How to Get Fast in One Season
Set Up a Reward System
The rider: Rick Gravley, 48
The breakthrough year: Gravley’s breakout year started at the end of 2013, when a routine doctor’s visit for some back pain revealed that his “creeping weight” had actually hit 270 pounds and he was borderline diabetic. A year and 85 dropped pounds later, Gravley lined up for, raced, and finished the San Diego Filthy Fifty—a 50-mile mountain bike race with 3,800 feet of climbing in just over 4 hours—and “loved it.”
How he did it: Christmas of 2013, Gravley broke out his neglected 2007 Specialized Roubaix and decided to get fit. Problem was, he was really unfit. “I could not ride more than 10 miles without knee pain,” he said. Not wanting to get discouraged, he set up a reward system: He’d treat himself to some sweet new bike stuff, be it a pair of socks or something more substantial like a bike, every time he reached small and large weight loss and riding goals. He recorded calories and tracked his activity and, most importantly, signed up for organized rides like metrics and centuries to continually give him concrete benchmarks to aim for. “That was a big motivator to stay engaged,” he says. By May of 2014, 75 pounds lighter, Gravley was lining up for a local century on a new Carbon Roubaix Pro SL4. He completed his goal of breaking the 190-pound mark by the fall, for which he got a Specialized Epic Expert Carbon 29 World Cup mountain bike; shortly thereafter, he raced the Filthy Fifty. “Looking back, my goal was simply to lose some weight. I had no plan to become a bike racer or get in the best shape of my life, but I was in the best shape of my entire life and all I was doing was having fun. It was not exercise. It was amazing. I had a self motivating reward system that was all about having fun.”
Why you should try it, too: Research shows that people who are rewarded for their efforts stay more motivated. The key is to establish what experts call SMART goals—that is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. Each small SMART goal acts as a stepping stone toward major long-term success.
Related: How to Train for a Century Ride with Three Rides Per Week
Hire a Coach
The rider: Penelope Pankow, 61
The breakthrough year: Pankow transformed from casual recreational rider without a lot of confidence and more than a little knee and back pain to being the strongest, most athletic rider she’s ever been: She increased her overall average speed by 12 percent and recently completed the Highlander Corkscrew Century in New York's Finger Lakes in 50-degree pouring rain.
How she did it: It all started when she bought a new bike—a Trek Domane 6 WSD—in early 2014. “That makes a big difference by itself, but also it motivated me to not be ‘one of those’ with a great bike but no skills!” Pankow says. So she hired a coach, Leslee Schenk Trzcinski, a former US Women's Cycling team member, to help her “find her athletic edge.” The first thing they did was hone in on technique. “We did one-legged and other pedaling drills; hill repeats where I would concentrate on strong, relaxed posture and shifting position in the seat for more power; and structured speed work, including weekly intervals and group rides with faster women,” Pankow says. “She understands what older female athletes need, but also doesn't accept anything less than your best effort. She regularly kicks my ass.” It worked. “Penelope is unrecognizable from where she began," says Schenk Trzcinski. "Her posture is dramatically improved, which eradicated her lower back pain; she’s made huge increases in her cadence, which mitigated a chronic knee issue, and she has significantly increased her power capabilities to go both higher and longer. She has gotten leaner, and even more aerodynamic and aggressive in her on-bike persona—all with a huge smile."
Why you should try it, too: Though we tend to think of cycling as a sport of power and endurance, technique is underappreciated as a way to improve both of those and a coach can quickly see where you need adjustment and provide you with a specific plan to improve. “Much of the improvement in riders, even those who have been riding for years and are strong, but can’t get to the next level, comes from a shift in on-the-bike position and posture, and awareness of good technique,” says Schenk Trzcinski.
Related: Why You Might Need a Coach—And How to Choose One
Hit the Weights
The rider: Patrick Matthew Felton, 46
The breakthrough year: Knocked a whopping 14 minutes off his previous finishing time at the PA State TT Championship race this year; set a PR on his local Tuesday Night Time Trial in Baltimore; is able to hang at the front on group training rides; and is down to size 34 jeans—for the first time since 1998.
How he did it: He set a goal to make more muscle and get stronger. Patrick grew up riding BMX and mountain bikes, but his wheels gathered dust for many years while he pursued medical school and got married. After his first marriage dissolved in 2005, he tried to hop aboard again, but floundered. His body had changed over years of not riding, and just “riding lots” wasn’t putting enough power in the pedals. He started incorporating some speedwork into his training, but most importantly began structured strength training, performing upper, lower, and core body exercises four times a week. “I performed both circuit exercises on the machines, as well as with free weights.” His efforts were quickly rewarded. “My power numbers starting creeping up within three weeks. Appreciable body composition changes started showing up approximately four weeks into my new training plan.”
Why you should try it, too: Research shows that masters cyclists especially can make great gains by adding strength training to their repertoire. In a 2012 study aptly titled "Strength Training Improves Cycling Efficiency in Masters Endurance Athletes," a group of masters cyclists performing lower-body resistance training three times a week for just three weeks boosted their leg strength by nearly 18 percent and improved their efficiency by more than 16 percent. Lost efficiency plays a large role in the slowdown that comes with age.
Related: Get Fast: 4 Essential Strength Moves
Go BIG
The rider: Matt Korsmo, 44
The breakthrough year: Lost 100-plus pounds last year after DNF’ing at Lutsen 99er, a 100-mile mountain bike race on Minnesota’s North Shore. A year later, he came back a century’s worth of pounds lighter and finished in just over seven hours. Oh, and he also raced and finished two Leadville 100 qualifiers and the Leadville Trail 100 MTB race itself.
