We all know Shannon as one of the fastest climbers in our group, we'll he's also a pretty talented bike racer! Last weekend, Shannon competed in the Nationals and we thought everyone would like to hear about his experience in the race. It should come as no surprise that riding with the MGCC has prepared him well!!!!
A number of MGCC members have quizzed me on the preparations I made for the 2011 National Masters Championships last weekend in Burlington. The answer can be summed up easily - MGCC. Tempo on the Bridle Path, hills on Brimley and the longer Saturday morning Bagel prepared me well for the 113km race last weekend in Burlington. This is an opportunity to share with the group how some members with a racing mind-set can use the weekly MGCC rides to prepare for a race or an entire race season. The goal is not always as simple as getting from point A to point B as quickly as possible. My experience with Nationals has been a race that starts relatively smoothly and evolves into battle of attrition. The quality of the field is high and filled with riders whose skills and fitness are unfamiliar. If you can???t confidently gauge the strength of the riders around you it is best to leave a little extra in the tank. When racing with a group staying in contact is the most important thing. Gaps will open up and it is in your best interest to close them as quickly as possible. Riding with a group that is setting a hot pace is difficult. Riding on your own is much harder. The Bridle Path is where I train myself to hang in with a group. Some people may notice I vary the timing and level of my effort. Sometimes I accelerate on the Crestwood hill to try and open up a gap on the group. I might rest at the top and try to jump on the group as it passes by. That simulates a race situation where a rival attacks and I have to chase hard to close a gap. The rival might look behind, see that he is not alone and decide to take his foot off the gas and return to the shelter of the group only to try again later. The key is to recover quickly enough to have the strength to latch on to the speeding group that will soon overtake us. I put more effort in accelerating up the climb at Nationals than any other single effort I made in the race with the exception of the finish. The training on the Bridle Path loops gave me the speed and recovery to remain safely in the confines of the group. Stamina is important but if you don't have the speed to remain in the safety of the group, you better have a lot of it! I will try the same thing at various points on the Bridle Path Loop but the goal is always the same. Attack and train myself to recover fast enough to grab that wheel as the chase group catches me and goes by. The training done on the Col de Brimley gave me the strength to remain comfortably in the saddle as the Nationals race climbed up. My general goal is to ride a steady pace on Brimley. I keep a careful eye on my speedometer and try to hold my speed steady as the hill pitches up. That gives me something to focus on rather than the burning in my legs. It may appear I am accelerating but the fact is that I am holding steady. Drafting on a hill is minimal due to the relatively low speed. That means I can ride my own pace without concern for paying a steep price for taking the lead. Brimley is long and steep enough that there are few hills in Ontario that you would find yourself unprepared for. Stay in the saddle, work on developing power, stand with conviction when you are ready to push over the top. 5 times up Brimley gets my heart rate higher than any climbing I did at the Nationals. The distance we cover on the Saturday Bagel is less important to me than the time spent in the saddle. The Bridal Path prepares me to the surge-recover-surge-recover cycle of racing. Brimley gives me the power and confidence to climb hills efficiently. The Bagel prepares me to do it all for 3+ hours. I make sure I am comfortable refueling while on the bike to keep the tank topped up as the race wears on. You don't need a huge tank if you can effectively fuel up while you are underway. The longer rides helps me to develop muscle memory and comfort on the bike while keeping my heart rate in an effective fat burning range. Our very own Derrek Ivey had a huge result last weekend at the Nationals so we asked him to provide us with a little insight into what its like to Race at an elite level while still maintaining all sort of other commitments!!! Here's what he had to say - Enjoy, Chris --- National Canadian Cycling Road Championships Preparing for the race In normal circumstances I would have trained in Tuscon during the months of February and March spending 4 to 6 hours a day of riding, participating in at least 20 races. Due to work commitments, I was unable to train in Tuscon and was limited to 6 races. My employer allowed me to work a reduced work week of three-and-a half days in the three weeks prior to the Nationals in order to train. My training program included 6 – 7 hour ride on Tuesday; a hard interval day on Wednesday; followed by another 6 – 7 hour ride on Thursday; rest Friday and Saturday and then a race on Sunday. I had to extend my rest to two days because I hadn’t built the usual