High intensity training such as competitive group rides and races
bring rapid physiological improvement but also an early plateau. Many
riders start out doing mainly higher intensity training, make great
gains, and then burn out well below their potential. To reach your
potential you have to eventually do some training that mostly challenges
your aerobic endurance. That is, zone 2 or base training. One proven
approach is to do a rest period after the end of one racing season, and
then only base until two months before the next racing season.
In the final two months, a high volume of base training is
maintained, while two days per week base training is replaced by
intervals or other harder work. The first month of transition to racing,
the harder work is sub-LT and done in extended chunks, such as three
intervals of 15 minutes on/ 5 minutes off at 92-96% of LT heart rate or
power. In the final month before the start of racing, the harder work
can be shorter intervals right around LT, such as six intervals of 5
minutes on, 5 minutes off at LT minus 3 beats to LT plus three beats, or
staying as close as you can to FTP power.
Above is the general plan, but if the time during which you can do
unusually large volumes of training happens to fall within the period
when it is appropriate to do sub-LT or LT intervals, you should consider
how much training volume you have gotten in to that point. When you
increase volume by more than a couple of hours per week, you should
decrease intensity. So if your inter-term volume will be a lot higher
than your previous experience, take a few weeks of base-only riding to
adjust to that before starting, or re-starting intervals.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/cyclingnews-fitness-q-and-a-november-30-2011#Section1
Wednesday, 30 November 2011
Stop making excuses!
Came across a nice article today and decided to share it on my blog and also as a reminder for myself. There are some comments on Singapore athletes by Wilson Kipketer, a Kenyan born athlete, in this article "Champions don't make excuses" which are quite interesting:
"I don't see why they cannot have good results if they can have good results in school. Why not out of school?"
"You talk about the hot weather, that's an excuse, that's not the reason. You live in this country, so you cannot complain about the weather, you have to get used to it. You want to sit and make excuses, or you want to do something?"
"People say it's about military (national service), but military is not going to stop you … I don't see a university where they say there is only studies, no running, because nobody is going to stop you in what you want to achieve. "It's something you have to do for yourself, so it's nothing to do with the system, nothing to do with schooling or military, it's something to do with you."
http://www.todayonline.com/Sports/EDC111130-0000081/Champions-dont-make-excuses
"I don't see why they cannot have good results if they can have good results in school. Why not out of school?"
"You talk about the hot weather, that's an excuse, that's not the reason. You live in this country, so you cannot complain about the weather, you have to get used to it. You want to sit and make excuses, or you want to do something?"
"People say it's about military (national service), but military is not going to stop you … I don't see a university where they say there is only studies, no running, because nobody is going to stop you in what you want to achieve. "It's something you have to do for yourself, so it's nothing to do with the system, nothing to do with schooling or military, it's something to do with you."
http://www.todayonline.com/Sports/EDC111130-0000081/Champions-dont-make-excuses
Tuesday, 29 November 2011
Monday, 28 November 2011
Rest for the journey ahead...
With the Tour de Poyang Lake uncertain now, I've decided to bring forward my off season in conjunction with my last week of exams. Whether the race happens or not, Im no longer keen anymore. I've been struggling a little for the past weeks and it doesn't seem to get any better whatever i do on the bike. In fact, Im rather glad to hear that the race has been postponed. I definitely do not want to go for another UCI race just to perform poorly.
I think i needed that break badly. Though off season, it'll just be a short 4-5days off the bike (so much for an off season) before exams end on Thursday. Just a short while to refresh my mind before i get going again. After all, Im not a pro who races all year round. I do not need a break of 2-3 weeks. Which brings me back to the point and problem i face for the past 2 years, am i on the right track? I will leave this to the later part of the year and give it a real thought.
For now, i just can't wait to get over my last paper! There are a few things i want to do this holiday which I'll list them down later. Guess that is all for now. I think i will hit the sack early tonight and wake up for a run tomorrow morning! It's been awhile.. :)
I think i needed that break badly. Though off season, it'll just be a short 4-5days off the bike (so much for an off season) before exams end on Thursday. Just a short while to refresh my mind before i get going again. After all, Im not a pro who races all year round. I do not need a break of 2-3 weeks. Which brings me back to the point and problem i face for the past 2 years, am i on the right track? I will leave this to the later part of the year and give it a real thought.
For now, i just can't wait to get over my last paper! There are a few things i want to do this holiday which I'll list them down later. Guess that is all for now. I think i will hit the sack early tonight and wake up for a run tomorrow morning! It's been awhile.. :)
Tuesday, 15 November 2011
Tour de Bintan: Stage 3
Stage 3 (38km)
In between stage 2 and 3 there was a good 2hrs break, so after stage 2 we headed straight back to our room to get a bath, some food and rest. During the break, my dad came to visit our team with his friend and family. Before we know it, we were in our (still) wet jerseys and off to the start line for the 3rd and final stage of Tour de Bintan.
