How To Test Your Stability (And Improve It)

Central to my philosophy is that you cannot make improvement without knowing what you are trying to improve.

Alongside this is the importance of testing and retesting. Only this way can you check that whatever you are doing is actually having a beneficial effect.

It can also be one of the most powerful ways to motivate yourself.

With this in mind here is an excellent video from Squat University (one of my go to sources for reliable trustworthy strength and conditioning advice)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQCOeLD8_2Q

It provides a simple, low impact way to check your stability in the only way that matters, putting it to the test when moving. 

It is 1000% better than a meaningless static trial e.g. how many minutes you can hold a plank.

As a bonus here is another video showing 3 quick simple daily exercises,  which again are much much better than planks or simple sit ups.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_e4I-brfqs

The Strength Triangle - Mobility

Mobility should be something you work on before lifting any weights.

It is something that we almost all are born with and are masters of when at our youngest. It is something we lose not due to age but bad habits, repeated day after day, week after week, year after year.

Mobility is quite simple. It is the ability to move every joint through its full normal range of motion, freely and without pain.

If you cannot do this then you should not attempt to lift heavy weights. It is not the weights causing the damage it is the compromised movement pattern. This will put stress on areas not adapted for the purpose. They will do their best but in time they will fail.

Heavy weights in fact are not the issue at all. If your hips, knees or ankles do not function correctly then eventually just walking will start to resut in pain. Your legs may be fine but your back will hurt, again because its muscles, bones and other systems are not being allowed to work as nature intended.

So, first thing, test yourself.

This is really easy. All you have to do is a set of simple movements while videoing yourself. Full guides for how to do this are in [The Supple Leopard] but right now just do the following

• Squat (your hips should end below your knees with no big curve in the spine, feet should be only slightly canted out, not splayed like a pregnant duck)
• Try to touch your toes bending at the hips keeping legs and back straight (stop when you cant do both)
• Lift both arms straight above your head at the same time (they should be straight right to the top, no bend at the elbows)
• Scratch your back (you should be able to leave no part untouched)
• Do a press up (your arms should remain perpendicular to the floor throughout)
• Balance a broom on the front of your shoulder and put both hands under it palms up (like a weightlifter about to push the bar above their head, your elbows should be nice and high, not pointing at the floor

Even if you never plan to lift a weight in your life do this. If you are less than good on any of the above trying to improve them will make the chores you have to do every day easier.  If you are good now, great, but keep testing every now and then. One of the biggest ills put down to aging is losing mobility which is mainly nothing to do with the passing of the years but rather allowing bad habits become the norm.

In passing I consider it very sad that at school I was taught the intricacies of the rugby offside law during PE which is utterly useless but never taught about the above which is of vital importance not only to be able to compete in any sport but also just live a good life. 

It is never too late to work on your mobility. I will forever be in the debt of Callum the bike fitter who introduced me to the work of Dr Kelly Starrett. At first this was just to be able to get a bit more aero on a TT bike, But as I followed his program of 10 minutes mobility per day every day I felt the years drop off me and I regained ranges of movement I thought lost forever. I am more like a leopard at 61 than I was at 31.

So the cure for mobility is simple, buy "The Supple Leopard" and/or follow Kelly Starrett. Unless you can still move like you did when your were a 10 year old you won't regret it.

Testing Times

Friday has become my testing day. It's because it follows Thursday when I have an easy workout then chill out at the market (or did BC).

The process is nothing complicated. WKO4 has a couple of reports that suggest tests and I just use these to set a watts and duration target, pick a course and go for it.

One report compares this year's MMP with previous years. In some places the gap is larger than others, I just aim to close one of the larger gaps.

So today for example I aimed to close my 5 minute gap. My all time best is just over 400W compared to a 345W since April. So I just went hard up Alpe du Zwift's first couple of hairpins and bumped the number up to 369W, so progress and I think there is a bit more to come yet.

The other report is similar, but more focused on the past few months.

Thus far, since turning 61, I've been able to hit my target every workout. Of course the downside to this is that the numbers will be a little higher next time. But there are lots durations from a few minutes ot a few hours to aim for so touch wood I'll be OK for a while.

I like this approach to testing, especially as I don't race right now. Once a week does not feel too tough and the variety keeps things interesting.

Mobility, Stability, Resistance – The "Strength Triangle"

A triangle is the strongest shape. Look anywhere and if strength is a requirement you will find a triangle. 

Nothing exhibits this more clearly than they beautiful simplicity of one of the most efficient machines ever devised by a human, the bicycle.

