-your-head-off.com/WordPress/?p=383#more-383

and the best source on all things Landis:

http://trustbut.blogspot.com/

Gatorade Sports Science Institute

A couple of weeks ago, I was told about an opportunity at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI). They were looking for competitive cyclists for a number of studies. If you were accepted, they would pay you $25 an hour to participate. Hmmm... "I am going to workout anyway, but they will pay me for it? How can I lose?"

So, today I went in for my stress test. Their facility is in Barrington right accross from Barrington High School on Lake Cook Road. A 30 minute drive from Bartlett.

So, I went in, got changed into my shorts and filled in some paperwork. After taking my blood pressure, they wired me up for the test. I should mention that if your BP is too high, they won't even conduct the test. Mine was 130/80. I am not sure if this disqualifies you completely or if you can come back, but if you can't complete the stress test due to a high BP, they won't accept you. But I digress...

Once they wired me up, they had me hop up on the treadmill... yes, treadmill. I haven't run for a workout in... I can't remember when. My thing is cycling; that is what I like to do. This made the test pretty darn hard considering I was using muscles I haven't used in a long time. Anyway, they start you out easy. Every 3 minutes, the treadmill speeds up AND the incline gets higher. The speed I could handle, but the incline was killing my calves as they are really tight. By the time the treadmill got to a speed to run, my calves were on fire and it felt like I was running up the Hideaway Hill. For those that aren't familiar, this hill averages about 14%. I am sure the treadmill was closer to 6-8%, but it didn't feel that way. It reminded me why I don't like to run. Anyway, I got through it and had decent results. Most importantly, I was ok'd for participation in their studies. I have one more test. I have blood work that needs to be scheduled since I indicated that my last cholesterol test was a bit high (around 240). That test was taken in March after 6 months of eating bad and sitting on my ass all winter. I will be curious to see what my new test says.

A couple of final thoughts: I think this is a great opportunity for anyone who has the time to participate in the studies. I just got a free stress test which gave me a clean bill of health and I will end up getting a free cholesterol check because of my disclosure of high cholesterol. After all that, they are going to pay me to test their product while working out in their lab. Sounds pretty cool to me. Plus, the Linda who sets everything up, the Linda who helps run the test and the other woman (sorry, can't remember her name) who takes your blood pressure are all extremely nice. I really had an enjoyable experience; at least as enjoyable an experience as you can getting your butt kicked during a stress test.

If you are a competitive cyclist and are interested in participating in the GSSI studies, send me an email at vanmald@gmail.com and I can put you in touch with Linda from GSSI.

Kenosha Race Report

After doing 70 miles yesterday, I wasn't expecting too much in my race(s) on Sunday. With that said, I was encouraged by my new found "oneness" with the bike with my new Speedplay X2 pedals that I picked up along with new cleats. My old cleats and pedals were over 2 years old with at least 8000 miles on them. The X5 pedals I had were so badly worn that you could bend the it back and forth a bit between the pedal and the spindle. Thanks to Spin Doctor Cyclewerks for determining the cause of the squek and figuring out a way to remove my cleats from my shoes (the screw headss were so worn I couldn't get them out). I went in with a squeak. The identified the problem as the pedals. We figured we would try to lube them first, but after evaluating the pedals, it was determined that new pedals were the best way to go. Anyway, I tried the new pedals on Thursday's ride and immediately noticed an improvement, so that gave me a little bit of confidence going into today's race(s).

Paul and I drove up to Kenosha. We stopped and had lunch at my favorite spot to have lunch, Noodles. We got to the race about 90 minutes before the Cat 4 race time and got about 25 minutes of a warm up in. The wind was strong out of the SE, which we knew would affect the racing. All of the major players competing in the Tour of WI/IL were there. Right on time, we started our race of 45 minutes plus 2 laps.

I wasn't sure how this race was going to go, but it became quit apparent that there weren't going to be many attacks and they weren't going to be taken seriously. The wind was sure to kill any break, at least at the Cat 4 level. I also determined that you could be anywhere in the pack and still be within striking distance of the front with only 21 riders in the race. So... the race was relatively easy in that I felt strong for the finish.

