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1/28/2022

WHOOP Deep Dive | Training + Illness

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Training Block + CoV-19 Sickness - By The Numbers

Recently, I finished up a training block with teammate Jerry Dufour here in the mountains of WNC. He came up for a big week, but we quickly realized the magnitude of the snow we were predicted and had to go back to the drawing board to squeeze it in. With a mix of mountain and road riding, we managed to log about 19hrs (with strength) in about 4-5 days. 
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The two charts above show my recovery score {left) and my daily strain (right) for the week of training. We pulled the plug on Sunday, as the 12"+ of snow came in so that marks the first day off the bike. As you can see, I had a slow trickle down in overall recovery and a little boost after that Sunday off. Here was that 4 days files and what our relative goal of each was:
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However, then the sickness started trickling in. I was doing mostly fasted, morning trainer rides just because it was a recovery week, we were snowed in, and I'm a nerd when it comes to metabolic flexibility. Covid hit me on Friday...so now we take a deep dive there:
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Respiratory Rate (the number of breaths taken per minute) rose substantially from around ~14 to just sub 18 breaths. That's about 4 more breaths a minute, multiplied x 60 = ~240 more an hour. Definitely an interesting marker, indicating I was both requiring more O2 while omitting more Co2 and potentially not absorbing/accepting O2 like normal. Also, resting heart rate (RHR) tracked equally.
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This is my recovery starting the Friday I got ill; Saturday seemed un-phased and then the wheels came off starting Sunday.
All of this is just to provide a little insight and share my experience with it. I'm now on the mend and watching the metrics climb back up. Again, I just utilize the WHOOP to reinforce where I feel I'm at with training and recovery, but in this case it was interesting to follow the indicators instead.

​I'll link a podcast below from WHOOP themselves on what they discovered through user input and a big database.
WHOOP on COVID
Since, I have eased back into training with a delicate approach the first handful of days. Essentially a neighborhood spin day 5 or 6 to 3hrs on the 8th day back. Let me know what you think and if you've had a similar experience in the comments below!

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1/11/2022

Coaches Corner | Healthy Training

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TOP TIPS FOR ESTABLISHING A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP WITH TRAINING

As the winter training kicks into gear and many of us are finding our stride, it’s important to keep a finger on the pulse of your relationship with training.
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​BALANCE: there is often pressure to hone in on a single objective without compromise. It’s important to be flexible and keep variety in your plan to develop a good foundation. Try different  routes, terrain, and workouts. Then mix in events, fun group rides, and use cross-training/strength training to keep things dynamic. 

SKILLS: getting *physiologically* faster is pretty cut and dry and tends to be a relatively responsive experience. Skills, on the other hand, are what allow you to capitalize on that fitness and are all-too-often overlooked. Dedicate some time to them this season and be intentional with it; it may not feel like a training day, but the benefits can be instrumental in your ability to go fast.

RECOVERY: “train hard, recover harder”. Don’t be afraid to take it easy, spin, or just not ride! Recovery is what enables you to gain from all those days of work you put in. In fact, these are the days where those "blocks" get stacked up to build your fitness. Additionally, build in a time (2+ weeks ideally) where you can take your foot off the gas completely and reset. 

NUTRITION: fuel your workouts accordingly so that you can maximize the benefits from them. Don’t skimp on food/fuel when it you have a key workout, event, or etc. When off the bike, focus on really quality, balanced meals and eating to your needs: ie. don’t fall for stereotypes around what an athlete “should look like” or “can eat like”. Bottom line: STRONG IS FAST.
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PROCESS: embrace the process of developing this season. It is easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing (or say you should be doing) and lose your own “north star”. Lean into the notion that you’re building yourself up for competition and that it takes time and patience practicing the right things consistently. Highlight your calendar with important events but don’t be afraid to venture out and expand your abilities. Pick races and events that you truly enjoy, plan weekend MTB getaways with friends or family, and keep it fun so that you keep the pilot light lit for a season of training.

