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

Crank Cycling Athletes and freinds. We are planning on doing a Crank Cycling road ride on Decmber 3rd at 9am. We will be leaving from the Performance Bike Shop in Sorrento Valley. The ride will be lead by Coach Jesse Eisner.
This riding is aproprieate for all crank cycling athletes. It is an endurance paced ride. There will be no hammering on the ride. Hope to see you all out there.

Cheers Coach Jesse

Performance Bike Shop
11675 Sorrento Valley Rd., Suite A
1/4 Mile South of Carmel Mountain Road
Sorrento, CA 92121

Crank route

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/59080432

It is essential to know your strengths and weaknesses before adding specificity to your training plan. There are two common approaches, 1) further develop your strengths, and 2) focus on your weaknesses. Riders training to their strengths dedicate time and energy where their skills and abilities already lie; others, focus on their weaknesses in order to develop a well-rounded set of abilities. The Crank Cycling Climbing Camp can help both types of riders.
The Crank Cycling Spring Climbing Camp is where a dedicated rider can harness the power of specificity in order to achieve new levels of performance. After determining a focus area and attaining a base-level of cycling fitness, adding training specificity complementing and stretching your abilities is the next step. If you are a climber, more climbing and specific gradients that mimic upcoming events, including appropriate duration and intensity, is essential. Planning on competing in a century race with a 3-mile climb? If so, then you will want to reflect that exact effort in your training. Do you have upcoming touring century rides? The first goal for specific training is to start with duration barely exceeding your existing limits. To maximize your training, the goal is to incrementally extend that duration until reaching the desired effort level for a given event. Accurately answering the following questions will effectively shape your training program:
1) Does the event have repeated efforts such as a circuit race?
2) Is the event a point-to-point event with continuously rolling terrain?
3) Are there repeated climbs?

After these efforts are added into your training plan you can take specificity a step further
by adding continuous blocks of the chosen discipline to stimulate further adaptation—a training camp is a perfect opportunity for this. Training camps can be as simple as a long weekend with multiple days of riding, or as intricate as choosing multiple specific climbs over 3 to 5 days while maintaining specific power or heart rate output.
Crank Cycling just completed a spring climbing camp in some of the most challenging and beautiful terrain in Southern California. For three days riders enjoyed a FULLY-SUPPORTED experience including a follow-vehicle, food, drinks, spare clothing, mechanical support, expert coaching, and evaluation. Riders climbed over 21,000 feet, sped down winding descents, and pushed themselves to new levels—all developing their riding skills and pushing their physical limits.

“It felt like I was on a 3 day vacation, except I was never more than an hour away from home. I got to push my body over some of the most beautiful climbs San Diego has to offer, while feeling very “pro” the entire time. There is nothing more relaxing than knowing you have a support vehicle near you at all times. A raise of your hand gets you anything you need, water , food, a jacket, a wheel change, sometimes just a word of support, or the directions to your next turn. I will be the first to sign up to Crank Cycling’s next climbing camp!” ~Jose Cepeda~

Summer Climbing camp

Jose and Coach Jesse

Coached athlete Justin Farrar

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

See you on the road,
Coach Jesse Eisner

The  Retul Fit Part  -2  Part one can be found HERE.

When I  arrived at Studeo DNA’s   fit studio in Carlsbad, Chris was just finishing up with another rider, so I got into my cycling kit and had a seat.  The first thing  Chris had me do was walk back  and forth across the room in bare feet while Chris watched to look for signs of excessive eversion/inversion ( toes out or toes in)  as well as excessive pronation or supination ( inward or outward rolling of the heel).   The idea here is that someone will walk with a gait that is natural for them and that this foot position may need to be replicated on the bike.   This is where cleat shims and similar tool are often utilized.  My walking position was generally neutral, so that made this part relatively simple.

