Terry Peloton

Tag: Cycling Coach

  • ON A ROLL…ER.

    Trying out rollers for winter training. 

    Image Source: "Best Cycling Rollers Review" Triradar.com.
    Image Source: “Best Cycling Rollers Review” Triradar.com.

    We all know that nothing can beat the real deal – tailwinds, long climbs, and the wind in our hair – but to get the most out of the riding season we have to put in a bit of winter training. Once you decide that riding during the off season is the choice for you, you are tasked with the age old question…”how?”.

    Many join the lively community of Spin, others will choose magnetic, wind, or fluid home trainers and then there are the brave few who decide rollers are the way to go. People who train on rollers are often purists you may also find that they drink their coffee black and drive cars stick shifts.

    Personally, I decided to go the roller route because of the real life training it provides your core – the balance you need on rollers is the most similar I have experienced to being on the road. I made a trade off, giving up some of the resistance options available in other trainers for the skill building that rollers can bring to the table. My question to you is, how do you train in the winter? What, if any, do you feel are the pros and cons of that method?

    Here is to reliable cleats and carpeted floors,

    Whitney McKiddy

  • ASK A TOUR LEADER: CORE TRAINING FOR CYCLISTS.

     

    BCBS #4

    It’s hard not to have heard about core training. But what is it and how exactly does it benefit cyclists?

    Our core is not what we typically think of – it’s not just your abdominal muscles or having a flat stomach. Your core is a group of muscles that form a band around your midsection. As cyclists our movements come from a stable core.

    Core exercises train the muscles in your abdomen, back, hips and pelvis to work together. This can result in a better ability to really get power out of your legs, at the same time reducing injury and achieving better posture.

    There are many programs available that strengthen the core. Yoga and Pilates are effective here with the added benefits of stretching and developing a mind-body connection that is important to athletes.   Form is very important to achieve the best benefits, so these exercises are best done with a good teacher. Look for experience and professional qualifications. Whatever method you choose, remember your core is a system so look for a regime that works out the whole system, not just your abs.

    Regular core work can make you a stronger cyclist and can reduce injury on and off the bike. Pull out your mat and get going. You’ll be glad you did.

    -Joyce Casey, Adventure Cycling Tour Leader

  • LET’S GET COMFORTABLE.

    My Journey to Saddle Comfort.

    Happily climbing Emerald Bay.
    Happily climbing Emerald Bay.

     

    I can vividly remember my very first rides in 1999.  I had signed up to train and ride 100 miles in Lake Tahoe, and my saddle pain seemed insurmountable. Finally, I looked at my coach and said, “I can’t do this, the pain is too intense.” He looked back at me and using his charming French accent said, “go get a saddle with a cutout and I’ll see you next week.”

    I hobbled to my bike shop and repeated the words of my coach (without the accent) and, I am happy to report, my shop put a Terry Butterfly on my bike.  Best bike upgrade ever!

    The rest is history…I rode a very comfortable 100 miles in Lake Tahoe and a few thousand more.

    A good bike fit and good, padded, breathable shorts (without your underwear) will also help you achieve saddle comfort.  I was very lucky to find a great saddle so quickly and I have great sympathy for those struggling with this endeavor.

    The moral of this story is to keep working to find the best saddle for your needs and reach out for assistance if the road gets rough.

    Tailwinds,

    Lisa Wilkes

    About Lisa: If you’ve had the pleasure of talking to a “real person” at Terry, chances are good that it may have been Lisa or one of her team. As a former bike coach and our Customer Service Manager, she’s full of personal inspiration and professional expertise when it comes to getting comfortable with saddles, choosing the right apparel, answering questions about cycling and a few other specialties that are guaranteed to help improve your attitude, if not your ride!

  • LUNCH LAUNCH.

    Tips to launch your season.

    On my first ride of the season, the goal was to be sure that “Spring” was the only thing that had sprung after a long hard winter. I gave my bike a mechanical look over, pumped my tires, lubed my chain, piled on some warm layers and headed out for a fun, easy jaunt!

    Lisa Lunch1

    A gust of wind, carrying a cloud of road dirt, quickly reminded me that I had forgotten my sunglasses; a key component for safe ride.

    Other observations included my aging shoes and cleats, my helmet has at least a year of life still on it (although a scull cap for sun protection would be a good addition), and my gloves need replacing!

