During our October 2010 Product Party with Cycleops, I gave a brief talk on how training with power can benefit your riding. For those that were unable to make it, I’ll try to touch on the highlights of the talk and Q&A in this post.
I began by explaining what power is. If you want a really scientific explanation, look up the Wikipedia article on power—but make sure you use the German version. Seriously—the German version is a much more reputable source than the English version of the popular online, user-edited encyclopedia (probably the result of stricter encyclopedic guidelines). But here’s my definition provided by my memories of 9th grade honors physical science: Power=the ratio of work done over time. And you get work by multiplying force (on an object) and displacement (how far the object moves). And force is mass times acceleration. Basically what this boils down to is this: The harder you press into the pedals (accelerating those pedals faster or pushing with more muscle mass into tem) or the faster you spin those pedals (more displacement in a given amount of time, plus faster acceleration), the more power you produce. Power is measured in watts, or if you’re my boss Joe or his comparably-sized teammate Brett (see at 5:06), horsepower (735.5 watts—or so says de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pferdestärke).
What all that sciencey amounts to is that power is an absolute measurement of how hard or strong you’re going. 300 watts is always 300 watts, whether your speed is 10 or 60kph, whether your heart rate is 120 or 180, whether your perceived exertion is a 2 or a 10, and so on. Every other training tool you can use—speed, cadence, heart rate, exertion—is a mere physiological response to one thing: the work being done—symptoms, not the source.
There are several devices for measuring power, called powermeters, amongst them the Computrainer, the Powertap, SRM, Quarq, and the iBike. At RPM workouts in the breakaway training center, we use the Computrainer. We also rent out a Powertap. In 2010 I trained and raced with a Powertap. There are advantages and disadvantages to each, and I leave it to you to sort through what’s out there with regard to those. I will only note that I suspect prices of these powermeters to go down, as the market is quite likely going to be flooded with a number of new powermeters currently in various stages of development and testing, including cleat- and pedal-based systems, along with something called a LaserSpoke.
Once you start training with power, there are two “tests” you need to do to get maximal benefit from owning the power meter: a functional threshold power test & a power profile test. The FTP test will establish your training zones, and it is the first and most crucial step in tracking your fitness and evaluating your training. The power profile test helps you discover what sort of rider you are. By sort, I mean what your relative strengths and weaknesses are when it comes to utilizing different respiratory processes and recruiting different muscle fiber types. Without getting too sciencey again, suffice to say that some people are natural born sprinters, built for speed, at the expense of their stamina, and others end up like me, a rather compact, efficient animal built for endurance. These are the first workouts we have any of our RPM students and coached athletes do.
In the lecture, I went on to show how I track data from ride to ride, month to month, season to season, and so on. By using a powermeter along with TrainingPeaks and WKO+ software, we can get an objective Training Stress Score for every ride. We can track that score to plan peaks and tapers, see when you’re most fit, when you tend to overreach, how much you’re improving season to season, what sorts of training rides best suit you, and all sorts of other useful information. A powermeter can help you pace a time trial or bike-leg in a triathlon perfectly. It will calculate your caloric requirements during and after a ride. I’ve used one to determine optimum cadence. Really, the only limits to what you can do with a powermeter are the creative ones of you and your coach.
Monday, November 01, 2010
Talking with Jackie Baker from Giant for Women - By Sarah
As mentioned in October’s post, Breakaway Bikes will be hosting the Giant For Women’s Tour this month. Last week, I had the pleasure of corresponding with Jackie Baker from Giant Bicycles; she seemed very enthusiastic and had a lot of good things to say.
Me: How many women are buying bikes?
Jackie: The general concept is that about 1/3 of bikes sold in the US are women's-specific models. However, any given inline bike can also be ideal for any number of women, so the number of women actually buying bikes would be higher than 1/3 in the US. My question would be, of those girls who bought bikes, how many are still avidly riding them, and how can we make sure that every girl who buys or owns a bike gets excited about riding it as often as possible? The key is building a relationship at the shop to ensure she's on the correct bike size and on the bike that best fits her style and the terrain she'll be riding. With the shop's help, she'll be confident that every time she gets on her bike, she's going to have an enjoyable ride.
Me: What are you planning to show or teach our customers that they might not have known before?
Jackie: That's a tough question. Every group tends to have different levels of knowledge. But what I try to do is cater each clinic to the specific girls I have in attendance, so I make sure everyone gets something from the clinic. Often what I talk about are more simplified ways to take care of problems like a flat tire or skipping chain so that they're easy to do and easy to remember how to do. Also, I encourage everyone to practice everything we discuss on their bikes at home on their own time. That way there's no pressure, if you can do a task at your home by yourself, you'll know you can do it out on the road or trail when you are under a bit more pressure.
Me: What about our employees?