The next step was to run me through a few strength and flexibility tests to ascertain how these things may affect my bike fit.     I never thought of myself as particularly flexible,  nor do I have 6 pack abs, but I was rated as “ high” to “medium” on all flexibility metrics and “high” on the core strength test.    Next, Chris verified that my cleats were evenly placed on my shoes, and he put me on  the bike on a trainer that was on a level platform.   While on the bike, Chris checked the cleat placement to ensure that the balls of my feet where at the center of the pedal axles.   Once that was done, he began placing small Velcro dots on anatomical points on my feet, legs, torso, shoulders, arms and hands.   This was done on both the right side, as the motion capture measures both sides of your body.   The proper placement of these dots is important, as all measurements are taken from the points.    Once the dots where properly placed Chris attached the  Retul Motion capture sensors  to the  Velcro dots, and  turned on the motion capture camera.  He then had me pedal at my own preferred cadence at an easy, moderate and “ a little bit hard” effort level using  an electronically controlled trainer  that allowed him to control the watts.  While I  pedaled, the motion capture camera took data samples for 15 seconds at each effort level, and this was repeated for both the left and right sides.    It is important to   take data samples at  these different effort levels, as you may well pedal differently when you are noodling along the coast vs when you are getting on the pedals hard during a race or other hard effort.

When the data capture was done, we looked at many different joint angles,   at different points in space, and how they changed while I pedaled.    The 3 aperture setup of the Retul system allows the the  system to measure your movement in 3 dimensions.  So while the camera is on one side, it measure not only up and down, left and right, but  backwards and forwards as well.    All of these angles are then compared to a set of norms developed by  Retul after measuring many, many riders.   My   angles position, and movements   were all well within the norms given by  Retul,  but we did notice that one my right side that  my knee was moving a  tiny bit more forward of the pedal spindle than what was expected.    In an attempt to remedy this, we moved by saddle up, by just a tiny bit (3.5mm) and forward just a bit (5mm).     Then we went through the motion capture process again, and looked at the data.  There was very little change in my joint angles or the way my knee moved forward of the pedal spindle, but neither Chris nor I found this to be much of a big deal in the first place,  and I had no pain or discomfort, so we decided to leave the bike as it was.      We finished up and I got back into my street clothes while Chris used the Retul system to take measurements on my bike, and prepared a report on my bike and my fit.

Retul isn’t really a “fit system”, I would describe it more accurately as a “dynamic position measuring system.”    The advantage of the Retul system is that it gives completely objective measurements, and catches things that they naked eye may not see.  Once the data are collected, it is up to the  fitter to use  that information to help him determine   your position and what, if anything,  should change.     Relying on an actual person to use all the information possible   is, in my opinion, the best way to go about fitting someone on the bike.   Some “fit systems” attempt to measure all of your segment lengths  and then plug it into an algorithm to tell the fitter where to put your contact points.  But  as I’ve said previously,  the experience  of the fitter,  the personal observations, and quite simply the “gut” of the fitter are just as important as anything else.     So the Retul system  does not fit you too the bike, it  gives the fitter information that can be used  to help fit you and your bike.

There was no “Eureka!” moment for me.  We made very minor changes ( 3.5 mm  is almost as minor as it can get)  that I may or may not keep.   But I  went into Studeo DNA  with no major issues,  and a comfortable bike  position that  works  well for me.    Someone that has    issues with tightness, pain, discomfort, etc,    may make more significant changes to their fit, and could potentially get much more from I bike fit than I did.     My only criticism of the whole process is that it is done one a trainer, and you simply don’t pedal the exact same way on a trainer, as you do outdoors.        Doing bike fits on a trainer is fairly standard these days though, and the stationary trainer offers a level of measurement and observation that would be very difficult to replicate when you are hammering along on your group ride.

After we finished the whole fit, and made the minor changes to my bike, Chris went about what he called “zinning” my bike.   He used the  Retul system to measure  my to precise location of my wheels, saddle, handlebars, my bike geometry and more.    These measurements were all part of the report that he gave  when we were done, and proved to be quite valuable.     A few days after  the   appointment at Studeo DNA,  a custom Kirklee   carbon fiber frame that I had  been waiting for arrived on  my doorstep.   My mechanic was able to use the information, and the precise measurements made by the Retul system to replicate all  of my contact points so that they were exactly the same as on my Time.   Chris later told me that  a some of his customers told him that  bike setup report alone was worth the trip to see him.  Another bonus is that Chris will see you again within two weeks  with no additional charge.  That way you get to try out any changes in the real world, and then come back if they aren’t working for you.    A “free” return  visit is an absolutely essential part of a high end bike fit, and I would guard against working any fitter that won’t follow up on his work.

