I got food poisoning yesterday and am catching up on stuff.
Mostly configuring the new year. I am going to post some stuff that may be of little interest to anyone , but myself. I’ll try and do some journal stuff later.

Here is some peakscoaching stuff on specific warm ups that I thought was interesting.
Historically because of my combination of overzealousness and lack of preparation I haven’t been very good about warming up long enough. I warmed up for an 1hr15min for CX nationals and it made a huge difference.

Speaking of CX nats, we won collegiate Div 1, Carla won, and everyone else did really we’ll.

Cycling and Endurance Sport Training Information

Off the Front or Off the Back?
Warm-Ups Can Make or Break Your Racing

By Jeb Stewart MS, CSCS, PES, Coach

   We work hard in the off-season, go to bed early and get up even earlier on weekends and weekdays alike. We even sacrifice our social lives in order to achieve levels of fitness we thought never possible. We train relentlessly, foregoing many of the pleasures our more “sane” friends enjoy. We go to great lengths to enjoy our personal obsession with our sport, and yet after all of that work, when we start to achieve a peak of fitness just in the nick of time, we often start to forgo many of the simple things that got us here to begin with. Warm-ups are often the first to go, and unfortunately for those who do not know any better, are often the practice that can make or break your performance in an event.

Whether it is a criterium, a road race, or a time trial, the demands of your event will require specific energy systems to be ready to act when called upon during your race. Each event will require different contributions from different energy systems. If these energy systems are not activated and the clearance process initiated during your warm up, when they are called upon in your race, they will not be ready to act and your performance will suffer along with you in the process. Shorter events often require a longer, more thorough routine, as the intensity is usually much higher and instantaneous. Longer events, conversely, often require a shorter, but no less thorough warm-up.

Too many people, whether in a show of bravado or ignorance, blow off their warm-up thinking that they will be able to warm into the race. If you are a Cat 1 with 15 years of racing in your legs, or a genetic phenomenon doing a local training race where the level of racing is beneath you, then this may be true. But if you are participating in a high-intensity event that matches your level of fitness and ability, then you had better be ready if you want to participate at any level, never the less excel.

Many also worry that they are going to blow up and not have anything left for the race if they go too hard in their warm-up. The level of work that you need and/or can tolerate is something that you can only find out in training, and we have seen far more instances of people being under rather than over warmed up. As you train more, you will find that you are able to go harder later in your rides after doing your initial efforts, which prime your energy systems and activate the clearance process. This often comes as a surprise to those new to endurance training but is a fact that cannot be denied. As you gain in fitness, you will find that it takes more time on the bike and more efforts to get a thorough warm-up and that you will not burn all your matches with a thorough routine.

This being said, it is also important to remember to drink during your warm-up so you do not enter your event in a state of dehydration. If calories are a concern, then be sure to drink a sports beverage containing electrolytes and carbohydrates during your effort. It is also highly suggested that you give yourself enough time to go to the bathroom, and take in a shot of gel so you do not enter your race hungry and depleted.

If you have several events in a weekend, or in a day, you still need to warm-up again, contrary to popular thought. That being said, because your legs will be primed and more “open” from the previous efforts, you will not have to put in as many efforts or for as long. You will still want to stimulate these energy systems, but not overuse them, as caloric conservation and hydration is a concern at this point.

Additionally, many are observed performing static stretching prior to their event. As coaches, it always warms our hearts to see any athlete stretching, as it is often extremely difficult to get them to practice this lost art that is so beneficial when applied appropriately. However, according to Clark & Russell, static stretching has actually been shown to reduce the neuromuscular efficiency of the muscles being stretched thus slowing muscle speed, reaction time, and firing rate. If you are going to do any stretching at all, perform some dynamic flexibility exercises taking the limbs throughout an active range of motion to warm the muscles but not slow them down. Static stretching should be done after easy rides to increase flexibility, and does not serve as a part of a thorough sports specific warm up routine when preparing for a race effort. Use dynamic stretching if you are going to stretch at all before your race. (For more information on scientific flexibility training visit the National Academy of Sports Medicine at www.nasm.org)

Just as there are many types of events, there are many warm-up routines to match the demands found in them. Some races go off 100% from the gun, like a criterium or a time trial, just as others such as a century ride will require different contributions from the energy systems such as the aerobic, lactic acid, Vo2, and anaerobic systems. If you are already using a warm-up that works, then stick with it. If you have a coach, then you have probably already been given suggestions regarding your warm-ups for your races. Regardless of your situation, we have listed several warm-up routines for several popular events. Feel free to use, rearrange and share these with those who need them, and we guarantee your performance will improve as a result.

