Build phases are blocks of training from three to five weeks in length in which the training duration and intensity are slowly increased above the work load you performed during the base phase. The number of build phases depends on the amount of time you have until the event you are training for. Each build phase is followed by a recovery week that is marked by a reduction in training duration/intensity and includes a specific workout to measure and track your improvement at the end of the week. This workout, called a benchmark, will help you determine if the training bout in the last phase has created an improvement in your level of fitness.

1. Build phase I workouts
   1. Ride in a variety of gearings on the bike, focusing on spending time pedaling in different cadence ranges for extended periods
   2. Workouts should be at least an hour long, three days a week (preferably back-to-back) and up to three hours back-to-back on weekends
   3. Add in some drills to improve Force Production (low cadence climbing) once per week and rolling hills to extended climbs on the weekends

Once the first build phase has been completed, pay attention to how you feel after the benchmark workout and begin the next build phase. In this phase, the workouts are similar to the last phase but you will be attempting to do more reps of each drill or spending additional time in higher heart rate zones during your longer rides. At the end of each build, recovery is a key component and testing your fitness again with the benchmark ride will allow you to compare your results to previous tests and track how you are adapting to the training.

1. Build phase II workout
   1. Ride in a variety of gearings on the bike, focusing on spending time pedaling in different cadence ranges for extended periods
   2. Weekday rides should be up to an hour and a half, three days a week, and up to three/four hours back to back on weekends
   3. Continue Force Production drills (low cadence climbing) once per week and rolling hills to extended climbs on the weekends
   4. Add in some extended, high intensity efforts on the longer climbs.

Using the build phases will help you transition into the larger efforts needed to create success in your training and during your target events.

First, set a goal for yourself. How much weight would you like to lose? When would you like to lose it by? Make sure that it’s a realistic goal and timeframe. For reference, the guideline for safe and effective weight loss is 1-2 pounds per week.

Next, focus on calories in versus calories out. If your goal is to lose weight you’ll need to be in a negative energy balance, or burning more calories than you are consuming. It’s simple to track the intake part, although it can be a little time consuming at first. There are plenty of good websites and apps to help you do some food journaling. To track your energy expenditure you’ll need to include your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR), activities of daily living and calories burned from exercise. There are several online calculators to help you estimate your RMR as well as the extra calories you’re burning based on your daily activity level. Many of today’s modern training devices (Garmins, Polars, etc.) will give you an estimate of the calories you’re expending through exercise. If you don’t have one of these devices you can estimate your calories from exercise with various online tools as well.

One pound of body weight equals about 3500 calories. So to lose one pound a week you will have to be consuming roughly 500 calories less than you’re expending on a daily basis. This can be accomplished through an increase in activity level as well as cutting some calories out of your diet. One of the most effective ways of cutting calories is portion control. You can reduce your calorie intake by simply eating less of your current diet. This can make it a lot easier to adhere to your diet since you don’t have to drastically change the types of foods that you’re eating.

Another easy area to cut some calories early on in your training is carbohydrates. When you’re doing a lot of low intensity riding, your body’s fuel of choice is fat. It’s in abundant supply in the body (even in very lean individuals) and meets the energy demands for this low intensity work. This allows you to cut some of the carb laden foods such as pastas and breads out of your diet without adversely affecting your energy levels on the bike. As your training progresses and you begin to ride at higher intensities you’ll want to build these carbs back into your diet as they become an important energy source.

The way you feed on the bike can also help you to get your calorie intake under control. As mentioned above, early in the year when you’re building up your low intensity mileage the body has most of the fuel it needs already stored up. There is no need to load up on sports drinks or energy gels for short rides or even longer ones if you’re keeping the intensity in check. You’ll still need to be replacing the electrolytes that you’re sweating out so look for a low-cal or calorie free option such as Nuun or CamelBak Elixir tabs. There also isn’t a big need for recovery drinks after these low intensity rides, especially if you’re planning on eating a full meal within a couple of hours of completing your ride. As ride length and intensity increase proper on the bike feeding becomes more important. But, for now, cutting calories out of these two areas could help you shed a few pounds and become more efficient at using fat as your body’s fuel of choice.

Overall, you may have to be a little bit more diligent but the early season is the best time to shed those extra pounds. The further you get into the season, and the harder you start riding, the more you’ll have focus on eating enough calories to fuel your workouts and ensure you’re getting the most out of those hours in the saddle.

