There have been some big gaps between my posts here this winter. This is my busy season with lots of travel. It seems there is never enough time. I’m sure you know the feeling.
In my last blog as an intro to the topic of keeping it simple I explained how I've been on a quest the last couple of years to make training more user friendly by focusing on those few things that are most likely to produce rapid and positive change – what I've come to call the "Big Rocks." I also explained there that the most basic of the Big Rocks is skills. Unfortunately, this is usually the last thing endurance athletes are concerned about because many see aerobic and muscular fitness as the only aspects of fitness that are truly important to performance. But skills are also related to fitness, just not in a way we’re used to.
Most athletes could make significant and often immediate improvements in performance by refining their sport-specific skills. By "skills" what I mean is the ability to make the movements of the sport in an efficient and effective manner.
"Efficiency" in sport has to do with the metabolic cost of movement – how much stored energy, especially carbohydrate (glycogen and glucose), it takes to make the movement. If the cost is higher than what is necessary and common for advanced athletes then the inefficient athlete, in order to go faster, must either produce excessive effort (and hence a greater cost) or figure out how to reduce the expense (more skillful movement). Most opt for the first choice and give lip service to the second.
I'm using "effective" here to mean making the movements of the sport in such a way as to produce intended and beneficial performance results. In other words, an effective endurance athlete is one who is fast and powerful. This usually also requires making changes in one’s skills.
So what I'd like to do next is get down to the Big Rocks of efficiency and effectiveness – the skills of sport. And since the readers of this blog are typically triathletes and road cyclists I will focus on three sports — swimming, biking, and running. In the interest of the cyclists I'll start with the bike so they can skip the swim and run posts that are to follow (when I again find time!).
There is only one Big Rock for cycling. Pretty simple. This is the starting point every season for every cyclist regardless of the their level of performance – pro or novice.
Get a Bike Fit
This is so simple it's almost embarrassing. Regardless, get a bike fit done every year at the start of the winter base training period. Yes, every year. Even if it’s the same bike you were fit on last year. Things change. You get stronger or weaker, more or less flexible, have developed a little niggling injury or gotten rid of one, will do different types of races in the coming season, or forgot that you lowered your saddle by 3mm six months ago or changed to a new stem. You may also learn, unfortunately, that the bike you are riding simply doesn't fit you. The frame is too big or too small. I hope that isn't the case as it means a big out-of-pocket. I see riders in this sad situation in almost every race I go to, especially triathlons.
Go to a professional bike fitter to have this done. Don't have your spouse or friend do it (unless he or she is a professional fitter). Don't ask a training partner to take a look while you're riding along. Use a professional. Bike fitting used to nearly be all art; now it is mostly a science. A good fitter will put you in a position that optimizes your physique, physiology, and purpose. You'll learn how to sit on a saddle (many do it wrong), what your head, spine and hip posture should be, and how to be more aerodynamic.
The bottom line is that your pedaling and bike handling efficiency and effectiveness will improve after a good fit. You’ll waste less energy and be more powerful. And your risk of injury in the coming season will be decreased.
If you are a road cyclist who does crits, road races and time trials you'll more than likely need two bike fits. Triathletes typically need only fit the bike they race on.
If you're unsure who to go to for a fit ask around with others in your sport. A good fit will cost you a few bucks ($100-200 is common in the US but can be a lot more depending on what is done). If you are truly serious about improving performance on the bike it's some of the best money you'll spend. You'll come away after an hour or two as a better cyclist without even breaking a sweat.
In the next post I’ll write about swimming. While becoming more efficient and effective on the bike is quite simple, the swim is much more complex.
Any recommendations for where to get a bike fit in Scottsdale? Also, by getting more than one fit done, you mean on the same bike, right? Thanks for your time!
Posted by: Jeremias Paul | 03/05/2013 at 08:41 AM
I can attest to this very fact. I bought my first tri bike at the beginning of February, but it was several weeks before I could get scheduled for the fit. While I adjusted the bike and rode it, the difference after the 2.5 hour fit was like night and day. Rides that I had struggled with before, became almost easy with the efficiency increases gained by the fit. Thanks for all this info Joe and I am studying your book "Your Best Triathlon" right now and anticipating a great year.
