The Power of Perseverance

Last week we published an article comparing three riders’ data analysis from the 2013 Parx Casino Philly Cycling Classic. Race winner Kiel Reijnen of the UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team shared his data, and you can check out the power numbers here (including the race-winning move of 11.4 w/kg for 60 seconds!), but this follow-up article is not about big numbers. It’s about something else that sets some athletes apart and makes the difference between good and great, between success and failure: the ability to persevere through setbacks and hardship.

Many people watch professional athletes and think about how gifted they are or how much easier it must have been for them to climb the ranks of their sport. While it is true that successful athletes may (not always) possess some sort of superior genetic ability, they must also have the mental strength to persevere through hardships and struggle. No one makes it to the top without overcoming obstacles that would push most people to quit. It is that mental determination and the ability to endure that makes the difference between success and failure.

“You’ll have a lot more bad days than good days,” was a phrase I heard frequently throughout my own pro cycling career and guess what? It was true. When we see someone on the top step of the podium, rarely do we know how many times they didn’t finish in the top 3, top 25, or maybe even finish at all.

 

Kiel’s Story

Kiel Reijnen grew up on a small island near Seattle, WA and was hooked on cycling by his high school graduation. His choice to attend the University of Colorado at Boulder was largely motivated by the fact that Boulder is a mecca for American pro cycling, and he flew below the radar until he was picked up by the U23 national team and spent a summer racing in Belgium. In 2008 he was picked up by Jelly Belly and after “being thrown in the deep end I apparently proved I could swim” - he landed his first pro contract.
     In 2010, after some impressive results and victories, Reijnen signed with Team Type 1 and began his first season racing in Europe as a professional. In his words, “To say it was hard would be an understatement. It was eye opening. I had my ‘you know what’ handed to me repeatedly and questioned many times if I was doing the right thing with my life. But slowly, steadily I made progress.”
Then, he contracted what he calls a “mystery virus” in 2010 that almost ended his career. “It took me months to recover and I was unsure if I would ever race at the same level again.” Reijnen dug in and stuck it out - but it took him two years to fully recover. When we asked Reijnen what makes this season different than the previous ones, his answer was one that will surprise many who saw him win with such strength at Philly.
     “For the first time in almost two years I feel completely recovered from [that] virus that knocked me out...I feel strong, healthy and back to my old self...I was 98% better a year ago but that final 2% makes a huge difference when you are putting your body under the typical demands of professional cycling. With my health came my confidence - and it’s almost impossible to win a race without having the confidence to do so.”
     “Signing with UnitedHealthcare this year was a big step for me. I knew that this year more than any other I would have to prove myself if I wanted to keep progressing in the sport.”

 

Disappointment at Nationals

And prove himself he did in the past few weeks, though not without a hitch along the way. During the US Pro Championship race in Chattanooga, TN a few weeks ago, Reijnen was gunning for the win. “After missing out on the Amgen Tour of California I was...hungry -- hungry to prove myself. I set my sights on Nationals and I wasn't going to let go. Every time I went out training it was for a purpose: ‘I am going to win Nationals. I am going to train harder than anyone else.’ During those three weeks I did all the small things right because I knew that if I did I had a real chance of winning. I did an extra 30 minutes at the end of each ride, one extra interval, every time reminding myself that was going to be the difference between me and everyone else come Memorial Day.”
     The work paid off - Reijnen was in the top 3 in the final lap of the race. But, with 600 meters to go, he dropped his chain. Though he quickly recovered and still came in third within a bike throw of the victory, his disappointment was evident. “When I went to Chattanooga I went there to win. But I didn't win. I was so emotionally wrapped up in everything I hadn't even given myself the chance to think about what would happen if I didn't win.”
     “Now, I could dive in and tell you how a mechanical foiled my attempt to win Nationals and if there had just been another 20 meters of road the jersey would have been mine, but that isn't the point of this story. The fact is mechanicals happen, often at really inopportune times, and there wasn't 20 meters of extra road. It took me a couple of days to swallow that loss, but no matter how frustrated I was it wasn't going to change the outcome.”

 

What Would You Do?

