What an April we are having!! My team is making me a very proud coach

Cohutta 100 saw Carey Lowery nail her peak, break her bridesmaid streak and take the win in a PR time of 8:06. Awesome!! Danielle finished a strong 3rd.

Cohutta 2009 podium Thanks for the photo Danielle (I stole it;-)

At Cohutta, 100 mile mountain bike training plan follower Laura finished her first ever hundie on an SS! I’ve never met Laura but hey girl, I am proud of you!!

Laura, Carey and Danielle pre-riding Cohutta. Thanks for the photo Danielle!

Krista bounced back from heat exhaustion at Sea Otter to finish on the podium at the US Cup West race in Los Olivos.

Thanks for this pic Krista! (I’m borrowing photos today)

Jeff Kerkove turned in a super strong race at Whiskey 50 finishing in 3:44 for 14th in a deep pro field.

Another big congrats to LW Coaching athlete Mario Correa and his ripping fast partner Heidi. This weekend they not only won the duo category at 24-Hours of Hurkey Creek but rode more laps than any duo team in history at that race!! 26 laps. Wow!

I crossed the Whiskey 50 finish line in 1st place, 3:54 with a Police escort in front and Dave on my wheel - very fun for me. My race story is here on our 2-Epic blog.

Congratulations to Carey Lowery and Jeff Kerkove at Ouachita Challenge. Jeff won the 60 miler and Carey won the 80 miler. Nice job guys!! All that hard winter work is paying its dividends now.

Last weekend I won our local cross country mountain bike race the Cholla Challenge as did my 9 year old Wesley. Emma (6) pulled in a nice 4th place too.

This weekend April 11th I will be racing co-ed duo with my 2-Epic race team-mate Dave at Dawn til Dusk 12-Hour mountain bike race in Gallup, New Mexico. I’ll have 27 gears with me again this weekend. I am liking those shifter levers on my handlebars these days Say Hi and introduce yourself if you see me there.

LW Coaching athletes started the 2009 season with a bang racing all over the nation from Florida to Alaska with fantastic results.

This weekend Krista Park had a breakthrough race taking 1st place at the Kenda US Cup West opening round in California. Nice!! Big congrats Krista!!

Carey started out her season taking  the top spots at both Snake Creek TT and Southern cross race . She has been making huge gains in her power numbers too!

Dave Byers accomplished his goal and finished The Susitna 100 in Alaska. Not only did he finish but pulled off 8th place with a finish time of 26 hours and 42 minutes - wow!

Danielle hopped off a winter on the trainer to finish 5th at Mas O Menos 100k in TX.

Jeff, Mario and I took the annual trip to 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo and all finished 1st in our respective categories of 5 person open, mixed duo and solo single speed. All of us 1st!! Now that was a good coaching moment

Wow! That is only the January and February race reports. It’s gonna be a super season! All the hard work done this winter is paying off. Great job everybody.

If you are using the Garmin Edge 705 with a power meter things just got a bit easier to track.  Ever since I began using the 705/PT combo, I’ve still used the PT CPU for rides where I really wanted to know the workouts details.  WKO has until now not handled stops in the ride correctly.

Build 106 of WKO+ is a big step in the right direction.  This latest version was released a couple of days ago.  If you set the 705 to auto-pause, WKO+ will now interpret those pauses exactly as it does for the PT CPU.  Finally, we get our cake and get to eat it as well.

Get the latest build here:

http://home.trainingpeaks.com/wko-desktop-software/download.aspx

By overwhelming demand from wattage users, they have also started publishing release notes.  Prior to this the only way to see the release notes was to install the program.  Do you really want to install every release to make sure you’ve got what you need?  They support something like 68 devices so most of the updates are related to device compatibility anyway.

Check the release notes here to determine if you need the latest:

http://support.trainingpeaks.com/trainingpeaks-wko/release-notes-for-wko.aspx

Last October Saris began taking orders for a hub update device for their 2.4 wireless power meters.  Typically the firmware in the electronic power measuring hubs never needs updates, so this is a special gizmo.  The update?  The hub transmissions are changed to include both the private Saris network and the ANT+ Sport network.

