Interval Training - How to get the most out of suffering

Race season is here and many of us are racing hilly bike courses this year: Cali Half, WF, Lake Placid, Wisconsin, etc. Riding and racing hills is a technique. A power meter is an extremely valuable tool on a hilly course. I used my Powertap to develop some good strategies at Wisconsin. I want to share them with you here.

Lance has revolutionized cycling in several ways. He's shown you CAN come back from a serious illness like cancer and return to top form. And, unlike other top European racers, he's shown the value of focusing intently on ONE race, the one that matters the most to him ' Le Tour de France.

During the Base 1 training phase, most athletes work very hard in the gym, strength training through the Maximum Strength (MS) period. Once this period ends, leg strength is not automatically transferred to the bike. It can be frustrating to see gym built strength fail to transfer to the bike.

At least one time each week during your indoor 'trainer' rides, it is important to devote some time to improving pedaling efficiency and skills. Among your goals for this skill work are: 1. to refine your pedal stroke and promote pedaling efficiency/coordination/strength, and 2. to develop easily referenced drills that you can employ in training and racing situations.

Coach Wendy writes: Yes, this is a coaching website and no we are not recruiting for the local girl guides or sailors for the up and coming around the world yacht race.

Many athletes have a hard time with regard to intensity. We all work hard in our daily lives, and it’s only natural to want to work hard at being a better athlete. Working hard at doing the right things is far different then working too hard in an aerobic sense. How hard should you train on a daily basis?

A fluid strategy is important not only for performance but also for safety and enjoyment. Without a good fluid plan you won't be able to make the most of your training. A common theme coming out of the round Taupo ride was people running out of fluid late in the ride. Not wanting to lose contact with their bunch, riders wouldn't stop to grab needed water.

I love cycling; it's got a special ability to make you feel fast and free. Plus, it's not as physically hard as running or as technically frustrating as swimming can be for many of us. Mix your swimming and running training with a little bit of cycling and you can go a long way - that's the beauty of triathlon training.

If you sat at your computer in a poor ergonomic position for six hours straight, bending and straightening your elbows 300,000 times or more, you'd expect a repetitive strain injury, right?