Training in Lockdown
Spain is in full lockdown to help slow the spread of the coronavirus which has meant I’m doing all of my training on Zwift. Zwift has been a real lifesaver for me (especially because of the meet-up feature) but, even if you don’t have access to Zwift or a smart trainer, if you’re riding indoors, these are a few things I’ve learned in the past two weeks.
1. Adjust your power. Drop your watts, scale down your FTP, and recalibrate your brain to those numbers. Riding inside is harder and if you try to match your outside numbers you will pay for it!
2. Focus on the feeling. Since your power won’t be what you’re used to and you may have to adjust normal training sessions, take your heart rate into consideration and always factor in your RPE (rate of perceived exertion). Listen to your body. In races you rely on your instincts anyway so it’s great practice for getting in touch with your body.
3. Indoor trainers function best with cadence around 80-90 RPM. Under or over and your training might be compromised. I’ve been trying to execute some high torque, low cadence strength intervals but with the smart trainer, sticking to cadence targets isn’t effective; instead, I focus on the feeling.
4. Reduce the volume by 20-30%. Riding inside is a constant effort. Although on Zwift you get a sense of drafting and going downhill, you still have to pedal. I’ve been adjusting my 5 hour rides to 3 hours and my 3 hour rides to 2 hours.
5. Don’t forget to fuel. Although your sessions might be shorter, don’t be tempted to skip nutrition. I set up a table next to the trainer and stock it with dates, homemade banana bread and lots of liquids to ensure I’m fuelled and hydrated.
6. Lastly, let go of perfection. A long period of indoor training is a big mental challenge. You might be used to structure and nailing each session but accept that indoor training is different and allow your training and expectations to adjust.
On Fire at TT Champs
We’re up in the far north of South Africa. It’s beautiful but it’s seriously hot—38C hot—it’s humid, plus there’s even a risk of malaria. It’s definitely not Europe, it’s home and it’s national championships time.
I’ve been training up at altitude in Mpumlanga for the past few weeks and it’s actually been refreshing to get back to what we used to do. Back to the tried and tested winter training that has always put me in a great place for the European season. Great training, fantastic weather, a good healthy dose of the homeland and, of course, national individual time trial championships as the first race of the season.
The 20km time trial was an out and back course with the first half dragging uphill. I went out hard to take advantage of the uphill and had the rider who started 1 minute before me, Carla Oberholzer, within my sight fast. Carla was the perfect carrot to chase and I made the pass at the turnaround point.
Image: Cycle Nation
I maintained a good advantage, as per my race strategy, but with 4km to go all I was thinking was “where is this finish line?!”. I was boiling hot. At that point, I had no fluids on my bike and my core temperature felt like I had swallowed the sun. Carla came back and passed me. Chasing her and dreams of ice cold water at the finish line, I kept her in reach and crossed the finish line just behind her.
I had a good feeling I had the win but I also felt like a human desert. First priority was liquid and lots of it. Thank goodness for my support team and the 4 bottles of cold water I chugged immediately. The weather would be similar in Tokyo so, actually, it was a good experience to have now to better prepare for the Olympics—a realization that only came after bottle of water #2.
The results became official and I had done it! I am the 2020 South African Time Trial Champion and I am so proud to earn the title back, especially in an Olympic year, and take the stripes up to Europe for the rest of the season.
The 104km road race is in a few days and, hopefully, the only thing that will be on fire are my legs!
Image: Cycle Nation
You can follow the race here.
One Step Closer
There was a whole lot of orange when I got back to Spain. Back with my South African National Champs title and over six weeks on the road, I was happy to be back home and even happier to have the entire CCC Liv team there—it was orange from inside out! I love being in a team environment and, I have to admit, I felt quite spoilt having a team camp at my house and in the place I love to ride my bike. I couldn’t wait to show everyone everything! Nevertheless, with all the Liv bikes lined up in the courtyard, the big orange truck, the staff, and all the riders, I was also a bit apprehensive. It was the first professional team camp we would host at Rocacorba Cycling so, although I was excited, I also felt the weight of the opportunity.
As a rider, I knew the camp would go well. Team camps are usually hosted at big hotels with average food in a strange place that boasts nothing but good weather. Here, not only did we have amazing weather, we also had the stunning superior roads of Girona and the comforts and athlete-friendly catering of Rocacorba Cycling all to ourselves. The riders and staff each had their own house so coming back to a home, sharing meals all together, and having the property to ourselves really allowed everyone to relax and settle in. I didn’t have to wonder if things were going well, I could feel it and I was hearing it. As we explored the Costa Brava and the Pyrenees under the sun, there was a definite consensus that Calpe and Almeria were out and Girona was in.
As the ten-day camp came to an end and we all prepared to travel to our first European race, Setmana Ciclista Valenciana, the positive feedback was overwhelming. With athlete-driven care and attention to detail, the dreamy training roads, and, the heart-stealer herself, Mila our family beagle, we had pulled off our first professional team camp. The best part was hearing what the team loved most was the same thing our recreational guests loved: the welcoming homey atmosphere.
I knew Rocacorba Cycling had the ability and facilities to provide everything a pro team could need but I also knew, if the camp went well, it was an important opportunity to get a little bit closer to realising our vision. I always talk about connecting the dots in the cycling industry and this was one of those connections; having pro teams use the same facilities we provide to amateur and recreational cyclists is a way of connecting people and creating a more sustainable platform for cycling (especially women’s cycling) to flourish. Accomplishing our goal of hosting a pro team camp had validated that our longterm vision was possible and that feeling was the real success.
Images by Oliver Grenaa