The Cycling Center of Dallas Blog

Muenster Germanfest 2011 Testimonials

cyclingcenterdallas — Mon, 02 May 2011 20:30:02 +0000

So where do I begin with this? The trip to the venue was fantastic and the event was..a challenge to put it sincerely. The start of the rally, which was 10 minutes after the hour of 11, was pretty normal. I would make a frantic dash towards the front in an attempt to keep out of the chaos of the starting pack. From there, I just held on to a pace I could manage. I honestly think I could have pushed a little harder, but with the views I got, I honestly didn’t want to. It looked spectacular, far more intriguing then the suburbs that I’ve lived in my life. That being said, the consequence of the scenery was the fact that the roads seem to snake with the surprisingly steep hills. As much as I hate loathe hills, I seem to hold up quite well to them. I ended up passing massive amounts of people (apparently the majority of them were for the 100 kilometer event) on the up hill portions of the event. Also, the reward was usually a pleasanter downhill which you could coast and hit 30 mph easily. (that being said, the fact that I way slightly more then a grain of sand helps) The only exception, and this is a BIG one, was when me and a few riders went down an EXTREMELY steep downhill section when i hit 37-40 mph and some one crosses over infront of me, consequently leading me to end up going off-roading on a ROAD bike at 37 MILES PER HOUR. Amazingly, I ended staying on two wheels perfectly and got back on the road. Honestly I was more upset at the fact that I lost so much speed and will now have to waste MORE energy on getting back up to pace. The whole event left me horrible shaken, for about 5 seconds at most, then I got over myself. That and I got off my bike because there a hill that was WAY to steep to climb. managed to get 80 percent of the way before getting off my bike and walking it up the stupid hill. Did I mention that I hate hills.

I’ve also noticed that I’m more motivated to move more quickly if someone passes or is at a speed I feel like reach. Point made, a van with a team name on it over took me on the other side of the road, and I increased my pace to keep up with him, weirdly enough. He even gave a nod of approval.

The rally was tough, but I ended up learning so much about myself.

Also, public bathrooms are still horrible, miserable boxes of dread. Avoid at all cost. That is all.

Muenster was Great Fun! The winds were strong but not too strong and the hills were challenging. But the 4 months training with Richard in the studio completely prepared me for mastering the challenges with a feeling of success! The comraderie with 3 other classmates made the whole day one to remember with pride and a smile. Not to mention that decadent brat, beer and Texas tator to top it all off! Ahhhhhh!

Alison, Vera, Peggy and I had a great time, and the training, particularly the anaerobic training, definitely helped on those steeper hills, so thanks!

I heard you came in 11th overall-congrats!

The mix of training was much better this year than in the past. It has been more realistic than before. Muenster was fun. I did it in my own PR & cut out nearly 60 mins with all the rest stops included.

We had a great time at the Muenster Germanfest Rally 2011! Beautiful scenery, great company, a fabulous workout, and scrumptious beer and brats! Every single one of us that traveled the hills and withstood the winds of Muenster were most definitely prepared for this journey because of our time in the cycling performance classes. The interval training really paid off with the hills…one right after another…and our threshold work covered everything in between. Although our group didn’t do the 100k, I’m convinced we could have done it….maybe next year. My stamina has improved from class especially on the rolling hills. I felt as if I was in a “video game” of the computerized interval format used in the studio with you yelling to get “your speed up to 30″ at the bottom of each hill! Couldn’t have done it without the studio work!

Had the best ride ever of course till the last mile when was struck by a bug in the eye. The training helped me tremendously especially on the hills. I passed so many people, especially the men. Caught up with the Lawcar girls at a rest stop Towards the end pulled a lot of the men to the finish. It was wonderful. Feel a lot for powerful. Even received compliments about how well my pedal stroke was. Not sure if that was sexual or not….lol! Finished even doing the hills and wind at 18 miles an hour. Very pleased with myself. Thank you for the great training. Still want to test out the crits but think I am more of a long distance rider than a racer….

Fall Quarter Registration

cyclingcenterdallas — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 03:26:01 +0000

Prospects who are interested in signing up for the Fall 2010 quarter – due to high demand, we have decided to implement a deposit system to guarantee slots. Please go to:

http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=11437

This $200 deposit will guarantee your slot in the class of your choosing. The remainder, $480, (Total $680) will be required at the start of the session. Again, thank you for your interest, and we look forward to helping you achieve your goals!

TO ANYONE WHO IS DEALING WITH STUCK PAMPHLETS ON WINDSHIELDS

cyclingcenterdallas — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 16:17:48 +0000

I am aware of the problem, and have called my printer to get answers. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you. I intentionally paid extra for higher quality paper/cardboard, and am dissatisfied with the unexpected results.