Criteriums

Crits go out from the gun, and getting in the proper warm up can be the difference between coming in first and being off the back in the first lap. Here is our suggestion for a criterium warm-up:

20 min easy, endurance paced warm up spin in the small ring

10 min at tempo pace in the big ring building to LT in the final minute

2-3 min easy spin

2-5 min at LT pace

3-5 min easy

1-2 min Vo2-AC pace

3-5 min easy

30 sec fast pedaling effort

2-5 min easy

Time Trials

Time trials are very specific events and require equally specific warm-ups. You have to go so hard from the start, (But not too hard! If you overdo your start, you will be blown 10 minutes into the race!), and if you have not purged the system, then you are going to suffer immensely and so will your performance. This example ought to get you primed and ready to go at the next district TT.

20 min easy, endurance paced warm up spin in the small ring

10 min at tempo pace in the big ring building to LT in the final minute

3-5 min easy spin

5 min at LT pace

5 min easy

1 min at Vo2 pace with a high cadence

3-5 min easy

Road Races

Road races are longer events, and typically do not go out as hard as crits or time trials. However, do not be lulled into a false sense of complacency and end up off the back on the first surge or climb. Get in a shorter but equally as thorough warm up, and be ready if the break goes on the first lap. Try this one on for size…

20 min easy, endurance paced warm up spin in the small ring

3-5 min at tempo pace

2 min easy

1-2 x 1 min hard efforts at or above LT pace

3-5 min easy between efforts

2-3 x 8 sec jumps (mini sprints)

5 min easy

• Be sure to give your self enough time to complete your warm up, stop by the rest room, take a shot of gel or sports drink, and get to the line sweating, in the big ring and ready to kick major butt!

• Remember, every individual is different, and although these routines apply the principles of exercise physiology common to us all, you may need to augment these routines a bit to best fit your level of fitness and the specific event you are training for.

Clark, Michael A., Russell, Allen M. Optimum performance training for the performance enhancement specialist. National Academy of Sports Medicine OPT; 2002: 266.

I am in New York City for Thanksgiving break.

Here is a blast from the past, Wild West Relay 198 miles with the Whipper Snappers. The rest of the pictures are from the Swank 65 Mountain Bike Race or the Virginia Tech Rogues Racing Cyclocross weekend.

I am now a Cat 2 in cross, which is right below Cat 1. Mad counting skills.
Hopefully I’ll be a Cat 1 for next year, I’ll probably get my Pro license for Mountain Bike racing in 2009.
I need to sell my Redling Conquest Pro and Salsa Campeon on ebay, because the Yipsan is here; it will get its own post soon. I need to take pictures of those bikes now. I think I’ll bring the whirlaway back here and build it up with my severley used and abused ultegra stuff, because I have a tendency to crash a lot on the roadbike.

Peter Haile

I had a big weekend, a bunch of us went to race in Blacksburg for a race VT was putting on.
There was a night race on saturday, it was awesome ,but it was the first time I’d ridden the new bike, and I was a little sketchy at first, then I adapted and started moving. I ended up getting 6th in the Collegiat A’s in the night race and 4th in the day race on Sunday.
I am really really hoping to make the Cyclocross Nationals Team, but there are a lot of fast guys here. We have an extremely good chance of winning. It looks like the squad will be something like this.
1. Brad Perley
2.Eric Thompson
3.Aaron Bradford
4.Scott Stewart
5. Nic Dale
Then if Scott “Busted Face” Jackson decides to race there are only 2 spots between.
Cruise Bogedin, Chris Pikerel, and Myself.
If he dosn’t race I’ll definitely be there.
Then I went with Nic Dale to his home in Raleigh to pick up his new Giant Anthen and see his dog that is actually a cat. We stopped to watch the new Bond in Durham, which we thouroughly enjoyed. Then we woke up at 5 to drive back to the B-Easy in time for caf breakfast.
I have to put my redline on Ebay right now.
I’ll post pictures of the yet to be named bike soon.