As athletes, we can train and prepare diligently and follow the plan to a “T”, but sooner or later we all learn that some things are just outside of our control. The difference between success and failure is how you react to setbacks.
     Many people in Reijnen’s shoes in 2010, living abroad, sick and weak may have thrown in the towel. Going from a promising, young talent to back of the pack can strip even the strongest athletes of their confidence. As spectators, we see the glamorous side of pro cycling: the racing, the podiums, the travel, and the life and luxury of training full time. We don’t see the sacrifice, the loneliness of living in a foreign country, the bad or bare bones hotels, the injuries or sickness, the pressure to perform, or most importantly the perseverance it took to get there - the place where we are seeing them now.
     Last week we saw many photos of Reijnen’s winning move, his explosive attack on the Manayunk Wall, and then he and his teammates celebrating his victory. But there were no photographers around in 2010 taking pictures of him getting his “you know what” handed to him in race after race, struggling with a terrible virus, and struggling with the question of whether or not he was cut out for the career he’d chosen. The photographers at Nationals captured him banging his handlebars in frustration at his bad luck, and near miss. However, Reijnen knew that if he could look ahead and stick it out, there would be a better day.

 

 

Staying Power

“The beautiful thing about cycling is there will always be another race next weekend,” he said. “Since Philly was around the corner I knew I had to stop dwelling on what I couldn't change and start focusing on what I could do at Philly. I knew the course by heart, each meter of Manayunk Wall. The form I had worked so hard for was still there and I knew that the new course suited me well. Even after the disappointment at Nationals the team stood behind me. They had confidence in my ability to ride with the best up to the finish and they made sure I was in position to make it happen.”
     The lesson here is that perseverance may in fact be the most important aspect of an athlete’s strengths. What is perseverance? It is the ability to endure. Cycling, triathlon and running are all endurance sports, and a definition of endurance is: “bearing hardship; staying power”.
     Perhaps Reijnen’s story may help you get through the next time you may be having a bad day - whether it’s a tough training day where you want to call it and turn around 20 times, or after a disappointing result at a race you were targeting all season. Setbacks will happen no matter how much you prepare; but your success as an athlete will be determined by how quickly you can bounce back, how much staying power you have. It’s a different kind of power than we usually write about, but perhaps it is the most important power after all.




Wednesday, June 12, 2013 at 11:35AM
http://blog.trainingpeaks.com/posts/2013/6/12/the-power-of-perseverance.html

Teaching Your Child To Ride A Bike

To all you dads out there removing training wheels, teaching a child to ride a bike can cause the same amount of emotional tension as teaching a teen to drive a car. Parenting isn't easy and activities that involve more than saying, "No, because I said so", can offer a real challenge. Here at LEGENDS we offer Cycling 101 for both adults and children. Having the wrong bike, the wrong fit, and for many children the wrong color or style can affect their riding experience. Buy the bike that makes his/her eyes sparkle!

Remember when all else fails there is Outsourcing! The blog TODAY MOM has an article titled: To Busy To Teach Your Child To Ride a Bike? Outsource It.  Here's a link:  http://www.today.com/moms/too-busy-teach-your-child-ride-bike-outsource-it-973745. Whether you take on the challenge yourself, or outsource it to Mom, siblings or a professional, remember the key word is FUN!

Happy Father's Day 

Be sure to join us on Sunday, June 16, at 8:00am for our 

Father Daughter / Father Son 

Bike Ride. 

TULSA TOUGH

It's great to be in Tulsa Oklahoma and to have the opportunity to be part of this event. LEGENDS will have a tent and we'll be competing in the race. If you haven't been part of this amazing event, you've missed one of the nations top cycling events.  Be sure to download the 2013 Tulsa Tough Tour Tracker App, it's your guide to all of the events, and go to www.tulsatough.com for more details.  See you June 7, 8, and 9 in downtown Tulsa.

TULSA TOUGH - History/Wikipedia

Saint Francis Tulsa Tough Ride and Race is a three-day cycling festival in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It features non-competitive riding through scenic areas around the Tulsa Metropolitan Area and professional level races. It is held each year on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the second weekend in June.

Saint Francis Tulsa Tough attracts professional and amateur racers from across the country racing criterium style races on three different venues in the streets of Downtown Tulsa and along the Arkansas River. Prize money rivals the largest purses in the nation. The quality of the venues and the top level race operation already has professional teams making Tulsa an important stop on their annual racing schedules.

In 2008, Tulsa Tough's women's pro races were selected by USA Cycling to be on the prestigious National Racing Calendar. Based on voting by racers, race officials, and announcers, Tulsa Tough was ranked in the top 10 out of 30 NRC races in only its third year. With this proven success, the men's and women's races were again on the National Racing Calendar for 2009 and after the event were ranked in the top four among all NRC events. Top professional cycling teams plan their domestic racing schedules around NRC events, assuring a high level of national attention on the hosting events.