With about 5 minutes left, Paul and I were at the back. Paul seemed a little concerned with this, but I told him we were fine. We would move up soon enough. We got the bell lap and the pace was pretty tame. I was in the top half. We came around turn 2 and the field slowed dramatically and I coasted in behind the 2 lead riders, but I was boxed in as they just had shut down the inside line, so I moved to the left to catch more of the draft. That was a bad move because the lead riders moved over and a train of riders came screaming through on the right. I managed to catch the end of that train, but had to give it a hard effort as I had lost all my momentum coasting up to the lead riders. I came into the home stretch and got passed by 2 other riders. Not exactly the way I wanted to end the race, but considering I am still at least 15 lbs more than last year, it was an uphill (slight incline), and I rode 70 miles yesterday, I can't really expect my legs to have or show a lot of snap. Lombard has a slight downhill finish, so I am looking forward to that. Anyway, Paul finished 3rd to hold onto his 4th place finish in the Tour of WI/IL. Congrats, Paul!!! I finished 9th.

Paul and I decided to do the Cat 3 race, also. This race was much harder with about the same number of racers (20). From the start there were many attacks. The accelerations were taking their toll on Paul and I. Paul told me that he considered dropping out at 20 minutes. I considered dropping out at 25 minutes. About the time we were thinking about dropping out, a break of 4 guys was up the road, never to be seen again. We also had a couple of DNF's and a few dropped riders well into the race. Again, Paul and I found ourselves at the back, but we moved up soon enough; one of us more than the other ;-). Going into the bell lap, Paul found himself at the front and I was fourth wheel. Paul pulled halfway through the backstretch when someone attacked. I responded with everyone else. After turn 3, the pace slowed again. I had a clear line up the inside, but thought I should wait a bit. That was a mistake because in retrospect, that would have been a perfect move. Someone else decided to take it as riders came screaming up the inside. I tried to re-accelerate as best I could, but I was pretty cooked at this point. I finished 13th and Paul finished 15th. Not bad for a couple of 4's that already raced once that day.

All in all, it was probably one of my best races this year. That isn't saying a lot, but it is encouraging for next year. I am sure if I don't take 6 months off from the bike this winter, that I will be much stronger next year.

Next up is my last race of the year which it the Fall Fling Crit #1.

SRAM to Buy Zipp!!

Very interesting development. Two great companies and equipment manufacturers. SRAM is much more of a corporation than Zipp, so let's hope that when SRAM takes over Zipp that they continue to be as successful as a whole. Here is one that these two innovative companies will be much stronger when combined. Here is a link to the velonews article:

http://www.velonews.com/tech/report/articles/13362.0.html

Floyd Landis Found Guilty

I am really disappointed in the arbitration panel. I can't believe that they actually voted 2-1 that he was guilty. I haven't read too much, but from the reports I have heard, the panel threw out the T/E test results saying they were not reliable, but they were basing their results on the IRMS testing. Well, at least they got it half right, but it doesn't change the result.

From what I can remember about the case, there were problems with the IRMS testing. The biggest thing I remember is that LNDD primed the liner before conducting the test. During the hearing, a witness from the manufacturer stated that this was not proper procedure and could likely produce positive tests where they were really negative. There was a memo from an executive at the manufacturer that stated the same thing.

I believe more than ever that this is a witch hunt, especially after hearing when the suspension is effective: in January. Every other athlete that has been suspended has had their suspension effective from around the time of their last competition. Not in this case. The UCI wanted to penalize Landis for making them and WADA look bad. UCI also wanted to send a message with the recent penalties: There is no use fighting us because we will find you guilty whether the science supports it or not. If you fight us publicly, we will give you a longer suspension. If you admit to doping, whether you did it or not, your penalty will be reduced (see Jorge Jaschke's one year suspension). And don't forget, even if you didn't do it, we will find you guitly anyway, so you might as well lie and say you did it. In an athlete's career, one year is a lot different than two years.

