Training for the Shield

2010 CTS training plan available now at www.steveneal.ca

2010-05-31T08:14:00.000-07:00

PLEASE SEE www.stevenal.ca For the 2010 Crank the Shield Training Plan !

Steve Neal Performance Presents 2010 Crank the Shield Training Plan -Starts May 31st

2010-05-24T08:15:00.000-07:00

The 2010 Crank the Shield Plan is Almost Ready !

Are you Ready ?

Starting May 31st enjoy 4 complementary Months of training and blog support from Steve Neal Performance

Please forward any questions or suggestions for this years plan to peter@steveneal.ca

Watch for updates and the plan at www.steveneal.ca

Thoughts for 2010 CTS program ?

2010-05-11T06:29:00.000-07:00

2010 program will be Up For Monday May 31st Start

Ideas for what you would like help with ?

Did you like last years Trainign Peaks account ?

Did you like a full week of training or would 3 key workouts be better ?

Were durations / difficulties well matched for you ?

Did you feel you prepared well under the program for 2009 Crank ?

Please email us EMAIL SNPD

Weekend Results - Crank The Shield & WC Finals 2009

2009-09-23T17:00:00.001-07:00

Just a quick Note to Congratulate ALL the Crank the Shield Participants and Volunteers ... Sounds like A great Weekend all around !

Please drop us a line via Comments and let us know about your weekend

Would love to hear what went well, where you felt you could have been better and how you feel the Crank Program (www.cranktheshield.com ) contributed to your weekend !

This weekend's Results for SNPD clients are as follows

Crank the Shield ( 3 Day MTB Stage Race )

M. Farqharson - 3rd Open Men Solo

T. Simmons - 5th <40 Female Solo

H. Whiteknight / W. Whitknight - 2nd two person mixed

M. Duncan - 5th 30-39 Solo Male

J. Davis - 1st Single speed Male

World Cup Finals - Austria

A. Sin - 29th Female

P. Glassford - 77th Male

Steve and Peter

Fall Colors Camp Almost FULL Register Now at www.steveneal.ca

Good Luck to Crank The Shield Racers ... Thanks for Following our Plan

2009-09-18T00:17:00.001-07:00

Hope the next 3 days go well for all the Crank Participants.

We have enjoyed putting the program together for 2009 CTS and meeting a few of you in person or electronically

Please drop us a line via email or comments in our blogs to let us know what we can improve on or any other ideas you have.

Wishing best luck and weather to participants and to the Chico Boys

Last minute Reminders

a) drink/eat often and early each stage

b) eat a big breakfast but don't feel sick

c) remember to keep your feet moving quickly (no walking) w/ right hand on seat or top tube

d) Most important Remember to enjoy your journey and the scenery along the way

Steve and Peter

See you at Fall Colors Camp Oct 9th 2009 ... Not signed up yet ? See the link on our site! www.steveneal.ca

Nervous Yet ?

2009-09-15T12:40:00.000-07:00

Big day is coming ... are you all packed ?

Bike already ???

Have you done Peter's workout of the week ???

Recovering well (ice baths ? naps ? mabey a bit of time of work ? very easy spins ? )

Let us know if we can help

AND get read to dismount/mount Like SNPD athlete Bob Bergman !

Peter and Steve

Registered for Our Fall Colors Camp Yet ? www.steveneal.ca

So how was weekend ???

2009-09-13T22:31:00.001-07:00

Drop us a line and let us know how your weekend went !

Where did you go ... how did you polish off for next weekend

Remember to take it as easy as you need it this week to be rested for weekend ... no time to cram now !

Questions about Prep please post in Comments

Get your prep DONE EARLY!!!

Steve and Peter

So Whatcha Bringin ?

2009-09-11T12:33:00.001-07:00

Here is the list we posted last year (and that Peter used)

Anything you disagree with ??? Anything you would add ???

Off the Bike

1) Clothes

- 1 set of clothes for Post Party! (Leave at Buckwallow)

- Bathing Suit / Shorts 2 pairs

- Pants 1 pair (set that zips to shorts?)

- Boxers/underwear 2-4 pairs

- Flip Flops for Shower

- hiking shoes

- 1 long sleeve (wool)

- 1 Hoody/Sweat shirt

- 1 jacket (waterproof/warm)

- 2 dry-fit t shirts (tight enough to be used as undershirts riding if needed)

- 1 Hat (ball cap or tilly etc.)

- 2 Toque (sugoi, could be used riding)

- 2 pairs of socks (warmer wool or gore-tex)

2) Sleeping / Toiletries

- Sleeping bag (rated -20)

- Sleeping pad (if will fit in bag, there are pads at each stage's cabins)

- Toothbrush/tooth paste

- Small flashlight (head mount strap

- Ear plugs (2 sets)

- sleeping mask (in case napping in afternoon!)
- Chamois crème

- 1 Tube Antibiotic Cream (add as applicable)

- Shaving razor / crème (or electric)

- Sun Screen

- Bug repellant

- Moleskin / bandages

- Shampoo/Soap (2 in 1 ?)

- 2 Towels + 1 small towel

- 1 travel sized wet wipes

2) Tools/Equipment (add as your level of support / need varies)

- 2 sets of tires (mud/spare)

- Stans Tire Sealant

- 4 spare tubes

- 1 Pair Disc Brake Pads - Avid Juicy 7 Pack
- 1 Each Duct Tape - Roll Pack
- 1 Pair Pedal Cleats - Pack
- 1 Each Shifter Cable Pack
- tire levers

- Small pack of zip ties

- Spare set of wheels (if not spare wheels, having specific spokes good idea)

- Chain

- 2 spare large bottles (so 5 total)

- Newspaper (dry shoes/read)

- garbage bag (wet clothes)

4) Food (again specific to your needs and support)

- Bag (small duffel) for Food storage

- multiple zip logs for inside duffel

- 6 cliff bars

- 6 Gels (hammer)

- 6 serving's protein powder

- 4 servings Recoverite

- Multi Vitamin

- 3 Ensures

- Green's Powder

On the Bike

1) Clothes

- 3 sets of gloves (long finger)

- 1 set winter/waterproof gloves

- 1 Helmet

- 2 sets knee warmers

- 2 sets arm warmers

- 1 set leg warmers

- 2 long sleeve jerseys

- 3 short sleeve jerseys

- 1 thermal jacket

- 1 clear rain jacket

- 4 pairs of riding socks

- 1 pair of tights (can be used as 'long johns' if cold at night)

- 2 vests

- 2 sets sunglasses

- 1 Dry Lube (T9) 1 Wet Lube

2) accessories/tools

- 3 big bottles or hydration pack (2L minimum)

- 1 SRAM quick link

- 1 super small chain lube

- Small Bottle Pack
- 4 CO2 Cartridges

- Co2 / Hand Pump (does co2 and manual pumping) 2 patches duct taped to handle

- 1 Derailleur Hanger

- 1 spare tube (2 depending on day)

- Multi Tool w/ chain breaker, Philips, flat head, Allen keys up to 8mm

- First Aid Kit Pack w/ emergency blanket & Whistle
- 2 zip ties

- 1 waterproof / disposable camera

- Heart Rate Monitor / HRM Strap (GPS if apply, ensure have alarm for waking)

Steve and Peter

Need Help Training for Endurance Sport ? www.steveneal.ca

Questions and Answers from Comments !

2009-09-08T16:46:00.000-07:00

Provincial Champ Catherine Vipond ... Coming into Form for CTS in the Mixed Cateogory

Well thanks for the questions ! nothing gets us more excited then some feedback and perhaps some questions to spark some ideas and thinking !

1) RH = thanks for sharing, sounds like you are ready to race crank ... follow the program into the race and you will polish off your fitness and arrive ready.
-- also look into some lights for the fall, its good night riding this time of year ! (and trainer time is far too close !)
--- good feedback on the pack ... definately don't do anything for the first time the week before the race

2) Recovery from offroad / upperbody fatigue -- this is why we try and mix offroad / gravel and road training so that the muscular fatigue of offroad riding can be recovered from ... some ideas to speed your recovery off of a big weekend ( love to hear about yours !)
1) ice baths - research back and forth but most people who give it an honest shot actually do like it and do it regularly ... even rubbing ice packs on sore spots for 15min helps if your a little shy to the 'plunge'

2) yoga and active flexibility - especially after a warmup these active movements help with any tightness ... we will try to post some ideas with the workout of the week this week at www.steveneal.ca but googling or getting a good book on either is a good idea (better yet take some friends to a class !) ... focus should not be core or fitness but rather recovery/rejuvination

3) easy spins and cadence ON ROAD easy ... like a walk on the bike ... always feel a bit crappy to start but after 30-60min of easy spinning (mabey some hi rpm drills and./or one leg) you should feel rejuvinated (and this should help get upper body a bit loosened up too)

most of all just do not sit still ... and do ice after you warmup/stretch as it does help.

any other thoughts / questions welcome ... HOW DO YOU RECOVER ???

3) S. and how to approach last few weeks

Well the crank program we offered should get you there nicely the last 2 weeks rely on this past weekend's blocked volume (simulation rides) and then recovery through this week.

This coming weekend (one week out) we have a longer tempo ride is on saturday and shorter endurance (easy) on sunday ... then recovery (easy spins) monday, a race prep workout on tuesday and then off wednesday and super easy spin thursday

THe race prep workout on tuesday is really dependant on fitness and what you need

<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
1 - 2 hrs as your fitness permits ... focus today is on keeping you primed to perform rather then gaining fitness so get the work done and then focus on your recovery.

WU: 15min endurance effort
-- complete 4 rounds of:
- 15sec sprint standing
-30sec High Cadence @ 110+ RPM - easy gear
- dismount and run 10 steps
- remount and ride easy endurance for 1min

Main WO:
1 ) 3x3min Max efforts on moderate gravel hill (if possible) on mtb race bike.
- cadence 90-95RPM
- recover 3min b/w easy
2) As you finish last 3min interval go right into 20min steady Tempo on rolling gravel 80-83%MHR / cadence 80-85RPM.

