Toughest training ride ever

We are all looking for the secret formula for turning our precious time into what ultimately will get us to the finish line the fastest on any particular day. If you're like me you have invested a lot in time, energy and materials to do just that.

I have steel frames, aluminum frames, and carbon framed bikes (if I could find a use for a bamboo frame I'd have that too). I have carbon and titanium parts & components and probably looking at adding something ceramic to that list. My wheels range from regular Mavic Open Pro & Ksyriums, to Nimble Crosswinds, to HED Deep Dish and Disk, to Lew Sydney's depending on the race and conditions. I've got a couple of road bikes, a mountain bike, some TT/Triathlon bikes, a single speed, an old touring bike, and a folding travel bike. And more crap that goes with everything listed above; all of it designed to get me trained & racing as best I can go. And although I might look good and feel good about all the acquired stuff, none of it has a worth if my fitness isn't up to snuff to utilize it properly.

A few years back I observed a rider in San Diego who was creeping along the Coast Highway heading south as I was going north. About 45 minutes later I turned around and about an hour after that (or so) I caught up to and passed the guy I'd seen previously. Noticing that he was a pretty fit looking guy on a really nice Italian frame (a Colnogo, Masi, Panini, Gnocchi, whatever) with immaculate old Campy - I had to know what the hell this guy was up to. So I slowed and let him finally catch up with me and I introduced myself. I explained that it seemed as if he was going painfully slow for what the norm should be given the continual parade of cyclists that ride/train on that particular roadway, what's up?

He explained patiently in heavily Italian accented English that "you Americans train too hard on your EZ days & go too EZ on your hard days. Today is my long EZ day, and I'm taking it EZ." He explained that he was a retired Continental Pro - not a name that I'd know (or remember) - and was following the training program almost everyone in Europe knows about, but not well known or followed in North America.

This program is currently similarly parroted by Dr. Allen Lim, who, among others, advised (still advises?) Floyd Landis during his buildup for Grand Tour racing and how to work with power.

The basic tenant being that the majority of your training should be pretty easy - maybe 80%, with approx 15% as moderately hard (steady state intervals and such, still aerobic), with the remaining 5% at balls to the wall anaerobic effort. Forget about all the complicated zone crap (Z1, Z2, Zone Diet, Red Zone - hey I never even knew that I was within the opponents 20 yard line most of the time!); zone out! Simplify and focus on effort (power), and how it relates with your body's reaction to that effort (heart rate, which lags power) and finally what your PE (perceived exertion) to that effort is.

With the main focus of the majority of your training being at an EZ effort you should really dedicate yourself to that EZ effort. This probably means riding solo or in a small group of similarly trained riders with the same objective. Forget the group rides that turn into mini races with city line sprints, hilltop surges, and other group ego antics.

Resist the urge to stomp up the small rollers or hills or re-pass the paceline of club riders that just went by. You should be riding so consistently slow that the Mom w/trailer full of kids passes you by. That the girl with the tassels on the end of her handlebars & her brother with the cards in his spokes passes you by. That the grandma with the dog in her flower basket passes you. That the surfer dude on the beach cruiser w/flip flops passes quickly. That the deadlocked guy with the multicolored knit skullcap and funny smelling stogie leaves you in his wake. That the old guy on the stationary trainer in the window in the fitness club drops your ass like you're standing still. And the big black guy riding the fat tire bike wearing the Chargers jersey with the number 21 leaves you in his dust (who knew how the latest member of the 10,000 yard club warmed up prior to home games?).

As the fitness improves and the body adapts and your pedal stroke smooths out and you become more efficient - the resultant speed at EZ level will slowly pick up (but will never be fast), but trust me - initially it will feel embarrassingly slow (probably so much so that you'll be tempted to wear a generic jersey rather than your team kit). Embrace the EZ rides as the new you, it's a tough transition, but you'll be a much better rider for it.

I share this info. because I know that 99% of you guys won't/can't do it. You'll ignore RIP and Dr. Lim's advice because you've gotta keep up with your teamies on the weekend rides. That you'll feel inferior if you don't keep up with the gang or ashamed to get passed by the homeless guy on the heavy steel trash bike hauling plastic bottles & aluminum cans. Or even if you plan on going slow - the reality is you don't have the discipline to follow and stick to it. You may start off slow, but by mid-ride you'll be back at your normal junk pace. You'll end up training too hard, getting in junk miles, and too much middle to high end and wonder where you're fitness base has gone to, and why you're sick or injured, stuck in a rut, suddenly burnt out and tired of even looking at your bike - keep it up.

I would like to mention a special thanks to Bike Wear World for handing up bottles of sport drink at the top of Torry Pines hill on Sunday, very much appreciated.

With minimal stations on my training routes this weekend the lowest observed gas price in San Diego area Sunday was at the Mobile station in Lucadia on the Coast Hwy @ $3.30/gallon (verses $3.59 in La Jolla). Phoenix area today - another Mobile station in Scottsdale on Indian School Rd - $2.99/gallon.