Work trip cross training at Coogee Beach

I've been steadily plugging away in this first quarter of the year, sticking to my basic (and slightly boring!) plan of gradually racking up consistent mileage and hours on the bike.  So far, two-thirds into this 3-month base period, everything is going to plan (apart from all the rain!!).

For the last week (Sunday to Friday), I was sent down to Sydney for a work trip.  My hotel was much better than usual - I was staying at Coogee Beach, straight across the road from the ocean! A beautiful spot - and after the last month or so of constant grey, rainy weather in Brisbane, the opportunity for a post-walk beach swim everyday was very exciting.

Coogee Beach

Of course, I wanted to do something to put some training stress into the legs while I was there.  Nothing too serious, but some sort of exercise that matched in with the current base training phase so I could keep up my training habit.

So the plan was to do a couple of walks! I figured a couple of long walks (not strolls, but pushing myself) would do the trick, and give the legs some different training stimulus to cope with.

Fortunately, Coogee was the perfect launch point for the Eastern Beaches Coastal Walk route.

On Sunday, I spent a couple of hours walking from Coogee to Tamarama Beach and back again.  This was a stunningly beautiful walk, following the cliff edges and coastline on a well-marked pathway.  It was challenging in spots too, with some massive long stairways taking you up and down the cliff faces.  It was hard to pick a favourite part of this walk, but Gordons Bay was a highlight as it seemed like such a secret, hidden spot that was a surprise to come across.

Gordons Bay

For the next couple of days, my legs were sore! I was pretty happy with that too - it was good to know I'd managed to get some decent exercise in.  I think the stairs had a lot to do with it...

Later in the week, I headed in the opposite direction, and walked the Coogee to Maroubra Beach trail - another solid 2-hours.  While this pathway wasn't quite as pretty - it used a few backstreet detours and I thought Maroubra was a bit of a hole - it still had some beautiful sections.  The highlight was definitely Lurline Bay, a rocky inlet where you had to scramble along the surf-beaten rocks to rejoin the path at the far end.

Lurline Bay

Along with the swims at Coogee Beach each afternoon, these long walks (roughly 2-hours and 10km each) were great training alternatives.  Their long length and hilly profiles ensured I got some decent base training benefit out of them - plus they were just beautiful, scenic walks to do as well!

The Eastern Beaches Coastal Walk stretches from Bondi to Maroubra, passing through Tamarama, Bronte, Clovelly, and Coogee beaches along the way.  Definitely the best section is Bondi to just south of Coogee.  If you find yourself out that way with a few hours to spare, I would highly recommend it!!

What's working, what's not...

Normally I knock out a blog-post each month, reviewing how everything is going.  I'm doing it a little differently this year.

I've basically split the year into four quarters.  The first quarter (which we are almost halfway through) is all about doing as many kilometres as I can.  No real structure, just mixing it up as I feel to keep it interesting. The over-arching theme is very much about as much time on the bike as possible.

The second quarter is my key racing season.  The Metropolitan Championships road race and the Avanti Classic handicap are raced late in this quarter.  So training will become more about how to improve my weaknesses, and more focused sessions.

The third quarter will be about hitting some new road races, races like the Toowoomba Open, the Cunningham Classic, and the Charles Coin Memorial.  Depending on how I've gone so far, training and riding will probably be a mix of mileage and specifics.  I won't worry about how to manage that until July comes around.

The final quarter will be all about criterium racing.  So hopefully a great year of riding will mean I have plenty of kilometres in the legs, and I can focus on developing as much criterium-specific speed as possible.  Depending on where I have to be for the kids' sport, I'll be racing as many weekends as I can during this 3-month period.

So no more monthly reviews, I'll be reporting after each quarter instead - thinking about what worked and what didn't, and what/how things will change for the next quarter.

The current quarter

Things started off a bit slowly for me in January.  I mentioned in a previous blog-post how I wanted to shift away from my cycle-commutes (1-hr each way) as the backbone of my cycling mileage, and do more longer bunch rides instead.  Well, that hasn't really worked out.

I've found it really difficult to meld together the earlier morning starts to reach the bunch rides, and my family commitments of a morning. The end result was I ended up doing much less riding overall!!

So rather than fight it, I decided to just go with what I already know works for now.  I've recommitted to cycle-commuting as regularly as possible, and my mileage is once again hitting much more consistent and meaningful levels.  Bunch rides are now weekend affairs (for now at least).

Improved recovery

About 2 weeks ago, I started doing 4 new things aimed at improving my recovery post-ride.  For some reason, my recovery throughout January was really very poor, and it was starting to seriously impact my motivation and enjoyment on the bike.

