By Dave Andersen

Are you motivated to train? Just like many of you, I start each year feeling motivated.  But motivation can be tricky – it comes and goes throughout the year.  I develop motivation by setting goals, picking my races, and mapping out my training cycles for the season. I ease into my training routine and get into the daily and weekly rhythm of working-out knowing that each month will provide variety by having its own purpose and specificity toward the big picture. Many months of the year all I do is train, and don’t race. There is a comfort in the daily routine of training. During these periods I realize just how important and nice it is to be fit.  I dream about the upcoming season.  Motivation is not a problem.

Would I be as motivated if I didn’t race?  I think so.  Let me explain. I love being fit – the desire to live a fit and balanced lifestyle keeps me going.  Over the past 35 years I’ve varied my sport (running, cycling, swimming, triathlon, xc-skiing, etc.) to keep it interesting. And just like many of you, I’ve had periods where racing was not the priority; staying fit (and training) becomes the goal. That said, when everything is clicking along nicely, when I am healthy and life is calm, then racing makes the training all the more focused. After all these years, I still have a strong desire to reach my potential.

Would I train as hard if I didn’t race? Probably not (hill repeats hurt like hell) but I wouldn’t back down completely!  I’d keep training for all of the reasons I listed above and also so I don’t get dropped on those weekend group rides!

The question remains: Are you motivated to train? Every day ask yourself, “Do I want to finish that group ride with the pack?”, or “What can I do today to become a better cyclist, runner, or triathlete?”  These questions will remind you daily of your goals and will challenge you to be motivated to become your best.

Good luck and remember: training never ends.
Keep It Tight,

Dave

*Dave Andersen lives in Boston and works in the educational publishing business. He shares his passion for cycling and sport with a wide range of friends and competitors.

By Dave Andersen

How can you improve you ask? You want to run faster and further, you want to beat your cycling competitors up that climb?

I’ve been closely involved in running and cycling for over 35 years and I can say the tried and true training methods have basically remained the same this past generation. Sure, a huge amount of scientific data is available on the benefits of training at altitude and on new forms of strength and flexibility training. And with today’s gadgets you can now quantify every aspect of training from mapping your routes, graphing your power, heart rate, Vo2 max and all that. But lest we forget that training for the purpose of racing is not rocket science. Machines can measure things, but what they don’t measure is how much pain you can SUFFER. And that, my friends, in addition to hard training and experience, may be the one of the most important aspects of racing.

Training is key! And it’s certainly helpful to get your body fat percentage into the single digits. The most important aspects of endurance training are PATIENCE and CONSISTENCY. These things are not glamorous. They don’t fit in particularly well in today’s society. There is no quick fix and no immediate gratification. But there is satisfaction in doing something to the best of your ability and with conviction. There is solace in repeating a simple activity until it becomes smooth, efficient and, of course, faster.

Books, magazines and internet articles on sporting success often refer to the fact that the MIND usually gives up before the body during prolonged periods of intensity within competition. This is likely true. What makes some willing to suffer more? Perhaps the hardships of life are very often the cornerstones of success later on. Interval training strengthens the body but perhaps it’s the really crappy day at work or the time spent forcing yourself to do the things you fear that give the mental toughness needed to really succeed, no matter what level you are at.

So, like pieces of a puzzle you must work on training the body and the mind. Consistent training of the body will also train your mind to endure. Repetition builds strength of body and confidence in your mind that you can do it. As the saying goes, “Where the mind goes the body will follow”. This is part of the KEEP IT TIGHT philosophy… to be prepared, put-together, and on top of your game. Enjoy it!

Keep It Tight,

Dave

*Dave Andersen lives in Boston and works in the educational publishing business. He shares his passion for cycling and sport with a wide range of friends and competitors.

By Dave Andersen

As endurance athletes, most of our training centers on moderately paced mileage. That’s good! Easy-to-moderate mileage builds strength and endurance. However, training at only this intensity will not get you super fit, or race fit. For that, you need to push to your limits and do some interval training. Runners must do this sparingly as it can put a lot of extra strain on your muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Cyclists and rowers can be more aggressive since there is no pounding.

I’ve competed in running, triathlon and bike racing for over 35 years. Let me make it simple for you. You should do some longer length intervals, some medium, and some short. The shorter they are the more intense they should be. Basically, you go hard for a relatively short time, recover, and then repeat. There are a hundred names and catch phrases for the various types of intervals but they all fall into these general categories (think cycling):

1. Long intervals — After warming up I’ll go hard 2 or 3 times for 10-15 minutes. Actually I have a stretch of road where there is very little traffic or turns. The key is to finish each interval just as hard as you started.  I time myself, but there are so many variables with wind, etc. that I don’t worry about my times.

2. Medium intervals — 4 to 6 times I’ll go as hard as I can around a loop that takes about 3 minutes. I’ll go easy for a lap in between the hard efforts. I track my average and watch it come down over the weeks and months as I get fitter.

3. Hill intervals — 3 to 5 times I’ll go all-out up a steep hill (I have two favorites; one takes 2 minutes, the other 4 minutes). These are cruel in their intensity but they sure make you race fit, and prepare you for the suffering you will face in a race.

4. Short intervals — 10 times I’ll work up to 30 to 60 second all-out bursts. Recover for 5 minutes between each effort.

5. Sprint intervals – 10-15 times I’ll sprint for 10-15 seconds like I’m going for the win.  Recover for at least 2 minutes in between each effort.

Back when I was running I would either do intervals on the track (400’s, 800’s, 1600’s) or on the road (either measured or by duration).

Bottom line, interval training will take you to the next level. Push yourself and then push some more. Fiddle with length and number of repeats to find what works best for you. Mix it up to keep it interesting. Carefully monitor yourself to make sure you don’t strain anything. It’s amazing how after a few weeks of intervals you will become much more fit and faster. Enjoy the process and keep it tight!

Keep It Tight,

Dave

*Dave Andersen lives in Boston and works in the educational publishing business. He shares his passion for cycling and sport with a wide range of friends and competitors.