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Newsletter

<http://www.cycleu.com>

Your Cycling Fitness Experts- Coaching - Classes - Private Lessons | 

Highlights & Headlines

Congratulations to Coach Kristi on her Stellar Cyclocross Season!

The Cyclocross season has come and gone, and what an incredible season I had. Thanks to the support that I received from my team, Team Group Health, and of course from my fellow employee's at Cycle U, I had one of the best season's so far. I took home the overall title for the Elite women in the Seattle Cyclocross Series, placed 3rd at Nationals in the Master 30-34 women, and placed 15th in the Elite open women's catagory. 

It was great to see such an increase in the turnout of women in cyclocross racing this year. We increased the women in the Seattle Series dramatically along with the naitonal level as well.  It increased from 64 Elite women at Nationals last year to 81 women this year. It is so great to see the increased interest in cyclocross, and I hope to see the sport contiue to grow. 

Cycle U has done a huge part in helping to increase the interest in cycling with our developmental classes and continued education. If you have not had the opportunity to take one of Cycle U's classes I highly encourage you to sign up for one coming this spring or summer. What a great way to improve your cycling technique along with meeting other people who have the same interests as yourself. 

You can find out all the information about our classes on our  website.  I hope to see you at a class in '07!  Thank you to everyone who helped support me along the way to my successes! 

-Coach Kristi Berg

Cycle University

The Power of Power

by Coach Craig Undem

full article below

Make Every Day 'New Years Day'

by Coach Tammy Metzger

full article below

New Cycle U Gear Now In-Stock!

New Jerseys & socks have arrived from Hincapie Sportswear, and they are H.O.T.!  Get yours today!

more pictures & pricing below

Cycle U Race Leader's Jersey!

The indoor CompuTrainer time trials continue to be a huge success!  We've opened up sessions EVERY Tuesday evening starting at 5:30 and running to 8:30pm.  Come race against your peers in hourly heats, get those competitive juices flowing, and use these trials to gauge the effectiveness of your trainining.

Need more motivation than that?  How about a 'Race Leader' jersey?  That's right, the expert design team over at Hincapie Sportswear helped us come up with a gorgeous Race Leader jersey, and they have just arrived!  Details of awards are still being worked out, but top placers throughout the 'Cycle U Time Trial Series' will be sporting THIS jersey come April.  Will it be you??  

Due to increased demand, and a few no-shows, if you are interested in signing up for multiple dates at a time then you will have to pre-pay to hold your spots for more than one week out from the next scheduled TT.  

Contact Coach Kristi to reserve your spot today!

Power 201: Training With Power

As featured in our last issue of CycleU news, our line of classes on training and racing with power is now in high gear!  Our curriculum focuses on the fundamental concepts and practical aspects of training by power.  We're pleased to announce the following February dates:

Power 101 - Friday, February 9, 7PM

Power 201 - Saturday, February 17, 9AM

Fully-tailored individual classes are always available by private lesson.  Check our website and calendar for more information about these classes and to sign.  Email our Professor of Power, Lang Reynolds with any questions.

<http://CycleU.com>

Full Articles

Coach Craig's Corner- The Power of Power

As more and more research is being done on how to train for cycling, the “new school” approach is summed up by doing harder training in shorter segments with more recovery.  I have been having some great conversations with our “Professor of Power” Lang Reynolds about how to translate the findings of Power training to those of us who are still using heart rate or just training by “how hard it feels”.  

You have all probably heard about interval training, the key is knowing how hard to ride, and for how long.  Heart rate is a good starting point, especially for longer intervals, but the shorter the intervals are only measured well with power, and the analysis of these power files is teaching us that there really is something behind this “new school” approach.

Besides the scientific proof, I first started seeing the benefits of specific harder and shorter training in a number of random examples in my last 10 years coaching:

1.  In the 90’s, hard training guys like Dale Knapp who just rode everyone off his wheel in training, raced just as well with a full time job
and still does.  

2.  Working with Dean Golich and Chris Carmichael at CTS for Lance’s and Alison Dunlap’s success.  Really hit those 3 minute really hard VO2's!

3.  A number of riders newer to cycling I coached in the last 3-5 years.  A speed skater did CRANKIN hard workouts 2 times a week all winter and then showed up on the velodrome and challenged Kenny Williams and Woody Cox (arguably the best in the NW)

4.  I coached an individual for the 111 mile El Tour de Tucson that only did hard spin classes 2 times a week leading up to it and did it in sub 6 hours. 

5.  Oscar Frier with a back injury couldn’t ride more than 40 miles at a time the winter leading up to the Tirreno-Adriatico Stage race of 1200kilometers.  The team wasn't sure he should even start and he ended up winning... and then the next weekend winning the longest one day race in pro cycling the 294k Milan San Remo.

There are more examples, but the case studies and Power files are showing that training for hard intervals of specific lengths of time really improve performance.  At Cycle U we are working to translate all the science into easy to follow workouts that you can do with or without a power meter to get the same kind of improvements in less time.  Exciting stuff!

