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“How do you coach cycling then? Do you just phone people and shout Pedal faster!?”

Not exactly, but you can see how this comment from one of my friends arose….in fact I would say that the single-most important thing to most of my coaching clients is providing a structure for them to work with. There are hundreds of articles on training out there and you can put a programme together yourself if you put your mind to it. We live in an information age and anyone can become an expert. Recently I learned to play Honky Tonk Women by the Stones on my Les Paul copy (only a copy but this is my blog and I have no problem plugging Westfield Guitars as, I am assured by a  lead guitarist in a local band, they are not much different to playing an original)……this was only because I discovered how to tune the guitar in open G like Keef by watching You Tube.  Growing up and trying to play this one from the record never worked as my guitar was in standard tuning. But…had Keef been able to spare the time to teach me I would, I am sure, have played it better and learned it quicker (and probably have been able to drink a bottle of Jack at the same time too…). So this illustrates my point. Kind of.

In this (almost) final post of the summer  I have pleasure in featuring Nicola and Deborah (the Team Marmite ladies!!) and Rod (whom you have read about before). Three different riders starting at different points, riding different events but sharing the same level of structured coaching. All three of them agree that having someone to structure their training and interact with (even on the end of an email) provides extra motivation and has helped them with their target. I hope that their stories from this summer encourage you to try and meet your cycling goals too. Nicola and Deborah first………in the pic we have Yvonne, Deborah and Nicola at the finish of the Prudential 100.

“When we signed up to cycle the Prudential London 100 it was with some trepidation as we had only been cycling about 2 years (other than decades before as children) and had never entered a sportive before. But, we like a challenge and said to ourselves that as long as we managed to finish the course within the limit of 9 hours then we would regard that as a success! Although we were already using our gym bikes and cycling regularly on the undulating Essex roads, we realised that we would need some guidance with our training and looked  to Tim at Black Cat Cycle Coaching to provide it. We both carefully followed his bespoke training plans (Nicola and Deborah signed up for my ECoaching package http://www.blackcatcyclecoaching.com/package.html )  over a period of about 6 weeks, hauling ourselves out of bed at ever earlier hours of the morning to be able to complete our daily sessions before going to work – and lo and behold his promise came good and we became much faster on the road! I can still remember the joy of that moment when I experienced what cadence meant! On the day (Sunday 4th August) we had a fantastic ride and completed the course in 8 hours 16 minutes – way quicker than we ever dreamed possible. When we checked our Garmins later we discovered that our fastest speeds exceeded 30mph – so Tim’s claim that we would become faster was demonstrably true! The training plans were excellent as was Tim’s advice just before the event about nutrition and hydration which we followed carefully and which kept our energy levels up right until the last amazing dash up the Mall.  We would definitely do it again – and would be aiming for an even better time next year, so more training plans required please Tim! In the meantime our next challenge is the Isle of Wight hills in October. We have done it twice before but our ambition this year is to get all the way up all of those hills. Over to you Tim!

Nicky & Deborah

Team Marmite”

And now Rod…..far right in the pic with Tom Sandifer in the Sky jersey at the finish of the Etape.

