langkjøring

Sick

2007-01-10T10:31:00.000-06:00

It had to happen, I guess. On Monday I came down with a nasty cold and my only exertion have been the crawl between the bed and the couch. It looks like it's loosing it's grip though, so I hope I can start back up again on Friday.

Of course, as always after periods of illness, I have to start nice and slow - let the body ease into it again and prevent a relapse. Naturally I had to make some changes to my training this month, but in the end it shouldn't make all that much of a difference.

I had a very good period of training leading up to this period of sickness, so I needed a few easy days anyways. In the end, this might have been a good thing.

Happy New Year!

2007-01-01T09:50:00.000-06:00

Well, that's a wrap.

December ended up being a super month, with regards to training. The quality and volume both ended up as planned, with the body feeling good. Slightly run-down, but I feel I'm balancing it all fairly well still.

As for January - more of the same. Much more.... Most likely my highest volume month, with 4 high intensity sessions per week (2 I-3, 1 I-4 and 1 I-5). The first two weeks of January will be very hard, so I've got a mixed outlook on the next 12-14 days or so. Sort of a mix between excitement and dread. The 3rd week is fairly easy, to absorb the previous training, while the 4th week is pretty normal.

Hope everyone had a great 2006 and ready to rock in 2007. As always - GI GASS!

November wrap-up, December outlook

2006-12-07T10:38:00.000-06:00

So we are moving closer and closer to Christmas. Anyone feeling the stress yet?

November ended up being a fairly successful month, all things considered. Despite losing about 1 week due to illness early in the month, I managed to get in 3 weeks of good volume and some fairly decent interval sessions. The only thing that I logged in the "con" column in November was the lack of intervals. I didn't manage to complete the planned amount of intervals, but being so early in the season - I'm not panicking.

I'm done with the first week of December already, and things are going excellent. December and January are critical months in my season prep and staying healthy becomes more important than ever. Both months will be high volume with about 4 interval sessions a week. I have planned 2 I-3 sessions, 1 I-4 distance session and 1 I-5 session per week for the month of December. The rest of the training is 2-5 hour rides, mostly done in the I-1 and I-2 zones.

I have, as always, 1 mandatory rest day per week, with an additional rest day that I will take, if I feel excessively run-down. Towards the end of December I have about 3 additional rest / recovery days planned, to let my body absorb the training.

One positive "surprise" this year is that I'm recovering much faster than last year. This has allowed me to increase volume effectively.

As always, happy training everyone!

October review, November plan

2006-11-08T11:36:00.000-06:00

Well, better late than never. :)

October turned out to be a great training month. I was able to execute everything as planned, while maintaining some extra energy. The "important" sessions (I-3 and I-4) all got a 1. Rating in my log.

The plan for November was to build on the gains realized in October. Still a heavy emphasis on threshold intervals (I-3) and 1 I-4 distance session a week (25 minute). In other words, I've got 3 interval sessions scheduled a week this month, 2 I-3 and 1-4. This will allow me to build threshold ability, while maintaining and moving AT with the I-4 session.

The rest of the sessions are I-1 and I-2 sessions, giving a total amount of hours for November around 70-75. So, still a gentle, slow but steady build. The periodization is a steady increase in weekly hours and training load for the first 3 weeks, with a recovery week at the end. In addition to the bike specific training, I also have 3 core strength sessions planned a week, as usual.

So, that was the plan. But, like all great plans..... You know how it goes. As the first of November rolled around, so did a nasty cold. I only trained 10 hours in the first week of November and as a result I'm far behind my plan. I'm not panicking, but I'm certainly not happy either. I tend to get pretty "grumpy" when I can't train as planned.

I haven't trained since Sunday and will take today and tomorrow off. Hopefully I'll be back in shape by Friday, so that I can start back up. I tweaked my monthly plan and as a result, I will still reach my planned volume for the month, but I will lose 3 quality sessions (2 I-3 intervals and 1 I-4 sessions). Hopefully this is the first and last sick period this season. I take fairly extreme precautions, but somehow those little germs must have slipped by my defenses. :)

As always - GI GASS!!!!!!

Recommended books

2006-10-04T13:20:00.000-05:00

I've just finished Pete Vordenberg's "Momentum - Chasing the Olympic Dream". Some of you might remember Vordenberg as a US world-cup skier and he's currently in charge of the US Cross Country Ski Team. Well written and very interesting book.

I started to read Brad Gilbert's "I've got your back" and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. Gilbert is probably most remembered as Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick's very successful coach.

Apart from that, I'm on day 4 of my 2007 season and things are going well. Hope you are all getting out there and putting in the miles.

Training zones explained

2006-09-28T13:30:00.000-05:00

As requested, here is a quick explanation of my training zones:

I-1 - 45-60% of max VO2, 60-72% of max HR, 0.8-1.5 lactate levels

I-2 - 65-80% of max VO2, 72-82% of max HR, 1.5-2.5 lactate levels

I-3 - 80-87% of max VO2, 82-87% of max HR, 2.5-4.0 lactate levels

I-4 - 87-94% of max VO2, 87-92% of max HR, 4.o-6.0 lactate levels

I-5 - 94-100% of max VO2, 94-100% of max HR, 6.0-10.0 lactate levels

October - Month 1, 2007

2006-09-26T13:12:00.000-05:00

Periodic goal - Maintain energy, have fun. Stay healthy and focused. Maintain quality and mental tasks during training.

I have 9 high intensity sessions planned for this month. 7 of them are threshold (I-3) sessions, while 2 are distance sessions (16km TT - I-4).

Each week has 1 rest-day planned, but as always - listening to my body is nr. 1 priority. If I need more rest, I'll simply take it.

Each week also has 3 core-strength sessions, as I described recently in an earlier posting. Other than that, I've got easy, I-1 rides scheduled. Total monthly training load is just over 60 hours.

Wiggins

2006-09-24T15:35:00.000-05:00

Brad W. speaks out - http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2006/sep06/sep25news2

Right on, man! Well said.

Random thoughts

2006-09-21T13:10:00.000-05:00

As promised, I will give a detailed description of my training plan, month by month, in the run-up to the 2007 season. Next week I will post my plan for the month of October, which is the first month of preparation for me.

On the year as a whole, I have started to evaluate the now dwindling season. What worked in terms of training? What didn't work? What do I need to focus on for next year?

Well, lets start with what didn't work so well in the 2006 season - as some of you might remember, I incorporated quite a bit of max strength training this year, hoping that it would improve efficiency. In fact, it might have improved efficiency, but I felt that I was sacrificing recovery time. In other words, the amount of time I was spending lifting affected my time and energy available for specific training on the bike. So, as a whole, the strength training was a bad choice on my part. Needless to say, I will not be doing any max strength training in the gym this year. This will free up time, and more importantly energy, for specific training on the bike. If I do some strength training, it will be Obree-style on the fixed gear.

Moving on, as a whole I probably did about 15-20 percent high intensity training (I-3 to I-5), with the brunt of that closer to the beginning of the season. This year I will be increasing the amount of high intensity training and decreasing volume a little bit. In other words, training the engine will be more of a focus area. I plan to do lots of I-3 training (threshold), simply because it is very easy to recover from and the trend in most endurance sports is just that. More and more time spent with I-3 training. Of course - there will also be quite a bit of I-4 and I-5 training, but that will come later (November through April).

I will also change my periodization slightly. Starting in November, I will have a capacity period of 6-12 days of very hard training (exclusively high intensity, I-4 to I-5) every 4-5 weeks. These periods will be very, very tough, but should give a good boost of performance. As always, it becomes extremely important to listen to the body during these periods. Knowing when to push and when to rest becomes vital. One of the overriding goals will be to stay healthy the whole year.

In a nutshell, from November through April, I will have two normal weeks followed by a very hard period, which in turn is followed by an easy week. Simple and basic, but very effective in terms of development. As always, the most important week is the easy week.

Quality, quality, quality. This will be my motto in 2007. Everything that I do needs to have top quality. All training, including the easy rides, food, rest, sleep, mental focus - nothing will be done without top quality.

Flexibility - I did some good work on that in 2006 and will certainly continue that next year. This is almost a daily thing, except after hard sessions. I have seen good results from it, since I can now produce more power in a more aerodynamic (lower) position.

Core strength - Another good area from 2006, which will be continued next year. Basically, I will do 3 sessions a week, year round. Each session lasts about 40 minutes, excluding warm-up, so it's fast and easy.

So, what about the future? Well, in the grand-scheme of things, the main goal still exists - I will be in the top 5 in the world by 2010 - 2011. That's a big goal, and every day, month and year is a small step towards that goal. On paper, it's pretty simple - to reach the top I need to be able to maintain 50-53 km/h for a 1 hour effort in the TT, for example. Each season, I need to take small steps towards the increase in performance. With proper training, each day, it is a realistic, but gutsy, goal.

As an interesting side-note, I have been experimenting with the 4000 m pursuit in training this year, and it turns out that I have some potential in this event. With very little training for this event, I have been posting some pretty fast times and I might be aiming for riding some world cups in this event in the future. With some small changes in equipment, position and specific training - I might be looking at doing a double (track and road), if possible.

Nurturing a cold

2006-09-09T11:46:00.000-05:00

Well, looks like I've got the standard end-of-season infection. Not a big crisis really, my head is almost entirely focused on the upcoming season. I will start preparing for it on October 1st, although that month will be relatively slow and easy. Trying to recharge mental batteries. I will post my training plan and goals for each month of season prep this year, so if you are interested - stop by towards the end of September to find out what I'm going to be doing in October.

A great loss

2006-09-04T09:39:00.000-05:00

Rest in peace, Steve Irwin. The world has lost a great animal conservationist. A sad day indeed.

True or false

2006-09-01T13:09:00.000-05:00

Ever notice how the shoulders and upper body starts to rock on some riders, when they start fatiguing during a time trial?

Well, could this be caused by poor / weak core strength? With a strong, stabilizing core - it gives the lower body a stable and rigid force to push against. Even after fatigue. True or false?

One of those days

2006-08-28T11:58:00.000-05:00

Woke up this morning and before looking out of the window, I knew what was waiting out there for me... Lots and lots of cold rain. The weekly plan said 15 minutes of threshold intervals, repeated 5 times (15m x 5). I have to admit, it was really hard to force myself out there today.

After a longer than usual breakfast and, as my wife remarked, a very slow "pre-training" ritual - I finally got out there. The warm-up wasn't great, the start is always the worst in these conditions. But, as I started the first interval, I couldn't help smiling. Why? Because I knew this was going to be one of those days where my legs felt incredible. The whole session was absolutely great and the smile never disappeared.

It just goes to show - it's never as bad as you think it is. And hey, the coffee afterwards tastes so much better after a good, quality session like this. This one went into the training log under 1.

Tufte

2006-08-24T12:59:00.000-05:00

Olaf Tufte from Norway qualified himself for the World Championship final in rowing today, even with some traces of illness in his system. Good luck in the final this weekend, Olaf!

GI GASS!!

For the ones that are familiar with the extremely fascinating sport of rowing, you know that top international rowers train more than any other athletes across the board and Olaf takes that to new extremes. Maybe that's why he's one of the best in the world?

Get well and go get them, my man!

GI GASS!!!!!!!!!!!

2006-08-21T17:30:00.000-05:00

Small changes - great improvements

2006-08-19T12:40:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking and critically evaluating my time trial position lately and yesterday I did a lab-test on my position. We evaluated power, technique and efficiency. I wanted to confirm my suspicion that my seat-height was too low.

You might be surprised to hear that the majority of pro cyclists never have any professional fitting done to their race bikes. Most of us probably do just what you do. But after spending a day in the lab yesterday, I can highly recommend spending the extra money on a professional fit.

The reason I suspected my position was off, is that after taking a closer look at my pedaling technique when I time-trial, I have discovered that I pedal slightly toes down. This has in effect "extended" my effective leg-length and since I had been using the generic measurements for determining seat-height, my numbers were off. This nicely illustrates why generic formulas only get you in the ball-park, you also need to take a look at individual differences.

So, this all resulted in raising the seat 1.3 centimeters. Muscles produce more power the longer they are allowed to extend, so not surprisingly my power numbers improved quite substantially.

Eager to test the actual results in the field, I ran through my 16 km TT course today and improved with almost 30 seconds. Needless to say, I'm giddy like a school-girl.

Mystical

2006-08-18T15:23:00.000-05:00

I had a great late-morning training ride. Although it didn't start out as anything special, considering I got rained on for the first 30-40 miles or so, it soon changed. As i started entering one of the oldest forests in my area and the road narrows and snakes through the valleys and ridges, the mist was thick and although the rain was gone - the patches of fog remained. As i rode along, i was climbing in and out of these small areas of mist and fog, giving the forest a very mythical and fairly-tale like appearance.

I wished i had brought my camera, and had the ability to take great pictures, because this ride was one of those that sticks with you all day long. These conditions endured for the next 20 miles and i was totally lost in the scenery. On days like this, i thank the high heavens for the opportunity to do what i do. I wouldn't trade a day like this for anything, it is what makes it all worth it.