1. Stretching, both pre and post ride
2. Taking an iron supplement 5 days/week (it sits on my desk at work) - "Swisse Iron Ultiboost"
3. Taking a B-Complex vitamin supplement every day - "Blackmores Executive B Stress"
4. Having a recovery drink (200 calories, 15g protein) after any morning rides - "Up'n'Go Energize"

This has had almost an immediate and significant effect on my recovery - the improvement has been remarkable.  Of course, starting all 4 things at once means I have no idea which one of those is having the most significant effect (or if they only work in combination with each other).  The scientist inside of me is horrified - but the bottom line is things are much better, which is far more important than worrying too much about analysis of why and how.

What's next?

More mileage, more often!  As I said earlier, this quarter is all about riding as much as possible.  I'm missing racing, so I'll start doing a few club crits soon as well for a bit of variety.  If things keep tracking as they are, I'll finish at the end of March with plenty of kilometres in my legs, ready to start a concerted build towards my big A race for the year in mid-June.

On Stretching...

Sometimes it's good to be reminded of some recovery basics - like the benefits of some simple stretching pre & post exercise.

I was out having dinner with a few old school mates last week.  One is currently into CrossFit - he's a great athlete, always has been. He was even a contestant on "Gladiators" many years ago, and won his way through a few rounds.  Another is also a good athlete, mainly doing running and weights these days.

Over a steak and a beer, I was whinging about how I've been struggling to recover from my bike rides, and backing up on back-to-back days was killing me...

They both laughed and said almost at the same time - "You're not stretching or warming up or down, are you?" 

"Ummm, noooo..." I said.

"You've always hated warming up and down! Even 30 years ago when we were in primary school, you tried to skip the warm ups at footy training..." They gleefully reminded me...

Anyway, after a bit of nostalgic banter and backchat, they both implored me to do a few basic warm-up and warm-down stretches around my rides, especially the harder and longer sessions.  I promised them I'd give it a crack for a few days.

The next morning, before I rode out of the garage for my commute to work, I spent 5-minutes stretching my quads and glutes.  Nothing fancy, just basic stretches. I knocked out a few hard intervals on the way, and then made sure I did a similar stretching warm-down when I hit the locker room post-ride at work.

During the day, I was surprised at how much better and 'looser' my legs felt.  Definitely much less of the tightness and soreness that had characterised the last few months.  I followed the same routine for the ride home, which was much more enjoyable and pleasant than recent weeks.

I've kept up the pre and post ride stretching routine for the past week or so.  The benefits have been unmistakable - I feel much better on the bike, and as a consequence I am enjoying my riding much more.

Stretching is such a simple thing that everyone knows about.  But it's also an easy thing to overlook (as I have been doing).  I owe my mates a beer at the next catch-up for this one, it has made a huge difference...

Blame it on the rain...

I was never a huge fan of Milli Vanilli.  The Gen Y'ers amongst you won't even know who they are - YouTube at your own peril!!  But "Blame it on the rain" is a pretty appropriate theme song for the last few days in Brisbane...

With a weather system of consistent, heavy rain and cyclonic winds for 3-4 days in a row, what is a C Grade Cyclist to do?  I thought I'd put down a few thoughts on how to handle prolonged wet weather when you're a part-time, fair-weather cyclist...

1.  Running

A lot of people will gasp when I mention the 'R-word'.  There are a lot of highly-respected coaches that basically say that the best training for cycling is, well, cycling - and running has no real cross-training value that 'more cycling' isn't better for.

Now, if you are a top-level cyclist focused on results, then I totally agree.  But if you are a cyclist who's focus is on health and fitness, with racing just some 'added fun' into the mix, then running is a great addition in terms of 'cross training' and general health.

When its raining, running is a great additional 'sport' to have in your repertoire.  I hate riding in the rain, mainly because of the slippery roads and (even worse) all the drivers who seem to forget that the roads are slippery and drive way to fast for the conditions.  Running in the rain, on the other hand, is awesome fun and a great way to relieve yourself of the 'cabin fever' that can build up over successive wet days.

The trick is to always try and have a run each week when the weather is dry.  That way you can avoid a week or two of sore legs when you start running again and your poor legs go into shock from the pounding!

2.  Complementary exercises

Been a bit slack doing your core-strength workouts? Always wanted to try yoga or pilates (or yogalates, or whatever the latest fad mash-up is)?  Use the rainy weather as an excuse to get back into those indoor stretching & sit-up routines, and/or look up a local yoga class and go along to give it a try.

3.  Trainer

If you really can't stay off the bike, then invest in a wind trainer (or mag-trainer, fluid-trainer, or one of the other options). 

I have a mag-trainer at home, and I hate it.  For me, its a psychological torture device - pedalling to nowhere drives me insane. So I only drag mine out if things are getting desperate...

Depending on how much you want to spend (or can afford to spend), there are a ridiculously wide range of options in the trainer market - from your basic triangular framed, back-wheel mounted cheapie, up to machines with linked video-streaming so you can ride virtual Tour de France stages.