So it is a shame then that when training articles, especially from cycling sources, talk about "strength" they mostly do so in such a poor way. They immediately jump into the details of exercises, sets and reps.

By doing this they are missing two sides of the "Strength Triangle" which is essential in order to properly conduct a strength training program.

These missing sides are "mobility" and "stability". The third side is "resistance" and together it is these three key things that make whole that is much greater than the some of its parts in helping make you truly "strong".

Each of these sides is a major area in its own right, each with dedicated resources including full training programs and specialist books.

Do each full justice then is beyond the scope of this blog. What I will do though is, in some later articles, briefly cover what each of the sides of the strength triangle entail and where more information on each can be found..

Recovery vs Recovery - Why One Is Right And One Is Wrong

Recovery means "a return to normal state".

So what does it mean when it is used in connection with training?

I believe there are two uses, one correct and one misleading.

The correct usage is in connection with a workout or other ride where I am pushing myself to the limit. At a certain point I will crack and not be able to maintain the same power. This is a good thing, I want it to happen as it is only by pushing myself to the limits that my body will react by growing stronger.

So I have to ease back. Unless I am nearing the end of the ride however I want to have the opportunity to go hard again. So, yes, at this point I truly want to "recover", that is get back to my normal state so I can stack more stress on my body so, in turn, pushing it to get stronger.

After the ride is over I want to rest up and give my body the opportunity to build this strength.

In training manuals, this will be also referred to as "recovery".

In this case the word is inappropriate. I very definitely do not want my body to return to its normal state. I want it to move to a new, stronger state. If all it does is return to normal then my training isn't working.

A better, more precise word is "adaption". This is the process that I want to kick start through working out. So a normal training cycle would be:

Workout > Adaption > Workout > Adaption etc

What's in a word? Am I just splitting hairs?

I think not. The common day usage of the word recovery is in connection with being ill. The symptoms I suffer when recovering are signs of harm and I definitely do not want to feel them. The sooner they go the better.

To the contrary the symptoms I feel after a hard workout feel good. I like it when my muscles feel tired. I know they will get stronger and I will get fitter as a result.

If I am really ill and feel rough then it's better I don't train. But I don't feel I need to fully "recover" before pushing myself hard again. To the contrary all my breakthroughs have been when I have stacked hard day on hard day. I have lost count of the number of times I have started a ride barely able to lift my leg over my bike and finished feeling great, on occasion even setting new personal bests.

In my opinion using the word "recovery" when you mean "adaption" gives out the wrong signals. Those not used to training hard and pushing themselves will interpret every ache and pain as something to be avoided like a real illness. The mindset can be that you need ot be completely pain and fatigue free before attempting another hard workout. Such an approach is unlikely to result in being the best that you can be.

So at least here the word recovery means really means recovery. If I mean rest in order to get stronger I will use the words adapt/adaption.

Cycle Heroes Not Superstars

Teenage Memories

As a teenager one of my favourite TV programs was "Superstars", which pitted athletes from many different sports against each other in a variety of tests.

I wasn't a biker back then, football and swimming were my preferred activities. But I do recall how the cyclists taking part stood out. They were useless, regularly coming last and looking like a different species when compared to the well honed bodies of football or other sports heroes.

It might have been my memory was playing tricks but no a bit of research found this post.

http://www.thebikecomesfirst.com/when-joop-zoetemelk-took-on-tony-ward-remembering-the-tv-show-superstars/

Jook Zoetemelk, one of the greatest riders of all time, finished dead last in pretty much every event and could not even take part in the weightlifting he was so feeble. www.thesuperstars.org/comp/80international.html

The article finishes with pondering if today's cyclists would fare any better. I would guess the answer to be yes if those taking part were track cyclists who are at much at home in the gym as the velodrome. But road riders, especially grand tour champions would still, I'd bet, struggle.

The fact is that while cycling is great fun and can give you a strong cardiovascular system it is probably the worst, of all the major sports, at developing all around health.

Does it matter?

For Joop Zoetemelk no. He and any other pro cyclist would trade 1000 Superstars victories for one stage win, let along a Grand Tour.

But for the average or even elite Joe or Joanna riding a bike then yes it does. Good health is about far more than having a low RHR and a high FTP. 

"Strong" does not mean having a good pair of lungs and legs than can go on all day which is how we tifosi use the word when talking about riders.

It is now an accepted medical fact that endurance training by itself is not enough to keep you fit and healthy. Medical authorities including the US Government and WHO clearly state that in addition to cardiovascular exercise the ideal training regime also includes at least two strength sessions per week. 

