Athlete’s Blog – Page 16 – Silver Sage Center

There is a Payoff!!

April 23, 2012/in Athlete's Blog /by Evelyn Fassett

Sometimes when I train and train, I don’t see immediate results. Even though I’ve been racing and riding like I’m racing for years, I still have to remind myself that I need to be patient with my training. There is a payoff for all of this. Especially if I stick to my training plan and not deviate from it. The bottom line is, all the training I am doing IS paying off.
In my race this past weekend, I experienced the payoff, both mentally and physically. FINALLY, I’m really feeling the resutls of all the training I’ve been doing. During my race, I felt a lot stronger, I exerted myself less in some situations, was able to exert myself more in other situations, recovered, then finished well. Woohoo!
Thanks Julie!!!!

~Bev

Auburn Century Training Group by Melinda Naye

April 6, 2012/in Athlete's Blog /by Evelyn Fassett

I did the drills w/Dana today. It was really great and I had a few cool ah-ha moments:

We rode down Shirland Tract which always hurts my hands, but I took Julie’s advice and tried to soften my arms and not have such a death grip on my handlebars and go figure; my hands didn’t hurt!

Also, we rode up Newcastle road from Auburn Folsom towards Indian Hill. That road has a very gradual grade, but for some reason it has always felt like a huge climb – and this time it did not! I’m not sure why other than I focused on pedal stroke and as we had done our one legged drills, as prescribed in the century training plan, before we got to the road. It seemed my legs were much happier to be moving together again and so the road did not seem as much as challenging.

The SFR’s were great too – we did them up Indian Hill and now my legs are tired and happy to get a day off tomorrow. Thanks so much for having this group – I’m feeling really positive about the changes that I’m already seeing happening!

~Melinda

Staying Motivated

March 20, 2012/in Athlete's Blog /by Evelyn Fassett

It’s tough for athletes to stay motivated all of the time. Sometimes, we don’t quite achieve our goals and get down on ourselves. Othertimes, we hit a mental slump and find it hard to crawl out of it. These are the times that staying consistant with our training plans are the most important. Maintaining consistency will keep our bodies up to par during those times when you want to sleep in or indulge in girl scout cookie season. You may not push it as much but you will still climb those hills and get out of that saddle. A coach is key to helping you stay motivated when you need a push. By keeping to your plan you have the ability to jump back when your mental block goes away and are back in business. We all have those days or weeks but staying consistent to the larger goals will help you to avoid those stumbling blocks that sometimes get in our way. It’s part of being human.

Winter Training

March 19, 2012/in Athlete's Blog /by Evelyn Fassett

Well apparently we ARE going to have a winter. I was getting used to all the nice weather we had through Jan & Feb. I did feel mildly guilty about enjoying the warmth when we should of been in the middle of cold winter weather.
However, it’s here now. Time to shift gears again and bundle up for some outside quality training.
I always wear more warmth than I should. I’d rather peel off the layers than have nothing to put on over what I am already wearing. Since I’m a cyclist, I try my best to keep my legs warm. My muscles tend to tighten easier and are more susceptible to cramping when they are not warm enough. So I bundle up my most critical muscles.
Another thing I make sure to do is stay hydrated. Even though it’s cold and I may not seem to sweat, I know I still need the hydration.
Just finished another race in the cold this past weekend. I fought with it a bit at first but because I was warm enough and hydrated enough, it wasn’t such a battle for me. I may call that tricks of the trade but it’s really just common sense.

Fitting it all into the Schedule

March 5, 2012/in Athlete's Blog /by Evelyn Fassett

When you’re as busy as I am, when it comes to training, structure and quality are key. Really, just going out and riding tons of miles does help get you fit. But it takes a lot of time. To me, it also gets redundant and boring. I like to cut to the chase which is why I incorporated Julie’s training plan.
It’s amazing how fit you can get when you focus on quality vs quantity. I absolutely love having my training plan created for me each day and each week. I look forward to each day’s workout
Now that all my training is more structured and focused, I have more time for other things in life that I love to do.
I did a lot this week and ended the weekend with a good fun, long mountain bike ride.
It can all fit into your schedule!

~Bev

When in Doubt, Follow the Training Plan

February 20, 2012/in Athlete's Blog /by Evelyn Fassett

I’v been riding and racing bikes for many, many years. During that time, there were times when I used a training plan and times I did not use a training plan. Really, for a good part of my cycling career I did not use a training plan. I can definitely say it is better to use a training plan if you want to have any kind of success.
When I didn’t train with a plan, my training was very random. I did get strong but I really didn’t get much stronger. I also ended up pretty tired a lot of the time. The times I did use a training plan, my workouts were structured, progressive, meaning they increased as I got stronger, and I had quality rest.
After not racing for 12 years I took it back up last year doing just a handful of races. This year, I’ve decided to race a little more and utilize Julie Young as a coach and trainer which includes Julie’s training plan. This is great! I am a pretty busy person and one of the benefits of Julie’s plan is that she creates it all and I just go do it. Then report back to her as to how it was.
It’s very streamlined and it’s all quality. I already feel like I am benefitting from it and I’ve only been on it for a month.
Sure, I’ve raced for years, but because of not racing for a long time, I was felt like I lost my edge. Julie helps me stay focused. I tune out my negative thoughts and incorporate her positive input.
So between the interval training parts of the plan and the positive feedback and support, I was able to place 10th in my first race back this season. The majority of the racers were pro women, and the field was about 30 strong. So the 10th place finish for me was a success. This is just the begining too.
There’s one more thing I want to mention about using a training plan. No more flip-flopping around about what should I do for training and when I should do it, how many, how hard, etc. No more indecisiveness about what I should do. I just follow my training plan and I trust in it.

Sprint-Repeat-Sprint-Repeat

February 14, 2012/in Athlete's Blog /by Evelyn Fassett

I started racing late last year and wanted to get a jump start on this season and move up which is where Julie came in. She completely changed my schedule and had me doing a lot of sprints and intervals. I didn’t question it, I just followed her advice. I have had two races so far and can’t believe how much faster I am in my sprints and how I can hold them longer than before. The other big difference…riding in the front of the pack. I plan to stay there with Julie’s help. What a blast!