It’s pretty hard these days to escape the concept of Functional Threshold Power, or FTP. A quick Google search will produce statements such as: “FTP is the single most important physiological determinant of performance in events” “FTP has become the …
Cold, wet weather in late fall drives athletes indoors, making it easy to decide when to start weight training. Knowing when to end regular lifting in the late winter or spring can be more of a challenge. Following a weight-training …
Putting Down the Weights — When to Transition from Off-Season Weight Training Read More »
A coach once told me, “You are not just a cyclist, you are an athlete, and fitness goes a long way.” Having come from skiing, I always liked that idea because it gave me an excuse to use skiing as …
Creative Cross-Training for Cyclists in Winter in Snow Country Read More »
By Liz Varner If you are primarily a cyclist, adding a triathlon, duathlon, running or other multisport event to your year is a great way to cross train, refresh a season or just try something a little different. Some coaches …
Adding a Triathlon or Running Event to Your Cycling Season Read More »
“Fast” is a vague term in cycling that means different things in different contexts. We might say that someone who can hold 29 mph for an hour is fast, or say the same thing of someone who can sprint to …
Of all cycling events, cyclocross has to be the most fun to train for. In addition to building fitness for a 40- to 60-minute effort, racers must prepare to ride short rolling hills and steep ascents and descents, negotiate off-camber …
The Basics of Cyclocross Training for Roadies and Mountain Bikers Read More »
Tips for Altitude Training and Racing Preparing for an event or racing an event at altitude can be intimidating to the sea level athlete. Fortunately, the science is quite definitive on the tactics for the best chances of success in …
The Basics of Training and Competing at Altitude Read More »
Peaking is a cyclist’s nirvana. If training has gone well, you are strong on the bike, riding fast with little effort, recovering quickly enough to attack several times in a race or race several days per week and your head …
Racing, especially stage racing, favors those willing to train long and hard and to suffer intensely, so serious bike racers exercise in ways that sound crazy to non-racers. Occasionally, some racers train to such an extent that even us cyclists …
Going the Extra Mile: The Costs and Benefits of Supplemental Training Read More »
Power meters are great tools. They assess current physical ability, track training progress and improve performance, but those benefits are only the beginning. These devices allow for comparison of your physical abilities to competitors’ before signing up for a race. …
Beyond the Intervals: The Deeper Benefits of Power Meters Read More »
This article is for people who haven’t trained as well as they might have for the new season. It is also for anyone with underprepared friends. Good friends won’t encourage the undertrained to race or do hard club rides. Read …
Ready for the First Races of the Year?: How to know and why not to race too soon Read More »
More and more scientific evidence piles up in favor of training programs that are heavy on high-volume, sub-threshold endurance work and light on harder efforts. Studies of elite and world-champion runners, cyclists and cross-country skiers show that they typically spend …
A strong drive to win is a necessity for bike racing success. Something has to make one keep training, keep eating right and keep pedaling no matter what happens. Some riders have plenty of motivation, while drive is a limiter …
Exercise physiology textbooks generally devote several chapters to the three energy systems that power muscle contractions and how the three systems interact to support various intensities and durations of exercise. They tell us that adenosine tri-phosphate or ATP is the …
By Rob Butner Ever thought of riding a triathlon on a mountain bike or running a rocky trail instead of pounding pavement? When I tell people I’ve raced triathlons for the past 10 years, many of them imagine the Hawaiian …
