Several years back in 20I0, I had this great idea of
developing cycling training camps up in the California Alps, aka as the Sierra
Mountains. People would see my pictures
on Facebook and tell me how lucky I was to be able to ride in this gorgeous
country. My desire was to develop these training camps so cyclists could come
and experience the remarkable and amazing beauty that I was blessed to ride
every day. It was also a unique opportunity for me to apply my passion,
education, profession and skills to educate, teach and coach cyclists so they
could improve their riding skills and accomplish their own dreams on the bike.
In my many years of experience as a cyclist, personal
trainer, & fitness coach I have witnessed instances where someone brings a group of
cyclists together for a “coaching” ride and they simply race to the finish line,
leaving behind those who can’t keep up and often times, unnecessary crashes
occur, leaving several wounded on the pavement. This always gets me shaking my
head in disbelief and wondering why they didn't plan ahead to avoid these
problems. The answer usually is because they are not coaches, but simply riders
with enthusiasm. Some cycling camps are
run this way; where it doesn't take any skill to simply lead rides, and it certainly
doesn't help the cyclists who came to learn how to ride any better. They just get discouraged and tired.
I believe that everyone who attends cycling camps should
leave that training camp feeling like they made improvements for the better. This
means that they have acquired more
knowledge to apply principles about how they should train, what’s important during
their off season, when they should eat and drink for endurance and performance,
how to optimally recover between workouts,
gain a new appreciation for safety on
the road and confidence in their new improved skills. Some training camps ride
you so hard you can’t get out of bed in the morning and it will take weeks to
recover before you can return to your typical training regimen.
And here’s the thing…getting back to training camps. In order to accomplish all these things, the
training camp has to offer more than just a series of supported group/race/hammer
rides. Training camps can be incredibly
valuable to improve performance and jump start your season with strength and
power. When I train a group of cyclists on
the road I always have a plan and a purpose for the session. It begins with a thorough explanation of what
we will be working on, a demonstration of what it is we are looking for and
then ample time to put those skills and drills into action on the road. We work on things like tempo rides, steady state
intervals, climbing repeats, hill accelerations; we include instruction and
application of pacing, breathing, and climbing and descending skills. We always have a larger than necessary ratio
of coaches to cyclists and they are coaches, not ride leaders.
I believe that every individual we coach deserves to get out
of our camps and clinics more than what they expected and to leave with a sense
of accomplishment and satisfaction that their time and money was well
invested. There are endless camps out
there and not all of them are going to make you a better, faster, smarter rider.
I see the same thing in the personal training industry. As a 25 year veteran of personal training and
coaching, I can tell you that not all personal trainers are created equal. Many have your best interests at heart, but
they do not have the education or experience to actually be training others in
anything more than a basic program. I
want you to be the best cyclist/athlete you can be and that includes maximizing
your personal strengths and talents to achieve excellence. If this is the season for you where you will
be looking for a cycling training camp to attend, I encourage you to closely
evaluate what they have to offer you, ask detailed questions and then decide if
it will benefit you.
The Death Ride, Colorado’s Copper Triangle, The Alta Alpina
Challenge are all huge cycling challenges that require skills, endurance, positive
imagination, strength and determination to accomplish achievement successfully.
For example, the Death Ride, aka as the
Tour of California Alps, includes five mountain passes, 15,000 feet of
elevation gain and 129 miles! This ride is easily a huge undertaking for even
the most experienced cyclist. Each year there is 3,000 riders who come from across
the world to conquer the Alps but not all finish the ride. About 2,000 riders finish all 5 passes.
My goal during CycleFits High Sierra Cycling Camp is to provide you with the proper training
and guidance to actually cross the finish line, whichever one you choose for
yourself. I have training plans you can
begin today that will navigate your training process so you can achieve your
Death Ride goal time, or whatever event you have as your personal challenge!
"Powering individuals, fueling dreams, from start to
finish"
Carpe Diem, Coach Shelley
GetOnYourMARK.com
Email: Cyclefitadventures@gmail.com
209-890-6244
