Hi. I’m in metro Detroit myself. Weather is improving drastically this week, and I’m finishing SSB LVII on Saturday (or doing an outdoor ride in lieu of the final workout). I won’t be doing Build or Specialty phases and will be cycling outdoors (unless TrainerRoad rolls out a way to do workouts outdoors).
I’ve joined a local cycling club, and I plan to do longer group rides with them. Do you recommend doing track sessions at Lexus Velodrome later in the season? It does rain a lot in Michigan, surprisingly…
If you are focusing on track, Crits, or high speed then start coming to the Tuesday night workouts or Saturday races when you get into speciality phase is my recommendation. There is also ivbp in warmer months
I just spoke to the Lexus Velodrome. Considering how terrified I was, the last time I took Track 101, I was advised to take Track 101 first. There’s Wednesday workouts which help less experienced riders such as myself to work my way up to the point where I can race on the track.
I did track only once - an outdoor plywood contraption that apparently was used as the warm-up track for the Atlanta Olympics or something. 200m, so the banks were just a wall. The word “terrified” does not do it justice. I had no fixie experience at the time, so just that was enough to scare me. The combo of the adrenalin, the wind speed as you push like a mad man in fear of not going fast enough and slipping to the inside, and the awful sound of the plywood panels banging underneath the wheels made for an unforgiveable experience. You do a few laps where you ride on the track on the straights, get out for the turns, until you feel confident enough - then you hit it. The first few laps, when you enter the turns, you are convinced this is where you die.
I’m living and riding in Portland, OR. We’re lucky enough to have the Alpenrose outdoor Velodrome. I’ve just begun using TR to train over the winter for the 2020 race season. In summer of 2019 I met some of the locals at Alpenrose, good crew of very welcoming people here so I’m sure next season will be fun.
I’m not sure which podcast, but I remember Chad suggesting doing gravity as a specilisation for track. Quickly comparing the mid volume crit and gravity plans Im not too sure what the difference would be, but it mnighyt be worth looking at
For those interested, interview with the coach of the Dutch track sprinting team. I’m actually surprised with how little aerobic work these guys do… I knew it wasn’t alot, but for it to be so little was new to me.
I’ve not been to the track for a few years but my sessions always fell the day after TT’s whilst training to deliver consistent power (TT training) seemed quite good and got results I was happy with, track riding on tired legs was less than ideal
Quick post to share that I am shifting focus to “track” in the form of BMX racing for the 2022 season. I will be reviewing this closely. Currently I have a loose plan of SSB1/2, Short Power Build, and Short Track XC MTB Specialty.
I will be adding in strength training for the first time, which is a great thing for BMX but also needed for my nearly 48yo body. And of course a ton of work on and off the track like sprints, gate starts, track skills, pump track practice and such.
It is a real shake-up from the past 5 years of dedicated endurance training, so that and the pure fun of riding and racing on a BMX track are a new kick in my plans.
