Congratulations to all the STC clients who performed at last night's Carolina Time Trial Series.   You all did an outstanding job as you each work towards your individual goals!  We had good weather conditions for a change which was great!

 My daughter, Hailey, and husband, Steve, enjoyed riding our mountain bike with baby seat around the facility while everyone was warming up.  Hope they said hello to you.  Hailey can't wait to join everyone on the track!!!

Enjoy all the great rides that are available this weekend!  Be safe on the road!

Importance of Base Training

Base training is a vital part of a cyclist’s training.  It is often the least favored because it requires a lot of time spent at lower intensity training levels.  A cyclist is often fearful that if they are not going as fast as possible and pushing the envelope during training, then they will not get faster.  However, the reverse is true, the cyclist must first go slow in order to get fast.  If a cyclist does not have a training plan with an adequate amount of time devoted to base training, then he/she will not have a strong enough foundation to reach the upper levels of fitness required to reach his/her full potential as a cyclist.  There will be a point at which the cyclist is not able to ride any faster or longer thus resulting in less than optimal performance and race finishes.  He/she will be limited by base fitness elements such as endurance, strength, efficiency or advanced fitness elements such as strength endurance, anaerobic endurance or power.  These advanced elements are dependent upon the base elements.  If the base elements do not have a strong foundation there will always be some factor holding you back prohibiting you from reaching your full potential for the season.

This base training has many positive benefits for the cyclist including:

b    Teaching the body to utilize fat as an energy source to spare carbohydrate use until it is absolutely necessary i.e. bridging a gap, climbing a hill, breaking away or sprinting to the finish

b    Increase the body’s efficiency at storing carbohydrates as glycogen

b    Increase the body’s ability to ride longer and stronger 

b    Increase flow of oxygenated blood to the muscles by increasing the amount of blood the heart is able to pump out each beat.  This is seen in a lower resting heart rate

b    Increases the number of capillaries to working muscles which then moves more blood to the muscles and removes energy metabolism by-products from the muscles

b    Build higher levels of aerobic enzymes to allow for energy sources to be converted to fuel aerobically

b    Improved ability to process metabolic by-products such as lactate.  This means that a cyclist is able to ride longer because there is less build up of by-products in the blood which eventually slows a rider down or forces them to stop

b    Teaches the mitochondria (energy powerhouses in muscle) to increase in size and number

b    Increases the body’s ability to use fat more efficiently for energy production

b    Increases actual blood volume

b    Teach muscles to activate more muscle fibers per contraction and generate more force per pedal stroke

b    Teach muscles to contract more efficiently thus reducing the amount of energy required to ride the bike

It is important to have a fitness test, such as a submaximal VO₂ test or sustained endurance field test, to determine your limiters, estimate thresholds and establish training zones.  Once these factors are known, a planned systematic training plan can be designed to slowly and progressively build a cyclist’s base fitness thus helping him/her to reach their cycling goals.

Each training plan will be different dependent upon a cyclist’s individual goals, their training history, medical history, age, time to devote to training and mental and physical limiters.  A time trialist and a sprinter will each have very different training plans.  Each discipline has unique traits which much be practiced in order to master.  A good coach will be to analyze and incorporate these into a custom plan built to suite the individual cyclist’s needs.  The coach should then monitor the cyclist frequently during training to make necessary adjustments in order to improve upon the cyclist’s personal weaknesses and strengths.

“Core Stability” has become a hot topic with improved athletic performance.  Its importance in the rehabilitation arena has long been known to help treat low back pain.  However, cyclists need to be more aware of this training tool to help them improve their performance while minimizing risk of injury.   

A strong core (abdominal, back, and hip muscles) is the foundation for successful cycling activity.  Without a strong core the legs are unable to generate maximal power output from the legs to the pedals, especially during sprinting and climbing activities.  Low back pain often occurs during long rides in cyclists with weak core muscles.  The muscles lack the strength and endurance to maintain position  in the drops for long periods of time.  A proper core stabilization/strengthening program improves a cyclist’s balance, stability, muscular control, and pedaling efficiency thus enabling him/her to improve performance while minimizing the risk of injury.   

The typical cyclist’s training regime involves long hours on the bike.  In order for a core program to be successful, it does not need to consume a lot of training time, nor does it need to be performed on expensive complicated equipment.  Maximum time to complete the exercise routine is approximately 30 minutes.  Basic tools needed include: a floor mat, stability ball, dumbbell or weighted medicine ball. 

Core workouts should be incorporated into a cyclist’s training program a minimum of 1-2 sessions per week, with a maximum of three sessions per week.  Progression is very important to the program.  Never sacrifice proper technique for more repetitions, always stress quality over quantity.  If the cyclist has not mastered the basics he/she should not move on to more complicated exercises, no benefit will be obtained by doing so.   

When beginning, the cyclist must be able to maintain a neutral spine position.  To find this position, lay on your back with knees bent focus on “drawing in” your navel to your spine.  Your abdominal and low back muscles should co-contract to neutralize your pelvis and spine.  This technique takes some time to master but is vital to correct exercise mechanics.  Once you have mastered this technique, progressively more advanced exercises can be added to improve your core strength and stability. 

As with any training technique consistency will be key to success.  Keep a training log of the exercises you perform to track your progress over time and measure your successes.  Remember to always consult your physician prior to beginning any new exercise program.  This will ensure your safety.  If you have questions on how to correctly set up a core strengthening plan consult with a nationally certified professional to help get you on the path to improved performance.