Shut Up Legs!

It was German professional Jens Voigt that coined the phrase "shut up legs" - it's become an almost legendary saying amongst cyclists, when feeling the burn it's time to man up and keep pushing on.  

Saturday morning I had one of those moments, from the get go my head didn't seem in it, let alone my legs.  Pushing out at the beginning of a 50 miler, the first ten miles seemed to take forever.  Conditions were blustery and there was the promise of rain later in the morning.  I'd opted to take my winter bike out, complete with mudguards, for the promised showers not realising the front mech gear cable had stretched meaning I couldn't get it onto the 50 tooth ring.  It meant a lot of spinning for the fifty miles, which wasn't so bad.

Warm-Up

I've realised now after nearly 10,000 miles on a bike that it takes me at least 10 miles to warm up.  When my legs are complaining, if it's within the first ten miles they get a "shut up legs" as I know they will feel better later in the ride.  A good reminder to work up into a longer ride by giving yourself the chance to warm up properly, then to turn up the gas.

Riding home, it's also good to "warm down" by giving yourself a few miles at a very easy pace.  If measuring average speed, just stop your garmin or other device there and give yourself the time to spin home, your legs will thank you for it.

The Twenty Minute Window

Having done 100 miles this weekend, my legs were letting me know.  I'm not a big fan of sports nutrition generally, but one thing I do use is a recovery shake as I do find it suits me personally after a long ride.  

There is a magic window of around 20 minutes after your ride which is the optimum time to take on products like this, or protein related food to have the greatest effect on muscle recovery, always a good idea to have your recovery food/drink ready prepared for when you get through the door.  I've been sent some Elivar products to test, designed for over 35's apparently, so I'll let you know how I get on with them.  Don't forget to stretch too!

Checking my stats out for the 100 miles, my ride time was 5hrs 38mins with 3.7K feet of ascent.  Heart rate was 151bpm, which is just moving into zone 4 (intensive). Conditions have been quite blustery, yesterday there was an 18mph headwind for most of the ride and a heavy shower which saw me get my first real soaking for a few months.  Got another one today, so bring on the winter riding!

Blood, Sweat and Gears

Another day of riding in the wind.  It's become a feature of the last three of four rides I've done, a steady 10mph wind coming from one direction or another with some big gusts thrown in for good measure.  It does make long rides hard work and you need to stay on top of your effort levels and also fuel appropriately as your heart is working harder than normal.

Whilst riding today I met a competitor in the forthcoming Bolton Ironman competition who was riding the route.  We got chatting and three things struck me that we had in common: -

1. We had both been bike fitted.
2. We both wore foot inserts.
3. We both used heart rate monitors.

Doing an ironman requires you to be right on top of your pacing and nutrition, monitoring your heart rate and ensuring you take on board the 60g of carbohydrate the body can process each hour to keep your tanks topped up for such an extreme event.  It also requires you to have good technique, for running and cycling, so it was interesting that he'd got fitted up on his bike and had inserts in his cycling and running shoes.

I've worn inserts for a few years and got a pair custom made a few months ago. It's surprising when you go and see someone and they look at your standing pose and immediately note that there are corrections that can be made.  I'd recommend you to think about a set as I found my foot comfort improved a lot after using them. 

Food and Drink

There have been a few more questions of late about nutrition and what things I eat when I'm out riding.  I wrote a blog about gels and sports products recently which you can read here. 

Setting out today, I knew things were going to be tough. I'd picked a route which was had an ascent ratio of 50+ which when combined with the wind, would need a little something.  Here's what I consumed pre, during and post-ride: -

Last night - pasta dinner (Carbohydrate rich meal).
Pre-Ride- x2 Scotch Eggs, 0.5L bottle of Gatorade.
On the ride - 1.5L of water with High Five Zero tablets in, 1 x SiS Energy Bar, 1 x Gel.
Post Ride - Chicken + Egg Mayonnaise + SiS ReGo.

So, pre-ride and during the ride the focus is ensuring that you are taking on carbohydrate, hence the gel and the energy bar.  I took the gel ten miles from home as I was feeling the wind, normally might of skipped it as I would have had a coffee somewhere.  However, no cafe stop today, did the 65 mile route without stopping.

Post-ride is all about getting protein into your system within the magic 20 minute window of finishing your ride. I'd recommend a post-ride supplement if you are at effort, it all depends on how hard you've been working!

Gels and Energy Products.....

I used to get so much stick from the guys who I rode with when I first started group riding, I'd carry my own body weight in gels and energy bars in bulging pockets on the back of my shirt, I didn't know any better.  All the ads suggested "increased performance" for the aspiring rider, I shot out and stocked up!