If you want to check out  Studeo DNA and the Retul system yourself, Chris told me that they are having an open house this Saturday June 25th.  You can just drop in and check the place out, or you can bring you bike and gear so that they can put you on the trainer and take some measurements.  Getting those measurements will be only $25,  and you can apply that to a full bike fit if you wish.   There is an Evite HERE.  and a Facebook invitation HERE.

Below a some of the documents Studeo DNA provided me after the fit:

My Retul  Bicycle Setup Report

My Retul Bike Fit Report ( left side)

I saw this story on Velonews today:   Upcoming from CycleOps: Heart-rate-based power meters and superlight carbon wheelset

I am going to say this as clearly and simply as I possibly can.  There is no way to measure power using heart rate.   It just isn’t possible.   Heart rate is to dynamic.  It changes due to factors such as fed state, level of fatigue, how long you have been exercising, hyrdation level and more.      Power measured via strain gauges is instantaneous,  and any effort put into the pedals can be measured right then and there, but but  heart rate may take several minutes to catch up.    So heart rate is a reasonable proxy  for effort level on long efforts, but  is practically useless for long efforts.

Like I said, I love my powertap,   I have one on my bike, and I have a studio full of powertap stationary trainers.   But don’t tell us you are measuring power when you aren’t.    What PT is trying to do is measure training stress using heart rate, and make it applicable across different types of exercise.   This is nothing new and it can be useful.    You can read a good article on TRIMP HERE.    But there is absolutely  no no way that TRIMP equals power measurement.

-Sean

A warm up is an important part of your race preparations.   It  is rather silly to  train for countless hours,  travel to a race, and payg entry fees if  you aren’t  going to be properly warmed up. A  proper warm up may not necessarily  win  you the race, but it can definitely lead to a sub-optimal performance and can lose you the race.   We have posted  warm ups for road racing, cyclocross racing, crit racing, time trialing, track racing, and mountain bike racing.    These warm ups are not set in stone, and you may have to experiment a little bit to find out what works best  for you.    If you haven’t been doing a structured warm up, or are looking for something new, consider them a starting point.   If you like them, stick with them,  but  feel free to experiment a little.     You’ll more find  information   links to all of our warm up  protocols here.

In order to hone your cycling skills it is important to practice them in a controlled environment. This means you should practice riding fast, cornering, and riding in groups. Creating a controlled environment is the hardest part of practicing these skills. To do so you need a safe place to ride and at least one experienced rider who has mastered all of the skills being practiced. Crank Cycling Coaches can help you do this.

Do you want to cruise through the field of riders and find the sweet spot in the peloton? Do you want to slide into the draft and reap the benefits of others’ hard work? Would you like to glide through corners at high speeds, not hitting your brakes and not having to over-analyze the word Apex on google search for hours? Do you want to make it over, through, and around obstacles and hazards without worry?

Would you like to keep up on the local club ride without being afraid of riders coming too close to you, or the constant thought of being dropped and not able to catch up at the regroup spot?

All of these things can be accomplished and your mind can be set at ease with some classroom instruction and on-the-bike practice. Come to Crank Cycling’s bike-handling and group riding skills clinic on April 16th, presented by Crank Cycling Coach Jesse Eisner. Jesse is a USA Cycling Certified coach and veteran racer with 2 decades worth of riding and racing experience.

