Thru Endurance We Conquer!

 Introducing Thelen Coaching! Visit Thelen Coaching  for all the information regarding coaching The love of sport and the happiness of activity is wonderful thing, but one that eludes many people. There is a freedom in movement, satisfaction in the personal effort of a quality workout and exhilaration of achieving lofty goals. It all starts with the dream and writing down the goals, no matter how crazy.   As a lifelong endurance athlete, I've had years of experience in running, triathlons and mountain biking. I've set goals aggressive enough that coaches said I wouldn't reach them and done things most athletes wouldn't attempt. Sometimes I succeeded, sometimes I failed. Regardless of the outcome, it was always a learning opportunity. What worked and made me stronger and faster; what didn't work and ended breaking me. When I self-coached, I was able to build on those lessons in creating the next training cycle. When I worked with CTS, the workouts became mo...

It's no secret that I love getting out on my mountain bike. I've posted pictures of Nick and I in all kinds of weather - snow, rain and the dark of night. We have the clothes for every condition and plenty of toys that allow us to play. And as a mountain biker, doing my workouts on singletrack emulates the conditions of my races. There's a different style of training needed for success on singletrack and as the days get darker, its harder for me to get. Darkness falls early, often just after I get off work. I've done plenty of night time workouts and it's always fun. Pure riding, focused on the bike and the effort, not the numbers. I have to turn internal and get the feeling of what the numbers mean physically. But come winter, the darkness is joined by cold. Sometimes the cold isn't bad and it's easy to want to get outside. Other times, the cold is deep and biting. Not conditions I want to get caught out in if something happens. I have the clothes, yes. But...

It's been a few years since I've done base line testing on the bike - partly because the focus was more on building tolerance to the workload. Coming from the running and triathlon background, I wasn't as strong on the bike as I needed to be for my goals so increasing threshold wasn't as important increasing my ability to handle increased workloads at threshold. I've gone from doing shorter workouts at lower power levels to longer and more intense intervals. I've also been able to stack more workouts together with less recovery. Looking at the TSS on Training Peaks has shown the trends of what I can tolerate and when I need to step it down for a recovery week. All of that work was done based on the threshold and ranges established on the last field test I did. With the improvements I've been seeing, I figured it was time to for another field test and to establish new ranges. But threshold testing isn't something to be taken lightly and when I picked up...

It's no secret that I've been working with Coach Adam and CTS for the last five years. I started out with CTS back in 2009, as a struggling Xterra triathlete who was easily distracted by other events and races. Over the past five years, I've refined my athletic focus to better mesh with my life focus. It's been quite the journey, going from self-coached to having the guidance of Coach Adam; to always wondering if I was doing enough - or too much to being able to trust that that the workouts written would get the results I wanted. I knew enough self coaching to be dangerous from my years of running - Coach Adam was able to tie it all together with the multisport and later cycling focus. Coach Adam was a restraining hand at times, others a driving force to challenge me; it was a successful relationship between athlete and coach. One that I'm lucky to have had. The last five years have been quite a ride - with unbelievable highs and lows and I've been able t...

A hallmark of endurance racing - consistancy over time. Consistancy was one of my goals at the Ascent Cycling Series CMSP 50 mile race. It was nine laps of a 5.2 mile course - one with a decent amount of climbing, some very technical rock gardens and a fun descent. So consistancy would mean staying steady on the climb, smooth thru the rock gardens and safe on the descent - over extend on any section and the next one would suffer. Especially in the last few laps. Another goal was to meet or hopefully beat my time from last year, even with another five laps to ride. We raced four laps on the same course last year and I'd finished in 2:24:51. So - there were a few things I was looking at during the entire race, besides the usually hydration and food. One thing I did differently this year was a slower first lap. I hadn't had a chance to preride and I didn't know how the recent rainstorms would have affected the trails. With nine laps at least, there was plenty of time to le...

Wow. I don't think it has sunk in yet. When I learned that the 24 Hours in the Enchanted Forest would be the final USA Cycling National Championships, I focused the entire first half of the year preparing. Coach Adam planned the training out - it was my job execute and physically get ready for 24 hours on my bike. Nick and I organized the race plan and he was also my awesome crew - managing every detail so all I had to do was ride my bike. There were plenty of hiccups along the way - from a tweaked knee before the Growler, a nasty cold a week ago and a perennially irritated Achilles' tendon (pick a side - both were taking turns being cranky) - but everything seemed to be falling into place. We got to Gallup Wednesday morning and found a great pit site - away from the noise and dust of the venue, but right on course. With the Back of the Pack crew also showing up with six other soloists, having a good location was important. We also go to hang out with that fun gang all week...

The nice thing about returning to races year after year is the chance to see the fitness gains, improvement in technical skill and ability to press on under any conditions. With six years of racing at 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo under our belts, Nick and I have some good data. Granted, while it is the same course from year to year - other things change. We've had all kinds of weather, from the AZ hurricane of 2011 , cold damp nights in 2009 , endless wind from 2012 and this years heat wave. I've had to use every stitch of clothes in my bag some years and hardly any other years. The numbers of people in the race have also increased over the years, leading to more slowing and accelerating for passes. Course quality varies every year - a puddle filled track in 2010 , mud followed by tight track during the storm of 2011, and this years brown sugary, sandy loose trail. Bikes have changed, with both of us on 29ers now. So the pure lap times are hard to compare. Yes, Nick and I did 4 ...