Nowadays, I use energy products very specifically and with nowhere near the frequency that I used to, I've learned when you need to use them and when you don't.

The decision to use energy products is primarily driven by how hard you are working when exercising.  As your heart rate drives up towards the intensive zones over sustained periods it switches to your carbohydrate stores to fuel itself and you need to replace them - hence needing additional carbohydrate in the form of fast absorbing sports nutrition mid-ride.  

I'm not a medical expert and this article is written to give you the basics, so to find out a little more about carbohydrates and the difference between complex and simple carbs, read this article on netdoctors or consult a sports performance coach if you want to do a deep dive.

Keeping it Simple

Particularly on long sportives or very hilly rides, you will be pushing your body much harder and it's important to keep on top of your carbs, or you'll end up 'bonking' (cycling term for the runners equivalent of 'hitting the wall').  However, unless you know what intensity you're working at, it becomes a bit of a guessing game.

Those that visit this blog regularly know that I do all my training using a heart rate monitor.  This means that you control your ride intensity and effectively your need for additional carbohydrates. Long 'base mile' rides rarely need carbohydrate topping up, a good breakfast or a cafe stop will be enough to give you the fuel you need to keep going.  Natural foods like bananas and porridge before setting off, give you the slow release energy you need.  

If you're doing an intense sportive, then you will definitely need to look at your fuelling strategy.  I would be looking at the route profile to see where big efforts are needed (like climbs), where the official food stops are to re-fuel with more natural carbs where possible and then figuring out what additional top-ups I'll need mid-ride either in the form of liquids, bars or gels.  I prefer things like flapjacks wherever possible, simply because energy products can taste a little sickly after a while.  Former hour record holder Graeme Obree, swears by marzipan!

During a long sportive, I'd be keeping an eye on my average heart rate and adjusting my fuelling based upon the pre-planning above.  To ride long distances, you need energy, the trick is figuring out how much you need from refined sports supplements by keeping an eye on your intensity levels using a heart rate monitor.

I always carry a gel with me when I'm out, whatever the circumstances, there's always changing conditions.  Sometimes, a long ride with heavy rain or wind can just sap your energy unexpectedly.  You may have forgotten to eat or drink regularly whist riding and then all of a sudden - BOOM!

The trick is to find a brand that you like, some gels can upset your stomach, some are organic, some with caffeine, there are lots to choose from.  Try not to mix and match and always test them on a ride, before you do anything big or long distance in case they don't agree with you. 

Chicken Run - Balancing your Diet

I'm writing this post from the bar on the 23rd floor of The Hilton hotel in Manchester. There's a very tempting free bar for residents and I'm two beers into it - STOP!

The last ten days have seen me really change my eating habits and stuff with refined sugars within it is a no no (cutting out the rubbish) and in a moment of weakness the free bar got the better of me. Interestingly my bottle of Fosters doesn't have any ingredient labelling on it, no sugar or carbohydrate info but I'm guessing it's better I don't know.

Looking back on the last ten days of my nutrition plan from www.totalcyclingperformance.co.uk, I'm definitely feeling the benefits. I've not been suffering any afternoon blood sugar crashes leading me to normally reach for my office biscuit basket, I don't feel empty anymore which often led to late night snacking on crisps at home, I've got more energy as my hydration levels are really benefitting from the 2-3L of water I'm getting down my neck a day and my diet is a lot healthier with more fruit, fish and veg within it.

Bread has had to go, except after a long ride in the recovery window. One thing I am enjoying is steering away from foods with the words "low fat" on them, primarily as they tend to be packed with empty carbs. My new favourite tipple is a pint of full fat milk everyday, contributing to getting the right balance between protein, carbs and healthy fats right and I'm eating chicken or eggs for breakfast - nice. In fact, chicken is one thing I'm eating a lot of to increase my protein intake to around 110g per day.

This is all part of a big master plan to get my body burning more fat naturally by ensuring it gets everything it needs through a day to function, minimum calorie intake is 2.1k per day and 3.5k if doing a long ride for me. Funny enough some days it's harder than you think, particularly when you're trying to balance protein and carb intake. Initial results are it hasn't felt too hard. It takes more planning, that's for sure, particularly if away on business and it costs a little more than normal as fruit spend has gone up.

Target is for a gradual weekly decline of around a kg, sustained week after week until reaching the desired weight. Idea is for a lifestyle change, changing body composition and eating habits for the long term, a marathon not a sprint.

One things for sure, I'm in the saddle less. Focusing more time on high intensity bursts on the watt bike, two gym visits for weights and stretching sessions leaves around six hours per week for an aerobic ride on the road. It will be really interesting to see the results.