At rest, the body produces most of the energy it needs aerobically. It mainly breaks down fat in the presence of oxygen to produce a molecule called adenosine triphosphate, or ATP. This is a very clean, efficient process and uses an energy source (fat) that is in abundant supply in the body. While exercising at lower intensities we are still relying largely on fat to fuel our activity. As we increase the intensity at which we are riding we become more and more reliant on carbohydrate (stored as glycogen in the body) as a fuel source. We start to rely more on carbohydrate because it is a lot quicker to breakdown compared to fat. The problem with this is that carbohydrate is in limited supply in the body. If you’ve ever bonked or “hit the wall” during a ride you’ve experienced glycogen depletion firsthand. You’ve exhausted the supply of stored carbohydrate in the body and your brain is forcing you to slow down since you’ll now have to rely on fat as your main fuel source. Remember that fat takes longer to break down compared to carbohydrate. So it stands to reason that if we can get better at utilizing fat as fuel we’ll be able to ride faster while using up less of our precious supply of glycogen and prolonging that dreaded bonk.

This is where riding slow comes into the equation. Spending some long, slow days in the saddle will help to build your aerobic system in a number of ways. You’ll see an increase in the enzymes that help to metabolize fat, helping you to break down more of it. Your body will start to form more capillaries, and increase the size of existing ones, to deliver more oxygen to your working muscles to help metabolize that fat. You’ll also see an increase in the size and number of mitochondria in muscle cells (the part of the cell where aerobic energy production takes place). Riding slow also helps the body to increase its ability to store glycogen, so you’ll have more in the tank for those long climbs or hard efforts into the wind.

Don’t be afraid to ride easy!

Stationary cycling can be a descriptor of the following: spin bikes, trainers, rollers, ergometers and exercise bicycles. All of them have the same basic principal, which is to allow for the same body movement found on a bicycle, while staying in one place. Each one of them has their place in the fitness routine of a cyclist; some are better suited than others in getting the job done.

Before tackling long hours indoors, several things need to be taken into consideration. Take care to hydrate well, keep the temperature of the room lower and ventilate with a fan to protect against overheating the body. Do your best to set the machine up to fit you correctly. Even if this means taking measurements from your bicycle and replicating them, this can ensure longer term joint health. Understand how to safely operate the equipment. And finally, if participating in a class, recognize your limits by knowing when to back off of the intensity or duration.

Spinning bikes are usually the sort that have a single flywheel either in front or back, flat pedals, a saddle and handle bars. The better ones have the ability to finely tune the seat and handle bar positions to fit the rider. These bikes don’t have gears, but do have a way to add or remove resistance on the flywheel that the pedals propel. Simple, but this doesn’t translate well to the real world. Since most of these types of bikes have a weighted flywheel, the bike will actually do some of the work for you. One way to find this out is to try and coast – do the pedals tend to keep going for a while? This is not good for drills that incorporate pedaling skills since the bike has momentum.

A trainer or rollers are designed to interact with your bicycle. Right from the start you’re ahead of the game since you’re on your own steed. You have gears to shift through and ways to increase resistance that are more real world. Rollers add a component of balance since the bike tires just sit on three drums, kind of like a treadmill for your ride. One of the biggest factors to consider when selecting a trainer or rollers is the type of resistance provided by the unit such as fluid, magnetic, wind, etc. Each has its own benefits and drawbacks. Spend some time researching which one will meet your specific needs before purchase.

To combat boredom while indoors, several methods can be employed. Going to a spin class can give the social and coached interactions that pass time. Riding in the basement can be improved upon by a TV to watch cycling workout shows, movies or to follow a course on some of the more advanced trainers. Music can also be a big motivator and can help pass the time.

One of the biggest points to get across about being indoors is the level of work that can be done for a given period of time. Go for a ride outside for an hour and it’s a good bet that 15 minutes of that ride was spent coasting, soft pedaling or stopped. So, indoors you can do the same amount of work in less time, 45 minutes and you’re done since there are no stop lights or coasting. Indoor riding can be very controlled as well, which helps to be consistent with the workout instructions and goals.

My preference would be for clients to own a trainer. I think this gives them the best options for completing a workout on the bike when the ground is covered with snow and ice. But, going to a spin class can still be beneficial to adding to one’s fitness. Whatever kind of stationary machine you choose, adherence to the workout is most important. The idea here is that gains in performance come from adding stresses to the body, and this can be done in many facets. Embrace being stationary, after all, the fitness gains are real and once you’re back outside on the bike it will all be worth it.

Know Before You Go – Always keep an eye on the skies…or the internet. Many resources such as the Weather Channel or Weather Underground now provide in-depth forecasts for outdoor activities. Smart phones give many options for weather apps, one we use at OES is Active Forecast.

