Crank Cycling

A key component to having a good race is having a tried and tested routine that you stick to. You will have some pressure and stress while trying to accomplish your goals. So it is important to feel comfortable leading into the day of your race. You already must be a disciplined individual to prepare physically and mentally for your race. Taking that discipline and utilizing it for your race day prep is important.

Pick a routine that you know works. Try to sleep the amount of time you normally when training. If your race is on a Sunday don’t add tons of extra chores around the house Saturday. You and your coach have done efforts that should mimic your event. Pick foods that you have eaten before these hard efforts and that you know sit well in your stomach. All testing of new foods should be done during training, months before your event. Give yourself extra time during preparation. Plan for everything to take longer and expect that you will need that extra time.

Because competition is stressful physically and mentally it is important to not add any extra stress. Make sure you are comfortable. Plan your meals ahead of time. What will you eat the day before and the day of (pre and post event). Choose the clothing you will wear to your event, during your event, and after your event. Make sure your equipment is the way you want it. Do you always use red TT bars at a time trial. Make sure they are on your bike not your workbench.

Just like discipline in training discipline in preparation is very important. Practice your preparation. You will most likely have similar events leading up to your peak event. Try new things months in advance. Repeat what works, and right it down to review later. Repetition is key to dialing in your routine. Finally if its not broke don’t fix it.

It is always important to remember life is not perfect. Things can go wrong. We all have had mechanical at inopportune moments or forgotten a helmet. If your are having a challenges here are a couple things you can do. Take a deep breath, ask for help. If it can’t be helped let out your frustration out and than let it go. It is very important as an athlete to have multiple goals. Pick two or three races you want to do well at. Then choose multiple metrics to measure your success. There is almost always a success in your performance.

If you want to take your training to the next level, let the coaches at Crank Cycling know. We can help you meet whatever training goals you have!
See you on the road,
Coach Jesse Eisner

We’re going to start a new weekly segment called Recovery Monday. Effective training plans must incorporate appropriate rest and recovery. This column will discuss recovery techniques and trends. So prop your feet up, relax, and read on!

Sleep

Sleep is the most basic and most effective recovery technique for athletes (really any human or mammal for that matter)! An athlete in training should be getting 7-10hrs of sleep DAILY. Recent research has shown that sleep patterns and requirements vary greatly amongst individuals and that this is dependent on genetics. Another recent study indicated that after 10 consecutive days of 6 hours of sleep or less, test subjects performed as though they had missed an ENTIRE night of sleep in the past week. There is debate over one’s ability to overcome this sleep debt; some studies show that individuals can sleep longer for a few days and performances return to normal. In general however we know that sleep deprived athletes perform poorly. Overall sleep deprivation is extremely bad for general health and extend patterns of disordered sleeping patterns must be addressed (there is even an extremely rare fatal form of insomnia which has no known cure – don’t fear there are only 50 known cases). 

So now that I’ve scared you into getting more sleep, let’s talk about the benefits. Sleep is prime time for rejuvenation; your body is in a very anabolic state and all the major systems (muscular, skeletal, nervous, and immune) grow or repair themselves during sleep. Your body secretes more growth hormone while sleeping and the amout of GH is highest during deep REM sleep. Your body will also signal GH release during naps; the post workout nap is a MAJOR recovery tool! NOTE: You want to time your workouts and post workout naps to conform to the normal circadian rhythm; try to complete both workout and nap before 3pm. A 45-60 minute post workout nap is ideal, don’t go longer or it will interfere with normal sleep cycles.

Okay, how do I get more sleep? First, set a routine. Try to get to bed at the same time EVERY night! About 1 hour before bedtime turn off the TV, get off your computer and the internet, put the iPhone down. More studies are indicating that these devices engage our minds actively and interfere with sleep patterns. Spend time with the family or read a book. Most sleep scientists advise against reading in bed so pick a quiet location to read. When it’s bedtime make your room as dark as possible. Wear comfortable clothes or make sure you will be warm/cool enough while sleeping. Wear an eye mask or earplugs if necessary (frequently when I travel to events I wear earplugs, an eye mask, and will use a sleep aid to ensure solid sleep in a hotel or guest house). Sleep aids can be useful to srt a sleep schedule, but long term use should be avoided (consult your Dr). Natural sleep aids like melatonin are definitely better. Try to time sleep so you wake each morning without an alarm clock. If you wake naturally at the appropriate hour each morning this is the ultimate indication you are getting the right amount of sleep.

For all we know about sleep, many aspects are still a mystery. To read more about sleep and your biological clock/circadian rhythm I recommend searching Wikipedia for sleep, sleep debt, and circadian rhythm.

If you have questions about your sleep patterns and recovery, talk to your coach…but if you’re calling or emailling me, do it before 9pm!

Sweet dreams!

Coach Chris