Hey, here's some great poop from Ken W, lifted from Dave Harris' blog, 'splainin' why it is that riding single speed (and by corrolary, fixed gear) makes you a stronger, fitter rider.
Here's the Uplift Mofo SS Party (Training) Plan.
And here's Dave Harris' adaptation as a result of riding SS.
How does it work? In a nutshell, he thinks most people spend too much time doing too much aerobic stuff, and not working enough on neuromuscular power - just plain ol' ass, as in "put some more ass inna it, boy!" Some studies that Andy Coggan has discussed on the Google Wattage Group get into exactly this point. It's been found that you can maintain good neuromuscular power, VO2 Max, and functional threshold power (the lasting being very much a function of slow twitch aerobic base) by doing two short, extremely sharp workouts each week, along with a couple recovery rides. Got that? You do some work using all your muscular systems, including engaging that neuromuscular fast twitch muscle, and all of your systems get stronger. The other way to get strong like that is to periodize and specialize your training, with 5 hour, closely focused zone 2 rides and stuff like that - but for many of us, the "mixed" workokuts hitting all combinations of muscle employment can be the most efficient way to get stronger. I suspect that when I hear about good Cat 3 racers getting by on 8 hours training per week, this type of training figures into their routine.
Oh yeah, and one other thing - could be the time of year, could be that I'm tired from too much work, could be I am getting sick. When that happens, there's only one thing to do. [Turn up the speakers before you click]. Trust me... this is more stimulating than 4 shots of espresso and an almond biscotti, and a quicker picker upper than Bounty Paper Towels.
Speaking of partying hard, let's rock the house at Rockburn 'Cross. It's a non-table race, so placing high doesn't matter. Season's over for most of us folks - let's do some soul racing, racing for the joy of it. Who's up for a little stretching past our limits here? I was toying with maybe riding the Cross Check fixed in the C race, and doubling up and riding the geared bike in the Masters B, or maybe even the SS MTB. I'll get my ass kicked in both races and get ridden into the ground... and it'll be glorious if I manage to pull it off. Oh yeah, and I'll be bringing a cooler of my little Belgian friends. If there's mud... so much the better.
Who's down?
3 comments:
im planning on racing twice at rockburn too. I hope this race turns out to be an annual "celebration" race to end the season.
I was on the fence about this race, but then I saw this race announcement:
NO ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM AT ROCKBURN CROSS
http://www.mabra.org/article.php?did=532&scid=59
and now I have to do it. How often do I get to mix two of my favorite things--Cross and Science? It's like Christmas!
CJ - we'll just call you Jaysteve for now - sounds good. I need to figure out which bikes to bring and which races to do but I'm in.
LNH - oh, thank God. Because there was Endoplasmic Reticulum all over the place at Ed Sander, and that was disgusting. Or was I just swooning in psychadelic funk at Ed Sander? It isn't clear to me at all, at this point.
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