It's not a secret that I came to mountain biking from a marathon and endurance background. After I left triathlons, I kept the two pretty separate. I'd plan on a half marathon for fun after the cycling season was over, but that was it. Low mileage on the running with some big hours on the bike. In fact, I ran less last year then I used to run in two months! The running was t important though, it was something to do to keep active while taking some time off the bike. So come the middle of December every year, it was time to refocus on the bike and start preparing for 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo. The mild winters helped keep me on the bike, playing in the dirt and off the trainer. I didn't need to run much with the intensity I was doing on the bike. Well, this has not been a mild winter and so my training was a little different leading into the first bike race of the season. For some reason, I decided to sign up for a half marathon two weeks before Old Pueblo. Then I decid...

That first workout of the training block seems to be the make or break workout. If the numbers look good, then then next few weeks will fly by and I'll be looking forward then next set. If I'm struggling on the first workout out, all bets are off. I always hope for a good start, but know that sometimes it takes a few workouts to shake off the dust. Especially if I've been in goof-off mode for a few weeks. It can be mentally stressful though, seeing numbers much lower then I wanted - or was doing a few months ago. The questioning and second guessing always kicks in - have I lost fitness while playing on rocks instead of doing intervals? Will I be able to get back to where I want to be before too long or am I going to struggle this entire block? It's even worse when I've seen some good times in other things, indicating that my efforts on the bike should also be improving. Or when other indicators like RPE and HR are in the range I want, but the power, the primary meas...

After this last race, I spent some time looking over the power files from each lap. I've started trying to analyze my workouts and my races a little more with Coach Adam's help and this was a good race to do a more thorough analysis. (I would have done this with Sage, but somehow lost most of my files...) I was initially pretty hard on myself for two reasons - I thought I was overcooking the climb, thus getting sloppy on the descents and I also thought I should have slowed down the pace a little during the technical sections. One of those is true - I should have backed off just a little on the last half of JEM trail and on Hurricane Rim. I would have been less likely to get the two flats if I had. But as far as pace, looking at the lap files reveals that I actually did a really good job. That was good to see from the files as it shows I'm getting smarter as well as stronger when it comes to 24 hour racing. Some background info first - I have a Powertap on my Specialized ...

Time for some geeking out about numbers. Thanks to Nick, I've had a power meter on my Fate for 10 months. I've been riding that bike consistantly for workouts, gathering data and numbers. I haven't been the best about learning what it all means - still trying and working on that part. It's also harder to monitor power on the mountain bike since a lot of that is terrain dictated. If I don't spike the effort, I'm not getting through the rock garden, no matter how easy the ride is supposed to be. But that's besides the point. The real fun - and benefit of the power meter is the ability to compare workouts, analyze the numbers and see quantifiable proof of improvement. I can take my fate to the same trail, or the same stretch road and do the same workout as a few months ago. Instead of going "well, that was hard. I must be getting stronger." I can download the workout files and compare side to side. Did I really work harder or was it something else? I...

It's only fitting. I just finished a post about the gadgets and toys that have invaded riding. Part of it was inspired by my own gadget needing service and how happy I was that I could still race on feel I didn't let the failure affect my race. I use my toys to get the data, but try to keep the riding free from distractions. But I really like uploading the files and seeing the squiggly lines indicated how hard I was working. Even without the power, I can still get plenty of information about how I'm racing and recovering from heart race. I was interested in seeing the data from the race last Wednesday - knowing I was going into the hour less then 100%. I wouldn't have power, but I still had heart rate and such. I could learn a lot from this race, the four laps of pain. So of course, what happened? I forgot to charge my Garmin. I've been bad about that the last few months - letting it get low and then hoping to finish the workout. I usually catch it before events ...

What a treat - riding classic Colorado single track with an awesome group of people. Coach Adam invited Nick and I up to Breckenridge Friday and Saturday to join the ride portion of the Carmichael Training Systems Epic Mountain Bike Camp. This was a three day camp focused on endurance mountain biking, specifically the Breck Epic Stage Race, the Breck 100 and the Firecracker 50. This camp was more then just saddling up and riding bikes though. There was education on hydration and nutrition for long, epic events - always important especially at altitude and with multi day events. A presentation discussed the benefits of training with a power meter and how the data you get on a mountain bike differs from a road bike. (As a late converter to a PowerMeter, I would have loved to have gone to that talk!) And since most of the fun of mountain biking comes from getting to fly downhill, there were also skill sessions and video analysis of riding. A lot of information to cram into three days - es...

