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Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Workout of the Week

Workout of the Week (compare LINK HERE)

Steve's Workout - 
Burpees for time pick your challenge

30 or 50 or 100 Burpees

Choose # of burpees based on experience and work steady to get them done

Post time to Comments Please !

Peter's Workout - goal this week to improve efficiency and muscles needed for riding offroad

find rockiest place close to home or riding destination you are at
 - keeping RPE in 7-8 range complete a 5min loop that includes:
a) steep uphill with quick dismount and hike a bike (remember right hand on seat or top tube)
b) quick remount - challenge yourself to execute a 'cowboy' or 'cyclocross' mount
c) pedal endurance on flatter terrain 1-2min
d) steep downhill rocky/tech
e) pedal endurance on flatter terrain 1-2min into steep uphill AGAIN

(COMPLETE 7-10 times with steady effort ... time should only decrease with improved mount/remount and lines on downhill)

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Monday, June 28, 2010

Crank the Shield Training Plan

The 'big test' during the event is finding your bag ! 

Testing Week - Check your progress or Join in !

Take 2-3 days easy or off as needed. Many of you have completed a long distance event this past weekend, such as CHICO RACING 24 HOURS SUMMER SOLSTICE  so give yourself time to recover.

A great structure to this week would look like below

M - off / get back on top of things at home and work
T - easy 30min strength/stretch/bike as motivated - clean bike, take in to shop etc. prepare for week of training.
W- 30-60min Bike - include 3-4 x 15-45sec efforts to shake the legs out and see how recovery is going

TR - Complete our CRANK THE SHIELD 6 min field test, just like the first week. Same course, bike.
         WU- till you are ready to go, then ride as far as you can in 6min. Note any metrics you can.
         * Minimum would be start/finish location for later comparison. Others are max/avg hr, watts & speed
        POST HOW YOU ARE DOING PLEASE !

FR - same as above but with 20min effort just like Week 1 !

Sa- Steve's wo of the week with Peter's workout of the week to warmup !

SN- 90-120min endurance ride keep RPE of ride 6-7 and no efforts above an 8 out of 10. Nice and steady

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Thursday, June 24, 2010

Why Stretch ? The Fuzz !

Steve found this on one of his favorite sites (www.crossfitLA.com/ ) and it is a great video that may help you get motivated to stretch more frequently ! 


Below is the Crossfit LA post (*** Note not for the squeamish !) 


 <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
So you don't feel like taking the time to stretch? Not as much fun as the challenge of a good WOD? Well if you're not regularly engaged in lengthening your muscles and tendons, you are probably building up "fuzz". This fuzz (see video below) makes you stiffer, less capable of moving, reduces circulation, and inhibits muscle layers from moving smoothly across one another. So if you're feeling and achey joint or muscle, wake up stiff, or are just plain tight, take five minutes each day and move, stretch... go beyond what is just comfortable... eliminate the fuzz! Thanks to SanFrancisco CrossFit for posting this on their site!



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Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Workout of the Week

Steve Workout of The Week

10 to 15 min active warmup then complete:

8 x 20 sec ON / 10 sec OFF at each station...complete each station
before moving to next.

Count total reps for entire workout.

Take 2 min rest between each station.

Front Plank on Elbows

Situps

Pushups

Box jumps (about 20 inches)

Burpees
Post reps / experiences to comments 
Peter's Workout of The Week
 
 During a Ride or Warmup this week
   -- 5 Rounds --
- 30sec standing on flats endurance pace
- 1 min seated 1 gear easier then preferred (95-105 RPM if monitor)
- 1min seated 2 gears easier (110-120 RPM if monitor)
- 30 sec standing on flats endurance pace
- 1min comfortable cadence seated
* focus on maintaining steady pace / wattage despite change in cadence / position and on smooth pedal stroke both seated / standing
** feel free to inquire on techniques !
 
 
PS. Remember to get in the 3 Crank the Shield Workouts Posted on This Blog every Monday! 
PSS. Remember to sign up for the race @  @ www.cranktheshield.com
 

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Monday, June 21, 2010

Crank the Shield Training Plan

Week's Training Goal: 
   - Aim to get in 1 RUN/jog for 20-30min this week along with Steve's Workout of the week. These make great morning workouts since they are quick and do not require much equipment! Plus the cross training will come in handy for any dismounting and hike-a-bikes you meet in the race ! 

  Steve, Peter and Rachael.

Week 2 Training Objectives ( Getting Started on some Muscular Endurance ) 
  Get in the following 3 rides on days you feel well rested.
  - Supplement extra days with Steve and/or Peter's workout of the week

a) 1-1.75hrs
Warmup 20-30min then Then Complete: 
           - 4x8 Min. @ 85-88%MHR
                  - 4 min recovery easy spinning b/w ( Don't stop b/w ) 

b) 1.25-1.75hrs
 Warmup 20-30min then 4-6 x 5min @ 80-83% (be very honest & steady in this range)
             - 2min easy b/w 

c)  2.25-3.5 hrs Easy endurance this should not be intense but STEADY and in the 65-75%MHR range for most of ride. Can be mix of Road and MTB.
      * 90 + RPM on the open sections / road 

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

How Long does it take you to recover ?