Core Fitness

Sort your core fitness out to get faster

I've been road cycling for about two and half years now and in that time there's no doubt that I'm better on a bike now than I was in 2009.  I've enjoyed the initial weight loss, getting faster, overcoming hills, riding my first 100 miles and - more importantly - acquiring bikes!

In June, I'll be riding London to Paris in three days and I've been thinking about my weight, my stamina and my core strength, prior to the ride.  I spend a lot of time on my rear. I drive to work, spend all day in meetings or at my desk, sit down in the restaurant for lunch, I'm regularly on trains, planes or sat at my home PC blogging.  When I'm not doing that I'm sat in a saddle on a bike, see what I mean?

Although I've done some reasonable miles, I don't seem to be getting any faster and my ride averages have stayed pretty much the same.  My weight has bottomed out, so despite riding 100 miles or so a week, it isn't impacting on my weight.  I know my cardiac fitness is good from my last BUPA test, however my body fat had increased.

Total Cycling Performance

A little while back I was contacted by Simon Vincent of Total Cycling Performance in South Wales and invited down for a full assessment of my composition and body conditioning. I don't get to South Wales much on business, so taking advantage of a recent trip down, I called in to see Simon at his home studio.

I love people like Simon - a new business, going less than a year - he's one of those people that has given up a successful career to do something he loves, sports science driven body conditioning and assessment.  In many ways, he reminded me of Craig Middleton at Onix Bikes who did the same thing (following his passion).

Simons set up is in his back garden.  A large studio full of gym equipment and gizmos for measuring, assessing and training his clients.  I have to be honest, I was a little nervous as - apart from the bike - I don't do anything else for fitness and I've never been a strongman.  I knew my core strength needed improving, but I had no idea what my base was.

Ground Zero

After a pre-assessment of my diet, exercise and lifestyle it was on to the physical bit.  Leg presses, extensions, arm presses, grip strength, lat pulldowns, flexibility measurements, lung capacity, body fat make up, hydration, wattbike pedalling analysis, maximum heart rate and core muscle tests to name but a few, Simon gave his assessment - basically, my core strength is really poor.  The only saving grace was an above average lung capacity, pedal stroke was OK (but still with room for improvement) and my back strength was higher than average.  In all other elements, it was lower quartile - ouch.



Get off the bike

Simon gave me some initial feedback and followed that up with a 20 page report with all of his findings, but more importantly his recommendations.  A complete change to my diet, my hydration, my time in the saddle and my fitness regime, including joining a gym, fundamentally, riding a lot less.

Explaining the science behind the metabollism, it quickly dawned on me that there were some big changes needed.  By increasing my core strength and losing some weight through effective management of diet and time in the gym, I can make the progress I need to nail London to Paris.



The Metrics

I love data.  It takes the guesswork out of it and makes it factual.  Simon collects data as he conducts his tests and then presents it back to you, comparing against what you should be capable of.  Here's a few of the statistics: -

Leg Press.  You should be able to press x3.5 your bodyweight. I could do x2.1.
The Plank (see picture).  You should be able to hold about 90 seconds.  I held about 20 seconds (now up to 45 with some more practice).
Leg Extension.   You should be able to do 0.45 x your bodyweight.  My target should be around 43kg.  I could do 25kg.

The Plank

You get the story?   Basically all to play for.  So where do we go from here?  Simon wrote me a twelve week fitness plan, broken down by day.  In it, full details are given as to what exercise I need to do, number of repetitions or sessions on the wattbike or out on the road.  Combined with this is also a recommendation as to my diet, calories I need to eat with the correct balance of protein, fat and carbohydrates. 

Making the Change

The big changes I have to make are to drink a lot more water, upping intake to 3L a day and eating a lot more natural protein in my diet through nuts, lean meat and fish. Milk has to be switched to full fat, bread only after a training session and in limited amounts, 9-12 portions of fruit and vegetables leading to a re-balancing of my body make-up. More stretching is needed to increase my suppleness, dynamic stretching sessions make a frequent appearance in the 12 week plan.


Simon’s unique approach to nutrition also advocates the use of absolutely no synthetic protein shakes, vitamin supplements, or other man made versions of nutrients that as he put it “can all get provided by Mother Nature given a little planning and organisation”.

My aim is to look to lose around 1kg a week of fat through steady and consistent management of my diet, exercise and to also gain a significant amount of additional cycling strength and power, through a structured and targeted strength training regime of just 2 sessions per week. By doing this, I should radically improve my base strength and power to weight ratio, resulting in better miles on the bike - we'll see.

