Things I've Learned

Even though I'm a coach, I'm still very much an athlete. I race bikes-professionally-on Team Vera Bradley Foundation.

Over and over again, I am learning that my own athletic success and challenges go hand in hand with my coaching business. What I learn as an athlete, I can pass on to my athletes. With this knowledge, they can either use that specific technique or tip to get better and ride faster or they can avoid the mistake all together and still learn from it.

This past week, I competed in the USA National Championships. Overall, it was a pretty big let down for me. A lot of build up and all kinds of specific preparation and no results to write home about.

However, I learned A LOT.
I continued to learn about time trialing tactics and mental toughness during a race.
I learned about course inspection
I continue to learn about disappointment
I re-learned how fun it is when your team rides and races like a complete unit
I re-learned how frustrating it is when your team does not ride like a complete unit
I learned more about training and what needs to be done at the top level
I learned what I can do better as an athlete
I learned what I do well as an athlete

8 things. 8 items I learned and can now pass on to each and every athlete I coach. That's a pretty good deal.

Need a cycling coach? E-mail Alison at ap.alpcyclescoaching@gmail.com

Go time!

June 24th
Bend, Oregon
2:42pm PST.

Think fast thoughts.
The game is on.

Bikes are Bikes

Bicycles are bicycles and learning to ride any bike better and faster will help you ride another type of bicycle better and faster. This is especially true at a young age (but is still important at ANY age).

I was lucky enough to get to ride with some of the SMBA kids last week in Nederland, Colorado. SMBA stands for Singletrack Mountain Bike Adventures and it is a really great program. These kids know how to ride their bike and they know how to do it well. Most of their skills are better than mine and I was truly privileged to ride with them.

Here's a picture of the group doing the standard "bike check" that they do before every ride. They not only know the name of every part of their bike, they can diagnose a problem BEFORE they start riding.

After a brief time at home, it's back to racing my bicycle. Maybe I'll be a more balanced rider after spending some time getting beat up by kids on my mtn bike.

©Brian Hodes/VeloImages

ALP Random Tips-Listed

ALP Random Tip #12-Learn your weaknesses so you can maximize your strengths.

ALP Random Tip #34- To race well in a time trial, one must train well on their time trial bike.

ALP Random Tip #76- do more than just ride your bike. Don't forget about your core, your active recovery techniques, and your flexibility.

ALP Random Tip #80- Nutrition is just as important as training.

ALP Random Tip #34- Learn from your mistakes.

ALP Random Tip #24- Train smarter not harder.

ALP Random Tip #21- Learning to pedal with a high cadence makes you a more efficient bike rider.

ALP Random Tip #26- There are going to be days when you don't feel good and/or fast. It's ok.

ALP Random Tip#19- Ride different bikes (ie. road, mtn, cross, singlespeed). It challenges the mind and the body and creates "freshness".

Teaching

Coaching is really a fancy name for a teacher. Here at ALP Cycles Coaching, we like to think of ourselves as "cycling teachers". We do more than give out training plans. We teach you how to become a better cyclist; something more than just a person who can ride a bike fast.

This past week, Coach Alison has been putting her cycling teaching skills to work.

First up was to guide the High Altitude Colorado Cycling Camp. Saddle hours were put in, elevation was gained, dirt roads were ridden and red blood cell count was raised. All of this accomplished while learning how to ride, how to train and how to recover at elevation.

Campers Ted and Will refueling before the climb up Super James.

Next up was the 2010 Inaugural Skills Clinic. Coach Alison rode along side 60 other riders and taught them skills such as riding in a pack, how to move up in a pack, being efficient in the pack and then she finished it off with techniques on how to climb better.

AP talks to a group about "keeping your spot" in the peloton.

Climbing a hill efficiently leads to staying with the leaders.

Post ride margs always keep the coach happy. Great job to the Get Some women for putting on a great clinic.

To continue with the "cycling teacher" theme, Coach Alison will ride with the young ladies of the Flatiron Flyers cycling club tonight. We will preride the famous "wall" climb of the Morgal Bismark race.

ALP Cycles Coaching: Cycling Teachers-more than just a coach.

Training at Altitude

The High Altitude Colorado Cycling Camp is underway. As a "helper/ride guide" of the camp, I have learned many things. Mostly, riding and training at high altitude requires a different thought process and mind set to training. A process not many people or coaches really understand.

Most people understand that yes, there is less oxygen at 6,000ft and yes, the air is dry at 8,000ft. But what does all that mean to your training as an athlete? How does riding at elevation help you improve? How does sleeping at altitude make you faster?

I grew up at 8,000ft in the Fraser Valley, Colorado. Before I started bike racing, I took the high altitude for granted. But now, after years of bike racing and training at sea level, at 4,000ft, and at 9,00ft, I have learned MANY lessons. These lessons I am happy to share at camp with the campers. The campers are tired, but riding strong (isn't that what a camp is all about?), and they are looking forward to each day and the new route they will explore in the Rocky Mountains.

Results speak louder than training

It doesn't matter how hard you train, how well you eat, what sacrifices you make or how much of an athlete you claim to be if you can't "lay it down" on race day.

Training well and racing well are two totally different things. Just as you have to be smart with your training, you have to be smart with your racing. Because it doesn't matter how much fitness you have if you waste it during the race. You have to know when the right time to expend energy is, and you have to know when the right time to save energy is.

Bike racing isn't always about who the fittest rider is. It's often about who the smartest rider is. Be fit AND smart...then your deadly.