This is an interesting conversation we have with clients often.

Especially those who love racing and want to hit every race they can !

Lynda Wallenfels Wrote a great article about Endurance Mountain Bike Races

Her belief is in THIS ARTICLE (LINK) 

and summarized by this excerpt below ... What do you think ??? 



  • "·      Mountain bike races lasting 6 or less hours take 1-2 weeks for recovery and can be scheduled twice per month. 
  • ·      100 mile mountain bike races last anywhere from 7-13 hours and take 2-3 weeks for full recovery. 12 hour solo races are in the same recovery zone. Scheduling one per month is reasonable.
  • ·      Recovery speed from a 24 hour solo race depends largely on how well an athlete executed the race. A personal record (PR) level 24-hour solo, perfectly executed, non-stop 24 hours on the gas with no sleep that an athlete started well tapered, peaked and rested will take 4-5 weeks to fully recover.
  • PR level 24 hour solo mountain bike races take a lot of real estate in an athlete’s race schedule with 3 weeks to taper for, and 4-5 weeks for recovery. Scheduling one 24-PR level solo per season is ideal.
  • ·      24-hour solo races paced at a finisher level effort where an athlete stops for rests, meals and sleep during the race will take 1-3 weeks for recovery. 24 hour solo races executed on this level can be scheduled 3-4 times per season. 
  • ·      Mountain bike stage races such as Trans Rockies, BC bike race and Breck Epic are similar to 24-hour solo races in that recovery rate is highly dependent on the manner in which the athlete raced. Generally, 7 day stage races fall in the 3 week recovery time frame. Scheduling 1-2 stage races per season is reasonable for most athletes. 
  • ·      At the top end of the ultra-endurance racing category are the multi-day, self-supported events such as Colorado Trail Race, Arizona Trail Race and Tour Divide. The clock runs on these races non-stop, day and night, start to end. These events can take 4-40 days to finish [and 2-6 months to recover ] "

Full recovery from these races can take 2-6 months! Volume of sleep deprivation is a large part of the fatigue accumulated. A loose rule of thumb is to start with 2-4 weeks for recovery then add one additional day to recovery time for every hour of sleep missed during the event.


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Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Workout of the Week



Steve's Workout of the Week (Compare to June 2009) and the Last Time 

WU: Active flexibility for at least 10min

Main WO:
5 rounds for time of,
10 Heavy KB Swings (swing heaviest KB or Dumbell you can without losing form)

          *** Document from Crossfit on Kettlebell Swing LINK
10 Ring Push-ups (if you don't have rings or a TRX...then do clapping pushups)

Post Time / Load /Modifications / Successes to Comments Please !


Peter's Workout of the Week
In your longest Ride this week

Warmup with 5 x 30s-60sec One Leg Pedaling w/ 1min @ 100RPM and 1min comfy cadence in between
- all endurance effort so use gears
- one leg interval length determined by your ability to remain smooth / avoid 'clunking'

During the Ride Complete 5 Burpees every half hour


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Monday, June 14, 2010

Crank the Shield Training Plan

Week's Training Goal: 
   - Get in 3-5 longer hike a bikes up hill. One of the most common complaints in stage racing is sore achilles tendons/ankles/calfs. Ease into this as you use it as a chance to explore new areas!

  Steve, Peter and Rachael.

Week 2 Training Objectives ( Getting Started on some Muscular Endurance ) 
  Get in the following 3 rides on days you feel well rested.
  - Supplement extra days with Steve and/or Peter's workout of the week

a) 1-1.75hrs
Warmup 20-30min then Then Complete: 
           - 10min done as 30sec MAX EFFORT / 30sec EASY recovery effort 
                  * finish time 65-75% MHR after your recover from effort 

b) 1.25-1.75hrs
 Warmup 20-30min then 6-8 x 5 min @ 80-83% (be very honest & steady in this range)
             - 2min easy b/w 

c)  2 - 3hrs Easy endurance this should not be intense but STEADY and in the 65-75%MHR range for most of ride. Can be mix of Road and MTB.
                 * focus on 90+ RPM when on road/gravel/open double track 
                   