Future

2006-08-16T13:29:00.000-05:00

Well, after much thinking, considering and discussing - it looks like I'm going to make the leap and start a leadership and coaching education at a very reputable European university. Now, this does not in any way mean that I'm going to abandon my racing career. Not at all.

This program is uniquely created for, and only available to, top-level athletes. It follows a very laid-back 50% study-load, mostly long-distance learning supplemented with a few camps. Following the recommended timeline, I should be done in about 3.5 years. I'm interested in starting this, simply because I would like to share some of my experiences and be involved with training the new generation of athletes, once my own cycling career is over.

This has all be cleared with my team, sponsors and it will in no way conflict with my overall career goals. Most of the courses will be very familiar topics and mostly just organizing my experiences and put my own "touch" on some of the theories. The course starts fall 2007 and the group of athletes look very interesting. We will be about 20 students, consisting of a mix between riders, track and field and cross country skiers.

So, for the people that know me, your worst fear has become reality - I will be in a position to taint the minds and bodies of our future stars. :)

Bonsai

2006-08-14T12:56:00.000-05:00

Winners are not created overnight. In fact, in endurance sports such as cycling, it takes years, even decades. Expecting that changes should happen any faster usually leads to either mental burnout and giving up, or the so-called "overtraining" scenario.

It is crucial that you stay goal oriented and measure progress in relation to yourself and not your competitors. Any energy spent on measuring yourself with other riders is a waste of time and is energy that could have been spent developing your own skills.

Create a list over your work tasks; items that you need to accomplish during training and competing. The items need to be things that you control, not your finishing time in a TT or a placing in a mass start. Every time you train and race, rate your execution of these tasks on a scale. 1 - all the tasks where executed 100%, 2 - 75% execution, 3 - 50% execution.

Use this scale on competitions and quality training sessions (intervals / distance training). As preparation for a season, I can fairly accurately determine how well my season prep as been by counting the number of sessions rated 1. If most of the quality sessions have been assigned 1, I know my preparations have been good. If I look back and see lots of 2s and 3s, I've got a problem that needs attention. This provides a great evaluation tool.

Keep in mind that not only is it important to have quality during training and racing, it is even more important to ensure proper quality of your recovery. Without adequate recovery, that training you are putting in is only making you weaker. Consider your total training load, including work, school, personal life etc. These factors all influence your recovery rate, which in turn decides how much training you can put it.

The challenge for a full-time athlete is to reduce all "unnecessary" loads, in order to maximize training loads and proper recovery. If you are working / in school you cannot train as much, but the principal still applies.

Adventures

2006-08-10T13:44:00.000-05:00

As always, I'm looking for new adventures and new places to push my limits. Since the season is slowly drawing towards an end, it's time to start looking for a new off-season challenge. My requirements are simple; the "event" has to build fitness towards the new season and most importantly, it has to put me outside of my comfort zone and challenge me mentally as well as physically.

So, I've started to develop a short-list and thought I'd present it here to hear if anyone has any recommendations. Without further due, here it is:

1. Mt. Blanc. It's the highest mountain in Europe and a fairly easy, non-technical climb. Maybe too easy, in fact. The mountain is climbed by thousands every summer and the record is a little over 5 hours round-trip from Chamonix. With a bit of acclimization to the high elevations, it could at least prove to be a good 1 day training effort.

2. Mera Peak. This is a 6500m high peak in Nepal. It's one of the highest, non-technical climbs in the Himalayas. This is certainly more challenging than Mt. Blanc, mostly due to the longer trek up the Hinku valley. This climb would most likely take 15-20 days, including the trek up the valley and some time for acclimization.

3. And finally, crossing Greenland on skis. Much more of a flat adventure, but being exposed to the Arctic weather would surly create a challenge. The length is about 600km and would most likely take around 18 days to complete.

One step at a time

2006-08-06T12:30:00.000-05:00

Slowly, but surely, my form is starting to build it's way back up after my slow period in July. With a mix of longer, relatively easy rides and some harder efforts, my body seems to be responding fairly well and I'm getting stronger every week. I've still got 5-6 important races left on the calendar, along with a handful of races where I'm a proud bottle carrier.

On the topic of training, I would really like to stress the importance of finding out what works best for you. If you have spent a little bit of time researching training methodology, you know that there is a ton of well-meaning advice out there, but it may not all work for you.

We are all a bit different, both in genetic make-up and more importantly, training background. So, some riders may respond very well to lots of high intensity training while others progress more with longer, easier sessions and a few hard efforts. How do you find out what works for you? Experiment. Don't be afraid to try out various things.

It's important that you have the guts to do something, even if there is a possibility for failure. Playing it safe all the time will not give the results you want. You have to have a "killer" mentality to certain degree, both in training and racing.

Dare to train hard, harder than you have before. Next time you do a TT, go out harder than you have - test your boundaries, find out what is too hard. If you haven't blown-up in a TT, chances are you are racing below your potential.

Pain

2006-08-02T14:23:00.000-05:00

We're a group of riders, on various teams, that meet up on a fairly regular basis to blow out some gunk through a short, 20k TT course. It is a fairly flat, non-technical "out-and-back" type that usually posts some fast times. It serves a few purposes, but mainly it's a great field-test of performance and equipment. This course has been used by riders in this area for years and years, so there is a of "history" in it.

Such a course really requires a full-out effort and is, in that respect, easy to pace. It hurts like heck, but is not very challenging in other aspects. It's easy to find and maintain your rhythm and just "go with the flow". I'm a firm believer in this type of training, since it teaches correct pacing and develops a feel for how hard you can go. As long as the course is short enough, you recover quickly from it and therefore you can safely do it at least once a week. Combined with traditional interval training, you will build a good capacity.

At a less frequent interval I run through a longer, 50K course. It's rolling and exposed and a great challenge. Since it requires longer recovery times I might only run through it once a month. As for a training effect, it's not much more effective than the 20k course - but it helps as a performance gauge.

TT

2006-07-31T12:32:00.000-05:00

When I time-trial, I have 3 things that I always focus on and think about. I constantly try and evaluate these 3 things and try to improve on them constantly. They are: 1. Pacing. I train with HRM and power, but I race "in the dark". I'm always listening and feeling my body, trying to evaluate if I'm going hard enough, but not too hard. This skill will develop as you do more and more TTs.

2. Technique. I try to relax and keep my upper body as still as possible. Little or no head movements, TT helmet flat and touching my back. Correct cadence.

3. Mental toughness. Focus on work tasks. Concentrate. And most importantly - being able to be tough and hard towards yourself. TTs will hurt, period. This becomes especially important during the last 5-6km and races are usually won here. From 5k in it's an all-out, nothing held back, effort. This is going to hurt and the winner is often the one that can dole out the most hurt.

All I do during a TT is focus on these 3 tasks. Simplicity is important, just go through them over and over again. When I evaluate my performance after an effort, I evaluate it based on these 3 items, NOT my placing. Placing is irrelevant at this point.

Wishes

2006-07-31T11:56:00.000-05:00

What do we wish for in athletes? Often what goes on between your ears is just as important for performance, as what you have in your legs.

I've listed some focus points that I try to reach for and I hope that you will also find something useful here:

1. Being able to handle, and grow, while under pressure. "Rise to the occasion".

2. Realize that you go through both ups AND downs as an athlete. Often, how we handle the downs is vital for success later on.

3. Being "best when it matters". Match top performance with top event.

4. Be brave.

5. Be creative.

6. Fair Play. Have good role-models. Be a good citizen.

7. Live a good life outside of riding and after putting the bike away. Seek mental recovery as well as physical recovery.

8. What does it mean to succeed? Winning the national championship? Winning the World Championship? Olympic Gold? Or is it growth and development as a human being?

9. The most important goal is to create motivation and happiness.

10. Try to be motivated by happiness. The goal is to reach the "zone". If you are motivated by happiness you will find joy even during trivial training. And that is when development really starts happening.

11. There are 2 perspectives on motivation, performance oriented and goal oriented.

12. The performance oriented person compares himself with other people, is very focused on being the best, usually thinks talent is genetic, finds winning to be the number 1 thing, gets bored easily and is more likely to cheat.

13. The goal oriented person has himself as a reference point, is focused on doing his best and developing his own skills, shows great patience and thinks competing is fun if he accomplishes his work tasks; regardless of placing.

14. Perfection - never accept anything less. Always strive for perfection during your work tasks when you train and compete.

15. Compete primarily with yourself and not your competitors. Try to improve all the time, also during competitions. Focus on work tasks, NOT placement. In other words - you might win and be disappointed because you didn't accomplish your work tasks to the quality you desired. You may also end of in 20th place and be happy because you did all the tasks to perfection.

16. If you are a performance oriented athlete you probably tend to choose either extremely easy tasks or extremely hard tasks. You show signs of easily giving up when things don't work out.

17. BE A GOAL ORIENTED ATHLETE.

If you have any questions about a specific point, please let me know and I'd love to elaborate. I hope some of you find this helpful.

Tip of The Day

2006-07-27T13:00:00.000-05:00

Listen to your body. Have a training plan, but make sure you are able to take it easy when you feel "down".

Easy times

2006-07-27T12:47:00.000-05:00

Ah, the joy of home. Mom's home-cooking, Norwegian pastry and long, easy days. For us that do not ride the Tour - July can be a welcomed, slow period. For most of the time, I've been home on vacation and have ridden my bike surprisingly little. Physically, and even more importantly, mentally this sort of a break is very important for me.

Now don't get me wrong, I haven't been a complete couch-potato. I did train pretty much every day, but only to maintain my aerobic capacity and having fun was the number priority during each session. I did a lot of running/hiking and "nabbed" 10 mountain peaks above 1000 meters (3000-4000 feet).

I've only had a handful of days back on the bike, and as expected, my legs are a bit "slow" and heavy. Hopefully though, I should be back to normal within a couple of weeks. I'm going to be a bottle-carrier for the upcoming races anyways, so top form is not really required.

I hope everyone's training and racing is going well. As always, I welcome input and questions about training/racing.

Tip of The Day

2006-06-30T12:19:00.000-05:00

Ride your bike, clean and with a smile on your face. Don't use PEDs.

Tip of The Day

2006-06-29T12:25:00.000-05:00

Wear ear-plugs next time you time trial. Works wonders for mental clarity and focus.

Interesting reads

2006-06-28T13:13:00.001-05:00

Usually I'm not a big reader during the summer months. I find it difficult to sit down and concentrate enough on a book when the weather is so beautiful. As for the type of books I read, I'm not very picky as long as it's not a fiction book. As a matter of fact, I can't remember the last fiction book I actually finished... So anyways, the brunt of my reading is done in the post/pre-season, but I've managed to read a few interesting books this summer and would like to highlight a couple:

"Before the Dawn" by Nicholas Wade. Mr. Wade is a science-reporter for the New York Times and has previously worked for Nature and Science. His newest book tackles the history of our ancestors seen in light of the new DNA-technology that has become available in recent years. It's a very fascinating and well-written book on a, for me, very interesting topic. Maybe one of the most interesting things in the book deals with the exodus out of Africa of the first modern humans approx. 50,000 years ago.

Recent DNA-technology shows us that this exodus might only have been of a small group of 150 humans. This small group populated the rest of the world and slowly exterminated Homo Neanderthales and Homo Erectus, our ancestral cousins.

I'm currently reading "The Blue Bear" by Lynn Schooler. Which, in short, I would highly recommend for anyone interested in wildlife, photography and "outdoor activities" in general.

Interesting reads

2006-06-28T13:13:00.000-05:00

I'm currently reading "The Blue Bear" by Lynn Schooler. Which, in short, I would highly recommend for anyone interested in wildlife, photography and "outdoor activities" in general.

Sir Ken Robinson and my own ramblings

2006-06-27T14:37:00.000-05:00

To follow up on my previous entry with regards to TED; Check out their TedTalks section and watch Sir Ken Robinson speak about our current education system. Very entertaining and more importantly it will most likely get you thinking. It got the little wheels in my brain spinning.

I'm going to borrow some of his ideas to further something I've written about extensively before on this blog; the place of physical education in our school system. Or should I say the lack of physical education?

As the distinguished Robinson points out - we are currently treating education as training for our brain and even more specifically the left side of our brain. That's it. A very narrow system really, isn't it?

What if we spent just a little bit of the time available trying to teach the youth about proper lifestyle choice? What foods to eat, the importance of activity (exercise) etc. And I'm not talking about the half a semester of "health education" that a student gets in Junior High School. No, this should be a required class for the 12 years of elementary education.

We have completely neglected our bodies and treat them like transport for our brains. The result is all too visible around us today.

Also, why do we put so many limits for children with regards to their choice of careers? I don't know how many times I've heard it's not possible to ride a bike for a living. And I know a lot of other riders that have been told the same thing. I'm sure the same goes for artists, musicians and pretty much everyone else that isn't planning on becoming a science graduate.

