Whether you’re an Athlete, Coach, Testing Lab, Institute of Sport, National Federation, the agnostic design of @inscyd_ is meant to help everyone at all levels. Read more how to start using #INSCYD at the link ⬇️
. . #Trainingtool #performance #sportsperformance #sportstech #performancedevelopment #SportsScience #sportscience #cyclinglife #swimlife #rowinglife #triathletelife #runninglife #sportscoaching #SportsTraining #trainsmart #trainright #trainhard . . #REPOST @inscyd_ with @get__repost__app We are proud many of the best athletes, coaches and federations in the world use INSCYD and that our technology is an integral part of their sporting journeys. INSCYD is designed for ALL levels of sport and to help ALL athletes, coaches and labs. Let’s dive in and take a look at how to start using INSCYD. in bio. #sportstraining #Athletes #Coaches #INSCYD #performance #sportsscience
The ketogenic diet was first introduced in 1920 as a treatment for children with epilepsy (Wheless, 2008). As more research was done on the effectiveness of the ketogenic diet, it was reported that the traditional ketogenic diet consisted 1 gram of protein per kilogram body weight, a restricted carbohydrate intake of 10–15 g and the remaining calories in fat per day and the purpose remained primarily as a treatment for epilepsy (Wheless, 2008). When carbohydrate is restricted, the body can go into a state of ketosis, where blood ketone concentrations increase to ~3-4 mmol/L, compared to <0.3 mmol/L with a regular diet (Paoli, Rubini, Volek, & Grimaldi, 2013). In recent years, predominately after the discovery of insulin, the carbohydrate-restricted diet started gaining popularity as a treatment for diabetes (Feinman et al., 2015). In his review on carbohydrate restriction for the management of diabetes, Feinman et al. (2015) defined a very low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet and a low-carbohydrate diet slightly differently. He defined a ketogenic diet as very low-carbohydrate, at either 20–50 g of carbohydrates per day or less than 10% of a 2000 kcal per day diet. He also made a note that while his definition was derived based on the carbohydrate levels required for the body to reach a state of ketosis, because of the variability between individuals, ketosis still might not occur. He defined a low-carbohydrate diet as less than 130 g of carbohydrate per day or less than 26% of total energy.
Using those similar definitions, a review done by Noakes and Windt (2017) summarised the effects of both a very low carbohydrate high fat (ketogenic) diet, and low-carbohydrate high fat (LCHF) on various parameters. In terms of weight loss, the evidence gathered for this review demonstrates that both a ketogenic and LCHF diet can lead to greater or if not equal weight loss compared to the other diets that were used in all studies they reviewed. All the diets that were tested were effective in short-term weight loss but most of the time would be followed by some regain of weight as adherence to the diet was reduced. Their hypothesis was that the weight loss from a LCHF diet could be a result of the advantageous adaptations in the body’s metabolic function such as an increase in the thermic effect of protein, an increased turnover of protein for gluconeogenesis and energy loss through the passing out of ketones in sweat or urine. There have been suggestions that the weight loss from a ketogenic diet is due to the loss of water (Yang & Van Itallie, 1976). However, a study which measured body composition using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) indicates that the weight loss from a carbohydrate-restricted diet is a reduction in fat mass (Volek et al., 2009).
Energy Balance and diet
According to the principle of energy balance, a change in body weight will occur when energy intake is not equals to energy expenditure over a period of time (Hill, Wyatt & Peters, 2003). When energy expenditure is greater than energy intake, this is described as a state of negative energy balance that will usually result in a loss of body mass, which translates to weight loss. A diet that follows the principle of energy balance is essentially looking at achieving negative balance by reducing energy intake. Using mathematical modelling, Hall et al. (2011) presented that even though the way an individual’s body weight responses to changes in energy intake is highly variable, which can lead to different changes in weight, loss in body fat was still reported in all diets that reduced energy intake in the short run. The effectiveness of exercise on weight loss is also not entirely dependent on the exercise, but on the individual’s variability on substrate utilization as well (Barwell, Malkova, Leggate, & Gill, 2009). While reducing energy intake has shown to result in weight loss, the broad interpretation of a diet that follows energy balance may be less straightforward and fairly complicated when attempting to adopt a diet based on the principles of energy balance for weight loss on your own.