Adios

Peter Haile

My phone fell out of my pocket and was ran over by a car. I think I can transfer the card to a new phone, but there are no T-Mobile stores within my reach.

Also I did an big endurance race today, it’s called the Swank 65 and had a blast. I didn’t know how much faster I had become here so I this race as a gauge.
I got 8th overall !! Out of roughly 130 guys.
I felt super strong, and the course was super technical. Farlow Gap trail is like the hardest section of Young’s Gulch, covered in 3 inches of leaves, for a good 3 or 4 miles. I felt like I was “Shredding the Gnar”, so to speak. The course was Taylor Made for me, absurdly long hard fire road climbs and crazy technical downhills.
I was hoping to recoup my entry fee, but I just won some cool sunglasses, which is good because mine are very scratched. The only thing that could have been better was if I had more food, the aid stations were not equipped sufficiently. They were supposed to have HEED and food. But I did the whole race on 1 gatorade bottle, 3 waterbottles, a gel, and a soy bean brick. Yuck. I was luck the race was relatively short because I was about to hit the wall HARD.
Also my wisdom teeth are coming in so I should get them out when I am home for x-mass.
 Also I need to research LASIK, or get a new eye exam and new glasses. They are getting so scratched that I can’t see anything when the sun is facing my eyes. Its just a ball of blur, of orange and yellow, it’s beautiful.

Yarrghhhh, daylight savings is for the birds.

I haven’t been keeping up with my duties on the blog front.
Here are some pictures from Saturday’s Crack Loop.Great……Sideways
And here we have my friends Nate, Jake, and Joseph.If your wondering why they are so excited ,they are thinking about the hour long dirt climb.
In other news my bike is finished.My brother Mark and my Dad went to the Rocky Mountain Handmade Bicycle Show to check it out. Mark was gracious enough to model. I think it turned out well. I think it will look very classy with my parts.
Yesterday I went downhilling in Wilson’s Creek, there was to much standing around. I was convinced that I should ride flats like everyone else, so I did. I am just as fast downhill, but way sketchier in really rough zones.

 I miss Fort Collins a whole lot, the school is getting under my skin.

I talked with Nathan and Bryan a week ago , it was hard to talk to them because I wanted to be home. They are really good friends, and we’ve not been keeping up. Friendships like that take a long time to develop and I don’t want to lose it. And I feel like I am losing it here at LMC. I am getting faster, and I have learned more from observing my teammates then I have learned in my classes. However, I have also learned that you don’t have to have a square head on your shoulders to be fast. I still hold speed and endurance as fine qualities to have, but who you are is much more important. I now have to write an annotated bibliography. Barf

Ill try to figure out how to comment on them.These are of Carson

New Dual Slalom

It is picture time! I am going to go take some pictures and work on the new dual slalom course right now.
Fall is definitely here, the air is crisp and the leaves are crunchy.
I also just shot the moon down with my Jacksonian Democracy Essay on my US History exam.
Ill post pictures when I return.

My Aunt Carole and Uncle Walter sent me another care package. It arrived on the 17th ,but I always check my mail when the desk is closed. I won’t have to swipe so much banana bread from the Caf. I am getting a cold, so I am taking lots of naps and downing huge quantities of orange juice. I have two rough drafts to write today, one for ethics and one for rhetoric. I am going to get them done early so I can get to bed early.

I have been eying an abandoned house that is off hickory nut gap road, and adjacent to the cross country course on hemlock hill. I want to find out who owns it and work out a deal where I can fix it up in exchange for extremely cheap/maybe free housing for next year. It is a really cool house and on a very nice secluded street. I’ll post pictures once were in October.

Note to parents: I have not taken work study this semester because most of my time is occupied with riding or homework or sleeping, I have been frugal enough with my money, and I am going to be selling more bikes soon. I would rather just pay the difference then add more stress to my life right now for a small sum of money. Mountain Bike and Cyclocross are my main seasons, I’ll see about the Spring.

In other news there is a crane lifting a huge pipe right outside my windows.