For many PT wireless users this falls in the “so what” category.  It doesn’t make the hub work any better with the existing PT CPU.  What it will do, however, is enable 3rd party ANT+ Sport devices to receive PT transmissions in a recognizable format.  The Garmin 705 is one such device, and others could possibly include the wireless SRM receiver,  iBike/iAero, and the forthcoming unit from Quark.

Combining the power data of the PT with other devices has several potential benefits.  The iAero/PT combo has great potential for roadies in optimizing bike position through reduced air drag.  The Quark is supposed to be linux based and open source, allowing customized algorithms & displays for the extreme geek.  The 705 is a GPS mapping unit as well as hosting all the training utility of the 305 Edge units - for off-road GPS users, the combination with power is sexy indeed!

Finally the updater began shipping in Dec.  The actual update is as easy as changing the batteries.

Remove the disc and black battery cover.  Remove the battery pack.  Insert the updater into battery pack connector.

Flip the little switch and red/green LEDs begin alternating inside the unit.

When it’s done the light turns green steady.

Turn it off.  Remove it, replace the battery pack (great time to replace batteries too), put the new cover on that came with the updater, reinstall the disc and that’s about it.

First time on the bike you may need to relearn the hub.

Now for the gotchas.  Of course there are a few.

I’m using the Garmin 705.  It turns out they decided to filter the raw data stream, likely due to the PT’s aliasing.  The PT calculates power data points at fixed time intervals which basically means that depending on what cadence you ride at, the point to point value fluctuations can be quite large.  Filtering the data stream makes sense for noisy GPS signal perhaps, but filtering the PTs data stream generates bogus data for bursty efforts.  I’ve been in contact with Garmin, they have removed the filter in a beta version that I’ve been testing and so far so good.  I can’t say when it will become publicly available, but it should be very soon.

Zeroing the torque is now a different process.  It is done at the hub and not the CPU, and must be done while the wheel is not moving.  At first glance this doesn’t make a lot of sense as the auto-zero function used to work at zero cadence, but now will need zero speed - and at zero speed how can zero torque be known by the hub?  It can’t.  Ever trackstand at a light, or rest your foot on the pedal?  Time will tell how well this works in practice.

Garmin 705 .tcx file format is a floating target.  Software such as Topofusion and WKO+ that rely on consistent file formats to produce meaningful data interpretations are having a tough time keeping pace.  Your favorite program may or may not work well with the Garmin if you choose to use it.

Whew, what a spew.  So there’s the scoop.  Power up and power on in ‘09.

Tags: ANT+ Sport, power, Power Tap

New LW Coaching Training Plan 7-Day Mountain Bike Stage Race - Personal Record Plan.

We have had the 7-Day Mountain Bike Stage Race - Finishers Plan available for a couple of seasons but new for 2009 is the PR plan. This is the plan for racers aiming to place high and push their limits.

Mountain biking stage racing is becoming more widespread. 2009 sees the addition of two new races, The Breck Epic (which I am signed up for. I like racing inaugural events :-) and The Intermontagne Challenge. I raced the inaugural BCBR in 2007. I raced Trans Rockies in 2006 winning the Open mixed category and in 2008 on a single speed! Stage racing is uber fun. I’m looking forward to Breck Epic this year in July. You can bet I’ll be following this stage race PR plan for Breck Epic.

I’ve been rolling my mtb disc 2.4 wireless PowerTap hub in circles since April with the factory installed batteries. About 15 hours of riding ago the battery low icon started to flash. Tomorrow I have a ride planned I really want to have power data for and would be bummed if it pooped out mid workout.

Changing the hub batteries requires first removing the disc.

Then unscrewing the battery cover with the cute tool provided with the PT.

Here is what it looks like inside.

There is a little battery pack that pops out.

The batteries took a bit of wiggling to get out but the new ones slid right in.

Then reverse all motions. The process was painless except for getting the plastic battery cover back on. It screws down on metal threads and was tough to get aligned and screwed down without crossing threads. That took a few extra minutes of wiggling too.

