Question for Ric Stern

Todd86 said:

Hi Ric-
First off, I'm almost sold on your theories about power and weightlifting. However, there is one question that I have. I'm a 1.81m tall, 63kg 18-year old. (Next year will be my first as a senior.) I've been competing for five years and am an American Category 2. I've done well in both long road races and climbing, however, my big weakness is time trialing. My VO2 Max was tested last year at 78.3, so my cardiovascular system seems great. I've always been told my weakness was my strength and power. What do you think the weakness would be for a tall and skinny rider like me? What training would you recommend for a remedy?

Thanks a ton! I appreciate your insight!

Todd

When you get tested it's more important to know what your MAP is than just your VO2max (although the two are very highly correlated). With such a high VO2max, your MAP will also be high. In turn this should lead you to have (or at least have the potential) to TT really quite well (a high sustainable average power output). Normally, most people (including elite TT1 pros) can TT for ~1-hr at ~ 72 - 77% of MAP (your MAP will be protocol dependent).

Obviously, if you fall at the bottom end of the range (or below it) then this (TTs) is an area you should be working to improve. If you're at the top of the range then you'll need to increase both your TTpower and MAP.

To help increase your average sustainable/TT power you need to do fairly long intervals at around TT power. You should be aiming for once or twice per week of one to four intervals of 15 to 30-mins duration. Up to several minutes rest at the end of each interval would be recommended.

The frequency and volume of these and other intervals will be highly dependent upon your own personal needs.

Additionally, it's also imperative that you have an optimised position and TT kit to succeed (else you're 'giving' minutes away).

Intervals to increase your MAP are ~ 3 to 8-mins in duration, and at a power/effort above ~1-hr TT power and are not always pleasant. again, volume and frequency will be very individual.

Improving your TT performance has nothing (for most people) to do with your strength.

With such a high VO2max, and i assume the desire to do well, you should really think about hooking up with a coach who can help prescribe training, analyse your goals and performances and check to see you're progressing correctly. At RST we can help with these and other services, so please don't hesitate to contact either myself, Michael or Andy.

Ric

Ric, I think you've told me before that you charge $100/month for coaching. Do you have a plan for the cyclist on a budget? I only need a trainning plan (via email)

g8000 said:

Ric, I think you've told me before that you charge $100/month for coaching. Do you have a plan for the cyclist on a budget? I only need a trainning plan (via email)

Currently, at RST we offer four different coaching level services Espoir, Classic, Elite and Pro, and have three different coaches myself, Michael Smartt, and Andy Bloomer.

While we all have slightly different pricing structures, which reflects our expertise etc., our base coaching package is currently Espoir, for which we all charge (approx.) the same: US$100/UK£60 per month. Full details can be viewed here http://cyclecoach.com/?pageID=training, or Michael's pricing structure here http://cyclecoach.com/coaches?coach=smartt. (Andy's prices aren't yet up).

Additionally, we also offer a training diary review (see http://cyclecoach.com/?pageID=services) whereby we review your last 3 months training and suggest modifications to your current training etc.

Each of the three coaches does offer a special discount to one rider a year who meets certain criteria. For e.g., we've coached riders on certain charity rides, and also up and coming younger riders who haven't been able to afford coaching, but have wanted to try for a professional career in cycling. You would need to apply for one of these positions via me.

Hope this helps
Ric

ric_stern/RST said:

Currently, at RST we offer four different coaching level services Espoir, Classic, Elite and Pro, and have three different coaches myself, Michael Smartt, and Andy Bloomer.

While we all have slightly different pricing structures, which reflects our expertise etc., our base coaching package is currently Espoir, for which we all charge (approx.) the same: US$100/UK£60 per month. Full details can be viewed here http://cyclecoach.com/?pageID=training, or Michael's pricing structure here http://cyclecoach.com/coaches?coach=smartt. (Andy's prices aren't yet up).

Additionally, we also offer a training diary review (see http://cyclecoach.com/?pageID=services) whereby we review your last 3 months training and suggest modifications to your current training etc.

Each of the three coaches does offer a special discount to one rider a year who meets certain criteria. For e.g., we've coached riders on certain charity rides, and also up and coming younger riders who haven't been able to afford coaching, but have wanted to try for a professional career in cycling. You would need to apply for one of these positions via me.

Hope this helps
Ric

Ric,
you're a decent guy...