A Ketogenic diet can follow the principles of Energy Balance
A ketogenic diet can be described as a protocol-based diet where macronutrients are pre-determined. A diet that follows the principles of energy balance approach to weight loss is to achieve non-equilibrium, which does not necessarily provide a guideline on the breakdown of macronutrient intake. Due to individual variability in baseline body composition, energy expenditure and substrate utilization, one would need to have some familiarity and/or be in-tune with their own physiological parameters in order to decide the macronutrient breakdown on their own. Even though the principle of the ketogenic diet has been widely explained as a very-low carbohydrate, high fat diet approach, it does not indicate that it does not follow the principle of energy balance. A ketogenic diet can therefore also be a diet that follows the principle of energy balance. It is interesting to note that the study by Johnstone, Horgan, Murison, Bremner, and Lobley (2008) which compared a high-protein, low carbohydrate diet to a high-protein, medium carbohydrate diet, referred to weight loss in both diets as an indicator of negative energy balance. The study by Partsalaki, Karvela, and Spiliotis (2012) looked at the effects of a carbohydrate-restricted diet compared to a calorie-restricted diet because the traditional recommendation for the management of obesity, which is a calorie-restricted diet, seemed to be theoretically based on maintaining negative energy balance. They reported weight loss in both diets, greater for ketogenic diet, even though there was no calorie intake restriction in their ketogenic diet protocol. Evidences cited in the review by Noakes and Windt (2017) also highlighted that a low-carbohydrate, high fat diet is able to control energy balance as well as encourage the intake of high nutrient density foods. With guidelines on the composition of carbohydrate and fat in a ketogenic diet, along with instances of reported weight loss of >10% (Mark et al., 2016), it seems to be the easier and effective approach to adopt. While it might seem straightforward to implement a ketogenic diet, it still might not be suitable for everyone due to individual variability. Nutrition strategies to be fundamentally based on managing energy balance and ensuring high nutrient density is still recommended (Noakes & Windt, 2017).
One way of quantifying physique is with body mass measurements, a full anthropometric profile and somatotyping (Slater et al., 2005). Of the three somatotypes, mesomorphy, which is used to describe muscloskeletal robustness and ectomoprhy, which is used to describe linearity or slenderness (Carter, Carter, & Heath, 1990), both could be classified as a lean physique. Choosing a diet to achieve a lean physique can either be to support the goal of reduction of fat mass or increase fat-free muscle mass.
As both a ketogenic diet and a diet which follows the principle of energy balance can be as effective in weight loss and helping to achieving a lean physique, diet adherence could therefore be a factor in determining their effectiveness in maintaining a lean physique. It has been shown that there is no increased risk of cardiovascular disease with a carbohydrate-restricted, high fat diet in the short term of 12 weeks (Volek et al., 2009) as well as no adverse metabolic effects on the body nor an increase risk of cardiovascular disease from long term (>1 year) adherence to a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet (Grieb et al., 2008). Multiple studies cited by Noakes and Windt (2017) also found that there is no evidence or epidemiological data to support the theory that intake of saturated fat is the cause of coronary artery disease. With that in mind, both the ketogenic diet and a diet which applies the principle of energy balance would be safe to sustain long term when adopted safely and appropriately. In terms of attrition rate, three studies cited in the review by Noakes and Windt (2017) reported that adherence to low-carbohydrate, high-fat diets were the same as low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets. A systematic review conducted by Hession, Rolland, Kulkarni, Wise, and Broom (2009) highlight a higher attrition rate of low-fat, high carbohydrate diets compared to low-carbohydrate, high diets, across 13 studies with a total of 1222 participants. A ketogenic diet with low carbohydrate intake has also been shown to be able to reduce perceived hunger, leading to a reduced intake of food (Alexandra, Graham, Sandra, David, & Gerald, 2008). Choosing the diet to help sustain a lean physique could then be down to the individual’s motivation to achieve the goal and their adherence to the diet they have chosen.