Saint Francis Tulsa Tough offers two days of tour rides with 50 km, 100 km, 200KM, and 100 mi options each day covering nearly 400 miles of Northeast Oklahoma hills and scenery. All routes feature aid stations  and rolling support for riders of all sizes and abilities. The tour rides are expected to grow to well over 5,000 riders as cycling enthusiasts discover the challenging, epic riding available in Oklahoma's Green Country.
Saint Francis Tulsa Tough has received national attention from major cycling publications and continues to be a topic on cycling forums and in the media.

Saint Francis Tulsa Tough is jointly promoted by the Tulsa Sports Commission and Tulsa Wheelmen and is supported by corporate sponsorship. Guidance for the event comes from an executive committee made up of several Tulsa area cyclists and business people.

Thanks Wikipedia. Read more at:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulsa_Tough

CYCLING IN INCREMENT WEATHER

Don’t’ let the rain keep you indoors. The right equipment, proper clothing and these few tips will keep your wheels spinning in good weather and in bad.  

WET WEATHER CYCLING

• LIGHTS:  Use a front headlight and a flashing red taillight.
• AVOID PUDDLES:  Puddles can hide potholes and other roadside debris.
• AVOID FOG LINES:  Painted features can be slippery when wet.
• AVOID WET LEAVES:  Wet leaves can cause you to lose control.
• BRAKE EARLY:  Stopping distance while riding (unless you have disc brakes) will be increased. Lightly pulse the brakes to remove water from the rims – avoid breaking hard. Never brake or corner in the center of the roadway at intersections - these are some of the oiliest sections of the road.
• TIRE PRESSURE Check your tire pressure. Proper air pressure is related to the rider, bike weight, road conditions, cycling trails and weather in your area. A cycling coach or cycling vendor/sales representative can help you determine the right tire pressure.
• TAKE YOUR TIME:  Slowing down lets you detect and react to hazard roadways.
• STAY ALERT:  Driver’s see what you see and in increment weather you are equally challenged. Bright clothing and lights aren't always visible in heavy rain and nighttime fog. Be guarded – don’t take chances, be watchful – when things look really bad they are really bad, take cover, be extra cautious 

WET WEATHER GEAR.  

The wetter you get the colder you are going to be. Being cold and wet is a quick way to get sick. Keep your core warm – enjoy the ride regardless of the weather.

• FENDERS:  Protect yourself, your equipment and other cyclist. Reduce road spray kicked up by your bike, while protecting your feet and lower legs. Today’s fenders are an upgrade from earlier fenders. They are versatile, easy to put on, easily removed, and a must have in increment weather.
• WATERPROOF CLOTHING: A waterproof cycling jacket is a must. Pit zips, ventilation, proper cuffs and more are important in choosing the proper jacket.  Waterproof pants are also a must, along with proper socks, booties and shoe covers, waterproof gloves, hand and foot warmers, and a helmet cover - all basic bad weather necessities.  
• REFLECTIVE PRODUCTS AND WEAR:  Yes, it might not be the most appealing for some but it can be a life saver in cloudy, foggy, rainy or snowy weather. Today’s reflective products are easily affixed and just as easily removed. Being seen is a lot more important than looking “Kool”.
• EYEWEAR:  In low light, clear or yellow lenses for eye protection are critical.  When riding in the rain sunglasses will cut out light, making road obstacles hard to see.  Fight the fog with anti-fog drops and lens wipes. Lens wipes vary – tell your sales rep or cycling coach what type of weather you’ll be riding in. 

Cycling as a commuter, a professional cyclist, or as a way to stay fit and healthy can be fun in any kind of weather.  LEGENDS Bicycles and Accessories will meet all of your cycling needs; Bike sales, Bike repair, Bike maintenance, Bike accessories, Bike inspection, Bike training, and Bike Coaching. 

Cleveland Clinic Adds Pedals To The Pills for Parkinson's Patients

We all know the benefits of cycling.  What you might not know is cycling's benefits on the brain. Last year the internet was flooded with articles on the benefits of cycling for Parkinson's Diseased patients. 

For more information, 

link to the  articles listed below. 

"Covey says the idea for the tandem ride came from recent studies that have shown that Parkinson’s patients pedaling 80-90 rpms for 40 minutes or more at least three days per week have seen a decrease in symptoms."

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2013/04/07/2546814/parkinsons-patients-show-improvement.html

Fast Cycling Benefits Parkinson's Patients 

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/253197.php

·         How pedal power could ease Parkinson's: Cycling can improve connections in brain regions linked to the disease

·         Scientists say exercising on a bike is an 'effective, low-cost therapy' for the disease

·         US neuroscientist Jay Alberts started research after noticing positive impact it had on partner who suffers from disease

·         Scans revealed pedaling boosted connections between brain regions linked to movement

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2238450/Cycling-improve-connections-brain-regions-linked-Parkinsons-disease.html

Five Questions You Should be Able to Answer by Now

Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at 9:03AM

As the weather warms up and you start moving from the treadmill and trainer to the trail and road, your thoughts are likely turning to your racing calendar. Actually, you’ve probably already got your first few early season races under your belt. But did you really do all your “homework” in the base period to set yourself up for success? Take our pop quiz and find out. Here are five questions that all athletes should be able to answer by this point in the early season.