Unfortunately these same authorities have been fighting a mostly losing battle to also get people to eat 5 vegetables/fruit and walk 10,000 steps a day so they seem to have pretty much given up on trying to persuade folks to do more even it is in their own best interests.  

The arguments are all well summed up in the UKs leading science weekly New Scientist
https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24632780-600-why-strength-training-may-be-the-best-thing-you-can-do-for-your-health/#ixzz6K8jyiLsU

Most of the article is behind a paywall which is unfortunate as the its message should be something that everyone has the chance to read. (I will be happy to share a full transcript , just ask for one in the comments). Here are a couple of quotes..

"Strength training could add years of life and protect you from some
major killers. Having stronger muscles seems to decrease the chance of
getting cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer. There is
even evidence that it can improve your memory and prevent cognitive
decline.

Its importance is so great that the UK government’s latest physical
activity guidelines emphasise muscle strengthening over aerobic
workouts. “It’s an urgent message that needs to get through,” says
Stuart Gray, who studies metabolic diseases at the University of
Glasgow, UK. “People need to know that strength training is important
at any age.”

"Advice from the American College of Sports Medicine couldn’t be simpler: it says that adults should perform strength exercises on all major muscle groups – legs, hips, back, abdomen,chest, shoulders and arms – at least twice a week."

Just riding a bike simply does not do meet these needs. Indeed just riding a bike can actually make things worse if it means you do less weight bearing activity such as walking or running.

So, unless you are planning a career as a professional bike rider, you would be well advised on health grounds alone to spend one hour less per week riding and spending it doing strength training instead. You don't have to go to a gym to do this. It is quite possible to do this at home with minimal equipment provided you get expert advice.

You may even be surprised. I took my own advice and ended up feeling decades younger noticeably stronger and losing aches and pains I thought I would take with me to the grave.

Not only that though. I also became a "stronger" cyclists, setting new personal bests at the age of 60. Looking back the reasons for this are now obvious and something I will share in another article

My Tips For Mountain Climbing

I can still remember how I felt the morning before I climbed my first "real" mountain the [Col du Solour].

I started at the bottom frightened of not being capable of reaching the top. I ended with a combined feelings of relief, fatigue and elation. I had found the thing I loved doing most on a bike.

Since then I have climbed many hundreds of mountains including most of the longest, highest and steepest in Europe. My idea of a perfect days riding is one with as many thousand metres of ascent as possible (descent is a different story but that's another subject.)

Here are the main things that I find make mountain climbs if not easy then at least less hard

Keep a steady power and cadence from the bottom to the top. 

I start every climb with a clear idea of the power I want to average and aim to do as much of the ride as close as possible to that target. Similarly I aim to keep cadence steady, for me in the mid 60s rpm.

The key thing to achieve both is to have enough gears. For me there is only one rule if mountains are on my route, I want to have as few teeth as possible on my chain ring and as many as possible on my cassette. If I have low gears that I never need then it's not a problem, if I need low gears that I do not have then it is.

Pace by altitude not distance. 

I have always used a bike computer that shows elevation and paced myself using that. Climbing is as much a mental battle as a physical one and this can help in the fight. The hardest climbs are those that start gently then get steeper the longer you ride. If you pace these by distance you may think you are past half way when in fact you are not even done a third of the hard work.

Often local authorities mark every kilometre of a climb with information about what is to come. Seeing the next section will average 12% can be a hammer blow if you judge it by the distance you travel. However if you judge it by the speed your elevation goes up and what that means in terms of being closer to the top it can be a welcome relief (provided you have the right gears on your bike, see above)

Set intermediate targets

Keeping a high effort up for an hour or more takes a lot of concentration. Even the best riders need help with this and almost all will split a long climb into smaller bite size chunks setting intermediate targets along the way.  

 

These may be a village, crossroads or section where the gradient changes. It helps to be familiar with the climb so plan these in advance (which is easy these days as pretty much every climb in the world has its own web page and you can even ride many using a virtual simulator). 

 

But if the climb is totally unknown then the easiest way I find is via elevation as above. Tackling mountains 100m up at a time makes even the biggest feel manageable. 

 

 

Add variety with micro rests and surges. 

While my overall power will be constant every now and then I will vary pacing, maybe taking it easy round a hairpin or standing and surging up a short steep bit of road. Partly this is for mental relief, but part is physical as well. Remaining in the exact same position for an hour or more means that some muscles will get overused, others underused. 