Once back together the system was ready to roll. No further finagling required. I should be good to go for another 400 hours of PowerTap love. Tomorrow is only scheduled for 90 mins…

Power in cycling comes from the legs but cannot be transmitted into the pedals unless there is a strong core platform to push off. If the center of your body turns into a noodle after thirty minutes of riding, power and endurance carefully developed in your arms and legs cannot be used. Efficiency is a big part of being fast when mountain biking. A strong core and upper body is needed to drive your bike through technical terrain without losing momentum. Endurance mountain biker racers need a huge reservoir of core and upper body strength to maintain control of the bike for 12-24 hours of off-road pounding.

Core strength means hips, butt, lower back and abdomen. It means flexing and extending the trunk as in back extensions and crunches. It also means stabilizing against a force such as gravity in exercises such as bridging. Integration exercises that work the abdominal, back, hip and butt muscles all at the same time are the best core strengthening exercises.

Tips for core strengthening exercises

Contract your abdominal muscles throughout all exercises. Think of keeping your belly button pressed into your spine. This keeps you muscles close to your spinal column and provides spinal support.
2.        During exercises when both feet are up off the floor, keep your belly button pressed into your spine and your spine pressed into the floor to support your lumbar spine.
3.        During exercises when both feet are on the floor, keep your hips and spine in a neutral position.
4.        Move fluidly without and throwing and jerking motions.
5.        Breathe slowly and smoothly throughout exercises.
6.        Add lots of variety into your core training routine. 
7.        Target your whole core by alternating abdominal, back and side exercises. Use both mobility and stability exercises.

As with all new exercises, start slowly and avoid any movement that causes pain.  If you are not confident with your technique, seek the services of a certified personal trainer. 

Pillar Ball Twist  Get in the push-up position with your feet flat (shoelaces to ball) on top of a stability ball. Place your hands the same width apart they are on the handlebars. Keep your body rigid with legs and feet squeezed together. Rotate your torso to the left turning your belly button to face the wall while rolling onto the side of your left foot. Hold in place for a second and then rotate your feet back to the shoelaces on the ball position with your belly button pointing at floor. Hold for a second and then repeat rotation to the right side. Any butt swinging or bending at the hips or knees is cheating. Make your shoulders and torso do the work. This is a killer exercise for mountain bikers. Ten reps to each side should be tough.

Pull-Ups  Do your pull ups palms facing away from the body (like you are holding your handlebars).

Push-Ups  Face down, body held rigid in plank position, lower chest to floor and raise up. If you need to, start out building push-up strength on your knees and work up to toes.

Psoas Crunch  Kneel on all fours with one end of an elastic exercise-band (swim cords work great here) tied to your right ankle and the other end to an attachment point beyond your feet. Extend your left arm and right leg out and then crunch them in bringing your right elbow towards your left knee. Round your back, exhale and pull your belly button hard up to your spine as you crunch in, hold for two seconds and repeat.

Glute Bridge  Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Extend one leg and then raise your hips up using the strength of the opposite hip only. Hold for 10 seconds and lower. Repeat 10 times on each side. Keep the hips level and in line with your torso. Weakness will show up by one hip jutting out to the side or dipping lower than the other.

Crunches Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on floor. Lift head and shoulders off the floor and then lower. Keep your neck in neutral and don’t pull on your head. Vary tempo. Increase intensity by lifting feet off the floor.

Oblique Crunches Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on floor. As you lift your head and shoulders, rotate your torso to the side bringing the opposite knee and hip towards each other. Then lower. Keep your neck in neutral and don’t pull on your head. Alternate sides. Vary tempo.

Side Lifts Lie on your side, legs straight, arms relaxed. Lift shoulders and legs at same time then lower. Vary tempo.

Superman’s  Lie on the floor face down with your arms extended overhead. Using your core lift your arms, shoulders and legs off the floor and fly like Superman then lower. Vary tempo.

Reverse Crunch  Lie on back, press lower back into floor, lift legs with a 90 degree bend at the hips and knees. Curl tailbone off the floor using lower abs then lower while maintaining the 90 degree bend at hips and knees.

