Long cold winter

Gidday everyone

Been a quite busy so haven't been writing many updates. It's been pretty full on with study and trying to maintain my fitness over our winter. Have been hit pretty hard by the bugs going round and seem to find pushing myself on the road in the cold is not working out for me. I find using the indoor trainer is where I am seeing some pretty good gains in aerobic power. The key in races is to take this power and pace myself so I don't go too hard from the start and use up my reserves. The plan is to build up this aerobic power so I can go hard for 40min over a 25km TT and moderate for 3.5hrs for a 120km road race in preparation for Road Nationals. Then take this fitness into the track season where I ramp up the intensity for the 3000m pursuit.

Been learning some cool stuff from my courses. Number one is that most lab tests have very little to do with actual performance or potential. An analysis of data from testing we did on NZ level riders showed that the one who missed selection had higher scores on the VO2max test and 30sec Wingate than those who made the team and went on to become Pro Tour riders and World Championship medallists.

Been leaning heaps on nutrition and how this lays the foundation for good health, which means good training and leads to excellent performance. The basics as outlined in your training programmes still apply. Lots of great new research on what to eat before, during and after heavy exercise. Keys are eating during a ride over 60min and eating carbohydrate and protein after training and racing. These are the keys to performance and recovery.

I have exams coming up soon and then semester two starts with biomechanics, sport psychology, sport science and health, wellbeing & activity on the agenda as well starting back into my Post Grad Diploma in Science with a course on Nutrition. Will be full on but I still plan to get in a good training session each day!

Riders have been doing the bizzo...

Tom Hubbard is the New Zealand U19 team to a Tour in Canada. Will Bowman is in another NZ U19 team that will ride the Tour of Canberra. Will won a B grade stage at the Tour of Taranaki but a crash ruined his chances of high GC placing. Justin Leov was 5th in the Valnord, Andorra Round of the Downhill World Cup and Sam Blenkinsop was 3rd in the recent round in Fort William, Scotland. Dylan Kennett won the U17 Tinwald Junior Cycling Tour.

Train hard, stay warm, eat well, set goals, be positive, manage your energy and race well!

Hamish