A while back it was brought to my attention that readers were wanting to see more technical details in my articles as it pertains to athletic performance. So I have decided to partner with one of my One-On-One athletes to document the trials and tribulations of reaching an Off Season performance goal. This athletes particular goal is actually very simple. He wants to be able to ride his rollers 20 Kilometers in 20 Minutes. This means the athlete will need to average almost 40MPH for 20 minutes or 60KPH.

In an article next week I will introduce our athlete, Mr. X. I will tell you this week that Mr. X is not super human and his goal is realistic based on his past performances but a bit of stretch.  A good goal should always feel just slightly out of reach!

Lets cover the equipment and parameters of this goal.

• The testing will be performed on a set of Kreitler 4.5″ Alloy/Polly Cap Rollers.
• The bike used is an off the shelf race bike with ceramic bearing upgrades running a Shimano 10spd drive train
• The bike has been fitted to Mr X
• Standard Crank set at 53×39 and cassette started with 12×23 but will be replaced with a 11×23 before the next test
• Wheels being used are a set of Carbon Fiber 23mm wide 44mm deep Clinchers Running Michelin Lithion 2 Tires
• Later tests may be performed using 50mm Carbon Fiber Tubulars with Vittoria Evo Corsa CX Tubulars
• Data being captured through ANT+ Speed, Cadence and Power Meter
• All testing will be completed indoors every 3 weeks, either on a Saturday or Sunday
• The window of time to meet this goal started 3 weeks ago and ends either February 28th or March 21 meaning there will be up to 7 tests to get it done
• Room temperature will be between 68*-73* f
• A large fan will provide moving air but very little cooling load
• Music will be the only distraction
• Mr X will use his Garmin 500 and Golden Cheetah to monitor his testing progress live
• Mr X will:
  • eat 3 hour before each test and take on one gel 30 minutes prior to each test
  • will consume a carbohydrate and electrolyte drink just prior to starting and during warm up
  • weigh in before and after each test
  • Get a minimum of 8 hours of sleep the night before
  • Warm up at a prescribed intensity before each test for 20-30 minutes
• The test will begin 5-10 minutes after warmup and brief stretching
• The test will run 25-30 minutes in length
• Mr X will use a progressive pacing strategy across 4 gears while using the big ring

I have already posted some preliminary data from the first test from last weekend on the PPC Facebook page if you are curious. Watch the PPC Facebook page for updates on workouts and possible other data as Mr X progresses. I will be bringing even more data the website soon.

So next week I will cover a bit more about Mr X and early test results. I will also cover some of the concerns that Mr X has about meeting the goals and how mechanical and bio mechanical problems could make meeting his goal very challenging.

Until Next Time,

Train Smarter Not Harder,

Coach Rob