What happened to reaching for goals and being creative?

A collection of great minds

2006-06-27T14:10:00.000-05:00

If you have some spare minutes, which you probably do if you are reading this; check out www.ted.com

TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) is really a collection of industry leaders and thinkers and they host a yearly forum to share ideas in California. Great stuff.

Armstrong

2006-06-24T14:34:00.000-05:00

Unless you've been living under a rock, you have at least caught glimpse of the allegations against 7-time Tour de France winner, Lance Armstrong. The latest is the Andreu's sworn testimony suggesting that Armstrong admitted to using PEDs prior to 1996.

For the sake of the sport, I really hope Armstrong was clean. Cycling simply cannot take another major blow to it's image. Not to mention sponsors getting cold feet due to the obvious problems of being associated with a cheating rider and a "dirty" sport. All across the world, the "man in the street" thinks of Lance Armstrong when they think of professional cycling. We need him to be clean...

It's a pity that many people think that all pro cyclists have to use PEDs to stay competitive or even to do their job. I can see how people may be lead into believing this, but it's really as far from the truth as you can possibly get. I'm not saying the sport is 100% clean, no sport is and cycling is certainly not perfect.

My point is that every day there are professional cyclists all over the world that go about their job of training and racing - without using banned substances. The vast majority of competitors are clean. Period.

Cycling's challenge will be to translate this fact into something the public can see and understand. It's one thing for me to say this as an "insider", it's a completely different, and much more difficult, task to paint this picture accurately to the fans.

One effective measure would be to increase testing and increase penalties for testing positive. The feuding between the UCI and WADA/IOC has to stop as well, it does nothing but disrupt and undermines the procedures that are in place to test and punish, if required.

Nudity, Mt. Everest and irate, overweight 40 year olds wearing lycra

2006-06-10T13:54:00.000-05:00

Rant alert! If you are looking for substance or anything remotely making sense - stop reading this.

Can someone please explain to me what is wrong with overweight, middle-aged lycra-wearing riders that act more primadonna-like than Mario Cipollini? I watched an amateur criterium and I can't believe the attitude and foul language of some of these riders! I mean, it even makes a spring pro event in Belgium look like a church event. WTF!!?? These riders act like they are Gods gift to cycling (a rather overweight gift usually). What happened to having fun? enjoying yourself and not to mention, acting with honor and integrity? Anyone else have the same experience? Or am I over-reacting?

On to something completely different and much more amusing - apparently a Sherpa got carried away after reaching the top of Mt. Everest. The climbing guide stripped down and strutted his stuff on top of the world for several minutes. If nothing else, you gotta give it to the guy - he has balls... Or had, at least... At over 29,000 feet above sea level there gotta be some serious shrinkage.

For more info - http://today.reuters.com/news/newsarticle.aspx?type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyid=2006-05-27T153248Z_01_B615044_RTRUKOC_0_US-NEPAL-EVEREST.xml&src=

yah, I know

2006-06-09T21:28:00.000-05:00

Favorite recreational activity - watching "Little Britain". Another superb BBC production. Highly recommended.

My element

2006-06-09T13:16:00.000-05:00

Wearing a skin-suit, funny looking headwear all while walking like a penguin with the accompanying sounds-effects, makes me feel uncomfortable. Even in a cycling crazy and success starved country, people going about their daily business look at me like I'm from Mars and without a doubt, completely nuts. And it makes me uncomfortable.

But, as soon as I mount my time-machine, hear the sweet sound of the cleats clicking into the pedals, feel the force of the pedals - I'm in my element. 100% comfortable. Everything that made me feel "out of place" without the bike, now becomes necessary and perfectly normal. It feels as though everything is working in a beautiful symbiotic relationship. Complete harmony. I'm no longer a klutzy, funny looking dude. I need the bike like fish needs water.

Anyways, rating put aside - The season so far is going well. We are doing well and meeting our goals. The team has had some great results and personally I'm happy. My home away from home is in a great part of Europe with lots and lots of pro riders packed into a small area. It's great to be able to ride and train with some of the best ProTour riders on a daily basis. Nothing encourages growth quite like that.

Endurance

2006-05-03T13:27:00.000-05:00

After reading the comments from one of my readers, I decided to address his question in a new blog entry, rather than writing a comment like I usually do.

His comment read as follows:

"...Next year maybe going into my second season of racing. Right now capacity isn't the problem, recovering from 2-3 surges per lap in crits is. Riding steady at 10-15 beats over LT isn't a problem, but every crit in my area has a small hill on it leading into a corner at the top, and doing a hard 20 second surge every lap while otherwise riding tempo or right at LT seems difficult to recover from. Any thoughts other than the lame one that occurred to me, which was "improve your endurance base so you can ride at 24-25 in the endurance zone"?"

The single-most important factor in most endurance sports might be speed at threshold. In other words, your max speed without accumulating excess lactic acid. So, naturally, the question is: how to increase this speed?

There are three factors in this equation:

1. Max VO2

2. Threshold (% of Max VO2)

3. Efficiency / work economy

Although all these factors play a role, max VO2 may be the deciding one. Most literature agree that the limiting factor is the heart's ability to pump blood. In other words, the muscles (mitochondria) can process much more oxygen than they receive. So, since we have excess capacity in our muscles (they can utilize much more O2 than they receive), we need to increase the amount of blood (O2) pumped by the heart.

The ideal way to increase this capacity is to train the heart muscle. As you increase intensity, the heart will pump faster (work harder). This increase will continue up to about 95% of the individual's maximum heart rate. After that, we see a slight drop off, due to the fact that the heart is not able to completely fill with blood at max intensity. This leads us to conclude that the most efficient way to train max VO2 is to stress the heart muscle at about 90-95% of max.

We do this best by training intervals at the before mentioned intensity. Recommended length per repetition is 4-6 minutes x 5 times. No reps shorter than 4 minutes, since it takes the heart muscle about 2 minutes to work up to the recommend intensity. This leaves you with 2 minutes of "heart muscle training" per rep. If you can do 6 minute reps, then do that, but chances are 4 minutes is more than enough.

The challenge during these sessions is controlling the intensity. Most people go too hard and as a result, cannot complete the recommended amount of sets. Keep in mind that each rep will make you very "out of breath", but you shouldn't have completely stiff legs. Do the first rep a bit slower, so that you have enough energy to complete the last rep. You should feel as though can go 1 minute longer on each rep and that you could do one extra set when you are finished. Give yourself 3 minutes of active recovery (easy spinning) in between reps.

The hotly contended question these days, is how often do we have to do these? The easy answer is that well-training athletes need at least 2 sessions a week to maintain their current capacity. Any less and you lose performance. 3 sessions would show a slight increase. Individuals with a Max VO2 over 70ml/dl/kg might need 3 sessions per week to maintain their levels.

The good news is that the heart muscle is very "trainable" and responds extremely well to this training. Each session can give you a 0.5% increase in performance. When training hard and doing several such sessions a week - make sure you listen to your body. If you are tired, don't do these sessions. Recovery between sessions is vital.

So - by improving your heart muscle's ability to move blood - you will be able to hold a higher threshold speed and improve your race results. In other words, those hill climbs will not put you as far into the red zone as earlier. And remember that it's never the fastest rider that wins the sprint, it's the rider with the freshest legs. That is a very important distinction.

Lactic acid, anyone?

2006-05-02T13:49:00.000-05:00

Day 3 - I think (?). Surprisingly I'm feeling pretty good. The quality is good and I've been able to control the intensity well. I'm still just waiting for my legs to stop working, but I'll keep going until then.

I-5

2006-04-30T13:18:00.000-05:00

Well, I've just finished day 1 of an 8 day capacity block. I'm planning to do 10 I-5 interval sessions during these 8 days (heart rate 90-95%). If my legs can hold up and I complete the cycle with some quality - I should really see a nice increase in my O2 values. This is something new for me, I haven't tried having that many high intensity sessions in that short of a time-span.

I'm excited and a bit "nervous". Proper execution is so vital for this to work. Most people go too hard on these intervals, so I'll be using both HR, Watts and lactate to monitor and adjust the intensity.

I'm doing 5 x 4 minute efforts mostly, with a few longer 30-40 minute distance sessions to spice things up.

Thoughts about next season

2006-04-25T16:02:00.000-05:00

What!?? Next season? This season haven't even gotten off the ground yet. I know, I know... But still, here are some of the things I'm considering doing differently next season:

Lots of I-3 sessions (threshold), completed as distance sessions. Not intervals. In other words, 60-90 minute constant efforts at I-3. I've been doing that this season as well, and I might do even more of it next year.

A bit more I-4 / I-5 (Max VO2) sessions. I may introduce these sessions a month earlier than usual. I'm also seriously considering having 2-3 blocks of very intense I-4 / I-5 sessions as a build-up to 2007. Each block would consist of 10-13 I-4 and I-5 intervals over the course of 7-10 days. With 2, or maybe even 3, of these blocks, I should see a considerable increase in my Max VO2 numbers.

Of course, it's early still and things might/will change.

Developing talents

2006-04-23T15:51:00.000-05:00

I was recently invited to start a larger mass-start event for Juniors. After spending some time with some very, very promising young riders, I got inspired to write a few lines about racing philosophies at the age-group levels.

I think too many young, talented riders tend to sit in the pack too long and simply roll over the line with 50 other riders. More than often they have simply ridden with the pack for the entire length of the race. And who can blame them? I mean, it's safe in the pack - you can hide. And just watch any ProTour event, many high profile riders tend to ride across the line in a sea of other riders. So wouldn't the Juniors do the same thing?

Maybe it's ok at the ProTour level, at that stage in the game many considerations come into play. Considerations that does not exist for young, promising Juniors. But I can promise you one thing; the riders you see roll across the line on a ProTour team did not get there by hiding in the pack as a Junior. So why do we see so many riders playing it "safe", rather than taking a chance and going for it? Is it because it's better to end up number 20, rather than maybe giving it an honest shot but blowing up and not finishing?

I believe it should not be about the results, but what happened during the race. Juniors develop by racing aggressively. By daring to go in breaks, by creating opportunities, not waiting for them to be created by others. Juniors need to risk individual race results in order to grow and learn. How can you discover the strength of your legs if you don't dare to push it a little harder? Not to mention what you can learn in terms of tactics.

So, in short - I'd like to see more aggressiveness from Juniors. Think Vinokurov during the 2005 Tour. This mind-set is just as much the responsibility of anyone involved with and working on developing talents. This is encouraging and rewarding aggressive riders. The change should happen from club level up to national level.

If any Juniors or anyone working with Juniors have any input, please post it. :)

Sunny skies

2006-04-21T16:32:00.000-05:00

Ahh, there is nothing like the feeling of the sun warming your body after a long winter. This is my favorite time of the year, no doubt about it. The extreme summer temperature hasn't set in yet, but at least the snow is gone (?).

My daily routine still consists of fairly large volumes of training, at least another 2 weeks or so. But in between rides, I'm enjoying the French cuisine and countryside. The track bike arrived about 2 weeks ago and is great. As soon as I can get a new digital camera, I'm posting pictures. Apparently, most digital cameras don't do so well in water.... And they don't float....

I've done 2 road TT on the track bike, with fairly good results considering my training volume and recent spouts of illness. I am looking forward to letting up on the training though and actually arriving at events with fresh legs for a change. Right now I just keep telling myself that I'll reap the benefits later this summer.

Train hard and smart and the results will come.

New toy

2006-04-05T15:10:00.000-05:00

I'm suppose to get a new track bike this week, I can't wait. Custom made and everything. A bit overkill since I'm not really planning to do much on the track - but the offer was there and I just couldn't refuse. I'll try and post some pictures this weekend, if I can.

Other than that, I've got some downtime this week due to a mild infection that has stopped me from doing anything other than easy riding. Not perfect preparation for this weekend, but that's the way it rolls sometimes. Hope everyone is enjoying spring and getting some quality training in.

I hate early season....

2006-03-25T19:42:00.000-06:00

It appears as though my goal of regular blogging has failed, miserably. It's been difficult finding time between training, travelling and racing. This time of year is very much like it always is; Cold, wet, windy and medicore. But hey, it builds character. And we all need more of that.

I hope everyone's training and/or racing is going well. Until next time, stay healthy and ride hard. :)

The bull from Grimstad

2006-03-11T14:44:00.000-06:00

Congrats to Thor Hushovd who won the 4th stage of Tirreno - Adriatico today. Thor came in before big names as Petacchi and Freire. This is promising only a week away from one of Thor's main goals this season, Milan - San Remo.

Intervals and James Bond

2006-03-10T14:47:00.000-06:00

Well, my blogging has been very much a "hit and miss" thing lately. February and March have been very hectic, to say the least. Between making sure new gear is ready and getting quality training in, I've been completely drained. Things have been going very well on the training side and I feel like I'm improving every day. I've got about 6 weeks of higher volume and higher intensity left, before I enter "race mode".

