article crossposted from www.xtri.com…

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Last month I wrote an article outlining a fairly simplistic, moderate workout schedule for indoor cycling. It was motivated by the sight of snow falling outside my window and the realization that my training was fairly limited. Since then, the daylight hours have increased, daylight savings has added an hour of afternoon daylight in North America, and Boulder (and much of the U.S.) has been experiencing exceptionally warm temperatures. It appears as if it’s time to ride again.

March is a popular time for cycling/triathlon training camps. Folks are headed all over the country (and even world) in search of opportunities to grind out some miles and get the feeling of being fit again. However, in reality, you do not need a fancy location to ride lots; all you need is time. If you have time, you can put in the big miles right out of your front door.

Here are some tips to help you successfully insert a cycling overload into your plan.

First of all, don’t get overly concerned with the actual structure of each day aside from making a decision on what days are designed for recovery. If you are using one seven-day cycle (commonly referred to as a ‘week’) then I like to do: two days on, one day off; three days on, one day off. If you have more time to train I suggest using the 2/1 approach throughout the cycle. It might be tempting to do more, but you will keep the quality of your riding up by allowing periodic rest days.

Here in Boulder we have a nice mixture of flat terrain to the east and mountains to the west. When I do 2/1 cycles, I start with a flat steady-state ride on day one and follow it up with long extended climbs on day two. This allows the terrain to challenge me on day two (when I’m starting get tired) without having to think too much about it. However, you do not need to live near the mountains to have similar challenges. It just means that you will have to focus your efforts on day two so that you do not fall into aimlessly spinning out miles (what I call “touring” as opposed to “training”).

What about swimming and running?

I personally believe that you should maintain your normal frequency with both sports, but allow your volume and intensity to be focused on the bike. I tend to almost always swim and run before I do any riding so that I avoid skipping sessions because of late-day fatigue. I finish my easy frequency sessions first, then ride to my heart’s content for the rest of the day.

How much recovery do I need afterwards?

That is going to vary depending on what awaits you when you finish your training camp. If you have a lot of obligations following the training camp (particularly with work) then I would be very flexible for the entire week that follows. If you can be proactive with your recovery needs, then allowing 3-5 days should be sufficient. One of the reasons I suggest using the 2/1 cycle is to avoid extended recovery following the camp. You want this cycling overload to build you up; not break you down.

Now get out the door and ride.

I did a podcast with Roman at Everymantri.com last Friday.

You can find it here.

Thanks for the interview.

-jd

I recently compiled a list of airline fees for flying with bikes when I was sending an email out today. I thought I would repost here for anyone that doesn’t regularly travel.

UNITED AIRLINES

15.00 for first bag
25.00 for second bag
175.00 for bike case
125.00 (additional) for each bag over 50 lbs

AMERICAN AIRLINES

15.00 for first bag
25.00 for second bag
150.00 for bike case
50.00 (additional) for each bag over 50 lbs

NORTHWEST AIRLINES

15.00 for first bag
25.00 for second bag
175.00 for bike case
90.00 (additional) for each bag over 50 lbs

DELTA AIRLINES

15.00 for first bag
25.00 for second bag
175.00 for bike case
90.00 (additional) for each bag over 50 lbs

CONTINENTAL AIRLINES

15.00 for first bag
25.00 for second bag
100.00 for bike case
100.00 (additional) for each bag over 50 lbs

US AIRWAYS

15.00 for first bag
25.00 for second bag
100.00 for bike case
50.00 (additional) for each bag over 50 lbs

FRONTIER AIRLINES

15.00 for first bag
25.00 for second bag
75.00 for bike case
75.00 (additional) for each bag over 50 lbs

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES

no fee for first and second bag
50.00 for bike case
25.00 (additional) for bags weighing 50-70 lbs
50.00 (additional) for bags over 70 lbs

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If it seems like Southwest is substantially cheaper than everyone else, its because they are.

Happy travels,

jd

The Arnold Sports Festival has come and gone and it was quite an experience. I had yet to attend the Arnold for EAS in past years, but I made a point to be there this year. The Festival itself is a consumer show for nutrition/fitness/sport companies combined with Athletic events including Bodybuilding, Strongman, Gymnastics, Power lifting, MMA, UFC, etc. While it is a consumer show; I also see it as a trade show as all the big guns in the fitness/nutrition are launching and pushing new products.

EAS was introducing an additional Myoplex lined called “Myoplex Strength” that has different ratio of carbs:protein. I was pretty happy to see this as I think its better suited for endurance recovery needs. In the past I have combined the normal Myoplex blend with Rice Milk, but it appears that won’t be necessary any more.

The EAS expo itself was quite impressive. It was put on by the same company that manages my website: the o2 Group. They had a basketball court (half court) surrounded by bleachers on either side with jumbotrons bordering the celing all the way around. The MC from the Pro Beach Volley Ball tour was on hand to run the show and he kept the folks at the expo really into things.

EAS had JD (me), Mark Weir (MTN Bike), Jen Perez (triathlon), Brady Quinn (QB for Cleveland Browns), and Matt Hasselbeck (QB for Seattle Seahawks) on hand for appearances on each day of the event (Friday, Saturday and Sunday). Dick Butkus was also there on Friday with his son promoting their project, I Play Clean ; a nonprofit organization promoting steroid-free youth athletics.

Each day we showed up and did an interview and Q+A with the crowd. Following that, we would do various competitions with members from the crowd that resulted in cash, schwag and product giveaways.

It was definitely a unique experience to interact with a different crowd and atmosphere like this. I’m happy to have been aligned with EAS for the past four years and its exciting to see their future on the endurance side of things (as well as their continued success otherwise).

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I’m now in Houston getting ready to speak to the Houston Triathlon Club. The evening will include a brief chat about my own training and racing, a chat about putting together a successful season, and an interactive session of Q+A for as long as people have questions.

Then its one more day of visiting some friends and family before heading home to Boulder on Wednesday morning.

cheers,

jd

Its been a slow crawl back on the training wagon, but I’m finally getting moving again. I got pushed out the door after getting a bike fit from the folks at Retul. They made some changes to my seat height and my right cleat and then asked that I go out on a few rides to see how it felt. Since I had done zero rides in up to that point it was a bit of a bold request. After going out on a few test rides I actually found myself training again (I had been swimming and running; just not riding) so I figured I’d just roll with it.

I was very appreciative of the help the folks at Reul provided for me and I would suggest using their system for anyone that wants a formal fit.

Christmas Fit.

Joe Friel often uses this term when he speaks about athletes that are rocking the house in the offseason. Suggesting the need for an offseason (and a break from being fit) is pretty much the genereal consensus that most coaches/experts suggest (the length of time and structure might vary amongst those folks). However, after taking a pretty solid break (3 weeks OFF, five off the bike, and two more weeks very easy) I can see the temptation to stay fit. Nevertheless, the time off gave me the chance to catch up on a lot of things after being gone from home for ten weeks.

However, I’m going to have to leave again because of a couple things:

This coming weekend I will be attending the Arnold Classic in Columbus, Ohio on behalf on EAS. I’m not exactly sure what I will be doing there just yet, but I’m looking forward to it at any rate.

After the weekend trip I will be in Houston, Texas speaking to the Houston Racing Triathlon Club on March 9th about how to put together an effective training program (as well as a really informal Q+A about anything that interests the folks attending). If you all happen to be in the area please stop by and check it out; its free.

You can get more info here.

All for now,

jd