base from winter training in Tucson. Week leading up to the race I took the week off of the bike. The night before I worked during the day and early evening on the day prior to the race and returned home around 7:00 p.m., where I watched TV while eating copious amounts of Pad Thai, then went to sleep. The morning of I awoke at 11:30 a.m. after 12 hours of sleep, ate a steak and cheese sub, packed the car and headed off to the race at 1:30 p.m. Details of the actual race The road race was 180.25 kilometres with 14 laps and a category 4 hill climb up Rattle Snake point on the Niagara escarpment. The average speed was 39.5 kilometeres per hour. 178 riders began the race and only 42 finish. I finished in 24th place. Here is my Garmin Connect file. http://connect.garmin.com/activity/94949811#.Tgeqy-h8ntY.email The first two laps of the race was the most selective part of the race with Team SpiderTech at the front pulling hard enough to drop 20% of the riders. Each time, I approached the hill, I’d make my way to the front of the pack in order to ensure I would be able to remain with the pack up the hill. At 6’5” and weighing 185 pounds, I pushed an average of 500 watts for 4 minutes while a 140 pound rider pushed 320 watts to achieve the same speed. Around lap 7 with more than half the field having dropped out of the race already, there was a split at the top of the Rattle Snake climb with an attack through the feed zone. Being that my positioning was not at the front on this lap, I was stuck at the top with poor positioning and ended up in the second part of the split which turned out to be the main field. The winning break was now well up the road and gaining a time advantage over the main field. The pace was still high but the main field would not work together to chase down the winning break as Spyder Tech had 3 riders up the road with a # of their riders still in the main field. It only takes 2 or 3 riders to stop a group from riding efficiently and chasing down a break. It was in Team Spyder Tech’s best interest to allow their 3 riders along with a Bissell Pro Cycling rider to stay away. During the last lap, I saw an opportunity to break away and came solo into the finish with another rider, Derrick St. John ( who has raced for Canada at the World Championships many times). The best part of the race was just finishing as I knew that 75% of the field did not make it to the finish. As I had had no spring training or racing in my legs this year compared to years past (except of course for racing my fellow MGCC riders up Brimley or around the Bridle Path J J) it was a food feeling of accomplishment. After the Race As I ride back to where the car is parked I don’t feel tired, because I am ecstatic with my result. I quickly get undressed, throwing on the most important recovery tool, my compression tights and down a water bottle filled with Ultragen (first endurance product, amazing!!!) as I pack the car to head home. Getting home around 11pm I quickly shower and pass out, as I have to be at work in 12hrs. I awake in the morning with a bit of pain seeing how my body is in the wtf stage and wants me to get back to sleep. I quickly eat and pack copious amounts of food for work. The good thing is my Granite Club student is buying a bike so I can get in a bit of a recovery ride with her as she test rides the bike. Usually I would spend 2 hours of the following day spinning my legs out and then resting at home with my legs in the air to further my recovery. It took me three days to recover from this race instead of just one. In the past I would be riding full time, giving my body the proper time of rest so I may perform at my best and recovery would be faster. My Future as a Cyclist Next year I would love to get back to racing full time. I am going to use this result and other results from past races to demonstrate my ability when contacting teams for 2012. July is the time when teams are looking for riders for the following season. So that is what I must do; contact teams and show my interest in hopes of receiving a call back from a professional cycling team which leads to a meeting which leads to a potential contract. I am working full time this year just to recover my costs from the previous years’ of racing. I am hoping to earn enough money this year to finance Tucson training and racing in 2012. The average annual costs for training and racing for a semi-pro team break out as follows (bikes and clothing are provided by team – all other costs have been shouldered by my #1 fan – my Mom – and myself): Tucson winter training (airfare, accommodation, meals, parts) $6000 North America Race season travel, accommodation and food $9000 Race entry fees $3000 – $6000 Replacement parts and equipment (tires, tubes, chains) $1500 Total $19,500 – $22,500 I would like to thank the Morning Glory Crew who came out to cheer me on at the Nationals this year. It made a world of difference and gave me that extra bit of drive to make it up the Rattle Snake climb on the 14th and final lap. Cheers, Derrek The world's best cyclists are fueled by the world's best superfoods. Steal a few tips from Tour De France pros with easy suggestions for eating and drinking to stay in top form.