When quantifying physique by somatyping, it would be interesting to note that the study done by Silventoinen et al. (2020) found that genetics plays a role on the relationship between children’s somatotype and their physical fitness. It might therefore be worth taking into account an individual’s genetic background and inherited physique when deciding, and evaluating the effectiveness of any diet intervention on achieving and sustaining a targeted physique
References
Wheless, J. W. (2008). History of the ketogenic diet. Epilepsia, 49, 3-5.
Paoli, A., Rubini, A., Volek, J. S., & Grimaldi, K. A. (2013). Beyond weight loss: a review of the therapeutic uses of very-low-carbohydrate (ketogenic) diets. European journal of clinical nutrition, 67(8), 789-796.
Freeman, J. M., Kelly, M. T., & Freeman, J. B. (1994). The epilepsy diet treatment: an introduction to the ketogenic diet (No. Ed. 1). Demos Vermande.
Feinman, R. D., Pogozelski, W. K., Astrup, A., Bernstein, R. K., Fine, E. J., Westman, E. C., … & Nielsen, J. V. (2015). Dietary carbohydrate restriction as the first approach in diabetes management: critical review and evidence base. Nutrition, 31(1), 1-13.
Noakes, T. D., & Windt, J. (2017). Evidence that supports the prescription of low-carbohydrate high-fat diets: a narrative review. British journal of sports medicine, 51(2), 133-139.
Yang, M. U., & Van Itallie, T. B. (1976). Composition of weight lost during short-term weight reduction. Metabolic responses of obese subjects to starvation and low-calorie ketogenic and nonketogenic diets. The Journal of clinical investigation, 58(3), 722-730.
Volek, J. S., Phinney, S. D., Forsythe, C. E., Quann, E. E., Wood, R. J., Puglisi, M. J., … & Feinman, R. D. (2009). Carbohydrate restriction has a more favorable impact on the metabolic syndrome than a low fat diet. Lipids, 44(4), 297-309.
Hill, J. O., Wyatt, H. R., & Peters, J. C. (2012). Energy balance and obesity. Circulation, 126(1), 126-132.
Hall, K. D., Sacks, G., Chandramohan, D., Chow, C. C., Wang, Y. C., Gortmaker, S. L., & Swinburn, B. A. (2011). Quantification of the effect of energy imbalance on bodyweight. The Lancet, 378(9793), 826-837.
Barwell, N. D., Malkova, D., Leggate, M., & Gill, J. M. (2009). Individual responsiveness to exercise-induced fat loss is associated with change in resting substrate utilization. Metabolism, 58(9), 1320-1328.
Johnstone, A. M., Horgan, G. W., Murison, S. D., Bremner, D. M., & Lobley, G. E. (2008). Effects of a high-protein ketogenic diet on hunger, appetite, and weight loss in obese men feeding ad libitum. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 87(1), 44-55.
Partsalaki, I., Karvela, A., & Spiliotis, B. E. (2012). Metabolic impact of a ketogenic diet compared to a hypocaloric diet in obese children and adolescents. Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism, 25(7-8), 697-704.
Mark, S., du Toit, S., Noakes, T. D., Nordli, K., Coetzee, D., Makin, M., … & Wortman, J. (2016). A successful lifestyle intervention model replicated in diverse clinical settings. South African Medical Journal, 106(8), 763-766.
Slater, G. J., Rice, A. J., Mujika, I., Hahn, A. G., Sharpe, K., & Jenkins, D. G. (2005). Physique traits of lightweight rowers and their relationship to competitive success. British journal of sports medicine, 39(10), 736-741.
Carter, J. L., Carter, J. L., & Heath, B. H. (1990). Somatotyping: development and applications (Vol. 5). Cambridge university press.
