Equipment Like the Pros

Over the past week there has been a great deal of hype in the cyclocross world.  With the Elite men and women racing in Louisville for the first ever U.S. based Cyclocross Worlds.  If you have been reading through any of the cycling news based sites or magazines you would have noticed that there has been a great deal of focus on these important races.

One thing that has not been mentioned that has stood out to me is the story of current U.S. National Champion, Jonathan Page.  Through 2012 he has not had a bike sponsor, or title sponsor for that matter, and had been riding and racing on a Blue brand cyclocross bike.  After his Nationals victory he was signed by Fuji bikes, hardly one week before his largest race of the year. Here is what I see as a coach, bike fit specialist and athlete:

  • Even though as a professional and he has a full time mechanic to take care of his equipment and make sure it works well you drastically increase your risk of something going wrong.
  • When you have been training and racing on the same equipment for a whole season.  One week out you are now changing not only the bike but the fit and the way the bike handles.  As many of you know fitting is not always an instantaneous process and a fair bit of the fine tuning takes time.  Having a bike that doesn’t feel perfect has a big impact on not only comfort but confidence which ultimately can impact outcome.
  • As athletes we all fall prey to marketing hype, athlete promotion and “sex appeal” of equipment.  This is a perfect example in my eyes that a lot of times it comes down to money for so many athletes.  Keep in mind that your hero is working when they are training and racing.  A lot of the equipment comes down to a paycheck even if it isn’t the most optimal thing out there.  You can see this at some of the large races where a wheel is re-branded with another name but the dimpling clearly means it is a Zipp wheel.

What does this mean for you.  Be smart, remember that you do this for fun and because you love your sport.  If you are unsure of what to do research the product and if you can’t find anything try to find a friend or trusted source that has the knowledge to help you.  This could be your local bike shop or it could be your coach.  As coaches many of us pride ourselves in doing a fair number of research on a great deal of our sport to offer our athletes a less biased viewpoint.  

Press Release: Liz Gerrity Joins Rose Bandits!

For the 2013 cycling season, Science of Speed athlete, Liz Gerrity will be racing for The Rose Bandit Cycling Team.  Liz’s several years in the saddle have brought a great deal of success to her including many first place wins but the crowning jewel are her SECCC Time Trial Championship and her 2nd place finish in the Florida State CAT 1/2/3 Road Race Championships.  2013 is sure to bring a great deal of success for Liz and Science of Speed and her coach, Brady Irwin, can not wait to see all that we know she is capable of!

Holiday Season Hullabaloo

For so many individuals the Holidays are a time of amazing spreads of food that tend to lead to temptation above and beyond our daily routine, over indulgence and lower levels of activity due to busy schedules.  Due to the plethora of food that is available and the holiday hustle many people decrease their training and  gain weight during the holidays SoS is here to help!  Take advantage of our Off-Season Eliminator coaching packages and have a SoS coach help you stave off the dreaded holiday weight gain, make the most of your training with your limited schedule and become more fit while you are working your way through the holidays.  Pass the rolls to the next person and let us help you get rid of some rolls of your own! Our coaching programs start as low as $175/month and are just the step you need in the right direction to kick start your holiday season and get an early jump on 2013!

3 FREE months of coaching!

This weekend brings many people to the end of their race/event season with Tri the Rez.  With hundreds of athletes out there mixing it up and pushing themselves to the limit for the last time this season SoS is giving one lucky athlete the opportunity to use the winter months to improve fitness and start next season off at a whole new level! How to enter: Come by our booth the day of the race and get registered.   Cost: $1.00 per entry (no limit on the number of entries) Are you unable to attend Tri the Rez or would like to support the FSU tri club?  Register and pay at Sunshine Cycles before close of business (6pm) Friday October 26th to be a part of this great opportunity!

 What if you don’t win?

Don’t worry, we still have you covered!  SoS is running our Of Season Eliminator discount to help you make the most out of these winter months.  Through November 15th you can take advantage of 1 month of free coaching when you sign up for a 12 month training program! Go HERE for more details!   Raffle money goes to support FSU tri club.

Selecting Your Events – The good, the bad and the ugly

With a season winding down for so many and decisions being made on races and events for next year there is no better time to discuss some ideas to help you chose the best events for next season.  Too often in my years of coaching I have seen smart people make very poor decisions when it comes to selecting events.  Whether this is the number of events, the level of the event or the lack of priority I have seen athletes over extend themselves and either become “burnt out,” overly fatigued or injured.  To make 2013 a successful year for you take these four thoughts into consideration when looking at events. 