Friday, June 11, 2010

Previous Post From Steve about MAP Intervals / Guy Thibault Model

Foo

Peter Glassford getting tested after a good Threshold block of training

++++++++++
I have been getting a lot of questions lately about interval sessions for endurance athletes.
I use a few different methods for producing interval sessions and one of my favourites is below.
Developed by Guy Thibault - this model is quite useful and can be used with athletes who are able to monitor their performance during sessions...or not. 
By monitoring performance one could have Power on a bicycle or Speed on a treadmill or GPS outside...
The ON intervals are prescribed as % MAP - if you are able to monitor performance then a test would be necessary to find MAP (Maximal Aerobic Power).  On a bike this could be done by doing 10watts per minute until failure...then taking the peak 1 minute power.  Running would be same except likely .5km per minute.
It is good to use three interval sessions per week...and you need to decide what are the limiters of the athlete, time of the season, workout goals... in order to pick the appropriate interval sessions to make change.
The Pink and Green sessions are Quantity Interval Sessions.  These are good replacements for endurance training and also good for beginners as they don't require the ability to hold % of MAP for very long - the work is broken up into much smaller pieces.
The Yellow and Blue sessions are Quality Interval Sessions.  These are more widely used to bring change in the ability to hold performance at the desired levels of MAP.
These intervals should be used with caution and the athlete doing the workouts should feel that they are working hard...but can finish the workouts without doubt of failure.  If this is happening then the workload is likely too high.
Some other interesting things you can play with are technique as well...say in cycling you can have the athlete complete an 85% session but manipulate the rpm changing from high to low every 30 seconds...there are many possibilities here.
You can see the INTERVAL CHART HERE...
++++++++++

Enjoy your training!

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Thursday, June 10, 2010

Trouble Getting Out the Door ?

So warm weather is here

The first Block of Races have Come and Gone
 
How is Your Daily Training Going ?
 
Are you able to complete most or all of the training set out before you each week ?
 
Regardless of where 'the plan' is coming from it is important that it matches your lifestyle, your abilities and your motivation/interest
 
This is something a good coaching service and/or a well laid out plan should accommodate
 
If you find yourself staring at the door or suddenly developing an interest in folding socks or dusting cobwebs when it comes time to ride it is time to look at your routine
 
Try keeping a log of your training and how your feel before / during / after your rides, how is your life stress on this day, focus?, performance ? what time of day are you riding ?
 
This information can help isolate days when you were not motivated or tired and then be used to refine the program to YOU
ie. Wednesdays may always be busy family or work days so perhaps these are good days to train in the morning with a short workout (like one of our workouts of the week !)  or to take off .
 
Often people get stuck doing Monday and Friday off-days because that is how so many plans are organized but taking an off day for family on the weekend and an off day mid week when work gets hectic can be the thing that brings some people's training to then next level !
 
Have you made changes to your program that have helped to get or 'Keep you Moving??'  Please let us know


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Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Workout of the Week

get out and explore and have some fun!!!

Steve's Workout of the Week (Compare to last June )

Get in 15 min active warmup then complete:

Run 800 metres

10 burpees

Run 600 metres

10 burpees

Run 400 metres

10 burpees

Run 200 metres

10 burpees

Peter's Workout of the Week
 
Take some time to remember those other sports we do in the off season, and take a break from our main sport.
 
Complete an easy / fun session duration not so long / strenuous that you can't ride/train the day
 
Think of sports like running, hiking, strength training, ultimate frisbee, soccer or dirt biking 


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Monday, June 7, 2010

Crank the Shield Training Plan

Week's Training Goal: 
   - Remove and then put back on: Jacket and Arm Warmers while riding
  * it this is above your current comfort level try getting in 30 separate drinks bottle from cage ... pushing the quickness and placement of each drink (ie. in singletrack or coming into single track) 

  Steve, Peter and Rachael.

Week 2 Training Objectives ( Getting Started on some Muscular Endurance ) 
  Get in the following 3 rides on days you feel well rested.
  - Supplement extra days with Steve and/or Peter's workout of the week

a) 1-1.75hrs
Warmup 20-30min then Then Complete: 
           - 5x5 Min. @ 85-88%MHR (Use max value from test last week or best known max you have achieved in last 1 month)
                  - 4 min recovery easy spinning b/w ( Don't stop b/w ) 

b) 1.25-1.75hrs
 Warmup 20-30min then 4-6 x 5min @ 80-83% (be very honest & steady in this range)
             - 2min easy b/w 

c)  1.75-2.5hrs Easy endurance this should not be intense but STEADY and in the 65-75%MHR range for most of ride. Can be mix of Road and MTB.



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Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Workout of the Week

National Running Day !!
Get out for a Jog today !

Steve's Workout
4 rounds
Run 400m
40 airsquats
post time to comments

Peter's Workout
Ride a local trail that has many stairs or bike climbs that requires you to 'hike a bike' and dismount.
-- aim for at least 60min workout time with effort no more then 8/10.
-- focus on being smooth and moving forward at all times

Post how you enjoyed National (USA) running day!!!

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Weekend Results

A hot day and unrelenting course challenges riders at Hardwood Hills Canada Cup 3 UCI-C1 Race !
How did you stack up ?
 
Glassford - 5th Pro (98% / 21.72km/hr)
Jette 12th (94.83% / 20.97 km/ hr)
Dennis - 50th (81.14% / 17.94%)
Stafford - DNF (injury)
Samson - DNF
 
L.Gracey - 17th Jun Ex
St. Martin - DNF
 
M. Farquharson - 2nd Sen Ex ( 18.37km/hr)
 
T. Simmons - 6th Mas Ex Fem.
 
B.Berger- 1st 40-46 Ex Men
S. Neal - 9th 40-45ex men
 
Duncan - 18th Expert 30-35m
 
R. Landry - DNF Mas ex 40+
B. Bergman DNF
 
J.Febrey-11th sprt 45+

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