Remember the first time you ever rode your bike without training wheels?   What a thrill it was, feeling yourself balance, rush forward under your own power, and be free of your spotter, chasing parent, or training wheels.  Remember the simple magic of bike riding from a child’s perspective?   Very simple:

Push down= move forward

Well, now that you are a grown up, you hopefully still love your bike that much and experience that sense of freedom, that rush of you and the bike.  And now that you are grown and call yourself a cyclist, you know there is much more to cycling than mashing down on the pedals.   Cycling is not how hard you press down on the pedals; it is a mixture of technique, even distribution of power, proper posture, a circular or elliptical pedal stroke,  and learning to dance with your pedals.  

Now that you are a grown up cyclist, you are not crushing grape skins or killing ants with your stomping feet. You are a dancer, a refined, graceful, symmetrical, pedal dancer.

Ok, now if that’s too kooky for you, then ask yourself this question.

How many pro riders have you seen lately teeter totter from side to side, death grip their handlebars,  slouch, mash, and routinely ride at cadences lower than 90 rpm?

Exactly.

Now go dance with your pedals, on your pedals, spin up mountains, and give your hardest gears a rest on your next ride.  No tiara or unsightly tights needed to put these notions in motion.

: )

Sidenote:  I find kooky ways to make a point,  but I am also a level II Cycling Coach with Distinction.  Give it some thought.

the face says it all

“If you hate it, it’s good for you!”

Never short on words, I recently tossed this out to a disgruntled athlete and over the weekend,  it stayed in my head as a refrain.  I watched, proudly, as my 25 proud campers dug so deep in their deliberate suffering and faced their “I hate this” demons…  They rediscovered workouts that they neglect or despise and came away wiser and stronger.  Too busy for yoga but too tight to touch your toes?  Really!?

If you give some serious thought to your training regime, you may see that this applies to you.   Do you train the things you “hate” or simply the things you like.  Something like that old adage about training to your strengths and neglecting your weaknesses…

Coaches have the tough job, of making you love the workouts you despise.  We look at the big picture and your long-term development.  With the wave of a wand and a little art to coaching, a good coach can make you love the workouts you hate and avoid.   We help you understand why you hate the workouts you do, and how they are most likely your performance limiters as well.

A big shout out to all the campers who came and  conquered.  It was epic:  they rode in the rain, baked in the sun, sustained body blows in mass start work, and walked away smiling.   How fun to watch them sort out that love/hate relationship with all the elements of their training and to return home with a new perspective on workouts they hate.

Time for you to do the same to make 2012 your breakthrough year.

For many of us, it is terrifying and the most dreaded part of any race.   Read more about how you can conquer your fears and take concrete steps to stay safe, manage your fear, and to master the technical art of open water swimming.   For more fun, see my video on u tube on race day mental preparation.   Make 2012 the year your rule your over your fears, not them over you.

Mental skills for triathlon, specifics about open water

http://www.active.com/triathlon/Articles/Psych-Yourself-Up-for-Open-Water.htm

Go me, Racing Elite and afraid of the waves!

“I’d like to lose weight coach, but…”

” I was on pace to run ___  but then…”

“I could have been top in my ____  but…”

” I would have made Kona but…”

“I wish I had more time to train but…”

We all love to explain away our shortcomings and are quite skilled at it.  It’s how we protect our egos, recover from disappointment,  and cover up what might be a lack of  preparation for achieving our goals.   It’s part of being human and we all do it.. BUT…

What if this is the year that you listen to yourself and define what are your limiters.  Listen to yourself in conversation with other athletes and listen for the BUT.  Once you do that, you have the beginnings of your 2013 training plan.   If you need an ear, hire a coach to listen for an hour or get yourself a great journal and get started!  ; )

In 2013, be an athlete who is satisfied but motivated to do more.   Motivate yourself to kick your BUTs butt in 2013.  No more excuses. Let’s work on concrete solutions!!!

A few good tips for your game from the neck up.  Please email and share your additional thoughts.