Layers, Layers, Layers – Remember what you mom used to tell you? You can always take layers off and put them back on as conditions change. Invest in a good set of arm warmers and knee/leg warmers. A light weight rain jacket is also helpful to block the wet and the wind alike. One with zippered vents can help you to better regulate temperature. If you have to take the jacket off but don’t have room for it in your pockets tuck it into the front of your jersey. A set of waterproof shoe covers can help to keep your feet dry. In a pinch, plastic grocery bags over your socks can do the trick.

The Wheel Deal – At one time only available to a select few professionals, full carbon wheels have become more and more common in the amateur ranks. While they provide the benefits of lightweight and improved aerodynamics one area in which they are lacking is braking, especially in the wet. If you’re expecting rain on your ride, especially if your chosen course includes long descents, you may want to consider using wheels with an aluminum braking surface. This will provide stronger, more consistent braking in the wet.

Under Pressure – Proper tire pressure can give you more grip and a smoother ride. In wet conditions consider running slightly lower pressures in both front and rear tires to enhance cornering. 5-10psi lower should do the trick.

Don’t Wait to Brake – Realize that no matter what wheels you choose, braking will be compromised in the wet. Think ahead and give yourself extra time to slow down or stop. Applying the brakes lightly at first will help shed water and grime from rims and pads. Then you’ll be able to apply more pressure for quicker decelerations.

Smooth and Upright – Take extra care when cornering in the wet. Scrub speed off early. Keep the bike more upright, being careful not to lean the bike over too much. Hold a steady line through the turn, stay relaxed and avoid jerky or excessive corrections.

Wash & Dry & Lube – While regular cleaning and maintenance of your bike is crucial to extend the life of components, it’s especially important following a ride in wet weather where your bike will pick up more dirt and road grime. Start with a gentle rinse from a garden hose to wash off excess grit before wiping down with a soapy sponge. Avoid high pressure sprayers, especially around hubs and bottom brackets where the water can penetrate bearing seals. Use a soft bristled brush to scrub your chain and cassette. Give everything one last rinse and then lube your chain for smooth, quiet running. Give the lube a little time to work its magic then wipe off any excess with a dry rag so it doesn’t attract excess dirt on your next ride.

Be Smart! – Always think safety first. If conditions become severe look for a safe place to wait it out before continuing on your journey.

Ride Prepared – Make sure to bring your ID and insurance card in the event of an emergency. It’s also a smart idea to carry a cell phone in case you need to call for help. Consider wearing a product such as Road ID which contains vital personal information that can assist emergency personnel. Keep a first aid kit in your vehicle so it’s available when you get back to the trail head or parking lot.

Check Your Body – Following a tumble take some time to get your bearings before rushing to your feet. Do a quick “inventory” of your body. Can you wiggle your toes? Fingers? Are any areas in extreme pain? Are you feeling woozy or were you knocked unconscious when you fell? If so, you may have a concussion. Get up slowly and check for cuts and scrapes. If you have any deep wounds you can use your jersey or a spare tube as a make shift tourniquet. Call for help if your injuries are severe.

Check Your Helmet – Modern, lightweight bike helmets are only designed to take one impact. They dissipate the force of impact through the shell and reinforced form core, effecting the structure of the helmet. If you hit your head during your wreck it’s a safe bet that the internal structure of the helmet has been compromised. You’ll want to replace the helmet before riding again.

Check Your Bike– If you have to continue riding after your wreck to receive help or make it back home, you’ll need to check that your bike is safe to ride. Look over the frame carefully for damage. If it’s an alloy frame you’ll want to check for broken tubes or cracked welds. Most metal frames will still be rideable with minor dents. Today’s modern carbon frames are a little more tricky. You’ll want to carefully inspect for impacts and cracks. If you find an area where the carbon is cracked you’ll want to squeeze the tube around the area with your hand. If the tube feels soft or you can push any part of it in do not ride the bike. You’ll also want to inspect the drivetrain and wheels to make sure they’re safe to ride.

Wound Care – Minor cuts and abrasions should be scrubbed thoroughly as soon as possible to remove dirt and debris from the area. If available, use an antiseptic to flush the wound. In a pinch, you can use water from your bottle to flush the area. Cleaning the area as soon as possible will help to prevent infection. After cleaning, apply antibiotic ointment to the wound to keep it moist and prevent scabbing, helping to prevent scarring and speeding up the healing process. Bandage the wound with non-stick gauze, keeping it moist and protected.

Stay Safe!

For Veloswap that year, I did presentations about Lactate Threshold, while having the help of some early OES clients ride their bikes on the Computrainer. Boy was I nervous, a large percentage of folks listened with confused looks on their faces.  The kind of face that tells you people don’t really understand the program you’re presenting. “So, you’ll drive to my home, and take blood from me and that will help me improve?” was the common question. I wasn’t presenting a new concept to the crowd; I was just presenting a new way to deliver the concept.