Stage 3 was short and we believe it was going to be fast and full of attacks as it's the last chance for those who wants to have a crack. True enough, Nick Swallow (Cycleworx) and 2 others went out straight from the get go. Bikelabz took control of things as the have the KOM jersey worn by Zamri and new Yellow jersey leader worn by Saiful after a well deserved stage 2 win. The wind was very strong so the pace wasn't very high and sitting in the pack was easy. That would mean a very hard and fast finish as everyone would be fresh. Francis tried for the intermediate Ace sprint but it was never easy against Zamri, who is an excellent sprinter, and having to go from the back of the pack to the front took out quite a bit of energy from him. But it was still a try worth going for.
In the end, stage 3 ended up in a bunch sprint and our team finished safely once again. I think our team did well given depth and strength we had compared to other big teams. It was also the first stage race we are doing together. Francis, though dropped out of top 10, still finished 14th overall which was a very good result for the team and for himself! And Robert was amazing throughout the 3 stages! Always very active at the front, pulling, going in the breaks, water duties, KOM, Ace sprints, final sprints, this man does it all! And Amos, being Amos, was always unlucky with flats and cramps, lost time from the main pack EVERY stage, but did well to finish the race! ;)
All in all, it was a good short weekend race, very well organised, water support was brilliant this time, made lots of new friends, but just a bit expensive. I hope it'll be a good preparation for Tour de Poyang Lake in 3 weeks time. Now i need to get a good rest and prepare for my final exams! Also, to find my legs back...
In between stage 2 and 3 there was a good 2hrs break, so after stage 2 we headed straight back to our room to get a bath, some food and rest. During the break, my dad came to visit our team with his friend and family. Before we know it, we were in our (still) wet jerseys and off to the start line for the 3rd and final stage of Tour de Bintan.
 |
| Dad's friend and family |
Stage 3 was short and we believe it was going to be fast and full of attacks as it's the last chance for those who wants to have a crack. True enough, Nick Swallow (Cycleworx) and 2 others went out straight from the get go. Bikelabz took control of things as the have the KOM jersey worn by Zamri and new Yellow jersey leader worn by Saiful after a well deserved stage 2 win. The wind was very strong so the pace wasn't very high and sitting in the pack was easy. That would mean a very hard and fast finish as everyone would be fresh. Francis tried for the intermediate Ace sprint but it was never easy against Zamri, who is an excellent sprinter, and having to go from the back of the pack to the front took out quite a bit of energy from him. But it was still a try worth going for.
In the end, stage 3 ended up in a bunch sprint and our team finished safely once again. I think our team did well given depth and strength we had compared to other big teams. It was also the first stage race we are doing together. Francis, though dropped out of top 10, still finished 14th overall which was a very good result for the team and for himself! And Robert was amazing throughout the 3 stages! Always very active at the front, pulling, going in the breaks, water duties, KOM, Ace sprints, final sprints, this man does it all! And Amos, being Amos, was always unlucky with flats and cramps, lost time from the main pack EVERY stage, but did well to finish the race! ;)
All in all, it was a good short weekend race, very well organised, water support was brilliant this time, made lots of new friends, but just a bit expensive. I hope it'll be a good preparation for Tour de Poyang Lake in 3 weeks time. Now i need to get a good rest and prepare for my final exams! Also, to find my legs back...
 |
| New Spanish friends from CCCamp |
 |
| Stage 3 data |
Tour de Bintan: Stage 2
Stage 2 (73km)
Our main objective now is to keep Francis safe and hold on to his 10th spot in the GC. He will try to conserve and maybe go for a placing in the final sprint. But of course if a chance presents itself, he will go in the break. I will try to go on the offensive and maybe get some points in the KOM. I didn't come to this race just to follow. I wanted to do something, and staying 20-30th in GC same time as main bunch is not what i wanted. I'd rather try but get dropped than to follow and finish. I've gotten over the first stage fresher than most people and stages 2 & 3 are shorter, which means even if i got dropped i should be able to ride till the end.
Knowing the first KOM is in the first 8km, i stayed right at the front from the start. There were a break of 3 riders but they were in sight. Entering the climb up to the first KOM, the pace slowed somewhat and i thought this might be a good chance to go. Stupidly enough, i went... And after 20secs, my legs reminded me of how powerless i felt. My max heart rate of 166bpm showed that i was obviously not pushing as hard as i should have been, but my legs just simply couldn't turn the pedals round. I sat up and as i looked around, Samuel Yang and Zamri Salleh (Pico-Bikelabz) shot passed me followed by the string of peloton which looked to be snapping under the ferocious pace. Everyone was going full gas up and over the KOM point. Soon i was at the tail of the pack but i simply could not latch on. After the race i heard from Francis they were going hard down after the climb at 70km/h. There was no way i could hang on when im already at my limit. The pack took just half a minute and they were out of my sight. My race in stage 2 was over in just 8km of racing.