Grieb, P., Kłapcińska, B., Smol, E., Pilis, T., Pilis, W., Sadowska-Krępa, E., Sobczak, A., Bartoszewicz, Z., Nauman, J., Stańczak, K., & Langfort, J. (2008). Long-term consumption of a carbohydrate-restricted diet does not induce deleterious metabolic effects. Nutrition research, 28(12), 825-833.
Hession, M., Rolland, C., Kulkarni, U., Wise, A., & Broom, J. (2009). Systematic review of randomized controlled trials of low‐carbohydrate vs. low‐fat/low‐calorie diets in the management of obesity and its comorbidities. Obesity reviews, 10(1), 36-50.
Alexandra, M.J., Graham, W.H., Sandra, D.M., David, M.B., Gerald, E.L. (2008) Effects of a high-protein ketogenic diet on hunger, appetite, and weight loss in obese men feeding ad libitum. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,87(1):44–55. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/87.1.44
Silventoinen, K., Maia, J., Jelenkovic, A., Pereira, S., Gouveia, É., Antunes, A., … & Freitas, D. (2020). Genetics of somatotype and physical fitness in children and adolescents. American Journal of Human Biology, e23470.
New in the family and joining the rollers, is the ThinkRider X5 Neo Smart Trainer. Didn’t take long before deciding to settle for this one, when there was absolutely no supply of any others at the LBS and a 6-month wait seemed to be the default take-it-or-leave-it response. It’s within my price bracket, the order process was seamless and shipping took 4 days to get to the door.
I’m definitely late to jump onto the smart trainer bandwagon. Late in getting one of my own. Having been involved in high performance settings as well as at a commercial indoor cycling studio, fixing blown fuses in the CompuTrainers seemed like a necessary skill to have back in the day. Just a few years back, turbo trainers definitely did not get the same reception by the local community. (Same with strength training and lab testing. Knowing your weakness can be a hard pill to swallow sometimes). Now it seems, even in pre-pandemic times, the turbo trainer has caught on. Better late than never.
A 22kg piece of machinery, assembly of the flipper-like legs were as straight-forward as bolts and hex allen key. Thru-axle compatibility is also available. Download the ThinkRider app for firmware updates and trainer calibration, plug it in and it was good to go. ThinkRider is compatible with Zwift, TrainerRoad, Rouvy, FullGaz, Bkool, PerfPro. Zwift was the choice of software.
ThinkRider app
Calibration
There is always going to be chatter about the accuracy of smart trainers, just like power meters. We each have certain things that we can be particular about, which sometimes, will appear very selective. We may tend to or tend not to believe accuracy reports from manufacturers and we should put on our critical thinking hats. If you are one who has absolutely no clue at all, the advise would be to keep it simple. Lay out the outcomes that are most important to you. For me, would I have problems pairing it to Zwift? That did require me to trust the manufacturer’s word for it. I would like it to be reliable, i.e. produce similar power resistance on erg mode every time I use it. That is fairly easy to conclude whether I can tick that box. Neither am I expecting it to have a 5-watt variability. Day-to-day individual variability alone can be 5 – 6% (Gardner et al., 2007; Laursen et al., 2004; Possamai et al., 2020). So far after 24 hr of use, it has been consistent enough for me, based on the session I’m doing and what I am expecting to be putting out. Lastly, are they going to bail out on me, when after-sales service support is required? These days it’s a hit-and-miss. Imagine getting told to repair your broken treadmill yourself.
With so many options out there, accuracy claims as a form of marketing seems to be unavoidable. Bear in mind, as a consumer, unless you request for the precise protocol, equipment, testing conditions and environment, our attempt at user validation can swing both ways. I prefer to spend time learning how to interpret and apply the data appropriately.
In summary, a pretty solid direct-drive smart trainer. If you’re keen to have a go, give the guys at Bike Domestique (FB/Instagram) a shout out. What smart trainer are you using? Feel free to leave a comment below.
Gardner, A. S., Martin, J. C., Martin, D. T., Barras, M., & Jenkins, D. G. (2007). Maximal torque-and power-pedaling rate relationships for elite sprint cyclists in laboratory and field tests. European journal of applied physiology, 101(3), 287-292.
