4 Weeks to go to the Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge - What should I be doing?

With 4 weeks to go to the Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge what should I be doing?

Training 

Hopefully you have spent the past six weeks (at least) training for this event! If not you are going to struggle. Your final 4 weeks should involve a continuation of that training with a taper on your final week. If you are following a Fit Track plan make extra sure you follow the final week to the letter, as the plan is designed to take you into your event fit and fresh.

You should aim to cut your duration in the final week down to between 50% to 70% of your usual weekly duration. Intensity should remain with some shorter intervals. This will keep you sharp and in good form. 

Aim to do a pre-race ride the day before the race. The duration thereof should be between 20 to 60 minutes (20 minutes for the beginner and 1 hour for the more advanced cyclist). This pre-race ride should be extremely easy. The pre-race ride helps to flush toxins from muscles, as well prepare you mentally for the big day. Its also a good time to make sure all your equipment is in good working order.

Sleep and Rest

Rest is physically necessary so that the muscles can repair, rebuild and strengthen. Building recovery time into any training program is important because this is the time that the body adapts to the stress of exercise and the real training effect takes place. So make sure you have adequate rest between your training sessions.

Getting a good amount of quality sleep is vital to peak performance as this is the time when your body heals and recovers best!

Nutrition

As an athlete, you need to provide your body with high-quality nutrition. The best way to to this is to eat a balanced diet consisting of a variety of high-quality foods.

Carbohydrate (which converts to glycogen in your body) is the fuel that makes exercise possible, so adequate carbs must be eaten each day if you hope to train and race consistently. Protein and fat also have a place in your diet and should be consumed daily. In general, each meal should contain a varied combination of carbohydrates, protein and fat.

Try to stay away from fatty foods that are high in saturated fats like fatty cuts of meat. Avoid carbohydrates with a high glycemic index, like cakes, sweets and biscuits. Preferably choose those low GI carbs which will sustain blood sugar and energy levels.

Drink plenty of fluids, especially water to keep your body well hydrated.

Race Nutrition: Make sure you chose tried and tested on race day. Use the products (carb drink, gels etc) that you have used during training. Don't fall into the trap of buying and trying something new at the expo the day before and find that you react badly to it on race day!

Eat your breakfast 3 hours before your start time to ensure proper digestion. Choose foods that are high in carbohydrate, low in fat and fibre and moderate to low in protein.

Equipment

Make sure your bike is clean and in good working order. Clean and lube your chain. The chain and sprockets on your bike play a key part in the transfer of power from your legs to your wheels. When they collect dirt and grime, it will slow you down. Make sure you have spare tubes and bombs in case of a puncture.

Ensure your tyres are inflated to the correct pressure. Flat tires can slow you down, and are more susceptible to punctures.

Check your brake pads to ensure they are not worn.

Check your cycling shoes and make sure your cleats are not worn and that they are solidly attached to your shoes.

Race Day

Don't be late! You are probably going to be feeling some race nerves anyway, don't compound things by adding the extra stress of being late. Make sure you are in your pen with plenty of time before the start of the race. Do some stretching while you wait for the start. If you can, rather sit whilst in the pen than stand. Save all your energy for the race.

Pin your number to your jersey, prepare your cycling kit and race nutrition the night before so that you are less stressed and ready to get going on race day.

Don't forget to eat breakfast and don't forget your helmet!

Wishing you all a safe and successful Cycle Challenge Sunday!

Structure-less system Killing our Sport

Its been a while since I last blogged. Guess I have had little to say on the subject of cycling lately, other than ride your bike and enjoy. I like to blog when I have something to say .. well that time has come again, and I am pulling out the soap box.

Success in anything in life requires structure. Right? A system, a plan, a way to get from A to B. Its my opinion (and I stress my opinion), that this system in cycling in general has, and is crumbling. More so in women's cycling than men's simply because the pool is smaller.

Think about it, five to ten years ago we had talent coming through the 'system' and headed for greatness. The best SA has seen to date in women's cycling has come through this 'system'. I speak of a 'system'... what am I on about?

We had in place a proper structure (or lets say better than we have now). It went something like this. Josephine Blogs joins her local cycling club. She starts in the beginner bunch and after a couple of rides realises she can move to the D and C group. Within 6 months she is riding regularly and is keeping up with the top girls in the club. She gets noticed and is invited to participate in the monthly Inter-club series. She then participates in her local Provincials and then at inter-provincials. She gets her racing license and joins the racing Elite girls. Josephine is really determined to succeed so although she gets spat out on the first climb for the first 6 months of racing, she gets a coach and improves. She receives her provincial colours. Through good coaching, a bit of club sponsorship and guidance, she becomes a regular in the racing peleton at the races. She gets noticed by a team manager and is signed up on a professional team. She starts as a team helper and works her way up in the ranks eventually becoming one of the strongest team riders. If the team is affiliated to an international team (as has been the case in the last two years with the Lotto Belisol team) she has the chance to show case her talent at an international level.

