Everything I learned about Cycling I learned from an "Old Fart"

1. Don't underestimate an old fart - sub 60 min 40k TT in his mismatched kit kicks ass! (Never judge a book....)
2. Riding is always love #2 - old farts have their priorities right. Taking the wife shopping is priority #1 (if things aren't good at home, your ride will suck anyway).
3. "Ride your own ride" - if the cowboy at the front of the pack pushes the pace, let him go. (He's got something to prove, you don't).
4. Break the hill into thirds - save enough (gear and breath) for the top (break things down into manageable chunks).
5. Don't click up the cog too early on a climb, you'll lose power (be patient and don't underestimate your own strength).
6. Singing on a hill intimidates your cycling buddies (relax through exertion).
7. Imitating farm animals also intimidates your cycling buddies (he's nuts better do what he tells you).
8. Yes you will fall when you first learn to ride clipless - pick yourself up and do it again, and again, and again (if at first you don't succeed...).
9. There are about 15 different ways to get to the same coffee shop, all of them worth riding (so many opinions all worth listening to).
10. If an old fart shows up to the ride in 3 layers, booties, balaclava and 2 pairs of gloves - follow suit. (Experience trumps all).

Sprinting - A Rant!

I can forgive just about anything but sprints done wrong are unforgivable! When a "sprint" is executed by unloading resistance and pedalling like a frantic lunatic that just shows total and complete ignorance of anything cycling related. I found this on a website for a spinning studio; "Two common speeds for spinning are light resistance, to mimic sprinting, and medium to heavy resistance, to imitate hills" (it goes on but that's another rant). Seriously?? Do you really think that Mark Cavendish (possibly one of the world's best sprinters) sprints for the line in a gear ratio of 39x23?  Sprinting means you want to get from here to there FIRST!! It means that you are going to put out your biggest effort, you are going to push your biggest gear with the fastest cadence you can muster at that gear! Big gear means lots of resistance. Big gear and fast cadence means lots of power - a 10/10 effort. At C.O.R.E Cycling@ a sprint demonstrated incorrectly during the practical exam is an automatic fail. 

Cycling Efficiency

When the kit I wore on today's ride is washed, dried, folded and back in my drawer.

Autoregulation: Another important reason for a proper warm up: Working muscles (read vigorous exercise) need more oxygenated blood, as does the heart, skin (to help cool us off) and brain. Autoregulation is our body's intelligence system directing more blood flow to the areas that need it most - and it takes a bit of time to kick in. Warming up ensures that you're redirecting blood where it will be needed most.

I Changed My Mind

I changed my mind about knowing how stuff is going to turn out.

"Oh, why bother going? I already know what's going to happen".
"Yeah, the last time I went it really sucked".
"What's the point, I already know what she's going to say."

I changed my mind and let every moment amaze me.
Know what? It does!

You're not the most important person in the room

Far from it. As a coach, you're in their service.
Do everything possible to provide for them.
Set them up for success.
Your success depends on it.

Watch Yourself Ride - part 2

An indoor cycling studio without mirrors (facing participants) so you can watch yourself ride, is like getting dressed in the dark. Feels ok, I think I look good, but you won't know you're wearing mismatched socks until you get to the office.  Let your class know what's expected of them. Coach them in the correct biomechanics. Shoulders away from the ears, arms slightly bent, hands light, core engaged, back neutral, knees lining up over feet, smooth round strokes, relaxed and powerful, legs like pistons. Look at yourself in the mirror - amaze yourself!