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Another summer is winding down and the race
schedule is entering it's final throes for another year.
But wait...there is more than enough racing just
around the corner. That's right.....CYCLOCROSS IS
COMING!!!! That beautiful fall suffer-fest, that
illegitimate child of two legs and two wheels is set to
make it's return to our conscious SOONER THAN YOU
THINK!
Nor Cal is lucky to have one of the most vibrant CX
scenes in the whole country. With top tier events
like the Super Prestige and Surf City series we have
nary a reason to complain (unless you like your 'cross
cold, wet and miserable...in which case complain
away!) and nearly two dozen reasons to celebrate.
This years CX Season kicks off with the venerable
Central Coast and Sacramento Series in mid
September. The real action starts in October with
the Super Prestige Series from Pilarcitos and the Velo
Bella Surf City Series - a true legend in Nor
Cal 'Cross. So....Check the schedule, check your
tubulars and get out there for some high quality "off"
season training, racing and camraderie...
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For most of us in Northern California the local climbs
are
enough to satisfy our inner pain junkie, but not for
Geri and Liza. No, they had to go all the way to
Hawaii and attemp one of the hardest one day rides
on the American Calendar; Climbing the Haleakala
Volcano! The numbers are intimadating - over 10,000
feet of vertical, all five climate zones, and 37 miles of
twisting, turning torture that culminates with a final
push up a 12% grade to the summit! Ouch...
So how do you make this difficult ride even HARDER!?
That's right yo do it on a TANDEM. Truth be told
when they approached me about a coaching program
for this challenge I was a bit intimidated. How do you
optimally prepare two different people, with two
different physiological strengths and weaknesses,
two different schedules, and two different styles?
The intimidation quickly gave way to enthusiasm for
the challenge. How cool is it that they wanted to
accomplish such a notable goal together and had the
mutual
dedication to see it through? Believe me there were
some brutal training rides during the ensuing months,
but they stayed focused, did their work and headed
off to Hawaii ready to go.
According to Geri the ride went amazingly well. They
were on a pace that kept them ahead of the time
cut-off but well within their own capacity. Things
were flying along until about 9000 feet! At that point
the effects of high level exertion at altitude began to
take their toll. Despite feeling "strong, ready and able
to finish" the complete lack of oxygen at that
altitude was a new experience...and not a pleasant
one. For those who haven't tried to ride their bikes
while hypoxic think of it as trying to do maximal
effort while breathing through a straw! At that
altitude O2 saturation is very low so the body simply
can't get enough oxygen delivery to sustain the
muscles. Normally it is recommended that an athlete
acclimate for at least two weeks before attempting a
major event at altitude! Ok, so they didn't make the
summit this year, but I'm sure they will be back again
to complete the challenge, maybe with supplemental
oxygen next time, lol! Just kidding...
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Your racing season just ended and yet you're already
itching to get started on next year! Well...why wait,
we've got a great kick off towards your 2007
Season...our 2.5 Day Mini Camp Weekends! Over the
next few months we're offering no fewer than 5 Mini
Camp Weekends for those looking to take their
fitness and racing acumen to a higher level next
year. The first one is coming up November 17 - 19,
2006
Each camp consists of a Friday night Performance
Testing session where we establish, or re-test, your
Lactate Threshold. A 3-4 hour Saturday morning
endurance ride followed by an afternoon planning and
goal setting session and a group dinner Saturday
night. Sunday finds you back on the bike for another
long endurance ride in the Santa Cruz Mountains
followed by an afternoon lunch and summary.
These events are Great for individual riders and
PERFECT for teams looking to truly improve their
camraderie, cohesion and focus on creating a team
environment. Each camp includes non-invasive
Lactate Threshold test, full ride support (including
follow vehicle and nutrition), personal 30 minute
meeting with a coach to discuss your season goals
and Annual Training Plan, dinner on Saturday night
and lunch after the ride on Sunday. Even with all
these perks (and more as we secure them!) the
camp is still only $350/person (we found similar
camps that cost $700+) and we offer discounts
to teams of 6 or more that sign up together. For
more information please E-Mail Coach Matt at
info@sterlingwins.com or visit the website to
download the PDF file...
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If you are not currently on a coaching program now is a good time to start (or restart)! We offer a variety of coaching options for athletes at every level. From the ease and simplicity of our pre built training plans to the private training sessions of our Gold and Sterling programs, each one is created with athletes in mind. In addition, If you are a member of one of our sponsored teams you'll enjoy a substantial discount as well. So do something productive for your cycling...Sign up for a Sterling Sports Group Program Today!
Sincerely,
Matt McNamara
Sterling Sports Group
email:
info@sterlingwins.com
phone:
408.891.3462
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