I also feel I'm getting better at organizing each and every day, so that I'm not constantly thinking about training and racing. This is vital to avoid mental burn-out. What I've found helps a great deal, is to break everything up into 4 week blocks. I have set goals in terms of volume and quality for each period and as long as I'm meeting these goals I'm happy. It's not crucial that I have to follow a daily training plan like a slave. I try to listen to my body, watch the weather and make sure I get enough rest. In other words, I do have a daily plan but it's certainly changeable.

Right now, I'm busy watching an old, classic James Bond movie. Great way to relax. :)

Words of truth

2006-03-07T14:59:00.000-06:00

Eg er, som vel du veit, ein fjellets mann,

og difor dreg til fjells so tidt eg kan,

aa friska meg paa fly og bratte bryn

og sjaa ikring meg alle store syn.

Men etter som eg meir paa alder steig,

og foten mindre lett frametter seig,

so laut eg soleis sveiva meg og snu, at eg i Jotunheimen fekk ei bu,

der eg ein maanads tid kan liva vel og styrkja millom fjell om skrott og sjæl.

Aasmund Olavsson Vinje

Keeping it simple

2006-03-04T14:30:00.000-06:00

I got caught up in a discussion about training plans and training methods the other day, probably very much like many of you do as well. I think many of us fall into the trap of making this more difficult than it actually is. If you get too wrapped up into periodizations, which of the 1ooo different interval methods to use, when to train hard, when to train easy... It can drive most lesser mortals crazy and transform an otherwise normal person into a babbling blub.

So, allow me to simplify your life and alleviate you from any further frustration. :) Here follows my humble philosophy:

Organize your week around 2 interval sessions and 1 longer distance workout at "race intensity". Preferably use 1 interval session in zone 3 and the other one in zone 5. For obvious reasons, the distance workout must be in and around zone 3-4. After you have placed these key sessions and planned for adequate recovery before and after them - fill in with long, easy to medium intensity rides. I would also recommend 2-3 strength sessions per week, time permitting. If you are experienced enough to feel when you need to rest and recover, then don't bother scheduling a low week. If not, plan 1 easy week every 4 weeks. Train about half the volume of your normal week.

When / if you need to reduce volume (racing season) - keep the key sessions (intervals and distance workout), just reduce the longer endurance rides.

I also believe in keeping the key sessions all year long, if possible. So, that's it. Simple, yeah? Now all you have to do is get out there and put in the time. Oh, and make sure you focus on quality, quality, quality.

Now I got to get back to watching "Underworld". Ah, mindless violence. Great after a hard day.

PS

2006-02-28T09:40:00.000-06:00

Bjoern Lind is a monster, a machine and a very, very, very, very good cross country sprinter. Too bad he's Swedish or I might actually have liked the guy... ;) No, I don't mean that Bjoern - don't worry, you're still the number 1 Swede in my heart.

Dropped off the face of the earth... Sort of...

2006-02-28T09:26:00.000-06:00

I'm back. The last few days have been hectic, very hectic. Between training, team meetings and speaking engagements - I've had my plate full.

The Olympics are over, a bit sad really. But there is only 2 year to Beijing and 4 year before Vancouver hosts the next winter Olympics. As any good, self-respecting Norwegian, I am hoping for better results then. Talk about let down! Torino was supposed to be our time to shine, especially considering the record 13 Gold medals from Salt Lake City and the even more impressive results from the World Championship in Oberstdorf last year.

So why was it a near-catastrophe? Bad luck, illness and a miss in peak form. But, maybe in the grand scheme of things, this is good. Maybe it's good to get some distance and perspective. Lets learn from the mistakes and come back stronger next time. Also, these Olympics have proven that the depth and level of competition is better than ever before. And what could be better than that?

Americans and the Olympics

2006-02-22T13:00:00.000-06:00

What is the deal with ice skating and American viewers? After talking to a good friend of mine, who is racing in California right now, I've been led to believe that 95% of the TV coverage over there is about ice skating. Now don't get me wrong, I have the outmost respect for figure skating and the demands it puts on the athletes. But seeing that the USA has become a power-house at the Olympic Games, wouldn't you think that the TV coverage would be more balanced?

Since many of you who stop by this blog, are indeed from America, I'm eager to hear your 2 cents on this. Are you happy with the coverage?

Here we go again....

2006-02-21T13:37:00.000-06:00

As you've undoubtedly heard, the Austrian Ski Team has yet again proven it's dubious ethics. Walter Mayer, the infamous Austrian coach from Salt Lake City 2002, has apparently continued his doping lab in support of the Austrian Ski Team. A handful of Austrian Olympians have already admitted to the use of PEDs and I'm sure we haven't seen the end of this yet. It's a damn shame, but at least we are catching them. Now it's up to the IOC, WADA, IBU and FIS to dole out sufficient whop-ass to these idiots.

the 2006 Olympics has been a fairly sad state of affairs for the Norwegian cross country team. They traveled to Torino as sky-high favorites, but with no gold medals as of yet, they have not met the expectations. But, in all fairness, the depth and level of quality over the last 5-6 years has improved drastically and it's increasingly difficult to consistently win. Sort of like what the Tour will be post-Armstrong.

But, the games are not over yet. Tomorrow the individual sprint events start. This is a fairly new cross country event, but highly popular and spectator friendly. Norway is fielding, yet again, a very strong team led by the monster from Egersund - Tor Arne Hetland. Ola Vigen Hattestad, Trond Iversen and Johan Kjoelstad complete the team. On the women's side we have Marit Bjoergen, Ella Gjoelme and Hilde G Pedersen. A healthy, on form Marit Bjoergen will be unstoppable...

Early season prep

2006-02-18T14:20:00.000-06:00

Well, it looks like my early season prep is going down the drain.... I've lost another 6 days of training to a mysterious headache that is not going away. No diagnosis so far, but will do more extensive checks next week.

Sick days

2006-02-15T12:05:00.000-06:00

Went through my training log day. Since mid-August, 2005, I've been sick 17 days. That 17 days off the bike due to freakin' illness. Depressing, really...

From road to track

2006-02-14T15:31:00.000-06:00

So, can a roadie with potential do well on the track (pursuit)? A good friend of mine is sort of challenging me and before I put money on it, I have to consult with my very capable and experienced readers. :)

My experience on the track can very simply be summed up like this:

I know it's an oval and I know that the turns have banks...

For the lack of a better word, am I screwed?

What would it take for me to ride the 4000m pursuit with decent results? As far as I know, the pursuit demands similar physical qualities as a road race. About 80% aerobic and 20% anaerobic, I think (?).

But what about technique and tactics? I need advice and I'll promise to share my winnings with you once I rip the legs of my dear friend. I look forward to hearing your 2 cents on this.

For the love of the sport

2006-02-14T15:09:00.000-06:00

For better and for worse, I love sports.

I love the struggles, the defeats and the victories.

But most of all, I just love being out there, doing it. Every day.

I love the simplicity of it all.

Happy Valentines Day

News from Pragelato

2006-02-13T13:35:00.000-06:00

Seems like respiratory infections and stomach flus are defeating the otherwise superhuman strength of our cross country skiers. One hot, medal favorite after another falls victim to a very nasty virus these days. First to fall was Marit Bjoergen on the opening event, 15k duathlon, last Sunday. Then Jens Arne Svartedal and Hilde Gjermundshaug Pedersen got the same bug.

And if that wasn't enough, Frode Estil was involved in a crash at the very beginning of the 30k duathlon. The fact that Frode managed to fight his way back and capture the silver medal only shows how strong he is.

Tomorrow the team sprints start and Norway is putting Tor Arne Hetland and Jens Arne Svartedal on the line. This should be a strong team, but look out for Sweden, Russia and maybe even Poland. On the women's side, Marit Bjoergen will start, even though most news organizations seems to have missed that, along with Ella Gjoelme. If they both have a good day, the gold should be theirs.

The sprint events are very exciting to watch and should be entertaining, even for spectators that normally do not follow the sport. Calling it sprint, is however a bit of a misnomer. The distance is normally between 1.5-2km and is much more comparable to 800m or 1500m in track and field. Since the FIS introduced these new events, we have seen quite a bit of specialization. The skiers that win the sprint will normally not win the longer events. For us cyclists, you can think of the sprints in cross country skiing as comparable to maybe the kilo and pursuit distances on the track.

The altitude of Pragelato is claiming victims every day. Competing at this high of an elevation means that once you pass into the red zone and lactic acid starts to accumulate, it takes an awful, awful long time before the body rids itself of it. By the time you are fit for fight again, the rest of the field is long gone. This means that during events such as the sprints, the winner will most likely be the skier that can keep his head cold and preserve energy when needed. This will be exciting, very exciting indeed.

Mr. Hemoglobin

2006-02-10T12:50:00.000-06:00

After more testing today, another 4 athletes have tested above the legal hemoglobin limit. Gold-medal favorite, Evi Sachenbacher from Germany is one of them. Alen Abramovic (CRO), male Pavel Korosteljev (RUS), male Nikolai Pankratov (RUS), male Robel Teklemariam (ETH), male Sean Crooks (CAN), male Sergey Dolidovich (BLR), male Jean Marc Gaillard (FRA), male Aleksandr Latsukin (BLR), male Natalia Matveeva (RUS), female Kikkan Randall (USA), female Evi Sachenbacher (GER), female Leif Zimmermann (USA), male

Opening Day

2006-02-10T10:26:00.000-06:00

Let the games begin! After much anticipation and doubt whether or not the Italians would be ready in time, we will now know. As promised, I'll try and post some coverage of the cross country skiing and maybe even the biathlon.

The controversy about the use of PEDs and hemoglobin values has started, as well. Nine cross country skiers and Nordic combined athletes have already measured above the allowed hemoglobin limit. Just as in cycling, this does not mean they have tested positive for PEDs, but rather that they are deemed "unfit for competition". The skiers cannot compete for 5 days and will therefore lose at least 1 event during the games. As long as their values are below the allowed limit after that time, they are back in the game.

Among the athletes we find three from North America, including Sean Crooks and Leif Zimmerman. Considering that these games are held at altitude (1600 MSL), it really is no big surprise that this is happening. As I've discussed earlier, the hemoglobin values are simply too low. Many clean athletes will test over the limit, especially during the conditions we find in Italy. Most athletes have already been on location for a while, preparing at high altitudes. Naturally, hemoglobin values will elevate during these conditions and the medical support structure is without a doubt monitoring the values very closely.

The first cross country event is the 15k and 30k duathlon for women and men, respectively. Skiers to watch on the men's side are Frode Estil (Norway) and Vincent Vittoz (France) among another handful of others. On the women's side, Marit Bjoergen (Norway), Katerina Neumannova, Julija Tsjepalova, Hilde Gjermundshaug Pedersen (Norway), Kristina Smigun and Becky Scott (Canada) are hot contenders. It all starts on Sunday.

cyber cleanup

2006-02-08T11:54:00.000-06:00

I've spent the last hour organizing and cleaning up my laptop and my favorites in Explorer. It's truly amazing how much shit I accumulate over time, both tangible and intangible stuff.

Time management is one of the most important aspects of my life and I've started to look for ways to make things more efficient. The more I can simplify things, the more time I would have available for things that really matter, such as sleep... :)

I just had my fat pinched and measured the other day, 5% is the verdict and I'm happy with that. Now I have no excuse for not flying up the hills, which in itself can be a problem.

Cake for me!

2006-02-05T13:48:00.000-06:00

37 hours, baby! 37 hours full of quality and concentration. Now it's time to enjoy a well-deserved week of low volume and lots of cake. Well, maybe not so much cake, but plenty of rest, for sure.

Next week marks the beginning of 17 wonderful days, the 2006 Winter Olympics. Stay tuned to this space for some inside information on the cross country competitions. First event up is the Women and Men's Pursuit on Feb 12th (next Sunday).

Max strength training vs. Endurance

2006-02-02T08:40:00.000-06:00

Ah yes, the debate rages on. It seems as if this debate has gone on forever and most likely, it will continue to be a hot topic among trainers and athletes. Are there any quantifiable, proven benefits of maximum strength training for endurance athletes? And if so, what is the most effective method of training?

Research conducted over a decade has shown some interesting benefits for cyclists and other aerobic athletes. It appears as though very high resistance and low repetitions (3-4 reps, 4 sets) conducted 3-4 times a week greatly improves Max V02 and work economy without increasing the size of the muscle mass. In other words, it's a win-win scenario for cyclists.

There are, however, some things to keep in mind when performing the training. The motions have to be slow and deliberate, no jumpy, jerky or explosive motion. You are not focusing on explosiveness or speed, but rather trying to improve your body's ability to rally and effectively use the existing muscle mass. Lets take a well used exercise, such as leg press; slowly lower the weights to the lowest point and stop, hold for a few seconds before pushing away. This will improve the connections between muscle tissue and nerve-endings, resulting in increased efficiency. In other words, your muscles can do more with the same amount of energy spent (02 and glycogen). For more on this very interesting topic, take a look at this old, but very interesting article: http://www.ntnu.no/gemini/1996-04/35.html Enjoy!