CD: finish workout endurance 90+ RPM
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

So we do intensity the weekend before and even a few days out ... how much intensity would depend (in an ideal situation) on the athlete and where they are interms of fitness and recovery and also their goals ... a general options drawing from above workout

a) If you are fatigued and still feeling a bit slow going up stairs then just doing the warmup of this workout and calling it a day would be a great wake up a few days before the event.

b) If your fitness is pretty high the above workout would be great ...

c) Inbetween ? ?? look at 2 x 2 min intervals followed by 5-10 min tempo

Great questions ... keep them coming and certainly propose your own ideas or philosophy

Feel free to challenge (Steve loves a good debate ! that is how we learn afterall !)

Steve and Peter

www.steveneal.ca

so How did the weekend Go ???

2009-09-07T17:55:00.000-07:00

With under 2 weeks how did this weekend go ???

What did you do to gain confidence ???

We would love some feedback even if anonymous !!

Many SNPD athletes did a race sim with 3 good hard days, some included the marathon champs on Sunday

Some learning experiences we had this weekend included:

fatigued upper body

discomfort with packs

poor fueling = poor last couple hours (and recovery next day)

The need for tools to be self sufficient

pacing too hard / too easy

... All valuble experiences that are out of the way and ready to be built upon with a couple workouts this week and then recovery into the race

Drop us a line and tell us what you did and what you learnt

Steve and Peter

Remember to register before Peter ups the price on Fall Colors Camp Tuesday Morning !

http://www.steveneal.ca/fall-colors-camp.html

Get Packing and Use your Gear This weekend !

2009-09-05T18:30:00.000-07:00

So may not apply to everyone but for those of us 'Crankers' ( Suggestions for participant name welcome ! ) ... it is time to think about traveling to the race, packing for the race... how to get stuff in bags, what stuff needs to be in the bag.

This may be a good solution to cram more in those great Crank Duffels or into a bike box if you are flying to Crank 2009, or maybe overseas for a few World Cups.

These vacuum bags cost approx. $20 bucks for 3 (2 medium / 1 larger then shown) and hold a bunch of stuff as Steve has done a great job of demonstrating. These were from Wal-Mart.

On the note of preparation ... This is the weekend to be out with ALL your gear and ALL your fueling stuff ... Take advantage of the long weekend and work out the kinks, make the mistakes BEFORE the big weekend ( 2 weekends away in case you aren't crossing the days off a MTB themed Calendar )

Steve and Peter

ALSO this weekend is the last weekend with the 'Early Bird' Price for the SNPD Fall Colors Camp ... this is a great way to finish off 2009 and start working on 2010 ... Here's the link http://www.steveneal.ca/fall-colors-camp.html

Should you race this weekend ???

2009-09-01T14:55:00.001-07:00

Had a few questions about how close to the big 3 day is okay to race or do a big weekend or a 2-3 day simulation

Those following the Crank the Shield Plan (and enjoying their FREE training account ... and reaping the benefits of logging their own training) will know that this coming weekend ( 2 weekends out) has a 3 day block with Steve's workout of the week on Friday (with 45-60 min on each end riding) .. .a long ride with tempo on Saturday and a long ride mostly endurance on Sunday (see below for screenshot of the week)

For most people given that after this coming weekend you still have 2 weeks to recover we would have no problem with a big simulation block (getting close to race distance / time at least one day ) and a longer ride with a bit of steady tempo ( which is really a bit harder then most people will go in a long stage race ) on the other day.

Provincial Marathon Champs are this weekend and for anyone looking for some motivation and race simulation this may be a great choice for your weekend ... many of our own athletes doing the Crank will be there taking on the full marathon distance

Whether you do have or full distance is really dependant on how confident you are in you race fitness and ability to ride for the durations in crank. with 2 weeks after the race though recovery should not be an issue if you take care in the weeks following and fuel well during the race.

If the full marathon distance is going to really challenge you try taking it easy on Friday Saturday endurance with a bit of tempo (you define how long a mid-long ride would be for you or ask!) and then race Sunday ... if you feel okay on Monday a longer basic endurance ride would be great ... if you are really fatigued then you can take the day easy or off.

In any case do not ride the whole weekend alone ... use fast friends for the days you need to go fast and use your less fast friends on the days you just need to get through (like Monday after the race)

Enjoy the journey, USE YOUR RACE EQUIPMENT and feel free to follow up via comments section of the blog !

Steve and Peter

PS. Remember Fall Colors Camp Registration goes up Labor Day ... Don't' miss getting your registration in !! www.steveneal.ca

Questions ??? email Peter @ peter@steveneal.ca

Manny Prado at Leadville ... Think of this when it gets crazy at Crank 2009

2009-08-31T17:47:00.000-07:00

Race Versus Survival At The Leadville Trail 100

Manny Prado | Profile

August 21, 2009

Over 1400 riders where line up at 6:30am in the streets of the one time super famous town of Leadville, the front of the pack was there to race and about 1300+ riders where there to just finish and try to crack that 9 hour mark so they can take home one of those shinny belt buckles, along with the pride of saying that they smoked it in less than 9 hours, other riders where strictly for business.

This is my second time doing the race, last year I did not have enough time to acclimate, so this year the plan was to arrive about 9 days before the race to get used to the 10.000+ feet elevation. Thanks to Max Taam and his roommates for hosting me, because of the time I had to acclimate I was able to breath and go harder this time around.

At the front of the pack I could sense the tension, as the two favorites Dave Wins and Lance Armstrong looked at each other with a scared look on their faces not knowing what today was going to bring.

6:30am sharp the shotgun was fired and off we went, last year the start was neutral for about 3k, but this year it felt like we started racing right off from the start, this year attracted more top pro riders some of them were: Tinker Juarez, Travis Brown, former winner Bryson Perry. 6 time Leadville champ Dave Wins and Lance Armstrong along with them there were some 1400+ more riders.

I had trained hard for this day and was as prepared as I could be, weeks prior I was riding 22+ hours per week to get ready for this 7+hour race.

Like I mentioned before the start was fast and riders where anxious to get to the front and show what they had, this year I knew that I need it to be smart in order to place well, so I decided no to do any work at the front and just follow wheels to save energy for the main climb of the day, the Columbine Mine. During the start at the flatter sections of the race we where doing over 45kph, at the base of the first climb the pace was still strong and for very many it was more than what they could handle, quickly there where only 7 of us at the front with a gap that was increasing each second, I was just able to barely hang, by the top of the first climb I had lost about 10-15 seconds, I knew that I could close this gap in the descent so I was not too worry about it and wanted to save energy, plus closing gaps on the down hills is a blast.

By this point we had the first and second climb out of the way, we were about 11 minutes faster than last years time just 2 hours into the race, the next group behind us was 6 minutes back, so I knew that I need it to stay in contact with that front group in order to be able to draft in the upcoming flatter sections of the course.

Just about starting the Power-line descent it started raining, it is still 8am, the temperature at the start was about 37F, and now is raining. I had on me a long sleeve under layer, my team Jersey, thick arm warmers and a vest. All this clothes were not helping very much as I was getting wet under my clothes. By the bottom of the descent I was with the pack once again, the pace was still strong and by this point I was totally wet, feet, face and hands were starting to freeze.

At the aid station I was handed my muset bag by the Carmichael Training Systems support crew, my hands were so cold that I could not grab much of what was on the bag.

I was able to hang with the front for another 20 minutes and by them my body was starting to shut down and using most of it’s energy to keep me warm and alive. Tinker and one of his teammates were also feeling the cold as we were all starting to loose ground to the front pack of now 4 riders. By the time we got to the Twin Lakes aid station I was totally devastated, Tinker and his teammate were far back loosing even more time to the now leading rider Lance Armstrong. I was ready to stop my race there for safety reasons, but at the aid station there were so many people cheering for me that all I could do was get a rain jacked on and keep moving forward, I was so out of it that someone had to put the jacket on for me. About halve way up the 1+hour Columbine climb I was still really cold and was starting to loose vision of my left eye, once again I thought about quitting but this time my motivation was not to let myself my friends or my sponsors down, so I decided to just ride and not worry about the race and try to survive.

I usually never stop at the aid stations while at a major race, but this time I did, in fact I stopt for a few minutes and had some brownies, 2 sandwiches and a Coca Cola, about 4 riders had gone by without stopping, one of the guys at the aid station told me that Lance was about 25 minutes in front, I looked a him and said “I don’t care” in fact I didn’t, all I wanted was to finish and survive. I kept loosing ground everywhere, now I could not see very well and the major descent of the day was here, I rode really slow and took no chances, by the bottom of the descent I was now on 9th place with Jason Tullous from Carmichael Training Systems to ride with, I wanted to do more work for him but all I could do was to hold his wheel and take some pulls here and there. By now I was starting to feel my hands and be able to shift with my fingers, for the past 3 hours I was shifting with the palm of my hand, so I went ahead and took off the rain jacked and grabbed my muset bag at the Pipe-line 2 aid station, I looked at the time I realized that we had only 2 more hours to go.

Jason did most of the work on the lesser steep climbs and I did some work on the steeper parts, by the top of the last climb another rider had joined us, in my brain knew that I could descent fast but my vision was almost none, so soon enough I crashed on a turn and got some good dirt rash, bent my bars and lost even more confidence, quickly I fixed the bike and got going, as much as I could I went fast and closed the gap to the two riders in front, by now just like any other racer I was starting to think how to edge out the other two riders so I could get 8th rather than 9th or 10th, by this point we were in Leadville town and there was a little rise right before the finish, I knew that this was a better place for me to attack rather than waiting till the finish line, so I did and it paid off, by the time I hit the finish I was about 100 meters ahead of Mike HOGAN who finished 9th with Jason Tollous in 10th.

I can easily say that this was the hardest day I’ve had on the bike by far, many thoughts of quitting not only the race but the sport in general, yes that is how bad I was suffering out there.