Spin to win in the New Year,

Coach Craig

Make Every Day 'New Years Day'

by Coach Tammy Metzger

It’s that time of year again. The time when we are all drawn to reflect on a year gone by, and resolve to accomplish new & higher goals in the year before us. It’s the time when weight rooms and group exercise classes are all a bit more crowded. It’s resolution time! 

Alas, most New Years Resolutions are lost and forgotten long before February 1. As an Exercise Science & Wellness major at Bastyr University, part of my studies are spent learning about obstacles to change, and how to motivate people to overcome their obstacles while embracing a healthier lifestyle. What can we do to keep ourselves and others motivated to reach new fitness goals (or any goals for that matter)?

Understanding the stages of change is a good place to start.  There are five stages (1) most people go through in changing unhealthy behaviors and adopting new ones: Precomtemplation, Contemplation, Preparation, Action, and Maintenance. The Precontemplation stage is the stage that occurs before we decide to make a change. Someone could be stuck in this stage due to a lack of knowledge, or the idea that they are at the mercy of unhealthy genes. A lack of belief in oneself could also foster this condition. Next, we move into Contemplation, where we start to think about making a change. Many things can ignite this change of mentality; a book or magazine article, a friend who has inspired us, or advice from a doctor. The key is a person must consider the change on their own before they will move to the next stage; they must want it for themselves. After Contemplation, which may last several months, we move into Preparation. In this stage we investigate what we are about to chang!
 e, make a plan, and acquire any necessary equipment. This can be a very fun and inspiring stage; we all love to shop, and new gear will inspire Action, which is our next stage. We stay in this stage over the course of several months of adherence to these new habits before moving into what is termed Maintenance. This stage will last up to 5 years, at which point that new habit is considered Adopted. If we don’t make it that long, the new habit is Terminated, and the process starts over again, hopefully. From studying this model, we realize that we cannot just drag ourselves or our loved ones out the door expecting a healthier lifestyle to be adopted. What we can do is plant the seeds that will hopefully grow within them, creating a desire to live a better and healthier life.

I feel very fortunate to have come from a sedentary lifestyle, because it gives me an understanding that many llifelong athletes may lack. Most New Years Resolutions that revolve around fitness are terminated because of a lack of immediate results. Constant focus on the outcome leads to disappointment, and eventually termination. Here’s a short list of ways I’ve come up with to keep yourself motivated:

•  Know your ‘Why’ – Credited to Coach Craig, this step is the most important because when it really comes down to it, the motivation must come from within.  Why do you want to accomplish this goal?  What does it mean to you?  Think about it, visualize it, make it reality
 remind yourself of your ‘why’ often.

•  Make it Social – This is part of focusing on the process vs. the outcome.  Everything is more fun with a friend!

•  Register for “A” races/events early – Hand over the dough, and now you’re committed!  You’d be surprised by how motivating this can be.

•  Document your progress – training logs, frequent testing, and pictures are all great ways to document your journey!  Or pick a stretch of road to use as a time trial every 4 - 6 weeks.  If you’re getting faster, things are moving in the right direction, otherwise it may be time to reassess your training.

•  Create Accountability – Create a scenario where you are accountable to someone other than yourself.  You can hire a coach, or simply start a blog or online training plan.

In a nutshell, focus on the process, surround yourself with healthy-minded friends, and enjoy what you do
 the outcome will take care of itself.

Coach Tammy

1.  Hoeger & Hoeger (2006). Principles and Labs for Fitness and Wellness. 8th ed.  Belmont:Thomson & Wodsworth.

Get Your Cycle U Gear Today!

Special thanks to Hincapie Sportswear for out-doing themselves with the 2007 Cycle U kit & accessories!  Everything arrived early, and looks fabulous! 

Following are the items and pricing of the Cycle U gear available for public resale:

Short-Sleeve Jerseys (blue only) - $ 75.00

Long-Sleeve Jerseys - $ 85.00

Socks - $ 10.00

We still have a handful of the knit caps available as well for $15.  Shorts are reserved for employees of Cycle U. Stop in during normal business hours, or email us today to place your order.

Contact Us for details about Cycle University’s coaching and consultation programs, or check us out on the web at www.CycleU.com.

Contact Us:

Cycle University website 

206-938-1091

E-mail questions

We are the leaders in Performance Cycling Education with the experience to answer any question.

Coaching

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We accept all forms of payment for coaching, classes and private tutoring either through Active.com or by calling us directly at 206-938-1091

Cycle U's Primary Partnering Businesses & Affiliations

Axley Eyewear

Cascade Bicycle Club

Clif Bar

Element Studio

Hincapie Sportswear

Husky Cycling Team

MS150 Bike Tour

REI

Team Zoka

Contact us for more information on partnering with Cycle U

“Sports do not build character. They reveal it.”

~ Matthew Campbell (1888-1939) 

Cycle University Newsletter #11  -  January 2007

Cycle University LLC 2006 | 

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