Ethical?

2006-01-30T20:18:00.000-06:00

Skibby over at http://skibbysez.blogspot.com/ put me onto this subject again; Are the use of altitude tents, pressurized rooms and cabins unethical? Should athletes have to seek actual altitude to get the benefits of thin air? Is the media completely haywire when they mention EPO, blood doping and altitude tents in the same breath?

It's discussion time, give me your 2 cents on this! Like we say in Norway, kjør debatt!

UCI and hematocrit

2006-01-28T15:04:00.000-06:00

As we all know, the UCI has set the hematocrit limit at 50%. This simply refers to the percentage of red-blood cells measured by blood plasma volume. Any riders with a higher number will be deemed "unfit" and cannot ride. This has been done to discourage riders, and people in the support structure, from speculating in ways to manipulate the blood's ability to transport oxygen in an artificial way. Limiting the hematocrit values at 50% should indirectly prevent the use of EPO and blood-doping, since these methods would easily produce higher hematocrit values.

So, does it mean that when a rider is deemed "unfit" for competition he has tested positive for a performance enhancing substance? No, of course not. Since the use of EPO and blood-doping can be tricky to detect directly through doping tests, the UCI decided to prevent possible cheaters from riding, by establishing a hematocrit limit.

But why measure hematocrit? And why has the limit been set at 50%? Both the choice of measuring hematocrit and the limit of 50% is, in my opinion, a poor testing procedure. I say this, not because I'm advocating the use of PEDs, but because 50% hematocrit damages honest, clean riders. After prolonged training at altitude, many athletes will naturally test above the 50% limit, without any PEDs in their system. The test itself is also a bit weak, since dehydration and activity before testing could affect the result. If you have been standing up for more than 30 minutes and then sit down to take the test, you could have much higher values, due to the increased heart rate and blood-pressure.

Why not measure, and establish limits for hemoglobin values instead? This would be more accurate and prevent some of the problems we are experiencing today. 50% hematocrit value for a male athlete is too low (it corresponds to about 16.5 g/dl of hemoglobin). If the UCI wanted to continue to measure hematocrit, at least increase the value to 55% (around 18.5 g/dl of hemoglobin).

Yes, I'm still here

2006-01-27T14:11:00.000-06:00

Well, so much for "a New Year and a fresh start". Not only have I been sick as the proverbial dog, I've also had a complete writer's block. With the exception of the friends, family and acquaintances that stop by here to check out the personal tidbits of information that I post from time to time, most of you are looking for substance. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to write much material with substance lately. For that, I apologize.

The good news is that things are finally improving at my end. The results of the bloodwork were very positive and I've been able to train with high quality all week without any symptoms. I got the final green light after a doctor's visit today and should be on track now.

I'm not completely gone from the clinic though, but now my visits are more productive. We are currently evaluating flexibility and muscle imbalances. I've got some work to do on the flexibility side of things, like most other cyclists. But all in all, the season preparations are back on track and with some slight adjustments everything is back to where is should be.

For the sport enthusiast, there are so many exciting things happening these days. The Winter Olympics are very close and while we wait, we can watch the Australian Open. I've always been a big tennis fan and I'm completely mesmerized by the young player from Cyprus, Marcos Baghdatis. This 20 year old, unseeded player has came from nowhere and played himself into the final. And how he has played! He is strong, powerful, charismatic and very entertaining. Not to mention the very healthy, balanced attitude he has towards his recent success. All in all, a great story - where will it end? Well, we will all know on Sunday when he plays the world's number 1, Roger Federer.

Roller coaster

2006-01-23T13:42:00.000-06:00

Monday. New day, new week. Fresh start, but illness free? Last week was a complete wash, from a training perspective at least. I put in an easy 2 hours on the trainer today, but I'm certainly not completely back in the game, yet. It's one day at a time now.

Other than that, I'm glued in front of the TV, watching the Australian Open. It's amusing to listen to the complete glorification of Federer by the TV commentators. Not that the guy isn't a great player, but still...

And since the Olympics are drawing ever nearer, I can't avoid mentioning the controversy that seems to occupy most Norwegians these days - Why was Petter Northug not selected for the Olympic cross country team?

Petter is a 20 year old, extremely promising cross country skier, who has consistently beaten the established elite. Why was he dropped? Apparently he is too young, will not be able to handle the pressure and might now have enough training days at altitude. Regardless of what happens, remember his name. He has the potential to become one of the few great.

The Race of My Life

2006-01-20T17:15:00.000-06:00

I'm currently reading Hermann Maier's new autobiography "The Race of My Life". I can cannot recommend this book enough!

The story is amazing, intriguing and grippingly told. Maier's story is very similar to Lance Armstrong's fall and return to the top. If you need perspective, read Maier's book. If you think there is any reason you cannot make it to the top - read this book. If anything, these stories show us the incredible determination of "winners" and the impressive human will. If you work hard enough, your goals will be met. Period.

Good News / Bad News

2006-01-19T15:52:00.000-06:00

I managed to pick up what remains of my sick, debilitated body and add a sponsor to the list. I'm excited about this relationship and I'm glad that people are willing to put their faith in me, still. My end of the deal equates to public speaking, attending seminars and talking about the life of an athlete. I enjoy doing that anyways, at least most of the time.

The bad news is that I'm still sick, getting better, but still sick. I hope, pray, that this isn't a viral infection (mono or TWAR). That would be terribly, terribly bad. The extreme tiredness and lack of energy concerns me. Well, I guess I'll know soon enough, the blood tests should give us an indication. I apologize for the complete lack of interesting posts this week, but I'm too wrapped up in this whole thing. I promise to pour out an endless stream of creativity, as soon as I can muster enough energy to type. Typing has become a sort of base training, with elevated heart rate and the whole package.

Frustrating

2006-01-18T12:19:00.000-06:00

I am, again, bound to the bed. Apparently, it's time to pay the doctor a visit. After a week of quality training, I'm sick again. It's time to eat some antibiotics and stop this shit.

The bull from Grimstad

2006-01-16T13:58:00.000-06:00

Thor Hushovd is in Australia with the rest of the Crédit Agricole boys, getting ready for the Jacob's Creek Tour Down Under. According to an interview with www.cyclingnews.com, he enjoys both the countryside and the people.

And really, Thor, what's not to like? After spending most of his winter between Norway and France, the Australian summer must be a welcomed sight. But don't get too used to it, remember that cold, wet weather builds character. Character that you will need in order to win the Spring Classics. So watch out, the bull from Grimstad will be strong this year. Very strong.

Variation - The spice of life

2006-01-16T13:14:00.000-06:00

Who says strength training is boring? If you are someone who dreads the bore of the weight room, visit a public gym. Where else can you see such spitting images of every stereotype under the sun?

You have the classic iron pumping, vein popping, man. You find him in front of the biggest mirror there is and he makes an art out of looking at his big muscles. Even when he is resting between sets, he cannot help himself. He has to sneak just one more peek.

Then, you have the teenager wearing those half-long shorts that extend below the kneecap, a sleeveless shirt and to top it all off, the mandatory black hat. He is very focused and determined. He is so focused, as a matter of fact, that the only exercise he can possible commit to, is the bench-press. Anything else is a waste of time.

One of the most interesting types you find, are the ones that subscribe to the "harder, faster and heavier" philosophy. Again, their behavior makes them easy to spot - heavy, heavy weights, fast jerky movements and a dangerously wrong body-position. You can almost hear the muscles, joints and tendons snap, crack and break. Keep your distance. Of course, no self-respecting public gym would be without the "New Year's Resolution" individual. You can easily pick this person out, since he or she usually are the ones closest to the brink of exhaustion. You see, for them, there only exists 2 levels of intensity - full stop of full steam ahead. Anything in between would seem pointless. Unfortunately, the further we get away from New Year's, the rarer any sightings within this category will be. In most cases, by February 1st, you will not be able to spot this elusive, and very seasonal, species. At least not until next year.

But the most admirable, and sweet, creature in the public gym, is of course the first-timer. They are a shy group of individuals and should be approached with care. Say the wrong thing and you'll drive them away, possible forever. They are very self conscious and feel a bit out of place among all the other fanatics. They might not know exactly how to use each machine, but gladly welcome a helping hand from a friendly person. Take care of them, for they are the future of the public gym.

So, next time you are slaving over a leg press session - take a look around. It's pretty entertaining.

Because it's there

2006-01-13T14:16:00.000-06:00

When George Mallory was asked "Why climb Mt. Everest", he uttered the now famous words "Because it's there".

I had a very interesting discussion with my wife the other day, about why people climb mountains, go on polar expeditions or on any other "pointless" endeavors, as she put it. I have to admit, she had a good set of arguments. She pointed out the obvious dangers associated with it and how egocentric it is to embark on these missions. "What about the ones you leave at home, hoping for your safe return?" she asked.

I did my best to explain the pure simplicity of climbing Mt. Everest or trekking to the North Pole. How it is about exploring oneself and pushing the limits as far as humanly possible. How it's the stuff of legends, lore and religion. All I got was a blank stare and a "huh?" in return.

And quite frankly, I think that if you have to ask "Why climb Mt. Everest", chances are you will never really, truly understand why.

If you stop and think about it, there are many philosophical parallels that can be drawn between these endeavors and cycling. Have you ever asked yourself "why do I bother?" or "what's the point?". Why the heck do we willingly dedicate ourselves so utterly to cycling?

There is an expression called "The 24 hour athlete", which simply means that to achieve as much as possible, the rider needs to dedicate himself fully to the task at hand. Not only for the 1-6 hours of training per day, but for the whole 24 hours that day. It's more than a hobby or a job, it's a lifestyle.

You may say "that's only for the pros, I don't do that". But stop and think about it - I bet you sacrifice more than you realize. From diet, recovery and time management - we are willing to put the sport ahead of almost anything else. For what? Why do it?

Why do seemingly normal people spend their vacation racing a bike across the American Continent? Or race a MTB for 24 hours with minimal sleep. Why do these crazy Iron Men act like 13 year old girls when they realize they have qualified for Kona? For most of them, it's not their job, it's not something they have to do. As Abraham Maslow would have put it "it's not a physiological need or even a safety need".

From a pure physical point of view, these activities really only give you pain and suffering in return for your effort. And mentally you are reduced to a babbling maniac at the end. Not to mention the countless hours you have spent preparing for this suffering. Hours filled with pain as well. So why do it? Why not sit on the sofa, eat popcorn and watch a poorly produced Hollywood B-movie instead?

I can't answer these questions for you, of course. But, if you are anything like me - it about what Maslow called "self actualization".

It's about the utter simplicity. How you yourself can shape and control the outcome. It's about discovering how far you can push your body, exploring the limits. In effect, I'm my own little lab-experiment. I don't know the outcome yet, maybe I never will. But it's just as much about the journey to the top as it is about reaching the top, if in fact I ever will. So why push for the top? Because it's there.

Circles

2006-01-12T15:57:00.000-06:00

Technique. Going faster without expending any more energy. This has been an area of special focus this pre-season, and will continue to be so. I'm very happy with the progress so far, since my pedal stroke is smooth and even all the way around. As the Great-One always tells me -"technique should be with you, and on your mind, during every training session".

Despite these very wise words, I have had several sessions solely dedicated to working on my circles and it has paid off. The numbers don't lie and they have been kind to me so far this year.

Tomorrow is a rest day, before a fairly hard Saturday and Sunday. Lots of eating and sleeping, in other words.

Complete insanity

2006-01-11T19:52:00.000-06:00

Iron Man. Now that is some crazy shit. Pardon my French. But really - it is. I'm sitting here, tired as all heck, reading about the Norseman Xtreme Triathlon. This Iron Man is the longest and hardest in the world and goes right through some of my old training haunts. Just looking at that race profile fills my legs with lead.

A part of me is itching to race it, but I'm afraid my swimming skills are far too weak. Would be a good training day, but drowning would ruin my season... If you are a bit crazy and looking for a good way to suffer like all hell for over a dozen hours - look no further: http://www.nxtri.com/index.html When you pass out from exhaustion climbing over Hardangervidda, I'll be the spectator with the big smile eating an ice-cream.

On the way to recovery

2006-01-09T16:52:00.000-06:00

Not much to write about today. A bit of a "writer's block", I guess. A big positive for me, in my little egocentric world, is that I think the virus is finally letting go. I'm looking forward to being able to attack my sessions with a bit more energy and intensity.

Also, the Norwegian newspapers at home are writing about the disadvantages of being married to a full-time athlete. A few high profile break-ups spurred the journalists to run some feature stories on how much stress living with such an athlete can put on a spouse. That makes me appreciate my lovely wife even more, if that's possible.

