How to Train on the Bike

Its raining outside and I feel lucky that I did my killer one hour (just over one hour) session on the Kurt Kinetic this morning and it was hard work....lots of sweat and my legs were tired...thinking now I might have been able to push slightly harder in the first of 6 efforts, not sure, but am getting ready to take it up a level (I think)...HOW DO YOU TRAIN ON THE BIKE

- How do you get faster
- How do you get stronger
- How do you become a better rider
- How do you improve your skills
- How do you become the feared one that everyone is in awe of when you turn up on a training ride (you know the types, the ones that half wheel continuously, say that they havent been training, say that they only did one ride last week as they take off and begin a ride that gradually wears you down to the point where you are chewing on the handlebars (cork tape tastes better) and your legs are going to explode.

Maybe you don't want to be the feared on...but how do you get better?

I HAVE THE SECRET, it is not in a book, it is not on some dodgy internet (pay by the month) training site.

IT IS IN YOUR HEAD

- COMMITMENT
- CONSISTENCY
- DEDICATION

These are motivational words I stole from Mountain Biker and World Champion, Jessica Douglas' blog and they sit on the wall in front of my windtrainer........My "stolen" mantra

Easy peasy now that you know that, training should be a piece of cake.

STEP ONE
ON a day when you are feeling good about yourself, not one of those days where you are shattered from you last ride wondering why you lycra up on a regular basis, set some goals....Short term and Long term

Ideally

A weekly goal, so that by the end of your week, you can say you have acheived something, it might be to ride 6 days with one long ride. Ride six days and one interval session......

Make it acheivable......

Long term goals, may be a race or challenge ride you are aiming for so you have a plan

This is our local Wellington Cycling Club, club champion Dave Arnup, he basically set a goal to become club champion, worked consistently and acheived it....This is also in the shed, still makes me laugh

STEP TWO

Write them down. Have a book, or a noticeboard, or something that you can see that reminds you of your goals. Make sure you believe and have faith or confidence that you are doing this for good reason and you really want to see improvement.



My training journal and some of my Garmin data which I sometimes stick int he journal, to look back on the following week...I sometimes write a lot for a day, sometimes just one line....


STEP THREE

Refer to the Three main words, Commitment, Consistency and Dedication. Short term goals are priority.

Remember that you want to get better/faster/improve and this will take time and dedication/commitment and consistency.........so most of all and very importantly BE PATIENT

I guess I am writing this as a reminder to myself as much as anything that anything is acheivable by being dedicated and patient and chipping away just one week at a time.

Nothing in here that we didnt know already but if like me you are getting back on track - New Year and New Start and all of that, then maybe it is time to set those goals and look at where you are going and what you want to acheive this year.

I am off to the Tour Downunder tomorrow which starts next week, I am riding while I am away, but when I come back will have some pics of those riders that have Commitment, Consistency and Dedication, they are no different to any of us (they do just ride a bit quicker.........lol)....

I used to write this blog as a way of recording some of my races and training and stuff, but now want to look more at motivation and get into some nutrition and health tips that will work with cycling......I will still have the personal stuff as it is my blog, but nutrition is a huge area that I hold a real interest in and so will share my learnings in here......Good luck with your short term goals this week.