Planning: This is by far the most difficult portion.  With events becoming larger, more popular and more epic there are so many fun things to chose from. You must take a critical eye to your events and remember that your body can only handle so much before it breaks or breaks down.  Be selective and remember if you do not over do it there are still plenty of years of racing left in you.   

Progression: Just like an athlete spends years training for the Olympic trials and games you must be wise in your progression.  Take the time to build.  If you just bought your bike yesterday an Ironman in February in Panama is not the best choice.  Take the time to build your fitness, expand your knowledge and become a well rounded athlete 

Prioritize: There are many different types of events in a schedule; fun ones, training races, tune up races and A races.  Alll races are training races but not all races can be an “A” race.  The key is to select the important events and then design your training leading up to those. 

Periodization: Now that you have key events you can periodize your training program.  This periodization can be a month long a year long or even a decade long dependent upon what your goals are and how large the events can be.  The key is to have a plan but realize that deviation is not a bad thing.  We get sick, life plans change, fatigue changes and because of this so does training! Take your time in selecting your events and chose ones that you want to do!  No one can motivate you but yourself. If you do this and follow these steps you will set next year up to be one of the most successful yet. Are you unable to take a critical look at your calendars and make decisions on this?  Let us know!  SoS coaches can help you make some of those crucial decisions and help you not only enjoy your year but perform well and finish the season wanting more.  Contact us at [email protected] for further assistance!

Off-Season Eliminator

Race season is drawing to a close for many and the cold winter months are quickly approaching.  This is the time of the year when training typically begins to slack, however, the off season is where you can make large improvements in your fitness.  Make a commitment to turn next year into your best season ever by having a Science of Speed coach help you use the “off season” to build your fitness, stave off weight gain and start your next season at a new peak!  Don’t give your competitors the upper hand by taking months off of training, contact athlete help today to have an experienced coach help you meet your goals.

  • Sign up today for a 12 month contract and receive one month FREE
  • Sign up today for a 6 month contract and receive one month half off

To learn more about our coaching packages and find the perfect fit for your training needs go here.Offer Ends November 15th, 2012

Phillipe Gilbert Wins World Road Championships!

With a leg shattering attack Phillipe Gilbert took the win in the final four minutes of today’s World Road Cycling Championships. His decisive move on the Cauberg left all other riders behind and only Edvald Boassan Hagen had enough strength in his legs to even consider chasing down the belgian’s jaw dropping attack.  

Mind of Matter!

Most recent blog from SoS’ very own Liz “Lizard” Gerrity: So i am filled with weird feeling today. I am filled with endorphins, as I am now doing 2-a-day VO2 intervals and my existence is marked by suffering. But in a good way. Every time i go out, i just pretend that I am battling with the forces of evil and I must crush them or resign all that is good and nice to an untimely destruction. It is empowering. But it is so easy to see an article like THIS one and feel like everything is just a waste of time. If Emma Pooley can’t keep herself on a team, what is there for a little lizard to reach for? It is easy to say it is unfair. It is easy to quit. But I cannot. What else is there?

Injury and Bike Fit

I recently read a blog posted by a long time bike racer (Pro road racer since the 80’s) where he discussed a current injury that he has been battling with for a while.  An unfortunate crash early in the season left him with a separated shoulder which lead to him being out of commission for a bit.  Like many of us when we are injured he jumped back into it as soon as he felt the slightest bit better.  Unfortunately he wasn’t as lucky as many people who do this and found out quickly that it was a bad idea and his health went downhill. I am not sure exactly the draw for each individual to get back on the bike so quickly but I have a feeling it is either anxiety about weight gain, concerned about losing fitness that has taken so much work to gain or simply a “need” for the endorphin rush.  Either way this driving force is capable of keeping you out of commission even longer.  What many don’t realize, even this long time pro racer, is that all of the body’s parts are interdependent upon one another.  Just like a car that needs tires, a motor, gasoline and so much more to operate if one of them fails, even the smallest part, you can be stranded on the roadside calling AAA, so too your body is dependent on even the smallest parts. With that in mind there are several things to ask yourself whether you have something as catastrophic as a crash or an overuse injury.  Is your injury severe enough to seek medical attention, how does this affect you position on the bike, how much time do you take off and how could this affect you long term.  Some of these you might not be able to answer at that moment and could take days weeks or months to come to a clear decision, however, much like aging injury can lead to necessary changes to a rider’s position.  Whether these are compensating for permanent physical limitations due to structural changes or temporary changes that need to be made to compensate for wounds that are merely uncomfortable on the bike.  Either way, this is a very important decision to make.  Keep in mind that bike fit will not make your broken arm or separated shoulder feel better on the bike, only time can heal that, but it can help to reduce the discomfort of some less extreme issues.