The way we grow up and the things we do day by day will make us who we are and who we will be in the future, I was able to come out on top on this one, but it was not easy. Many of us will eventually come to a point weather in racing or live when we want to quit, but keep in mind that sometimes all we need is to push a little and little more to get over the hump, at the end the result could be very rewarding.

The night after the race I was able to go to sleep knowing that I gave it my all and made a difference in my live and hopefully the live of all of those around me. If I was able to inspire at least one person then that makes all that suffering worth it, one by one is how we can make a difference and change the world.

Thanks for reading, Manuel Prado.

Remember to register for Fall colors camp .. www.steveneal.ca

Too Late ?

2009-08-27T15:11:00.001-07:00

We are getting close ... but you knew that right ???

Have had a bunch of people asking about Crank and getting registered which is great to see.

I am not sure it is motivated by Lance winning Leadville, but there's a picture of him anyhow !

While huge gains in fitness aren't going to happen so close to the event (just about 3 weeks !) we can still make a difference in how the race goes with a bit of training, a bit of preparation and a bit of education

1) prepare - get registered, get the gear you will need, use the drink and equipment you will use, ride like you will race (ie. not pinning it for an hour everyday)

2) practice things that will save time, dismounts/mounts, riding with no hands, getting things out of your pockets, learning to change flats, what about a couple instructional sections to improve technical skill (even with a knowledgeable friend who is willing to teach rather then show ?)

3) Read through the training blog for more ideas and ask some questions ... we are here for you guys so anything goes ... give us your scenerio and let's put together some ideas to help you make the most of CRANK THE SHIELD 2009 !!!!!!!!!!

Steve and Peter

Check out our latest post on our site ... take a step out of your comfort level, PERFORM ! www.steveneal.ca

When you are done Crank How about we work on those limiters to help get 2010 started ?? Check out our October Fall Colors Camp LINK

Try Racing ?

2009-08-26T04:51:00.001-07:00

Have you tried Racing Yet ???

What are you waiting for ???

There is many grassroots, beginner races around that help get beginner and/or young riders into the sport

Tonight is the last night for the Wednesday Nighter in King, Free BBQ and it is Retro Night !!!

www.superflyracing.com

For those of you racing this weekend it could be that last competitive midweek intensity workout before the big race

To combine the two ... why not bring a friend out to try a race for the first time ?

Have fun !

Steve and Peter

Need Help Training for Endurance Sport ? www.steveneal.ca

Nutrition Reminder ! Make these last few weeks Count and Be Ready to fuel during Race !

2009-08-25T08:31:00.001-07:00

This week, on your long rides especially, remember to use the energy source (gel/bar/powder) you plan to use in the race. Experimenting with different brands should be done in advance of the race to ensure there aren't surprises during our 3 day adventure. In addition to using a energy source try to use the same amount of the given energy source you plan to use in the event and watch how well it maintains your energy, how you respond to that much liquid / calories / type of calories.

The main things you want to watch for are major dips in energy, declines in performance that aren't related to excessive ride duration or 'bold' pacing earlier in the ride. Also watch for upset stomach, gas or nausea during or after the ride and finally how you feel a few hours after the ride, although re-fuelling properly immediately and in the hours after your workout should help combat sloppy nutrition during the ride.

Some key notes for in-ride nutrition (see earlier post for details)

1) Aim for at least 200kcal / hr. Do experiment with a bit more to see how much you can handle but for most people their limit, at least without some conditioning to higher intakes, is in the 200-240kcal range (body size/composition would come into play here as well). Note that calories burned can not be replaced entirely during the ride we can only absorb/digest so much per hour! I would suggest trying to include some protein in your calories (ie. From the event sponsor Accelerade, solid food/bars or Hammer's Sustained would be examples)

2) Try for most of the calories to be from more liquid sources, especially as intensity increases. For the length of Crank The Shield some bars and real food should be fine and will help with motivation. Those intending to ride more towards the front of the race should spend some extra time experimenting with what they can handle when riding steady endurance / tempo / threshold paces. Personally I know at tempo or higher I have to stick mostly to gels/powders but can slowly consume a bar or banana in small pieces over the course of an hour or two.

3) Remember to consume water with solid food and gels especially. General recommendations are usually around 4oz per gel (~100kcal) and should likely be maintained in that rough range for bars/food as well.

4) Hydration should be in the 20-25 ounce range (generally) this has been covered in past posts and again should be personalized based on experience and conditions (more in excess heat / intensity). Watch consuming more then 28 oz of water consistently (ie. Before and during races) due to the risk of hyper hydrating (hyponatremia).

5) Start hydrating and fuelling AT THE START of your ride/race. So many people wait until 1 or 2hrs in and by then you have missed a chance to get calories in (again we can only absorb so much at once) and consequently gone down the road to dehydration and energy crisis (bonk, hypoglycaemia etc.) Starting early will help to ensure your last hour (whether that is 3 or 9 hours!) will be as strong as your last.

Steve and Peter

Ps. Check out new Crossfit Class Schedule at www.crossfitorangeville.com

Pss. Have you got your spot for our 3 day Adult MTB skill Retreat in October ??? Enjoy the colors and get started on a successful 2010 ... www.steveneal.ca SPACE IS LIMITED AND GOING FAST

Ride with your Partner Before the Race or Else !

2009-08-19T05:17:00.001-07:00

SNPD Athlete Mical Dyck (center) with her Partner Jeff on one of their 2009 Transrockies Podiums !

We haven't really addressed one of the most challenging components of MTB stage racing yet dealing with a partner! While some athletes have opted to enter the race solo (a pretty unique option in mtb stage racing) many others have gone the team route and decided to share their experience with another rider.

Being prepared to ride with a partner is important. There will always be a 'weaker' partner and this has to be accepted and the idea of moving the team towards the finish line as quickly as possible embraced. All to often teams will ride the whole race with one partner well ahead and the other partner trying to match the pace but slowly losing performance as the stage, and the race, goes on.

With a few weeks to go, now is a great time to go out and ride with your partner. Practice riding together both on and off-road. Learning what your partner looks/sounds/acts like when they are going too hard may help save a catastrophic on-trail explosion and keep your team moving steadily towards the finish each day.

Many teams may opt to have the stronger partner carry a greater proportion of the load (tools/hydration/nutrition). On rideable climbs an occasional push may help reduce exertion and on smoother hike-a-bikes they may even push their partner's bike (and their own) up climbs to give them a break. Gravel and pavement sections allow time for the stronger partner to do more of the work into the wind and on slower sections the less-fit partner can lead so they have a clear view of the trail and do not get down on always being the one behind!

The important part is to have a familiarity with your partner, their abilities and character so that any obstacle can be quickly overcome and conflict avoided. Before heading north at the end of the month get out and ride with your partner and also discuss your objectives for the event and how you will deal with things like flats, illness etc. Having confidence and understanding is another way to ensure you (and your partner) will have an enjoyable and successful campaign.

So how are you and your partner getting ready for 2009 Crank the Shield ????????????????????????????????????????????? LET US KNOW IN COMMENTS !!!!

Steve and Peter

www.steveneal.ca

Ps. Remember to work on your finish line celebration I recommend rocking the baby or the classic high five while cheering your team name

SNPD Announces Fall Colors Adult Mountain Bike Camp at Hardwood Ski and Bike

2009-08-17T12:05:00.001-07:00

2009 Fall Colors Camp

Willing to dedicate 3 days this fall to learning how to train Smarter, Race Faster, and Live Healthier?

Then join Steve Neal Performance Development this October 9, 10 and 11th at Hardwood Ski and Bike for a 3 day retreat dedicated to improving the skills of adult mountain bikers with novice to advanced skill sets. Each day includes assessment and correction, Crossfit Strength workouts, seminars and plenty of riding. The Weekend includes Fact Testing, personal program development and workout file analysis valued at over $100 each. Your registration also includes deluxe resort lodging, a small instructor to Client Ratio and organic lunches and snacks.

Check out www.steveneal.ca for more info and to Register Now to secure your Spot and to lock in the Summer Price, which GOES UP SEPT 1st !

Questions? Please feel free to email us at Rachael@steveneal.ca or call 519-938-0952

Wish to be removed from this list ?? please respond with just the word 'unsubscribe' in the subject line

Adam's Answers to My questions about Crank !

2009-08-13T19:07:00.001-07:00

1) So what can we expect in terms of elevation this year ??? longest climb ??? amount of climbing per stage ?

Stage #1 should be much cleaner than last year.

Stage #2 will have re-routes around the major bogs.

2) How important will dismounting be compared with last year ??? last year I think it played a huge role in the race ... will It this year ???

We are hoping dismounting won't play as big a roll this year.the goal is way less dismounting.

3) last year's big break in the leaders was made in stage two towards the end ... would you expect this to be the site of major attacks / gaps again ???

In the technical Single track on first and last stage at Haliburton I can see gaps opening

4) How will the wet season this year affect from last year ?

All indications are a little bit dryer than last year

5) More single track this year ??? more technical ???

It will be more technical this year, for sure more singletrack as we are starting and finishing at Haliburton Forest.

6) Stage distances / expected finish times going to be about the same ???

Stage finishing times are aiming to be the same!

Peter Glassford

How about a 3 Day Camp to Refine your Skills and Knowledge ? www.steveneal.ca

24 hrs Nutrition and Tips (question through Comments)

2009-08-12T07:49:00.001-07:00

Thanks for a great question from Braden through the comments section of the blog

Each of us had a few different ideas for you and others looking at this challenging event

this is also applicable to races like Crank as repeated efforts in relatively short durations are required

Steve Thoughts

my tips wouldn't necessarily be nutrition but I get asked this a lot and I always suggest

a) proper warmup and A COOLDOWN

- take a trainer and spin easy for 20 min or so no matter what time of day or night your lap finishes

- get in 20 to 30 min warmup with lots of coordination training (one leg / high cadence) NO matter when your lap is

...you feel like crap getting on the bike to warmup but the lap goes so much better.