Changing the pace up or down helps spread the load a bit and gives those muscles most under strain a quick rest. Often just a few seconds is enough to recharge them for minutes more effort. I will often "reward" myself when taking it easy by eating something nice. Eating during climbing is hard but absolutely essential if you are intending more than one ascent in a day. If you don't plan to eat or fail to follow this plan it may result in disaster (one that even professional riders suffer from on occasion.)

Use a wheel if it is a friendly one. 

I've turned into a pretty good climber so pass other riders far more often than I am passed. However I have on rare occasions been grateful to hold onto the back wheel of a passing rider to help me over a rough patch. 

The key I find is that it needs to be a friendly one. I don't mean the attitude of the rider but that the wheel of the bike they are riding is going at a steady pace ever so slightly faster than I can hold by myself. 

If they are going much faster or if they are surging then easing I find I am better off going alone. But I've found, on more occasions than not, that if I can just hold contact with a friendly wheel I recover and can share the load.

Look behind you. 

Finally my favourite thing about climbing mountains is the sense of achievement, that just using my muscles I can experience absolute beauty and do something I thought was only in the purview of professionals. 

I love the feeling of seeing a distant church steeple high up on the slope only a few minutes later to be through it and be able to look down on it as if a bird. 

So even when going hard I'll look down and appreciate how much I have already done. 

No matter how tired I feel this gives me the impetus to push on and get to the top so I can appreciate the full view will a well earned cold drink. 

Son of Ergonomics - How To Become A Lean Cyclist Via The 5 Whys

At first glance this post may not seem to have much to do with cycling, but hopefully by the end its relevance will be clear.


Despite the hype there is noting new about the [Global Intergrated Supply Chain]. Web search [Phoenicans] or [Slave Trade Triangle] to find just two examples, one glorious, one infamous from the past.


Nor is the integral part of technology in such chains anything new. The Phoenicans not only spread trade but also their alphabet, the slave trade was an enabler that,in great part, eventually gave rise to the industrial revoloution.


The current global supply chains are more of the same, only this time it is information technology that is their distinguishing feature.


My time in work coincided with the birth of this technology and I was involved in some of its early implementations. In this connection I became aware of the succcessor to my dad's ergonomics, summed up in the single word "lean".


The ideas for this go back in time but had most recently taken forward by post WWII Japanese manufacturing companies, They visited factories in the USA and learned from them, first copying then improving to the extent that the pupils became smarter than the teacher and nearly caused the failure of the very industry that had inspired them.


The essence of "lean" is to focus totally on your purpose, most specifically what it is that you do that is both essential and adds value to whatever you are making. Anything that is peripheral or not relevant in this context should be stripped away to a minimum. This could be through automation, changing processes so that it becomes unecessary or subcontracting to a specialist organisation that can do it more efficiently.


The "just in time" process is one specific example of "lean". Manufacturing companies used to have huge warehouses containing raw materials, parts or sub-assemblies waiting to be used to make something. These implied huge sunken costs in terms of space, manpower and unutilised capital. "Just in time" minimises these by aiming to reduce on-site storage to a minimum and instead take delivery of items only when they are actually needed.


Central to the pursuit of "lean" are the "5 Whys". These are not rocket science. They simply involve taking a look at some part of what is involved in making, say, a widget, and asking "Why are we doing that". On receiving an answer the next question is and "why are we doing that". By repeating this process (5 is just an rough average)  then it should become clear whether or not everything that is being done is relevant and adds value to the enterprise. A special variant of this technique can be used when encountering problems, say that have stopped a production line. The intent here is to keep asking why until the real root cause of the issue is found. This may not be apparent at a superficial level.


So why are the "5 Whys" relevant to a cyclist? Here are three reasons, there are almost certainly more.

1. Cycling to get fitter requires a lot of investment in terms of both time and money. When setting goals and deciding how much to invest in their pursuit the 5 whys can be a great way to determine if you are really doing the right thing. An example is aiming for a specific position or time in an event. These are often arbitrary and depend on luck. Asking why the result matters can be a good way both to check it is an appropriate goal and prepare for failute.
   
2. Once a goal is set asking the "5 whys" during the lead up can be a great way to prepare. This might be in deciding which items to carry with you. Or in building the phases of a training plan. And asking "why" and getting the answer that it will help in achieving a goal is a great way to start every workout.
   
