From the work side of things, life has been very nice with my crew of Frank Bitali, Greg Peterson and co-reporter Craig Hummer. We laugh a bunch and we have put out some great pieces, many of which have not made the air since the crashes have happened when my course reports were supposed to run. I have also been lucky to interview old friends like Levi, Horner, George, Cadel and many others. I am lucky these guys are such professionals and allow me great access to them.

I have had a few funnies in the last 10 days, starting with a massive zit on my forehead that took a ton of makeup and some clever camerawork to hide. After the zit went away, I got stung in the forehead by a bee! It swelled up bigger than the zit and took even more makeup and camerawork to make disappear. And once that was gone, I burned my forehead really bad and it took a different kind of makeup to get rid of the swollen, bright, shiny, red glow just under my hairline.

After my forehead returned to normal, I dumped a full bottle of water down my producer’s back by mistake. He was in the middle of a show and I leaned over to tell him something, except I had an uncapped bottle of water tucked in my arm. So when I bent over, it poured all over his back and chair. NOT GOOD.

During the next stage, Craig Hummer parked near a farm. I opened my car door and backed into an electric wire that sent a shock into me like I have never experienced. I jumped 5 feet in the air, my hamstring locked up and I ended up on the ground.

There has been some serious fun along the way and I appreciate everyone’s comments and encouragement. I miss my family like mad. I constantly think about Lori’s cooking, my kids’ laughter, our wonderful home and my other friends and family.

I will check in again soon!

Ciao~
Robbie

One of the central components of off-season training is improving your technical skills. On the bike, this includes looking at pedaling economy and potentially increasing cadence. A common mistake among new cyclists, and some more experienced riders as well, is a pedaling cadence that is too low. The aim here will be to offer insight regarding why increased pedaling may be beneficial to your performance and how you can go about spinning faster.

First, it is necessary to understand a bit of the science behind power production at different cadences as well as the related physiology. Physics tells us that power is the result of work divided by time or, in the case of cycling gear, ratio divided by cadence. What this means is that it’s technically possible to produce a given power in any gear on the bike provided the appropriate cadence adjustments are made. As you might imagine, the number of gears in which a given power can be produced efficiently is much smaller.

Laboratory testing attempting to determine the most economical pedaling rate has continually found this rate to occur at 50-60 rpm when viewed in terms of power produced in relation to energy consumed. Interestingly, it is also well established that both amateur and elite cyclists freely choose to pedal at a much higher and less metabolically efficient rate of 80-100 rpm. Although researchers have not been able to reach a consensus, one potential explanation could be the greater contribution of the cardiovascular system at higher cadences.

The heart and lungs that compose the cardiovascular system work nonstop, so while power production is lacking, endurance will not be a limiter. The muscular system, on the other hand, will recruit the minimum number of motor units to complete a task, which always starts with the weaker but more aerobically efficient slow-twitch fibers and progresses to the stronger but anaerobically fueled fast-twitch fibers as slow-twitch fiber capacity is exceeded. Adopting a pedaling rhythm that keeps the force requirements low enough to be sustained primarily by the slow-twitch fibers, and thus the cardiovascular system, can spare fuel in the anaerobic fibers and delay fatigue late in exercise.

Consider our earlier point that a given power can be produced with several different gearing and cadence combinations. For example, let’s take the power required to maintain 20 mph: approximately 200 watts depending on body size, aerodynamic drag and terrain conditions. You could ride at 200 watts in the biggest gear on the bike and cadence would probably be in the range of 40-60 rpm. Conversely, you could also ride at 200 watts in a more moderate gear and 80-100 rpm. In the latter case, you have cut the force requirement of each pedal stroke by half to a load within reach of the slow-twitch fibers, but compensated by producing that force more frequently to maintain overall workload.

Depending on your current preferred cadence, adopting a higher cadence may not immediately result in improved efficiency and delayed fatigue. Faster pedaling will result in increased breathing and heart rate at a given power output as demand on the cardiovascular system increases. The neurological system will also have to undergo some learning to become more efficient at rapidly cycling each motor unit at faster rates. On first attempt, it’s possible to actually fatigue more quickly, and it could take a month or more to adapt to these changes.

The approach to faster and more economical pedaling will not differ significantly from the approach you take to improve power, except that the emphasis will be on cadence rather than workload. Short intervals at high workloads are employed to increase sustainable power on longer duration rides. In the same way, short intervals of high-cadence pedaling will allow you to more easily maintain a high cadence on long rides. Two favorite routines follow:

* Spin-ups: start in a moderate gear at the top of a slight descent. Begin rolling down the hill and, as speed increases, don’t shift but continue to spin the gear faster until you start bouncing on the saddle. Recover and repeat this sequence, trying to smoothly spin a little faster on each attempt.
* High-cadence intervals: during a submax ride, shift 2-3 gears easier than normal and increase cadence to maintain power while maintaining smooth pedaling movements. Stay in this gear for 5-10 minutes and then return to your normal rhythm. Repeat several times over the duration of the ride.