The above example shows how someone with talent was able to work her way from the bottom of the pyramid to the top. Where is that structure today? No more Inter-club. If we can't filter talent through from a club level, how can we possibly find the talent of the future? Provincials have become so small because very few people at a club level know how to take the next step from club to provincial. Inter-provincials no longer take place. So provinces are not given the opportunity to compete against one another. Then we have the pinnacle called SA Champs. Yes, this still exists, but how do we get the talented beginner eighteen year old Josephine from starting at club level to SA Champs? If she wants to get there she still can, but she is going to have to be incredibly street wise all on her own. Not necessarily a bad thing but this I believe is why we now sit with only a handful of talented junior riders. As we have seen from the past perhaps fifty percent of the handful will make it into Elites, so where does this leave the sport of womens cycling? I my opinion it is dying a sad death and will continue to until we look at the structure.

(In my opinion) it should look something like this:

Step 1: Schools:
It must start at a schools level. Mountainbiking and track in particular, to keep it safe for the youngsters. This is the launching pad into getting youngsters to join clubs, once they leave school or beforehand.

Step 2: Clubs
Clubs need to offer Inter-Club racing again. Full stop! This in turn will motivate riders to license and race Elite.

Step 3: Racing License

Step 4: Provincials
The best from the clubs will feed through to Provincials.

Step 5: Inter-Provincials
The best from Provincials will feed through to Inter -Provincials.

Step 6: Nationals
The best from Inter-Provincials will feed through to National Champs.

Step 7: International
The best from Nationals and the top women from professional racing locally feed through to International teams.

Nope, its not rocket science! Its just a system to ensure we find the talent we know exists in this country.

I dont mean for this article to be negative, anything but! Lets fix it!

Ok, done soap box shoved under my bed again...

A Free State of Mind...

A free state of mind... and an awesome stage was set for The Tour de Free State UCI 2.1 2012! What a spectacular event and showcase of the best women's cycling SA has ever seen. The organisation and race routes were fantastic, not to mention the excellent prize money and great accommodation! Well done to the event organisers and the Free State for hosting this event which has put SA on the map for women's professional road racing.

Spectacular scenery along the race route

Teams present:

• Team Escentual ForVoiRed RT
• Team Bike Aid
• Team HiTec
• Team RusVelo
• Team DolmansBoels
• Team Lotto Bellisol
• Team Thialand
• Team MTN-Qhubeka
• Team Toyota
• Team Eritrea 

Top four competitors:

• Emma Johansson (Team HiTec) - UCI ranking 3 (Sweden no 1)
• Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (Team Lotto Bellisol) - UCI ranking 35 (South Africa no 1)
• Svetlana Bubnenkova (Team RusVelo) - UCI ranking 36 (Russia no 3)
• Martina Bras (Team DolmansBoels) - UCI ranking 40 (Netherlands no 8)

As you can see by the teams and contenders, this reads like a 'night at the Oscars on the red carpet' in the game of women's cycling, and set the stage for a magnificent spectacle of professional racing! Seventy five participants in total took to the start line.

The tour began in Bloemfontein with the first two stages being fast and flat. The last two stages were set with the magnificent backdrop of Clarens, where the roads tilted upwards into the high mountains next to the Lesotho border.

I was fortunate enough to spend the last two days watching the ladies fight out the final battle, and a battle it was indeed. It was fantastic to witness this high level of women's cycling in our country. The racing is aggressive and positive. Attacks begin on the start line and end on the finish line of each stage. The riders spend the evenings having dinner and chatting amongst one another like old school friends. The camaraderie is noticeably good but the competitiveness is fierce!

I spent the two days with Team Lotto Bellisol. Being Ashleigh's and Jo's coach, I was there to support and watch my athletes race. Unfortunately I did not get the opportunity to watch Jo as she ended up in a bad crash on stage 2 leaving her with a few broken bones in her hand and many roasties. To give you some idea though as to just how tough these girls are, Jo was quoted in hospital as saying,"Please give me something to eat, I have to race tomorrow",... this before she was about to go into surgery to have her cuts cleaned out! Needless to say, she did not have her way, and did not race the following day :)

Team Lotto Bellisol (from left to right) Robyn de Groot, Ashleigh Moolman Pasio, An-Li Pretorius, Ludivine Henrion, Lisa Olivier (missing: Joanna van der Winkel)

 It was superb to however watch Ash in action. As she is based in Europe now, I seldom have this opportunity. It was fantastic to see how she has developed into a world class athlete with a level head, she took each day in her stride, ending off with a stage win on the final day and a third overall in GC (general classification). Her team mates Ludivine Henrion (Belgium), Joanna van der Winkel (SA), Robyn de Groot (SA), Anli Pretorius (SA) and Lisa Olivier (SA) raced with guts and doggid determination. One could see that the European racing has had a huge impact on the standard of racing of these athletes, and if this continues our SA women cyclists will continue to hold their own on the international stage.