    Here is a handy check list for your first spring ride and a great season:

    • Scan your bike for cracks in the frame and tires…a professional tune up is good for this too.
    • Check your seat and wheels to be sure they are well adjusted and connected.
    • Check your seat bag for basic tools (tire levers, patch kit, pump) and a spare tube.
    • Be sure your helmet is in good (no cracks) condition.
    • Wear eye protection, gloves and shoes with a stiff sole.
    • Other good things to carry include: a bottle/pack of sports drink, snacks, an ID with emergency contact information, lip balm/sun screen, lock, money, cell phone, etc.

    My first ride was sheer joy and I am looking forward to a great 2015 season!  How will you launch your season?

    Lisa Wilkes

    Lisa “Redwheels/Wheelie” Wilkes is the Customer Service Manager at Terry Bicycles and expert on all things Terry. In a past life she was an endurance cycling coach for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

  • OFF SEASON

    IMG_0481

    FALLING IN LOVE AGAIN.

    My job as a Derailleur is to support you on your journey. Both your journey in-season and off-season. Your in-season journey may include becoming a stronger rider on hills. Your in-season journey may include mastering sneaking out of your house to get your ride in so you have “you time”. There is no judgment either way. There is an ebb and flow to your journey and that includes allowing yourself an off-season. For both your body AND mind. So what is your off-season journey made up of?

    For those of us who call New England home, the off-season is a forced break from the treacherous, icy roads when we instead spend countless hours on our indoor trainer. Off-season for some in more “more temperate” climates may mean that their competition schedule is over and they are just “riding to ride” – mileage gets lower and training less intense. Or in the example of my friend in Florida, her off-season is in the dead of summer when temperatures and humidity force a counter-seasonal off-season for her. She claims her best rides are in the winter. So be it.

    Either way, we all have to face the off-season. This means the foam roller may make its initial debut or that we head to the much needed Chiropractor or Functional Movement Screener. But this year, I challenge you to focus on what is and isn’t working during your off-season in your body AND mind.

    Some of us work all year so we can have an off-season, while others dread it; afraid of slowing down, losing strength, gaining weight, etc. But you don’t have to be an Olympian to feel the “off-season blues. It is normal to feel fear around “slowing down” or “throttling back” when we have been pushing ourselves to move forward. Perhaps another way to look at this time is as a “Transition Period”. This to me means we are transitioning from a yearlong season of races or hard training into something less taxing and less “traditional”. Much different than the usual thought that an Off-Season means that you just stop what you are doing.

    I prescribe off-season time for my athletes as a chance for them to reflect, recoup, recharge and regain. And to fall in love again. It benefits both their bodies and mind. An intentional well-executed transition period puts one in a better position to perform in the new season when it’s productive and enjoyable. A poorly planned/executed off-season leads to not being as fresh, or a potential dead battery far from recharged. So I ask my athletes to fall head over heals in love again during this transition period with their sport. As an athlete, you must rediscover why you fell in love with your sport in the first place. We often lose the “whys” during season. By taking a step back so that you can reflect will give you back that perspective. And one heck of a recharge.

    I have never claimed to be a trainer of the body, but more of a trainer of the mind. However, I would like to offer some examples of how my athletes use their “off-season” to recharge their body ultimately increasing their mental conditioning.

    For some of my athletes, they stay strong in the off-season by reducing volume, not intensity. Study after study reinforce the idea that it is possible to reduce the volume of training by more than two thirds without a drop in conditioning levels as long as the intensity level was sufficient. My athletes use general, not specific training during this time period. They do something different than being hunched over their bikes. These new activities invigorate them. Try a sport that makes you stand upright or an activity that is counter to the one you have been doing in-season. For some, that might mean developing the weaker muscles that gets underutilized during the season but when strengthened, adds to the overall conditioning of the athlete. My athletes find that “playing” in the off-season more than training is the key. Make it fun. But most importantly, make it different that what you would do “in-season”.

    Amy Magyar is a Derailleur.  She helps her clients across North America change their gears, their pace, and their direction.  She is the essential piece of equipment to get you where you need to move forward at a different pace and with a different power.  As an industry veteran and a Certified Performance Coach, Amy works with individuals who are athletes, were athletes, or wish to be athletes, on navigating change.

     

  • WHAT’S YOUR STORY?

     

    I admit it, I am a junkie. I crave a hit everyday. I can’t seem to live without it. My newest addiction is TED.com. There are worse things to be addicted to I guess, but it still feels like being under its powerful grip is like I am doing something wrong. TED.com’s tag line is “riveting talks by remarkable people.” And if hearing stories and ideas from remarkable people is an addiction, then count me as a happily addicted person who seeks no cure.