With some patience and practice, you will soon find yourself capable of effectively using a higher pedaling rate. Whether you race on the track, in crits, time trials or triathlon, there are benefits to be gained. Make use of your off-season training to implement these changes and the adaptation should be complete by the spring and you will be ready for more focused work on energy system development.

Ciao~
Robbie

This is VQ’s ten-year anniversary and I am blown away that VQ has grown to where it is today. I want to thank everyone who has ever touched VQ and a special thanks to the VQ staff who make this place run better and better every year.

I started this business back in 2000 when I wrote a training plan on the back of a napkin for EJ Lenzi while we were training together in Lake Geneva. I was still racing for Saturn Cycling Team at the time. Over these ten years the VQ athletes and staff have brought me so much excitement and happiness–I cannot believe how it all turned out!

When you are in college, you really have no idea what your path will be. In a million years, I would never have predicted that my life would have turned out this way. It has not been an easy road, but nothing great in life ever is.

The holidays are here and consistency will be difficult to maintain as vacations, parties and social commitments start to change your timelines a bit. I think this is a good thing and, although the balance gets tougher, the joy that comes with these times far outweighs the lost consistency in your training. The important thing is to be present in whatever moment you are in. Make sure you are able to commit 100% of your physical and mental energy to “zone” you in. A past coach of mine, Doug Close, once had me read Embracing Your Potential by Terry Orlick. This book helped me really focus on the people/tasks in front of me. This is not as easy as you might think! I am sure many of you pack your schedules so full during the holidays that while you are training, you are thinking of your next appointments or while you are at family parties, you are thinking of your AM workouts. This is not ideal. You never get the most out of any event. Better to try to lighten the load a bit and really maximize your experience both in training and socially.

I would rather have my athletes pull one or two workouts (least important workouts) a week from the schedule than try to get everything in and “half-ass” them all. But plan that before you get too busy so you won’t feel guilty when you cannot get everything in. The bottom line is that you should plan ahead for the holiday push and if you know your social commitments are going to go up, figure out what are the most important workouts and plan for them. Remove the workouts that mean the least and really be 100% engaged in the social and training commitments you have. This is far more healthy, fun and productive than running like a mad man through the holidays and never “truly benefiting” from the joy the holidays bring to all of us.

I want to wish everyone a great holiday season. With a dog and four kids ages 3-10, you can imagine how much fun it is at the Ventura house this time of year. These are the most exciting times for them, which in turn allows me to relive some of my childhood experiences. I am grateful that our house is crazy and will be crazy for many years to come. Crazy is difficult to manage sometimes, but in the end I love crazy and I am sure when they are older I will miss it more than anything.

Ciao~
Robbie

As for the fundraising aspect, Vision Quest starts the ball rolling with a $10 donation to Movember for every VQ man who grows a full moustache until the month’s end. What’s even better–and charitable to boot–is Trek of Highland Park will be matching those donations, and their store manager K.C. Speich is growing his mo’ so you’ll have to check his progress when you’re in the store (or make a point to go this month!).

Guys not already involved…now’s your chance to join. All you have to do is start growing out your ‘stache and post your pics at myvq.net. But you can take it forward by fundraising for Movember (in addition to those VQ and Trek donations) or getting creative with that fuzz now growing on your face. Like rocking the handlebars a la me (or maybe it’s starting to resemble a Ben Stiller in Dodgeball look?). Or adding some curlicues? Or beckoning Burt Reynolds? What’s your look going to be?

Stay tuned to Facebook to see how my look progresses! I already have a lot of growth (see the photo) just a few days in.

Ciao~
Robbie

Sunglasses are definitely important to how you look on your bike, but the real value to the performance of the athlete cannot be underestimated. Proper eyewear is absolutely essential in keeping the riders safe and can also help athletes conserve energy by actually helping facial muscles to relax. Sun protection for the eyes is a multi-billion dollar business. The cost for performance glasses can far exceed the $200 mark. Personally, I love sunglasses and have been lucky to have a great sponsor in Oakley keeping me on the cutting edge of eyewear technology.

I have seen sunglasses come a long, long way over the years and the latest models take all sorts of performance and style aspects into account. The newest shades on the market are stronger, more aerodynamic, easier to clean, simpler for changing lenses and better fit to the head. Creators have now integrated the fit with different types of helmets and made the glasses so light it feels like there is nothing on your head at all.