RACING: as the spring nears, you’ll likely begin to fill the calendar with events (exciting times!). However, not all of these are realistically going to be “peak events” – in fact only about 2-3 peaks are feasible in a season. Thus, I have athletes start with their “A Goals” that are most important. Then we layer in “B Events” and even “C Events” to help guide the training process and help athletes to understand that we’ll use some of these as “training races”. It’s important to have these low-pressure events to practice your nutrition plan, play with equipment, and get your legs underneath you.

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1/11/2022

Coaches Corner | Winter Training Setup

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Altering and Accommodating Your Winter Riding Setup  Training in the winter can be a bit of a gamble and lead to compromised rides, lost motivation, or unfortunate situations. However, when prepared for, the winter can be an exciting time to get to chase your health and performance goals. The following article is a rundown of key areas that can be changed to make your winter successful.

​Clothing Layering
 Layers are the trick of winter riding…too many or too thick and you sweat (no bueno) but too thin and you quickly become frozen. The general idea is to have the ability to ventilate or shed them if needed and still have protection. Starting from the outside in, you can ensure a comfortable ride: wind/water resistance, insulation, base layer(s). The same goes for gloves, too thick and you can’t feel the bars or sweat and too thin and you also can’t feel the bars…but because you’re numb! 

Pockets and Bags
This is the perfect segway for storage spaces. As you accumulate layers and food and gear and…well you’ll need somewhere to store all that if it comes to it. Bar bags and frame bags can be helpful here, but also clothing that has pockets is huge. I utilize The Black Bibs “cargo” bibs because the thigh pockets are really accessible and they’re one of THE most affordable brands.

Bike Tires
​One of the most important alterations to your set up during the winter can be tires. Depending on where you are located, things can be wet, icy, and often covered in rubble. Not only that, you’re probably doing some long rides and that means comfort is more important. This is where higher volume (which = lower pressure), traction, and protection are paramount. I’ve always switched to a tire like the Maxxis ReFuse in 32cc and ride all winter long on them without a single issue.

Fenders
Whether you’re a “hater” or not, fenders work. When it’s often wet or cruddy during the winter, staying dry is a “must” for staying warm. Some fenders can assist in that and take the edge off of what could be a compromised ride by getting wet. They can be EASY to install + use and two brands that I recommend are here: SKS and AssSavers.

Components
 This can be the time of year to “down grade” your components or parts that you want to save. For example, you can swap a SRAM XX1 cassette with a GX one for a more durable and element-surviving system. 

Nutrition 
As the season changes, so should your nutrition plan around training. As my previous
article dives into, the base season is a time (for most) where the focus is on aerobic fitness and efficiency on the bike. While it is important to make sure you have the glucose on board for high intensity sessions, you should be reaching for more “real food” or complex energy during the endurance rides. For example, I typically keep things like homemade bars, dates, and bananas in my pockets for LSD (long-slow-distance) rides. Additionally, you’ll want to be mindful of what’s in your bottles. Although you may feel like you aren’t sweating/losing fluid near as much, you certainly are. Your body is not only trying to keep you warm but is also evaporating into all those layers you have on in addition to breaking down the more complex food you’re eating. I stray from my “rocket fuel”, high calorie drink mixes but still opt for hydration-focused mixes…as water just doesn’t cut it.

Indoor Riding
When in doubt, indoor training can be time efficient, effective, and controllable. Not only that, it can be quite nice to break a good sweat while in the middle of the winter season as you spend weeks bundled up (this is not an objective, science-backed statement… just my subjective one). I’m not one to jump on the trainer if given the choice, but riding inside does offer a very dependable environment for knocking out your training. Now, between smart trainers and online social platforms, indoor training can be quite entertaining as well. Leverage these opportunities to keep your stoke alive and check off important workouts that may be harder to control by going outside. Also, if it’s rough outside, I will sometime either warm up or “warm down” on the rollers; I’m all toasty and can throw on my gear as I head out or thaw out as I come back in. 

Quick note: don’t forget about Vitamin D this winter! If you are inside, or more bundled up, it is going to be harder to keep optimal levels of Vit D due to lack of sun exposure. This is a key aspect of health AND performance in athletic folk, especially during this time of heightened immune threat.

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    Carson Beckett, 22 // UCI MTB Racer //  Coach // // Student // Outdoor Enthusiast

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