Laursen, P. B., Shing, C. M., & Jenkins, D. G. (2004). Temporal aspects of the VO2 response at the power output associated with VO2peak in well trained cyclists—Implications for interval training prescription. Research quarterly for exercise and sport, 75(4), 423-428.
Possamai, L. T., Campos, F. D. S., Salvador, P. C. D. N., de Aguiar, R. A., Guglielmo, L. G. A., de Lucas, R. D., Caputo, F., & Turnes, T. (2020). Similar maximal oxygen uptake assessment from a step cycling incremental test and verification tests on the same or different day. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 45(4), 357-361.
After 47,992 km, 2 cracked steerer tubes and 1 broken derailleur hanger, it was time for me to go through the process of getting a new rig. The frame might have lasted another 12,000 kms or more, but having almost no chance of obtaining bits of spares for the frame like cable guides, cable stops etc was the nail in the coffin.
Unlike the professionals (some, not all), most of us are not regularly issued equipment. I classify myself as a heavy user, based on the number of tyres, chains and handlebar tape I go through. So knowing that I can prolong and/or extend the lifespan of my equipment at minimum cost sits quite high up the priority list. One of the important factors for me is after sales support and availability of spares. And yes, I wash my equipment regularly.
I started by going through the UCI-approved equipment list, which you can find here. I didn’t want to get caught up at equipment checks during races so if you don’t intend to race, you have a lot more options.. It is also interesting to see some new frames already on the list that have yet to be launched.
I knew it was going to be an interesting process to narrow down my choices. Price is definitely the main consideration for me. I also had to stick with rim brakes because a complete disc brake bike is not within my budget. With local bike shops (LBS) limiting walk-ins, some only by appointment and the majority with almost no online presence prior to Covid-19, it was almost impossible to see what past season models were still available. I also wanted to explore the Taiwanese/Chinese options. I sit more along the side of practical over brand names. So I would actually ride the bike, rather than look to resell it in the near future. With that said, I also wouldn’t say no if someone gave me a new bike.
Other than price, I also look at frame size geometry and where my current setup sits in the sizing chart.I started by going through the frame geometries of what I could find online and I filtered out a handful of options. After a number of messages online with a few manufacturers, I settled with this:
With only a slightly higher stack, the Memil Hanshi has very similar frame size geometry (Stack and Reach) to my current setup. It runs a direct-mount brake on the front fork and Pressfit bottom bracket, both which are on my existing setup. That’s three ticks right there. What was most impressive was the communication I had with the guys. They were prompt, detailed and professional in helping with the process of building up the bike. They have been extremely helpful not just in getting the frame over, but making sure that I had no problems putting it together.
If you’re looking to start cycling, getting your first bicycle should not be a daunting and mind boggling task. The thought of having to deal with the technicalities might be foreign to you and the preconceived idea that it could be a hefty investment may be a few of the contributors to procrastination. But with a little focus and some support, it could turn out to be something you might enjoy in the years to come. Here are a few things you can think about which can hopefully help you make the decision.
Purpose
It could be getting your kid started, an alternative mode of transport to work, a form of family activity or exercise, having a clear idea on what you want to use it for helps to get the ball rolling.
Bicycles are usually grouped into 4 broad categories: Road bikes, City/Leisure bikes, Hybrid Bikes, Off-Road bikes. These can be further divided into subcategories, for example, Mountain Bike, Cyclocross and Gravel bikes are usually considered Off-Road bikes. The name typically suggests what the bike is designed and/or should be used for. For example, if you are looking for a bike to primarily get around town, to the shops or to work, start by looking at bikes in city/leisure, road or hybrid category but that’s not to say you cannot consider a Mountain bike either. Whereas, it is going to be very very difficult if you want to ride a full mountain bike trail on a road bike, or complete a Grand Fondo on a city bike.