3. Much of the information about how to train is wrong. It is either entirely wrong (maybe due to it being a throwback to the past that has never been questioned) or wrong for an individual (give two people the same training program and they will respond differently.) The 5 whys can act as a useful filter to check that the advice being offered or the information you are reading will actually be helpful to you.
   

Beginners Guide to Power Zones 2 - What are Zones?

Some fundament rules of cycling will be familiar to all riders of whatever ability:

• Not all efforts feel the same.
  

An all out sprint feels different from a 10 mile time trial which in turn feels different from riding a road race with lots of short hills which in turn feels different to century gran fondo with multiple epic climbs which in turn feels different to an ultra endurance event lasting several days.

• Every effort has its limit
  

Efforts may vary but one thing is consistent. The first few seconds, minutes or even hours (depending on duration) may not feel that hard. But if you keep pushing hard at that pace then at some point something will give and your legs will stop working. You may not come to a dead halt but you will experience a sharp drop in your performance and it will take a while before you feel ready to pick up the gauntlet and try again.

• The harder the effort the quicker you hit the limit
  

If you go very quickly than you will hit your limit very quickly, after just a few seconds. If you go very slow the limit may not come for days. In between the margins can be small. You can attack a small hill confident that you can reach the top only to crack when you turn a corner and find that it is not the summit but the half way point.

It is as if, like a car, your body has a number of “gears”. The higher the gear then the faster you go, but at the cost of drastically reducing the time for which you can maintain your speed.

The reason for this occurring is that the human body has adapted to produce energy in a number of different ways, each suited to deal with a different survival challenge. At one extreme is the requirement to instantly move very quickly to catch prey or avoid a predator, at the other is the need to endure long months of winter with famine knocking at the door. In between is the mix of physical activities which our hunter-gatherer ancestors had to perform every day.

Taking the car analogy a bit further helps with understanding this. Your body is a complex hybrid, with multiple types of engine. Your sprint is like an ethanol fuelled dragster, your ultra pace like a diesel truck with a specially extended fuel tank. Filling the middle is a petrol fuelled car whose owner has fitted a turbo charger which quickly adds a lot more power for overtaking. Unfortunately they did not alter anything else. So thrill of the turbo kicking in always risks being followed by the gargle of the fuel tank running dry or, worse, the engine exploding as the cooling system cannot cope.

Sports science uses the term “zone” to capture this concept and turn it into something that can be used in training.

Typically a zone will consist of two elements:

• A combination of effort at a given intensity for a duration. (so your “sprint” zone might be 10/10 intensity for 10 seconds).
  
• An underlying physiological “engine” that is especially important for this zone (so your “sprint” zone is linked to your “fast twitch” muscles)
  

The duration will be a range and not fixed in stone. They will vary between individuals and also for an individual over the course of a training period according to how they train. Indeed extending the time you can spend in a zone is often a training objective, though maybe at the cost of affecting other zones.

Zones provide a language to help athletes understand their current fitness level, to learn from/compare themselves with others and plan to improve in the areas most important to them.

As an example: say a racer has an issue with being dropped on hills. Just telling a coach this and expecting them to fix it hits the problem that hills can be very different from each other. The circumstances of racing can make these differences even larger. Zones can cut through this ambiguity and give this racer a means to pinpoint where they are weaker than their competition and suggest what they can do about it. Exactly how will become clearer once we have an actual example of zones to base discussion on.

Lessons From My Father - Ergonomics

Marginal gains are, since Team Sky, all the rage in cycling. There is of course nothing new about marginal gains, even in cycling.

One of the many calamities about the sport's obsession with drugs was that the energy needed to sustain the pursuit of marginal gains was spent finding more and different ways to cheat and stay ahead of the testers.

Marginal gains are certainly nothing new to me. I was introduced to the concept as a child by my father, the son on a Swiss peasant farmer who came to the UK and ended up have a key part in the rollout of "System X" a breakthrough digital tecnnology that was an enabler to the communications revolution that we are experiencing today (and is still providing a service to some folks even 40 years later).

He didn't call it "marginal gains". His pet phrase was "ergonomics". But the idea was the same and brutally simple.

If you do something more than once aim to do it a little bit better the next time. And the next time and the next ad infinitum.

If you have to make things for a living as my dad did and as did the company that I worked with for near 30 years you either follow this dictum or you die.

Makers have been pursuing "marginal gains" forever, through the whole course of human history from the time someone improved a blunt rock by turning it into a sharp knife.

In this pursuit these unseen, unremarked makers have contributed more towards all the good things that we now can enjoy, like System X and its successors, than all the kings, queens, emperors, admirals and generals that fill the pages of history books.

