Monday 15 December 2008

In Green: Fit or Fat?

In support of Mr Big Wheels declaration, I will blog my training/racing/fitness goals for 2008/2009 as I try to defend the Leaders Jersey. I will update my progress, set backs and struggles.

Fitness:
Although there are wide a variety of factors influencing cycling performance the core ‘trainable’(physiological) key cycling performance factors (KPF) elements include:

Maximal aerobic power (V02max)
Endurance capabilities
Anaerobic lactic capacity
Madximal alactic anaerobic power
Speed (and speed endurance)
Muscular strength
Efficiency
Body composition
Flexibility

Of lesser importance are:

Capacity to repeat supramaximal efforts
Ability to replenish muscle glycogen stores rapidly
Other physiological factors too boring those who might read this blog

Clearly the KPF for Cross Country are V02max, Endurance capability, Speed endurance, Muscular endurance, efficiency and 'body composition'. I should add AT and Watts at AT.

Of course there are other useful measures which we could add but I just wanted to keep this relatively simple.

My general overall goal then will be to improve on all of the KPF.

Racing Goals:

1. Defend the Leader’s Jersey
2. Race out of Province (XC8 etc)
3. Try an mountain bike stage race.
4. Improve my cyclocross performance/racing
5. Have fun :)

More to come…

Fat-and-not-fit...yet Coach Dave

9 comments:

  1. I will definitely try to hold you accountable to these goals.... you will see my goals in spring, just like last years.... it worked, so i don't want to mess with that.

    Stage race?? where? I may try to do the cactus cup in nevada in late sept!

    May be training with power soon!

    oh yeah, what if I have no (KPF) elements at all?

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  2. .... and i thought you just went out and hammered all year long ....

    it would be really interesting if someone would ACTUALLY document their daily training. make it totally public. (not suggesting you specifically dave, but it would be interesting).

    anyway, good luck dave.

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  3. I could post my training from the last 2 months.. but then you might find out the "secret"!

    Or you might laugh like crazy!!

    Good job on signing up Kevin!

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  4. I can post most of my training schedule. The problem for me is always time. Between work, training, school and family I have no time.

    Having said that, I will try and keep some type of ‘online’ journal.

    Greg for the sake of starting a discussion; physiology is physiology is physiology…. There are no secretes! Don’t fool yourself (or let anyone pull the wool over your eyes). I have been in school for about 30 years and I have yet to been introduced to or discover any ‘secretes’. You will improve regardless of what you do as a function of being sooo new to the sport. I have been racing a about 10 years now. However, what you do 'now' will determine how far you can go in the future. The best place to spend your money (I am not plugging myself here) is on competent coaching. People were winning the TDF long before there were any watt meters. Last I check not one ‘recreational’ athlete new the first thing about ex-physiology, let alone how to apply it (not putting down your efforts in any anyway). I think your energy and enthusiasm is exactly what we (as a Province) need for your sport. I look forward to having my ass kicked right to the back of the pack by you, Kevin and Hal! Bring it on :)

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  5. is greg admitting to drugs??? greg how could you! i have already accused kevin of doping and now you... ;)

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  6. Drugs? Maybe I'm dopey, but that would be it...

    Like I was saying, my training has no structure to it... yet.

    Dave email me a "what could you do to help me crush your souls" plan/price idea!!! I have a different option that is way to expensive for me so far, or I might just download a cycling plan from someone in webland.

    No powermeter eh? I like toys :-(

    I could get a pretty nice ss'er for that!

    Now that Hal is actually going to train, I'd better do something.

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  7. hey, don't drag me into your doping antics. good on ya Dave for posting some of your training.

    i tried a powertap... kinda depressing right now. apparently i have twigs for legs (hairy twigs though).

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  8. Consider this… I train with unerring consistency and Hal dose not, Kevin when he can and Greg you are too ‘green’ for anyone to comment on. Both Hal and Kevin have kicked my butt, and given me a hard time in any number of races. Clearly genetics are on their side. With some training… time will tell.

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  9. dave - i can't speak for hal, but from what i know, the guy has been pretty focused the last 2 or 3 years, LOTS of training. no matter what his blog says, he has been in GREAT shape in spring... and the rest of the year (didn't he win the gravel race this year? and a cup race...)

    i do "train" all year long, it just happens that from Sept - Feb I just take it easier, try to keep some fitness and let my body and mind recover, and try to peak in the summer (this year it happened way to early).

    keep the training info coming Dave.

    oh, and you kick our asses regularly on a rigid SS, with silly big gears...

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