Jackie: With employee training, I try to work a lot on making sure we're getting girls on bikes that not only fit them size-wise, but also fit their riding goals and functionality. We want to get girls excited to get out on their bikes, and there are a few things we can do as bike shops to make sure that happens.
Me: How have you seen the cycling industry change, as far as the women-friendliness factor?
Jackie: Again, tough question. I started riding and racing in ‘97 with an awesome group of people. I started out as a collegiate rider, and there were a lot of guys and girls involved in cycling. It wasn't until I got involved with the gravity side of the sport that I really saw how male-centric the industry is. It's definitely still rough for pro women in all aspects of riding to get the recognition, pay, and respect they deserve. But I do feel like there are a lot of aspects where the industry is doing better – offering more fit and functionality options through women's-specific geometries and equivalent parts groupings for the same price as inline bikes, for instance.
Me: What are some aspects you find still need change?
Jackie: I think that the real catalyst for change comes from the bike shops. If shops are active in their communities and working to get more girls on bikes, and get them on bikes that are right for them, there will be even more demand for increased product selection and equal treatment from the beginning levels through the pro ranks. I think a lot of shops are doing a great job of offering resources to educate their female customers and make them feel like the industry values them. And I think that more and more, the industry is recognizing how valuable women are to its growth.
Whether you’ve already got a bike or don’t know where to start, please join us at Breakaway Bikes on November 10th and 11th. Jackie’s programs are sure to provide a lot of insight into how we can get more ladies on two wheels.
Wednesday, NOV. 10, 2010*
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm Women’s Night at Breakaway Bikes
12:00pm – 1:00pm Lunchtime Fix-a-Flat and Basic Repair Clinic
Me: How many women are buying bikes?
- Learn: How to pick out the perfect bike for you;
- What makes women’s bikes different;
- How a properly sized-bike should fit.
- Refreshments will be served.
- Spend your lunch break with us!
- Refreshments will be served.
- 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm Giant for Women Bike Demo
- Try a Giant for Women mountain, road, or cyclocross bike!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
It Doesn’t Take Balls to Ride a Bike - By Sarah
It seems as though the cycling industry is slowly waking up. It took nearly a century, but I think we are finally beginning to realize the wants and needs of women on bicycles. Admittedly, this sort of realization could not have come to light until certain structural changes in society were achieved. Nonetheless, the purchasing power of mobile females has created an incentive for shops and manufacturers to alter their own entrepreneurial missions.
And yet smaller frames or lavender jerseys aren’t quite making the cut. As always, there is room for improvement. At this point, I’d like to introduce myself as Sarah, the only current female employee at Breakaway. This blog post, as well as those to come, represents just another step toward opening up the world of cycling to women.
Breakaway has a reputation of exceptional customer service. As cycling advocates, we realize that condescending to the customer or ignoring her particular needs is not a great way to run a business. Following this mission, the shop has made strides to accommodate female riders: women-specific frames, saddles, shoes, clothing, etc.
But our shop, like many others, has hit a wall for two reasons:
1) We can only sell the products that the manufacturers produce. Thus, we are limited to certain size ranges, colors, or product designs.
2) Women may account for half of the global population, but they don’t account for half of our customer-base. This is probably due to our limited supply of women-friendly products. However, this supply remains limited because of the lack of demand from female customers.
As a retailer and not a manufacturer, we have little control over innovations from the cycling industry that benefit women riders. But we do have some influence over who comes in our shop. If we assume too much about our female clientele, we can’t adequately address their needs. Hopefully, as a woman’s voice on the inside, I can shed some light on our “issues.”
For many women, the threat of entering a man’s world starts right at the front door. Whether she is a novice or an elite cyclist, she walks in the shop with a thought at the back of her mind: these guys (think they) know better than me. And whether the thought is proven true or not, it is enough to inhibit questions that could potentially lead to furthered knowledge of her bike or herself as a rider.
Even as a worker in the cycling industry, not just a consumer, I encounter this kind of intimidation. I don’t mean to say that I don’t enjoy where I work, or to generalize that all male cyclists are chauvinistic. But all it takes is one bad experience at a shop and you can’t help but be apprehensive.
Ultimately, Breakaway would like to make some changes. We’ve already established a friendly and helpful customer rapport; now we just need to make the shop space a little more women-friendly. For example, in addition to posts about performance and bike maintenance, we’ll be publishing posts concerning women in cycling.
Furthermore, the phrase women in cycling doesn’t just include the ladies training and competing in races, but any woman who rides a bike. Just like the guys, there are women who commute to work, women who ride only on the weekends and women who tear up the trails. The bottom line is, however, that we’re all taking part in an activity that was once considered to be just for boys. And that’s changing.
On November 10th and 11th be sure to stop by for some of the many activities we will have as the Giant For Women's Tour makes a stop at Breakaway.