Etape 2013

I promised Tim that I would write a blog about my experience of the Etape this year thinking I would have plenty of time whilst out in France – yet here I am writing in the car heading back home. This is the third year that my brother, Doug, and I have done the Etape, completing the previous two editions from Modane to Alpe d’Huez and Albertville to La Touissure. Each year we have managed to improve. The memory that sticks in my mind most vehemently is the 40 degree heat whilst ascending the Alpe – it was savage, a truly character defining moment.Our four man party for the Etape consisted of my brother and I together with Tom (another Blackcat client) and Barnie who were both completing their first Etape. We had all ridden the Dragon Ride the previous month as a warm up for the Etape and to gauge the work still needing to be done. Hopefully Doug won’t mind me saying this but the Dragon provided a rude awakening as to his level of fitness which had taken a back seat after concentrating on some exams. Hats off to him he went away and trained hard which isn’t easy for the London local and he made the trip back to Canterbury every weekend to get some hard miles in. We all made our own way down to Annecy, Doug would be meeting us there after spending a few days in the South of France honing his newly found form and Tom and Barnie would be leaving at a very anti-social hour on Thursday morning. I myself had some of my own half-baked ideas. A revelation the previous year had been doing some reconnaissance up the Col de Madelaine on the Thursday before the Etape, this gave the legs a chance to remember what an Alpine climb was like whilst still giving them two days to recover. We had already decided it would be a good idea to check out the Semoz climb which would be the final climb of the Etape and relatively accessible from our campsite. However, in the weeks approaching the event, and realising I would be travelling down by myself I decided I wanted to check out Mont Revard, the penultimate climb, particularly the descent. The majority of the riders participating in the Etape worry about the climbing but as I was pushing for a top 500 placing this year I figured that descending would be another key element and one worth taking a look at. So I set off directly from the office on Wednesday 3 July and was on the 1830 ferry arriving at the F1 hotel in Rheims at just after midnight. If you have never stayed in an F1 hotel I would not recommend it but it served a purpose! When my alarm went off at 0500 I wasted no time in getting out of there! I arrived in Mouxy, 30km south of Annecy at 1030, quickly changed into my Lycra whilst stuffing in a pain au chocolat and headed off on my 55km loop taking in the Mont Revard ascent and descent. In theory this was supposed to be an easy ride but Doug’s train was due to arrive in Annecy at 1400 therefore forcing my pace.I actually quite enjoyed the route appreciating being back on French roads freshly resurfaced for the Tour! I made good time, picked up Doug from the station and met the other two at the campsite at 1500. Tents up and food supplies gathered it wasback in the saddle to take on Semnoz.

This recon was not quite the pretty circuit of the morning and involved an 8km climbup the Route de Semnoz which intersected the climb about 3km up from the start. A decision had to be made, and we decided to roll down to the start at Quintal to take in the full climb. I’m glad we did. The first 3km’s were brutal and on reaching the summit some 52 minutes later I realised that this was going to be a very hard climb to finish the Etape and I should try and keep something back.

The next couple of days involved some training rides around the Lake which was amazing combined with some recovery sessions in the Lake itself…

Sign on was the usual circus with some serious bike envy going on as competitors eyed up each other and their steeds.

My parents arrived on Saturday evening, they have supported us in all three Etapes which has been a massive morale boost but this year I had other ideas. At dinner I handed them a water bottle filled with energy powder and an electrolyte tab and asked them to bring it with them to Quintal where they would be watching as I was intending on operating a no stop strategy this year in my quest for a good time.

The joy of having participated a couple of times was that I was given a decent bib number starting in the second pen with Doug in the third. This meant we had to be in our start area at 0630 and 0645 respectively and the alarm was set for 0445. Epic.

Although I was due to start early I was glad that I would hopefully miss the heat of a forecasted scorching day. One of the constant worries about these events is the clothing you may or may not require. In previous years I had taken gilet and arm warmers but I wanted to avoid the burden if necessary given that my pocket space would be taken up by food as I wouldn’t be stopping. It was a bit of a gamble given the weather at the top of mountains can be pretty changeable at times.

Having made my way to the start for 0615 we finally rolled out at 0710. In previous years I had been content to roll along to the first climb to save my energy but this year I hopped from wheel to wheel trying not to work too much but keeping my pace high.

The first half of this year’s Etape did not have any headline ascents but a series of four categorised climbs. In the back of my head I had a plan to ride to a particular heart rate. This was abandoned on the first climb when the wheel I chose decided to stomp all over the ascent, I sat there concerned about what this would mean further down the road as my beats per minute lurked around the 175 mark.

However, I persisted, hitting the ascents hard and then keeping a high pace on the descents and flatter sections. I was eating regularly and making sure I didn’t use all my fluids up too long before my third bottle could be picked up.

I felt very strong up Mont Revard sitting second wheel in a small group of ten before breaking away a couple of kms to the summit to give myself some space on the descent.

The recon paid off and I was able to just catch onto a very strong group at the bottom of the mountain before a 20km stretch of flat. I had to go pretty deep in the sprint to get on but I think it was worth it.

The start of Semnoz in Quintal is brutal. The gradient is savage and there were bodies everywhere as the large group exploded. My water plan paid off as I was able to swap an empty bottle for a full one in a matter of seconds and be on my way. I’mnot sure my parents appreciated having an empty bottle hurled in their direction but all credit to them, they reacted very quickly!

The legs felt ok so I got into a rhythm. That feeling didn’t last long as the road became a wall and it became a struggle to churn the gear over. It definitely helped having ridden the climb before but it was nasty.

