It's February 12th. Your first race is late February or early March. 2 hours on the trainer 5 days a week has turned into 3 hours, 3 days a week, with a build and 2 hard efforts. Doing power intervals last year, in late December/January, you were fast come March; it was brilliant. But now, between cutting calories and sticking to a training regiment you don't feel fast. Pulling the pace-line at 24mph against a crosswind yesterday was torture. It didn't hurt so much as you felt weak. Like there wasn't any gas in the tank. Lunch and a Cliff Bar 10 minutes before training, isn't going to erase the deficit you've been subjecting your body to for over 2 weeks. Power to weight. It's all about your power output in proportion to your body-weight. You lost 6 lbs in the past two weeks. That's what you wanted, right? Heck, you're not supposed to be fast in February; that is, if you want to be in May. Stick to the plan, cut weight, and detach emotionally from your pre-goal results. Simple as that. Tomorrow is 3 hours and 15 minutes in the saddle. Nice easy pace, 18 average, don't kick higher than 20. You can do that right? Just detach emotionally from your training. Your stomach grumbles; feel like you've got a food craving? Detach emotionally from your dieting. Long training hours killing your social life? Detach emotionally from that. Down? Detach emotionally. Tired? Detach. Sore? Detach. Grumpy? Detach. Happy? Detach. Horny? Detach. Manic? Detach. Depressive? Detach. Cold outside? Detach. Out of milk? Detach. Transmission a piece of crap? Detach. Missing? Detach. The? Detach. Summer? Detach. Sun? Detach.... Detach... detach.
You know what? They never said when you were supposed to reattach.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Unleaded, Premium Unleaded, and PB&J
There comes a time in every man's life when he has to take a good look in the mirror and say, "goddamn, fatass, you need to get on a diet." A week ago I did just that. I had put it off for as long as I possibly could, because hey, I like food. The revelation came when I took a look at my training schedule and realized that I wasn't losing any weight, even while riding 3 hours a day, on the trainer, 3 times a week with build days to boot.
I didn't jump off the deep end and start adhering to the Adkins diet, which we all know is suicide for an athlete, but rather began monitoring my caloric intake. Finding that I was eating nigh on 600-700 calories of cereal a sitting and downing Chipotle burritos at random intervals (near my complete daily calorie intake), I grabbed that puppy by the horns and wrestled it into submission. Now I carefully measure, weigh, and proportion 90% of my week's intake; never straying too far from 2,250 calories a day (3,000+ calories on base days).
The system of measuring and weighing almost every morsel I eat is working great. It mirrors the control that one has over their weekly training goals, if they write their training plan down on a monthly calendar. Why is monitoring calories so important? Well, for an athlete trying to reach a weight goal it helps them first put into perspective what they should be eating. After that, because you're staying within a limit of daily calories, one isn't so apt to over-eat, but rather eat moderate proportions spaced throughout the day and especially before exercise. What I have found is that having my finger on the pulse of my caloric intake has gotten me to be more thoughtful of my energy consumption. When filling up your car you don't put peanut butter and jelly sandwiches down the tank! So why would load up on too many simple sugars, fatty pizza, and the like at inopportune times? Instead I eat sugars when I need them (when I wake up and immediately before exercise), I eat complex sugars and fats hours before exercise, and I load protein after exercise. Get a measuring cup, a scale that measures in grams, and read the nutritional info on the box or look it up online. Smart.
I mentioned earlier the subject of planning your training schedule. This is extremely helpful. Not only for the benefits in terms of periodizing for target races, but also not allowing yourself to shy from what you should be doing. It is important to listen to your body (over fatigue, etc.). You will feel tired some days more than others, and if you don't have a plan you might pull up shorter in your training than you would have otherwise. I have all my weekly training planned until my first target event in May (collegiate nationals). If I hadn't I wouldn't be 100% sure that I'd be hitting my fitness and conditioning goals on time.
Committing to a good plan of action is the first step, next is being thoroughly educated on the subject, and finally; executing your plan of action. The first step is a mental one, and I have to admit, it is hard to find resolution until after your first race season. Until one knows what they are working for and why, it is extremely difficult to set higher level goals within the context of what they don't know. However, it is still possible with guidance. The second step is educating oneself (which I actually did before I ever found solid resolve, I just rode hard 99% of the time). Training Techniques for Cyclists is an absolute must for cyclists in categories 5-3. Ben Hewitt's book gives you all the information to start an excellent training program and an understanding of the exercises you will be performing. He also supplies solid nutritional advice and the information you need to start a diet plan. Joe Friel's Cyclist's Training Bible is the next step to understanding one's training and is extremely in-depth. Do not read the Cyclist's Training Bible before you read Training Techniques for Cyclists and have a good foundation for your training and diet! There are those of you out there that think riding the Tour de France as their first race would be a good idea, you are wrong, the training bible is too much for rookies to handle. You have been warned.