And yet smaller frames or lavender jerseys aren’t quite making the cut. As always, there is room for improvement. At this point, I’d like to introduce myself as Sarah, the only current female employee at Breakaway. This blog post, as well as those to come, represents just another step toward opening up the world of cycling to women.But our shop, like many others, has hit a wall for two reasons:
1) We can only sell the products that the manufacturers produce. Thus, we are limited to certain size ranges, colors, or product designs.
2) Women may account for half of the global population, but they don’t account for half of our customer-base. This is probably due to our limited supply of women-friendly products. However, this supply remains limited because of the lack of demand from female customers.
As a retailer and not a manufacturer, we have little control over innovations from the cycling industry that benefit women riders. But we do have some influence over who comes in our shop. If we assume too much about our female clientele, we can’t adequately address their needs. Hopefully, as a woman’s voice on the inside, I can shed some light on our “issues.”
For many women, the threat of entering a man’s world starts right at the front door. Whether she is a novice or an elite cyclist, she walks in the shop with a thought at the back of her mind: these guys (think they) know better than me. And whether the thought is proven true or not, it is enough to inhibit questions that could potentially lead to furthered knowledge of her bike or herself as a rider.
Even as a worker in the cycling industry, not just a consumer, I encounter this kind of intimidation. I don’t mean to say that I don’t enjoy where I work, or to generalize that all male cyclists are chauvinistic. But all it takes is one bad experience at a shop and you can’t help but be apprehensive.
Ultimately, Breakaway would like to make some changes. We’ve already established a friendly and helpful customer rapport; now we just need to make the shop space a little more women-friendly. For example, in addition to posts about performance and bike maintenance, we’ll be publishing posts concerning women in cycling.
Furthermore, the phrase women in cycling doesn’t just include the ladies training and competing in races, but any woman who rides a bike. Just like the guys, there are women who commute to work, women who ride only on the weekends and women who tear up the trails. The bottom line is, however, that we’re all taking part in an activity that was once considered to be just for boys. And that’s changing.
On November 10th and 11th be sure to stop by for some of the many activities we will have as the Giant For Women's Tour makes a stop at Breakaway.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Pleasures of the Pre-base Phase - By Tyler
There is nothing easy about training correctly this time of the year. Most racers battle fatigue and the sensations of burn out, while recreational riders begin to face inclement weather. Motivation to ride during the first part of fall can be at best, decrescent. I have always viewed this as Mother Nature's request to stop battering your body, to take a step back, and rediscover why you do that to yourself in the first place. For most of my athletes and even myself, late October and early November can be just that, a time of renewal for the body and spirit. But as the old adage goes, all good things must come to an end. At some point you will need to start to focus your training again, right!? What is the best thing to do when you have so many forces pulling you in so many directions? Do you try cyclcross, mountain biking, running,et cetera?
Every magazine you pick up or cycling related website you read will give their two cents, which will always makes it sound like there is a linear solution for everyone. Everyone undoubtedly has read at least one of them over their cycling careers. My favorite, Crush your first century next summer by trying cyclocross! What does that even mean? Sure there can be benefits derived from riding off road, but the likelihood of dramatic gains they insinuate will not be as obvious.
Personally, I have never found that going from discipline to discipline in the winter has lead to many gains physically, but I certainly have athletes who are the complete opposite and thrive off the cross training. It has always rekindled my drive to be better on the road, however (if you have seen me flail on and off a cross bike you would agree). The ability to sort of do whatever you feel like doing is what makes this time of year the most enjoyable, in my humble opinion.You can experiment all you want to find something new or unique, without ruining your season or having a pressure to quantitatively improve your FTP.
Those that are strictly roadies such as myself can take solace in knowing that staying on the road is OK. What is more enjoyable than riding a road bike in 20 degree weather, anyone agree (slightly facetious here)? After all, isn't the best way to be able to crush your first century come from riding your bike in general? If you do it properly (tutelage from these men help), you will be able make it through the winter without all of the cycling fads or trends, while rediscovering your passion for a simple bike ride. Having a little structure and knowing your desired ends helps, but taking a step back also goes a long way. You can go ahead start this process by going for a bike ride! Remove all pressures to go fast or to produce xyz wattage for xyz time. This time of year and the lack of pressure accompanying it does not last long enough, so enjoy autumn while it is here.
Every magazine you pick up or cycling related website you read will give their two cents, which will always makes it sound like there is a linear solution for everyone. Everyone undoubtedly has read at least one of them over their cycling careers. My favorite, Crush your first century next summer by trying cyclocross! What does that even mean? Sure there can be benefits derived from riding off road, but the likelihood of dramatic gains they insinuate will not be as obvious.
Personally, I have never found that going from discipline to discipline in the winter has lead to many gains physically, but I certainly have athletes who are the complete opposite and thrive off the cross training. It has always rekindled my drive to be better on the road, however (if you have seen me flail on and off a cross bike you would agree). The ability to sort of do whatever you feel like doing is what makes this time of year the most enjoyable, in my humble opinion.You can experiment all you want to find something new or unique, without ruining your season or having a pressure to quantitatively improve your FTP.