Also, if you are looking for a good book to read during these winter months - consider picking up Jon Krakauer's "Into Thin Air". Krakauer was a member of the Rob Hall expedition in 1996 and writes brilliantly about the terror on Mt. Everest. Very fascinating and a bit disturbing. When I read it the first time, I simply couldn't put the book down. Highly recommended!

As always I welcome feedback and input regarding the content of this blog. If you have any questions or ideas about topics, let me know.

Lessons learned

2006-01-08T15:18:00.000-06:00

It's Sunday. For the last 3 days or so, I've completed 3 easy sessions. My body feels better, but not great. I still have some slight symptoms (sore throat and a vague headache) of this RI. I am hoping that by tomorrow, I can resume my normal program. I've basically lost 1 week of training and need to get back in the saddle. If I can complete a moderate intensity session tomorrow without any worsening symptoms, I should be ok. If not, I'm afraid I'll have to visit the doctor.

I always try and learn from mistakes and find something positive in any situation. I believe in the strength of positive attitudes and directing my energy towards good things. So, I was looking through my training log today and I discovered something - a couple of weeks ago I had to take a forced rest day. Not only do I log what I have done during a training session, but more importantly, I write down a subjective summary of how the session went and how I felt. Well, as I said, two weeks ago, I basically wrote "felt tired. No energy. Sore throat". The following day, I trained, but made another entry along the same lines "No energy. Heavy legs". The rest of that week was ok, but what happened later? Well, I got sick and lost a whole week of training.

Alright, so what's the lesson here? Well, the lesson is to listen to your body! I talk about that a lot, but apparently I'm not very good at it myself. I should have taken it easy a couple of weeks ago, when my body was trying to tell me I was getting sick. If I had, chances are I wouldn't have lost 7 days... So, the positive in all this is that I learned to pay even better attention to these signals.

As a side-note, I'm excited about the possibility of securing another, good sponsorship. The deal is not yet "in the box", but it's looking good. I should know more early next week.

Jacques Anquetil

2006-01-06T13:46:00.000-06:00

Let me just start by saying that I'm no expert on cycling history. As a matter of fact, I bet 9 out of 10 people would know more about it than I do. I do, however, find the "golden era" to be very interesting and fascinating, for better and for worse.

Anquetil's merits on the road are unquestionable and very impressive. I know what you are thinking - wasn't he riding around in a constant drug induced haze? Yes, probably. But like it or not, he did shape the history of cycling for a very long time.

Today, I wanted to address his merits off the road. His family and love life was very unusual, even for a French Tour star. He had an affair, and eventually married, his doctor's wife. Now, nothing really unusual about that, right? I mean, that happens all the time. What does not happen quite as often is what follows next; Anquetil wanted to have children and although his wife didn't share his enthusiasm, it didn't deter Jacques the least bit. Oh, no.

He managed to convince his wife that he should have a child with his 18-year old step-daughter. The plan was dutifully executed and Anquetil got his daughter (or would that be grand-daughter? I'm a bit confused myself...).

As if that wasn't enough, Anquetil went on to have an affair with his step-son's wife as well. Another child resulted from that.

So, next time you read in a cycling magazine that Anquetil was boring, cold and calculated as a rider - you know better. He might have been boring on the bike, but he sure was "colorful" off the bike...

Probiotics

2006-01-05T15:42:00.000-06:00

Lactobacillus GG, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus. Have you heard of these before? If not, it might be something to check into.

Probiotics are small, single-cell microorganisms (bacteria) that, when taken in adequate amounts, create positive effects in our digestive system. Problems such as traveler's stomach, diarrhea, Irritable Bowel Syndrome and even cancer can be prevented by taking probiotics. It also boosts the immune system, lowers blood cholesterol and not to mention, creates a healthy digestive system.

As an athlete that travels quite a bit, from time to time takes antibiotics and generally lives a life that can irritate my digestive system, I've started to put my faith in these great, little creatures. They can prevent many problems that would otherwise negatively effect one's performance and general well-being.

So, where do we find these bacteria? Well, certain dairy products can be a good place to start. Good quality yogurt and kefir / buttermilk and other fermented products could contain live bacteria cultures. I recommend doing some research before running out to purchase yogurt, milk or cheese, because some production methods would effectively kill any active bacteria culture and therefore be of no good use to you.

You can also, very effectively, take probiotics through a dietary supplement. If you choose this route, make sure you take a product containing Lactobacillus GG and Lactobacillus acidophilus, as these two have been proven to survive the trip through your stomach. Some probiotics, if taken as dietary supplements, will not survive the acidic environment in the stomach and therefore not reach their goal, your intestines.

In a perfect world, I would recommend taking probiotics both as a supplement as through good, high quality dairy products. Taken over regulary and over time, it should yield great results. For a good, English language website - visit http://www.usprobiotics.org/

Couch Potato

2006-01-04T14:10:00.000-06:00

Well, today was another day spent safely secured to the sofa. I'm turning into a regular couch potato now. My hopes of getting in an easy session today were shattered this morning, when the symptoms of this pesky illness persisted.

So what am I doing? Eating and sleeping mostly. Oh, and worrying about how fat I'm getting, I can feel the weight packing onto me. I'll be deadly on the descents this spring, like a projectile. Of course, it will take me a while to get up, but you can't have it all now, can you?

I'm also turning into a pro-blog commentator. My quest is to track down any worth-while blog and comment as much as possible. Maybe if I can't ride by bike full-time, I can surely write about it. Here are some highly recommended stops in the blogosphere:

Tim Jackson, aka The MasiGuy - http://masiguy.blogspot.com/

Team MWC, FTJ, NGT - http://ashwinearl.blogspot.com/

Keith over at The Chainline - http://chainline.blogspot.com/

Digital Peloton - http://worldcycling.blogspot.com/

Ben Saunders - http://www.bensaunders.com/

Iain over Herneweb - http://www.herneweb.com/

Philip Gomes, in the land down under - http://www.spinopsys.com/

I'm crossing my fingers and toes and anything else that is crossable that I feel ok enough to at least put in an easy session tomorrow. I am driving the wife absolutely nuts, more than usual. She told me the only thing worse than living with a cyclist is living with a sick cyclist...

Once I get back on the bike, I intend to bring my digital camera with me and start taking more pictures. If they turn out, I plan to post them on the blog. That should spice things up a bit...

We've only got 37 days to go before the winter Olympics. Get ready, folks!

Yurnings

2006-01-03T13:12:00.000-06:00

That's it. I am now convinced my body and my brain are playing games with me. After half a day of eating, reading, napping and surfing the web - I suddenly feel great. Well, maybe not great, but at least a lot better than I did earlier today.

Of course, I've fallen into this trap before, oh yes. This is an old trick my body likes to play with me. Probably to get back at me for all those insane races I for some reason feel obligated to partake in. See, my body is trying to trick me into getting back on the bike today, so that I can wake up tomorrow feeling even worse than I did this morning. But I'm older and wiser now. That old trick will not work, not today.

I called home the other day, to talk with mom. As always she is wondering when her precious little boy will get a real job. I can't go on riding my bike forever, I must know that (?). Wouldn't it be easier and more secure to have a nice office job? I mean, if you read Les Woodland's "The crooked Path to Victory" it would seem as if only madmen race bikes. The tricky thing is, I really don't have a clear answer to that question. The only thing I know, is that I love training and I love competing. It's really as simple as that. I think.

I leave you with pictures of, what I think, is the greatest training area available. As always, thanks for stopping by and reading this blog.

Respiratory Infection

2006-01-03T11:30:00.000-06:00

Well, I'm permanently glued to the bed. I woke up this morning and felt more or less like a 90 year old man... I've got all the symptoms of a classic infection, which means complete rest today and another evaluation tomorrow.

If the fever and general feeling of complete exhaustion is gone tomorrow, I'll do an easy 45 minutes or so on the trainer. Hopefully I'll feel ok after that, so that I can follow up with another 60 minutes of easy riding on Thursday and 90 minutes at moderate intensity on Friday. But, the most important thing now will be to take one day at a time and listen to my body.

It's always frustrating to get sick, since it disrupts training. This is not, however, the worst time to get an RI. The important races of the season are still 6-7 months away and although this will set me back 3-6 days, it's still no crisis. Yet... :)

First Day of the Year

2006-01-01T19:18:00.000-06:00

I hope everyone had a great New Year's Eve. Like earlier years, my New Year's Eve was pretty calm and quiet. As a matter of fact, I barely managed to stay awake until midnight. Considering midnight is about 2 hours past my bed-time, who can really blame me for getting a bit tired around 12 a.m?

I really live my life very much like a 10 year old. No disrespect to all the 10 year olds out there, by the way. The new year started with an easy, slow 4 hour ride for me. Which, in my humble opinion, is not such a bad way to start things off.

So, get out there and ride, run or ski, my friends. Take one day at a time, be constructive, set some goals and reach for them! You never know, this may be your year.

Happy New Year and other assorted bits and pieces

2005-12-30T15:49:00.000-06:00

I would like to wish everyone a safe and happy New Year! If you are the sort that makes New Year's resolutions - well, good luck keeping them.

This time of year has, like always, been dominated by large amounts of training for me. Last week was a high volume week, although I did not quite reach my goal. I fell 2.5 hours short as a matter of fact, but I still felt as though I got some good sessions in. I chickened out and only put in 3 hours on Christmas Day, which contributed to my loss last week. This week has been a low volume, low intensity recovery week, which I badly needed. I've spent 3 days on the sofa, with my legs up and doing absolutely nothing. I am, yet again, fighting off a respiratory infection. This would be the second this winter, if my counting is correct. I should be alright for tomorrow though, as I feel more energetic today. We shall see, we shall see.

I also need to re-evaluate my diet with the professionals in my federation. I've been slacking off and not eating enough, which has contributed to an almost chronic lack of energy lately. Instead of only having 3-4 meals a day, I'm increasing it up to 5-6, which should increase recovery between sessions. This will hopefully help the intensity during my afternoon sessions. I have been feeling great during the first session of the day, but the second session have been lacking quality. I must focus more on getting that proper recovery meal in and some rest after the morning workout.

What concerns me more, is a recurring stomach/digestion problem. Basically, I'm fighting bloat, gas - call it what you want. After meals I look like I'm 20 pounds over-weight. My lower abdomen bloats up and I'm struggling to get rid of it. I'm hoping the "so-called" experts can find a solution to this, as it is also bothering me a bit. It creates discomfort during work-outs... But hey, it I can't get rid of it, I'll make sure to turn it around into something positive. Maybe drafting behind me isn't such a good idea anymore. Unless you are wearing a gas-mask, that is. Yes, this will be the "little extra" that will make 2006 a break-through season for me.

Fortitudine Vincimus

2005-12-29T14:07:00.000-06:00

"By endurance we conquer". This was the family motto of Sir Earnest Shackleton. In late 1914, the now famous explorer, Earnest Shackleton set out to conquer the last unclaimed price in the history of exploration. With a crew of 27, he set sail for the South Atlantic, destined to cross the Antarctica on foot.

As faith would have it, Shackleton never got to set foot on the Antarctic continent. Much through poor decision making and a run of bad luck, his expedition became a race against time and nature, in order to survive. Shackleton and his men was forced to endure the wrath of the Antarctic winter, while their ship drifted helplessly in the pack-ice of the Weddell Sea. Later, the ship would be crushed by the enormous force of the ice, forcing the crew to live on floes. As the arctic summer drew closer, the crew set out from the pack-ice in small, open boats, heading for the small islands located in the South Atlantic ocean. The whole ordeal would last 20 months, before their ultimate rescue.

Despite his poor preparation and now all to apparent mistakes, Shackleton was a great explorer. Or maybe calling him a great explorer is a misnomer, a great leader would be more appropriate. Was it not for his great leadership skills and his ability to select and create a crew that worked as a well-oiled machinery, the entire exploration party would have perished in the unforgiving arctic.

Another (in)famous British explorer, Robert Scott, lacked Shackleton's leadership skills and did not possess the humble, realistic nature required of a polar explorer. As a result, Scott and his party of 5, all died on the ice. In the words of Shackleton himself; "...But what the ice gets, the ice keeps". I am continued to be amazed at what the human body and psyche can endure, in order to survive. Just when you think you have no more energy, no more mental stamina to continue - you still have not dipped into the pool of "survival energy". We, as humans, have vast and mostly unexplored capabilities, both physically and mentally. The ability to tap into just a small part of this reservoir could bring great results. The ability to ignore and suppress the feeling of pain and the desire to stop is what often separates the winner from the loser.

If find reading about the hardship and the enormous stress that these explorers endured, is very fascinating. I would highly recommend reading "The Endurance - Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition" by Caroline Alexander. The book has much good information and some fantastically unique pictures. To see some of these beautiful pictures, please visit http://www.coolantarctica.com. What better way to relax after a hard day of training (or working), than to relax with a good, interesting book. If you are anything like me, you will not be able to put the book down.