Rachael Thoughts

- eat quickly after laps-good carbs, protein and fat in the meal and or recoverite

- I usually take a gel on the line and make sure I am getting calories from sport drink during the ride

- Late night meal of Soup seems to help me get through those cold nights

- Having a few premade PB and J , fruit salads and pasta with meat sauce and veggies eliminates the excuse of being to tired to make food.
- If you have trouble getting calories in 'Ensure' meal replacements can help keep you topped up

Keep it simple, nothing new, just the regular stuff that works for training or other races.

Peter Thoughts

- Remember that the overall goal is to cover the most ground you can in 24 hrs, as a team or solo this means holding YOUR BEST AVERAGE SPEED

- this requires watching how hard you go early in the race (I often use 85% MHR as a general rule but really holding back on first few laps helps make late laps much better)

- also look at fueling each lap with 220+kcal in your bottles, post lap a recovery meal (whatever usually works) is great and try and have laps scheduled so you can get a few real meals into you during the day but leave at least 2-3 hrs before the next lap

- watch going to spicy / fatty / fibrous during the race ... keep it simple

Peter Glassford
Put down your deposit for Fall Colors Camp ! www.steveneal.ca
Sign up for Free Training account at www.cranktheshield.com

July 11 2009 Workouts of the Week

2009-08-11T06:39:00.001-07:00

STEVE'S WORKOUT OF WEEK

*for Crank the shield Participants this can be switched to Friday and done as a 3 day block with sat/sun

after 1 hour off road endurance complete the following:

10 pushups - 20 sec off - 20 sec max effort on the bike - 20 sec off -- continue for 1 hour

then 45 min endurance

then max burpees in 15 minutes

then 15 min easy spin

********************* Post how you found this workout to comments please ! *********************************************

Peter's Workout of the Week

In your warmup or endurance workout this week include

- 5x30sec spinups building to max cadence, hold max cadence for last 10sec of each interval

* 3min endurance b/w

- at end of workout do 5x1min @110 - 120 RPM

* 1min b/w each at endurance effort / comfy cadence

- Note that gearing should be used to keep focus on cadence vs. max efforts

Steve and Peter

Ps. Deposit now available for Fall Colors Camp Register www.steveneal.ca

Pss. Go Mical Dyck who is racing in Transrockies this week !

Fw: Some Questions with Sean Rupel about 2009 Crank ... Pictures Too

2009-08-10T07:26:00.000-07:00

I had a chance to ask Sean a few Questions this past week ... here are some answers for ya !!!

1) So what can we expect in terms of elevation this year ??? longest climb ??? amount of climbing per stage ?

A: Same elevations for days 2 and 3, though the super flat stage 1 is replaced by more and longer climbs, including

some real doozies within Haliburton Forest

2) How important will dismounting be compared with last year ??? last year I think it played a huge role in the race ... will It this year ???

a: The goal is to keep you on your bike and drier than last year. Day 1 has a 20km stretch of ATV trail that we will be doing some rerouting

on, while Day 2, the wilderness and truly epic day, will be heavily re-routed aswell, where possible. If we avoid another 4 inches of rain

the previous week it will be much drier than last year.

3) last year's big break in the leaders was made in stage two towards the end ... would you expect this to be the site of major attacks / gaps again ???

a: I would expect the same for day 2, while the hills of days 1 and 3 can make a break happen just about anywhere.

4) How will the wet season this year affect from last year ?

a: WHile we've had another off year thisfar, it is drier in the north and we expect a later Indian summer much like last year.

Last year the best weekend of the year was labour day, and the course conditions became excellent after that weekend,

only to get drenched again in the aftermath of hurricane Ike. We're hoping for better luck this year, but barring that,

we're putting considerable effort into singletrack re-routes that will keep you on your bike and make the experience

all the better.

5) More single track this year ??? more technical ???

a: Day 1 has some great singletrack within the Haliburton Forest, including a 2.5km section built specifically for Crank the Shield.

The day also ends with 3km on singletrack right at the finish, at Camp Kandalore. Day 2's re-routes will add a singletrack quality,

while Day 3 will have the same epic power line start and wicked singletrack.

6) Stage distances / expected finish times going to be about the same ???

a: Day 1 and 3 are expected to be a bit longer, while Da6y 2 remains the same.

7) Is there a french pastry chef on night 2 as well ???

a: To our knowledge the chef will again be there, as will the free beer!

8) Any other new additions are things we should know about or tell our friends about ???

a: Apart from rewarding riding, Crank the Shield rekindles the feelings of being at Summer Camp, meeting new

people and being pushed to do things you wouldn't normally do. Come have the experience of a lifetime!

Fw: [Training for the Shield] New comment on Eat After Your Workout !.

2009-08-07T08:09:00.001-07:00

Below is a question we Received Yesterday feel free to post your questions related or not as it is coming fast !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Eat After Your Workout !":

Thanks Steve and Peter for posting the training plan and for sharing information.

Is a recovery drink still recommended after a easier/lower intensity type of workout?
How many grams of carbohydrates and protein should a good recovery drink have for a ~180lb. person?

Thanks,
RH

Thanks for the Question RH

a) for an easy spin without intensity under 60-90min a recovery drink or high carbohydrate meal isn't really required since stores have not really been depleted. Eating soon after is still important but this would be a great time to focus on a more natural meal of fruits / veggies and lean protein. Looking at having a more normal lunch (not huge) like a chicken breast / sweet potatoe and some spinach salad would be a great post workout meal.

Now that being said there isn't necessarily anything with premade recovery shakes post workout if that is your only option but best to go with real natural food when you can. Something like a high protein ensure or backing off your recovery drink to 1/2 the size/scoops etc. can work here as a quick 200-300kcal meal if you are squeezing in a workout on your lunch hour etc. But bottom line is there isn't such a need for high GI carbohydrate since there hasn't been a depletion or to extend the metaphor ... the glycogen window hasn't been opened.

b) A 3 or 4:1 is the ratio found to be most effective in most studies, this is what drinks like Hammer's Recoverite use and usually pretty similar in chocolate milk. Interestingly chocolate milk often performs equal or better in studies comparing it to commercial drinks ... whether you consume dairy would be another issue to consider though.

A recovery drink or meal should not be excessively big try and think a meal/ drink in first 30min and then another one in the hour or so after that.

For an athlete getting up towards 200lbs and training either long or intense you would be looking at going to 3 scoops of a product like Recoverite which means about 50 grams of carbs and 15 grams of protein.

As always it depends very much on what you are aiming to achieve in terms of performance and weight loss combined with individual factors like fitness, size, gender etc. so do take some time to try different approaches and ask more questions.

The most important thing beyond all the grams and pounds and powders is to eat regularily ... without a doubt biggest problem we see is not eating regularly through the day

Happy Training ! !

PS. Remember to Post Your Questions to Comments !!!

Eat After Your Workout !

2009-08-05T14:52:00.001-07:00

One of the biggest mistakes we see

Not eating right after the workout

How many times have you finished the big weekly world champs only to jump right into the car and drive an hour home, shower, clean your bike, clean the kids ... but never eating

Even if you are looking to shave a few pounds this the hours around your workouts are not the places to skimp

In the 30min after your workout glycogen synthesis (restocking fuel stores) happens at a greatly accelerated rate.

Miss the window and you will take longer to restock those precious stores, which means increased recovery time and/or poor performance tomorrow

A quickly digestible recovery drink (commercial, homemade or the fan-favorite low fat chocolate milk) in these 30min can make all the difference.

Follow this with a meal in the 1-2 hrs after your workout and you are set ... this can be a healthy dinner with whole grains and of course veggies / lean protein.

We know this but how many of us get caught up in real life, driving home etc. without considering refueling ????????

Questions let us know but do remember to eat first

Steve and Peter

www.steveneal.ca

PS. check out the options we are offering with our Fall Colors Camp ... might be a good place to work on any limiters Crank The Shield Exposes !!!

Pss. check out www.trainwithpeter.com as he has shared a few of his meals over the past few weeks

Can you Ride no Hands ?

2009-07-29T07:22:00.000-07:00

Riding with no hands at first may seem like a trick young kids perform while passing summer days and drinking too many cola beverages

BUT !!!

in fact it is a necessary skill for bike racing, especially endurance stage racing.

Why !?!?!?

Racers need to be able to remove clothing, access food, pass supplies between partners (and celebrate victory!)

HOW !?!?!?!

Practice in small steps in a safe area with no cars / stop lights / holes etc.

Take one hand off and sit up straight ... practice getting supplies out of pockets with this strategy
(practice with both hands)

Then start working on taking hands gently off bars usually one at a time works best, no sudden moves but don't tense up ... remember small corrections make big changes ... knees can help steer the bike.

Usually pedaling actually helps the process but experiment with both as both pedaling and coasting with no hands eventually will need to be done.

Speed is your friend ... its much harder to ride no hands at slow speed so think 15-20km/h at least.

Once you can ride with no hands work your way through stretching, accessing small items from pockets (gels etc.) and then to the jacket removal and stuffing in pocket followed by removal form pocket and donning of the jacket !

Have fun and be safe

Steve and Peter

PS. Adam and Hayden were out recruiting some Quebec talent at this weekend's World Cup in Mt. Sainte Anne Quebec ... Time to get serious about your prep ... do you have your training account yet ??? ask how you can make the most of your prep with the time we have left ! (under 2months !?!?!? )

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Peter on sketch rock downhill at mt. st anne world cup

2009-07-28T05:10:00.000-07:00

Video from the tech rock downhill at this past weekend's race attached (thanks to Amanda Sin for the video and the cheering props as I descended !)

bit of a story and more pics to come at www.trainwithpeter.com or www.peterglassford.ca

we posted another video of Andrew Watson doing same downhill day before in practice at www.steveneal.ca

The Daily Email From Training Peaks for Friday ... Join Today !