Those that are strictly roadies such as myself can take solace in knowing that staying on the road is OK. What is more enjoyable than riding a road bike in 20 degree weather, anyone agree (slightly facetious here)? After all, isn't the best way to be able to crush your first century come from riding your bike in general? If you do it properly (tutelage from these men help), you will be able make it through the winter without all of the cycling fads or trends, while rediscovering your passion for a simple bike ride. Having a little structure and knowing your desired ends helps, but taking a step back also goes a long way. You can go ahead start this process by going for a bike ride! Remove all pressures to go fast or to produce xyz wattage for xyz time. This time of year and the lack of pressure accompanying it does not last long enough, so enjoy autumn while it is here.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Power - Riding Within Yourself - By Charlie
In every race I’ve done, and just about every spirited group ride I’ve ever attended, there is always some guy, that guy, who makes the more experienced racers chuckle. From the opening gun or from before the ride even hits the open country roads, he (or she) is up at the front, taking Herculean pulls, charging up the hills, launching attack after attack after attack. Twenty minutes in he’s thinking, “man, I am really rocking their ride today. I bet they’re really impressed with how strong I’m riding.” And yeah, from my perspective, 20 riders back, almost totally shielded from the wind by the quartet of 6-footers I’ve surrounded myself-- I am the central Illinois
You see, cycling is an endurance sport. You gotta be stronger for longer, but strength saved now can be cashed out for strength later. You know who wins the race? First one across the line. It’s also a team sport. And teams also team up in the peloton. At a pro race, you’ll see 9 out of ten teams working together, while the 10th team has a lone guy off the front. Guess how many times that lone wolf is successful? To ride away, single-handedly, from an entire peloton, When drafting you save 30% of your energy. When tucked away in a group with people all around you, it can be as much as 50% less energy to go the same speed. Essentially, to ride away from a group, you have to be able to ride 30% stronger than everyone else. That’s how much drafting matters. What’s 30% like? Well, Lance Armstrong at his peak (*ahem*) was doing about 6.5-7 watts per kilogram (the best measure of a cyclist’s strength) at his threshold. So he’s about 30% stronger than me. He has won 7 Tours de France. I once finished 3rd in a 3-day, 56-person cat 4/5 stage race up in Jersey called the Giro del Cielo. In the battle between Lance and a peloton of me and my clones, he wins. That guy is usually not Lance.
And so back to that guy. You know what happens to that guy taking monster pulls and throwing down vicious attack after vicious attack? Well, unless he’s on a different level altogether than the rest of the riders, he starts with a flurry and ends with a whimper. More often than not, he’s gone really fast while things are just warming up, and by the time things really start to happen, he’s blown up catastrophically. I see that and I feel bad for that guy. I hope for his sake that isn’t also how he makes love.
But here’s the thing, folks. You’ve probably been that guy. I know have. Maybe not to the dramatic degree I just sketched, but certainly most inexperienced racers have ridden brilliantly at the start of the race. Maybe in your head as you ride, you imagine Phil and Paul talking about how you really animated the race. In the post race interview you’ve got your orange jersey on, and others are talking about how much of a workhorse you were, really powering the break today. But as the race drags on and the adrenaline stops and the fatigue creeps in. Your legs start to ache, heart rate rises, your breathing becomes more labored. Each pack surge or attack becomes harder to handle. Participating in the upcoming sprint is an impossibility. You just don’t want to suffer anymore. Just get me to the line! There’s always beer at the line (at least for my team there is). What’s happened is you did not ride within yourself.
‘Riding within oneself’ is a pretty vague term. What it means, in a nutshell, is that you rode only as hard as you need to go. A personal example: last year, at a race in Jersey , this guy, Dom Rollin of Cervelo Test Team (part of 2009 Tour Green Jersey winner Thor Hushovd’s and 2008 Tour champ Carlos Sastre’s team) shows up on something of a lark. As luck would have it, I found myself being pulled along in his slipstream (remember the 30% thing? Well, he’s about 29% stronger, so I was just barely able to stay on his wheel as he opened a gap between himself and most of the rest of the peloton). A break of 9 guys formed. For the first 3 laps we were away, everyone was just laying down the hammer, going all out, making everyone’s legs scream. But at a certain point, breaks become established. That’s when things settle down and the chance of being caught decreases dramatically. At that point, about 5 or 6 of us began a rotating paceline, while the teams with 2 guys in the move left one each at the back to sit on. I wasn’t the strongest guy there, obviously, or even close. But, foolishly, I wanted to “prove” myself to the other riders. Wanted to show I belonged with this pro tour guy and a couple of U-23 domestic neopros. Looking back, I think, what the hell was I thinking? In terms of strength, I don’t belong with those guys. But bike racing isn’t about raw strength. Remember? First one across the line. Therefore, I had no business trying to win the race through raw strength. What I should have done was rode as conservatively as possible, so I spent so much less strength during the first 59 minutes of the race than everyone else, that for that final minute, I could have enough strength to be just a bit faster. What’s silly is that even at one point, Dom touches me on the shoulder and says, “you don’t have to work so hard.” He’s right. I really, really didn’t. That break didn’t need me pulling through with all my mini-might. On a flat crit course and a 130 lb cat-3, Fabian Cancellara I am not. But I spent myself working so hard that late in the race, when attacks came and our group of 9 split, I didn’t have enough left to follow the lead group of four, settling for 5th.