    As a Derailleur, I hear stories on a daily basis from my clients. Stories of failures, stories of “stuckness” and stories of survival. And of course, after working with a client for a few months, those stories of “not enough” turn to stories of success. So it gets me thinking, “what story do you tell yourself everyday?” What do you replay in your head over and over again? Is it one of victimhood? Is it one of survival? Or is it one of hope? What would your TED talk be about if you were asked to get on stage and share your story?

    One of my favorite stories on TED.com is Amy Purdy’s. Amy tells a tale of how to draw on inspiration from life’s obstacles, having lost her legs from the knee down in a random act of life. Then there is Kelly McGonigal’s talk about how to make stress your friend, which is a mind-blowing-paradigm-shifting talk. And Apollo Robbins’ talk on “misdirection”(…how does he change his shirt mid talk without anyone seeing by the way?)…incredible. These are real people with real stories to share. And everyone has a story to share. Even you.

    In business, storytelling is all the rage. Without a compelling story, we are told, our product, idea, or personal brand, is dead on arrival. In his book, Tell to Win, Peter Guber joins writers in evangelizing for the power of story in human affairs generally, and business in particular. Guber argues that humans simply aren’t moved to action by data dumps, dense PowerPoint slides, or spreadsheets packed with figures. People are moved by emotion. The best way to emotionally connect other people to our agenda begins with “Once upon a time…”

    We are creatures of story, and the process of changing one mind or the whole world must begin with “Once upon a time.” But what if the mind we need to change is our own? How do we listen to our own story to change our own mind about who we are and what is possible?

    If you have read any of my blog entries, you will know that I am a firm believer in “we are what we think”…good and bad thoughts, we are what we think we are. So if your story is one of failure, loss and victimhood, guess what? Unless you find an ending that includes lessons learned, you will never make it on to a TED stage. Why? Because the formula for a good story in life and on TED is a lesson at the end. Whether it is children’s fairy tales, Shakespearian plays, or Harry Potter books, they all have incredible drama baked into the stories, but at the end, the lesson is the key to the story. So if the ending of your story is one that doesn’t include a lesson, you will continue to make the same mistakes over and over again. And that is truly the definition of insanity. I am a firm believer in making all new mistakes and never any of the old ones. That is success for me. And by learning from each mistake, my story ending gets stronger and stronger because I can change my own mind of what is possible for myself.

    I am going to keep today’s entry short, well because I need to get back to my addiction; scouring the TED website to find more mind bending stories…but I am also off to write my own personal story. Because I want to be ready the day that TED comes calling for me to speak live…I want to be sure that I have my story straight. And to make sure that my ending is one I can be proud of. I challenge you to do the same.

     

    Amy Magyar is a Derailleur.  She helps her clients across North America change their gears, their pace, and their direction.  She is the essential piece of equipment to get you where you need to move forward at a different pace and with a different power.  As an industry veteran and a Certified Performance Coach, Amy works with individuals who are athletes, were athletes, or wish to be athletes, on navigating change.

     

  • YOUR NUTRITIONAL PLAN.

    Mind Food.

    Back in May I brought up the idea of idea of mental conditioning in addition to your physical conditioning. As a Derailleur, I see so many examples of my clients whose bodies are as fit as an elite athletes but their mental conditioning is lacking. Thus they perform exactly as they “think” they will perform – poorly. This leads to the inevitable “bad ride” that weighs heavy on us for days long after the ride is over. And often that memory of the last bad ride leads into the next ride…and guess what happens? Yup, you have another bad ride. One key to fight off these negative thoughts is to make sure that our mind’s nutritional plan is healthy and “clean”.

    Right now, eating “clean” or eating a Paleo diet is getting massive support in the medical community. Clean eating means eating less sugar, carbs and other items that make use feel sluggish. Bringing in “clean” mind food for mental conditioning is based on the same ideal. Clean, healthy thoughts make us feel less weighed down…more clear. Positive or clean thoughts drive peak performance.

    So what does your current diet of mind food look like?

    A diet of “can’t, must, won’t, shouldn’t, or only” is a diet full of mind clogging food. Nourishing your mind with the negatives leads to nourishing your body with what you “can’t” do. Positive thoughts like “can, will, want, or am,” can be just the power foods your mind needs. A multitude of studies, data and anecdotal evidence supports the notion that optimists experience less stress, stronger immune systems and overall better health than their Debby Downer counterparts. But it’s not always easy to look on the bright side — in our overbooked and over-connected lives, getting caught up in a cycle of worry, anxiety and negative thoughts is a norm in many of our lives.

    But just like nutrition, it is easier to add a salad in than to take donuts away at first. So in this case, just “stop thinking negative thoughts” is like going on a starvation diet. Instead of negative thoughts, you must actually replace them with different thoughts. Your mind won’t “stop” thinking, so you have to give it a different thought train – so it is a great time to welcome in positive thoughts.