It depends on how much detail you want to go into. For example, mountain bikes may have a slight weight penalty on the tarmac but the wider, knobby tyres make it easy to get through the narrow drain openings along the park connectors, compared to traditional road bike tyres. The more specific you are on the type of riding you want to do, the easier it is to narrow down the categories.
Expectations
Then comes a list of other factors to consider: budget, comfort, size, weight, space constraint, durability, aesthetics, after-service. The key is to prioritise and be honest. If you absolutely do not have space in your residence to park a full-sized bike, or if you plan to take it up the trains and buses, folding bikes are an option. We also have to be honest with our expectations. I have had many conversations with people asking me what type of bike they should get to start doing some leisurely rides. Similar to taking up any new hobby or exercise, there will be a change in your existing lifestyle and it can be difficult to predict whether we will stick to it, drop out after a week, or go on to become a regular enthusiast. How much time are you going to spend on it? Where will it be on your list of daily priorities? Do you have a buddy to help get you started? If you already have a particular look in mind, you want the flash, or feel the heavier mtbs or hybrids are too slow (slow is relative and can be a function of not your bike but your fitness level) for your liking, you have to bring those up as well. People tend to leave certain information out for fear of being judged.
Unless it is in your nature to always go all in right from the start or have a bottomless budget, the common and recommended approach is to gradually progress with your equipment. Don’t short change yourself either by starting right at the bottom. The more you spend does not also necessarily mean the better your chances are that you will stick with it. Get out that checklist of criteria and be honest with how much effort you are willing to try.
Everyone should get a chance to have a go at all sports and that includes cycling. Even though cycling has a bit of a reputation for being an expensive sport, if you don’t get sucked into all the flash and glam, you can definitely still enjoy the sport without short changing yourself. Don’t be overwhelmed when you walk into a bicycle showroom. Have a clear idea what you want it for and be honest with yourself on what your main considerations are. Don’t feel shy to ask questions. Speak with someone you personally know who you think has similar buying habits and considerations. If circumstances allow it, try out the bike. If it’s your first bike, it would be a really tricky task of getting it online without trying it out. Nothing is worse than riding a bike you don’t feel comfortable on. Take your time, don’t rush it. When you have decided on one, don’t second guess yourself.
I don’t know any one person who hasn’t been affected by the pandemic that is happening at the moment. Countries are handling it differently, people are reacting and responding differently as well. In Singapore, our idea of a partial lockdown, the Circuit Breaker, has recently been extended for another 4 weeks along with additional measures, which is hard to keep track because of the ambiguity of some of the measures and there seems to be additions every other week. How has your riding/training been affected? Let us know in the comments section.
If you haven’t already set up your pain cave or at least started thinking about alternatives to your training/exercise regime, now is probably a good time.
Having alternatives in your workout bag empowers you to be adaptable. It does not necessarily mean you have to permanently add them to your routine. In any case, your routine has probably gone out of the window. It’s like having a 9 or 12-piece allen key set, instead of just carrying around the 4, 5, 6 mm.
Depending on the movement restrictions that have been imposed, and the situation going on at home (Work from home, kids on home-based learning etc), if you are now unable to ride outdoors as much you would want to, the next questions are: What turbo trainer should I be getting? And what sessions do I want to be doing? It’s like going through the same decision-making process when you were getting your first bike. You can’t really be sure if you are going to continue using the turbo trainer after the restrictions have been lifted because you might realize that you hate riding the turbo all together.
Wheel-on trainers are cheap these days. Not the smart ones of course. It’s straight forward, wears your rear tyre out, fast, unless you have a spare rear wheel with a trainer tyre. Will it get the job done? Yes, if you have a power meter on your bike and some inclination on how to efficiently plan your own training, because there will be some specific workouts that will be difficult to execute with a wheel-on trainer. Or if you just want to turn those legs over, burn some calories, nothing fancy, and want to save the coin for that beer afterwards. Chances are, you won’t be using it very often if you can go riding freely.