Ash, winner of the Africa jersey and third in GC

 Final GC results:

1. Emma Johannson 
2. Hanka Kupfernagel
3. Ashleigh Moolman Pasio

Emma Johansson pops the cork!

Speaking of determination, the tour 'story' would not be complete without mentioning the courageous Sarah Storey, and what a story it is! Sarah has a disability in that she was born without a functioning left hand. Let me tell you, watching her race, you would never believe it. I watched her attack the bunch on the final stage to join Robyn de Groot and the two rode in a breakaway into the final 25km of the race. Unbelievable courage and determination is just remarkable to see in action!

In a breakaway.. Robyn de Groot and Sarah Storey

 Can't wait for Tour de Free State UCI 2.1 2013!

Getting a Kick Outta Coaching

I get a kick outta coaching! I'm one of the lucky ones! Not many coaches out there are privileged enough to coach the cream of the crop, the National and International heroes, the Olympic hopefuls! By the time I meet these athletes, they are already heading for greatness, they have it all... genetics, potential, motivation, ability.. the whole she-bang!

I had the great privilege of spending some time with some coaches last weekend who are the 'preliminary creators' of this type of greatness. What the UCI and CSA classify as the 'level 1' coaches. Our children's first coaches and mentors. They are the ones that either 'make or break' a child. They can build a kid up or break their spirit with a simple word or action. Ultimately, they have the power to either break their confidence or build them up to become capable confident sportsmen and women. It struck me so clearly that these are the most important coaches we have! They are the builders or breakers of our nation and are therefore accountable for who and what ends up at the top of the pyramid.

Clearly genetics plays the biggest role in determining how far an athlete will go, but the attributes that are required in parallel with that potential are learned. Where and when are they learned? By an athletes first teachers, level 1 coaches and parents. Those messages given to a child as they progress through the various levels in sport (and life) will determine whether they have the will, discipline, motivation, courage, determination and confidence to get to that next level. I shudder to think of the talent we may have missed/ lost because a coach was disinterested, distracted or told a child he was 'useless, pathetic, too big, too small (slot in negative message here)'. I am not condoning that a coach lies, but rather that he or she steers a child. Direct them toward the things in life they love and you'll be directing them to what they are good at, and have the potential to excel at. Inspire them!

So, when it comes to the base level coaches, they are the unsung heroes who lead our children to greatness. I get to work with those athletes who have been that lucky to have had the best teachers/ coaches/ parents and mentors.

How to Plan your Training

How to Plan your Training (for Racing)

So, now you have a training plan and plan to peak for a race! But then what? After your peak do you take another plan? Take a break? What should your fitness line look like throughout the year?

How many times a year should you or can you peak? Here is a look at how to plan your year ahead…

If you are a keen racing cyclist, whether it be to win a race or a category or beat your own personal best time, you need to plan ahead!

First and foremost set some goals! Include which races you want to peak for – prioritize these as 'A' priority. 'B' priority races are those you would like to do well in and 'C' priority races are races you will use for hard training purposes and to prepare you for you’re a and 'B' priority races. 'A' priority races are your main focus, these are races you want to be totally prepared and trained for!

Here is an example:

RACES	PRIORITY	GOAL
Fast One	C	Have a fun safe race!
Berge en Dale	C	Use as part of Argus Training
Cape Argus	A	To be in top 10 in my bunch
Tour Durban	B	To be in top 10 in my bunch
Lion Man	C	A fun race as training
The Jock	A	Beat last years time by 10 mins
Amashova	B	To be in top 10 in my bunch
Momentum 94.7	A	To be in top 5 in my bunch.

Now you have a mainframe to work out the rest!

If you are a racing snake or a keen racer with goals, the general trend of your fitness line (blue line) should either be upwards (aiming towards your peak) or downwards (in a recovery/ rest period). Flat lines are not positive or negative, and are generally only good for those planning to stay at a good level of fitness all year through with no specific peaks.

When setting your goals here are a few considerations:

1. Your peak can last you about two weeks, so if you have two peak races together (say back-to-back weekends) - works well!
2. Plan to peak 2, 3, or max 4 times in a year! This gives you a good time frame in which to build up for your race properly. Using a proper plan with it’s training blocks.
3. It’s important to take a break too after you have peaked (10 to 14 days), let your fitness line drop. Take mental and physical time out and then build to your next peak.

With training this way you’ll find that with each ‘training cycle’ you get stronger! Obviously everyone has a limit somewhere along the line but this is the best way you reach YOUR full potential!