Standing Trunk Twist  Hold a stick on your shoulders behind head (not on your neck). Twist torso to one side then the other like a periscope. Keep hips facing forward. No rotation in legs and knees.

Hanging Knee Raise  Hang from pull up bar or dip station. Contract core muscles. Lift knees as high as you can without throwing them. Control the motion while you raise and lower. Vary tempo.

Seated Knee Raise  Sit at the very end of a bench. Lean back slightly. Round your lower back slightly. Lift both feet two inches off floor. Pull one knee towards your chest then extend back to start. Alternate legs. Keep your core contracted and do not let your back arch.

Dumbbell Side Bend  Stand with a dumbbell in your right hand. Lower dumbbell down thigh as far as you can without leaning forward or back. Return to upright.

Roll-Ups  Lie on your back with your legs straight and arms extended overhead. Exhale as you begin to roll up. Lift your arms, then head, then shoulders. Continue to roll up articulating your spine one vertebrae at a time up and forward. Inhale as you stretch forward keeping your belly button pressed to your spine. Exhale and roll back down slowly with control, exhaling throughout the whole movement. Stretch tall, inhale. Exhale and roll back up. Think of curling yourself forward, stretching then slowly uncurling back down to the mat. Move with a smooth fluid motion at a constant speed. Avoid throwing your body up, or allowing it to flop down. Keep your heels on the floor at all times.

Roll-Over  Lie on your back with your arms by your sides and legs held up towards the ceiling. Inhale to prepare. Exhale slowly, contract your lower abs and peel your spine off the mat one vertebra at a time from your tailbone. Inhale when you have lifted as far as you can. Exhale as you lower to the starting position with your legs straight up towards the ceiling. Control the movement avoiding any throwing or jerking. Move fluidly. Do not roll onto the back of the neck, balance on the shoulders instead. Make sure you are lifting from the back of your hips and not simply allowing the weight of your legs to pull you over. Move with your exhale. Only curl your pelvis up as much as your muscle strength will allow.

Roman Chair Back Extensions  If you have access to a Roman chair, back extensions are great to build strength. Bend all the way forward and when you lift up, do so only to a neutral spine position. Avoid hyper extending (bending back too much) your spine. Start with 3 X 10 and build up to 3 X 20. I don’t like adding weight to this exercise but prefer adding various rotation movements. As you lift turn your shoulders to the side or try figure of eight rotations with your shoulders.

Swimming  Lie on stomach, completely outstretched. Reach your fingertips for the wall on front of you. Hold your head in a neutral spin position (don’t look up). Pull your belly button up in to your spine to activate your transverse abdominis muscle and then bring right arm and left leg up while simultaneously lifting chest off the mat. Switch arms and legs while holding chest up and transverse abdominis muscle tight (just keep your belly button pulled into your spine to do this). Continue beating arms and legs up and down in opposition while holding core strong and stable. Imagine you are balancing on a rock in the water and need to keep the movements controlled so you don’t slip off. Complete 20 beats slowly, 20 beats quickly and another 20 beats slowly with no rest.

Breaststroke  Lie on your front with your arms stretched out overhead. Pull your abdominal muscles in towards your spine and keep them locked in throughout the whole exercise. Lift your arms two inches off the ground then arc them around to your sides in a breaststroke fashion while lifting your chest and chin. Hold here for a few seconds, then dive your head down and your arms forward again in a breaststroke fashion back to the start. Breathe as if in water. Inhale as you lift and stroke back and exhale as you dive forward.

Heel-Beats  Lie on your front with your arms stretched out overhead. Pull your abdominal muscles in towards your spine and keep them locked in throughout the whole exercise. Straighten your arms and legs and keep them straight throughout the whole exercise. Raise your arms and legs two inches off the floor. Clap your heels 20 times. Rest, stretch and repeat 4 -5 times.