This new concept was a work around to a business concern of saving clients time and money while providing a more convenient service. This has paid off with just over 550 Lactate Threshold tests completed to date. To put a context to this, the facility I worked for prior to starting OES, did 30 LT tests for a year.

The number of clients I and the coaches of OES have had contact with over the last five years is monumental to the number I projected would be worked with. I attribute this largely to you the client. Your trust in OES shows when your friends, riding buddies and families make appointments. For this I owe my five years running OES to you the client. Thanks!

Two other items that has helped to set OES on this path are the mountain bike team and OES as a training sponsor of cycling events.

The OES/BikeSource mountain bike team is currently in the middle of its fifth year and has grown from 8 members in 2008 to a combination of 43 adults and 25 juniors for the 2012 season! Complied of all walks of life this team has a great family feel, does volunteer work and spreads the OES branding around the state. As a marketing tool the team has provided a grassroots reach into the Colorado cycling community, a big shout out Thanks to all of them. (View the 2012 team page)

Being the ‘Official Training Sponsor’ for the Triple Bypass in 2008; started OES on a path to have a relationship with 11 of Colorado’s Premier Cycling events by 2012. These events draw in large numbers and all of these riders deserve the added value of a coaching/testing service to prepare for the event. Elephant Rock, Copper Triangle, Rocky Mountain Endurance series, Deer Creek Challenge to name a few have put their confidence in OES to provide training plans for their events. These include free and purchasable types as well as access to a coach and training rides. Relationships like this are worth the time to cultivate and grow as everyone benefits for it. I appreciate the promoters that have taken OES under their wings.

So, five years…what do I have to show for all the hours spent on TrainingPeaks coaching, driving to and performing LT and RMR appointments, setting up at cycling events and riding with so many great people? Success, measured by every personal record attained by clients, 5/10/40 watt improvements in threshold power over several months of training and the smile seen on an athlete’s face when they have received the help to achieve.

Happy Training!

Each time a workout is started, your equipment should be inspected to ensure a successful workout. On a daily basis, plan out the timing of meals and workouts. Follow a checklist to make sure there is adequate fuel in the system and onboard to replenish the body. Hone this list as you learn more about what works best for the exercise.

Training and the adaptation one seeks from progressive increases in intensity and duration in a workout has many levels of preparation. Bare bones of it, this means not doing the same thing day in day out for exercise, mix it up, and keep the body guessing what’s coming next. Periodization is the term used to describe how workouts can be different from each other with the same end goal of improvement. This allows for workouts consisting of recovery (low intensity), intervals (high intensity) and lend to specificity, or being specific to the desired adaptation. To get better at hill climbs the exercise should include climbing hills.

Inspect the equipment you plan to use for the event at least a week prior to the event. The day before the event should just be finalizing an action plan for the next day including everything from the travel to the venue, food intake, and goals to achieve during the event or race. Know the plan, live the plan and this preparation will get you your goals.

“Be satisfied with your preparation and try not to beat yourself up before you race. Whatever comes of it, at least you’ll be getting a great training session.”

This quote by Susan DeMattei (Mountain bike hall of famer) sums up the attitude for participating in an event or race. The simple fact that preparation will get you much closer to your goals and still allow for a great training effect is often forgotten after the event has passed.

Plan Accordingly – If possible, shift your training time to early or late in the day when temperatures are cooler and the sun is less intense. Or consider a route that will take you to higher elevations when the temperature in the city climbs. Keep in mind, if you’re targeting an event in a hot climate, you’ll want to acclimatize yourself to high temperatures. In this instance, you may want to shift your training to a hotter part of the day. When warming up for an event, find a spot that offers shade and sufficient airflow to help keep you cool before your event.

Wear Sunscreen – While always an important precaution against skin cancer, sunscreen will also help prevent sunburns. Sunburns make it harder on the body to dissipate heat.

Stay Hydrated – One of the major mechanisms the body uses for thermoregulation during intense exercise is evaporative cooling (i.e. sweating). This speeds up the loss of water from the body and can lead to dehydration. Ensuring that you’re well hydrated prior to exercise puts you one step ahead. While riding, the rule of thumb is that you should be consuming 20oz of fluid per hour. This may vary as temperatures go up and down but it is a good starting point. If you want to ensure that you’re drinking enough, consider weighing yourself prior to and after exercise. The majority of weight lost while riding is due to fluid loss, fluids that will need to be replaced. If you’re 1lb lighter following your ride that’s 16oz of fluid that you’ll need to replace.