How he did it: By setting a ridiculously big goal and failing so hard, he had to try again to save said face. A mountain biker in college, Korsmo became sedentary and grew heavy, to the tune of about 280 pounds, during his post-college early adulthood years. He tried the treadmill and then a road bike, which he rode religiously for two years, but it didn’t inspire him to change. He decided to revisit his first love, mountain biking, which fired him up again. Inspiration-ignited, he quickly signed up for some 100-milers, like the Lutsen 99er, in 2014. “My modus operandi is to jump in way over my head and force myself to deal,” he says. But there were things he learned he just couldn’t deal with—like his weight. “I was so heavy and had to expend so much extra effort to barely make the cutoff times necessary to remain on the course, I had zero room for error,” Korsmo says. A stop to fix a mechanical ended up with a ride to the finish in the SAG wagon. Korsmo was deflated, but realized if he wanted to go big, he had to lose big. He signed up for Leadville 100, dubbed it “Operation Leadville” and set his mind on major change. Following the “go big” mindset, Korsmo decided to go extremely low carb just to break old bad habits. At first he relied on packaged foods, but then started cooking for himself to eat real food. “I ate small, frequent meals that consisted of lean protein like chicken and fish; some healthy fat like nuts and avocado, and low carb vegetables like spinach and broccoli." The weight steadily came off. As he trained harder, he found himself struggling to produce power, so he added more healthy carbs to fuel his rides. He was rewarded with transformative weight loss and a Leadville finishers buckle for breaking 12 hours.
Why you should try it, too: Research supports that making big changes like going extremely low-carb for a period can indeed yield fast results. Like Korsmo, however, you have to realize those sweeping changes aren’t sustainable forever, and continue tweaking your diet to support your cycling and weight loss goals.
Related: The Allure of the Off-Road Century Race
Reboot Your Diet
The rider: James O'Brien, 55
The breakthrough year: After years of struggling with rheumatoid arthritis, gout, acid reflux, high cholesterol, and chronic pain (and taking a pharmacy’s worth of pills for all of the above, including Loratab, Methotrexate, Humira, Plaquenil, Prednisone, Allopurinol, Lipitor, Fenofibrate, Omeprazole), O’Brien got on a bike four years ago to try to get healthy—but he struggled with even leisurely rides. So in 2014, after succumbing to a bout of shingles, he decided it was time to completely reboot his diet. Within one year, he shed 80 pounds (from 265 to 185) and all of his medications. He joined a race team, and most recently finished the Hotter 'N Hell Hundred in Wichita Falls, Texas, in 4:30.
How he did it: O’Brien attended a Maximized Living seminar to learn about better food options than the pastries, fried foods, and fast foods he’d been subsisting on. “The number one change I made is shopping on the outside aisles of the store, buying fresh, non-processed, or as lightly processed foods as possible," he says. "I read labels. If a food contains sugar or an ‘ose,’ then it goes back on the shelf. Anything with a word I cannot pronounce or do not know, back on the shelf,” says O’Brien. He also eats organic and free range when possible. He has breakfast every morning, his biggest meal at lunch, and his lightest in the evening. “When I started eating properly, my weight started dropping steadily by two or two-and-a-half pounds per week; my energy level skyrocketed; and most importantly, after my shingles cleared, I no longer needed any medications—none. I was in complete remission. My speed and stamina on the bicycle increased significantly and in the winter of 2014/15, I trained with the local racing team Bixby Bicycle Works and purchased a USAC license for the 2015 season. For the 2015 race season my weight has been a steady 185-187lbs and I feel better than I did when I was in my 30s. I have participated in 15 Cat5 road races this year and look to cat up and hit 2016 even harder.”
Why you should try, it too: Everyone knows that processed foods and pesticides aren’t particularly good for you. But a rapidly growing body of research suggests that these foods can impact our gut flora—and contribute to weight gain and disease—in ways we never imagined. Whole, naturally produced foods are undoubtedly the best for your active body.
Related: Chef Seamus Mullen Wants to Heal You
Hang Tough!
The rider: Leslie Thomas, 37
The breakthrough year: Thomas started riding four years ago after borrowing a bike to compete in a triathlon. Instantly hooked, she bought a bike and started racing as a Cat 4 and hopping into group training rides, but she always found herself bringing up the rear. “I was usually last to the "no-drop" re-grouping point,” Thomas says. It was something she was eager to change—so she decided to just suck it up and suffer a little in the pursuit of speed. After just 12 weeks of training, she was able to hang with the Cat 3s in her races. “I did my first stage race earlier this month. During the TT stage, I beat my course PR by 4.5 minutes and took 5th overall in the race.”
How she did it: Old-fashioned, systematic hard work. “To get faster, I started to deliberately grab the wheel of faster cyclists and hang on as long as I could. I still get dropped, but it takes longer to drop me now. I also signed up for indoor training with a local shop.” She cleaned up her eating, ditching processed foods, pasta, and bread, and replaced them with steel cut oats and quinoa, along with lots of fruits, veggies, and lean meats. She also started scheduling her workouts to stay consistent and incorporated cross-training, including gym work, which she deems a “necessary evil.” “Last year I bit the bullet and got a personal trainer. She helped me immensely. Now I swim, bike, run, hit the gym for heavier strength training, and do a general fitness 30-minute conditioning circuit every day,” she says. All of it added up to major gains in performance in a relatively short amount of time. Thomas placed in the top three of her local crit series in Eugene, Oregon, and can’t wait to see what next season brings.
Why you should do it, too: Because you can never go wrong with hard work.
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