carleton

What did you do well?
Where can you improve?
What will you change?
How do you plan to spend the next 3 months (OCT-NOV-DEC of 2014)?

Dalai

Lots of racing most Tuesday nights and Saturday afternoons through our last summer - (not recently ended)...



Results

3rd Vic State Masters MMAS3 IP
3rd Vic State Masters MMAS3 Scratch
3rd National Masters MMAS Open Team Pursuit
4th National Masters MMAS3 Scratch

Then was continuing with the Tuesday night racing to keep some snap in the legs with plans to up the effort for the 14-15 season; till before Easter...



Only back on the bike over the last 6 weeks or so commuting to work and easy road rides...

Our summer season starts again already next month! Should get around to rebuilding my written off bike to be ready, but can't say I am motivated at this time to get back racing. Just happy to be able to ride again!

gtrob

Started the year with the intention to focus on Time Trials. Didn't quite have the FTP I was expecting (stuck around 320w) so did a few crits and found I enjoyed sprinting a lot more than steady efforts, and by mid year I was pretty well bored entirely with road racing and looking forward to only track.


Next 3 months is transition to indoor track and the end of outdoor riding (for me). October is strength work, november is power/speed, december is speed/racing. January is the new date for Nationals (omnium), so need to start to peak again around after christmas.

Thought about doing the LA GP this year, flights are cheap, but Im just not there yet. Next year it will be a goal race, along with some other NTC stuff.

Jared.

On the opposite end of the spectrum from most of the regular posters here, I just finished my first season racing track (and doing any competitive cycling).

I learned that a have a decent "jump". It was the thing I consistently got complimented on throughout the season. Just got my upgrade from 5 to 4.

I need to improve basically everything else. Specifically a little bit of stamina for longer races, I essentially have none. Proper implementation of tactics as well.

Change? I'll actually train over this winter, since I did no preparation going into racing this season.

Next three months I will be constructing a basic winter training plan, which will be a first for me. A bunch of weight lifting, some roller work.

I really enjoyed this season, and really like sprinting and weightlifting.

Huffandstuff

Mostly the same as Jared. This was my first year ever racing, got my four upgrade and really enjoyed doing match sprints, didn't make it out as much as I planned but I should do better next year and be able to make it out to more Thursdays. If/when I get my 3 upgrade, I'll probably take it more seriously and consider a training schedule or team but who knows.

Now I"m gonna do cyclocross for the fall to keep my endurance up/beer drinking steady and maybe do gym stuff in peak winter to get some more leg power.

CharlyAlfaRomeo

In my second year of racing track I went from the B group to A. Started the spring able to place or win in events < 10 laps but would get spat out the back in longer points races. By week 4 I was staying with the group, and by week 6 I was placing in races at all distances. Wound up winning the 6 week spring series by a few points.

Summer series started out well, won 3 of 5 races one night then pretty much rode away from everyone in winning 4 of 4 the next week. Was upgraded to the A group but couldn't race for 3 weeks due to work and only managed one ride a week during that time but I made them count.

Came back and surprisingly was able to stay with the ten or so fastest people in middle distance scratch races. Unfortunately three of the last four weeks got rained out so I just did a bunch of hard training on the road by myself.

Now that I'm up against the fastest people in town I see that specialization is pretty well mandatory at this level and a sprinter I am not. So I need to work on my FTP, 10-20 minute power, and ability to recover from the repeated hard efforts in longer races.

I'll be riding a lot more this winter, both outdoors and on the trainer. I"ll be investing in a power meter by the time the new year rolls around.

Base building and some threshold work. 3 hour rides once or twice a week plus a 2x20 or 5x5.

Hockey season has started so that'll take care of the anaerobic work for now.

queerpunk

What did you do well?
I successfully went reliably podiuming races to being a real threat for victory. I upped my sprint - brought it down to 12.0, and felt like I had a lot more muscle to use in a lot of race situations. I was a standout local rider and got some solid midpacks and top-10s in national level races.

Getting to that point meant that I saw results elsewhere, too - I hit the spring in a good position, was able to rub elbows at the front of the 1/2/3 field in crits, and finally saw enough results for an upgrade on the road, which meant a win and a couple really good podiums.