If you must ride, then stay safe and do it indoors on a trainer.

4.  Do Nothing

If you've been training consistently and hitting your goals - don't be afraid of staying off the bike.  A few days off won't set you back in the long run.

Take the time to catch up on stuff around the house, or do a few things with your better-half and/or your kids.  Then when the weather fines up - enjoy that feeling of itchy legs desperate to wind up the pedals, and hit the road mentally refreshed and ready for the mileage ahead.

In Summary

Prolonged wet weather isn't a disaster as a non-elite cyclist.  There are plenty of options for exercise and training (or just giving it a miss).

Instead of lamenting the lack of cycling time, seek out new opportunities that you otherwise would ignore during fine weather.  They'll only make you more well-rounded in terms of general health and fitness, which will help give you greater longevity in your chosen sport of cycling.

2013 Goals - Racing

I love racing my bike.  I am absolutely terrible at it - but I love it.  My previosu two posts about my training volume & training structure for 2013 are all about enabling me to get better (or 'less worse'!) at racing my bike.

What I really love are road races.  To me, they are 'real' bike racing - longer, harder, hillier, more tactical, and only those that have put the hard work in are competitive at the end.  Not surprisingly, I am not much good at these races - but I love them nonetheless.  They are a much truer measure of how you are progressing as a cyclist.  They are like Test cricket compared to the hit-&-giggle of 20/20 cricket that is club criterium racing.

So in the calendar below, the Open races I'll be targeting will be the road race events.  I'll still do some of the Open crits, but they'll be more about adding some variety, testing myself, plus supporting regional events.

The aim for this year will be to hit one big Open event each month, and one or two club criteriums as well.  I did hardly any racing last year (less than 10 events, from memory) - for 2013, I'd like to make that at least 20 racing days.

The calendar below is a possible/probable style set-up.  The events that I might race are in normal font, whereas the one's I'll most likely try and get to are in bold font.

2013 Cycling Qld Racing Calendar

February

2/3   Toowoomba 2-day (criteriums)
10    Brisbane Blast (criterium at Southbank)
17    Girraween Criterium (at Noosa)

March

3    AUSENCO Sizzling Summer Series 1 (criterium at Crestmead)
10  AUSENCO Sizzling Summer Series 2 (criterium at Crestmead)
17  Banjo's Mt Cotton Kermesse (hilly kermesse)
24  AUSENCO Sizzling Summer Series 2 (criterium at Crestmead)

April

7        Qld Masters Criterium Championships (Noosa)
20/21 Ipswich Open (ITT and Kermesse)
25      ANZAC 25 (criterium at Lakeside Raceway)

May

3-5  Velo Battle on the Border (3-day stage race - ITT, crits and road stages)
12   Towoomba Criterium (support race to NRS Tour)
26   MAP Metropolitan Road Championships  (hilly road race at Mt Alford)

June

16   *** Avanti Classic (80km road handicap at Lowood) ***

                       My A-Race for the year!!

July

14  Toowoomba Open (prologue & road race)
21  Fusion Games (criterium at Newstead)

August

3    Upperlimb.com Cunningham Classic (huge road race, Gatton to Warwick)
18  Charles Coin Memorial (road race at Mulgowie)

September

7/8  Qld Masters Road Championships (ITT & Road Race)
15   Mike Stout Memorial (criterium at Nerang)

October

13   Be Better Psychology Open (criterium at Toowoomba)
20   Northshore Criterium (Riverside Park, Brisbane)

If you click on the link to take you to the full calendar, you can see I've only listed some of the many events on offer this year - but these are the only ones I am realistically able to make it to.  If I can hit at least half-a-dozen of the Opens (specifically, the ones I've bolded), that'll be great for me.

The rest of the year will be made up of club criteriums, a couple of gran fondo style events, and some others - all to be used as training to get me ready for my A-Race for the year in June.

2013 Goals - Training Structure

My last post talked in macro-terms about my big picture goals for training volume in 2013.  The next thing for me to consider is how to structure that training for maximum effect.

Overall Theme - Volume & Consistency

There is no point in developing a heap of detailed training sessions if you don't have the  underpinning training basics sorted out.

Two key basics I need to nail down this year are training volume and training consistency.  I had a few 'big months' of mileage last year, but they were isolated.  And I didn't manage to achieve more than 3-4 weeks in a row of consistent high-volume, high-quality training before I allowed other things to get in the way.

So for the first 3-months of this year, I won't be considering individual training sessions very much at all. The first quarter of the year will all be about establishing 'training patterns', working out how to squeeze the most out of every week, identifying my 'barriers to training' and how best to work around them, and finishing off with (hopefully!) a better understanding of what I can realistically plan for the rest of the year.

During this time, there will be a few key ideas I'll be exploring...