Me, I follow my dad's example every time I clip in and ride. I am aiming to just do one thing a little better this time than the last.

This is the fundamental drive that sustains my interest and keeps me motivated. It is the, by far, the main reason for me being as successful as I have been. For me marginal gainis is not just about improving the speed at which I can ride, it's about improving the quality of how I live.

Beginners Guide to Power Zones 1 - Introduction

There are a number of reasons for riding a bike. Often these include wanting to get fitter and/or taking part in competitive events (even if the challenge is just to finish). If this is the case some of the following may sound familiar:


“I’ve just bought a bicycle, how should I train?”


“I’ve been riding several years. Back when I started I set a new Strava PB on most every ride. Now my times are just getting worse. Can I get out of this rut or am I just condemned to get slower and slower the older I get.”


“I’ve entered the Etape Du Tour. The problem is that it includes several long mountain climbs and I’ve never gone more than a few feet above sea level as it’s pan flat for miles in every direction. How can I best prepare, what’s a realistic finish target and how should I pace myself during the event itself?”


“I want to go faster on my bike split in triathlon. Is it worth me spending money to get a new frame?”


“I’m faster than everyone nearby? Do I have the talent to make the podium at regional/national junior/senior/masters/pro level)”


“I can only spend a few hours each week training. What’s the best way to spend my time?”


“I’m snowed in all winter, can I still train effectively?”


“I’ve entered some races but never finished anywhere near the top 10. Am I doing something wrong and if so how can I get better?”


Training with a power meter can help answer all the above questions and a lot more.


A series of forthcoming posts will explain "power zones". (They are based on an some articles that originally appeared in Road Bike Rider online magazine).


These are fundamental building blocks on which full power based training programs are built.


By end of the series you should know what zones are, how to determine your personal “power profile” and how to use this information to put together plans to train for and take part in the challenges you have set for yourself.


No prior knowledge of power meters or formalised training is required. The only assumptions made are that you have access to a power meter and are motivated to improve your performance.

Him Indoors

I love cycling outdoors. If the weather is great and the scenery is fantasic.


That may sound like I'm hard to please but I make this specification for a couple of reasons:

Firstly, I have cycled many tens of thousands of miles on pretty much every type of road from motorways (by mistake ofc) to boulder strewn mountain bike tracks (which my Garmin navigated me down because it thought they were a cycle lane). 

I have also done so in every type of weather condition from 40C+ in the blazing sun and sub zero in a white out blizzard (the latter descending the Stelvio, one of my more interesting days on a bike.) 

I like variety but I think I have had my share of it now and so, as above, I limit my rides outdoors for when the sun is shining and there is more to see than passing cars and hedgerows. 

Secondly, I started riding to lose weight and get fit and these remain my primary objectives. 

Round where I live the only place where I can train safely at the power I enjoy riding at are roads with lots of traffic. Visibility and hazards (e.g. potholes and wildlife) it impossible to ride at high power down narrow country lanes without putting myself or others at risk.



So now I spend most of my time training indoors, previously on Rouvy, now on Zwift. This lets me ride at the intensity I want to and the competition Zwift brings in allowing you to ride against others both helps me keep my power up and makes time fly by.

Strava Leaderboards and Fake Rolexes

[Strava announced a major change of policy] today. They are putting a lot of their information behind a paywall including some relating to their leaderboards.


This has acted as a nudge for me to raise a topic that I had already planned.


When I started riding my training was very simple. It consisted of riding my bike up a few hills and around a few fixed routes nearby (the latter being especially designed so they could be safely ridden without any need to pause).


My objective for this hills was first to get up them without stopping. After that for them and the routes I simply aimed to go a bit faster each time. As my fitness was improving I usually succeeded. I was also helped that as I got more used to riding my bike I got more comfortable and, I would guess, more aerodynamic.


It never crossed my mind back then to compare myself with others or, for that matter, try to get faster by buying something to make me go quicker. I was just completely happy riding my bike with my only gadget being a very cheap "computer" that told me how long I had been riding and gave an estimate on distance and speed by using a magnet attached to a wheel spoke.


Eventually I plucked up the courage to enter a few events and at that point my obsession with gadgets and numbers began. But I think I appreciated both all the more because of the simple bedrock that my previous routine had established.


I really don't know if, had I been starting now, Strava and the like would have been a help or a hindrance. My feeling is that, for me it would have been more bad than good. I was pretty hopeless at the beginning and if I had seen myself at the bottom of the leaderboards my confidence could have taken a bash and I might have just given up and gone back to only playing golf.