    Positive thoughts or mind food helps you to maintain your self-confidence during difficult times with realistic, positive self-talk. You can use this powerful mind food to regulate thoughts, feelings and behaviors not only during competitions but also in your everyday life. Whether it is a full sentence, a brief, descriptive word or a mantra that you create to bring in positive thoughts, the idea is to bring in healthy, forward moving ideas to the brain.

    Positive thoughts, affirmations or mantras can include:

    · I am in control.

    · I find all solutions within me.

    · I make positive healthy choices.

    · In all situations, I remain balanced.

    · I choose to change my challenges to opportunities.

    · I focus on the successes in my life.

    · I achieve great and successful results.

    · I feel confident and secure.

    · I am filled with the energy of confidence.

    · I persist with confidence.

    · I am worthy.

    · I kick ass!

    Another idea for filling up your mind with positive mind food is to view life as a white painting with a small black spot in the middle. Most of us keep looking at the black spot and forgetting all the whiteness around, which is why a lot of people are miserable. But if we focus on more than the black spot, we have a new perspective that often leads to a bigger picture of what is really going on.

    If you’d like to start watching what your mind eats, a quick first step can be to look around your daily environment to see what messages you are currently taking in. Do you sit glued to the TV watching the daily news? It’s ok to be “in the know” of what is happening in our world, but if you want to shock your system a bit, try skipping the news for a week. What you will find is that can stay very informed but you can monitor the messages that you take in. More messages of good than bad. More messages of “wins” than “loses”.

    Another scan of your physical environment can be focused on your physical surroundings. Are your surroundings supportive of your new diet? Are there positive messages or images that surround you or is your office or home full of “junk mind food” designed to help you fall off the positive message wagon? Are there images of growth, life, love and happiness? Or is that pile of old clothes you meant to take to Goodwill months ago cluttering up your space and your mind with “I can’t even pick up this pile of clothes” – this can lead to “what good am I”, etc. A simple small step to make sure your environment is designed to support you can be key to your success.

    My own personal mind food diet consists of a heavy dose of daily gratitude, 3 servings of “what I can do”, 5 servings of “I am statements”, 2 servings of “what I am working towards and why” and for dessert, a “pat on the back”. It is a balanced diet designed to support me in my current life and inspire me in my future goals. Sure do I “cheat” once in a while and a negative thought slips in…no one is perfect. But my negative thoughts are far and few between and I am able to catch them quickly and replace them with a positive thought instead. You might not be able to catch all of them at first, but try to catch it before you believe it. Just like chewing and swallowing food that lacks nutritional value, you always have a chance to spit it out before you swallow it!

    Being mindful of what thoughts you are putting into your brain is as important as being mindful of food you put into your body. Both forms of fuel can either break down your performance or get you through the worst of times. And just like food, you have a choice as to what you allow to bring into your mind’s diet!

    Amy Magyar is a Derailleur.  She helps her clients across North America change their gears, their pace, and their direction.  She is the essential piece of equipment to get you where you need to move forward at a different pace and with a different power.  As an industry veteran and a Certified Performance Coach, Amy works with individuals who are athletes, were athletes, or wish to be athletes, on navigating change.

     

  • RIDE NOW, ACT OLDER LATER.

    A formula for living to 93.

    Although I have known my father for my entire life, I just learned the saying “Ride now, act old later” from him a month ago. He owned a t-shirt with that saying…and upon reflection; I realized that he truly led his life based on that motto.

     

    His life was an anthology of adventures…of watching the Hindenburg minutes before it exploded, of getting out of Pearl Harbor in time before the strike, marrying the love of his life and having two daughters with her, dodging dogs trying to attack him while he was on his bike, outliving his identical twin, facing cancer, getting TWO tattoos in his 80s, learning to text message, and finally, learning what it means when one’s body has had enough.

     

    My father was diagnosed 70 years ago with anxiety and it is miraculous that a Doctor in 1940 suggested that exercise would be the cure for him, but that’s exactly what he did. So, similarly to Forrest Gump who used running to relieve his emotional pain, my father cycled.

     

    My father’s cycling became his life. It was his religion, his medicine, his mental conditioning, and his solace. He biked mile after mile often with complete strangers who became his family when his real family was hundred of miles away. His idea of heaven was a hotdog after a 50-mile bike ride and a clean rest room before he turned around and cycled back home. His standards were high for himself but his genuine love of life allowed him to enjoy even the smallest of details. And how did everyone know that he was happy? He gave them the thumbs up. And a big smile. He didn’t have to say anything; he just stuck his thumb up in the air and everyone knew it was all ok.

