did my weekly group/team ride today with 3 others. all 3 are younger and better than me, but i was wondering how an athlete, and why some athletes let themselves go, and get semi out of shape come fall/winter.
usually its a week or so rest after the road/crit race season ends in september, then its back on the bike for some 3-4 days a week riding.
gym work and riding.
then eventually, its time to ride..
with it dark at 5pm, and most working to 5pm, it has to be trainer time.
well, a few very tallented guys, who just couldnt keep up today, just say the trainer sucks..i always thought an athlete is supose to be tough both physically and mentally.
why these guys wont train on the trainer just blows my mind.
my question.
how much better will these guys be if they do devote 3-4 months of winter time training to their schedule ? hell first road race of 2010 is last sunday in february..thats only 3 months away, and it'll be dark at 5pm till february 1st..
so here are a few studs that miss a lot of quality riding . they do a saturday ride and sunday ride. maybe 1 other day at lunch for an hour. they are really realy good come june-july, but are only average march-may.they miss a lot and are off the back a lot in training rides cause of their lack of training.even thoug trainer riding this time of year is just spinning an hour or so, how much better will they be by doing the trainer riding october-feb???
today we did 3:15 of good hard endurance tempo with a few sections of pretty good tempo and they were off the back.they arnt peaking for june/july. it just takes them that long to get fit, cause they wuss out in the winter and on the trainer..
question.... how much better would they be doing these rides??
my opinion is they will always be good, very good, but never move up the ladder cause they refuse to train all winter.. the rest of us arnt peaking at all for march april or may races . but our results are better in these months because the others refuse to do the necessary work . we all ride better as the warmer months approach, but to get so fit, then loose it all cause your weak mentally to do a trainer ride makes no sense. then its all spring playing catch up.
seems to me like they will always be the same rider, good, but not great. opinions?
Cycling Training · Public discussion
not tough mentally!!!
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agree
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Who cares, eh? Worry about your own riding. The others aren't in it for you or your approval. I think these type questions point to a bit too much egotism and elitism in cycling. It's much better to ride without people that pose snotty questions.
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Yeah I work under the assumption that no one cares about me and my riding. And if they do it's to the detriment of their own riding.
I see that in riders who obsess in what others are doing and comparing their efforts with others. Sure the ultimate result is to win but the riders who can stay focused on their plan will be the ones who succeed.
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Alex Simmons said:
agree
I should say I agree that they would become better if they didn't stop for months at a time. Significant wasted opportunity for improvement. -
Disagree, sometimes riding the bike is just a fun thing, maybe these guys need the off time to stay fresh mentally. Maybe they have other interests.
What ever it is, it's their choice, and if racing is their focus and they can peak successfully for their chosen events, then what really counts? Being the best racing cyclist or the best training cyclist?Is getting thumped in training a sin? I've ridden with plenty of riders who will drill me all day, and everyday, in training, but put a number on our backs, and we sing to a different tune.
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the guys a teammate... way better than me.. he has been drinking too much he told me and on his bike 1 time in 3 weeks. its been raining a lot here latley..he wont do indoor trainer rides.. its dark before and after work..
my question was, even though these guys have a ton of tallent, wont they be better if they toughened up mentally and rode the trainer? they have enough tallent to miss a lot and still come out and beat me, but i'm wondering how good they would be if they were a bit tougher mentally and do the indoor riding. -
Of course they will be but who cares. Haven't you got your own goals to worry about?
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Something to think about - before I look outward, I first look inward...
Everyone's priorities are different. They probably look at you as some anal retentive who has nothing better in his life than to ride the indoor trainer over the winter...
You're probably correct in that they'd be better racers in March, but if they don't care, who do you feel it necessary to care for them??? And then to pass judgement and say they're "not tough mentally"...myob...
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leanman said:
the guys a teammate... way better than me.. he has been drinking too much he told me and on his bike 1 time in 3 weeks. its been raining a lot here latley..he wont do indoor trainer rides.. its dark before and after work..
my question was, even though these guys have a ton of tallent, wont they be better if they toughened up mentally and rode the trainer? they have enough tallent to miss a lot and still come out and beat me, but i'm wondering how good they would be if they were a bit tougher mentally and do the indoor riding.Spin things around a little... look at this as your opportunity to use this time wisely and close the gap between you and your buddy.
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swampy1970 said:
Spin things around a little... look at this as your opportunity to use this time wisely and close the gap between you and your buddy.
Yes, or wonder why he is able to overtake you in the spring despite his horrible training habits. Maybe there's something to that time off that benefits him.
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taniwha said:
Disagree, sometimes riding the bike is just a fun thing, maybe these guys need the off time to stay fresh mentally. Maybe they have other interests.
What ever it is, it's their choice, and if racing is their focus and they can peak successfully for their chosen events, then what really counts? Being the best racing cyclist or the best training cyclist?Is getting thumped in training a sin? I've ridden with plenty of riders who will drill me all day, and everyday, in training, but put a number on our backs, and we sing to a different tune.
Yea, could be any of these mentioned or other stuff at work.
Maybe these dudes have excellent genetics. You know the type: good results in sport with minimal effort. Cant speak from personal experience as I am in the mediocre results with maximal effort camp!!! I have seen it many many times with others that I know.........they have never done this or that activity but pick it up right away while you suffer/struggle..........what can you do about it? Whats the point in worrying 'bout this or that person being better? There is always somebody better, always & worrying about it won't change that fact.
Worry about yourself, your goals. Life is hella short to be measuring your success by what other people do. Ok, rant over!!!
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i think everyone that replied other than a few missed my original point. HOW MUCH BETTER WOULD HE BE IF HE DID TRAIN ALL WINTER??? like roger stabach once said re: kenny stabler. how good could this guy be if he didnt party so much..
i aint worring at all. just a curious question.
remember, all us loosers on this board punch a time clock. i bet none, or maybe just a few of us do this for a living. its a hobby.
i just wonder how good he could be if he did toughen up a bit mentally.i am not calling anyone a wuss or judging anyone. -
leanman said:
...how much better would he be if he did train all winter??? ....
6.73426%
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I think we need to invent a mental toughness scale. Then we can judge and rate everyone.
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alienator said:
I think we need to invent a mental toughness scale. Then we can judge and rate everyone.
We can call it WUSS and add it to the PMC!
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cyclissimo said:
6.73426%
That's just stupid! It's clearly 6.73427%!!!
Seriously😠
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alienator said:
I think we need to invent a mental toughness scale. Then we can judge and rate everyone.
Mine goes to 11...
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I think all you can do is speculate as to how much better anyone would be unless they actually put it to the test and saw the results first hand. He may become the next Lance Armstrong or loose interest in cycling all together. Maybe the pace he trains at now is the one that best suits his interest. In my job I see super athletes that put in minimal effort to get extraordinary results all the time, unlike myself that puts in maximum effort to get slightly above average results. I do like the ideal of a mental toughness scale that is rated on how many times we can take being kicked in the Jimmy:eek:
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They're probably on a weight training forum talking about how cyclists just don't know how to train in the winter to get really stronglike (see thread titled "Power egos" in the Power Training forum).
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