So what’s the lesson? You need to know how to ride hard without going too hard to avoid being that guy. When you find yourself in the wind, relax. If it’s your turn to pull, don’t suddenly get excited or antsy accelerate like a newb. Don’t take 3 minutes pulls when everyone else is taking 30 second ones. Don’t start half-wheeling your two-line paceline partner. Just ride steady.
The best way to do this is to always ride with power. Or, if you lack the funds for a power meter, try a heart rate monitor, as it tracks physiological responses to power (unfortunately, HR also responds to several external factors, whereas power is absolute). By keeping track of the power files of every ride, you start to learn just what you can do. The numbers never lie. Ever. If you’ve never topped 300 watts for 20 minutes, then don’t start taking 350 watt pulls in your group of four for more than a handful of seconds, or two hours later you’re going to be spat out the back. By using power, you’ll also learn how many and what sort of “matches” you have in your matchbook. A match is any hard effort. Make a hard effort, burn a match. Some matches burn hot and fast, others longer and cooler. A 500 watt, 15 second effort probably burns a match. So too does a 5 minute, 280 watt effort. By charting your power, you’ll know about how many times you burn various matches, or how much recovery time you need before your matchbook is restocked.
And so, always remember: Bike racing is much more than a test to see who’s the strongest. It is a battle of wits and tactics, designed such that nothing matters but coming across the line first. Learning to understand yourself as a rider, either through power, heart rate, or even perceived effort, is the key to doing so. And even if it doesn’t get you to the line first every time, certainly it will keep you from being that guy.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Tour De Breakaway - Stage 2
Tour De Breakaway - Stage 2
Day 2 of the indoor stage race was run on a 60k mostly flat course. We had 16 riders on two banks of 8 Computrainers. The banks were split evenly between the riders based on the previous days TT. The women were given a 10 minute head start on the men. With it Kacey Wander was able to hold off the men, with the help of the other women, until the final Kilometers and was able to come in 3rd place for the stage and snagged a 5 second time bonus as a result. She remains the GC leader after day 2.
Tour De Breakaway
Results Stage 2
1st Brett Kielick 1:40.03:41 (15sec Bonus)
2nd Ross Marklein 1:40.03:58 (10sec Bonus)
3rd Kacy Wander 1:40.04:31 (5sec Bonus)
4th Sean Whiteman 1:40.44:69
5th Charlie Zamastil 1:40.45.20
6th Todd Lippin 1:40.45:34
7th Matt Furlow 1:40.45:77
8th Mike Mclaughlin 1:41.19:16
9th Darren Linkin 1:41.19.58
10th Mel Glenn 1:43.11:33
11th Aliza Karetnick 1:43.11.33
12th Tom Waltz 1:47.05:75
13th John Miller 1:53.02.00
14th Harper Watters 1:53.02.00
15th Ryan Shank 1:56:21.56
16th Kevin Greene 1:59:45.33
General Classification Stage 2:
1st Kacy Wander 1:53:37.82
2nd Brett Kielick 1:54:27.72
3rd Ross Marklein 1:54:58.32
4th Sean Whiteman 1:55:09.00
5th Charlie Zamastil 1:55:38.17
6th Todd Lippin 1:56:01.18
7th Matt Furlow 1:56:24.77
8th Mike McGaughlin 1:57:07.30
9th Darren Linkin 1:57:34.12
10th Mel Glenn 1:58:03.14
11th Aliza Karetnick 1:58:17.05
12th Tom Waltz 2:03:53.45
13th Harper Watters 2:09:46.08
14th John Miller 2:10:16.47
15th Ryan Shank 2:11:53.45
16th Kevin Greene 2:15:05.16
Day 2 of the indoor stage race was run on a 60k mostly flat course. We had 16 riders on two banks of 8 Computrainers. The banks were split evenly between the riders based on the previous days TT. The women were given a 10 minute head start on the men. With it Kacey Wander was able to hold off the men, with the help of the other women, until the final Kilometers and was able to come in 3rd place for the stage and snagged a 5 second time bonus as a result. She remains the GC leader after day 2.
