Yesterday Ange and I were chatting about our relationship to biking. We've both been runners and swimmers forever, and maybe it is for this reason alone that we so easily "just do it" when it comes to those disciplines. I never miss a swim or run workout. Never. I also never leave a swim or run workout feeling it was a failure. Sometimes I don't hit my goal--or the goal that was set for me by Jen--but I nearly always feel good about my swims and run regardless.
No so with biking. I rarely miss a bike workout either, but I have been known to cut one short, or make a set easier than is called for, or to space out entirely and not focus on what I am doing. This is in part simply b/c the bike workout is always longer than the swim or run, and so sustaining focus is that much harder. But it's also because I don't have a history with biking--at least not one longer than the last four years since I took up triathlon. As a kid I did ride a lot, but it was a three-speed bike and I usually didn't go farther than down the street to visit a friend, or up the street to school, or through the Coops (a swamp land with ponds) to look for frogs.
I expect the run and swim to hurt, but I get despondent and sometimes even angry when I hurt on the bike. I expect to hit the goal pace for the swim or run, but I often doubt my capability of hitting the goal wattage Jen sets for me when I'm astride Mrs. Z.
This. needs. to. stop.
I need to embrace my inner biker chick persona.
I need to because in every triathlon--every. single. one.--the bike leg is the longest in duration and distance, and in my opinion is also the key to the whole damn race.
There are many keys to the damn race, of course. You need to nail nutrition, you need to have efficient transitions, you need to have the right mindset, you need to stick to your pacing plan on the swim/bike and run. etc. etc. etc.
But the bike....
You need to go hard on the bike so you don't lose the race there, but you can't go so hard (at least in 70.3 or longer) that you destroy yourself and the possibility of running well.
I find finding this balance very, very challenging-- and I think it's because of my lack of a lifetime experience on the bike.
With the swim I can just feel where I need to be. I'm not saying I've achieved perfection here, but I believe I can beat most people out of the water, I know how to be smart in the swim, and I'm confident that I will NOT be disappointed in my performance. For the run I trust myself to take it as far as humanly possible to pull out the race I need to have. I'm not saying I always nail the run--. In fact, I often have to fight very hard on the run b/c I have not set myself up perfectly on the bike to have a great run. But I trust myself anyway. I know I will do everything in my power to get it done.
But my bike? I think it's that I don't trust myself yet TO KNOW. I use heart rate as a guide (although it's a flawed guide, especially when racing), and when on my computrainer I can use wattage, but my intuition--t e.g. this is JUST right--or no, you need to push more here--or no, you need to hold back now-- That intution is not fully developed for me yet. I can't trust myself to know just how to race that leg. I can talk about it with Jen, I can practice practice practice in training, but I simply don't trust myself completely to get it done right.
I write all this why?
Because this is my goal this season. My goal is to get beyond where I am right now--to get to a place where I JUST DO IT, and I am confident that I will get it done right. I will get there by doing the following things:
- Loving the bike and not allowing negative shit to creep into my love for the bike.
- Going to a parking lot 1x a week all season to practice cornering, balancing on the bike, going no- handed on he bike, and getting on and off my bike in a smooth, confident fashion.
- Getting a power meter and learning to use it well
- Learning to take apart my bike and put it back together again, learning how to take care of it, and becoming confident that no matter what happens on a ride from a mechanical standpoint, I can fix it.
- Being vigilant about nailing my bike workouts, and never cutting them short, mixing them up, or spacing out during them.
You think if I write it I'll do it?
Any other suggestions for me all you uber bikers out there?
On that note, I need to get on Mrs. Z. We have a two hour ride to get done--and I can't wait.