Bunch rides instead of commutes

In 2012, I tried to set up my cycle-commutes as the 'backbone' of my training.  My commute is about 24km (1-hr) each way, which I always considered a 'worthwhile distance' - enough to get some sort of training effect without getting wrecked before work.

I think the problem with this has been that it meant I rarely rode for more than an hour at a time, and so I haven't got any real endurance capacity.  This has affected both my ability to tackle longer road races, and my capacity to sprint at the end of shorter criteriums.

So for the first quarter of 2013, the plan is to shift the focus from commuting to hooking into longer 2-3 hour bunch rides.

Bunch ride 'taste-testing'

There's probably a better term for it than 'taste-testing' (*ugh*), but another focus in the early part of the year will be trying out as many bunch ride opportunities as I can.  I am lucky in that there are plenty of club, shop, & other bunch ride opportunities for me to be a part of every week - but I have largely ignored most of them during my 'comeback year'.

My plan is to get involved in as many of these bunch rides as I can, and work out which ones suit me best - in terms of skill & effort level, distance, organisation, friendliness & compatibility (not to be under-estimated as a factor!), and how easy it is to blend it in to my routine.

The main ones I intend to hit are my Balmoral Club's rides (weekdays & weekends), the Planet Cycles and Lifecycle shop rides, and "The Wombles" and "Southbank Bunch" groups.

More on than off

As part of the 'consistency' theme, the plan is to have more riding days than not-riding days. So I am looking at hitting the bike 4-5 days every week (if I stick with my "1 run per week" plan, that'll count towards my total too).

That gives me plenty of opportunities to build volume and consistency, but also 2-3 days free to recover as well.  This'll be important in terms of both injury-avoidance, plus giving me heaps of time and flexibility to plan around family and work commitments.

A good time to be 'unstructured'

Whilst I plan to be racing throughout the year (including in January) - my main race goal, which I'll detail in another post, isn't until June. So this first quarter of the year is a great time to just get out there, ride as much as possible, and get a real feel and understanding for what works and what doesn't work for me in terms of training structure.

Given that I am 'chronically undertrained', the great news for me is that any regular consistent training will result in both improved performance and confidence.  The goal is to reach a point where I need to start to focus on the detail to see real performance improvement.

The next step

The plan is to develop a more detailed training plan for the quarter April-May-June leading into my A-Race for the year (an 80km road handicap race).  I'll talk more about that race and my other race goals in my next blog-post in this series of "2013 Goals", which will be about what I am actually training for...!!

2013 Goals - Training Volumes

And so a new year has begun!  I have plenty of big race goals to tackle this year, but to achieve them I have to hit some solid training goals first.

Looking at my training last year, the key themes for me to improve on have been volume and consistency. Pretty basic stuff, but its important stuff to acknowledge and consciously work on.  My best form last year was clearly correlated with my highest volume training months, so the proof is here for me - I just need to get out there and do it!

In the past, my goals have been expressed purely in mileage/distance terms.  This year, I'll be doing it a bit differently and also giving myself some time goals as well.  Both are important, plus the time metric will take some pressure off the mad scramble for distance I sometimes have at the end of a month.

So, what are the goals for this year?

Yearly goal

365 hours of training, and 6000km on the bike.

365 hours works out to an average of 1 hour/day. If I can achieve that, the rest really will take care of itself! Its a significant jump on previous years, but if I'm going to start approaching my potential on the bike then I'm going to have to spend more time with my bum in the saddle...

Monthly goals

25 hours of training, and 500km on the bike.

My biggest training months last year were just over 20 hours, so I will need to build up to doing 30+ hours per month.  But as a minimum, I want to hit at least 25 hours by the time the end-of-month rolls around.  This also gives me a little flexibility in terms of having easier vs big months depending on what racing is coming up, plus a little leeway if weather or illness knocks out a week here and there.

Running once-a-week.

If I was an elite cyclist, then running would have no place here.  But as a middle-aged guy who is training for racing and general health, then I think running has a useful place in my schedule.  There is plenty of evidence on the importance of weight-bearing exercise for the 'mature gentleman'. Also I believe that at the recreational athlete level (where I am at), there are benefits to be had by 'cross-training'.

I'm not a natural runner  but I'll persist with this for the first few months of the year at least and see how I go with it...

That's it...

I'm not getting any more 'micro' with my training goals than that.  I know from experience that if I get too caught up with weekly or shorter term mileage/time goals, then I feel too pressured and I lose some of the 'fun' aspects of training.  And personally, I train (and race) because I want to, not because I have to - and I don't want that to change! So in terms of training volume, then these broad macro goals are the only key goals I'll be looking to achieve.

Of course, how I'm going to achieve them is another question.  So the next post in this start-of-year goal-setting series will be about my training structure for 2013...