How to Plan your Training (for General Fitness)

If you are not a racing snake but are a keen cyclist/ spinner who enjoys training and wants to keep in shape/ get in shape/ stay healthy/ get healthy then your typical graph and year ahead plan may look a little different to the racing cyclist.

Here is an example:

GOALS

To lose 8 kg’s and get healthy!

To cycle 3 to 4 days per week and get fit!

Once I’ve lost the weight to maintain it.

Have a medical check up in July.

Do the Momentum 94.7 25km MTB race.

When setting your goals here are a few considerations:

1. Choose a training plan you know you can stick to. Select the plan based on how many hours you have available per week to train – not how many you wish you had.
2. Plan your training around you business trips and/ or holidays. Choose plans that will last you until the date you have to go on that business trip or take a family holiday. Take a break over that time and then resume training when you return.
3. Have a final goal that is tangible to work towards – finish a race or log a certain amount of hours training for the year!
4. Have fun and enjoy the journey to becoming fitter and healthier!

The Making of a Champion

Lance Armstrong said 'pain is temporary, quitting lasts forever'. Greg LeMond said 'it never gets easier, you just go faster'. Fausto Coppi, when asked by a reporter what it takes to become such a great champion said 'Ride your bike, ride your bike, ride your bike'... and the bottom line is they are all on the mark!

What does it take to be a winner, a champion, a strong competitor? What are the essential ingredients?

Lets begin with the first and possibly most important 'base' ingredients, GENETICS. This is the one factor you are simply born with and very little you can do to influence it, other than chose your parents carefully! Your VO2max and body type are predetermined. Sure you can tweak them, but a true champion generally hit the jackpot in the DNA department.

Next vital ingredient, DETERMINATION. Definition: Firmness of purpose; resoluteness. One of the most important predictors of success is determination, sheer willfulness, you must have it, at all costs! The will to pick yourself up when you don't win and try again. The dogged determination to achieve despite what others may say, or what obstacles you may come across along the way. The most successful athletes are those who have pushed through, regardless!

Ingredient number three, DISCIPLINE. This one is a no brainer. You can have the best genetics and the will to win but without the discipline to carry out the hard work it takes to get there, the sacrifices you have to make along the way, and the patience and persistence it is going to take to get there, you are dead in the water. You got to have a plan mapped out with steps to achieving your goals and the discipline to carry it out. The achievements you make in the process increase your ambition. With each step you gain confidence to stretch further next time.

Next up, BELIEF. Put simply if you don't believe you can achieve, you won't. Venus Williams said it, 'In my mind, I'm always the best. If I walk out on the court (and) I think the next person is better, I've already lost.' Athletes use visualization and see sports psychologists to work on this one basic important ingredient... belief in yourself. The most confident athlete, the one who believes he/ she is going to win, is most likely 100% correct!

Lastly you got to have GOAL/S. What is it you want to achieve? When, how and why?  No goal, no motivation! If you truly understand your motives and reasons, the motivation becomes apparent and the road forward becomes crystal clear!

In cycling.... and in life!

Women's Road Cycling in SA - where is it headed? Why would i recommend it?

To be quite honest, this question scares me! Why, because at the moment I do not see a huge future in the sport of 'women's' cycling. Firstly, the pool is way too small and does not seem to be getting any bigger, in fact, it is decreasing. Why is this? It a dangerous sport. There have been an abundance of fatal road accidents over the past few years that would make any parent cringe when seeing their child on a bicycle! The latest huge bunch pile up at the Argus involving the elite woman certainly does not help the cause! Secondly, there is a huge shortage of sponsors floating about. Cycling over the past few years generally has had a bad rap with all the drug  controversies surrounding international pro's, the Tour de France etc.

Sad since it is one of THE true blue sports (in my mind...). Its a sport that can challenge you from the physiological to the psychological. Its both a team and an individual sport. What could be more exhilarating than achieving 'your' given potential and finding 'your' limits. Its a true blue self discovery! Whether you end up winning races or beating/ striving to beat your PB. Its true... its a challenge... a personal challenge.

I diverse from the topic... let me get back to women's cycling. I have the privilege of having coached and coaching some of SA's best woman, and when i analyze their race and training data i am struck by just how dedicated these young woman are. They are mastering life skills. They are learning that rewards are earned through hard work and dedication. That good things come to those with perseverance, stamina and self belief. They learn about humiliation, delayed gratification, sacrifice and most of all they learn to believe in themselves. What a gift!

They learn about life whilst having fun on a bike. They fall and get back up. They live to fight another day. They win some, they lose some and most of all they enjoy the journey!

So yes, as a parent or a young girl/ woman i totally understand the fear of the sport. But... the upside is super special... its a journey to knowing yourself. WOW, what an opportunity! What a sport!