See you out on the road,
Coach Jesse

Link to sign up

http://clients.mindbodyonline.com/ws.asp?studioid=7102&stype=-102

Crank Cycling will be holding a bike handling and group riding skill clinic on April 16th.   If you are  new to cycling or just need work on some of your riding skills such as  safely riding in traffic, over  or around hazards  such as railroad tracks, dirt, sand, and other debris,  cornering in wet and dry corners, pacelining and drafting, riding in close proximity to other riders, and more.   This clinic is intended primarily for beginner to intermediate  level riders, and  is a great way to help you finish your events   faster, safer, and upright!     You can find more information and registration here, or contact Jesse at Jesse@crankcycling.com

What are you capable of doing? Most athletes do not know what the top of their peak performance can be. One of the hardest parts of training is objectively viewing your own performance and determining whether your efforts are adding to a progressive or regressive state. We, as finite beings, are for the most part incapable of training to our personal best without some outside perspective. Productive training consists of disciplined efforts performed on a razors edge, trying to push beyond our current limitations to achieve what may seem impossible from the outset. We most often find what we are capable of doing by pushing beyond our current limitations to the point of failure. Failure is not a bad thing. Failure shows what our weaknesses are and points us in a direction in the pursuit of improving our performance.In a recent conversation with one of my clients, he shared that he thought he might be doing too much and was probably not capable of attaining some of our midterm goals. We discussed the workouts he had completed and his overall recovery.

Here are some important questions you can ask yourself to make sure you are not over training: Am I able to do and complete my workouts correctly? Am I recovering on my rest days? Am I staying healthy (not getting sick)?   This is where a power meter can be quite useful.   If an athletes is feeling good, but the power keeps improving, we know that the athlete is not over trained.

So objectivity will help us to determine our training progression. Pushing beyond our seeming limitations reveals our true limitations, and failure is just a learning tool.

All of these elements can be more easily attained when consulting with a coach. Crank Cycling coaches will help you to do all of these things. Give us a call! Let’s sit down and discuss how we can help you to assess your capabilities.

See you on the road,
Coach Jesse

I personally have been using power meters since 2002, and I love to use power meters to coach athletes. I’m kind of a science geek and I love to crunch the numbers and evaluate the data. I also love that fact that the power data can enhance or even tell a different story from what the athlete conveys. Power meters give truly objective and accurate information that can’t be obtained any other way. They let us track progress more accurately than any other method, and they help us dial in an athlete’s effort level to ensure an efficient use of time, as well as determine when “enough is enough.” There plenty of resources out there on training with power, and there is ever more powerful software available to analyze, evaluate, and plan training. These are all powerful tools, that help athletes track and attain higher levels of fitnes, as well as help coaches communicate and track their athletes better than ever. The problem comes when athletes and coaches become too reliant on the power meter.

The training and coaching of an athlete is not just a simple recipe or formula with predetermined inputs and outputs. Every athlete is different, and every athlete’s response is going to be just a little bit different. An athlete needs to be viewed as a whole organism, not just a set of power data. In fact the subjective feedback from an athlete is every bit as important as that power data. I think some athletes and coaches easily forget that. They just want to open up a book, take training plan from the book, and adjust it for the athlete’s power numbers. It is easy to get caught up in all the charts, graphs, and information that today’s powerful software provides, but all those charts and graphs just don’t tell the whole picture. I would argue that power data in isolation can even confuse the issue. For example in riders look at their power meter data along with a chart that says they are in a Cat 1 range and get frustrated because they are still a Cat 3.

How and athlete “feels” is every bit as important as what that athlete does. In fact there are several athletes I have been training for years that don’t use a a power meter, a heart rate monitor, or any piece of electronic equipment on their bikes whatsoever. We train primarily using RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion), or how an effort feels, and these athlete have reached many of their goals, as well as put wins on their palmares. Power meters have their place. And if i had my way, most of my athletes would train and race on them all the time. But power meters aren’t for everyone. Price, functionality, and even all of that information makes powermeters and training with power undesirable for some.

For those that don’t want to train with power, RPE works just fine. I used to rely heavily on heart rate monitors for athletes without power meters, but now I’ve gone the other way and prefer to use just mostly RPE. Heart rate data can simply change so much from day to day, and RPE conveys both what I want from the athlete, as well as what the athlete should do much better than heart rate.

Power meters have their place and many coaches and athletes love to use them, but they are by no means a requirement for success. Coaching and training is more than just looking at power numbers, and the entire experience of the athlete needs to be taken into account. Rate of perceived exertion and how an athlete feels is just as important as power numbers, and many coached athletes are successful using nothing more than than their own perceptions and some feedback from their coach.

Use the comments section below to tell me what you think.