Tour De Breakaway
Results Stage 2
1st Brett Kielick 1:40.03:41 (15sec Bonus)
2nd Ross Marklein 1:40.03:58 (10sec Bonus)
3rd Kacy Wander 1:40.04:31 (5sec Bonus)
4th Sean Whiteman 1:40.44:69
5th Charlie Zamastil 1:40.45.20
6th Todd Lippin 1:40.45:34
7th Matt Furlow 1:40.45:77
8th Mike Mclaughlin 1:41.19:16
9th Darren Linkin 1:41.19.58
10th Mel Glenn 1:43.11:33
11th Aliza Karetnick 1:43.11.33
12th Tom Waltz 1:47.05:75
13th John Miller 1:53.02.00
14th Harper Watters 1:53.02.00
15th Ryan Shank 1:56:21.56
16th Kevin Greene 1:59:45.33
General Classification Stage 2:
1st Kacy Wander 1:53:37.82
2nd Brett Kielick 1:54:27.72
3rd Ross Marklein 1:54:58.32
4th Sean Whiteman 1:55:09.00
5th Charlie Zamastil 1:55:38.17
6th Todd Lippin 1:56:01.18
7th Matt Furlow 1:56:24.77
8th Mike McGaughlin 1:57:07.30
9th Darren Linkin 1:57:34.12
10th Mel Glenn 1:58:03.14
11th Aliza Karetnick 1:58:17.05
12th Tom Waltz 2:03:53.45
13th Harper Watters 2:09:46.08
14th John Miller 2:10:16.47
15th Ryan Shank 2:11:53.45
16th Kevin Greene 2:15:05.16
Tour De Breakaway - Stage 1
Te Tour De Breakaway is an indoor stage race run on Computrainers. The Title sponsor Breakaway uses the proceeds of this event to help fund QCW Cycling's Junior Mentorship Initiative to help inner city youth race their bikes.
Tour De Breakaway - Stage 1
The opening stage of the Tour De Breakaway is a 10k Time Trial. The course is actually the same course used to determine starting positions of the Athens Twilight Crit. The cool thing about this is that one can compare times to riders from across the country who have done this indoor TT (Computrainer Ranking Site).
The women were given a 3 minute time bonus for the stage, with it Kacey Wander took the GC after Day 1.
Tour De Breakaway 2010
Results Stage 1:
1st: Kacey Wander 13:34.41
2nd: Sean Whiteman 14:24.31
3rd: Brett Kalick 14:31.33
4th: Melanie Glenn 14:51.81
5th: Charlie Zamistil 14:52.97
6th: Ross Marklien 14:54.74
7th: Aliza Karetnick 15:05.72
8th: Todd Lippin 15:15.41
9th: Ryan Shank 15:31.89
10th: Matt Furlow 15:39.00
11th: Mike Mclaughlin 15:48.14
12th: Kevin Green 15:59.83
13th: Darren Linkin 16:14.54
14th: Harper Watters 16:24.52
15th: Tom Waltz: 16:47.70
16th: John Miller: 17:14.47
General Classification:
1st: Kacey Wander 13:34.41
2nd: Sean Whiteman 14:24.31
3rd: Brett Kalick 14:31.33
4th: Melanie Glenn 14:51.81
5th: Charlie Zamistil 14:52.97
6th: Ross Marklien 14:54.74
7th: Aliza Karetnick 15:05.72
8th: Todd Lippin 15:15.41
9th: Ryan Shank 15:31.89
10th: Matt Furlow 15:39.00
11th: Mike Mclaughlin 15:48.14
12th: Kevin Green 15:59.83
13th: Darren Linkin 16:14.54
14th: Harper Watters 16:24.52
15th: Tom Waltz: 16:47.70
16th: John Miller: 17:14.47
Tour De Breakaway - Stage 1
The opening stage of the Tour De Breakaway is a 10k Time Trial. The course is actually the same course used to determine starting positions of the Athens Twilight Crit. The cool thing about this is that one can compare times to riders from across the country who have done this indoor TT (Computrainer Ranking Site).
The women were given a 3 minute time bonus for the stage, with it Kacey Wander took the GC after Day 1.