     

    My father recently told me a story about when his heart defibrillator went off for the first time – he was traveling across Tennessee as the Grand Marshall of a bike ride when “BAM”…it hit him. He fell right over with the shock of it going off. And he lay there for a second on his side, still clipped in…frozen. Everyone who saw him fall cycled up to him screaming, “are you ok – Ken, are you ok?” And he didn’t move a muscle, except for that thumb which made its way up into the air to let everyone know he was just fine.

     

    My father passed away peaceful this month surrounded by his family and with his favorite cycling t-shirt on…he made it to 93 years. We all thought he would live to 100. And perhaps that is now his legacy; he has given us all the recipe for how to live to 100…eat well, exercise and keep that thumb up.

     

    Rest in peace Ken Magyar. Thumbs up to you.

     

    Amy Magyar is a Derailleur.  She helps her clients across North America change their gears, their pace, and their direction.  She is the essential piece of equipment to get you where you need to move forward at a different pace and with a different power.  As an industry veteran and a Certified Performance Coach, Amy works with individuals who are athletes, were athletes, or wish to be athletes, on navigating change.

     

  • What shape are you in (your mind, that is)?

    Testing your mental conditioning through awareness.

     

    In my introduction last week as The Derailleur at Terry Bicycles, I mentioned that I coach, among other types of clients, athletes of all shapes and sizes on their mental conditioning. Your body can be as fit as an elite athlete’s but if your mental conditioning is lacking, you may perform like you have “cement shoes” (as my friend from Jersey says.) So what is mental conditioning? I know you are about to click off this blog because the last thing you need to be told is to do more exercising. But listen up, this form of exercise is important. This isn’t about your athletic strengths; this is about how you show up on a day-to-day basis in your life. This is about how your mind performs.

    Ok, so how do you even know how “fit” your thoughts and beliefs are? Let’s break it down to this…mental conditioning is about training your mental fitness. Mental fitness is your own self-awareness around how your mind works (or doesn’t work) to support you and your physical conditioning. In other words, what you think is what you do…so what have you been thinking lately? Does it sound like “That was a really hard ride but I am proud of the effort I put on the last ascent.” Or does it sound like this, “Really? You were the slowest on that climb…you came in last. Last! Because that’s where losers come in…last. Nice job loser.”

    Your thoughts may not be that radical either way, but my guess is that there has been a time or two that you “trash talked” yourself after a ride that didn’t go as planned. Worse yet, you may have even “trash talked” yourself BEFORE you even got on the bike. Mental trash is not a source of motivation; it is exactly as it is named…trash. It clutters up the mind, keeping you from learning the lessons of the experience and definitely keeps you from being able to pat your self on the back for the effort you put in. All-important steps to increase your mental fitness level.

    So the first step to mental conditioning is awareness. You have to understand where you are first, before you know how much to train. One way to test your mental fitness level is to see how many times in a day you say the word “Should” or “Must” or “Gotta”…it might sound like “I should have done better” or “I must go faster.” Keep a list of how many times in a day you say words like “should” and its evil friends (Must and Gotta) and see how limiting the “should” often makes you feel. How heavy are the “Shoulds” that you carry with you on your ride each time?

    What would happen if instead of thinking about what you “should do”, you started to train yourself to think about “what is.” This is often called mindfulness and is a way to self-awareness. Thoughts, feelings, attitudes, beliefs, behaviors – all are raw material for the growth of the mental side of your game. The mentally conditioned athlete makes self-awareness a priority and uses it to strengthen their core mental skills. And instead of “should do” they condition themselves to think “I am…” More on “I am” to come in future blogs.

    Once you become aware of how many times you use limiting self-talk or beliefs, you are able to get a clearer picture of how what your mental conditioning level is. Is it strong and designed to move you forward in a healthy, sustainable way or does it act as a defeating message keeping you in your place and preventing you from growing?

    The first steps to increased mental fitness include the most important…awareness. So I challenge you this week to become aware of condition level of your mental game. Keep track of the “shoulds” and share with us what you find! There is no judgment, only awareness. Once we know, then we can change them.

     

    Amy Magyar is a Derailleur.  She helps her clients across North America change their gears, their pace, and their direction.  She is the essential piece of equipment to get you where you need to move forward at a different pace and with a different power. As an industry veteran and a Certified Performance Coach, Amy works with individuals who are athletes, were athletes, or wish to be athletes, on navigating change.

    photo courtesy of Ronwuphoto.com