2009-07-17T06:19:00.000-07:00

They Have really improved this email in the last week ... post your results or questions to comments please !

Home | Blog | Support | Login

Hello crank shield,

Your Workouts for Friday

Peter's Workout of the Week

Your Workouts for Saturday

Tempo Long

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To use Hydration Pack or Not ... that is the question from Email

2009-07-16T13:52:00.000-07:00

Great Question today from one of our SNPD clients who is taking on the Crank

The Question:

Hey Steve and Peter

- Did you use a camel back? I was thinking of using one but have never liked wearing them very much but can see how it would be advantageous in a Race like Crank the Shield.

The Answer

Great thought here and thanks for posing this as I am sure many people have thought of this (or should be thinking about it !)

If you look at any of the big mtb stage races you will see the top 10-20 teams not using hydration packs and carrying the bare minimum as far as equipment goes. There are many cases where they get burned and run out of fuel or need tools / clothes that should be ( are recommended to be) carried with each rider.

The top riders are typically out for 3-4.5 hrs and with 3 aid stations (every 30km approx) they can usually do quite well on 2 bottles and whatever bars/gels are in their pockets.

For riders who are going to be taking longer then an hour b/w aid stations it is likely that bottles may become an issue, especially for riders with only 1 cage as they need to carry spare tube/pump/hanger/jacket etc. to ensure they make it through the stage and jersey pockets can quickly start running low. Additionally consider this load of stuff in your pockets and the discomfort of such bulk in the pockets vs. the bulk of a well designed pack.

The security of having everything zippered away in a pack is also nice compared to always checking to see that your last mars bar hasn't ejected.

There are tons of packs out there ... I love the new Ergon packs and they are worth checking out due to their nicely designed harness system and airflow b/w pack and rider.

Thanks for the Question Please feel free to comment below with your strategy for packs vs. Bottles OR POST ANY FEEDBACK YOU HAVE !!!

Day Off - Watch Nationals

2009-07-13T12:56:00.000-07:00

How was your weekend ? Many of Canada's Best were at the National Championships in Quebec ... some nice Canadian Rock to be had as well !

Today on Your off day watch the Video (women's race also a great video at cyclingdirt.org)

Watch The Men's Race from Nationals ! It's Motivating !

Great Job Colt / Cycling Dirt !

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Pre- Workout Nutrition

2009-07-09T12:02:00.001-07:00

Find Yourself less then energetic after riding for only a short while ???

Find yourself wondering what to eat and when ???

Try the following before EVERY workout so that you are ready come race day:

2-3 Hrs Prior to ride consume 200-400 kcals

- Focus on complex carbs and a little protein

- Avoid High Fiber, simple sugars and Fat in pre workout meal

- Avoid eating in the 1-2 hrs prior to the workout ... if you must eat in this window try something like a gel (1-200kcal) within 5 min of workout start.

Ideas ?

- Bowl of oatmeal / yogurt

- fruit (ie. banana) and yogurt

- Peanut butter / honey sandwich

- skinless baked potatoe w/ yogurt

- sport drink like Accelerade (aim for something with a bit of protein)

Post the meal that works for you Please

Steve and Peter

www.steveneal.ca

Weekend Race Sim ?

2009-07-06T04:39:00.000-07:00

What did you do on the weekend to get ready for the big race ?

Many of our athletes were out doing race sims for Crank or other stage races.

This meant riding with their packs, similar fueling practices, pacing etc.

For those athletes racing in Bromont they got a good taste of dismounts and running !

Good experiences had by Jerome Samson, Matt Farquharson, Stuart Loney, Matt Farqharson, Holly Hamilton and Peter Glassford in the Mud and Rocks !

Great Job Guys

Steve and Peter

**** SIGN UP FOR YOUR TRAINING PEAKS ACCOUNT AT TOP LEFT OF THIS PAGE ***
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So How did Week 1 of the Last 3 Months GO???

2009-07-04T13:56:00.001-07:00

Love to hear some results of the Gravel Road TT from Wed (or whenever you did it)

Here is my experience for the sake of sharing (Hope to get some return on this ! )

- I did this as part of a tempo workout I had, my best 10km was 17.5 min on a stretch i did in just under 18 earlier in the year, wattage was slightly higher to match this as well, but actually felt way easier and was in a harder workout so can feel some improved fitness ... how was your test !?!?!?! --

Did everyone get signed up for their trainingpeaks.com account ?

And did everyone get our Crank the Shield Plan added to their account ???

Please post questions / comments to the comments section of this entry ! (as always anonymous or nick-name is fine)

Peter and Steve

www.steveneal.ca

Next Block of Crank The Shield Training Courtesy Steve Neal Performance Development Now Available !!!

2009-06-29T14:45:00.001-07:00

The first 3 months have flown by, we have had over 60 people sign up for our training plan and look forward to hearing from those participants as we enter into the critical 3 months prior to the event.

Feel free to join in now, even if you are on the fence as to whether you will be participating in the race this year, it may serve to provide some consistency and variety to your summer training !

... the first week is a testing week and will set you up to join in at your own level of ability as the program moves towards the race.

Look for Steve and Peter of www.steveneal.ca to continue the flow of ideas, tips and question/answers at the crank the shield training blog

(Remember to post your experiences/comments/questions to keep things exciting!)

How do you get involved ?

1) Set up your training account at www.trainingpeaks.com

2) Go to https://home.trainingpeaks.com/training-and-nutrition-plans/purchase.aspx?p=10536 to get the plan (note that it is $0.00 )

3) Start Using your account and our Blog to log your training, ask questions and get in race shape for September 2009 !!!

Weekend

2009-06-28T04:31:00.001-07:00

Peter Out for a Ride with a Ergon Hydration Pack ... Remember to Use your Race Equipment to get Used to it !

How is your Weekend Going ?

Remember to keep pushing your endurance durations as we move through the program

While working on the tempo duration you can handle, maintain performance and recover from will do much to ensure high quality results

it is also important on the longer days to keep pushing the limits of your comforts at basic endurance pace (and your 'butt' endurance ... so to speak !)

Thinking about Packing

2009-06-26T08:38:00.000-07:00

Saw this video on Cycling Dirt today ... Never to early to be thinking about what you will need for your stage races !!!

Post Your thoughts for this and Results for Steve and Peter's Workouts (thurs / Friday)

Cycling Videos on CyclingDirt

**** SIGN UP FOR YOUR TRAINING PEAKS ACCOUNT AT TOP LEFT OF THIS PAGE ***
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**** New program out for July 1st !!!

Trouble Getting Out the Door ?

2009-06-25T04:43:00.001-07:00

So warm weather is here

The first Block of Races have Come and Gone

How is Your Daily Training Going ?

Are you able to complete most or all of the training set out before you each week ?

Regardless of where 'the plan' is coming from it is important that it matches your lifestyle, your abilities and your motivation/interest

This is something a good coaching service and/or a well laid out plan should accommodate

If you find yourself staring at the door or suddenly developing an interest in folding socks or dusting cobwebs when it comes time to ride it is time to look at your routine

Try keeping a log of your training and how your feel before / during / after your rides, how is your life stress on this day, focus?, performance ? what time of day are you riding ?

This information can help isolate days when you were not motivated or tired and then be used to refine the program to YOU

ie. Wednesdays may always be busy family or work days so perhaps these are good days to train in the morning with a short workout (like one of our workouts of the week !) or to take off .

Often people get stuck doing Monday and Friday off-days because that is how so many plans are organized but taking an off day for family on the weekend and an off day mid week when work gets hectic can be the thing that brings some people's training to then next level !

Have you made changes to your program that have helped to get or 'Keep you Moving??' Please let us know

Steve and Peter

www.steveneal.ca

PS. Grab your free training log at www.cranktheshield.com ... the log is free and so is the plan, love you to do the race but feel free to see what the plan and log are all about regardless !

PSS. The new Plan (last 3 months of training) is available July 1st ... a great week to start whether you have been following or not !

Rest Day - What did you Do this Weekend ?

2009-06-22T12:28:00.000-07:00

Post your Weekend Results or Stories Please !!

Wed and Thurs

2009-06-18T07:11:00.001-07:00

Master Ex. MTB Racer Brent Berger doing Some Wall Ball to keep things Balanced

Post your location for Wed and your Time for Steve's WO

Threshold ... post distance to Blog comments

2009-06-16T08:20:00.001-07:00

Focus on these 3 intervals today and let us know how you are finding them

Post distance to comments

Where did you ride on the Weekend ???

2009-06-15T09:50:00.001-07:00

Take today to recover and get your equipment all setup.

Also consider your weekend's rides and where you could improve ... did you fuel well ???

240+kcal seems to be the magic number for hourly fueling this varies with body size and exertion level

While you can 'survive' on less consider that you won't know if performance could have been better

or recovery ???

or even the impact that improper fueling has on immune and inflammation ???

Feel free to question and learn further !

Steve and Peter

Ps. take a look at Peter's weekend at www.trainwithpeter.com

Sunday Endurance !

2009-06-13T21:11:00.001-07:00

Riding some Endurance today !!!

Remember your Post Ride Burpees ...

FINISH LINE CHALLENGE
- Complete 30 Burpees for time

*** Remember Fueling/hydration like in the race - 15-25 Oz / water per hour and 200+ kcal per hour are general recommendations varying with body size and heat.

these are great rides to start using hydration pack if you are going to use one too

Thurs - Steve's Workout of the Week

2009-06-11T07:47:00.001-07:00

Do some Tabata Today

Post To Comments AND remember to compare to last time

RPM

Lets look at Cadence or Rotations per Minute (RPM) for endurance events. Off-road athletes often neglect this element of cycling performance but the efficiency and performance gains that can be had through cadence optimization are significant. A higher cadence allows the body to use the cardiovascular system more than the muscular system to perform the same work. This is analogous to moving a pile of bricks from one pile to another. We can lift one brick at a time and run it over to the other pile or several bricks and slowly walk/shuffle over to the pile with the bigger load. It is possible to complete the task at the same time but the muscular fatigue would be higher. For a long event (like the one we are training for) muscular endurance is often one of the largest limiters and for this reason it is worth working to optimize cadence.

