Monday, October 27, 2008

NTEP, Part III

First off, photo credit for that last set goes exclusively to Rob... nice work dude. Now...

As a continuation of our series, let's explore a possible reason for recent success... You know how all these coaches are these days... they're all about their science and their fancy training methods. It's amazing how easily they brainwash you and how easily we cyclists give in to shiny stuff. Well, I am sad to say (ok, not real sad) that I in fact washed down the red pill by drinking the Koolaid and I bought myself a PowerTap. Some people are probably going to be sorely disappointed in me, but tis true. Fortunately, the greatest LBS on the planet hooked me up big time and lessened the impact on the wallet as much as possible. And hey, call me a sellout, but I think it's working.

Let's see... fancy testing, a coach, a little yellow buddy... what the hell else could be going on (I think the media industry calls that a tease... here in tall freak blogger land, we call that a 3 year old who needs the oreo crumbs washed off his face)...

16 comments:

Colin R said...

Common sense check:

Are you riding more than you used to? Are you training harder?
Is this your second or third year racing?

If any of these are true, that could be the reason for your improvement. Powertaps and coaching are all well and good, but I would say that exiting Cat 4 is attainable by anyone who decides to take racing seriously for a year or two.

A coach/powertap can definitely help you take racing seriously, so I'm not actually arguing with you. Just playing devil's advocate.

trackrich said...

Before September, I would ride my bike as often as I could. Sometimes I would ride my bike hard. Sometimes I would ride my bike less hard. I sort of tried to translate what little bit I knew from running into something that resembled workouts, but I was clueless. I took the easy way out and decided to have my hand held for a while. You write the workout, I do the workout. In this case, the workout makes more sense if a PT is giving me the feedback than a HR monitor (which I no longer have because it snapped off at G'ster). The structured approach to working hard is what's making me better. We'll never know if I'd be as much better if I just kept riding my bike a lot...

gewilli said...

hmmm

dumbass gets coach

AND buys powertap

suddenly stops "riding when ever he can"
starts riding in a structured purposed fashion

and gets results...

no fucking way...

results not possible without an evil little yellow life sucking crutch of a buddy or a guy telling you what the hell to do...

because it is way to hard to figure out a "program" on your own ;) because you know there aren't ANY basic training plans online... none...

*sigh*

so sad...

ah well...

trackrich said...

Listen man... I'm no dumbass. I know that the reason the season is going well is because I'm working my effing ass off and doing stupid shit like getting on my trainer at 4 effing 30 in the morning to do workouts. So the plan came from a guy who knows what the hell he's talking about and I happened to buy one of the most popular training devices in the sport to help me control my training. Sure I could have picked up some random crap off the web because everything you read on the internet is true right? I guess it's time to go dark with the training related material over here...

gewilli said...

hook, line, and sinker

(i'm just happy for you and have a weird way of showing it i guess)

solobreak said...

Last year, weren't you on the "Willie Nelson Plan?" ( On the Road Again - crash every week).

This is truly breakthrough research. Not crashing, finishing races, and not being injured are clearly unimportant variables here. Watts and data are the only things that matter.

trackrich said...

Sorry G... you genuinely got me riled for a few there... I get baited easily when it comes to the work I put into something. How bout I stick with you guys are all a bunch of assholes in the nicest possible way? :)

You also have to remember, this is all new to me... last year gave me every reason to believe that maybe I did just simply suck at this two-wheeled thing after all.

solobreak said...

You pleading 'roid rage? Should have kept your mouth shut. You'd need at least a few more Cat 4 wins before the whispers started...

Scott Sweeney said...

Nothing to defend dude....one need only look at the scoreboard.

Whatever you're doing, stick widit...it's workin'!

gewilli said...

what ever it takes to get focused...

just don't fuck'n burn out man...

ya know we love ya tall freakyness and respect your decision to go the route of numbers and plans...

but you HAD to know there's a good core of your "fans" who eschew the whole power/coach fad of the moment ;)

just keep doing your workouts ;)

trackrich said...

I'll stick to my numbers and you stick to chasing commuters up the bike path... ;)

Ah yes, sustainability... tis the secret sauce isn't it? Staying upright has certainly helped...

Scott Sweeney said...

I was thinking about that whole "upright" thing....I'm no math guy, but doesn't the size of the lever have something to do with? I mean let's face it...you're taller than Tree Farm for crying out loud...easier for you to fall over, no??

trackrich said...

It was more pronounced when I had a too-small bike. I can feel that I'm more balanced having a larger bike. Before I was clearly top-heavy. There is a small element though which is just practice... Coley didn't learn to ride over stuff freaking 4' high by just being balanced :)

gewilli said...

when did you start racing on tubulars?

this year or last year?

Bad Brad said...

training? wtf is that?

Oh and on the whole balance issue... 6 foot unicycles are easier to ride than low ones... Rakes are easier to balance on your nose than a pencil...

When the thing is tall its easier to balance...

who knows?

trackrich said...

Tubulars came half way through last season.

And Brad, my old bike(s) were like putting the head of a rake on a pencil, stick something heavy on one end of something small and light, but hold it by the light end.