Crawl  Lie on your front with your arms stretched out overhead. Pull your abdominal muscles in towards your spine and keep them locked in throughout the whole exercise. Raise your arms and legs two inches off the floor. Hold your left arm and both legs still. Drop only the fingertips of your right hand to the floor and lightly drag them along the floor towards your right shoulder. Raise your elbow up as high as you can towards the ceiling as your arm comes in. Continue dragging your fingertips along the floor and graze your thumb along your side until your arm is straight. Pause here and feel the opposition stretch with your left arm reaching forward and your right arm stretching back. Reverse the finger drag making sure to keep your elbow high. Repeat with left arm. Exhale as you stroke back and inhale as you stroke forward. To reduce the intensity keep your legs on the floor.

Front Pillar or Front Plank  Hold a push-up position for 30 - 60 seconds. Keep head in line with spine and don’t sag or bend.

Side Pillar or Side Plank  Balance on your left side supporting yourself with your left hand and both feet. Left arm is straight without a locked elbow. Right foot is stacked on top of left foot. Legs are straight. Keep hips pushed forward and don’t sag or bend. A straight line is formed from feet to neck. Hold for 30 - 60 seconds then switch sides. Only the side edge of your bottom foot and your left hand should be in contact with the floor.

Ball Pikes  Start in push-up position with legs together and shins resting on top of a physioball. Slowly raise hips up to the ceiling rolling the ball towards your shoulders then lower back to start position. Repeat ten times. Legs remain straight and together throughout the movement.

Nice exercise descriptions and photos can be found here

Book recommendations

The Pilate’s Body by Brook Siller is an excellent book with clear pictures and descriptions of many core exercises.

Core Performance by Mark Verstegen is the best conditioning book you will ever buy. It has clear photos and explain the benefits of functional strength in performance.

By Ann Schofield, PT

The following exercises have been specifically chosen to address the typical muscle imbalances developed by cyclists. The biking position causes certain structures to be elongated, while others are kept in a contracted position. When a muscle is stretched out for prolonged periods of time, (such as gluteus maximus in cycling) it will become long and inefficient in portions of its range. Other muscles, kept in a contracted position will become shortened and overactive. This sort of imbalance found between different muscles or even portions of one muscle, can lead to injury and inefficiency.

Naturally, the muscles used to move the bike forward will be dominant. Without a stable base to work from, these muscles cannot work effectively. The exercises found below will help improve the function of the stability muscles, as well as ensuring that they can work efficiently throughout their range.

1. Neutral Bridge with Single Leg Raise

GOALS OF EXERCISE: To optimize inner range control of gluteus maximus and improve stability function of oblique abdominal muscles.

1. Lie on a firm surface with hands on front of hips to monitor hip position.

2. Lift pelvis using both legs, then raise one leg as shown.

3. Hold this position for 10 seconds, before returning to the start position.

4. Be sure that the pelvis is held level. This is the key. One side may be more difficult to do than the other.

5. Repeat 10 times on each side with a break between every lift.

RELEVANCE TO CYCLISTS: Cyclists tend to have extremely dominant hamstring muscle activity and poor stability function in the gluts. While riding, the gluts do produce power from the middle and outer portions of their range, but fail to stabilize adequately in the inner range, largely due to the mechanical disadvantage placed upon them in the seated, lean forward position. This muscle imbalance can lead to hamstring pulls, hip problems and even IT band friction syndrome at the knee.

2. Clam Shell Exercise

GOALS OF EXERCISE: To strengthen the posterior portion of gluteus medius and gluteus maximus.

1. Lie on side, with hips at 45 degrees and knees at 90 degrees.

2. Keeping pelvis perpendicular to the floor, and heels together, raise the upper knee as high as possible, by turning out at the hip.

3. Hold for 10 seconds, repeat 10 times each side.

4. If the pelvis is not held in the correct position, the wrong muscle will be used to move the leg.

RELEVANCE TO CYCLISTS: Due to bike position and cycling motion, the rider will use the anterior portion of gluteus medius enormously, while the posterior portion will not be recruited much at all. This posterior portion is hugely important to pelvic stability and the prevention of hip, knee and back problems. It will also be needed when climbing out of the saddle.

