Author: Michelle Mercer

We are so proud–and grateful–to once again provide an annual donation to help Oregon junior cyclists attend the U.S. Cyclocross National Championships. Because of proceeds raised from our annual fundraising events, including the Future Cross cyclocross race and the CXmas Party, Bowen Sports Performance was able to donate $1,400 to Bend Endurance Academy (BEA), which is providing race support for this year’s national championships in Boulder, Colo.

The CXmas Junior Fund donation will help BEA offset the costs of transporting the bicycles and equipment to and from Boulder, as well as race support in Boulder for the 14 juniors. Ten juniors are from Central Oregon.

See Bart talk about the donation here.

Save the date!  The third annual Future Cross cyclocross race will be held on Saturday, September 20, 2014, and the fourth annual CXmas Party will be held in early December.

Do you have racing in at least one duathlon or triathlon as a goal for 2014? Our Multi-Sport Package will prepare you for every leg of your race so that you enjoy a personal-best race finish! New for 2014, this mix-and-match package is customizable based on your time commitment and needs, and is adapted for beginners and experienced athletes alike. The 2014 Multi Sport Package begins on January 13, 2014, and runs through August 1. This incredibly flexible training program allows you to set both your monthly starting date, and the number of months you’ll participate, any time during that schedule.

2014 Multi Sport Package Menu

First, choose what months you’d like to train with us. The 2014 Multi Sport Package is charged monthly, and each monthly session is based on your start date. begin January 13, 2014. Depending on your race schedule, you may opt to delay training, or you may opt to join us for more months if you’re doing multiple races.

Then, choose how many times a week you want to participate in our structured cycling, running and swimming classes:

• Two classes per week is $68 per month
• Three classes per week is $90 per month*
• Four classes per week is $104 per month*
• Unlimited classes per month are $120*

Next, decide if you’d like an individual training plan tailored to your specific race goals:

• Individual training plan is $160 per month*
• Includes one class per week
• Requires three-month commitment

Last, consider participating in as many of our expertly-coached, multi-sport specific classes as possible!

2014 Multi-Sport Package Class Menu

Circuit Class
This 45-minute class is a lot of bang for your time, beginning with a dynamic warmup followed by a nine-station circuit designed to safely work the entire body while making you holistically stronger and fitter.

• Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:15 to 1 p.m. at Bowen Sports Peformance

Bike Intervals
We’ll take advantage of our renowned Indoor Cycling Classes until April 1, 2014, for cycling workouts during the winter. After April 1, cycling workouts will take place outside.

• January 13, 2014 – April 1:  Choose any Indoor Cycling Class on the schedule at Bowen Sports Performance (one per week).
• April 2, 2014 – August 1:  Outdoor cycling workouts will be held on Wednesdays at 5:15 p.m. (meeting location will vary).

Running
Whether you’re an advanced athlete or a newbie, intervals have been proven as the best way to improve power and speed quickly.

• Wednesdays, 8 a.m. at the COCC running track.

Swimming
We break into smaller groups for the best possible results during our swim workouts. Every swim practice includes time working on technique, which will help you shave time, whether you’re fairly new to swimming or one who achieves 100 yards in 1:30.

• Mondays and Fridays, 8 a.m. at Juniper Swim and Fitness.

For many cyclists the off season is just around the corner. The “off season,” perhaps better named the “transition period,” is the training cycle that connects two seasons, and is a great time to unwind a little and reflect on the previous racing year. How long should your transition period be? What else should you–and shouldn’t you–do this during this transition period?

The transition period is a great time to treat your training like you did before you called it training. If you wake up and want to pedal, go for it. If it snowed 10 inches on the hill and you want to ski, then load the car and head to the mountain. This is the least structured training cycle of the year. Here are a few Do’s and Don’ts to help you get through the next few weeks.

• Don’t cease all physical activity. Many athletes mistakenly think it’s a good idea to take two or more weeks completely off. While this might be okay if you are overtrained or recovering from an injury, generally, a full rest for two weeks is not advisable, especially if you want to see year-to-year gains. A study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology found a significant decrease in muscle enzyme activity, as well as a 7% decrease in VO2, after three weeks of rest. That’s pretty significant, and it might be worse for older athletes. Maintaining a moderate amount of activity, even if it is not cycling specific, will help minimize these losses. Unstructured exercise will also help minimize winter weight gain.

• Do different activities. The primary emphasis of the transition period is to restore motivation for the upcoming year. It’s very important that the athlete is excited to train, and a little de-training in the winter is better than burnout in spring or summer. There is no need to resume training before you are motivated. It will be a long year and the weather will get worse. Embrace this by doing different activities you enjoy. Running, skiing, hiking or doing strength workouts are all great ways to maintain some aerobic fitness, help you get your exercise fix, minimize de-training and mentally recharge in preparation for the next bike season.

• Don’t let the transition period last more than three to four weeks. Generally speaking, elite cyclists (or even those looking to build on last year’s fitness gains) should limit this period to approximately four weeks. Cyclists who aren’t particularly concerned with building on last year, or those who have faced significant motivation problems way before the season ends, could extend the off season to five or six weeks.

• Do look back at last year. How many races did you do and how did you handle that load? What were your goals and how did you meet them? What motivated you last year, and how can you harness that motivation for next year? There’s a lot to be learned from the past; take advantage of that with a good training diary.

• Do look ahead to next year. It’s important to have a plan and make goals. The athletes I coach find that simply having a plan makes them far more likely to train than not having one. It gives purpose to their training and it’s rewarded with progress. Goals are also critical to maintaining motivation, and I encourage all athletes to have both long and short-term goals. Goals should be specific, measurable, challenging and have a time frame. “Improve my sprint,” although it sounds great, is not a good goal. “Increase five-second power output by 10% before April 1,” which is effectively the same goal, is more likely to be met.

• Lastly, do evaluate nagging injuries and address them with a proper bike fit or equipment change. It is certainly possible to swap out equipment in the middle of the season, but ideally this is done when volume and intensity is low so the body has time to adapt to the new equipment.

The most important aspect of the off season is to recharge mentally, and ideally this is done while still maintaining some level of physical exercise. Athletes should try to maintain about 50% of their normal weekly workload, but mostly through other forms of exercise. Lower volume, or an off-season that lasts more than four weeks, might risk significant de-training.

-Brig Brandt