With the summer upon us the roads are busy and there's a number of people looking to share them. We came across an article on www.bicycling.com and thought it would be worth while sharing. While we never want to think about accidents they do happen and its best if we are well prepared for when they do. Stay safe out there, and read below, you never know when you might need these skills - cheers CF
No cyclist wants to relive a collision—but it pays to read the police report Picture this: You’re riding home from work, obeying all traffic laws, when a car knocks you off your bike. A few days later, you order the police report (usually about $10) and find mistakes in the account. Maybe you were unable to give a statement because of injuries, or you gave one while you were in shock, and you now believe it was incorrect. Or—even worse—you discover that the officer blamed you for the collision. What can you do? First, the good news. A police report is not usually allowed as evidence at trial. Although officers can testify about what they saw, they cannot typically testify about what somebody else observed. (Not surprisingly, there are exceptions to the rule against hearsay evidence, and judges do occasionally allow such reports to be introduced at trial.) In any case, a cyclist involved in a crash should check the police report for accuracy and have it amended if it’s erroneous. Doing so may strengthen your case with the driver’s insurance company, and prevent the need to go to trial. And if you were ticketed, an amended police report may convince prosecutors to drop the charges. Try to review the report as soon as you are able. It will be more difficult to make changes after the report has been finalized. When you speak to the investigating officer, ask that your account of the incident be added to an amended report (see “Make Your Case,” below). If you present your case politely, the officer may be willing to amend the report. But if you file a complaint or make accusations of bias, you risk turning a potential trial witness into your adversary. Ask when the report will be finalized, and check back before that date to make sure that your addendum appears in the final document. If you are questioning the conclusion that you were at fault, the officer will likely be unwilling to shift blame to the driver, but you may be able to persuade him or her to take a neutral stance. This will place the responsibility for determining fault where it belongs: with the jury. MAKE YOUR CASE Disputing a police report? Here’s the info you’ll want to submit. 1) A written statement describing your disagreement with the report, in as much detail as possible. 2) A signed affidavit a sworn statement attesting to the truth of the addendum. 3) Photographs or any other evidence that supports your account. 4) Records of treatment you received—if you suffered an injury that affected your ability to give a statement at the scene. Our resident riding safety guru has put together a few words on ride safety - please enjoy them and remember to be safe on the roads!!! Our group is growing substantially and we need to be mindful of how we behave in the pack!!! Da With the group growing in size, range of abilities, and triathletes; we thought it would be a good idea to recap some basic group ride etiquette rules. Fundamental rule A Don’t do anything abruptly, without looking, or foolish* (*stronger words may be used if, in fact, you actually do something foolish). Please remember you haven’t had your coffee yet at 5:40 AM. Fundamental rule B Always assume someone is overlapping your wheel. Rule 1 - Keep it tight “Tight” means stay close to each other from side-to-side and front-to-back. This should be a point of pride. In a sport where we derive substantial enjoyment from the high-techitude and precision of our equipment (you spent how much on that last set of carbon wheels/GPS/shoes/bike/sunglasses?), riding scattered all over the road makes us look like a herd of Freds from the local tourist club. If we lose sight of this it’s all downhill from there (but not in a good way). For the most part we will ride 2x2, bar-to-bar. You should ride close enough to the person next to you such that your handlebars are a few inches apart. If you can’t reach out and touch the person next to you, you are waaay too far apart. The appropriate distance apart is exactly equal to what would make someone of the opposite sex start to feel uncomfortable if you stood that close to them in the grocery store lineup. In traffic, for safety and courtesy toward other road users, it’s especially important to stay close together. 