Tour De Breakaway 2010
Results Stage 1:
1st: Kacey Wander 13:34.41
2nd: Sean Whiteman 14:24.31
3rd: Brett Kalick 14:31.33
4th: Melanie Glenn 14:51.81
5th: Charlie Zamistil 14:52.97
6th: Ross Marklien 14:54.74
7th: Aliza Karetnick 15:05.72
8th: Todd Lippin 15:15.41
9th: Ryan Shank 15:31.89
10th: Matt Furlow 15:39.00
11th: Mike Mclaughlin 15:48.14
12th: Kevin Green 15:59.83
13th: Darren Linkin 16:14.54
14th: Harper Watters 16:24.52
15th: Tom Waltz: 16:47.70
16th: John Miller: 17:14.47
General Classification:
1st: Kacey Wander 13:34.41
2nd: Sean Whiteman 14:24.31
3rd: Brett Kalick 14:31.33
4th: Melanie Glenn 14:51.81
5th: Charlie Zamistil 14:52.97
6th: Ross Marklien 14:54.74
7th: Aliza Karetnick 15:05.72
8th: Todd Lippin 15:15.41
9th: Ryan Shank 15:31.89
10th: Matt Furlow 15:39.00
11th: Mike Mclaughlin 15:48.14
12th: Kevin Green 15:59.83
13th: Darren Linkin 16:14.54
14th: Harper Watters 16:24.52
15th: Tom Waltz: 16:47.70
16th: John Miller: 17:14.47
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Your Pre-Season Training Guide Part 1 - By Charlie
For many roadies like me, training for 2010 began yesterday. November 1 marks the end of the off-season “junk miles,” where what little riding is done for pleasure, and the ascetic lifestyle is abandoned in favor of beer, brats, and baseball watching. (Though, since Halloween happened to be on a Saturday, I think many of us added an extra day of post-party recovery; I know I did!) By now, everyone should know that the old “base-building,” long slow distance (LSD) rides are no good. That’s not to say an aerobic base is unimportant. Rather, just know that doing 75 miles at 14-16 mph on the flats won’t ever make you faster. The for training is, was, and always will be intensity. Below a certain threshold, your body is not adapting in ways that it needs to to improve athletic performance. Consider the following image:
If you would please, look at all the physiological benefits from training above a certain intensity level (L1, or zone 1 in Breakaway lingo). Below that intensity (55% of FTP, 68% of Lactate Threshold Heart Rate, or, most roughly, about 75% of time trial pace), your body is not going hard enough to break you down. And the way the body gets stronger is by breaking itself down (catabolic stage), then building itself back up (anabolic stage), stronger than before. So this year, forego those freezing cold 5-hour crawls out beyond the Valley Forge trail. Make better use of your time by training with intensity.
A final warning, however: there’s intensity, and then there’s intensity. Going too hard, too soon will make you a December dynamo but come April you’ll be past peak and so frustrated you can’t hang you start consider training for a running race. Don’t do it! Train smart by keeping the intensity moderate this month and next, and start thinking about those lung-searing levels 5-6-and-7 intervals after the holidays.
If you would please, look at all the physiological benefits from training above a certain intensity level (L1, or zone 1 in Breakaway lingo). Below that intensity (55% of FTP, 68% of Lactate Threshold Heart Rate, or, most roughly, about 75% of time trial pace), your body is not going hard enough to break you down. And the way the body gets stronger is by breaking itself down (catabolic stage), then building itself back up (anabolic stage), stronger than before. So this year, forego those freezing cold 5-hour crawls out beyond the Valley Forge trail. Make better use of your time by training with intensity.
A final warning, however: there’s intensity, and then there’s intensity. Going too hard, too soon will make you a December dynamo but come April you’ll be past peak and so frustrated you can’t hang you start consider training for a running race. Don’t do it! Train smart by keeping the intensity moderate this month and next, and start thinking about those lung-searing levels 5-6-and-7 intervals after the holidays.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Living The Tri Life - By Joe
So there is a new TV Show on NBC Universal called Living The Tri Life. The Pilot Episode was filmed around the Philly Triathlon. A big portion of the show was filmed at Breakaway and I was interviewed for coaching triathlon coaching tips. Here is the footage.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Passion - By Charlie
There is no better way to render something meaningless than to have it repeated ad nauseum. Perhaps there was a time when that Eminem song from 8-mile got you pumped up and ready to “slay,” but now you’ve heard it so many times it has little more effect on your adrenaline than Coldplay’s latest. Or, try, if you can, to remember the last time you heard somebody do a Napoleon Dynamite impression. It was probably around spring of 2006, and ask yourself this: Have you seen that person since that night? Has anyone? Think about it. Or, very simply, just repeat your name over and over. How long, you think, before it stops sounding like a word?
Perhaps this is why I’ve been able to walk past our in-store official Breakaway coaching plan signs nearly every day for the past 18 months without really thinking about what they say. But for whatever reason—perhaps it was the uncaffeinated nature of my mind coupled with heavy legs and the surreal calm and almost relief I feel as I approach the imminent apogee of my season over the next 10 days, the culmination of 10 straight months of dedicated training and racing boiling down to a few key moments—I noticed something on those signs, a phrase I’d spoken, read, and written, often by mere mechanical, unthinking rote, hundreds of times before:
“Breakaway: Where passion meets performance.”
For me, on this day, I experienced something reading that sign that I have really only ever experienced with fine art. Of course, I’m not saying one sentence is on par with The Great Gatsby or the Guernica, or anything remotely on that level. But upon returning to this phrase I have been able to rediscover its meaning. What re-dawned on me is that this phrase is more than just a trite shibboleth to be tossed around at marketing meetings and field tested for reactions amongst various demographics. It is a mission statement. It is a statement of pride. It is something we take very, very seriously.