Listen to your body

2005-12-28T14:15:00.000-06:00

It sounds so simple, doesn't it? It's not as if your body is speaking a language you don't understand. The signals are there, out in the open for you to see and feel. The elevated heart rate in the morning, the feeling of chronically tired legs, the complete lack of energy and enthusiasm, the scratchy throat, the inability to elevate your heart rate during training...

Why is it then, that so many athletes become over-trained, burned out and sick? Why do we ignore these signs? We all feel them and we shouldn't need someone to tell us what they mean. The language is universal, it's your body's way of saying, slow down buddy!

It is hard to stop training when your program calls for a hard session or maybe a long endurance ride. It's hard because you know that in order to become better you must train. If you don't get out and ride today, your body will be just a little bit weaker when the season starts. Or will it? Like many other athletes, listening to my body has never been something that I'm good at. I used to be a slave to my training log. If the program called for 30 hours this week, I would put in 30 hours. Regardless of weather, form and body signals. Regardless of anything. Come hell or high-water, 30 hours had to be accomplished. I would say - next week I will rest. Next week is an easy week for me, I just need to finish this week of hard training first.

Of course, my body would sometimes have other plans for me. And if I didn't listen to the early warning signs, then it would certainly make me aware by giving me an injury, illness or maybe even "overtraining". It's my body's way of slapping me in the face and telling me to wake up. I have come to understand and believe in the concept of "resting yourself into better form". Sometimes rest is what is required in order to become a better rider. But it really takes hard work to believe in that principal. It sounds so counter-intuitive. How can I get faster by staying off the bike?

You'll find the answer at the end of a season. Always have the "big picture" in mind, progress comes from a whole season of proper training. Not from 1 day or 1 week. Since the whole principal of getting better involves breaking down your body and then letting it build itself up past your previous level, it can be hard to differentiate between the good kind of tiredness and the bad kind. I, like most people, had to learn it the hard way.

Reasons

2005-12-27T14:03:00.000-06:00

What is important for the professional athlete? What counts? How does one measure achievements? If your name is Lance Armstrong, that question might be easy to answer, too easy maybe. But what if you are the 35 year old domestique, with no top international victories to show for. Then what?

What if your legs are too old and too tired to win the GC in the Tour. And what if the explosiveness of your muscles have somehow disappeared. The power that used to be there, simply vanished. The media and the sponsors are now chasing the number 1 guy. He gets all the honor and glory. You know you can never measure up to the palmares of the top riders. Why do you keep going?

When the game is over, is it possible to measure your achievements and success on your own scale? Or do you have to compare your results to the top riders of the day? Can you say to yourself; "I did well, I am happy with my career", when everyone is measured on results from the classics or grand tours?

You keep going because you know, deep down inside, that when you have that perfect ride, the ride where everything works, nobody can beat you. Nobody. You may have to wait until next season, or maybe even the season after that, before you will experience this ride again. Because of this, you keep going.

A Gentleman's Sport

2005-12-26T11:16:00.000-06:00

Does hard, honest work pay off in the world of professional sport? Does cycling reward its faithful servants? I think we all wish the answer to these questions was a resounding "YES!", we all want so bad to believe in the rewards of hard, honest efforts. The real picture, however, is more complex. Much more complex.

We yearn for fairness in sport, much like we do in life. Spectators discuss whether or not the victory was deserved. Did the best man win? We want the hard working, "under-dog" to win.

But we know better. There are no "deserved" victories or fairness in sports. We have lots of rules and regulations and even a few athletes that try and cheat. We even have this concept of fair play, but there are no governing body that evaluates hard work and reward efforts based on this. Long, faithful service does not make a bit of a difference. And quite honestly, it shouldn't. This is professional sports. Everyone is in it for themselves and it's up to you to create your own future.

And because of this "lawlessness", because there is no system that rewards hard work, we all rejoice when that hard, honest and faithful athlete once in a great while wins. We say to ourselves "he really deserved to win".

If you travel down in the heart of competitive sports, deep down into the abyss, you find a simple truth; every competitor has to perform his best and each man is for himself. We all have to compete within the rules and regulations, but without knowing that every athlete did his very best, the victory leaves a bad taste in one's mouth.

You see, the real joy of winning does not take place at the award ceremony, nor at the press-conference afterwards. It is a short, but indescribable feeling of joy the moment you cross the finish line, and you know. You know that today you were the best. Today you won, you beat them all.

Happy Holidays!

2005-12-24T19:37:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas and what-ever-else you celebrate! I wish you and yours well and a great holiday. Mags

The next hurdle

2005-12-22T15:35:00.000-06:00

Gene Doping. Read it again. Gene Doping. This will most likely be the biggest problem in the world of professional sports, and we unfortunately won't have to wait long. Doping experts say that we might see the first cases of this "sci-fi" method of doping during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. It will be the most talked about issue during the 2012 London Olympics.

Doctor Hemmersbach, anti-doping lab at Aker University Clinic in Oslo says "We don't think anybody is currently using gene doping, but we estimate that it's about five years in the future. It's an extremely complex field, and using gene technology as doping requires incredible expertise". Hemmersback is part of the IOC's Medical Commission Games Group, tasked with EPO and gene doping. We will most likely see it used in race horses and race dogs initially, but chances are good for it to transfer onto the arena of professional sports.

Currently, it is almost impossible to detect any manipulation of genes, but the good news for anti-doping agencies is that researchers are very likely to find ways detect it. Gene doping is dangerous for the user, since it involves injecting viruses into the body. This can lead to various diseases, such as cancer. Unfortunately, history has shown that some athletes are willing to take such risks. Just look at the problems that EPO caused when we knew less about it. Thickening of the blood and rapid drop in blood pressure would be countered by the cheating athlete by setting the alarm at night in order to get up and move around. This would increase blood pressure and blood flow, most of the time...

Weary

2005-12-21T17:12:00.000-06:00

Ah, the bittersweet feeling of tired, weary legs. I'm in the middle of a high volume week and I'm already feeling it. I welcome this feeling, maybe even yearn for it. This slightly masochistic behavior is almost required, I think, in this sport.

I know this feeling will equate to better performance down the road and I would do almost anything for better performance. Anything within legal and ethical limits, that is. But how does a person properly train and prepare as an endurance athlete? Is there a golden, secret way to achieve good results? And more importantly, is that way the only way, or are there several ways to Rome?

As some of you more "hardcore" readers might remember, I've written about this earlier (http://roadrace1.blogspot.com/2005/12/endurance-training-philosophy.html), so I'll do my best not to repeat myself too much.

I'm writing this piece after speaking to an old training buddy that has now, after much hard work, established himself as an elite cross country skier. According to him, there has been quite a bit of debate within the cross country community at home.

It has been written in stone that a cross country skier's training should consist of 90% easy to moderate long endurance sessions with the remainder focused around higher intensity intervals and "race-pace" sessions. Throughout the year, the racer would have 2-3 high intensity sessions per week and the rest would be long endurance sessions.

Well, a few scientists and doctors have recently released research claiming that all these long sessions at relatively low intensity has been a complete waste of time. They claim the athlete might as well have been sitting at home on the sofa. Instead, they suggest huge amounts of interval training and much higher intensity on longer sessions. This they say, develop the heart muscle, VO2 Max and builds the engine. They go on to state that all the claimed benefits of long sessions at lower intensity are hog-wash.

This they can claim, despite the fact that no successful endurance athlete has trained this way. Study the training log of any top cross country skier, bike racer or long distance runner and you will see that most of the time is spent on long, easy sessions.

If this was the end of the story, there would have been no debate what so ever. The cross country community would have simply written this up as something that doctors wearing white lab-coats came up with and left it with that. However, the cross country coach (Svein Tore Samdal) for the women's elite, national team started training his racers with these new principles. And the results of one very successful female skier (Marit Bjorgen) has brought the issue back on the table. The men's elite team are still following the traditional endurance training program, by the way.

Marit Bjorgen has used an extreme periodization program, where she basically has 10-14 day periods of daily, high intensity interval sessions, combined with weeks of higher volume and lower intensity. This is the core of the "problem", which method is correct? Who is doing something wrong and who is doing something right?

Personally, I believe in the traditional method for the simple reason that it has been proven to be very effective. But, this does not mean that it's my way or the highway, either. I do think it is dangerous to encourage younger athletes, with less of an established base, to attempt this "new" method of extreme periodization. This method may work with a few elite racers, with a very good base established by years of high volume training. A junior trying to emulate this program would end up injured, sick or burned out. And the truth is, most elite racers do not train this way.

This leads me to my point; To say that traditional endurance training is completely wrong is dangerous. This method is much more "adaptable" to the individual athlete as compared to the extreme periodization training. No matter how you choose to train, the most important thing is to make sure the program suits you. Trying to copy another athlete's training program is a losing proposition. If there is one thing I think we all need to get better at, it's listening to our bodies. Just because your training plan asks for a 5 hour session today, doesn't mean it's a good idea. Your training plan does not know how you are feeling. We all need to become less "slaves" to the training log and pay more attention to what our body is telling us. Also, training is hard work. It's as simple as that. Instead of losing sleep at night over whether or not you should use 2 minute intervals or 10 minute intervals, or if you should recover for 1 min or 90 seconds, focus on completing each workout 100 percent. This way, we reduce the amount of injury, illness and see more progress. And that is what it's all about, isn't it? Becoming better than we were yesterday, last week, last month or last year.

My recovery, my escape

2005-12-20T21:19:00.000-06:00

Who needs artificial recovery methods? This is where I re-charge and find new energy. Maybe more riders should try this...

Another positive

2005-12-20T19:25:00.000-06:00

According to Velcochimp, http://velo.astrochimp.com/, Inigo Landaluze has tested positive on testosterone. Landaluze recently won the Dauphine, where the positive test result came from. If you are wondering why the heck he would test positive on the male hormone, well my guess is as follows:

Not surprisingly, during high, sustained and prolonged efforts you wear down your body. The testosterone level drop sharply during such times and serves as a great indicator of when you need rest and recovery. Once the body gets its required rest, these levels will naturally rise again. For some reason, many team doctors on the Continent sees nothing wrong with injecting testosterone to speed up the recovery process. As a result, Mr. Landaluze is now most likely looking at a 2 year ban, and rightly so.

As I've stated earlier, I'm a firm believer in a life-time ban for athletes that test positive (A and B sample) for performance enhancing drugs. They take these PEDs knowingly and willingly and in doing so, they give the sport a terrible image and they degrade and dishonor all the clean riders. There is no reason to bring them back into the sport again.

When news like this pops up, it makes me both sad and happy. I'm sad, not for the cheating athlete - he gets what he deserves, but for the sport. But, I'm also happy, because it proves that the system works. We are catching these dishonest riders. Many riders complain about all the out-of-season tests, but I welcome them. In my opinion they should do more testing, especially during the off-season. I'll gladly pee in a cup for anyone, if it helps improve the image of our sport.

I promise

2005-12-20T17:04:00.000-06:00

Today I did something I have not done before. I sat down and viewed my own blog, when it suddenly hit me - what a freakin' mess! This blog is hard to read. I can't believe you even bother to come back here. Thank you for your patience.

So, I'm going to make YOU a promise. I promise to insert paragraphs, do a simple spell check and, yes, I will even check my grammar! Can you believe that? I am doing this for your viewing and reading pleasure. :) From now on, I will dazzle you with my exquisite formatting, grammar and the use of words I myself do not understand.

Now, what I cannot, and will not, guarantee is the actual content of this blog. That will most likely continue to be a constant rambling about things that really only concern me and a few other strangely like-minded individuals. But hey, starting today, this noncohesive rambling will have accurate grammar and less spelling errors. Stay tuned!