60 riders riding 2x2 should stretch 60 meters, not 300. If the group gets too strung out in traffic (like coming home on Bayview from the Bridle Path) motorists will get frustrated, start taking chances, and weave in & out of the group. Keep it tight and leave no gaps. The ride is pretty much over by then anyway, so ride a bit slower and keep everyone together in a tight bunch (have I said “tight”enough?). And speaking of gaps... Rule 2 - Fill the gap Don’t leave a gap between you and the rider in front of you. Even if you’re in a gripping conversation about the benefits of whey protein or how your 5 minute power is up 3. 5 watts because you brush your teeth with your left hand, if there is a gap ahead of you must smoothly move into the gap and talk to someone new. Rule 3 – No half-wheeling Half-wheeling is one of the biggest faux-pas in group riding and quite possibly the most annoying breach of etiquette next to blowing your nose in the middle of the pace line. Half-wheeling is riding a half a wheel length ahead of the person next to you. When someone half-wheels it means their neighbour will have to ride up to be parallel then, inevitably, the half-wheeler will pull another half wheel forward, and so on until next thing you know the group is breaking up and everyone is sprinting to stay on. Not to mention every other rider from the front of the group to the back will be a half wheel off which totally screws up any kind of conversation your friends are trying to have. Don’t be that guy -- when you’re on the front ride exactly together, handlebar to handlebar, no exceptions. If you half-wheel don’t be surprised if someone grabs your jersey pocket and pulls you back. Rule 4 – It’s not a race Races are for racing. Notwithstanding certain areas like the Brimley hill and the Bridle Path loop, you should not attack the group. Attacking is for races. If you want to prove how strong you are, enter a race or crush your friends on Brimley. To paraphrase semi-pro Sim Green, our group ride should not look like this: Rule 5 – no stoplight sprints No blasting away from stoplights. If you’re at the front take it easy moving away from the light – the whole group can’t move away simultaneously. By the time the accordion of 60+ riders fully stretches and everyone gets clipped into their pedals the people at the back will have to sprint to stay with the group. Plus, not everyone is as elegantly talented at clipping into their pedals as you are. Rule 6 – no passing on the curb side If for some rare and unknown reason you need to ride up the side of the pace line, do it on the outside. Riding up the curb is a recipe for a crash. (However, pay attention to the lane – don’t cross into the next lane). Rule 7 – pointing out hazards Most riders get the general concept of this but some muff the execution. First, you only need to point out those obstacles that could potentially cause damage to one’s equipment or cause a rider fall from their bike. You need not diligently point out every crack, leaf, or candy wrapper. When you are on the front keep your eyes ahead and guide the groiup. Second, please do not yell “hole!!!”; if you do you will be noted as a particular type of hole. Which leads to... Rule 8 – no yelling. Pros don’t yell, why should you? The problem is that when you yell “!!!!HOLE!!!!” you i) scare the crap out of the guy beside you, who was until then enjoying a peaceful morning ride and who now thinks you’re about to crash and take the whole group down with you, and ii) it sounds like “AARMFFFPHE” any more than 2 riders back. There is no point. The best approach is to stay awake. Exceptions to this rule are i) calling “clear” when crossing roads and certain urgent situations like “car-up” (oncoming car) when some miscreant is riding on the wrong side of the road. “Car-back” shouldn’t have to be used because everyone will be following Rule 1 and Rule 2, above, right? Rule 9 – traffic lights Use the funeral approach. If the first riders can make it safely through then everyone goes. If it’s questionable stop (and look at the digital counters on your approach – if it’s close don’t take the chance) Rule 10 – ride in a straight line See Fundamental Rules A and B. And on a related topic In some cases the group may be interested in maximizing its pace, in which case a rotating pace-line might be called for. This is not the same as a single pace-line where each rider takes a decently long pull then drops to the back -- it is a continuously rotating group where each rider spends only a few seconds on the front and is the epitome of a group working together. When a group gets a good pace-line going it’s a beautiful blend of speed, effort, and precision. If you want to hear some old, crotchety roadies get worked up just fumble your spot in a rotating pace line or break rule 1, below. Then the “no yelling” rule is immediately waived. Two top-notch examples are demonstrated by Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth Pro Cycling, and some OK riders in the Tour of California, 2007. Some simple rules for rotating pace lines.