Coach Wharton

Tips for Adapting to the Summer Heat

cyclingcenterdallas — Wed, 26 May 2010 16:26:30 +0000

Man, it was Hot Out There! I was going great, and then…

Adapting to the heat of Texas Summers is an absolutely critical part of training for cyclists. When we move through the air, we end up deceived by the evaporation of sweat, which provides a small cooling effect, and heavier moisture content in our respiration. However, heat really is the enemy, as our bodies are forced to handle heat from our muscles and organs, and also from the environment. You’ll sometimes see cyclists warming up for races in hot weather, with ice vests and chilled water splashed all over their heads and bodies, as they attempt to keep their systems in the torso cooled, even while their legs are prepping for the upcoming event. These options are clumsy and expensive, however, and North Texas cyclists rarely have the time or resources to dedicate to these solutions, so it’s critical that we learn to adapt!

Adapting to the heat is something that researchers say takes about 2 full weeks. You can experience, if you shock your system with a ride that is far outside your body’s zone of comfort, cramping in the muscles and in the gut, and a general decline in immediate performance. This is measurable with either a sharply higher heart rate, a sharply lower heart rate, and decreased wattage output given a certain level of perceived effort. For indoor cyclists, there are actually some innovative ways to help your body adapt to the higher heat and humidity.

1.Start by turning off your fan. I don’t like this at all, but I do it in my efforts that begin in late February or early March. Turning off a fan eliminates a source of cooling through evaporation, and it creates a micro-climate around your body that can raise skin temperature by one or two degrees. You sweat more, your performance decreases, and your thirst levels either go up as you try to stay cool, or, conversely, drop precipitously as you trick your brain in to thinking that it’s not thirsty until it’s far too late. This is the time when cramping for even experienced cyclists can arise, and it’s not until you actually achieve adaptation that the cramps become mitigated.

2.In 1996, preparations were made by cyclists all over the world for the Atlanta Olympic Games. The Europeans, including Gold Medal winners Bart Brentjens and Paola Pezzo, showed up prepared for the humidity. Brentjens trained for weeks in a climate-controlled Sauna, which mimicked to the degree the heat of Atlanta in August, and the humidity. Pezzo trained on the coast of Italy, on a course that best-mimicked the terrain demands of the Atlanta race. The Americans, led by the belief that they need quality training in a low-stress environment, went up to Colorado, where they trained in cooler temperatures, lower air densities, and lower levels of humidity. When the results were tallied, the Euros beat the tar out of the Americans, and our only medal was earned by Susan DeMattei, who bucked the trend and trained in the Appalachians, closer to the race itself. She finished 3rd. The expected and respected Americans, especially the other female, Juli Furtado, finished a distant 10th or something like that. Those who trained at altitude, thinking it would give them a boost, weren’t prepared at all.

You too can prepare for the heat and humidity of summer cycling, and you can do it indoors and out. Take a few weeks and train in a warmer climate, with more surrounding humidity. Your performance will initially decrease, but over time, say, two to four weeks, your persistence will pay off with a return to more expected levels of power and heart rate, a return of your thirst, and a more economical engine. It still pays off to drink a carb and salt solution energy drink, if only to replenish electrolytes and the hydraulics that are our circulatory system, but it’s better to prepare for the environment, than to have a poor performance, and wonder what happened and why.

Quick note: If you are suffering from cramps on a regular basis, check out this great article in NY Velocity, about the topic, the mystery of cramping, and the answers that we do and don’t have. I am NOT a big fan of the site – it seems to be rather vindictive in its’ nature, but the contributions by authors like Scot Willingham make up for it with good content.

Here’s the link: http://nyvelocity.com/content/coachingfitness/2010/muscle-cramping-0

“How can I improve, Rich?”

cyclingcenterdallas — Fri, 21 May 2010 15:07:07 +0000

Here in North Texas, rally season is in full swing, after what ended up becoming a weird, wet, and mostly colder spring that kept more riders inside than outside enjoying the rides. Now, I’m all for indoor training, but let’s face it – we do what we do indoors two or three times a week, so that we can enjoy ourselves more fully outdoors when the weather is good.

After what seems like a pretty mediocre first half of the cycling season for me, things in the past two weeks have been looking up, and my form is actually coming along pretty well. I’m proud of my strong rides in the last two rallies, and this is where the theme of today’s title comes from. Here I am, almost 40, riding at the front of the pack, taking solid pulls, shedding weaker riders, and finishing strong, on what may be about SIX HOURS A WEEK of training. Maybe. Yet after the rides, when the top 10 or 20 of us are reliving the ride, recovering with drinks and food, and watching other cyclists come through the finish line, I am always approached by other cyclists with the perpetual question… “How can I get better at this?”

It’s a loaded question, and it can NOT be answered easily. But the simplest answer is the one that I’ll borrow from Eddy Merckx, and will also augment.

“Ride Lots” and “Train Smart”.