Where can you improve?
I can be better for big races. I sort of imploded, physically, for Nationals - had some reassuring races and some very disappointing ones, and was unraveled by inability to sleep and difficulty breathing in the humid August South Carolina air.

I want to be better on the national level and that means continuing work on my top end and my threshold. It means I have to have another focused offseason, hitting both the weights and the trainer/rollers with regularity and focus. It means that I have to have a strong spring season as a road/crit Cat 2.

Hopefully the payouts will reap rewards elsewhere, too. I want to finally win a ****ing points race. I was crushed to let two slip through my fingers and then implode in the biggest.

What will you change?
I'll need better focus through the winter. Last year I was great at focusing with weights but it was really hard for me to do on-the-bike indoor workouts. This year I'll keep steady progression through the workouts i'm planning for myself, to steadily raise my threshold through the winter so that I hit the spring faster.

More track-specific work in the summer - undergeared, overgeared, and motorpaced efforts. Some of the high-level racing I did was a different kind of shock to my system than what I had anticipated.

How do you plan to spend the next 3 months (OCT-NOV-DEC of 2014)?
Converting from miles per hour to smiles per hour. Long rides to stay fit through the fall; a little bit of cyclocross; getting back into weightlifting. It's been really nice to ride for fun and casual fitness, lately, than to do so as part of a plan - knaamean?

This winter, I'll try and avoid the crushing depression of deep Minnesota winters via a better life, happy fake sun lamps, and ice skating & punkhockey in my neighborhood park.

VanceMac

What did you do well?
It was fun to go back over the brief notes in my log. I had a pretty decent year racing mostly against (much) younger cat 1/2s. I think racing slightly above your head is the best training. Racing people even just slightly below your level means that every strategy miraculously works out perfectly (hint: it wasn't the strategy). More importantly, chasing forces you to dig as deep as you possibly can, and that is training gold.

Timing of my training worked out fairly well. Lifting in off-season, continuing lifting (at reduced frequency) during race season, and gradually ramping up intensity/specific intervals, had me peaking for States (both Elite and Masters). Podium at Elites, 3 wins and BAR at Masters. Possibly the highlight for me, though, was racing an early seasons omnium with Martyn Irvine, Jacob Duehring, Sarah Hammer, Andy Lakatosh, Nate Koch, and a slew of local National/State champions. How often do you get to compete against the current World Champion in your sport?

Where can you improve? What will you change?
A common theme early in the year was racing to survive rather than to win. Even when you are clearly outgunned, stuff happens. Be prepared to take advantage when that stuff happens.

While my training cycle worked out well, there was a fair amount of “winging it” and changes on the fly (especially since it was my first year lifting). With some lessons learned, I hope to stick more carefully to the (new) macro plan. Also, more kilo intervals. Always more kilo intervals.

How do you plan to spend the next 3 months (OCT-NOV-DEC of 2014)?
Do you even lift, bro? Since breaking my collarbone in July, I’ve been 98% lifting and 2% riding. This will be my first normal-ish off-season in many years. October will start to ramp up some base miles. Given how little I’ve been riding, that phase may even drag out through December.

queerpunk

couldn't agree more.

misterwaterfall

I like reading through these threads so I'll contribute though my season hasn't been too awesome(on the track season that is)

What did you do well?
Just started racing track this year. Did the intro class in June, started racing at the end of June, upgraded to the 3's, and now I'm consistently finishing races and omniums in the 4-6th place range...
Where can you improve?
Work on my 5-10 minute power. Usually a strength for me, but I've been slacking a bit on on the bike training lately. I also need to work on my tactics as I usually have gas in the tank and can make up places at the end of races though it's tough to win starting from 10th wheel at 400m to go. They have improved, but I foresee move video review over the winter.
What will you change?
Adding more intensity, taking out long rides. Last year at this time I was doing 6-7 hour rides on the weekends to get ready to road race, this year will be much different.
How do you plan to spend the next 3 months (OCT-NOV-DEC of 2014)?
Lifting, some shorter high intensity rides(2-3 hours), and vacation time. Planning a later start to the season next year as crits/track don't get going until late April/early march time frame.

gtrob

Do many of you spend time at LA during the winter at all? I can't imagine what its like to be off the bike for so long (trainer doesn't count as riding!). Looking at their calendar you could get a pretty good week there, especially if there was a race on the weekend.