3. Oblique Abdominal Strengthening

GOALS OF EXERCISE: To improve the stability function of the oblique abdominal musculature.

1. Lie on your back on a firm surface. Monitor position of low back with hands.

2. Raise one leg to 90 degrees, then raise the other to join it.

3. Straighten one leg, then the other, in a cycling motion while maintaining good contact between the low back and the hands.

4. Do this for 10 seconds, rest then repeat 10 times.

RELEVANCE TO CYCLISTS: When torque is applied through pedals, strong rotational forces are produced. The obliques function to decelerate these forces through the trunk and pelvis, so that the energy produced can be used to move the bike forward, rather than turning the body from side to side. When a rider gets tired, form often deteriorates and extraneous motion occurs, reducing efficiency.

4. Prone Inner Range Leg Raise

GOALS OF EXERCISE: To optimize inner range control of Gluteus Maximus.

1. Lie on stomach on firm surface.

2. Bend the knee to 90 degrees.

3. Squeeze gluts on the same side, then raise the leg just 2 inches off the bed.

4. Do not allow the back to hyperextend (arch). Do not roll onto the straight leg to achieve the lift.

5. Hold for 10 seconds, repeat 10 times each side.

RELEVANCE TO CYCLIST: This exercise provides the cyclist the opportunity to work even further into the gluteus maximus inner stability range. Do not underestimate the importance of having strength in a muscle through all portions of its range. Riders who cross train into running in the off season will need to maintain good hip stability in the upright position if they want to avoid injury.

5. Anterior Hip Stretch

GOALS OF EXERCISE: To lengthen tight tissues at the front of the hip joint.

1. Lie on the edge of a firm table or counter.

2. Pull one leg up to chest and allow the other to hang down, opening up the hip.

3. A weight may be strapped to the ankle to pull down on the leg being stretched if a more aggressive stretch is desired.

4. Hold the position for between 30 seconds and two minutes.

5. Repeat on the other side.

RELEVANCE TO CYCLISTS: Due to posture on the bike, a cyclist will inherently suffer from tight structures in the anterior hip. The following recommended stretch may not be the most convenient to do, but is the best way to make a difference.

6. Tight IT Bands?

GOALS OF EXERCISE: To release myofascial trigger points.

1. Lie over the foam roller as shown, with the top leg crossed in front or behind for support.

2. Roll back and forth to massage tight tissue, or hold pressure on especially tight trigger points to release them.

RELEVANCE TO CYCLISTS Both the bike position and pedaling motion can lead to tightness in the illiotibial band, which is found on the outside of the thigh, starting at the hip and attaching into the side of the knee. A tight IT band can lead to hip or knee problems, as well as a painful condition called IT band friction syndrome. Use of a foam roller can control some of this tightness often found in cyclists.

Tags: ITBS

Intensity	Common names	Perceived Exertion Scale (1-10)	Friel HR zone	Coggan Power Levels	Conversation Indicator	Breathing Level	General Feeling
Easy	Active Recovery, Endurance	1-2	1	1	You can easily hold a normal conversation	Breathing is normal to very slightly elevated. You can still breathe through your nose with your mouth closed	Go all day pace. JRA (just riding along) pace. Light pressure on the pedals.
Moderate	Endurance	3-4	2-3	2-3	Conversation is still possible	Breathing is slightly elevated. You must open your mouth to breathe	You can cruise along for 2-3 hours at this pace
Race-Pace or Moderate-Fast	Tempo, Lactate Threshold	4-5	4-5a	3-5	You can talk in four word sentences but conversation is difficult	Breathing deepens markedly. It is audible to a training partner	You can maintain this pace for a maximum of 60 minutes
Fast	VO2max	6-7	5b	6	You can give one word answers but cannot converse	Breathing changes to sucking	This is the pace you can maintain for a maximum of 5-6 minutes
Maximum	Anaerobic Capacity, Neuromuscular Power	8+	5c	7	Grunting is possible!	Sustainable efforts are too short to max out breathing level	You can only sustain this pace for very short efforts