I'm about four days in and I've never drunk so much water, been to the loo so much or consumed so much white meat. It's had some immediate impacts in that I'm not snacking, reaching for sugary things like biscuits around 4pm, I've given up sugar in coffee too. The scales seem to like it as my body seems to already be adjusting to the new diet and dipping in to my fat reserves.

I'll keep reporting back on progress, it's good to have a plan to follow, something personal to you as an individual, written around your body, your lifestyle and your areas requiring improvement specific to improving your total cycling performance.

A session with Simon in South Wales to assess your all round cycling ability, but perhaps most importantly the full physiological weaknesses within your current training and nutrition practices preventing you becoming a more efficient, faster and stronger cyclist starts from £75.00. I think that’s money very well spent as you can then focus your future training on smarter rather than longer sessions, in order to get a lot closer to realising your true cycling potential.

If you're really brave, you can book in the local hotel and then go and ride some Welsh mountains afterwards.  Erm, anyone seen my car keys?

Guest Post from Denise Hampson - Losing Weight on the Bike Pt II

Here's the second part to the blog that Denise Hampson has written for us around the subject of weight loss.  You can access the first part here.

In my opinion too many cyclists are overly obsessed with energy drinks, recovery drinks, protein shakes and gels. These highly engineered products can help you turn up on race day in the best shape and give you a final burst of energy to the finish line. But they don't give much of an advantage for being a mouse-potato (see what i did there...) riding computers 40 hours a week.

These products contain masses of energy and it's ok to replace the energy you burn on two wheels, but if you always replace what you use you will never lose weight. My advice would be to go easy on the energy products.

Remember too that these shakes, mixes and gels are branded products. Top riders are encouraged to promote them and sponsored by them. When I was on the GB team we had all of our drinks in Lucozade bottles. Did I have Lucozade *in* my bottle....? And you might hesitate if you knew the unofficial name the Aussie road girls had for gels...!

The big question to ask yourself is what are your goals? If you want to enjoy club rides more, lose weight and tone up then your approach will be a lot different to the one you'd take if you were competing seriously. Running out of energy mid-ride is more of a problem if you have a performance goal and a race coming up than if you are going to have a week to recover at your desk.

If you are in the latter group and get it wrong, what's the worst that can happen? You make a call to get a lift home or grovel back on empty with a great new story to entertain club-mates at next week's cafe stop.

For many the pleasure gained from cycling is the social side and this can involve lots of food (and beer!) Somehow tea and cakes taste better the more miles you have to do to get them. The best pint of tea I have ever had was at Pete's Eats in Llanberis and it made the 70mile round trip to get there seem worthwhile. Comments like "I can eat what I want because I'll burn it off on the road" are commonly heard. But if you put back all the energy you burn, you're efforts to lose weight will be in vain.

Train in the mornings if you can. If you want to lose weight you should take advantage of any easy option to burn extra calories. When you train you ramp up your body's metabolism/rate of burning energy. Of course you'd expect that, but what many people don't know is that post exercise your metabolism remains elevated for several hours which means you'll be burning extra energy just sitting still. The earlier in the day you do this, the better the 'afterburn'!

In a nutshell:

• Don't overdo the energy drinks and gels while you are out but do still take on lots of fluids/water.
• You get better returns on weight loss efforts by focussing on your diet. But the activity element is still important, and is usually the missing ingredient with yo-yo dieters.
• Be clear on your goals. If they are performance related, lose weight more slowly. Otherwise you can probably afford to experiment a bit more.
• Watch your portions at all times, especially days you don't ride. Don't find yourself overconsuming energy-rich foods "because I'm a cyclist".
• Do other types of training. It'll bring about bigger benefits and work out those areas you don't get to when cycling.
• Work out early if you can. A quick spin on the rollers or turbo trainer before breakfast or a cycle to work are ideal.
• Finally, don't deny yourself the things you really want. Life is too short!

www.denisehampson.com

Denise co-authored the Deeprotox Sportspersons Eating Plan with Medical Nutritionist James Jones. Although not intended specifically for it, people of all ages and abilities who have used this approach have found it beneficial to losing some weight. To find out more or to purchase a copy, visit www.deeprotox.co.uk

Photo courtesy of CycleSportPhoto's.com. 

Guest Post from Denise Hampson - Losing Weight on the Bike

I asked former Team GB track sprinter Denise Hampson to offer some advice on a question that I know we all regularly ask ourself about losing weight.  In the first year of cycling, I lost about a stone in weight, but quickly bottomed out and have found it hard to sustain.  In the first part of a two part post, Denise offers some great advice.