If the UCI really wanted to figh doping, they would require all teams to implement the Slipstream/Chipotle model. Yeah, it isn't cheap, but neither is finding a new sponsor because your sponsor has lost faith in the team and the sport. But, in my opinion, the UCI would rather have high profile cases against certain athletes such as Valverde, Landis, Vinikourov, etc. They all may be guilty, but when the science doesn't support it, they should be vindicated as Landis should have been. And the UCI should be more concerned about preventing future doping through baseline testing.

I welcome all comments, especially ones that have better facts than me.

Vote for the 2008 Slipstream/Chipotle jersey

Slipstream/Chipotle has been a model of what professional cycling needs to do in order to prevent doping in our beautiful sport. They have a fantastic roster for 2008 with Vandevelde, Zabriskie, Millar, Backstedt, Danielson and many other strong riders (Floyd Landis in 2008 or 2009?). Now, they are giving you, the fan, the opportunity to vote for their 2008 team kit. (They were giving everyone the opportunity to submit designs, but that time has past.) My favorite is Entry #5, but don't let that influence your vote.

Go vote here:

http://www.slipstreamsports.com/fun.jerseytop5.php

And while your at it, support the team by eating at Chipotle, who has upped its investment by becoming a co-title sponsor.

Patellar Tendonitis - Jumpers Knee

After the ride last night, a few of us were discussing one of Spin Doctor Cyclewerks Cycling Club's (SDCCC) member's knee problems. I remember coming across this article that I figured would be helpful to those struggling with knee pain. Patellar Tendonitis is pain in the front of the knee and the pain mostly occurs after the ride when soft tissue tightens up.

I had this problem when I played basketball. All the pounding I took would gradually wear on the tendon so near the end of my seasons in high school, I would have to ice my knees after practices and games. It was manageable mostly because there was an end to the season so my knee could recover.

A few interesting observations from the article, they mention cleat allignment as a possible cause of the pain. If you have free float pedals, such as Speed Play, you reduce your chances of having knee problems. I know Speed Plays solved my knee problems.

Also, bike fit is mentioned as a solution. Greg at Spin Doctor Cyclewerks has a Fit Kit and a Waterford fit bike. If you are having physical pain from riding your bike, go get a bike fit.

Here is the link to the article:

http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=5310&status=True

Added 9/22/07:

Greg from Spin Doctor Cyclewerks was mentioning he read my blog and also mentioned that he has a special tool that will align your cleat to maximize efficiency. The device shows if you are moving your foot a lot during your pedal stroke. He will modify the cleat alignment in order to minimize your foot movement. This will also help keep your knees nice and happy :-).

Your Mind: Nutrition & Training

I recently came across a couple of articles on the mind of an athlete. One focused on nutrition for the brain and the other on training the mind.

With regards to nutrition, the article talks about all the different vitamins, minerals and fats that are important to the brain. What I basically determined from the article is that taking a good Omega 3 supplemnet (salmon fish oil is supposed to be the best, but flax is also a good source) and a good multi-vitamin are important to maintain top brain function. When training, your body is using a lot of the nutrients you take in so a good multi-vitamin is important. I take Premium Insurance Caps from Hammer. This pack of multivitamins also supplements your Amino Acids. I covered the importance of that in my previous post.

With regards to training the mind, it is important to be able to control your stress and anxiety levels and also to work at eliminating negative thoughts. I can relate to both of these issues. I am working at keeping my heart rate to a manageable level at the start line because it has a tendency to increase well above my physical exertion level. Also, while I am generally a positive person, I also find myself with negative thoughts. For example, I didn't do as well as I would have liked in a recent race and I said after the race to my teammate "I suck". I said it kidding around, but I half meant it. Negative thoughts like that do not help and need to be eliminated from your mind. The article takes you through a process to help eliminate these negative thoughts. One of the techniques used is positive affirmations. When I think of positive affirmations, all I can think of is that Saturday Night Live skit. You know the one... "Because I'm good enough, I'm smart enough and, dog gone it, people like me". As quirky as that skit made positive affirmations out to be, they have been proven to work.

