Ride Like Fabian...

Whether you've tested yet or not, here is some motivation to help you fight through the test, or classes to come.

Second Round of Threshold Tests Starting Monday 1/30

The next round of threshold testing will take place next week at Endure It, for most us this will be the second round and looking forward to seeing those improvements from the last couple of months of hard work everyone has put in. For those that decided to get a little later jump on their winter training well this first test will take the guess work out of what your threshold number is allowing to get the most out of each class thereafter.

Here are some tips we mapped out back in November that should help you execute the best test you can. Remember the best way to improve your cycling is to make sure you are giving the best effort you have in you, improve that number and prove to yourself the work is paying off!

If you haven't tested there is NOTHING to be nervous about!! At Endure It we threshold test in a manner where we get your average power from a 30 minute effort.  There are other ways and other protocols to use, but we have found that this suits us the best for right now.  Obviously things can change.

So how should you go about attacking the threshold test.  Instead of writing a long narrative, if you want that I'd rather talk than type so just contact one of us at the shop, here are some tips to help you prepare and execute the test.

• Be as fresh as possible with a good night sleep, some breakfast before class, and I wouldn't recommend a super hard day of training before testing.
• Make sure your mind is in the right place.  This is going to hurt, think about that ahead of time and know that everyone else there is suffering along right with you.
• Get a good warm up in, if that means waiting at Endure It before the coach gets there so that you can set up right away and start spinning then do it.  You're not going to burn yourself out with a good solid warm up.  You want to make sure your heart and muscles are geared up and ready to rock.
• Once you start the test stay steady!  If your power is jumping around like crazy it takes more energy.  There shouldn't be 20-50 watt surges, that will hurt later in the test!
• Remember as time goes on it becomes more difficult to raise that average power number.  BUT at the same time do not go out too hard.
• It's better to see numbers increase as the time goes on than to see someone peg it from the start and then fight for dear life to keep their numbers where they are.
• Stay focused, don't worry about anyone else
• Stay efficient on the bike, any movement not directly related to spinning the pedals is a waste of movement...also read waste of energy.  So if you're bouncing around like a kid with ADHD who hasn't taken his meds and instead ate 3 large pixie sticks and 2 cans of Mountain Dew...you're wasting a ton of energy!
• Break the test down into segments...first 10 minutes, next 5, next 5, next 5 and then every minute.
• With those segments set little goals for yourself depending on how you're feeling.  For example, if you're working really hard then your goal might be to hold the average wattage you're at.  Or if it's easy you might want to increase the average wattage by 2 watts in a 5 minute range.  The key is to make small goals!!  If you think you're going to blow things up by 10 or 15 watts you might be setting yourself up for a disappointment.
• Remember this is hard, it's supposed to be hard and you won't regret working hard!!

Sh*t Triathletes Say

Yep...pretty much spot on!



Stay tuned for our own Endure It edition of "Sh*t Endure It Athletes Say"...it's in the works.

Club Meeting Tomorrow Night - 7:00 p.m. Naperville

Be there!  And if you're planning on being there shoot us an email at endureitclub@gmail.com so that we can make sure we plan appropriately for food and drinks.

We're going to talk about planning a season, as well as how important it is to incorporate strength training into a training plan...it might look different than you think.  We'll have some sample strength training programs and have the summer dates all in order for club activities.

Come check it out!!

Some Snowy Training Tips

The way the news reports are coming in you would think we've never experienced snow before, and at the rate this winter was going I was seriously wondering if we were going to (and honestly until I have to take my shovel to the driveway I'll continue to wonder).  With the snow people worry about training outdoors, though it can be super fun!  Maybe not swimming as much, but running for sure, and possibly biking too.  When you're planning on doing a run in the snow, consider a few things.  Make sure you dress in layers, if you're a little cold when you start that's alright, you're running right...so you should heat up a little.  A waterproof/windproof shell can be a huge help and if you don't have one, I would definitely invest in one.  Depending on the conditions "screw shoes" or yaktrax could be super helpful.  What are "screw shoes"?  Simple take an old pair of running shoes, get some short hex head screws (short enough so when you screw them in they won't hit the bottom of your foot), screw in the hex screws...and go run!

Speaking of shoveling...I totally need to get (or build) one of these:



Don't forget the Club Meeting next Wednesday night at Endure It Naperville at 7:00 p.m.  Shoot us an email if you plan on attending (endureitclub@gmail.com)

The First TT of 2012 & Club Meeting

This past Sunday Dzuibski did an excellent job of putting on the first Indoor TT of the year.  We had some super fast teams, and fun (and pain) was had by all.  Great work Dan!  Our next indoor TT will be March 18th, grab a partner and lets make this one bigger and better!!

Our next club meeting will be next Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. in Naperville.  We'll be talking about some weight training workouts (and how to set it up), as well as how to set up your season in terms of training, recovery, racing and all of that fun stuff.  We will also be rolling out a summer schedule which will include some group rides, cruiser crawls and open water swim sessions.  It's always nice to get together so we hope to see you there next week.  If you plan on coming shoot us a quick email at endureitclub@gmail.com so that we can plan accordingly.

What's the Difference?

Often times people come in looking for a bike, but they aren't sure what to get.  Personally I think everyone should have a road bike, tri bike, cross bike, mountain bike, commuting bike, bar bike, and rain bike...but if you're picking between road or tri here is an excellent resource to check out. 



If you are considering getting a 2nd, 3rd...whatever number bike, what the heck are you waiting for?  We always think you should have "N+1" bikes, where "N" is the number you currently have.

A Super Discount for Leon's Triathlon

Not sure whether you saw the "Active Schwaggle" deal of the day, but today there is 40% off of entry into the Leon's Triathlon.  Leon's is a great race, close to home and one of the races where we are going to try to get as many of our club members as possible to race.  If you haven't seen the deal send us an email (endureitclub@gmail.com) and we'll forward it on to you.  This is for today only, so don't miss out!

Also make sure you send us your race plans for the year, we're trying to organize some pre/post race gatherings/meals/drinks...whatever you want to call it.  We have received a couple so far, so thank you...keep them coming!

We also still have some places left on the team time trial, they are going quick though.  We wouldn't want you to miss out on this opportunity for bragging rights.

Happy New Year

I apologize for the break that the blog has taken, the holidays were busy!! But here we are in a new year.  With that said let's make 2012 the best year for the Endure It Club yet!  What are your goals?  Your "A" Races?  Training Goals?  Happy thoughts?  We'd love to hear from you to be able to support you in 2012.  If you know you're registered for any races pass them along as we'd really like to try to coordinate pre/post race gatherings at various races, and to really support each other through this great hobby of ours.  So pass along your races to us at endureitclub@gmail.com  We'll put together a spreadsheet and try to coordinate some gatherings/cheering sections for races.

We hope you had a great holiday season, and are looking forward to making this year the best yet.  Stay tuned, the next few days we'll list some more meeting dates, group rides/BBQ's for the summer, and don't forget about the "club" races which we're trying to get a strong showing at.

But first we have the Team Time Trial this Sunday.  Don't have a partner?  Let us know we'll see what we can do.  This is always a ton of fun and we can assure you won't be disappointed.