We all know know Shannon as one of the strongest climbers in our group. I went to him seeking advice on how to make Brimley a little less painful and a lot faster. Here's the advice that Shannon shared on how to conquer Brimley and every other hill you face in your daily training
Climbing hurts. Period. One approach is to minimize the time climbing and thereby minimize the hurt. Here are a couple of thoughts that people might consider when aiming to get up the incline as quickly as possible.
Thanks Shannon - we all really appreciate your words of advice Building on Shannon's tried, tested, and true words, here is a great article from Bicycling.com about the 5 secrets to flying up hill. FLY UP HILL - 5 CLIMBING SECRETS - http://www.bicycling.com/training-nutrition/training-fitness/fly-hills?cm_mmc=BicyclingNL-_-05242011-_-trainingandnutrition-_-fly_up_hills How do you feel you climb? Are you fast, can you be faster? Do you hurt? We all hurt climbing - even Shannon hurts when climbing - hit the comment tab below and share your tried, tested, and true words on the subject of going up While in North Carolina we trained and rode with Max Shute from Max Shute cycling camps in Boone North Carolina. Max is a Ph.D., a Senior Coach for Carmichael Training Systems. Max lives in Valdosta, Georgia and Boone North Carolina. He coaches athletes training for competition in road cycling, mountain biking, triathlon, and marathon.
Max Writes: Are you training as hard or harder than your buddy and not seeing the same gains in fitness? Perhaps he or she knows something you don't. Perhaps they sleep longer and more thoroughly. Perhaps they know what and when to eat recuperative foods. The training stimulus is only 1/3 of the equation. Without the proper diet and plenty of sleep your training gains will be minimized. When we nail all three we get maximum returns on our training investment. It's not just recovery, it's all about allowing super-compensations to materialize. A body at rest is much different than one doing physical work. Influx of oxygen and other nutrients, as well as waste product removal, across cellular membranes can increase 100 times when doing maximal aerobic work. We have very specialized transporters that migrate from within the cellular cytoplasm to the surface membrane to facilitate this increased need for fuels. Once the workout is over these transporters remain for a certain amount of time, diminishing back to normal status by 90 minutes. Why do they hang out at the membrane? To replenish muscle glycogen and allow amino acids to start the super-compensatory process and repair. This is where a recovery drink serves us well. While absorption of nutrients from a recovery drink is less than a real “meal” they are convenient and do provide what your body needs quickly. Ideally we would eat egg whites, antioxidant rich fruits, and pastas but these food items are often not palatable or available soon after racing or training. Have a recovery drink ready to get the replenishment and recovery started. Then have a delicious healthy meal as soon as practical and your appetite returns. Tupperware is your friend. Have eggs boiled, pasta and rice cooked, and fruits handy so you can grab great food before you get on with your day. Simple tips for thorough and fast recovery:
As a coach I see the difference all the time. My clients that sleep soundly, eat great food, and train hard and smart make gains three times as fast as those that only get 2 of the 3 correct. Those that only train well often are subject to burn out and a constant level of fatigue. It's striking. Getting it all right is the only way to live. We all work, we all have families, we all have limited time. With just a little planning and time management you can have it all. Don't waste your time with junk miles and junk food. Train, eat, sleep, repeat. Listen to your body. If you are reading this you are likely a motivated person. If you are unmotivated you are unlikely ready to train physically. When you get everything in a healthy rhythm your gains will be maximized. And that's motivating! Thank you Max for your contributions!!! Chris Hey Everyone - check out the notes from our most recent MGCC Board meeting - stay tuned for more information, there's some exciting things coming for the 2011 MGCC
check our notes at http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnewall/sets/72157626614348871 Looking forward to your comments Chris Team,
