Endorphin Fitness News

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Article: The Smooth or The Rugged Road

02.04.10

I often have off-road athletes ask me the question of when it is ideal from a training sense to be on the trails versus the road. As mountain bikers, should we train only on our mountain bikes and should all this training take place on the trails? Obviously there is an issue of specificity, but the answer has many more factors that must be considered. If you want to race faster, this is a very important concept to understand.

The simple answer is that it depends (hey, that was not simple). With most things in training, there are individual needs that must be considered with each athlete. The primary determining factor lies in what the athlete needs more of: fitness or technique.

If fitness is your limiting factor, you will need to spend some time, and I would argue the majority of time, on a consistent road to develop this fully. This is usually the case with someone who has excellent off-road skills but has not spent a lot of time doing intensity. Trails are great, and to race well on them, you need to ride on them. With that said, it is hard to achieve specific physiological goals when you are at the mercy of what the trails provide you. For example, if you are trying to stay at a steady heart rate (or better yet, power) for a 2x20 min set, and the trail is predominately downhill or technically challenging, you will struggle to achieve this goal. To train a specific physiological system during this set, you will need to be on the road.

If technique is your limiting factor, you need to spend the majority of time on the trails developing this technique. If you have raced road bikes for years and are just getting into mountain biking, this probably describes you. Without improving your technique, on race day, you will not be able to utilize your fitness near potential due to limited technique. It does not matter how much power you can put into the pedals if you are spending half the race walking through the technical sections. The only way to develop this technique is to ride trails and ride them with someone who is better technically than you.

For most of you, this means finding the right mix of both riding on the trails and road and vary based on the goals of the workout. In the preparation period of the season, the majority of your intensity should take place on the road as you seek to develop general fitness. As you approach race season, this intensity should be moved onto the trails to meet the demands of the race more specifically. This is also the case with your longer endurance ride. Since these rides have the goal of steady state aerobic development, this is best achieved on the road where you can maintain a consistent intensity. As the season progresses though, you may decide to sacrifice some aerobic benefits for specificity. If you are spending a lot of time off the trail focusing on intensity or steady state volume, I suggest doing your recovery rides on the trail focused on technique. And once again, this mix of road versus trail must be ultimately determined by whether fitness or technique is your limiting factor.

Before closing, I want to touch on a few other considerations. Just because I encourage you to do some training on the road, this does not mean you cannot do it on your mountain bike. Actually, doing these rides on your mountain bike, or a road bike set up to closely mirror your mountain bike position, is adventitious. If you are doing a lot of road rides on your mountain bike, I suggest using a hard tail or locking out your rear shock if possible with your full suspension. If you can lock out your front fork as well, this is even better. I also suggest getting a good pair of “slick tires” which will make the ride much smoother and faster. Also, these rides do not have to take place on the road, per se – you are just looking for a consistent surface. Fire roads work great for this, and the Pochohontas Trail system is full of them.

Lastly, take into consideration what is more fun and motivating for you. You don’t improve unless you are motivated, so if you are completely unmotivated by riding on the roads and love the trails, it may be better for you to keep road riding to a minimum. Few of us are getting paid to race so this is a hobby, and hobbies should be fun.

Michael Harlow is the founder and head coach of Endorphin Fitness (www.endorphinfitness.com) where expert coaches get some to their first finish line and others to their finish line first. You can contact him at michael@endorphinfitness.com.

No Swim Sunday

01.31.10

We are postponing the swim portion of Immersion Week that was scheduled to be held at 1PM Sunday. We felt that the snow would have prevented many from attending. The swim class will be held Friday from 6-7 PM at the North Richmond YMCA instead - map and directions can be found at http://www.ymcarichmond.org/north_richmond/maps.aspx?id=906.

We hope to still hold the Monday evening portion of Immersion Week. Therefore, the schedule will be as follows:

MON: EF Essentials Talk, EF, 6PM
TUES: Cycle Technique, EF, 6PM
THURS: Run Technique, Byrd Middle, 6PM
FRI: Swim Technique, North Richmond Y, 6PM

The Transition Clinic will be held Mar 16th at 7:30 PM.

Closed Saturday

01.29.10

The EF Training Center will be closed Saturday and no movie ride held. Sunday's swim class as part of Immersion Week will be determined by University of Richmond's status and a decision made by Sunday am here.

EF Selected as High Performance Team

01.22.10

It was announced today that Endorphin Fitness has been selected by USA Triathlon as 1 of 3 High Performance Youth/Junior Development Teams for the Nation. This is a huge honor as it recognizes only the top Youth/Junior Development programs. Thank you for everyone that has contributed to our youth program to make it what it is today!

Upoming Programs Start Soon

01.17.10

We have a variety of programs for adults and youth starting soon. To get more information or register, please email info@endorphinfitness.com or call 741.1599.

Tri Training Team: FEB 1st - NOV 8th
After selecting a race distance you would like to focus on (sprint, international, 70.3, Ironman), you receive a comprehensive training plan as well as gain access to all team practices (swim, cycle, run, strength), the EF Training center, an online team forum, and social events. Practices will be organized into beginner, intermediate, and advanced experience levels.

Cycling Technique/Intensity: FEB 8th - MAY 1st
During this 12-week program, an expert coach will take you through a proven training progression of cycling technique and intensity to get you to peak fitness, with an emphasis on the Wintergreen Ascent. Perfect for cyclists as well as triathletes who do not wish to participate in the full Tri Training Team above and want to focus on cycling. Powertap rental available during program. Cost: $250
Mon & Wed 7:15-8:15 PM: Intensity/Technique
Sat 8 AM: Endurance Ride

Swim Technique: FEB 22nd - MAY 10th
Expert swim coaches will take you through a proven training progression to perfect your stroke and maximize speed and efficiency in the water. A must for all levels! Great as a stand-alone program or as a supplement to the full Tri Training Team above. Cost: $240 ($190 for athletes doing Tri Training Team or Personal Coaching)
MON 6 AM

Youth Tri Training Team: FEB 8th - JUNE 10th
Kids ages 6-18 will have the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of a healthy lifestyle through swimming, cycling, mountain biking, and running. This 18-week program places long-term development foremost while motivating coaches teach the principles of endurance in a fun, safe environment.

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