(It's not working yet. )
17 comments:
mary, i still don't know jack shit, but after being on my bike 5+ days a week for the last 3 months, i have some HUGE saddle sores. oozing bloody and PAINFUL. :)
all i can say it just commit to yourself that you will be better. and you will accomplish your goals. bike skills are hard to come by. i am not talking speed either, i am talking skill. not tipping over. being able to take a corner w/o hitting your brakes, you know, all the things you want to practice on. i think this is good. i see so many idiot cyclists in triathlon. it's good NOT to be one of those guys.
get on your bike more than 2-3xs a week. have jen write 4 bikes a week. i don't know. all i know is that being on my bike every day almost is making me stronger.
i was just telling my coworker that out of all the workouts, i always cut the swim short. or if i have to miss a workout, it will be a swim. i will bike 5 times a week instead :) like last night. my goggles broke and i didnt have a spare, so what did i do? bike!
okay judi is grossin me out :)
you dominate at all 3 disciplines and it will be awesome to see what happens when you commit yourself 100% to your bike. kona kona kona!
you and mrs z knock em dead!
Since you asked for a suggestion... first of all, I totally get what you're talking about when you say you 'know' pace swimming and running but not biking. I've got it swimming and biking but not running. :) Anyway, I think one of the key factors for me in 'getting it' on the bike has been to go out sometimes and push BEYOND what is even a remotely sane pace/effort on the bike. (This can only be done with a group of very strong men by the way). It teaches you that you can, indeed, push a LOT harder than you have before, but it also tells you where your limits are- because then if/when you go try to run off the bike and you suck, you think, "Ok, that was too hard." But next time, you'll find that if you just back it off a tiny bit, it felt easier, you could run afterward, and it was still faster/harder than you've gone before. I don't think you need to drill yourself in any holes by doing this type of thing every week, but once every few weeks makes a big difference. I'm dragging some of my local athletes out on our rides with us sometimes here, and after just twice, they are starting to hang on for much of the way! IMPROVEMENT. And confidence gained for them. Huge.
Oh, and yeah, you gotta ride outside. ;) But you knew that.
Start thinking of it as cycling, not biking. Cycling is sportif, biking is recreational. You are a sportivo(a)!
Athletes cycle, see it is a whole new sport now. No baggage, no dag memories. Start fresh. Also, ride with people every now and again. Don't make every ride a chore with an agenda. That is the fast track to saddle hate.
I think one of the key elements is being aware of your thoughts and emotions about the bike, and then refraiming them. It worked for me with swimming (and it was not only the issue of getting the swims in, I really had a water phobia). I plan to do the same thing with biking. I also think Michelle's comment about riding with fast guys works; you will get to push harder, and that will not only make you physically stronger, but also it will increase your confidence (nothing like positive reinforcement).
Hey Mary - interesting post! Its definitely different getting into a sport later in life, especially when you've been active ALL of your life. Swimming AND Biking - those are the newbies for me. I LOVE the fact that you're setting up goals and things to work on EACH week - fantastic :) The parking lot dates are great...so too are the mechanical breakdown and put-back-together. I would probably break it down, but would have a very hard time putting that sucker together.
My question for you - do you have fun? Do you enjoy biking? Please please don't take that the wrong way....but last year there was more focus and less fun...Sometimes I find that I loose sight of some of those "fun" aspects when I become so focused on a goal. If there's no enjoyment, or if you're looking to improve and work because its a means to an end...that can get really draining. I think that's one of the major points where I went wrong going into Kona last year.
Maybe you can add a "fun" element to the list - so even when the times/workouts are tough, its easy to remember why you love the bike AND sport in the first place. Happy training!!
We can talk about this in Tucson bc I know you are not alone feeling this way. I raced a few years and learned a ton, didnt mean i was uber fast, but i learned how to handle my bike at speeds at corners and when sketchy people were near me.
Echoing what Michelle said, one of my goals 2 years ago was to do our club ride ( all guys) and not get dropped. Alot depends on your positioning before sprints etc...but that is wehre teh thinking and focus comes in. You CANNOT safely do a group ride if you are not 100% attentive.
I Also find that if i challenge myself to do routes that arent " close to home" I get out of my "oh i can cut it short" thoughts, since i cant, I am too far and i have to get back.