A common and worthwhile goal is to aim to achieve a 90RPM average during one of your endurance If you currently are challenged to maintain a 80RPM average then start there and try to increase 2-3 RPM (average) per ride. Once at 90 RPM we suggest our riders try to balance in the 90-95RPM range during these steady endurance rides. This is 'easy' to watch and monitor on road rides (or gravel road/rail trail). On our mountain bikes we can focus on cadence on double track but also try to associate the feeling of 'optimal' cadence while we are pedaling up hills or on the flats. A caution that 90-95 RPM is usually the highest average cadence we ride extended durations at as there is a point above this zone where the power produced drops off and we loose efficiency (especially in mountain biking, we do see exceptions on the road and track).

Finally a great drill to include in your warm-up is some high cadence drills where you ride for a given duration (most commonly 3-6 reps of 30sec 2min) at 110+ RPM. This drill helps your neuromuscular system get used to pedaling at a very quick rate and in effect makes our goal of 90RPM more attainable after a few focused sessions. Play around with these cadence drills and average cadence goals and see how it affects your performance.

Endurance Day !

2009-06-10T07:14:00.000-07:00

Try and include a mix of offroad that lets you be fairly steady with rolling terrain and also some nice gravel / paved road

Post avg / max HR and / or distance for Ride

Steve and Peter

Need Help Training for Endurance Sport ? www.steveneal.ca
Sign up for Free Training account at www.cranktheshield.com

Tuesday - Pre Breakfast Flexibility and Strength + afternoon Endurance

2009-06-09T06:36:00.001-07:00

1) WU: 2 Rounds of your Choice from 2 Active flex Routines Posted on Crank the Shield Training Blog
Main WO:
Complete 2 Sets of As Many Rounds As Possible in 10min w/ exactly 4min complete rest b/w
3 pushups
6 situps
12 squats
24 jumping jacks
( POST TIME/ROUNDS TO TRAINING BLOG COMMENTS TO MOTIVATE OTHERS ! )
CD: stretch / Foam Roll limiter for 5+ minutes

2) In the Evening get in 1.5-2hrs steady endurance ... remember to push over the tops of those climbs and on downhills to maintain steady effort!

Sunday = Endurance + Finish Line Challenge

2009-06-07T05:43:00.001-07:00

Ride endurance focused on steady effort rather then very hard efforts when you 'have' to push up climbs and coasting over tops of climbs / flats.

This strategy helps to maximize the gains you are making to your endurance by not going so hard that you exceed the capacity of your aerobic system but that you don't go so easy in places that you give it a break.

Once train this strategy helps ensures a maintainable pace over longer durations and therefore the fastest finish time that you are capable of !

(disagree or have questions with this ? feel free to post to comments)

Remember today's FINISH LINE CHALLENGE
- Complete as many rounds in 10min as you can of 3 pullups / 6 pushups / 9 airsquats / 12 situps
- Post # of rounds and Where you did it to Training Blog Comments -

Peter Glassford

Peter's Workout of the Week

2009-06-05T04:59:00.001-07:00

BMX? Jogging ? bit of strength ??? Ultimate Frisbee ? Dodgeball ? Tossing the ole Pigskin ?

Post Your sport / activity

and Let us know what you thought of this Please !

Thurs - Steve's WO of the week

2009-06-04T05:29:00.000-07:00

No Substituting on the Running today !

Let us know how it goes !

5x5min Threshold day

2009-06-02T05:03:00.001-07:00

Think about those long steady climbs and extended open double track and road sections today !

Post the minimum and maximum distance covered in your intervals today

Sunday Endurance

2009-05-31T05:57:00.001-07:00

Endurance Day ... enjoy your ride !

FINISH LINE CHALLENGE - Complete 50 Pullups / 50 Pushups / 50 Situps / 50 Airsquats

- Post Time and Where you did it to Training Blog Comments -

Post How you are feeling going into Month 3 of 6 !!!!

2009-05-29T05:15:00.001-07:00

Today's Workout is Steve's Workout of the Week from www.steveneal.ca

It is a great maintenance workout to be done comfortably (not for time)

This would be a great way to start your morning OR to get introduced to some light strength work.

Remember (or inspect photos to get an idea) that crank the shield requires much more then simply pedaling your bike for 2-9 hours !

For that matter remember mountain biking requires more then pedaling ( Albion 2009 ? Buckwallow 2008 ? )

Happy Friday and be sure to post your thoughts on today and/or the program thus far as we start working on the final 3 months we would love your feedback

Steve and Peter

www.steveneal.ca

www.crossfitorangeville.com

www.trainwithpeter.com

Test Day

2009-05-27T05:30:00.001-07:00

Just heading out for a race sim of my own ... in the rain !!!

enjoy what the day provides ... be safe

Post Distance / avg - max HR / and compare to last 2 times if possible.

Tuesday - Pre Test Day - First week of Block 3 !

2009-05-26T03:47:00.000-07:00

So Pre Test day Today... focus on just your intervals and then spinning legs out very easily for rest of ride ... then good recovery !!!

Below is a video of Peter doing some intensity on his Trek Dually on some Gravel roads ... this is similar to what you will be looking for in terms of form and terrain for your TT.

Use today to get prepared for the test tomorrow this may be your 3rd time doing it and you should see some improvement if you have been sticking to the plan and looking after recovery.

For those of you who have not had time to start joining in with preparation you have only 4 months !

This is a great week to get started.

The next block of Training (final 3 Months) will be available at the end of June

Suggestions Welcome !

Steve and Peter

www.steveneal.ca

www.crossfitorangeville.com

www.trainwithpeter.com

**** SIGN UP FOR YOUR TRAINING PEAKS ACCOUNT AT TOP LEFT OF THIS PAGE ***
Get full Program Details, log your training AND optional features like daily workout emails !

Post How your Intensity Went for Saturday !!!

2009-05-23T15:35:00.001-07:00

Many good efforts out at Tremblant this weekend ... where did you do your tempo today ???

Wed and Thursday Workouts

2009-05-21T07:02:00.001-07:00

Post 2 Positives from your ride and 1 thing you would like to improve on.

www.steveneal.ca

www.crossfitorangeville.com

www.trainwithpeter.com

www.cranktheshield.com

www.superfly.com

Chico Newsletter - Post Distance for Tuesday Workout

2009-05-19T13:57:00.001-07:00

Hello Crank the Shield Participants,

Spring is here, and I hope your preparation for the 2009 Crank the Shield is going well. Here are a few updates for you and your teammate.

Crank the Shield jerseys and socks are available to new registrants until June 1^st, 2009 if you've got some riding friends that are thinking about Crank the Shield, let them know about this extra value, available only for one more month! We are also continually striving for the best value in stage racing with our pre-race package. Most recently Chamois Butt'r has come on board which means Chamois Butt'r will be included in your race package!

Special Note If your jersey size is different than your t-shirt size, please let us know, info@chicoracing.com .

If you're seeking some training advice, be sure to check out the Crank the Shield training blog, and interact with two of Ontario's premier coaches Steve Neal, and Peter Glassford: http://cranktheshield.blogspot.com/ .

We are looking for those special people that would like to volunteer their time to help make this event a huge success. If there is anyone you know that may be interested helping with this event (for the entire 3 days) have them contact me at info@chicocracing.com .

Chico Racing is incredibly excited for the 2009 course. Look for course updates to come in late spring early summer, as Sean has some exciting trail work planned for both Haliburton Forest, and brand new singletrack for Stage 2!

If you have any questions/concerns please feel free to contact our office.

Take care,

Sunday Endurance Ride

2009-05-17T05:10:00.001-07:00

FINISH LINE CHALLENGE - Complete 50 Burpees for Time

- Post Time and Where you did it to Training Blog Comments (remember to compare to last time we did this !)

Fueling You Ride

2009-05-16T03:55:00.001-07:00

1) Today's Workout = Tempo Day Post your Experience Please (distance / location / HR / Cadence / Total Tempo Time)

2) Fueling Your Ride

How much water do you drink?

How many Calories do you consume ?

One of the biggest mistakes we see is errors in one of these areas

Last year we did a nice post on this ( link )

This year I thought a brief summary of what is the current 'accepted' amounts ... the same amounts we use ourselves and with our clients

Hydration = 17-25 ounces of water / hr (500ml) ... do not exceed 30 ounces / hr or risk Hyponatremia (over hydration)

= vary with body size, exertion level and Heat

= develop a personal hydration strategy by experimenting with fluids / calories and by tracking performance and weight before/after rides aiming for 1-2 % Body Weight Loss.

Nutrition / Calories = 200-300 kcal / hr ... liquid is preferred for most calories (ie. Accelerade or Heed or Gatorade etc.)

= vary with body size

= under 60min rides (that aren't intense) can be done with only water or with water / electrolyte mix.

Putting it in practice = Use the above method in training EVERYDAY ... not doing so sets you up for stomach issues and poor performance come race day.

Throw back Questions and/or Personal Strategies

Steve and Peter

www.steveneal.ca

Endurance Day

2009-05-13T03:40:00.001-07:00

Bring home some litter ... one piece each makes for a nicer trail !

Post distance for day

Tueday

2009-05-12T04:42:00.001-07:00

Morning Strength

- Post comments and experiences -

PM Threshold

- Post avg/max cadence for intervals and/or distance covered -

Monday

2009-05-11T04:08:00.001-07:00

Workout #1: Day Off
Enjoy a day to recover. Feel free to do a very easy spin, stretch, go for a walk ... Anything to keep you moving. Remember to focus on recovery today in terms of sleep and nutrition. Another great idea is to get your equipment ready for the upcoming week!

Post your recovery activities today or what you did this weekend !

Sunday - Endurance or Race day ... Do your Finish Line Challenge !