It seems that our little group has become all grow’d up. What started as a ride for 2 has morphed into a group of 208 passionate cyclists who love to see the sun rise. As of this email, our little social community that rides together has taken the step to become a large cycling community that is social together. The Morning Glory Ride has formalized to become THE MORNING GLORY CYCLING CLUB (MGCC). The MGCC is now officially associated with the Ontario Cycling Association (OCA). Nothing has changed or will change and all the things you love about the MG Ride will be carried over to the MGCC. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO YOU: If you are a UCI Licence Holder, a Citizen Permit Holder, or a member of another OCA affiliated club, THE BELOW DOES NOT APPLY TO YOU. However, please reply to me which group you fall into. 1. You need to join the MGCC (simple steps to follow) – just because you received emails twice weekly (sometimes more) on the Morning Glory Ride does not mean you are automatically signed up for the MGCC. 2. By joining the MGCC, you will receive cycling insurance coverage on an annual basis - www.jonesbrown.com/jonesbrowncycling/jbcycling.php 3. There is an annual club membership fee of $25 4. You need to sign a WAIVER – IT IS ATTACHED TO THIS EMAIL 5. You need to return the SIGNED WAIVER TO ME via email, fax, mail, or by hand. 6. By joining the MGCC, you will automatically receive insurance coverage when you participate in other OCA affiliated group rides. HOW TO JOIN THE MGCC (it will take 3 mins): 1. Please visit http://integratedsports.net/oca/esport/Default.aspx 2. Select THE MORNING GLORY CYCLING CLUB, complete info and payment 3. Print off attached MGCC Waiver, sign it, and return it to me via email, fax, mail, or by hand. This is a very exciting step for the MGCC and one that is going to bring significant positives to your cycling experience. More details to come. I would like to recognize the following 4 riders, who along with myself, will form the first Board of Directors of the MGCC. Chris Ferron Shannon Hunt Dave Newall Paul Tepsich The 5 of us will sit on the Board till the end of the 2012 season at which time the MGCC will elect a new Board to see it through till the end of 2014. As always, if you have any thoughts or comments on how we can make the MGCC better, please feel free to reach out to myself or any of the 4 Gentlemen named above. Cheers, Fras This is a post from Fiona McKnight - Fiona is riding her bike across the country this summer as part of the Coast to Coast Ride Against Cancer - Great work Fiona!!!! Below is Fiona's note about her ride -
In March 2010 I participated in the Toronto Bike Show’s 24 Hour Spin, raising money for kids with cancer. I’ve participated in various fundraising events over the years but for some reason this event, on this day, completely resonated with me. This event truly opened my eyes to the lives of children and their families living with cancer. Throughout the 2 hours I rode in this event thoughts were bouncing around my head: - I’m not a doctor, or a rocket scientist… I will never change the world in a big way - I’m going to be 50 next year and I have nothing to show for it. - How can I expect my children to be better citizens and understand the importance of community and giving back if I don’t lead by example? It was time to get serious. I said to the friend I was riding beside “I can’t cure cancer, but I CAN ride across Canada for this cause”. At this point I didn’t even own a proper road bike let alone cycle more than 20 km in a day – usually just to commute to work, if the weather was nice, if I wasn’t feeling too lazy…. I think you get the picture. A friend loaned me one of his old road bikes and I took to it like a fish takes to water. I started riding 4-5 days a week. Here, there and everywhere! In August I rode in the Tour for Kids – 580 km over 4 days. In September I had the privilege of riding along with the 2010 Sears National Kids Cancer Riders from Woodstock to Toronto. The following weekend I ended my first cycling season by riding to Niagara Falls and back – in one day. This year – Canada! Riding long distances every day through the discomfort of tired legs, saddle sores and whatever weather Mother Nature decides to bestow on us, is nothing compared to what a child goes through when they are in treatment. Thank you for supporting me in the greatest challenge of my life. More importantly, kids and their families living with cancer thank you. MY GOAL IS TO RAISE $50K BY MY 50TH BIRTHDAY At any given time, cancer holds 10,000 Canadian children in its grip. It robs them, and their families, of the laughter and joy that should be part of every childhood. Riding in the Sears National Kids Cancer Ride will channel my physical, mental and emotional energy into something much greater – helping brave children return to life as regular kids again. I'll share the road with a crowd of athletes, united in our commitment to the childhood cancer community. Your support is welcome and needed. Please join me in this powerful and inspiring experience by helping to fund important childhood cancer charities across Canada. to help me in this initiative visit the following sites online donation page www.snkcr.com/fionamcknight snkr blog page http://fionamcknight.snkcr.com nside ride page http://sportinglife.theinsideride.com |
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