Recalling the recent post on Larry's fake Rolex, I think that Strava is more for those who seek extrinsic motivators, while I value intrinsic ones more.


So it is not that I don't use Strava, I do. I admit I take pride in the fact that I'm pretty high up in the leaderboards. But the main use I put it to is simply to motivate me to set new PRs.


Fortunately, for the time being at least, Strava will still show your segment results for free so  the change has left me unaffected.

"Sports Science" Free Blog

I'm a science graduate but my passion for the understanding of nature goes back to my earliest childhood and a fascination with how things work and life in all its glory, living or long gone (especially the latter back then, the book I most remember treasuring being the How and Why of Dinosaurs).


It is not just the pursuit of knowledge that fascinates me but also the scientific process itself. Whilst at university one of my favourite modules was on the philosophy of science were I was introduced to the work of [Karl Popper] and [Thomas Kuhn] both of whom are as relevant today as back then.


Given this it may come as a surprise that my blog will contain none of the hackneyed articles common to many sports training articles. These take the form of revealing the results of some experiment or other and then commenting on its significance to whichever topic the writer is interested in.


Sadly the net result of these articles is a whole lot of confusion since the experiments "prove" that just about every form of training is either good, bad or neutral and anything else to do with sport, such as nutrition is equally so.


I have come across hundreds of sports science articles in my time and I honestly struggle to think of a single one of any merit that has had a lasting beneficial impact on my training. On the other hand I can think of many that, when more naive, I followed so either wasting my time or going backwards not forwards. 

(An honourable mention to [Stephen Seiler] here, he is an exception that proves the rule and has conducted some of the best studies that I am aware of. Tellingly though the main takeaway from them is that the variability at an individual level is the most important factor in training.)


That is not to say that science has no impact on sports and cycling in particular. It has but everything of any significance comes from other areas of science, based on much firmer footing.


Basic physics for example provides the concept of power and the related topic of efficency. Specialist areas of physics such as fluid dynamics and materials management help give insight into how to improve our aerodynamics, make our bikes faster/stronger/lighter and keep us as athletes safe and comfortable.


Biology and biochemistry have provided all the useful science that you will gain from most training manuals such as the physiology of muscles and how our various fuels are metabolised to produce the energy that moves our bikes.

So there will be lots of science in this blog. It's unlikely though that any will the result of "sports scientists"

The failings of "sports science" (at least in my exposure as a cyclist, it may be otherwise for other disciplines in which case I would love ot hear about them) are legion. Here are some for starters, each of which I will address separately later

• Theory-less experiments
• Lack of any universal standard measures
• No control for confounding variables
• No placebo controls 
• Dismal sample sizes both in number and quality
• Experimenter bias 

I take no satisfaction in pointing out these failures. I really do wish it were otherwise. But until "sports science" gets its house in order I am afraid it will have to remain in quotes.

Larry's Fake Rolex

Larry was a huge larger than life character who, appropriately for a Frenchman, epitomised the phrase "joie de vivre". He very sadly died far too young and the world is a less happier place as a result of his passing.


One thing Larry loved was a really good argument. Not just for the sake of it. He was a believer, as am I, that the ideal way to test and advance knowledge, in the best traditions of the Ancient Greek philosophers, is to put your theories to the test. Those that survive will come out stronger, those that don't are no good and can be dispensed with.


I remember one of our arguments particularly well. Larry had just come back from a trip to Asia and showed us the "Rolex" he had bought there. It was of course a counterfeit, but an extremely good one. To the naked and inexpert eye it looked authentic.


Larry's view was that he could not see why anyone would pay thousands for the real thing when they could get a watch like his for just a fraction of that amount.


I disagreed. Personally I would never buy a Rolex but if I was of a mind to I could only imagine getting the genuine article. The point for me was not that other people could not tell the difference I would know I would be wearing a fake. In this case I couldn't change his mind nor he mine so we agreed to differ, have another drink and pick another topic to discuss.


What's all this got to do with cycling?


The most important thing necessary for succeeding in anything, including cycling, is motivation. All the physical talent and resources in the world will serve as nothing if this is not present.


There are two fundamental types of motivation. They are not exclusive, indeed almost everyone will have both. However it is important to understand the difference between the two.


The types are


Intrinsic motivation – where something is done for its own sake and the reward is internal, the self knowledge and fulfillment of having achieved something.


Extrinsic motivation – where something is done for an external reason such as money or the recognition of others.