2006 Winter Olympics

2005-12-19T16:20:00.000-06:00

53 days to go, ladies and gentlemen! Aren't you all so very, very excited? I know, I know - this is the WINTER Olympics, no cycling. But hey, there will be plenty of other interesting events to watch. One event that means a lot to me, is cross country skiing. As all genuine Norwegians, I was born with a pair of cross country skis on my feet, ready to hit the trails. So why am I so nuts about cross country skiing? Well, it is very much the winter equivalent of cycling, both in terms of training, tactics and the actual racing events (mass-starts, time-trials etc). Chances are, if you enjoy watching cycling, you will enjoy watching cross country skiing as well. Hey, maybe you'll even turn into a cross country skiing nut like me? You see, the things that make cycling great to me, are the same things that make cross country skiing an interesting sport to watch. The individual that succeed in this event has very much in common with the individual that succeed in cycling. Yet, I admire and, in many ways, envy the purity and simplicity of this winter sport. Norway has consistently produced some of the very best cross country skiers in the world. Despite this enormous success, the sport and the athlete has not changed a whole lot. Still, the successful Norwegian cross country skier tend to come from rural, extremely sparsely populated, areas and he is usually an individual that grew up having a very close relationship with the outdoors. In other words, he is a bit of a loner, a hermit. Instead of going out with his friends for a cold one, or maybe even two, he hits the trails. Regardless of weather. He excels in a sport that does not nearly compensate his training and achievements as much as comparable results in say, cycling. A top cross country skier may only make $15,000-$30,000 a year on his racing. That's it. He could be working at the local McDonald's and make more. And many do, have part-time jobs that is. Yet, he trains as much or more then most of us, year in and year out. His training methods involve less technology and are more "pure" compared to the sport of cycling. We cyclists so easily become "computer slaves". We are all about numbers. I think many riders, especially the "up and coming" ones can learn a thing or two from cross country skiing. We need to stop worrying so much about what the cycling computer says and just get out there and let the natural terrain mandate intensities, candance and heart-rates. We need to find back to the simple, basic idea of endurance training. It's so easy to over-complicate things such as training methods, diet and most importantly - supplements and pharmaceutical products. What we need is simple; training, sleep and a healthy, simple diet. There is no need for all these additional pharmaceuticals, legal or not. The use of these products is extremely limited at home, there is simply no culture for it. Coming from a small country, the Olympics means a great deal to me. The Olympics is an event that brings the country together, unifies the people and creates a healthy nationalistic feeling. We are proud of our Olympians, our pure performers, especially when they triumph over athletes from larger, more prominent nations. It's the classical "under-dog" scenario. Naturally, I hope we do well in Italy next year. Time will tell, but I think it looks promising. And after 2006, comes Beijing 2008.

Bringing back the joy of the outdoors

2005-12-17T16:10:00.000-06:00

Yes, I know, here he goes again - rambling about the woods and mountains of Norway. As I've said many times before in this blog, I believe there is a direct link between the growing health problems among young people and the lack of outdoor activities. The youth of today does not take part in outdoor activities such as hiking, fishing, camping, hunting, skiing, running etc. As a result, we see an increase in diseases such as childhood obesity. I believe we need to turn this trend around and help people re-discover all the excitement and joy that lies right outside the doorstep. We need to show youth that it's possible to have fun without the Playstation. I would like to point out 1 individual and 1 organization that is doing a fantastic amount of work with regards to this problem. 1. Lars Monsen. http://www.larsmonsen.no/ Lars is a fellow Norwegian and a great explorer. He has done much good work and showed young people that it's fun, and even cool / hip to take part in outdoor activities. Lars is most known for his epic, 3 year solo journey across the wilderness of Canada, but he has also done several other "small" expeditions across the world. Please visit his web-site and check out his diary / newsletters from his Canadian adventure. It's great reading! 2. Outward Bound Wilderness. http://www.outwardboundwilderness.org/ This non-profit organization offers outdoor activities in the US and internationally. They work with several schools and promote outdoor activities among youth and adults. Every kid they touch will have a new-found love for the outdoors! If you are looking for a charity to donate some hard-earned cash to, look no further. :)

Food

2005-12-17T14:56:00.000-06:00

Cakes, pies, cookies, gravy, stuffing, cakes, pies, candy, cakes, did I mention cakes? Ah, the joy of Christmas! It's drawing closer by the day and I've got a dreadful feeling of joy and horror in my stomach. The joy is the obvious part, but why the horror? No, it's not the Christmas shopping that scares the fecal matter out of me, nor the inevitable "do you really have to train on Christmas Day" comment from the wife. No, it's much simpler than that, although maybe simple is the wrong word; Food. Such a simple word, such a complicated issue. In Norway we have a saying "without any oats the horses get weak". As we all know, this principle applies just as much to us humans. We need fuel to perform. Why then, do we make food and eating into such a complex matter? I'm not going to lie to you, I've got just as much of a love/hate relationship to food as the next serious cyclist. At times I worry more about getting fat than a bride does the week before she is about to get married. It's sad and a bit pathetic actually. The whole thing is completely imagined and a product of one's subconscious mind. The development and progress of an athlete consists of 3 basic items: training, eating and resting. All too often do we make the mistake of only focusing on the training bit, although the real progress takes place during the resting and eating phases. Eating sounds so simple, just put food in your mouth. But it's harder than that - eating has created problems, eating disorders. I pay close attention to what I eat, constantly. The food has to be healthy and rich in energy. Fruit, vegetables, whole wheat products, potatoes and fish makes up the core of my daily diet. A very successful athlete once told me "the more I can eat, the more I can train". For a guy that tips the scales around 140-150lbs, I eat a lot. Huge amounts actually, but during my hardest weeks I also burn 5000-6000 calories a day or more. That energy must be replenished, with proper food. Why then, do I worry when I step on the scale in the morning? I know my weight will never climb much above my optimal race weight, year round. But still, I worry. I am working hard at the mental part of this, trying to get rid of this negative thinking. Negative thoughts are a waste of energy, athletes need to focus on positive things, always. In order to perform to the max, an athlete needs to have a healthy, relaxed relationship to his own body. It can be better to be 2 pounds "overweight" and feel good about oneself, rather than spending lots of energy on trying to lose weight. There is a direct link between the mental state of an athlete and his physical form and performance. We need to be in harmony, both physically and mentally. This is where most top athletes have room for improvement. Not to mention that the hard training requires adequate energy-reserves. If the energy is not there, the body will not be able to respond properly to the high training loads. Of course, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that trying to lose 5-7 lbs before the race-season starts is a bad thing, not at all. But many riders don't eat enough, once the target weight has been reached, due to the fear of gaining weight again. This can directly, or indirectly, lead to injuries, illness, burn-out, over-training and a general lack of performance. Patience is very important when you want to lose those extra 5 lbs before the season. Start early and plan to lose small amounts of weight per month. Remember that restricting the caloric intake too much results in a lack of performance during training, simply because your body does not have the energy available to perform. And that does you no good, absolutely no good at all. So do like the horses, dig in and watch your performance increase. Oh, and pass on the cake, it's over-rated anyways... If you keep telling yourself that, maybe some day you will believe it. Until then, be strong and ride hard. :)

Grueling intervals

2005-12-16T19:36:00.000-06:00

You know what I'm talking about - the feeling of utter exhaustion, the legs are heavy, tired and full of lactic acid. The taste of blood is all too prevalent, no matter how much air the lungs seem to draw in, it is just not enough. The heart rate is through the roof and the feeling of dizziness has set in. Most sane people would regard it as madness to do something like this, willingly and knowingly. Not to mention that it's not done once, oh no, it needs to be done over and over and over again. How? Why? These are questions that have been asked, but can anyone really answer them? These sessions are so hard and mentally demanding that it takes two days to prepare, to find motivation and inner strength. To push one's body so close to the edge, over and over again, it takes mental focus. It's all too easy to be "nice" to oneself and not put in the required intensity. Rain, snow, sleet, sun, cold, wet, hot - it doesn't matter, these sessions are what brings us up to the next level. They need to be completed properly and somewhat frequently. It's all about walking up the ladder, one step at a time. There are no limits for the person that wants to succeed, really wants to. But there are consequences for the individual that understands what it takes to make it. Year in and year out he must be willing to follow a rather boring training plan, to the "t". He knows that during the long, hard interval sessions he must be willing to push himself past the threshold of pain, far past it. Not once or twice, but over and over again. There is hardly no excuse for dropping a training session, family vacation during the summer or 10 degrees below zero with blowing snow - neither will do. He must train. If you really want to succeed and you are willing to make the sacrifices along the way - you will make it.

The calm, clear one

2005-12-15T14:03:00.000-06:00

It's a crystal clear, calm spring morning. The air is clean and fresh, the sun is starting to warm up your body and the sky is blue. Like most mornings you are out on your bike. You have been riding for maybe an hour, but you are not exactly sure. On a day like today, who is counting the minutes anyways? You are headed towards the top of the highest mountain on today's ride. Your body is responding well to the requirements of the climb and your mind is calm and clear. You are focused. You are not drifting away today, like you do on some days, you find a sort of inner peace. Just you, the bike and the road leading up to the top. No thinking about the bills that need to be paid, the yard-work you have been putting off for the last 2 weeks or how your toughest competitors will do this season. At this moment, you wouldn't want to be anywhere else, or do anything else. As you work your way up along the narrow, winding road, you are constantly looking for that next "nature experience". You know this is deer and moose country. Last fall you hiked up the side of this mountain many times, hunting the "king of the forest". When you plan training rides, you always try to find areas rich in wildlife. What if you can see a big bull, or a maybe a doe with her fawn? As you turn the corner and the forest opens up into an open alpine bog, you see them! The doe is gracing at the edge of the forest, the fawn is running around, playing. He seems to be enjoying the day as much as you are. They haven't seen you yet. You slow down and watch them for a little while before the doe notices you and with a graceful jump she is gone, into the forest. It's almost as if the trees swallowed her and the little one. You increase the pace again, returning to your efficient pedal candence. The adrenaline is rushing through your body, this short encounter revitalized you, it gave you an extra boost of energy. As you reach the top of the climb, the area surrounding the mountain lays beneath you. You can see the city down there, with the commuters stuck in rush traffic. Moments like that makes you appreciate your life. That you are given the opportunity, time and resources to do this! On days like today you understand how privileged you are. Cycling is so much more than just races, victories and losses. The feeling of being in top shape, that you have the energy and strength to ride your bike 150 miles, run for hours or ski across the mountain, that is what's all about.

The Perfect Ride

2005-12-14T19:10:00.000-06:00

The perfect ride, I'm not talking about winning, the perfect ride is something else, something more. It's when everything works. Your equipment works perfectly, your technique is effortless and efficient and every part of your body performs optimally. You feel invincible. Instead of dreading the pain caused by the next steep, long climb or the tortouress pace required to reel in the break-away, you welcome, yes even impatiently search for the next moment of hard effort so that you can pour some of that strength into it. And when the moment arrives, at the base of the climb or when the group forms into single file and the pace quickens, you feel as though you are powered by some invisible force with unlimited energy. You think to yourself, that now, now you are going to show your opponents, now they will experience the real feeling of pain and suffering. As you peak the climb, instead of resting a bit, you switch into that monster gear and spin it like you've never done before. You feel that you are recovering from the effort of the climb much quicker then usual. Even on the decent you are taking chances, no playing it safe today. With all this extra energy and power comes the feeling of being invincible. Nothing can go wrong today, today you are going to steal time both uphill and downhill. You simply cannot seem to be able to find a use for all that energy. These days are rare, very rare. Maybe once a season, sometimes even less. Maybe a few times during training. The perfect ride starts before you even get on the bike. It starts with the previous night's sleep. You have no problems sleeping, no tossing and turning, no worrying about the race. Just a deep, calm sleep. You awake with lots of energy, before the alarm-clock goes off. You get out of bed, you try to feel the body, the legs, as you dress. You wonder, is this the day? Is this the day when everything will work? The legs feel good, very good. Everything is ready for the race, all your equipment has been prepared the day before, including dry clothes to get into after the race. You know that it's crucial to avoid spending energy on useless things today. You want to bottle up all the energy and reserve it for the event that is going to take place 4 hours from now. You eat your breakfast quietly today, avoiding anything that is not crucial for the race. A big bowl of oatmeal, a couple of bananas and the glass of orange juice goes down fine. One cup of coffee finishes the morning ritual and wakes you up, gives you that little bit of "extra". You prepare your after-race recovery meal, making sure it's ready as soon as you get off the bike. You arrive in the start area about 2 hours before start-time. You are focused, getting ready mentally. You check the equipment again, is it all ready? You arrange for the recovery meal and dry, warm clothes to be ready at the finish area. This is what you have been working for, all those training hours. Those long, hard winter rides. All the hard work, it accumulates in today's event. Usually this "pressure" would cause negative feelings, but not today. Today you are focused, calm and clear. Today you want to show them all. Today is your day. You can feel it already. Is the day? Will this be the perfect ride? You warm up, the feeling as your feet hit the floor this morning is still there. The legs feel good, very good. But you are cautious, you have felt like this before. You know that you very well could feel super now, only to discover that your legs are full of lead after 3 hours of racing. You tell yourself to be conservative, realistic. Stay focused, do not celebrate the victory before the race has even started. You know that it's extremely important to directly all your energy and strength towards something positive. Happy thoughts, man, happy thoughts. The sweat starts to drip from your face, legs spinning effortlessly and fast. You are getting warm, the body is responding well during the warm-up. Finally, the time has come. The race starts, as usual, it starts fairly slow as we pull out of town. Riders chatting, exchanging stories, alliances are being forged, only to be broken 1 hour from now. Welcome to the peloton. As the race progress, you feel that this is the day! You recognize the feeling of the perfect ride. This is your day.

Posts to come

2005-12-14T09:02:00.000-06:00

Over the last few days I have been posting "trivial" stuff, which most likely has not been too interesting for you, my reader. I realize I haven't been 100% true to the original intent with this blog - discussing cycling related topics. I just haven't had much creative juices flowing through me lately. :) To make up for all of this, I will start writing a series of articles discussing the mental aspect of training and racing. The first one should be posted tonight, I hope. :) Stay tuned for more!