Good thoughts Mary! Oh and Yes to what Marit said..I am far from the strongest rider but I LOVE LOVE LOVE my bike. This also stems from my husband riding alot and the fact that we do alot of FUN rides, rides that have nothing to do with my workout or we do rides with groups we really enjoy...so it is FUN!
I love all the comments - I agree have fun with it. Luckily, spring is almost here and being outside helps me a ton. I am going to borrow one of your goals and work on bike skills. Good luck and let us know what works for you.
Ok confession. I just thought of this. One of the main things that gets me on my bike ( summer, mind you...sadly this doesnt get me on my trainer for 3 hours...) is that we always hit Dunn Bros coffee shop post ride. All the guys and the few women get coffee, we sit outside, I may even get an apple fritter, knowing darn well I will have a sugar coma on my ride home.
that is bribery and fun all in one!
Me and Mrs Z - Is that a Billy Paul reference (with a sapphic twist)? Chick-a-bow-bow (as in 70's porno soundtrack).
Anyway, too much to cover here. Learn to fix bike - yes. There are places that have classes. Practice dismounts and remounts? Style points in transition are nice, but really, outside of a sprint, is this important? No. Practice bike handling in the parking lot? OK, I guess. Better to ride up and then down hills, learning to do things intuitively rather than when you are totally focused. You have to be at home on the bike. Eat there, think there, pick your nose there, all that stuff. Power meter? Helpful for pacing, sure. Ride indoors for hours on end? Are you shitting me? No wonder you hate your bike. You must hate yourself too. Get outside more, see below.
Back to the top, bike monogamy doesn't work. You need at least one other bike on the side. A little dirty girl for the winter.
You are already pretty fast. Doing some bike TTs could show you how fast you really are on the bike. Then in tris you definitely want to go way easier than that at the start of the leg, a little bit easier in the middle, and then shut it down for the end to get ready to run. I'll stop now.
Not that I ever know what I'm talking about, but as someone who "gets" biking in one in 10 rides and loves the shit out of it, I've still never had a ride longer than 20 min where my mind was exactly where it needed to be. Swimming and running are simple: one hand/arm in front of the other, good form, and there are relayively few other variables (except maybe hills). On the bike you have gears, cadence, a much greater speed range, wind, bike handling, traffic... All competing for your attention. Even when you take half those variables out by training with power or riding on a trainer, it's there's still so much going on... For me anyway. That's the fun of biking: it's so complex. Even Chrissie Wellington coasts from time to time to grab a bite or a pee.
New bike clothes! LOL. That works for me, now that Spring is coming, I was actually outside riding in shorts and short sleeves yesterday. :-)
I don't want to jinx myself, but i swear i had these same issues for the longest time...and miraculously, i now love my bike! i think it's partially come from hanging around other people that love to ride. and riding with guys that hammer. and being able to hang on just a little longer each time.
So, go find some guys to ride with. They're fun. And have great legs.
is sally trying to make us hate her? :)
I'll be fighting to get better on the bike this year as well. I'm looking forward to becoming a better cyclist, as one put it. You will get much better without a doubt.
Although I really like the bike, I joined a cycling group. Their plan for the spring is to teach all the stuff you are talking about plus get in some big mileage. I'll also learn some new routes (which is always a challenge in a big city). I know riding with other folks too will help me stay focused and competitive.
I don't miss very many sessions, but I will miss a bike or swim if I have to (although I hate missing a swim), but never a run as I know that is where I need the most work.
I must say I like gobigreens bribery idea. This could work for me. I can be bought.
This was fun reading the comments, and I agree with everyone else. Go find the BOY road ride, it will motivate you and make you better. I joined it last summer and it significantly improved my biking. Now I just need to get the nerve up to do the same with the uber runners here in town...I have no background in either swim/bike/run but joining in workouts with those who do and know how to do it right really raises your game!
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