On the training front

Many folks outside of the cycling world don't quite understand that in order to prepare for the NEXT year of bicycle racing the preparation for it begins several months in advance. A common term associated with this is "base training". The common analogy I like to use is that you wouldn't start building the biggest, baddest, sturdiest home without first laying a foundation built to last forever. So that in a nutshell is what's going on with me.

I've continued with Ken for coaching services. I believe in his plan and I really enjoy working with him. The plan was to kick back up in October with the strength work and base building routine...getting miles in. One interesting thing about sticking with the same coach from year to year is that I get to see the improvements year over year at specifics points now. The philosophy, plan and approach is consistent, so gauging where I am at now compared to last year is pretty motivating.

The one big change going into this off-season was the addition of Powercranks (PC's). Needless to say, I've spent a lot of time riding my bike setup with the Powercranks. My time hasn't been focused exclusively on riding the PC's either. I'm still sprinkling in rides on the regular cranks (lots of force work) along with time on the Time Trial bike. It's a good mix to keep things fresh. I know there are many naysayers out there regarding the use of PC's, but from a personal perspective, I have never felt as strong on the bike at this point in the year as ever before. Is it due to the influence of the PC's? I don't know. But to this day, I've yet to meet anyone that trains with them that isn't FAST. Time will tell, but so far so good.

I recently picked up a Kindle and ordered a book titled, "The Rider" by Tim Krabbe. It's awesome! If you are racer, you HAVE to read this book. It's beautifully written and filled with wonderful monologues throughout the book. They really hit home. Highly entertaining. I couldn't stop reading it.

We're gearing up for the Christmas holiday at the homestead. Hope I don't put on 10 pounds! Damn, it sure goes on faster than it comes off.