Direct-drives are gaining popularity due to the increasing range of products and it’s falling prices. Once viewed as only for serious/competitive cyclist, in recent years because of the affordability of the non-smart direct drive trainers, it’s become a choice for riders who are drawn to the social aspect for virtual riding platforms such as Zwift, Bkool, Sufferfest, TrainerRoad, FulGaz etc. Most offer a 14-day free trial (Some less), followed by a monthly or annual subscription if you wish to carry on.
You would at the least require a ANT+/Bluetooth speed/cadence sensor. You can still get on without a smart trainer, but it would be fair not to expect the full experience. If you already have the necessary hardware, you could consider signing up for a month to see if you enjoy it and determine for yourself how likely you are to stay on.
The new standard for virtual group rides/races removes the reputation indoor training/cycling has in the past as being mundane. Gone are the days of staring at block graphs with target numbers and a timer. Before you jump onto the virtual bandwagon, have a think on whether there is something in your training/workouts you had wanted to work on, or think you should work on. Sometimes the simplest of set ups, paired with an appropriate workout focus, can reap alot more benefit.
Rollers are the not so popular sibling in indoor training, for various reasons if you speak with different people. There is a reason why there are much more roller-fail clips going around than there are of turbo trainers. When you add an additional element of staying upright, putting down the power or holding an effort isn’t as straightforward anymore. In fact, pedalling hard and putting down power is not straight forward at all. Saying they are not able to provide enough resistance for your workout is possible but a HIIT or a smash-fest is not the only way to skin a 45min session on the bike. If you’re stuck with what type of session you can do to benefit you the most, it’s probably worth speaking with a coach to help you look at the bigger picture.
Ultimately, it would be nice to see more people continuing to ride their bikes outside when the situation improves, and learning to ride their bikes properly and safely. You are much better cyclist and considerate road user if you can ride smoothly, in a straight line, keeping close to the side of the road (If sharing with cars), then needing to be in the middle of the lane, trying to mash the pedals and going in zig zag all over the place.
What is your indoor set up like? Let us know by leaving a comment.
2020 isn’t off to a flying start for many, me included. The current global health crisis is affecting the lives of people around the world.
Over the years, I’ve learned that there will be things that are outside of your control and to channel your energy into the ones that you can.
Just a couple of weeks ago, I was set to start out a new coaching gig in Phuket. Unfortunately, that all went downhill very quickly as they decided to cancel the contract the same week I was meant to fly due to the global health crisis. It was certainly a setback. Look on the bright side, I reckon I dodged the bullet because it would have been much worse if I had gotten the flick when I’m there.
So what’s next? How do we deal with setbacks? How should we react? How do we approach it? How should we respond? I have been unfortunate and fortunate enough to learn by practice. For me, it’s about keeping a positive, realistic mindset. We’re not done yet! Keep trudging along. It’s not how many times you get knocked down, it’s getting back up everything single time and moving forward. A line manager at work once said to me that I shouldn’t be such a perfectionist. What he failed to understand is that me constantly striving for perfection is not the same as being a perfectionist, as long as I have defined my expectations. I think what he probably was trying to say was that don’t set targets that are much higher than his. So keep moving forward, even if it requires you to first take a step back.
I’m certainly no stranger to setbacks, but every time it seems to require a slightly different approach to get back in. Different stages in life, different motivation. Things might not go as plan, but I find a positive mindset drives the motivation from within.
Not everyone will be there to lend a hand, so I’m grateful for those who are and glad to know who are the ones who aren’t. It’s in times of crisis that we are able (not limited) to see what someone’s true values and morals are.
So other than re-building my indoor cycling setup, because I sold my turbo while preparing to move, I’m back on the job hunt. If anyone has anything available, I’m more than happy to explore. Even happy to pick up new skills. In the meantime
As the year draws to a close, so is bicycle racing here on the sunny island. Road racing was capped off with the second and last round of the URA car-free-Sunday criterium. Somehow, someone forgot to block off the adjacent roads to the course, allowing a lorry and a motorcycle to come onto the course when racing was live. Considering many cyclists here are already used to vehicles trying to take them out, everyone handled it pretty well and racing still managed to go on safely. There wasn’t much action on my part as I stayed out of trouble and enjoyed the atmosphere. Good job on the recovery by Cycosports and the commissaires.