VanceMac

Yeah, as much as I like to preach kilo intervals, it's really the 60-100 lap point races that I have to thank for maintaining any endurance during the season.

Working on your strength is good. Not working on your weakness is really bad, in my opinion. You aren't necessarily implying that, so not necessarily directed at you. But just because you "aren't a sprinter" does not mean valuable gains can't be had by training your sprint.

Quinn8it

Skateboarding>Cycling

CharlyAlfaRomeo

I hear ya, it's just not time to work on it yet. Our season doesn't start until May and I'm using this next few months to make sure I'll be with the group when it comes down to a sprint.

I'm in the gym twice a week so I should be plenty strong by the time January rolls around and I start upping my intensity.

Velocirapture

Just a thought on this; could be worth adding box jumps into your gym routine, as strong is not the same as powerful, and you're going to need the explosive part for sprinting when you get to that point in your training.

CharlyAlfaRomeo

That's good advice. I'm already planning do an 8-12 week power block as the start of the season nears but I do need some pointers on rep and set schemes for plyos.

queerpunk

I do Tabata squats. They are unpleasant. They also allegedly work vo2max.

I also do squat jumps. They are unpleasant in a different way. 3 sets of 5 leaves me pretty drained and barely able to walk.

slindell

Hint of the day - Wear soccer shin guards when doing box jumps.

Quinn8it

Tabata squats will focus on muscular endurance- not so much Strength.. Strength is the main goal of lifting weights... The type of muscular endurance developed by lifting weights is generally thought to just benefit your ability to do more reps of weights.

Jump squats are good at converting strength to power- but put you in a fairly dangerous position- especially as weights advance.. It's hard to maintain proper bar position after the catch.

Box Jumps are not bad at developing Power- but as you get better at doing them and begin adding height to them you also get better at pulling your feet up faster and higher to get on the higher box. If you were to watch the progression of an athlete as he reached higher and higher boxes- you could see that his head does not get proportionally higher with each box height increase.. So it does not provide scalable progress..

I'd Chose the Powerclean for Power development... But you will need some instruction

T NATION | Dangerous Exercises

carleton

[QUOTE=Quinn8it;17158709If you were to watch the progression of an athlete as he reached higher and higher boxes- you could see that his head does not get proportionally higher with each box height increase.. So it does not provide scalable progress.. [/QUOTE]

+1

Yup. Once you get to a certain point, you use the same amount of power to get off the ground. What lets you get on top of higher boxes is how much you pull your legs up.

CharlyAlfaRomeo

I can power clean but I probably won't do it enough to reach maximal weights.

I read a blog post or something from an Aussie coach who said single leg plyos on a leg press were the Australian track sprinter's bread and butter circa 2008 or so.

Any thoughts on that?

fietsbob

Europe is Just starting .. Racing track indoors in the winter.

Stas87

This was my first "season" of track racing, which really didn't start until after my road season ended. Not much of a track season as I only showed up to race on the track 3 times. I'm primarily a crit racer and usually do the 3 or 123 races in the area. Not sure if I did anything well, although I won 2 scratch races and got a few 2nd places in different events. So I must have done something well

I'm learning that track racing is very different than road racing. One thing I was told that I need to work on by an older track racer as that I need to learn how to spin better. I'm used to using larger gears on the road; spinning in the 80-85rpm range during races 100-120rpms in the field sprint. So I plan on riding the track bike on the rollers and trainer this winter.

As I move into base training for the off season, I plan on incorporating riding the track bike during the week. My off season (Oct-Dec) is primarily lifting, trainer/rollers during the week and longish training rides on the weekends.

carleton

Yeah, learning to spin is vital. On the road you can coast and regen your muscles, on the track you can't. So, grinding big gears will wear on you. You'll watch top scratch and points racers and they will average around 100-110 RPM during normal laps and touch 125-130 on sprint laps.

Pay attention to your crank length. Certain people can't spin longer cranks. Cranks that are normal on the road for grinding and climbing would generally be too long for the track. If you have trouble holding higher RPMs consider going down -5mm.

I feel that people underestimate the importance of crank length. There are definitely pros and cons it all. It depends on what you need and what you want to emphasize.

queerpunk

Good info.

I do jump squats without weights.

They are all-out efforts and absolutely murder.