Rules to take into account to get stronger and profit from a training camp
by Alison Powers, ALP Cycles Coaching
It’s February and a lot of cyclists are keen to head for training camp. It is a very motivating thought to go somewhere and ride your bike in warm and nice conditions.
There are a few rules you should take in to account, in order to get stronger, and also profit from a training camp.
– Training camp is about training and not racing other people. It is the wrong place to crush the other riders in your group and show how strong you are; unless your camp includes a TT or who’s fastest up a certain climb.
– Respect the group riding etiquette and rules of the road. Be aware that you are not alone- you are riding with a group of people.
– Stick to the training you got from your coach and/or to the training schedule for that camp.
– Do your workouts accordingly to the plan. This means complete your workouts like the instructions say and don’t ride much harder or easier.
– Ride in your training zones, let others go faster or harder if they have to. If riding in a group, take shorter pulls if it is too hard for you. The same thing applies the other way round: if you want to work more or harder then take longer and more pulls in your training group.
– Rest is very important during camp! Usually you train more hours than at home. This means you also have to take care about getting enough recovery. Take a nap after training and relax- this helps a lot and can help with another successful training day the next day.
– Nutrition: make sure you replace the calories you burn during camp. Try to eat healthy – yes you can have some dessert but it doesn’t mean you should eat whatever just because you train a lot of hours during camp. Make sure you also replace the fluid you lost during training.
– Bike: don’t show up to camp with a dirty or bad working bike. Make sure to bring some spare tubes/ tires and tools; just in case.
– Don’t forget about stretching, foam rolling, and core work- camp is a good opportunity to get these things done as a group workout, this way it is also more motivating to do it.
– Listen to your body! If you feel tired after 3 hours it might be smarter to go back and not ride another 2 hours- even if some other riders of your group decide to go for it.
– Skills: training camp is a good time to work also on skills. Cornering, drafting, climbing, time trialing, riding pace lines, group riding etiquette…. the list goes on!
– You would like to go for a camp but haven’t decided yet for one?
Our ALP Cycles Coaching spring camp will be a great training camp. We still have some spots available for our Training Camp in Solvang (CA) March 16-22. Check out the details here: https://alpcycles.wordpress.com/solvang-training-camp-14/
Happy riding in your training camp!
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ABOUT ALISON POWERS
Alison Powers only recently retired from cycling, finishing her final season on the UnitedHealthcare Women’s Team. Her career has spanned a wide array of wins, including the 2013 USA Cycling Professional Criterium National Championship where she won in memorable fashion by soloing after an early breakaway that obliterated the pro women’s peloton. Other standout results during the 33-year-old’s 2013 season include the win at Redlands Bicycle Classic, second at the Tour of Elk Grove, third at the US National Road Championship and the US National Time Trial Championship, and stage wins at Cascade Classic, Tulsa Tough, Tour of the Gila and Redlands Bicycle Classic. Hailing from Fraser, Colorado, Powers has been racing bikes professionally for eight years and is a true athlete with her career beginning as a teenager in mountain bike racing. In her mid 20s, she added in alpine ski racing before switching over to the road. In addition to being the current Criterium National Champion, Powers has two other national championships (Time Trial, Team Pursuit) and 2 NRC titles (2009, 2013).
About ALP Cycles Coaching
ALP Cycles Coaching is located in the mountains of Colorado, and is a cycling coaching company with over 25 years of professional sports experience. ALP Cycles Coaching is unique in that we have 4 coaches, Alison Powers, Jennifer Triplett, and Patricia Schwager who each brings her own coaching strengths and personal experiences. We work together to create a training plan that works for each and every person. Visit them online at http://alpcyclescoaching.com