Neither of these is "good" or "bad".


In the case of the fake Rolex Larry's motivation was extrinsic, mine intrinsic. Different strokes for different folks.


I am the same with regards cycling. I get some pleasure from extrinsic rewards such as the status that comes with doing well in competition and setting records, But my overwhelming motivation is intrinsic. I train hard and ride hard because I like to set myself challenges and see if I can meet them. Taking part in races and other events is simply a means to that end as it helps me focus and brings out my best.


While I said earlier neither form of motivation is inherently good or bad I do think that from the perspective of the aging athlete my form of motivation is more positive in the long run.


If your measurements  depend on things like finishing position or rider category then, if these start to decline, then so too will your self esteem.. Motivation is likely to suffer as a result and this can very quickly develop into a vicious cycle that leads to giving up due to "getting old".


The only competitor I care about is myself, a year or so ago. My goal is just to hold my own against him and if possible be a little better.


So far so good on that score, this has kept me enjoying my training and finishing every session looking forward to the next one. Long may it continue.

Canute vs Father Time

As a child some of my happiest memories are of holidays in Cornwall, on its wild northern coast, home to Arthurian legend and some of the best beaches on the planet.

My favourite game was to spend the day building a central castle then reinforcing it in every way I could think possible with protective walls and channels, reinforced by rock, driftwood, seaweed and the occasional seashell.

I knew I was working on a clock. At some point the tide turned and the distant sound of breakers got nearer and nearer. The first tentative assaults were easily brushed aside by my fortifications. But wave came on wave and eventually the ramparts started to tumble despite my frantic efforts to, literally, stem the tide.  

Finally I would be left standing on a pathetic heap of sludge. Defeated yes but proud as the last bastion to fall, the onrushing water by this time having made far further inroads up the beach.

It has just struck me that I am now building sandcastles again. It's not the tide this time but Father Time. The walls are made of muscle not sand. And it really isn't about the eventual victor for there is no doubt about that. It's just for the fun of the challenge.

Blowing My Own Trumpet

I'm a Swiss-English mongrel. Both cultures have a reputation for being reserved and somewhat self effacing. 

I'm afraid I find books and articles that follow the hackneyed formula of opening with a tear jerking account of someone's triumph over adversity followed by a parable of the lesson to be learned a little cloying. 

"Ever since being bothered by a dog whilst rambling when young Chris had a deep fear of all creatures with four legs. But one day an unexpected meeting with a rabbit forced Chris to tackle their phobia head on. Now Chris is a zoo keeper (though still has a preference for snakes and birds).  Like Chris we can all learn etc etc...

However.'I'm writing this blog both as motivation for myself and in the hope that it may provide some inspiration and guidance for others wishing to take on Father Time. So, from time to time I will be posting entries labelled with the self congratulatory tag of "Feats" recording things, cycling related, about which I am especially proud.

Blog Rules

A few basic rules I'll try to keep for this blog.

Posts will be short, a couple of screens at most.

I won't post links unless they are really necessary. Instead I'll use a convention of using [square brackets] to denote anything that may be worth a search.

Every now and then I'll categorise topics by label.

I'll try to post regularly, at least once a week but aiming for more.

Comments will be moderated, this will usually be done within a couple of days.

It's not my intention to tell others what do do since one key lesson I have learned is that different strokes work for different folks. So I will tend to write in the first person, describing what has worked for me or my thoughts on a certain topic.  

Any recommendations I make on products or software will be based entirely on my own experience. It's highly doubtful that I will ever be offered money to endorse anything but I would turn it down anyway. I have had the occasional freebie in the past, mainly as a result of something going wrong with a product or being part of a beta test. If I ever mention anything that I have got for nothing I'll be sure to mention the fact.

Why Bahzob?

Because of my son. At one stage of his early life, for reasons known perhaps not even to him, he would advance on people and utter the sound “bah”.

One day I replied simply “zob” and this sort of stuck.

Yet another blog..why?

After some 15 years of many adventures riding a bike I’ve decided to crawl out from under my stone and start a blog.

A couple of things prompted me to do this.

The first is purely selfish. It will help in keeping me motivated and focussed.

The second is that last year I turned 60 and achieved a bit of a “holy trinity”

• I became fitter, faster and stronger than ever before in my entire life
  
• I finally won my battle with the scales getting back to my early 20s weight
  
• I did both the above whilst still enjoying beer
  

Since this is something that I guess other will be interested in then maybe they will stumble across this and find some help and/or motivation.