Q1. Which events are your “A” races and which are your “B” races? 

You likely have a calendar of races set up by April, but is it prioritized? Prioritizing your schedule is one of the first things that should be done when planning your season. “A” priority races are the ones you want to peak for and be at your best. “B” races are events that will help you prepare for your A race or are events you want to do more for the fun of it.

This is a task that can get complicated if you let it. In a perfect world, your A races are well spaced out through the season. Realistically, you can only have two to three A races per season. The shorter the distance of your A events the more you can have, but you still need to beware of over-racing.

With your A races set, you can find B priority races that will prepare you for the A race. There are several questions regarding B races. When should they be, how many and how to train for them are the most common. In a perfect world these B events are the right distance and timeframe away from your A race and don’t require travel. While it is impossible to set concrete rules regarding A and B races, there are guidelines. The longer in distance the A race, the farther out on the calendar the B race should be. If it is a long event like an Ironman, it is better to have two or more B races. It would also be good to start with shorter distances and work your way to longer events. Running a 5k two weeks before an Ironman won’t hurt, but it isn’t the best race prep either. In the real world, you will have to make some decisions.

Q2. How much are you traveling and how will you train through your travels?

In this process, consider your summer travel schedule. Family vacations or work travel can have a huge effect on your training and racing. There are obvious scenarios to avoid, like traveling just before your A race. Even if you are not travelling just prior to a race, you want to consider how it will affect your training. A two-week vacation during your build phase is less than ideal - unless of course you can fit your training into the vacation. Running is the easiest to work around, with cycling and swimming being harder to accommodate. Your ability to train while traveling will depend greatly on where you are going, what you plan on doing and the facilities available, like a pool or gym with a stationary bike. Research facilities ahead of time and have a plan for when you will get your workouts in. Minimize the interruption of travel as much as possible.

Q3. Should I race my B events, or should I train through them?

Once the B events are scheduled you can turn your attention to the training. While they may only be a B priority event, it can be hard to go into an event less than 100 percent. Hopefully your B races line up well with the A races. If so, your training should be progressive and you can train hard for the B race while still preparing for the A race. As a general rule, if the B event closely mirrors the A event, race it, if not, train through it. 

Remember, just because you make a race a B event, that doesn’t mean you don’t take it seriously. It is only your preparation for that event that is not optimal. B events are great for determining where your fitness is, working on nutrition strategies and choosing equipment. B events are also a great way to work on a specific weakness or aspect of the A race. For instance, if you are not a good hill runner, or your A marathon is on a hilly course, find a hilly 10k or half marathon, focus on hill training, then use the B event to gauge your improvement. B events are the stepping stones that prepare you for the big A day.

Q4. When are you starting your race-specific build?

With the A race in mind, you should know when exactly your training is going to become more race specific. By “race specific” we mean training at the goal heart rate/pace/power you want to achieve in the race, and training on a course similar to the race. After all, if you don’t train at race intensity you can’t expect to race there.

In general, an 8 to 10 week block of race specific training is good for long events, and 6 to 8 weeks is ok for shorter ones. This is where a properly placed B race can be a great advantage. Having a half marathon that you will run at a faster pace than your goal marathon pace 8 weeks later, is a great race specific workout. Keep in mind that for an A race, your build phase should end 2 to 3 weeks prior to the event to allow for a taper period. There is little you can do training-wise to improve your fitness in the last 2 to 3 weeks (simply not enough time for the body to fully adapt), but doing too much can have a negative impact by putting too much fatigue on the body.

Having a coach is the best way to ensure that you get your race specific build right (and in fact your whole season), but if you want to follow training plan instead there are many options. Plans will vary depending on the event, your goals and experience. You want to find a plan that strongly mirrors your own commitment level and available time. Once you have decided on your plan, stick with it and don’t second guess three weeks into the plan. Like any plan in life, you need to allow for enough time to see the true fruits of your labor.

Q5. What are your current threshold and zones?

Threshold is a very important element to your training. It is a zone that you should train in, and it also sets your other zones, like aerobic capacity and recovery. Threshold is the effort you can steadily maintain for one hour. It is a powerful predictor of fitness and can be used for pacing in all sports and distances. You can monitor your threshold via heart rate, pace or power depending on your sport and the device you have.

