Archive for July 2009
Saturday’s Boot Camp
29/07/2009 by admin.
Saturday’s boot camp will be at Fort Richmond at 10 am.
Yesterday’s boot camp
29/07/2009 by admin.
We just about had a dry boot camp last night. We have some fast guys now so we are really mixing it up.
Apologies to Becci for tangling up the resistance bands. I was seriously reprimanded for that!
Give it another week or so and we’ll do another Jerbourg step challenge.
Variety IS the spice of life
28/07/2009 by admin.
When it comes down to your daily diet, you should select a variety of fruit and vegetables. Your plate should be full of colour as this means you will be benefiting from a variety of nutrients.
When selecting fruit and vegetables, aim for seasonal and local where possible. This is because the food will be at its freshest and will have been packed with the highest level of nutrients.
Brits at Le Tour
27/07/2009 by admin.
As a keen cyclist, it is only fitting that I mention Le Tour de France. It was great to have Lance Armstrong back there, just his presence makes it more exciting. He came away (after 3 years away from the sport) with an incredibly 3rd place. I can’t wait for next year when he will attempt to win.
As for the Brits…wow, Mark Cavendish (who has raced in Guernsey) won 6 stages - at the age of 24 he is the most winning Brit at Le Tour. Another superb performance came from Olympic Pursuit gold medallist, Bradley Wiggins. To go from pursuit to Tour contender is some achievement in itself.
Other sports could certainly learn from the British Cycling set up. There is huge strength in depth on the track and we are getting better and better on the road.
Satisfying day at work
25/07/2009 by admin.
I had a very satisfying day at work yesterday having ramp tested 3 of the riders I train. What is a ‘ramp test’? I am guessing you are thinking.
This is a test carried out indoors, where the rider’s bike is placed on a static trainer which adds resistance all the way through the test, so it gradually gets harder and harder. The test finishes when the rider cannot hold the power any longer. So, you could say the test always ends in failure. It usually lasts anything from 13 minutes to 20 for a well trained cyclist.
Obviously it was ‘tough’ for me to watch the suffering but it’s all in a day’s work!
They did produce the goods though. All 3 riders produced personal best power. Two of the riders have been under my supervision for 2 and 3 months whilst the other for 4 years. For me it is satisfying to see the early gains from my new recruits but also to see gains from my long suffering rider.
For the riders, at this time of year, the result is usually a confirmation of where they are in terms of fitness and underpins the race results they are getting. When these tests go well, it is a really big confidence boost for the riders.
It’s all in the mind!
24/07/2009 by admin.
Having the right mindset for exercise is important. Here are some tips for keeping in the correct frame of mind:
- Concentration - focus on the task in hand, don’t let your mind wonder onto other things as you won’t get the best out of yourself
- Avoid negative talk - don’t talk yourself out of exercise or tell yourself something is too difficult. Switch that around to giving yourself positive messages. If you tell yourself you can ….or tell yourself you can’t …you are probably right.
- Visualise - use positive imagery to get yourself through a tough session. Perhaps that you are chasing your competitor and about to pass them. It’s all in your head so it can be whatever you like
- Release tension - don’t hunch your shoulders or clench your fists. Release any tension and free your mind.
- Intensity - don’t always push yourself to do better, you will reach some plateaus and your body is not a machine so give yourself a break sometimes. Go for a run and leave the heart rate monitor and stopwatch at home. Just enjoy the session.
Saturday’s Boot Camp
22/07/2009 by admin.
Saturday’s boot camp will be held at Fort Houmet (near Vazon) at 10 am.
Jerbourg Steps Times
22/07/2009 by admin.
We had some fantastic times for Jerbourg steps last night. What a long way you peeps have come. If I had asked you to run the steps 6 weeks ago you’d have thrown me off the cliff!!
Here are the times:-
Tonight’s Boot Camp
21/07/2009 by admin.
Oh dear, it’s going to be a wet one by the looks of things. Good job you are a tough lot!
Don’t forget your waterproofs peeps.
Get your metabolism on track
21/07/2009 by admin.
Our bodies are very clever. If we don’t eat frequently we will store food. This is because our bodies don’t know when the next meal is coming from so they become efficient but not in a good way. Our metabolic rate will slow down and we put on weight because we are storing more fat.
To avoid this, we need to ensure that we eat breakfast within 1-2 hours of rising in the morning and then consume 5-6 small meals throughout the day to keep our blood sugar levels constant and energy levels up. You can still have your 3 key meals in the day but make these a little smaller than usual and add in 2-3 snacks in between these main meals.
Aim to finish eating for the day 2-3 hours before you plan to go to bed so that your body isn’t digesting food when you are trying to sleep.
By doing the above, you should have a more steady flow of energy throughout the day and your metabolism should be burning more consistantly.