2009-05-10T07:12:00.001-07:00

FINISH LINE CHALLENGE

- Complete as many rounds as you can in 10min of 5 Pullups / 10 Reverse Lunges / 15 situps

- Post # of rounds and Where you did it to Training Blog Comments

Find some place dry and Bust your Tempo !

2009-05-09T08:14:00.000-07:00

Or find some place muddy ... like Albion Hills this morning !

Post avg / max hr for each interval and/OR distance covered each interval

After your workout read this post about Nutrition / Hydration ... post questions / challenges please !

Friday - Peter's Workout

2009-05-08T06:37:00.000-07:00

Post the 2 Skills you Practiced

Also read latest blog @ at www.steveneal.ca before you practice your skills !

Thursday Steve's Workout of the Week

2009-05-07T03:48:00.001-07:00

Do Steve's Workout of the Week .

It's a very cool one this week (they are all cool but this one is getting good reviews)

Post rounds that it takes to get 100 Wall Balls

Endurance Night

2009-05-06T05:01:00.001-07:00

Post Your average Cadence and/or total distance

PS. Wednesday Nights At King Start Tonight ! www.superflyracing.com

Enjoy the Weather!

PG
Sign up for Email Updates to Our Blog at www.steveneal.ca

Tuesday

2009-05-05T05:42:00.001-07:00

Weekly Pre-Breakfast Workout #4

* try and leave 3hrs + b/w workouts today.

WU: 2 Rounds of your Choice from 2 Active flex Routines Posted on Crank the Shield Training Blog Main WO: JASON -- SORT OF 100 squats 5 dips 75 squats 10 dips 50 squats 15 dips 25 squats 20 dips

( POST TIME/ROUNDS/Modifications TO TRAINING BLOG COMMENTS TO MOTIVATE OTHERS ! ) CD: stretch / Foam Roll limiter for 5+ minutes

Monday Off day - Post what you did on Weekend !

2009-05-04T16:52:00.001-07:00

Weekend Results Include:

Emily at World Cup in Belgium ... 1st U23 again!

Jared Stafford 2nd at Spring bank RR.

Jerome Samson finishing in main pack at Spring Bank RR

and Peter getting towed around Hardwood Hills by Cadet's at the OCA Cadet Camp!!!

http://www.steveneal.ca

**** SIGN UP FOR YOUR TRAINING PEAKS ACCOUNT AT TOP LEFT OF THIS PAGE ***
Get full Program Details, log your training AND optional features like daily workout emails !

30/30 and tempo day ... post where you did it

2009-05-02T17:01:00.000-07:00

Post your Location for the workout today.

Post workout done and time and/or Location

2009-05-01T02:38:00.001-07:00

Workout #1: Bike , Planned duration: 0:45
Do one of our workouts of the week from www.steveneal.ca , be cautious with your ability

if feeling like you need a rest look back in our archives and try one of our cadence based workouts and perform with easy effort

(ie. 45min w/ 6 x 2min @ 110-120RPM / 3min recoveries)

Endurance Day - Try a New Route

2009-04-30T04:50:00.000-07:00

Post distance / time and route to comments

Let's See how you are doing or Join in todays a good day to start !

2009-04-29T05:18:00.000-07:00

Test Day

WU: 15-30min include 5x 30-45sec max 'Race' Efforts aiming to match or slightly exceed your goal pace for test (get slightly harder with each one)

- 3-5min easy endurance high cadence b./w (don't tire yourself out !)

Main WO: FIELD TEST

- TO BE DONE ON MTB / Prefer same route each time we do this for comparison

- Complete a 10km Time Trial

- Record Time / Max HR / Avg HR / Conditions

- Effort should be steady and maximal for duration.

PLEASE POST TO COMMENTS ON TRAINING BLOG ... KEEP THE COMMUNITY ALIVE AND MOTIVATE OTHERS TO GET OUT THERE !

Cool Down

- Finish Time under 75% be sure to have some fun.

A Good Week to Start Following the Plan or Test your Progress

2009-04-28T05:02:00.001-07:00

This week is the first week of Month 2 ... yes its moving along quickly !!!

If you haven't got a chance yet to start following along (and posting your progress!) this week is a great one to start.

Today is a a prep day to get you ready for tomorrow's Field Test ... Tomorrow a neat TT on your MTB on a course you can repeat each month to track progress!

Any Questions about Signing up Please let us know through the comments on the Blog !

Off day

2009-04-27T05:17:00.001-07:00

Take it easy off what was likely a hard earned weekend of training with the rain and cold !

If you 'forgot' your lunges yesterday do them today ... penalty is hands straigt over head for duration

keep arms straight, knees at 90 at bottom of lunge and torso strong and upright

Sunday Endurance - Post your location for Finish Line Challenge !

2009-04-26T04:22:00.001-07:00

Today is 100 Walking Lunges !

Post Location

Good luck to all those racing today!

Saturday ... Post avg / max / min hr for tempo intervals AND / OR distance covered during tempo

2009-04-24T19:01:00.001-07:00

So an interesting workout below that could really help with pacing and riding steady.

Check out www.Stevenal.ca blog for a thought on pacing

Remember you can sign up for your free account at http://cranktheshield.blogspot.com/ and follow along

Workout #1: Bike , Planned duration: 1: 30

Tempo Day

- WU: 20min on road 90+ RPM

- inclue 6 x 2min @ 110+RPM / 1min off normal cadence

Main WO:

- on flat - rolling gravel / road

- complete 3x15 min Tempo @ 80-83% MHR

- 80-85RPM (usually 1 gear harder then preferred)

- 1-2 min recoveries easy as needed.

CD: Finish up to 1.5- 2hrs as endurance.

Thurs - Its a Fun one today !!!

2009-04-23T05:07:00.000-07:00

Do STEVE"S Workout of the week at www.steveneal.ca

Post Results to Comments

be cautious with your ability, remember to scale workouts (ask if needed) to suit your experience

do try to do something as it does help with general fitness AND when you start jumping ioff your bike ! (or sitting on it for extended periods!)

Post What You Stretched Post Ride

2009-04-22T15:57:00.000-07:00

Your Workouts for Wednesday:

Workout #1: Bike , Planned duration: 1: 30

60-90 min endurance

- 65-80% MHR / 6-7 RPE

- 90+RPM

Post What You Did Today For Training ?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!

2009-04-20T21:36:00.001-07:00

Your Workouts for Tuesday:

Workout #1: Strength , Planned duration: 0: 35

Weekly Pre-Breakfast Workout #3

* try and leave 3hrs + b/w workouts today.

WU: 2 Rounds of your Choice from 2 Active flex Routines Posted on Crank the Shield Training Blog

Main WO:

NICOLE

As many rounds in 20 min of:

Run 400m

Max Rep Pullups (scale to

ability...jumping...assisted...kipping...strict...it is your call today)

( POST TIME/ROUNDS/Modifications TO TRAINING BLOG COMMENTS TO MOTIVATE OTHERS ! )

CD: stretch / Foam Roll limiter for 5+ minutes

Workout #2: Bike , Planned duration: 1: 30

WU: 10-20min below 80%

- Include 5x2min @ 110-120RPM / use gears to keep RPE Endurance effort

Main WO:

Complete 2 x 5 - 6 x 1:15min

- Effort should be maximal but equal,

- 3min b/w ints and 10min b/w sets at 105-110RPM, easy/recovery effort/watts

CD: Easy endurance to finish time

Sunday Workout

2009-04-19T09:14:00.001-07:00

Hello crank shield,

Enjoy your Endurance today

FINISH LINE CHALLENGE

- Complete 50 Pushups / 50 Situps / 50 Air Squats for Time - Post Time and Location you did them to Training Blog Comments -

TEMPO !

2009-04-18T08:22:00.000-07:00

Post where you did your Tempo !

**** SIGN UP FOR YOUR TRAINING PEAKS ACCOUNT AT TOP LEFT OF THIS PAGE ***
Get full Program Details, log your training AND optional features like daily workout emails !

Thurs Workout - Peter's Workout of the Week - Post Your Highest Cadence Achieved

2009-04-17T10:03:00.000-07:00

**** SIGN UP FOR YOUR TRAINING PEAKS ACCOUNT AT TOP LEFT OF THIS PAGE ***
Get full Program Details, log your training AND optional features like daily workout emails !

Thursday Workouts - Post Results to Comments

2009-04-16T08:11:00.001-07:00

Workouts

Hello crank shield,

Your Workouts for Thursday:

Workout #1: Bike , Planned duration: 0: 45

Do STEVE"S Workout of the week

Post Results to Comments

be cautious with your ability, remember to scale workouts (ask if needed) to suit your experience ... do try to do something as it does help with general fitness AND when you start jumping ioff your bike ! (or sitting on it for extended periods!)

Wednesday Endurance Workout - Post Your Bike Choice and Distance

2009-04-16T08:09:00.001-07:00

Workouts

Hello crank shield,

Your Workouts for Wednesday:

Workout #1: Bike , Planned duration: 1: 30

60-90 min endurance

- 65-80% MHR / 6-7 RPE

- 90+RPM

Tuesday - Morning Skipping Strength and 30/30 Time !

2009-04-14T09:13:00.000-07:00

Post Your time for Annie and where you did your 30/30s to Comments !

1) Give the skipping a try ... work through steady effort

2) Remember to think max effort for the On periods in 30/30 and a easy recovery pace for the off periods
- resist urge to go to hard in recoveries

**** SIGN UP FOR YOUR TRAINING PEAKS ACCOUNT AT TOP LEFT OF THIS PAGE ***
Get full Program Details, log your training AND optional features like daily workout emails !

Endurance Day

2009-04-12T08:05:00.000-07:00

Enjoy the Weather no Matter what it is today. Get out and ride nice and steady

Finish Line Challenge - Just work steady and use it as a chance to stretch out and move a bit differently ... set a benchmark for later weeks.

POST YOUR RESULTS !!!!

