16 Week Face of America Training Plan & Guide | Page 17
Helmet. First and foremost, the general
unwritten rule is, “if it has hit the pavement,
replace it (period).” Double-check all straps to
ensure there are no tears or unstitching that you
weren’t aware of. If the adhesive pads are missing
or need replacing (especially ones by the brow
that absorb sweat), replace them. If you’re one of
those heavy sweaters whose eyes are always
burning from sweat, you may want to consider
some sort of headband, Headsweats®, or bandana,
in order to reduce one less thing you need to
deal/suffer with on your important day. Like
everything else, try to see what works in training
first!
Saddle. If you’ve been experiencing
perineum/crotch pain even after a short ride,
check to ensure your saddle is level or in its
normal position and hasn’t shifted. Also doublecheck to make sure it hasn’t moved or cantered to
one side or the other. With a saddle not properly
aligned, a 100-miler could be a very chafing and
painful experience.
Shoes. Most importantly, check your cleats
haven’t moved. If one or both cleats have moved
(cantered inward or outward) this may not only
explain recent knee pain or strains, but will really
cause knee issues over a challenging 100-mile
Gran Fondo course. Also, ensure all bolts/screws
are present and secure, as well as all shoe securing
straps or devices. Lastly, if you have “caked dirt”
in the cleats, remove it, otherwise you may have
more difficulty clipping in and out.
Day Off (DO)
No training (period). If your coach prescribed one, he
or she meant it, and not as a suggestion! If you don’t
have a coach, but you’ve been feeling or are currently
feeling lethargic, sore, elevated resting and/or training
heart rate, over-trained (or “burned out” as we used
to say), unusually irritable, changes in eating habits in
either direction, or apathetic towards wanting to get
out and ride, Take the Day Off – as these are red flags
that you’re currently somewhere within (what I call)
“the downward spiral of the over-trained state.” If
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ever in doubt, remember my mantra; “Recovery is
just as important as Training Itself!”
Recovery Ride
A Recovery Ride may be prescribed at any time as
“active recovery.” In other words, due to recent
training or racing intensity and/or volume, we’re
going to just go out easy and spin the legs for a short
or shorter than normal ride. This type of ride is best
performed alone or not with competitive riders that
will inherently cause us to push ourselves harder than
a recovery level. The intent is to keep the heart rate
and muscular demands low, in order to adequately
recover. By this, I mean we’re literally trying to “destress” ourselves as well as flush out any residual
lactic acid accumulation from the previous intense
training or racing day(s). Our human nature is – at the
very least, subliminally competitive. If you can’t avoid
others or know you’re likely to come across others
that may push you, you’d do yourself a better service
by just taking the day off instead.
Group Rides
Group rides are a great way to learn from more
experienced cyclists, improve handling skills, and ride
longer than many solo rides. Furthermore, this will
likely be similar to your Gran Fondo, where you can
work with others and share the overall 100 mile
workload. In the 16-week training plan where group
rides are scheduled, just assume or adjust to a solo
ride if the situation dictates. This may come up fairly
often if your work, rider partners’ availability, or other
responsibilities won’t allow for a group ride, so don’t
lose sleep over it.
Thoughts & Tips on Weight Management
Bottom line, “calories in vs. calories out”! If your
intake exceeds what you burn – you gain; if you burn
more than you take in – you lose. There are 3,500
calories in a pound. Therefore, a 500 calorie deficit
per day will safely have you losing a pound a week.
Furthermore, if you burn 300 at the gym, plus what
you burn during daily activity, you only will need to
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