I sat up and waited for Cat 2, which started 15mins after us, so i could tag along to conserve some energy for stage 3. Soon i was joined by a spanish rider Josep from CCCamp who got dropped even earlier than me. We took turns to do "pussy" pulls of 30km/h until Cat 2 came along.
In the end, i finished 16mins behind the winner. A break won again and there were few adjustments in the overall GC. Francis had dropped out of top 10, likewise for some others. He had gone with the winning break but dropped out due to the high pace. If he had hung on till the end he would certainly moved up to top 5 or even podium maybe. It was a waste! Robert finished safely in the bunch again and Amos 15mins behind due to another flat. Stage 2 didn't end up the best for the team but everyone finished safe in one piece and we could fight again in stage 3!
Our main objective now is to keep Francis safe and hold on to his 10th spot in the GC. He will try to conserve and maybe go for a placing in the final sprint. But of course if a chance presents itself, he will go in the break. I will try to go on the offensive and maybe get some points in the KOM. I didn't come to this race just to follow. I wanted to do something, and staying 20-30th in GC same time as main bunch is not what i wanted. I'd rather try but get dropped than to follow and finish. I've gotten over the first stage fresher than most people and stages 2 & 3 are shorter, which means even if i got dropped i should be able to ride till the end.
Knowing the first KOM is in the first 8km, i stayed right at the front from the start. There were a break of 3 riders but they were in sight. Entering the climb up to the first KOM, the pace slowed somewhat and i thought this might be a good chance to go. Stupidly enough, i went... And after 20secs, my legs reminded me of how powerless i felt. My max heart rate of 166bpm showed that i was obviously not pushing as hard as i should have been, but my legs just simply couldn't turn the pedals round. I sat up and as i looked around, Samuel Yang and Zamri Salleh (Pico-Bikelabz) shot passed me followed by the string of peloton which looked to be snapping under the ferocious pace. Everyone was going full gas up and over the KOM point. Soon i was at the tail of the pack but i simply could not latch on. After the race i heard from Francis they were going hard down after the climb at 70km/h. There was no way i could hang on when im already at my limit. The pack took just half a minute and they were out of my sight. My race in stage 2 was over in just 8km of racing.
 |
| Zamri Salleh (Pico-Bikelabz) in KOM jersey |
In the end, i finished 16mins behind the winner. A break won again and there were few adjustments in the overall GC. Francis had dropped out of top 10, likewise for some others. He had gone with the winning break but dropped out due to the high pace. If he had hung on till the end he would certainly moved up to top 5 or even podium maybe. It was a waste! Robert finished safely in the bunch again and Amos 15mins behind due to another flat. Stage 2 didn't end up the best for the team but everyone finished safe in one piece and we could fight again in stage 3!
 |
| Stage 2 data |
Tour de Bintan: Stage 1
Finally I've gotten over this Tour de Bintan in my head. Took me a day, like a hangover. Now it's Tuesday and it's back to reality, back to studies! First exam the day after tomorrow.............................
Just had my morning coffee and feeling tired but relaxed, so i thought it would be a good time to think back about this race.
Stage 1 (150km)
I was rather disappointed to hear that some quality riders had pulled out of this race earlier. But to be honest, it doesn't make any difference to my chances. I was feeling terrible entering this race, no matter how much i tried to rest and take it easy days before coming, it only made me felt worse. As you can see from the race data, my max heart rates for each stage were not very high, but my legs were just powerless. So i thought about it and decided to stay conservative for the first stage, because i know i wouldn't be able to hang on in the break even if i went. It would be worse if i got dropped and couldn't even hang on with the main bunch. That would be disastrous as i would lose too much time since it was a long stage and it would be miserable to ride alone.
Our team decided to ride to the start as a warm up, 15km rolling which included a KOM for 2nd stage. It was drizzling as the race started and that made it dangerous for the bunch as the roads were bumpy, muddy and twisty. Our team decided that the first few breaks wouldn't last and to conserve as much energy as possible until the last 50km. So we took a gamble. Unfortunately, the first break happened to be the winning one, with Robert Hensby (Cannasia-Cannondale) and Vincent Ang (Cycleworx) in it, both very strong riders based in Singapore. Vincent Ang would eventually go on to win the stage but to be disqualified for racing under a different name. This guy is a complete nut!
