1. Trim up the rotating weight. I’m not talking about the weight around your waistline, rather the weight that is rotating on your bike! Think about it… Hubs, rims, spokes, tires, tubes, pedals, chainrings, chain, crank, bottom bracket, shoes, cleats, list goes on… Regardless of what bike you have, the best bang for your buck are new wheels. Most complete bikes come with very basic “training” wheels. Just about any wheelset purchased aftermarket would be an upgrade to this type of wheel. The most practical way to experience what wheels can do for you is to discuss your riding style, mechanical abilities, and budget with your coach and they can recommend some options, and often, set up a demo.

2. Dress the part. This is often the most overlooked area. Articles such as an aero helmet, or shoe covers can gain you 1-2 mph. Shoe covers alone can gain you 5-10 seconds every 10-15 miles or so. Of course we dont always have time to put on shoe covers, but an aero helmet is a no-brainer! Properly sized cycling or tri tops are also very important. If your top drags in the water, you are wasting energy, much like if your cycling top or jersey is flapping in the wind you’re giving up speed. A shoe that helps you get it on and off quickly is also something to consider. Velcro straps instead of buckles even.  You see where i’m going with this?

3. Feed the beast. Your body is an engine, and engines need fuel. A rule of thumb we follow: Per hour, consume 2 calories for every pound of lean muscle mass. For example, if you weigh 200 lbs and are 20% body fat you need 320 calories per hour (200 x .8 x 2 = 320). This formula is NOT absolute, it is merely a guideline. Bottom line, you need to be properly fueled in order to get the most out of your engine. Consuming an adequate amount of clean burning calories before, during, and after will greatly improve the quality of your workouts.  Again, consult with your coach about fueling for different course lengths.

These are just a few aspects that I see overlooked by new athletes.  We could expand on this topic in a daily post, but lets work on these and see what happens on your next workout.

#9: Skipping your post-workout meal

Its hard to believe, but some athletes will skip the post-workout or post-race meal. Thats the best part!  No, really. This is a good way to slow the recovery phase.  The time window is 30-45 mins following a workout or race.  Find a good 4:1 Carb to Protein snack or drink that works for you.  We prefer drinks because they can be mixed on the fly, easily absorbed, and very portable.

#8: Not keeping a training diary or log

Coach Matt can often be heard saying ” You don’t know where you are going, unless you know where you’ve been”.  Those who keep a training log have more discipline and structure built into their program.  If you are more disciplined you are more likely to succeed.  This rings true in many facets of our lives, not just athletics.  It doesnt take much time to update a training log.  Recovery days work best for most.

#7: No rest on rest day

Rest days are growing days.  Your body needs time to heal from hard training, and rest days should be just as important as any other day.  Without rest, your training will suffer from lack of enthusiasm, and intensity, from the dreaded “burnout”. 

#6: Training in miles

Training in miles can lead to a decrease in training quality.  If its blowing 30+ mph outside and you ride the same route, it could take considerably longer than if it wasnt so windy.  This approach wouldnt work for a time crunched athlete.  Instead of focusing on mileage, your concentration should be on quality.

#5: Dont be a follower

Changing your personal training plan too often to fit in with others, will make it more difficult to reach your potential or exceed the fitness of those who train with you. Its easy to work your individual training into group workouts.  Just be courteous of what the group wants to do, and conform. Your training buddies will understand if you have to skip the ride once in awhile so you can focus on your training plan.  Every serious athlete must train alone at some point.

#4: Overtraining your strengths

Your body, and mind, naturally want to do what they do best.  To make matters worse is to not have an idea of your strengths and weaknesses in the first place.  Stay away from workouts that play to your strengths, and seek out sessions that will improve your weaknesses.  If you need help determining your individual strengths/weaknesses, hire a coach!  Most coaches will handle this at a nominal cost.  The idea is to “Train your weaknesses, and race your strengths”.

#3: Lack of testing

Your body is constantly adapting to training stress.  Following every recovery week, unless you’re racing, you should try to revise your training zones.  Whether you train with power, or HRM, keeping your training zones current will prevent over- or under-training.

#2: No proper plan

A proper season plan will help you avoid many of the common mistakes on this list.  Do yourself a favor, no matter what time in the season it is, start preparing your Annual Training Plan asap.  A professional plan will be very comprehensive and will include specific goals for events and training.  It will also include a periodization schedule, annual hours, and weekly hours.  Try setting realistic goals.  If you have no racing experience, it’ll be tough to expect a win.  However, if you placed 5th last year, setting a goal for a top five this year seems very realistic.

#1: Dont forget to have fun!

At times, training will not be fun, however, it can be fun most of the time.  Staying true to yourself is the best way to keep your training fun.  Do you remember what got you into this in the first place?  Revisit that memory often and try to mix those fun elements into your training as often as you like.  Forgetting to have fun will steer you away from sports entirely, and that is not an option.