The development of a cyclist mimics the growth curve of a human being… It resembles a lazy “S”. It’s concave-curvilinear from birth through early adolescence, when it sort of flattens out, and then it becomes convex-curvilinear, where it starts to trend toward a flat horizon. The limitations of the curve are based on three things: age, the time limitations you place on yourself for training, and experience. Talent is also in there as well, though it’s hard to measure when you need to focus on the previous three issues. Most of the people that come to me are older (above 35), have less experience, and really don’t have that much time to train, given the mix of career and family obligations. “Ride Lots” becomes “Ride When You Can”, and that leaves us with the effort where I can help… “Train Smart”.

Training Smart means that cyclists who want to improve need to go through systematic, dedicated, perpetual adaptation to higher intensities of cycling. In my studio, we use Wattage to measure that intensity. We use CompuTrainers and ErgVideos to give cyclists a 12 week protocol of Progression, hitting specific energy systems that improve specific aspects of cycling’s demands. Cyclists go through 4-to-6-week “Meso-Cycles” where they will be challenged on one specific energy system in which they’ll be optimizing their performance. Then, we test to see if it has led to a specific result, and change to a different energy system, on a different Meso-Cycle. Progression in intensity continues until the end of the Period, which is where we back off slightly, re-test, and then once again shift modes. Cyclists who use this protocol, show up for every class, warm up properly, come with the right attitude, pre-workout and mid-workout fueling strategy, and GIVE IT ALL in the time allotted, will see results in the following four areas of cycling demands.

Stamina – Stamina is perhaps the most critical of all the values by which a cyclist can gauge improvement. Stamina means that you have the ability to ride further, longer, and stronger. Hills don’t leave you exhausted. You don’t bonk on longer rides. Think of Stamina as being the model by which your speed and efficiency both increase. Gaining Stamina is all about holding a steady pace at a moderately hard effort. Your rides get longer, if not necessarily faster.
Speed – Speed is all about improving Stamina while also learning how to react to terrain and other riders’ actions more quickly. Speed is about finding the right gear, at the right time, and pedaling early enough to get over terrain, or to bridge to the natural separations that occur in a group ride, with enough subtlety that it is barely noticeable. Speed is about being fluid. Speed is a reactionary response to a perceived demand.
Strength – It’s hard to define the concept behind “He’s a Strong Rider”. Strong Riders mix Speed and Stamina to ‘crack the whip’ and tax their legs, lungs, and heart so that THEY dictate the terms to the terrain, the wind, and the pack, if they’re riding in one. “Strong” riders are efficient, but they’re also able to recover more quickly from hard efforts, or repeated hard efforts. They also derive strength from mental development, which is equally crucial. At the Cycling Center of Dallas, riders develop both physical and mental strength from workouts via the shorter, sharper intevals that we go through in certain meso-cycles, and the different (and decreasing) recoveries that they get in between those intervals.
Skill – Skill is something that is mostly developed through experience, both indoors and out, but indoors, experience is gained from knowing just how hard an effort is, what cadence is best for that effort, and what it will do for the rest of the ride. I always tell my clients – “It’s not the fact that you can do one, single effort at a certain wattage output. It’s the fact that you can string together multiple efforts at a lower wattage that will help you define your improvement as a cyclist.”

We’ll talk more about meso-cycles and the “Four S’s” in later posts, but for now, think about this – If you’re a professional in a career outside of cycling, and you enjoy the sport for recreational purposes, but you feel you have room to improve, “Train Smart” is your best option. At the Cycling Center of Dallas, you’ll be challenged every session, on a proven plan, and will continue to see improvements in your capabilities as a cyclist, through fitness, and fun!

MS150/164 Images from my own “Feisty Devils!”

cyclingcenterdallas — Mon, 03 May 2010 18:50:38 +0000

MS150 reports coming in…

cyclingcenterdallas — Sun, 02 May 2010 19:27:03 +0000

Completed thus far: Jim Kasle, Carlos Sepulveda, Rost Ginevich, Sally Nobleman, Anne Gogola, Shannon Miller, not sure if Christy McWilliams is with them or not. But Hats OFF to the riders who have completed the highest volume of cycling in their careers!

Congratulations to the Fab 5!

cyclingcenterdallas — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 04:22:49 +0000

Fab 5 Take on Muenster!

And just look at those LEGS!!!!

This quote says it best: “Wind was BRUTAL today, but we did have fun passing all those people who walked their bikes up the hills!” – Sally Nobleman.

CONGRATS STEPHEN SEPULVEDA!!!

cyclingcenterdallas — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 23:01:14 +0000

Sepulveda wins the sprint at Fair Park!

Stephen Sepulveda, a student at the Cycling Center of Dallas, not only entered his first race… HE WON IT! Congratulations, Stephen, you’ve got a great career in a new sport to look forward to! BRAVO!

First Good Weekend of Riding in 2010 and…

cyclingcenterdallas — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 02:36:45 +0000

WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR STORIES! How’d your ride go? POST UP!!! We’ll shoot for some dialogue in the replies!