As the break was getting further and no one team wanted to work and take control of the bunch, riders were wary that the break might succeed and started to attack. Robert Meek also had a shot along the Trikora Coast but was unfortunate to be caught back. There were a few crashes throughout the race. Tim Wilkins (Cannasia-Cannondale) got tangled up with an ANZA guy, but his team did well to get him back. Another Cannasia rider was forced to the side and head planted into the ditch after (yet another) ANZA guy hit a stone and flatted on the rear wheel. I got to know later that he was alright but his Cannondale had became a foldable roadbike...
In the last 50km, Francis tried his luck with a few riders and managed to form a chasing group. They held on till the end 26secs ahead of the main bunch. He came in 10th and is in contention for top 10 overall GC. Robert and i came in with the bunch safely. Amos had a cramp earlier and had to ease up but finished the stage to stay in the race.
I think if there was any Combative award it had to go to Colin Robertson of SIR's A, who breached from the peloton pass the chasing group to the winning break, and tried countless attacks to get away for a solo win, but only to be brought back..
Just had my morning coffee and feeling tired but relaxed, so i thought it would be a good time to think back about this race.
 |
| Team Fuji Singapore riders: Robert, Amos, Francis, Kerry (From left to right) |
Stage 1 (150km)
I was rather disappointed to hear that some quality riders had pulled out of this race earlier. But to be honest, it doesn't make any difference to my chances. I was feeling terrible entering this race, no matter how much i tried to rest and take it easy days before coming, it only made me felt worse. As you can see from the race data, my max heart rates for each stage were not very high, but my legs were just powerless. So i thought about it and decided to stay conservative for the first stage, because i know i wouldn't be able to hang on in the break even if i went. It would be worse if i got dropped and couldn't even hang on with the main bunch. That would be disastrous as i would lose too much time since it was a long stage and it would be miserable to ride alone.
 |
| Stage 1 data |
Our team decided to ride to the start as a warm up, 15km rolling which included a KOM for 2nd stage. It was drizzling as the race started and that made it dangerous for the bunch as the roads were bumpy, muddy and twisty. Our team decided that the first few breaks wouldn't last and to conserve as much energy as possible until the last 50km. So we took a gamble. Unfortunately, the first break happened to be the winning one, with Robert Hensby (Cannasia-Cannondale) and Vincent Ang (Cycleworx) in it, both very strong riders based in Singapore. Vincent Ang would eventually go on to win the stage but to be disqualified for racing under a different name. This guy is a complete nut!
 |
| Robert Hensby and Vincent Ang |
In the last 50km, Francis tried his luck with a few riders and managed to form a chasing group. They held on till the end 26secs ahead of the main bunch. He came in 10th and is in contention for top 10 overall GC. Robert and i came in with the bunch safely. Amos had a cramp earlier and had to ease up but finished the stage to stay in the race.
 |
| Colin Robertson with his countless attacks |
Wednesday, 9 November 2011
It's a worrying sign...
Well.. This is no good! My body is starting shut down on me. I did 170km last Saturday but honestly i wasn't feeling great. And since then i haven been. I've not been able to turn my pedals well so far this week and it's really a worrying sign as Tour de Bintan is just 3 days away! I really hope to do something there! But with this condition now, I should start thinking about surviving there first. Sigh...
Friday, 4 November 2011
Remaining races for 2011
So it's confirmed! My remaining races for the year will be Tour de Bintan (11-13Nov) and Tour de Poyang Lake (8-12Dec). It's going to be a very busy month ahead with a project report, 2 project presentations and a test all happening next week just before i leave for Bintan on Friday, then exams starting the week after it, and then Poyang Lake race starts a week after my exams.. After that i should be able to take a week off to relax and reflect on my season this year. Then, it's back to business training and preparing for 2012!
Racing in Tour de Poyang Lake for Team Fuji Europe will be my second UCI race. The first one was Perlis Open 2009 in Malaysia where i DNFed. Back then I wasn't experienced and ready enough. I should be now. So im looking forward to this race in China against some of the best in teams in Asia. The scenery should be nice though the weather might not suit me (very cold!). Hopefully with good performances in the upcoming two races, i could have more UCI races next year, and also a chance in the national selection for ACC! I got to believe i can do it...
Allez Kerry.. Full gas!
Racing in Tour de Poyang Lake for Team Fuji Europe will be my second UCI race. The first one was Perlis Open 2009 in Malaysia where i DNFed. Back then I wasn't experienced and ready enough. I should be now. So im looking forward to this race in China against some of the best in teams in Asia. The scenery should be nice though the weather might not suit me (very cold!). Hopefully with good performances in the upcoming two races, i could have more UCI races next year, and also a chance in the national selection for ACC! I got to believe i can do it...
Allez Kerry.. Full gas!
Wednesday, 2 November 2011
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