Electrolytes – The body relies upon electrolytes as neurotransmitters in the body to help send electrical signals from the brain to muscle tissue telling it to contract. Unfortunately, when we sweat we lose electrolytes and these must be replaced. Many of us replenish our supply through electrolyte drinks such as Gatorade while exercising. On hotter days, or for salty sweaters, these drinks may not provide enough electrolytes to replenish what we have lost. In these instances you may consider supplementing with additional electrolytes with a product such as Nuun or Hammer Endurolyte tabs.

Ice Cold – Studies have found that drinking cold water can aide in keeping core temperature down while exercising. Consider keeping your water refrigerated overnight, freezing or adding ice so it stays cold during your ride. If you’re participating in a long supported event, keep water on ice in a cooler at the feed zone to replenish with. Another method for staying cool that is becoming common is ice socks. Stuffing ice into a nylon stocking (allows the water to drain as it melts) and stuffing it down the back of your jersey can help keep you cool.

Cool Off Quickly – Once you’ve completed your ride you’ll want to cool off quickly. Excess body heat can slow recovery as it increases inflammation in the body. A cold shower can help you shed excess heat quickly. If you’re in a pinch, or at an event, soaking your hands and feet in buckets of cold ice water can also do the trick. A cold mountain stream can also be the perfect ending to a long, hot ride!

Keep Cool!

Well, to tackle the subject of metabolic pathways in a short article will surely be a tough task and I hope to show you the complexity and then explain the simple fact of what is happening. So, the first part of this article about lactate as a fuel will be like reading the ingredient list on a frozen pizza: enriched wheat flour, cyanocobalamin, orthophosphate…what? The explanation at the end will help you to understand that pizza (lactate) is useful for completion of a workout. Lactate in its simplest form is a salt or ester (chemical compound) of lactic acid.

An abundance of information is available about lactate and its possible roles in exercise. There are some conflicting thoughts on the subject and I suspect in the years to come more information will come out that science can agree on. I have searched many places and read many versions along with providing testing for lactate and feel the below adaptation taken from Wikipedia lays out the possible path lactate follows in our exercising body as a fuel.

“The Cori cylce, named after its discoverers, Carl Cori and Gerty Cori, refers to the metabolic
, which then returns to the muscles and is converted back to lactate.
. The breakdown of glycogen, a process known as glycogenolysis, releases glucose in the form of glucose-6-phosphate (G-6-P). G-6-P is readily fed into glycolysis, a process which provides ATP to the muscle cells as an energy source. During muscular activity, the store of ATP needs to be constantly replenished. When the supply of oxygen is sufficient, this energy comes from feeding pyruvate, one product of glycolysis, into the Krebs cycle.

. Most importantly, fermentation regenerates NAD+, maintaining the NAD+ concentration so that additional glycolysis reactions can occur. The fermentation step oxidizes the NADH produced by glycolysis back to NAD+, transferring two electrons from NADH to reduce pyruvate into lactate.
From an intuitive perspective, gluconeogenesis reverses both glycolysis and fermentation by converting lactate first into pyruvate and finally back to glucose.

Overall, the glycolysis part of the cycle produces 2 ATP molecules at a cost of 6 ATP molecules consumed in the gluconeogenesis part. Each iteration of the cycle must be maintained by a net consumption of 4 ATP molecules. As a result, the cycle cannot be sustained indefinitely. The intensive consumption of ATP molecules indicates that the Cori cycle shifts the metabolic burden from the muscles to the liver. (Adapted from
Wikipedia)”

So, just a few things going on…well maybe more than a few. To break this down to a simpler form: when we attain greater intensities during exercise, more work is done in the absence of oxygen (anaerobic). The fuel that provides the energy for this exertion is glucose and when used in this anaerobic state, the return on the investment (eating) is less (we get far more energy for glucose when broken down in the presence of oxygen). Lactate allows for the system to gain some returns by replenishing the glucose supply that the muscle will use to continue the intensity. Lactate at this point is not the evil byproduct that slows your performance, but the component that prolongs your ability. Training will improve your ability to be more aerobic at higher intensities and produce less lactate while also becoming more efficient with your use of lactate as a fuel source.

Rob Lockey, CSCS, ACSM/HFS and a USA Cycling LII Certified Coach, provides testing and coaching through Optimize Endurance Services. Contact him at 303-356-9893 or rob@optimizeendurance.com

Measure of Blood Lactate from a threshold test. Measured in mmol/L (millimoles per Liter), a molecular count of lactate per liter of blood. Resting falls around 1.5mmol/L and very hard exercise can have upwards of 20mmol/L.