Complete as many Rounds in 10 min as you can of 3 Pullups / 6 pushups / 9 Air Squats / 12 Situps Post Time and Where you did the challenge to Training Blog Comments

**** SIGN UP FOR YOUR TRAINING PEAKS ACCOUNT AT TOP LEFT OF THIS PAGE ***
Get full Program Details, log your training AND optional features like daily workout emails !

Sat - Bust some Tempo on Your MTB !

2009-04-11T13:36:00.000-07:00

Post your distance and Where you did the ride !

Peter Busting Some Tempo in NewPort Beach, CA

Friday - Peter's Workout of the Week

2009-04-10T07:30:00.001-07:00

Post Your Duration and Average Cadence to Comments

(Your Goal ... steady CADENCE 100RPM! - OUTSIDE! - Watch HR / RPE / Wattage Response )

Post Your Duration and Average Cadence to Comments

Thursday - Steve's Workout of the Week

2009-04-09T08:19:00.000-07:00

Do Steve's Workout of the Week and Post your results to Comments !

www.steveneal.ca

endurance day ... post how you got around the snow !

2009-04-08T08:09:00.001-07:00

Tuesday - Breakfast Strength & 1.5min interval Workout

2009-04-07T07:16:00.000-07:00

1) So first try at breakfast strength today. Above is a quick video with several active flex movements. Do each for 6-8 reps (each side where applicable)

Post # of rounds for each 10min Interval to Comments Please !

2) Also have a PM bike workout on the map today with some 1.5 min intervals ... looking for steady effort across all intervals today ... let us know how you found this 2 set bike workout.

Off Day - Post How You Play !

2009-04-06T07:24:00.000-07:00

It is definitely Okay for you to join up over these first few weeks ... Please let us know if having troubles getting your training peaks set up and any questions about joining us a bit late !

Sunday Endurance Day !

2009-04-05T07:32:00.000-07:00

Most Sundays during our program you will be out on an endurance ride and have a 'finish line challenge' to complete at the conclusion of your ride.

This week it was 30 burpees for time ... Picture above (remember the pushup and a jump upon standing). Pictures from your own adventures are welcome if you want to show and tell about your day (email to Peter or Post your link in comments)

Do post where you did your challenge and your time though !

- Again these comments/posts can be anonymous but the more people posting the better the motivation for everyone to get out and do the best they can !

For a little motivation / ride ideas check out today's post about dead ends / no exit signs at www.steveneal.ca

Saturday - Post Average Cadence and DIstance covered in Tempo

2009-04-04T07:14:00.000-07:00

Fri Workout - Peter's Workout of the Week - Post How you felt on Sprints and How many Sets you did !

2009-04-03T09:15:00.000-07:00

You can see Amanda climbing out of the saddle with great form and power. Taking full advantage of this sprinting opportunity. This comes from practicing the drills listed above during training...and not just attempting to stand while racing.

Sprinting is a very flexible workout element and a valuable skill to master.

There are so many ways to use this skill and the improvement of the physiology and technique can have wide reaching benefits for cyclists in any discipline.

like cresting hills
getting back on a wheel of a rider ahead, after a corner or break in the paceline
accelerating to get into single track first

A few of the different ways to use sprints in your workouts.

Warm-up
- quite often we will use sprints, cadence drills or both to prepare for the workout ahead.
- This could be as simple as 5-8 x 15sec sprints, a mix of seated and standing often works well here to help with activation of all the muscles/postures you will use in the workout at a high intensity. 2-3 min for recovery is usually plenty here

Goal here is to influence the workout in a positive way and not bring excess fatigue before starting your main workout set.

Physiological - This would be accomplished by using sprints as the main focus of your workout, letting endurance take a back seat for the day/phase and instead
- Focus would be maximal effort on the sprints with very easy recoveries b/w for 3-5min.
- Usually looking at 8-20reps of 10-20sec sprints is what we use ... starting at the lower end and adding in sets if reps get higher then 8

Technique - Beyond the actually ability to sprint well, practicing / training sprints benefits several aspects of cycling ... these are just a few !
- Many cyclists are awkward/inefficient while standing. Riding out of the saddle is important and if you can't stand properly you are missing out on a fraction of your potential ... sprinting seems to help teach the idea of rocking the bike and not the body.
- Corner Sprints are a good example of a road application
- Starts for MTB racers are very important (try including some start sprints in your workouts ... perhaps at the odd traffic light)

http://www.steveneal.ca

Thurs Workout - Steve's Workout of the Week

2009-04-02T09:17:00.000-07:00

Post Time and Modifications to comments

TEST DAY !?!?!?!

2009-04-01T20:31:00.000-07:00

How did 10km test go today ???

Remember to post ... more you post the more others will !

(make up a nickname for yourself if shy!)

Week 1 Sample

2009-03-31T11:57:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the feedback, coming in already ... I have allowed the anonymous posts.

Also The Training for each week WILL NOT be on the blog as we get going ... will need you, the user, to sign up for a FREE account to view your training for the week/day/month (as in photo above). The account will also let you log your training, and a host of other great features to help keep you on track. NOTE: we CANNOT, see what you log in your account ... its entirely yours.

Keep the questions and introductions coming please !!!

Good luck tomorrow on the 10km MTB TT!!!

First day of Training

2009-03-31T07:25:00.000-07:00

< ----- Sign up at Left ... questions please ask ... below is what an email would look like in YOUR email account ... questions please ask below (can be anonymous )

Hello Crank the Shield participant,

Your Workouts for Tuesday:

Workout #1: Bike , Planned duration: 1: 00

WU: 15-30min building hr to 65-75%mhr

Main WO:

4x45sec max efforts, each should be slightly harder and should be done seated

- 5min recovery between efforts @ 70%

* the focus today is not to ride hard during endurance but only during the few max efforts above ... goal is to keep things moving and be ready for tommorow.

Sign Up for 2009 Crank the Shield Training Plan Starts March 30 !!!

2009-03-26T14:29:00.000-07:00

Effective March 27th you can sign up for a FREE training peaks account AND get a free training program from Steve Neal Performance Development to use in your account to prepare for the 2009 Crank the Shield. Peter and Steve have produced another great set of training that should keep your preparation on track and interesting with a mix of riding and cross training workouts.

What is Training Peaks ? Training Peaks is an online training tool that lets users keep track of training, recovery status, nutrition etc. Steve and Peter use it with their clients to provide customized training daily. Their clients then upload their workout comments and training files to help guide the next day's training. For you, as a Crank the Shield Athlete, this lets you get a look at what it is like to have a training plan and log your daily experiences, to help isolate where you can improve your efforts and to keep you on track. The SPECIAL BONUS for you is that you get to use the Crank the Shield training blog to ask Steve and Peter questions as the program progresses and as you meet challenges in your preparation !

How do you sign up? Navigate over to www.cranktheshield.com and click on the 'training blog' link. Follow the 3 step process on the left of the page. (There will also be a Blog on setting it up in next few days)

1) Sign up for a FREE training peaks account

2) Click on the link provided on the left side of the blog to apply the Crank the Shield Training Program that Steve Neal Performance Development has put together (NOTE: they do ask for a Credit card number but THERE IS NO CHARGE ... an 'artificial' expirary date and/or 3 digit code should go through though and prevent any theft if concerned)

3) Start training Monday March 30th

4) Use the Training Blog 'Comments' to ask questions about how to do workouts AND to post your progress/results to help motivate others and Yourself (this can be anonymous)

(this last point is the only thing Peter and Steve are asking for in return for their help this season ! )

Why Should You Sign Up? The Training Peaks account and accompanying Training program are a great, professional way to get yourself on track for Crank, which is ONLY 6 months away. Whether you have an idea of what you need to do to be ready or if you are completely lost, getting this account and program set up will provide a base that you can customize to your life and to your ability. The program has many features you may use if desired such as daily emails with your workout for that day, ability to upload training device files, ability to share your workouts through hyperlinks or email, track nutrition and track your progress in terms of calories/distance/power/hr.

Please direct any questions through the Training Blog available at www.cranktheshield.com

Weekly Workouts Jan 26 2009

2009-01-25T18:11:00.000-08:00

This is a sample from our main Blog at www.steveneal.ca ... Please feel free to use these to supplement your preparation for the start of our 2009 Crank the Shield Training Program in March!

Hopefully the cold didn't keep everyone cooped up this past weekend. I was out at Highlands Nordic enjoying some fine XC skiing and even a ride in the groomer, courtesy of my good friend and groomer extraordinaire, Scott Holmes. Be sure to go check out his work at Highland's Nordic if you are looking to try XC skiing this winter. And/Or go watch Nationals at the beginning of March !

So for this week some new ideas to try:

Steve's Workout of the Week

10 min easy spinning Endurance

1 RPM pyramid from 90 to 120 and back down -- 5 rpm per minute -- only go as high as you can while staying quiet in the saddle and smooth on pedals.

3 min easy spinning Endurance

20 min Time Trial on bike -- or -- 5000m row -- or -- 3k run
(post Sport/time/watts/distance to Comments Please)

....

Then complete 10 rounds for time of:

5 ball slams with ball about 10% of your bodyweight + 10 pushups (chest MUST touch the ground) + 15 kettlebell (or dumbell) swings -- for the swings go as heavy as you can with solid form, this will depend on experience

Finish off with 10 min easy aerobic activity

Peter's Workout of the Week
- For those who have put in several endurance snowshoes and/or are able to run without injury/excessive recovery time, the following should provide some reprieve from indoor sessions and add some spice to your usual snowshoe workout.

- On a Day following 1-2 easy / off days
- 1-2hr Snowshoe
- Warmup 20-30min building into a steady endurance effort
- Complete 4-5 x 2min Max efforts on a medium Grade hill that lets you stride continuously and forcefully.
- Recover 3min easy walking/sliding back down hill
- Efforts should be hard but distance covered the same or greater each rep.
-
(poles optional / bonus points for starting/finishing with 10min on Trainer spinning 90+RPM)