Anyway, here are links to the interesting articles:

http://www.velonews.com/train/articles/13178.0.html

http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=5287&status=True

If Landis is found not-guilty...

So... if Landis is found not-guilty, then what? First, I had heard that Slipstream was very interested in signing Landis if he was found not-guilty by a vote of 3-0. While I think this is unlikely (2-1 either way is pretty much a lock), how can Slipstream sign him if they have only one more slot open and Vaughters has stated that they are targeting Jason McCartney for that slot? Maybe, Vaughters is assuming that the UCI, USADA, WADA or anyone else who is allowed to appeal will appeal the decision to CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) which would take Landis off the market for the 2008 season thus giving him a 2 year suspension whether he is found guilty or not. Great system, huh? Also, how long does anyone have to appeal the decision to CAS?

My prediction is that we will have a 2-1 decision and the losing side will appeal to CAS. Folks, we are almost halfway through this saga. What is your prediction?

For complete coverage of the Landis saga, go here:

http://trustbut.blogspot.com/

The Importance of Glutamine Supplementation

I have been using the products EFS and Ultragen from 1st Endurance. Ultragen has been great, but the first few times I used EFS, it gave me what I would call "rot gut". The last few times have been great so maybe my stomach has adapted. Anyway, in my interest of their products, I subscribed to their newsletter which I found to be very informative and reinforced many of the things I have learned from Hammer's website.

In 1st Endurance's latest newsletter, they discuss the importance of Amino Acids. Also called Branched Chain Amino Acids, or BCAA's, these are very important to the body during and after exercise. Of particular importance is Glutamine.

Glutamine is especially important because it fuels our immune system and can be significantly depleted during prolonged intense exercise. Most of the time, the three Spin Doctor Cyclewerks group rides each week could all be classified as prolonged intense exercise. Keeping adequate glutamine levels in the body is especially important to preventing Over Training Syndrome (OTS) and upper respiratory trace infections (URTI / sinus infections).

Over the past 2 years, I have experienced both OTS and URTI's, but especially the URTI's. It didn't seem to matter when I started my training, but just about 3 months after starting serious training, I would get a sinus infection. I think part of this was due to inadequate glutamine supplementation. I also have had OTS at times which were more related to the addition of stress outside of cycling, but I believe glutamine supplementation would have been beneficial in order to prevent my issues with OTS.

So, what should you do? The recommendations from the article are:

1. Supplement with 5 – 10 grams of glutamine during a pre-exercise meal approximately 1-2 hours before a long exhaustive training session (e.g. greater than 3 hours).
2. Supplement with 0.5 - 1.0 gram/hour during training (included in a carbohydrate, electrolyte drink).
3. Supplement with approximately 5 grams of glutamine immediately post-exercise (included in a recovery drink).

Seems like a lot of glutamine, right? Well, I like to keep things simple. Supplementing with glutamine immediately post-exercise using a recovery drink is going to give you your best opportunity to supplement with glutamine. This supplementation will help prevent the greatest threat to your training and improvement: getting sick or OTS. Another point the article makes is to supplement with a full complement of BCAA's in order to keep a balance of BCAA's in the body. Both Recoverite from Hammer and Ultragen from 1st Endurance are good products for immediate post-exercise recovery as they provide adequate amounts of glutamine while many other recovery products provide glutamine in lower amounts.

The article also spends time discussing the benefits of BCAA supplementation during exercise to increase performance. While I agree with their conclusions, I think this is not nearly as important as supplementing during recovery and the article admits that the research is not as clear in this area.

Here is a link to the article:

http://www.firstendurance.com/newsletter_aminoacids_vol5_9.html

Comments are welcome.

Welcome

Welcome to my new blog!! You will find 2 main topics of conversation: race reports & cycling. Feel free to post comments. I welcome open debate, constructive criticism, and positive comments.