Passion: Each of my coworkers exercises their role at the shop with a passion that quite frankly astounds me sometimes. It certainly can manifest itself in some goofy ways. When I hear Phil’s overexcited gasps when someone brings in a 1996 Indy Fab titanium hardtail with campy hubs, or watch Todd practically sprint to hold the door open for someone, I realize it’s nothing other than passion that could motivate these actions—passion about the bikes and people that come into our store.
Performance: Etymologically, ‘performance’ has its roots in an old French word meaning to carry out a promise. The promise we make is our other slogan: “We care for your equipment and your health.” In certain ribald circles I’ve been known to run in when not on a bike, viz., philosophy graduate departments, ‘care’ is a very important term. Existence itself, the question of being itself (rather than various beings in the world), just is care. In other words, our attention is always directed at something that concerns us, something we “attend to,” something we care for.
And so when you combine our slogans, you have something rather more profound than you’d expect. Put in rather overwrought terms, you have, “At Breakaway, we promise to direct our conscious attention to your health and your equipment, and we make good on that promise.” But basically what that boils down to is that the source of our passion (from the Greek pathos intense emotion or feeling) is you: your equipment, your health, the things that matter most to you. Maybe I’m alone in thinking this, but I don’t get that a lot of places. I’ve gone to several stores where it’s not me they’re interested in, but what they can get from me. The focus of the care there was their own well-being. I’d wager you’ve felt the same way, far more often than you’d like.
My boss at Breakaway has likened the store to a home. The staff is our family and our customers are our welcome guests into our home. We are proud of the many services we offer, and we want each and every person that comes into our home to be treated with the passionate care they’d expect as guests in someone’s home. Sure, it’s a home where they’ll downright torture your legs in order to whip you into shape sometimes, but hey, didn’t this country dismiss the Geneva conventions as quaint back in 2003?
Perhaps this is why I’ve been able to walk past our in-store official Breakaway coaching plan signs nearly every day for the past 18 months without really thinking about what they say. But for whatever reason—perhaps it was the uncaffeinated nature of my mind coupled with heavy legs and the surreal calm and almost relief I feel as I approach the imminent apogee of my season over the next 10 days, the culmination of 10 straight months of dedicated training and racing boiling down to a few key moments—I noticed something on those signs, a phrase I’d spoken, read, and written, often by mere mechanical, unthinking rote, hundreds of times before:
“Breakaway: Where passion meets performance.”
For me, on this day, I experienced something reading that sign that I have really only ever experienced with fine art. Of course, I’m not saying one sentence is on par with The Great Gatsby or the Guernica, or anything remotely on that level. But upon returning to this phrase I have been able to rediscover its meaning. What re-dawned on me is that this phrase is more than just a trite shibboleth to be tossed around at marketing meetings and field tested for reactions amongst various demographics. It is a mission statement. It is a statement of pride. It is something we take very, very seriously.
Passion: Each of my coworkers exercises their role at the shop with a passion that quite frankly astounds me sometimes. It certainly can manifest itself in some goofy ways. When I hear Phil’s overexcited gasps when someone brings in a 1996 Indy Fab titanium hardtail with campy hubs, or watch Todd practically sprint to hold the door open for someone, I realize it’s nothing other than passion that could motivate these actions—passion about the bikes and people that come into our store.
Performance: Etymologically, ‘performance’ has its roots in an old French word meaning to carry out a promise. The promise we make is our other slogan: “We care for your equipment and your health.” In certain ribald circles I’ve been known to run in when not on a bike, viz., philosophy graduate departments, ‘care’ is a very important term. Existence itself, the question of being itself (rather than various beings in the world), just is care. In other words, our attention is always directed at something that concerns us, something we “attend to,” something we care for.
And so when you combine our slogans, you have something rather more profound than you’d expect. Put in rather overwrought terms, you have, “At Breakaway, we promise to direct our conscious attention to your health and your equipment, and we make good on that promise.” But basically what that boils down to is that the source of our passion (from the Greek pathos intense emotion or feeling) is you: your equipment, your health, the things that matter most to you. Maybe I’m alone in thinking this, but I don’t get that a lot of places. I’ve gone to several stores where it’s not me they’re interested in, but what they can get from me. The focus of the care there was their own well-being. I’d wager you’ve felt the same way, far more often than you’d like.
My boss at Breakaway has likened the store to a home. The staff is our family and our customers are our welcome guests into our home. We are proud of the many services we offer, and we want each and every person that comes into our home to be treated with the passionate care they’d expect as guests in someone’s home. Sure, it’s a home where they’ll downright torture your legs in order to whip you into shape sometimes, but hey, didn’t this country dismiss the Geneva conventions as quaint back in 2003?
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