Training this winter

Isn't this just start-of-season and/or cold weather discomfort?

Well. I learnt a lot about myself this weekend. A lot.
I am a health professional, that needs to practice what i preach, from both a physiological and nutritional point of view.

I attended a Sprint Clinic at Newport this weekend, and in my opinion had a bad day yesterday. So, two things i have made a note of in my training diary:

1. Eat more - and creatively. I hate sugar, and sweet foods, so as a result, spent 4 hours on the track with an oatcake in my system, intermingled with a forced Clif bar.
   
2. Deadlifts. The one thing i wish i had paid more attention to this winter.
   
   

Lots to think about, and with some great advice given.

I noticed one night at track league how much food can effect your performance. I was unable to eat lunch all day ( a spaghetti bolognase from the night before ) so I ate it about 5.30, just before heading to HH. I bombed big time in 2 races and went home in a terrible sulk. I couldn't see any other reason for it other than the heavy protein that was still being digested. Well, that was my excuse anyway

^Same goes for any big meal, irrespective of nutritional content. Your body (or more specifically, your autonomic nervous system) is in parasympathetic mode. You need about 5 hours to get fully beyond that, although after 3 hours or so, it's easier to coax things towards the sympathetic.

Well. I learnt a lot about myself this weekend. A lot.
I am a health professional, that needs to practice what i preach, from both a physiological and nutritional point of view.

I attended a Sprint Clinic at Newport this weekend, and in my opinion had a bad day yesterday. So, two things i have made a note of in my training diary:

1. Eat more - and creatively. I hate sugar, and sweet foods, so as a result, spent 4 hours on the track with an oatcake in my system, intermingled with a forced Clif bar.
   
2. Deadlifts. The one thing i wish i had paid more attention to this winter.
   
   

Lots to think about, and with some great advice given.

Raisins, energy drinks, flap jackets and sometimes yes sweets when you really need an instant pick up

sometimes yes sweets when you really need an instant pick up

I find a strapping young man much more useful for this :)

I find strapping a young man much more useful for this :)

Have you told Matt about this habit?

Have you told Matt about this habit?

yes I was wondering who she meant too...

I find a strapping young man much more useful for this :)

Nah - I couldn't eat a whole one. Thanks though.

Still winter.

After a very tough weekend of work, I went straight into a tough week of work, have been on the go for pretty much 8 days solid with barely any free time.
I wanted to train when I got back from work today but fell asleep in the chair before I could muster the energy, feeling completely battered and unable to face the squats and things I should be doing.

I find it very hard to train when tired, and if I attempt it I usually don't make it through the session. Maybe it's old age setting in but I found it much easier to train last year. I feel fat and knackered and old.

A couple of scotch bonnets in your diet to fire up the ol' metabolic engine is what you need my man! (in truth, I feel similar this week, but had a belter of a deadlift session tonight)

I feel the oldness too
very annoying (bah maybe I am not that old only not good enough)

+1 on the oldness. Plus children can be very draining (in a good way of course (mostly)).

But I'm fairly satisfied with the consistency of my training regime this winter just gone. It's the thought of the build phase, and the looming spectre of increased intensity that's doing me in. Possibly connected to age as well, but I get the feeling I'll be training/racing on alternate days as the suffering mounts. From what I can tell so far, the 24hrs of rest does me more good than attempting a daily training load.

And FFS, there's more to life. No-one's paying me, apart from the odd cheque here and there that just about covers entry fees and a train fare. As time goes on, I'd rather start saving my energy for supporting my son's endeavours, sporting and otherwise, whatever they may be.

I skipped my training last night to spend some time with my girlfriend. Meh. It won't effect my performance in the long term.

what's this training you all speak of??? does it involve cake?

Yes we are all old and in my case decrepit. If only I could get my hands on something to bring back my youthfulness

Is MDMA on the UCI's banned substance list?

Boonen would be the man to ask. Or was that just charlie?

Starting my first proper week of training this week. Feeling fine so far, lets see how I feel in a couple of weeks.

Is MDMA on the UCI's banned substance list?

If I took MDMA now I am pretty sure it would heighten all my bodies failings compared with the last time I took it and I would end up sitting in a corner a trembling paranoid wreck.

Either that or I would be mad for it and dance around for hours not giving a shit.

Probably the latter :)

You'd fucking love me, man.

You'd love fucking me, man.

My dyslexia does play tricks, for a second I thought you'd written

"You'd love fucking me, man."

i've been out most saturdays 5 out of 7 so far this year.. i too am feeling my age and recovery taking much longer, and 5 weeks til RvV, so i am resigned to the fact that it will be very hard indeed, to maintain a decent pace and endure those 18 mini epic climbs.. i won't want to miss them though, at no other time in my life, but now have i felt that cycling gives me the lifestyle, freedom and health i want, just hope i can keep it going for as long as possible.

it is also very reassuring that the people i train with feel like i do, and for those that have done very little so far this year, also takes the pressure off a little bit too.

just want to sleep more at the moment..

My dyslexia does play tricks, for a second I thought you'd written

"You'd love fucking me, man."

I don't doubt that would also be the case.

Tonight i went to my local track for their weekly winter training sessions.

My previous experience of cycling is bmx/posing for 6 years and in the last two years maybe every other weekend do a small 20mile ride in the summer. Maybe this is obvious but i hadn't realised how fit other cyclists would be at training sessions. Saying that 95% of people were in the local road team, so they were pretty serious. Riding in a group (be it on track) is a real buzz but i'm sure some of you are accustomed to this.

I guess the reason why I'm writing this is just to say that i have a lot more admiration for rider's fitness and skill when previously thinking it doesn't look too hard from the comfort of my armchair.