Hopefully you already know your threshold pace, power and/or HR, but if not you can determine it with a simple field test. With this determined, your other training zones will be properly set so that you can do structure zone training and proper periodization. Here’s the key though - as you do more work at threshold, especially during your race specific phase, this value changes. For instance, you may start with a run threshold heart rate of 160, then six weeks later after some training at threshold, it may increase to 170. This would also change your other training zones. That’s why we recently created the Threshold Improvement Notification Option to help you stay on top of your threshold value. (Read more about why you would want to make sure you have this feature turned on at this point in the season)

So, how did you score? Can you answer the above questions with certainty? If not, now is the time to get on it and play some catch up! If you can finalize your plan and set your preparation in stone within the next couple weeks, you will be on the right track throughout the year

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UCI's Stance Towards Anti-Doping

LeMond not optimistic about UCI's stance towards anti-doping

April 23, 07:30

By: 

Cycling News

Believes governing body must be separated from drug testing

Three-time Tour de France champion Greg LeMond has reiterated his long-standing view that the UCI should not be in charge of running the sport of professional cycling and that he firmly believes the sport as a whole, including riders, teams and race organisers, want the sport to change. The UCI, on the other hand, has done little to change the mind of the sole US Tour winner.

LeMond's most recent comments came from a discussion group held at the University of Texas, Austin,symposium on doping in cycling. The event held last night was dubbed "The Real Price of Winning at All Costs". The outspoken former professional, who sat with a brace around most of his chest after breaking his back, was part of a panel that featured his wife Kathy, Betsy Andreu - the wife of one of Armstrong's former teammates Frankie Andreu -  and USADA's general counsel Bill Bock. Armstrong was invited to attend the discussion in his home town but declined the offer.

"I'm hopeful the riders want to change, I think the race organisers want to, but I am not optimistic where UCI stand in doping," said LeMond. "Most of the big scandals have been criminal. Festina involved the police because it was trafficking."

"Drug testing has to be separated [from the UCI]. It's not a game," he added.

Still a passionate supporter of the sport LeMond remained firm in his belief that cycling is capable of change and that it would be up to the riders and team to ensure it follows the right path. With so many former riders turned managers remaining in the sport, removing the old ways is arguably going to take time.

"I want to see cycling get to where I can say I can see a real winner."

LeMond also threw in a shot at the International Olympic Committee, which UCI president Pat McQuaid has held a position since 2010, stating that the Olympics should not be playing a heavy-handed role in how the sport is run.

"I believe cycling is an incredible sport and really do believe the riders want to change. It should be the riders, it should be the teams, they should get rid of the UCI. I don't care about the IOC – I'm sorry. We actually destroy the sport every four years. I never raced the Olympics. The Tour de France was enough by itself. When you think about World Championships, Olympics, 10 guys get to go from the US and we are letting guys from Switzerland (UCI) destroy the sport."

One of the key messages brought up in the two-hour discussion was that the outcomes following the USADA's Reasoned Decision document into systematic doping at the US Postal and Discovery Channel teams was, and remains, not just about the fall of the once seven-time Tour winner Armstrong.

Bock was quick to outline the tactics employed by UCI during their investigation and suggested that no other sporting body has refused to cooperate in such a way.

"It's the same people involved, it's the same problems we have always had in the sport and what UCI did in our case; we the brought the case under US rules and UCI rules. We clearly had jurisdiction over an American athlete to bring the case, we went on for a month and when Lance Armstrong's lawyers filed a case in federal court here in Austin, Texas and took the position that Lance had only agreed to play by UCI rules not by US rules, UCI dramatically changed its position and said 'that is right, that is the position'.

"They [UCI] asked us to drop the case, they don't just ask, they demanded that USADA drop the case.

"We asked the UCI for information on Lance Armstrong and they said 'no, he hasn't consented to you having that information'."

The fallout from the 1,000 page dossier was about uncovering and exposing some of the ingrained problems the sport of professional cycling has endured. It's the UCI who want the public to believe the problem lies simply with one man, according to USADA general counsel Bock.

"I think the ultimate tragedy would be if this whole scenario is viewed as 'The Lance Armstrong Affair'," said Bock. "That's how the UCI want everyone in this room to view it. Their view is, Pat McQuaid [said] in his press conference 'Lance Armstrong has no place in cycling'. They want you to believe that, 'look here's the problem over here, it was Lance Armstrong, now look over here and it's a different arrow'."

http://www.cyclingnews.com/editions/second-edition-cycling-news-tuesday-april-23-2013