I then took the plunge into the other deep end by getting in on the final MTB race of the year. It wasn’t elegant riding, there was plenty of walking and it most definitely was NOT fast. Considering I’ve only actually ridden a proper mtb trail less than a handful of times, there were certainly some jitters before the start. I got through it without any broken bones, and cleared alot more obstacles than my first attempt at the course. Then again, I didn’t set the barrier very high on my first go. Cheers to the boys for the support and my mate Malek for the pre race prep. I definitely need to do this more often.
That’s it this year for pinning numbers. I have quite a bit to think about for next. More as I gather my thoughts in the next few days.
The number of exercise and/or fitness programs has certainly increased in recent years. Along with our society promoting greater accessibility for an active and/or healthy lifestyle, it’s so much easier now for someone to pick up a new sport and/or a new fitness regime.
I don’t have the figures, but I’m fairly confident that just based on your social circle, the number of people who is a member of a gym or part of a fitness/exercise group of some sort now as compared to just 5 years ago, has drastically increased.
We all have our reasons for partaking in exercise. Again, with no figures for verification, my assumption is that the vast majority are on the path of active lifestyle or as a social activity, or both. There is the growing minority who have set themselves slightly more tangible goals. It could be an aesthetic goal: to slim down, build muscle etc. It could be a competitive goal: to prepare for a sportive, race, etc. It could be a quantitative goal: to lose or gain X amount of weight, lift X amount of weight, run X distance in X amount of time. It’s easy to transit from one to another to another and back to where you started.
You hear ‘I’m going for training’ being used often. If you have a competitive or quantitative goal, you are training for something. But if you aren’t, you are exercising. Describing your time in the gym or your run session as training to have an active lifestyle can be slightly exaggerating. Your body does need time to adapt to increased physical activity. But I would hardly consider that a training regime.
From 2007 to 2011, I was training to qualify and compete for the Olympics. The goal was crystal clear. So were the short and mid term goals. I fell short of that. To be precise, I was never given that chance in 2011 to attempt for qualification. When I switched to racing bicycles, the goal was not crystal clear and I didn’t have the short and mid-term goals. In short, it was a complete mess. I made the huge mistake of not getting a coach on board, primarily because of the costs involved. I began straddling the line until the grey area got too big that I went no where.
It’s not just about telling your mates that you’re going for training or exercising. Knowing where you are on the spectrum affects a bunch of other factors in your life: lifestyle and diet choices, work and/or study vs life priorities. If you have goals you are working on achieving, and serious about it, I strongly suggest getting a coach on board.
A coach should not only be giving you a training program to follow, you have to trust him/her as a life mentor. There’s much more to do between the ears than most would expect.
There’s now a whole bunch of cycling coaching groups/companies out there. If you don’t know where to start, give Kristján Snorrason, aka Snozza, a ping through his website:
His knowledge and experience in sport, along with his people skills, naturally steers people to put trust in him. Trust that he will get the best out of you, trust knowing that he has your best interests at heart.
After all, it’s still a two way street. There is no template to find out who you trust your personal goals with. But if even we ourselves aren’t sure what they are, no amount of training or exercise is going to get us there.
Everyone should get a chance to have a go at all sports and that includes cycling. Even though cycling has a bit of a reputation for being an expensive sport, if you don’t get sucked into all the flash and glam, you can definitely still enjoy the sport without short changing yourself. Don’t be overwhelmed when you walk into a bicycle showroom. Have a clear idea what you want it for and be honest with yourself on what your main considerations are. Don’t feel shy to ask questions. Speak with someone you personally know who you think has similar buying habits and considerations. If circumstances allow it, try out the bike. If it’s your first bike, it would be a really tricky task of getting it online without trying it out. Nothing is worse than riding a bike you don’t feel comfortable on. Take your time, don’t rush it. When you have decided on one, don’t second guess yourself.
Believe 