Manufacturers have even built the new glasses with holes in the upper parts of the lenses. This venting prevents fogging and helps keep riders’ foreheads and eyes a bit cooler. Some manufacturers went so far as to spend time in wind tunnels studying and designing the sizing at the tops of the frames, as well as how to create a pair that doesn’t get in the riders’ way while in the aero position. This is not easy since each person’s aero position is different.

The ability to change lenses for all conditions has helped cyclists see better in different conditions. No matter what the light or weather may be, riders can adjust the tint to provide the utmost clarity and light to create the most ideal optics for that day.

Recent advancements also allow the rider to customize the nose piece as a means of spacing the lenses themselves the perfect distance from the face. Riders with small noses might want the lenses closer to the face, while we big-nosed Italians like the lenses a bit further away. Same goes for those with long lashes. Getting bigger or smaller nose pieces helps personalize the glasses even further.

Every rider has different preferences and these seemingly minor options to change more aspects of their glasses allows for the ultimate in customization for comfort.

The last and, to some, most important aspect is the ability to custom-design frame colors, so glasses not only match conditions, but cycling kits as well. So now we’re seeing all the top pros either matching their frames to their kits or making bold fashion statements instead!

Ciao~
Robbie

Note: Content originally appeared at the Coaches Corner at Versus.com.

One thing that I look forward to every week is date night with my wife. I feel that, oftentimes, relationships with the people we care about most also seem to suffer the most when we get busy with either training or work. I am making it a personal goal to shift this paradigm in my head. I’m doing this by scheduling the most important time first. For me, that is time with my wife first, kids second and work third. Sometimes I take Lori’s time for granted and put it off because we “understand” each other. I’m working on that, because my time with her becomes personal time when I can relax, let go and speak about things most dear to my heart. I am rambling a bit about this subject, but I want to emphasize the importance of restoring yourself by restoring your relationships with those that mean the most to you–it is critical for long-term happiness!

Bridging on that, I don’t know about you, but my happiness is directly related to how well my relationship is going with my wife. Now, for some it might be more closely related to how fit they are, but that can be scary. That’s where I was when I was a professional and it is a slippery slope, especially if you get injured since you have no control over how fit you can be. The reason I bring this up now is because, as you all know, routines are the secret to success in all aspects of life. Putting time to work on or grow your relationship with the person you love, whatever that might mean to you, has to be part of your life training plan. This is easy to do for short periods, but like anything that really works, the hard part is staying consistent for a long period of time.

Back to training…I hope many of you take part in our cyclocross program we have here at VQ. The weekly rides are a ball and the weekend intensity and long rides create a great fall cycling balance. Skill development, diversity, fun, camaraderie and intensity are all reasons why getting on the cross bike this fall/winter will keep you fit and sane during the off-season. If you’ve been training alone, I’m encouraging you to join our group and learn from some great coaches.  Whether strength training, riding, swimming or running, learning from expert VQ coaches, as well as fellow athletes, is mission critical for growth in sport. I am a firm believer that you often need to train on your own during the very specific periods of your racing preparation. But now that most of the racing is over, huge gains can be made at the VQ group workouts by diversifying your training, developing better technique and stronger energy systems and becoming more functionally fit. A strong focus on these areas will make up VQ training for the next six months.

Take a few weeks to sit back and focus on next season’s goals. Get an idea of what your time commitment looks like and create a roadmap to your success. Start with a benchmark of some sort (I prefer the 20- or 40-minute test), understand what the requirements of your goals are and enjoy the process this fall. Just keep one thing in mind when you’re setting up your plan with your coach…Date Night!!!

Ciao~
Robbie

We sure have grown a lot in the last decade, from more locations to serve athletes, to more coaches, to more programming. But most of all we have more athletes–more who love cycling and triathlon, more who are willing to give sport a shot, more who want to learn and excel.

To celebrate all that, Vision Quest had a party. Lots of fun and games where we put the seriousness aside that often accompanies training and welcomed the friendly camaraderie. Take a look at the photo album here, but keep scrolling for a few highlights.

Like the canoe races…

And the jousting…

And the tricycle rides on the velodrome, which were not easy…

Thanks need to go out to all the VQers who came out to support the event and participate. And thanks to all the VQers for the last 10 years. Here’s to another decade!

Ciao~
Robbie

The next session is starting next week–first class is Monday, August 30–and then runs for the next eight weeks. You’ll come to our cycling studio to ride the CompuTrainer-designed courses that will hands down help you improve your cycling. Want to tackle hills but have nowhere to go in the Windy City? You might find some indoors. Want to raise your cycling wattage? A few weeks of this and you will. You can read more about it on the Vision Quest website by clicking here. Or just watch the below video. Regardless, it’s a rewarding time and you meet a few people in the process.

Ciao~
Robbie

Enjoy!

Ciao~
Robbie

Enjoy!

Ciao~
Robbie