Is there ever a right time?

To develop and excel as a cyclist it takes time.  Early on we often see rapid changes in a rider’s performance, and then as the months and years pass the physiological changes continue, but often at a slower rate, especially in highly trained athletes.

 

It can take up to 10 years for a rider to develop fully, in the first 5 years we see predominantly physical development and the later 5 years cognitive development, so it’s never too late or too early to start.

The 2024 season in the northern hemisphere is now underway so the opportunity to be at your best for an event this summer are more limited, but with the correct plan, with the appropriate amount of loading and recovery, designed around your specific events requirements, improvements can be made.

If you have never been coached before or followed a plan tailored for you and your event needs, then there is no better time to start.  With continuity of training time, support from your coach, you will get so much more from your training and events.

 

So what are you doing this weekend?

I will be spending mine with a pad of paper, lots of fresh coffee reviewing this season and thinking ahead to 2023 and outlining my Goals for the next 12 months.

To help set new Goals, with my teammate we will start by looking at what went well this year, what we will do differently next time and what was our proudest moments.  Review our previous Goals and for those we did not achieve, evaluate what prevented us from reaching these, and how we can overcome these moving forward.

It takes time but the journey can be a revealing and an exciting one.  It’s always helpful to have someone to talk through the whole process as we can often be too critical and sometimes blinkered to our own limiters.  I love this process as it’s a great motivator ahead of a long winters training period.

Just 150 days to go until I will be back out there again #legatoracingteam

Astonishing results time and time again

One area of physical performance that I have always wanted to explore more in order to gain a greater understanding of my own physical needs is hydration and

 the effect sweat loss has on me. Last year I was lucky enough to bump into a team of people at the @TrainingPeaks conference who can do just that, or so they claimed.  I met Andy Blow one of the founders of @precisionhydration  who following detailed research has now developed a product that you can take before, during and after an event/training session to ensure your body’s salt levels remain constant with no drop off in muscle efficiency caused when the body becomes dehydrated.  They have a simple FREE (LINK) online test you can do to establish your own personal requirements or you can visit one of their test centres around the country to have a very precise test done.  Initially Andy did the free online test with me at the conference and a few weeks later I went to my local test centre based at @komfuel to get tested properly.  Here is a video LINK of the test and a brief explanation of the science behind it.  What I liked most about this test is it’s a one off, my salt requirements will not change throughout the season or as I get older, so I myself thought the £95 to be a good investment if the science behind it worked.  The test took about an hour and I received an easy to understand results page via email with recommendation which I have saved for reference.

So did it work?

Continue reading Astonishing results time and time again