For those champing at the bit to get dieting:
Current body weight (lbs.) X 15 = daily caloric intake to maintain weight
+10 calories/minute for each minute spent training on the bike (A MUST)
-500 calories/day from above calculated number to lose 1lb. a week (3,500 calories = 1lb of fat)
My daily diet plan:
200lbs. X 15 = 3,000 calories
- 750 calories = 2,250 calories/day (cut 1.5lbs/week)
Training days: 2,250 calories
+ 10 X 180 minutes (1,800 calories) = 4,050 calories/day
I didn't jump off the deep end and start adhering to the Adkins diet, which we all know is suicide for an athlete, but rather began monitoring my caloric intake. Finding that I was eating nigh on 600-700 calories of cereal a sitting and downing Chipotle burritos at random intervals (near my complete daily calorie intake), I grabbed that puppy by the horns and wrestled it into submission. Now I carefully measure, weigh, and proportion 90% of my week's intake; never straying too far from 2,250 calories a day (3,000+ calories on base days).
The system of measuring and weighing almost every morsel I eat is working great. It mirrors the control that one has over their weekly training goals, if they write their training plan down on a monthly calendar. Why is monitoring calories so important? Well, for an athlete trying to reach a weight goal it helps them first put into perspective what they should be eating. After that, because you're staying within a limit of daily calories, one isn't so apt to over-eat, but rather eat moderate proportions spaced throughout the day and especially before exercise. What I have found is that having my finger on the pulse of my caloric intake has gotten me to be more thoughtful of my energy consumption. When filling up your car you don't put peanut butter and jelly sandwiches down the tank! So why would load up on too many simple sugars, fatty pizza, and the like at inopportune times? Instead I eat sugars when I need them (when I wake up and immediately before exercise), I eat complex sugars and fats hours before exercise, and I load protein after exercise. Get a measuring cup, a scale that measures in grams, and read the nutritional info on the box or look it up online. Smart.
I mentioned earlier the subject of planning your training schedule. This is extremely helpful. Not only for the benefits in terms of periodizing for target races, but also not allowing yourself to shy from what you should be doing. It is important to listen to your body (over fatigue, etc.). You will feel tired some days more than others, and if you don't have a plan you might pull up shorter in your training than you would have otherwise. I have all my weekly training planned until my first target event in May (collegiate nationals). If I hadn't I wouldn't be 100% sure that I'd be hitting my fitness and conditioning goals on time.
Committing to a good plan of action is the first step, next is being thoroughly educated on the subject, and finally; executing your plan of action. The first step is a mental one, and I have to admit, it is hard to find resolution until after your first race season. Until one knows what they are working for and why, it is extremely difficult to set higher level goals within the context of what they don't know. However, it is still possible with guidance. The second step is educating oneself (which I actually did before I ever found solid resolve, I just rode hard 99% of the time). Training Techniques for Cyclists is an absolute must for cyclists in categories 5-3. Ben Hewitt's book gives you all the information to start an excellent training program and an understanding of the exercises you will be performing. He also supplies solid nutritional advice and the information you need to start a diet plan. Joe Friel's Cyclist's Training Bible is the next step to understanding one's training and is extremely in-depth. Do not read the Cyclist's Training Bible before you read Training Techniques for Cyclists and have a good foundation for your training and diet! There are those of you out there that think riding the Tour de France as their first race would be a good idea, you are wrong, the training bible is too much for rookies to handle. You have been warned.
For those champing at the bit to get dieting:
Current body weight (lbs.) X 15 = daily caloric intake to maintain weight
+10 calories/minute for each minute spent training on the bike (A MUST)
-500 calories/day from above calculated number to lose 1lb. a week (3,500 calories = 1lb of fat)
My daily diet plan:
200lbs. X 15 = 3,000 calories
- 750 calories = 2,250 calories/day (cut 1.5lbs/week)
Training days: 2,250 calories
+ 10 X 180 minutes (1,800 calories) = 4,050 calories/day
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