What Counts

I am almost always in complete agreement with PezCyclingNews's Toolbox articles and I always find myself thinking as I read them at work (on coffee break, of course) that I should post about them. Inevitably I forget and a week goes by . . . by the time I remember, it's time for a new Toolbox.

This week's Toolbox is no exception. Read the four (plus the five 'others') ingredients carefully. Aerobic Capacity, Strength, Economy and Anaerobic Energy System. I have observed many a cyclist that seem to key only on Anaerobic Energy to the great detriment of the other three ingredients. And these aren't just willy-nilly riders. Some of them have coaches who prescribe this kind of program. They end up playing a numbers game that, to me, is a bit "instant gratification" and not necessarily prudent or desirable in the long term. I'm not picking specifically on coached riders, but on those that use a system (coach-defined or not) that involves a lot of go-hard to develop the Threshold/Anaerobic/Lactate/Etc system(s).

I am a huge proponent of the long ride. Not quite long steady distance (LSD) but close. The long ride does amazing things for your Aerobic Capacity and your Economy. When it comes to racing, I personally think that Economy is of the utmost importance. You don't have to be the strongest in the race. You just have to have the most energy left when it counts (i.e. when the winning break goes, on that final climb, or, as is most often the case for me, in the sprint). Improving Aerobic Capacity and Economy allow you to come to the line with more reserves than those around you.

I have found that a combination of long rides and consistent riding (six days per week on the bike, even the Monday Night Recovery Ride counts) give the biggest improvements in Aerobic Capacity and Economy and that is what I attribute most of the (admittedly limited in time and discipline) success on the bike.