I have been working with Coach Adam and Carmichael Training Systems since October 2010 and it's been a great experience. I think the first year was a learning curve for both of us - me adapting to the CTS philosophy and Coach Adam figuring out the best way to keep me under control. (That's still a work in progress ...) Then a transitional year where I was still focusing on Xterra, but getting lured in different directions. And last year, finally buckling down with a specific focus on the endurance mountain biking. I learned a lot last year and made some really awesome strides in both fitness, skill and speed. There was always something missing, though - and i didn't always get the most out of my workout. I was training on RPE and HR - valuable tools, but still limiting the knowledge and specificity of the intervals. Since the start of our time together, Coach Adam has been suggesting a power meter. As the months ticked by and still no power meter, the suggestions became mor...

I've had the opportunity to use a power meter on my road bike a few times. I borrowed a power tap wheel for a few weeks last winter and have also had access to the computrainers at CTS. I loved the data with the workouts - the neat precise numbers that revealed so much more then heart rate alone. Coach Adam had been "encouraging" me to get my own for my mountain bike for the last few years. I always had a good reason why not - money, getting a new bike, swapping to 29er, and so on. It was only December last year when Nick and I got serious about looking into options for a power meter for my Fate. But just research - Nick was supposed to get his long desired trail bike first. So I was completely surprised when I found a new, fancy rear wheel and hub on my Fate. So now, when its not 15 degrees out, I can head up to the trails and enjoy single track and sunshine - and still get the real data from all my workouts. I love seeing the numbers (when it's good) but also know...

Tuesday I gave up my sunshine to do my workout inside - wanted the numbers on the computrainer. And while riding inside is mind-numbing, it was good to see the numbers. I like the numbers and seeing the improvement always makes suffering inside worth it. I did get some sun on my run later, so not a completely inside day. Wednesday was raining, foggy and a perfect day for another inside workout. And another good set of numbers on the power sessions. One of these days, I will get a power meter and be able to take my power workouts outside on sunny days! But until then, the computrainer at CTS will give me the data I want. To make up for inside suffering, and since I am working this weekend, Nick and I decided to head west. A nice long ride up Gold Camp Road for some fun singletrack. It was warm down at our house, but clouds were already building so we made sure we had warm clothes. Thanks to the rain, the trails in Stratton were in great shape. We took advantage of the quiet and rode s...

Its the purpose of training - overload the system right to the limit, then take a recovery to develop speed and endurance. Well, I think Coach Adam and I did a really good job of pushing right to the limit over January. And it's been a blast. I love the hard work, testing the limits of what I can tolerate. Over five weeks, only one recovery week and few completely off days lead to my pulling the plug on the final scheduled workouts of the week. I'd been pushing on the bike, dealing with a slight issues in my calf while running and getting in the water about three times a week. Sleep was good - trying to go to bed early and then sleeping in as much as the kittens would let me. (Sasha likes snuggling in the morning and her purr is loud) But I was still starting to feel that deep seated fatigue from the cumulative stresses. So when I got started on my workout Saturday morning, I was mental motivated to turn out another strong interval set. My body on the other hand was not as moti...

Carmichael Training Systems hosted the third set of "Friday Night at the Races" over the last month and it's been a blast. Like the November-December, the Computrainer races brought athletes of all abilities together to ride hard and have fun. The races also provided some motivation to ride hard and keep training in the sub-zero weather that had been hanging around. To make things even more fun, Jayson had figured out how to start all Computrainer pods at the same time. So unlike the first races, we weren't just racing the seven people on the same computer. We were racing the entire room and with nearly every computrainer taken, there was some stiff competition. January 21 - Time Trial Day. There was both a TTT and ITT this day, with the team event coming first. We were set up into teams according to rows in the pods, with the front row in each pod racing the back row. The race was on one of the flat courses, so strategy and drafting played a huge role in the times....

Sometimes I pick really good days for doing intervals inside at CTS. Normally, when I go to CTS for the intervals all I get to stare at is the brick wall. Granted, it's a really interesting brick wall, with all kinds of cools shapes and sizes of stones. But after a few minutes, it's still just a brick wall. There's also the screen with the workout graph, but I really hate looking at that. It's mean and ugly and a lovely reminder of how much work is left to be done. I do keep an eye on the workout line, but I'm not focused on the chart. Some days, there's plenty of people watching to do, but that just feels nosey and I'm not a huge fan. But today was different. The class that meets to ride intervals at 6:00 was doing a long, steady state set so Jayson asked if they wanted to watch a movie. Consensus was yes, so instead of loud music, I got to watch Off Road to Athens , the documentary about the chase for the 2004 Athens Olympic Mountain Bike Team slots. I...

Is coaching worth it? It's a question I'm frequently asked by other athletes of all levels. After working with my Carmichael Training Systems coach Adam for just over a year, I have to say yes. I have the education and the background to coach my self and did so for several years. But I found myself spending more time puzzling over training plans, workout schedules and workout goals then actually training. Working with Adam has eliminated most of that stress. Now instead of trying to figure out when to add in yoga, I can just do it. I have the free time to work on the little things that make a huge difference - like rest, lifting, core strengthening and stretching. I also have someone who is aware of my goals and physical condition and can act as a sounding board about current fatigue levels and workout needs - weather the next workout will achieve the desired objective or if I need more rest or if I can work harder. We are also able to review prior races, current goals an...