Posted by: James Burns | 03/05/2013 at 09:09 AM
Jeremias Paul--I've used Bicycle Ranch, Faster and Cyclologic. All are excellent. Yes, on same bike.
Posted by: Joe Friel | 03/05/2013 at 02:50 PM
Great post Joe.
Skills / Bike Fit is what I call "free speed", you don't have to get fitter to get a lot faster, more efficient & more confident.
Ciao PaT Fitzpatrick Melbourne Australia
Posted by: Pat Fitzpatrick | 03/06/2013 at 01:28 PM
Hi Joe,
I remember reading somewhere in the powermeter hand book you mentioned that the weekly IF should be under 0.7 to avoid the risk of overtraining. Does it apply to all periods of training? Even for the build stage? If I skip the recovery day, and just rest, the weekly IF will stay pretty high as the WKO+ only counts in the hard workouts. Do you think it's fine or I should not skip the recovery rides? Thank you!
Posted by: Kaiyuan | 03/06/2013 at 11:26 PM
Kaiyuan-- The average for a long period of time will typically be around an IF of 0.7. Trying to keep it significantly higher will increase your risk of overtraining. Any day you miss a workout or rest the TSS for that day is zero (0) and will be figured into your average intensity factor. Zeroes obviously will lower the average IF.
Posted by: Joe Friel | 03/07/2013 at 08:36 AM
I am a fair-weather cyclist and I never thought I needed to get a bike fit. A good friend of mine is an excellent bike fitter and he finally came to my house all the way from Georgia and fit me on my bike. WOW!! What a difference. The impact was incredible and I immediately felt the difference in my efficiency. Whether your competing, commuting, or riding occasionally with friends - go get a good bike fit! It's worth the money - You won't regret it.
Posted by: Carrie | 03/07/2013 at 12:04 PM
Hi Joe!
I have a quick question. I'm thinking about doing a 70.3 in May but am training long term for IM Wisconsin. I've completed 2 70.3 races last year but the amount of training I put in for the 70.3 (in your training schedule I'm following) and for the IM in Sept will be a bit different. How do I get them to meet in the middle? Or how do I come up with a comprehensive schedule that will work? Do I just follow the 70.3 for now and then when that's over, go back to the IM Wisc schedule?
Thanks!
Julie Coy Martinez
Posted by: Julie Coy Martinez | 03/08/2013 at 01:01 PM
It is no coincidence that there are weekly IF & recovery questions hijacking a bike skills thread, Joe. Poetic irony.
Posted by: Kendall County Rouleur | 03/15/2013 at 03:06 PM
Julie--It all comes down to priorities. Which is more important for you? Focus your training on that event.
Posted by: Joe Friel | 03/15/2013 at 09:16 PM
After quite a bit of practising it, my view is that mental skills are the most discounted. This is just my view, I'm not certain. And the more I look at it the more it gets reinforced.
The first thing is to ignore the experts and the listen to yourself - for any question, how does it feel?
Second, ignore the marketing. In the MTB nationals I watched even the elites get into all sorts of a pickle messing around with water bottles and nutrition strategy for the actual race, for no rationally understood reason. It was a mental limiter for them.
Its all relative. Some skills will be relatively more important and visa versa. The question is which one remedied will have the most power to improve ones performance, all else being equal.
The key is to not stop looking into yourself when what you see there runs counter to your prejudices, and then throw the problem onto an expert. Denial basically.
Yes, once you have got as deep as you can go, then, seek expert advice. This applies outside of sport too in everyday life and the stresses there will impact performance if not addressed internally first, relatively more than other things.
Posted by: Robin Smith | 03/25/2013 at 07:55 AM
Hey Joel, I know it's not the same but would this work for a stationary bike? You know, for those who don't have the time nor discipline to bike a route at a consistent basis.
Posted by: Kurt Lao | 04/02/2013 at 12:37 AM
Kurt--(I shouldn't answer questions for people who call me "Joel" but continue to do so anyway.) A bike fit works whether you ride indoors or out. Is that what you were asking?
Posted by: Joe Friel | 04/05/2013 at 05:47 AM