Last Tuesday was the final time we had K11/10D course on the season calendar - the dreaded hill climb one!
Although I got a course PB 2 weeks ago on this same route, my pacing wasn't so amazing so I was keen this time around to nail that element and see if it helped me go even quicker. Having had a lovely cycle over in the sunshine (it was another warm night, but thankfully not quite as warm as Sundays TT where I almost melted!), I knew it could be a quick night. Pre race my coach Tim (Catenary Coaching) had given me some pace top tips - essentially not to go full beans up the first half of the hill, and then immediately regret that decision, resulting in crawling back to the finish line along the latter flat section of the course with zero energy left. So the plan was to stick to my target power on the flatter section leading up to the climb, then keep a steady constant power approx. 20watts above my target power up the hill to make up for the potential power lost coming down the hill on the way back, and then finally push back towards the finish line at target power or beyond if I had the energy left! Well I tried to stick to it and it worked - 30secs course PB! I still felt sick at the top of the hill... But less so compared to last week so at least I could push on back to the finish line! Maybe borrowing Jade's go faster aero socks helped too! Hels x
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This year I am really lucky to be supported once again by Jade Mottley (Sports Scientist, MSc Human Nutrition Student & Precision Nutrition Coach), and she has kindly written a guest post which I think you will find super useful! Nutrition for Fitness The fitness enthusiasts and athletes amongst us are always looking for ways to improve both their performance and achieve their goals1. Does this sound like you? Good nutrition can help your body perform better and recover faster after each workout1. Before we begin, what are your current training goals? Are you exercising for general health and fitness with modest goals or are you exercising for competition or like some of my current clients do you have more scaled up goals like a 100-mile challenge? If you are exercising for general health, you probably do not need a particular nutrition plan for your fitness. If you are a healthy person who exercises regularly by eating a healthy, well-considered meal 1-2 hours before exercise and one 1-2 hours after exercise, most people can meet their needs without adding anything else1. If you are in this camp then take a look at my blog on “What Is Good Nutrition and Why Is It Important?”2 for information’ it includes recommendations from the World Health Organisation3 on what a day to day healthy diet should contain. However, athletes have special needs when it comes to nutrition for fitness1. Let’s explore.. What are Macros?
There are two different types of nutrients that the body needs for correct functioning: micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals and macronutrients such as protein, carbohydrates and fat4. These macronutrients are major sources of energy4 and vital nutrition for fitness and training. For those that have done macro counting or calorie counting they will be aware of the role that macros play and that when you are looking to shed weight or gain muscle mass calorie counting can be beneficial to your various health goals4. What are the main roles of each macro in exercise?
Pre-workout Nutrition for fitness Eating a complete meal containing carbohydrates, protein and fat 2-3 hours before you exercise will help maximise the results of your training. For meals 45-60 minutes pre workout choose foods that are simple to digest and mainly contain carbs and protein. Fat can be beneficial to a workout but consume 2 hours before your workout5. For more information on your pre-workout nutrition head over to my blog: “How To Improve Your Pre-Workout Nutrition”6 When selecting a pre-workout meal focus on7:
Post-workout Nutrition for fitness Once your workout is complete have a whole food meal within an hour or two. The nutrients that you eat after your workouts can improve your body composition, performance and recovery so it is important to get these nutrients in immediately and within 2 hours after your workout8. Choosing easily digested foods will promote faster nutrient absorption: for a list of foods and meal examples after you workout click here9. Jade's support I had the honour of sponsoring Helene with her sports nutrition for the European Duathlon Championships in Ibiza when she represented GB as an age group athlete. Since Helene’s recent elbow injury, I have been supporting her rehabilitation program with sponsored access to our Gold membership coaching plan. This includes unlimited access to over 70 pre-recorded workouts to improve both strength and cardio as well as access to our weekly live timetable for group fitness classes. I am super excited to work with Helene for another season and can’t wait to see her come back fitter and stronger! If you want to join Helene and our other members on a free trial class get in touch here. Author: Jade Mottley - Sports Scientist, MSc Human Nutrition Student & Precision Nutrition Coach Research: Compiled by Jade Mottley and Della Humphries (Nutrition Intern at Jade Mottley Coaching) Have you found this article beneficial? I would love to hear your feedback and fitness journey, find me on my socials @Jademottley References
RLSCC 10m TT (04/08/20)Tuesday night was pretty windy to say the least and the course was the quick one that's net downhill, starting at the top of a hill which you never go back up! I set off with the aim of trying to beat my average power from last time on this course, and it all started well until I got speed up on the descent and then cross winds started to come in, shooting my bike sideways. Since my accident my confidence isn't brilliant yet, so this did scare me a bit and so I stopped pedaling and went up onto the base bars for more stability - not where you want to be when you're trying to be fast! Once I was back on the flat and I had calmed down a bit I knew I had some serious time to make up so pushed on fairly hard. I got back and I was slightly disappointed as I finished 2s slower than last time and my average power was also lower... However, what I didn't realise until I got home was that I had actually managed to get myself a new 20min power PB (from the section of the course after the downhill)! So ignoring the downhill disaster, it actually turned out to be pretty good! I just hope it isn't windy next time! COVENTRY CC OPEN 10M TT (08/04/20)Sunday was my first ever open TT and even though it was local, it wasn't a course I had done before, only elements of it so I was looking forward to a change - having done the same 2 courses on a Tuesday for the last few weeks!
To say it was warm though, is an understatement - I was melting before I even got onto my bike in the car park! Having suffered previously from a lack of electrolytes competing in the heat, I made sure that in the lead up to the race I topped them up and didn't make the mistake of over hydrating as I seem to have a habit of doing! The course itself was a simple out and back with a downhill first half and uphill second half. Funnily enough, everyone after asking friends how they thought it had gone when they had finished had the exact same answer - the first half was great, the second was horrendous.... same here! A combination of the descent and a slight tailwind, meant the first half was really quick - looking down at my Garmin I was thinking wow this could be a new 10m PB if I keep this up! But no, as soon as I turned around at the roundabout and hit the climb I could see my average speed begin to drop and there was nothing I could do about it - the heat was unbearable to push any harder. No time or power PBs today, but much to our surprise (considering it was an extremely competitive event, with the National Time Trial Champ present and many other speedy ladies) we won the team competition! So a big shout out to RLSCC ladies Jade Anstis and Francis Lammyman! I think what this means is I need more heat training - anyone want to send me to Majorca or Lanzarote for a heat training camp :) Hels x |
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October 2021
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