Am I riding at too high an intensity to lose weight?


I've been asked this question a number of times by riders who would like to shed a few lbs. Usually I'm told it's for easier hill climbing and more efficient riding. Worthwhile aims, although just below the surface there's often a holiday, a wedding, a wardrobe of great clothes that can no longer be worn, an evening wine habit that needs managing or the simple fact that Lycra is unforgiving. For whatever reason you might wish to let go of a couple or more lb of body fat I have written down some thoughts that may help.

Let me explain where I'm coming from. I was a track sprinter. This is significant because not only were the track bankings the biggest 'hills' we had to get over we also traded in absolute power. As a sprinter it is better to carry a few extra lb and maintain your power. Ask any shot-putter! With sprinters the biggest mistake I could have made was to lose weight too quickly. Some of the most formidable opponents I ever faced were carrying excess weight but once they got to race speed it was like trying to get past a high speed train!

However, as a person who has lost some weight for sport and one who has had to manage weight post-sport, as a person who has developed a best practice community weight loss programme and written Department of Health guidance on weight management for children and families I have a lot of knowledge in this field and I'm happy to share it if it helps.

The first thing I want you to know is that weight loss is dead simple. It's a transaction between energy in and energy out. It is when we bring along our expectations, limiting self-beliefs, myths, emotions, habits, ideals and desires that weight loss gets complicated. Put your emotions away now and you'll be surprised how well you get on.

As human animals we are programmed to consume as much calorie-dense food as we can and preserve as much stored energy as we can. Our hunter-gatherer bodies haven't yet caught up with the 24/7 availability of cheap calories sitting in our cupboards.

We are incredibly efficient at holding on to energy and cycling is one of the most efficient activities we can do. Trying to waste energy through being active is the hardest route possible, so to lose weight I'd suggest addressing your diet every time. As a 60kg female I operate on approximately 100kcals per mile I run. To burn 1lb of body fat per week I'd have to run 5miles a day! Don't underestimate your body's ability to conserve energy.

We become more efficient the more we do an activity too. A seasoned cyclist will ride more efficiently than a novice. This is the reason I always recommend some cross training to 'keep the body guessing'. I call it 'body shock'. Our bodies naturally aim for balance, or equilibrium. I have met many cyclists who are incredibly fit and strong but they almost rest their bellies on their top tubes.

They have reached a state of equilibrium with strong legs and backside but with a weakness around the middle. Keeping the body in an ongoing state of shock will help with weight loss. On the flip-side body-shock can also contribute to burn-out so give yourself lots of rest too.

Think of calories like you think of money. Your body needs a certain amount to get by to maintain your body systems. Daily needs vary between 1500 and 3000 kcals depending on a range of factors. One thing is certain though, You can't work on negative calories so there will always be a limit on how fast you can lose weight. Programmes that encourage a steady weight loss of 1-2lb (0.5-1kg) per week are best because it's fast enough to keep you motivated and slow enough to keep you healthy. Aim for more rapid weight loss and you could be asking for trouble.

If you lose weight too quickly you might find your body starts converting your muscle tissue back into energy. It's called catabolism (sounds like cannibalism) and can undo all the hours you've spent slogging for fitness on your bike.

In answer to the original question, energy is energy as far as I'm concerned. Yes studies show we can utilise different energy systems in training but for the majority of people, this level of
detail is a distraction....

Second part of post, published tomorrow.
 
www.denisehampson.com
 

Denise co-authored the Deeprotox Sportspersons Eating Plan with Medical Nutritionist James Jones. Although not intended specifically for it, people of all ages and abilities who have used this approach have found it beneficial to losing some weight. To find out more or to purchase a copy, visit www.deeprotox.co.uk

Photo courtesy of CycleSportPhoto's.com. 

10 Foods to Boost Energy

As you get more into cycling, you start to uncover and identify foods which will help you when out on the road. Either pre-ride or during the ride. Here are some which I rely on. There are loads of supplements and energy bars you can eat too (which I use), however I find they can become a bit bland and sometimes hard to digest when out riding, so mix them with Jelly Babies, Nuts and a Snickers bar if you're out on a long one. So, things I like are: -

1. Porridge (pre-ride).
2. Bananas (pre and during). I tend to mash my bananas into my porridge.
3. Pasta (night before).
4. Peanuts (during).
5. Jelly Babys (during for Carbs). Loads of Pro's use these.
6. Peanut butter (pre on toast or during on bread).
7. Snickers bar (during). Great boost of energy.
8. Sushi (night before).
9. Nuts of any kind (during), make sure they are natural and unsalted.
10. Blueberries (bit like a superfood apparently).