Homework from Noda: The Good News
20 Minute Test- April Fools!!!!
Right now we need to balance our energy. Where are you using yours?
Work
Relationships
Personal Well Being
Managing the home
Food
Faith
Right now let’s use our workouts to balance and boost our energy instead of drain our energy.
Warm Up is 10 minutes. If you want/need a longer warm up, please get on your bike before you start the workout.
Today’s Workout uses low RPM through 5 interval sets:
Low RPM-Engage glutes, Aware of pedal stroke
Neuro-muscular control component: slower workout allows you to feel the pedal stroke and recruited muscles better
Builds strength and compliments other strength training you are doing
Strength endurance helps cement proper pedal stroke strength
The specificity of this is another big reason. Balance out high RPM work from the previous workout.
Each set includes 5 efforts while seated. Keep the core stable. You might have to toggle back and forth between your gears to get in the right position. If you don’t have power. If you don’t have a power meter use PE of 7-8 PLEASE CHECK
70 RPM @ 80% of FTP
60 RPM @ 90% of FTP
70 RPM @ 80% of FTP
@ 90% of FTP
@ 80% of FTP
Just before each interval we are doing single leg pedaling for 30 seconds (put other leg out to the side) This allows for increased neuromuscular connections, control and awareness of pedal stroke:
Click out
Feel pedal stroke
Feel what muscles are being used
Recruit the hamstrings
Then switch legs
Click back in while keeping your head up. Try not to look down at your pedal. This gives you great practice in clipping in.
Then click out other leg
Repeat thought process for 30 second
Make sure to watch RV’s example just before the 4th set....One not to miss for sure!
Terminology Review:
Rear Gears=Cassette- located on the back of the bike and there are either 10 or 11 cogs that make up the cassette.. The lower the number the bigger the gear…
Front Gears= Chainrings. Usually two but nowadays people on MTB and some gravel rigs have only one.. Older bikes sometimes had three. More gears equal more range and options for cadence and speed.
Touch Points on the Bicycle
Bars
Try taking your hands off the bars...what do you feel?
You will feel more pressure on your seat.
Using your bars helps displace your weight depending on which position you have on your bars:
Hoods,
Drops
Shoulders:the curved part between the center of your bar and your hoods. This position allows for better displacement of weight. Turn your hand out a bit with fingers resting down the outside of the bars
Changing hand positions help adjust pressure from shoulders and hands.
Seat
Adjust your position fore and aft on the seat to see where you feel the pressure release
Tip your hips to another position to shift the pressure point
Pedals (Feet)-This area can be problematic during long races. To elevate your pressure in your feet:
Pull up a little more in your stroke
Shift a little of your weight into your hands
Loosen your shoes-When things warm up feet expand. Loosening up helps elevate foot stress. If it is really bad (during very long events) take your foot out of the shoe and rest it on top of your shoe and pedal for a few minutes.
RPM and Touch Points Pressure
Higher RPM takes pressure off of your feet
Lower RPM takes pressure off of your hands and seat
Getting older?....You are in the right place! The endurance domain is so great for the aging athlete. Great gains can be made with proper training as we age.