It was now approaching midday and the sun was high in the sky as I struggled up the mountain amongst strangers with the silence being broken by cries of “Allez” by the numerous spectators.

I looked down at my Garmin and carried on turning the legs over as my lips went numb. I felt sorry for the people I passed knowing their suffering would be longer than mine.

I alternated between seating and standing to keep myself amused and to try and rest different leg muscles. I was back to the same dark place of pain as I had been on Alpe d’Huez two years ago when I saw the 1km to go banner. I looked down at my Garmin to see it turn off as the battery had decided it was enough for one day.

On reaching the finish I crouched over my bike and filled my bottle with water as I was now sick of the taste of energy drink. I sat there for a moment gazing blankly at my phone and text a couple of people to say I was alive.

I then rolled down hill to our campsite at the bottom of the mountain where my parents had driven round to and bought me a pizza and a coke having cheered my brother on. Great supporters or what?

Despite the pain and suffering I put myself through during the Etape at no point did I think about quitting, nor did I think that this would be my last year. The pain has been forgotten and only the sense of achievement remains.

My ride was over in 5h08 and I finished 429 out of 11,475 starters on the day achieving my target of top 500 at an average speed of 24.9km over 3,500m of climbing in 128km.

There are always areas that can be improved so I guess I aim for top 400 next year…

Chapeau to the other riders in my party. Tom and Barnie completed their first Etapes in 6h59 and 7h26 respectively – a superb achievement. A special mention should be made to Doug who turned around his disappointment in the Dragon Ride and finished in 5h53, a very strong ride.

As ever these things are never about just the one person. Special thanks must go to a couple of people. Firstly to Tim at Blackcat for his coaching and testing. I have never had a problem motivating myself to train but Tim’s sessions added structure and taught me how to pace myself – a valuable skill. Secondly to Ken Jones for providing a constant supply of advice and spare parts not to mention allowing me tohave the time off work. Finally to my parents for the roadside support providing a massive morale boost every year!

Rod Archibald

Blackcat rider Stephen Swindley (PMR Toachim House) is on a break from his university studies in Sheffield and this has meant a return to his home area around Canterbury, Kent. Stephen has had a great winter training and this has really shown in his racing this year. He has been mixing it with the Elites (see my earlier post) at the Eddie Soens Memorial and has come up against some of the UK’s top riders in races local to Sheffield. A return to Kent has meant some outings in SERRL races http://www.serrl.com/ with varied success.

Stephen has, as I have said previously, a big engine and a big talent which is developing well. He regularly produces over 420 watts in a max test (your maximal aerobic power, reached as an average figure over the final complete minute of a progressive RAMP test) and is somewhat unusual in that his threshold power and heart rate is a high percentage of his maximal power and heart rate. This is a trait he shares with none less than Mr Merckx…..I should explain here that, to give an example, if my maximal aerobic power was 440 watts (this would make my w/kg just under the magic 7….I wish!)  then to be able to maintain 75%-80% of this figure for 60 minutes (The Functional Threshold – this would be your FTP or Functional Threshold Power) would be at a level considered to be  Elite. To put things into perspective, it is one thing to have a high MAP (maximal aerobic power) and quite another to be able to maintain a high percentage of it for a long period of time. It is what, arguably, distinguishes Elite riders from the rest of us and, in a sense, is the true definition of the term “Endurance” in cycling.  Recently, Stephen was able to maintain 370+ watts in a ten mile TT. Coupled with a very good TT position, a new TT bike and an avowed intention to mix his racing next year this should be interesting for fans of the V courses and, of course, the ‘Boro variations (non-northern TT anoraks please look away….or consult your course keys in the CTT Handbook) !

Stephen’s fortunes this season have been up and down but a local E/1/2 criterium at Fowlmead Country Park http://www.fowlmead.co.uk/ on the start day of this year’s tour gave him the win he has deserved all year. Here is his report:

Tour de Fowlmead,

The first half of my season has been rather barren on the results front and so the Tour de Fowlmead was for me a welcome return to BC racing around Fowlmead Country Park. Unusually for Fowlmead it was a fine day; bright and only a light breeze (my note here – Fowlmead is an exceptional purpose-built venue and a brilliant nature reserve also. But…we live in the South east and the man in the sky who hates cyclists regularly turns his hair dryer on to Mach 10….Great for learning how to ride in an echelon). This would usually suggest a sprint finish but, with a decent field, a break was more likely.

My team mate Ciaran O’Grady attacked from the gun and managed a good few laps solo, allowing me to sit in and follow attacks as they went. After Ciaran was reeled back in following a surge, we were rolling through and off and I noticed the rider following me was not quite on my wheel, so I just accelerated in the saddle hoping not to be followed. It worked nicely, giving me a small gap. Three riders quickly jumped from the bunch up to me and started working immediately and our break was away!  With all four of us riding for different teams and riding strongly our advantage steadily grew to over 2 minutes.

With 6 laps to go Rhys Howells from Twenty3c/Focus attacked hard to thin down the break, I hung on…just! Although they did manage to shell Seb Dickson (Thanet RC – great young rider) who had been working extremely hard in the break. Some cat and mouse attacking/counter attacking ensued for a couple of laps allowing Seb to re-join the break. I was now expecting attacks and was covering them comfortably. The rest of the break begun to work again, although only “soft tapping” to maintain their advantage on the bunch –  I, however, refused to take a turn as I was sure there were more attacks to come and sat on. Sure enough,  Rhys and Mike Barnes from Apire RT attacked again and shelled Seb for good. Coming into the sprint I was tucked nicely on the back, Mike led it out with Rhys taking it up strongly: I went late with only about 100m left and managed to get round for the win!

Stephen has had some more ups and downs since this race, including getting  in the winning break in  Nat B road race – he is racing this weekend and has great form so we will see how things go. In cycling luck has to be on your side and I wish him all the best!

More from Stephen later this year.

The Ride 100 approaches and as well as wishing good luck to all the BlackCat riders who are taking on the challenge – Dermot and Liz O’Riordan, Jo Van Velzen, Nicola Harries, Deborah Baxter, Yvonne Hume, Nick MacNamara – we hear from Ben Connolley as the event approaches. I have inserted copies of Ben’s March/April and May/June planners and anyone who has been coached by me will be familiar with the “Under FTP” engine-building sessions….FTP is your Functional Threshold Power.

The words in italics are mine. Over to Ben…

So, with less than a month to go until I take part in my first ever sportive, I’m starting to feel a little nervous. I managed to get a place riding for Macmillan at RideLondon; 100 miles on a modified version of the Olympic road race course in August. It’s fair to say that I’ve learnt a huge amount over the last couple of months. I always thought, having done a fair bit of cycling, that I knew what there was to know. How wrong I was! Some of the biggest lessons have come about purely due to spending more time on the bike: training, equipment, riding positions, nutrition and diet and how to actually ride hills are all elements that I feel I’ve only just got to know.

In terms of fitness, I’m leagues ahead of the condition I was in 3 months ago. I still find it hard to believe that I’ve come on this much with just two 1 hour training sessions in the week, followed by a weekend ride.

The second phase of the training plan, provided by Tim, saw the turbo session intervals get longer, while keeping the workout to just an hour. In order to get my heart rate into the right Zone,

I had to work harder, and on a tougher setting. I’ve seen huge gains on the turbo which has been a real confidence booster. Just goes to show what a structured plan can do – thanks Tim!

Midway through my training programme, I struggled with my saddle. I tried several but just couldn’t get it right. This led to questions over my riding position and, ultimately, the frame size. The longer I spent on the bike, I realised that there were several things wrong. This led to a gap in my training plan while I tried to get the problem sorted which, despite the shiny new frame, resulted in a great deal of frustration from having to pause the training. However, the beauty of Tim’s training plan was the “quiet”week at the end of a training block which enabled me to get the bike sorted without missing key parts of the training plan (most coaching works on a cycle of overload and recovery/adaptation weeks).

The next lesson will be riding with people again. Throughout my training, I’ve chosen to ride solo to enable me to work to particular heart rate zones without letting my competitive streak come out and start trying to race someone. Something I’ll definitely need to keep in check on the actual ride. Not getting carried away in the first half of the ride will be key!

Pacing is paramount in such an event – you have to know what you are capable of sustaining for the duration and, generally, things should feel way too comfortable for a significant proportion of the ride! We will hopefully hear about Ben’s successful and enjoyable Ride100 shortly!