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What follows are some of the most commonly asked questions Mr. Liquid Fitness (pictured) has gotten over the last 6 years as a full time cycling coach.

Top 10 questions asked to (I’m guessing) just about any cycling coach.

1. I’m feeling tired, should I do my intervals today?
2. I couldn’t get my heart rate into the proper zone on my training ride today. What should I do?
3. I’m feeling a little under the weather. Should I ride or take the day off?
4. I missed the last week of riding due to travel. How should I make up the missed workouts?
5. I’m doing a crit this weekend. What should my strategy be?
6. I have a hard week of training in front of me but I hope to race and do well on the weekend. How should I alter my schedule?
7. I’m looking to upgrade my ride. What is the best place to spend my money?
8. It’s been a long year and I’m having trouble staying motivated. Any suggestions.
9. I’ve been trying desperately to lose weight, but it’s hard to diet and keep my energy levels up for training. What should I do?
10. What is the best software for keeping track of my power data?

Ok, here we go!

1. Q. I’m feeling tired. Should I do my intervals today?

   A. For me, this was always the biggest question I had to face every day as a young cyclist, especially when I was working 60 hours a week and trying to race as a cat 2.

   Do I go back to bed and get some much need recovery or do I drag myself out of the house on a cold dark winter morning and flog myself?

   What this person is really asking, whether they realize it or not is ‘Am I over trained or am I over reaching?’ It is perfectly natural for you to feel tired before certain training rides and even races. This is called over reaching. It is part of the adaptation process and a certain level of physical exhaustion followed by proper recovery is necessary to see improvement in you fitness. The question is how are you to know when this tired feeling is due to normal training stress or if there is something more.
   
   The first thing to do is check that old stand by, the resting heart rate. Although taking your resting heart rate every morning can seem like a real chore it’s actually pretty easy once you get into the habit of doing it and it can be an invaluable training tool. The important thing is to always look at the number in the context of your past data and never compare it to anyone expect yourself. The benchmark for resting heart rate in the past has always been anything above a 10% increase from your usual RHR means take a recovery day while anything below that means you can still ride. However, as I always say, instead of relying on pure data, try to put it in context with “The Big Picture”.

   If the high resting heart rate is an aberration, it may be due to other factors such as stress or anxiety or even poor sleep. If you think this may be the case, get out of bed and take a shot at the intervals. If your power is off or you are struggling to get into the proper heart rate zone, back off and ride easy for the remainder of your ride. Or, if this is the last day of a hard 3 or 4 week block of training, I would expect a steady increase in RHR. In this case, I would usually suggest getting on the bike and doing your best to complete those intervals. Since you’ve got a week of recovery coming up, you should be ok even if you over do it a little.

   Finally, the best tool any rider has to judge whether or not they should attempt to finish a workout is the power meter. It’s a completely subjective judge of your strength on a given day. Go out and do your first interval. If you feel like crap and your heart rate is sitting in the basement, but your power is where it needs to be, then you are cleared for take off. Grab a big cup of coffee and finish that ride. However, if your power is way off what you know you can do, go home and get back into bed.

2. Q. I couldn’t get my heart rate into the proper zone on my training ride today. What does this mean?

   A. This is sort of part b to the previous question, but it is one of the most common things that riders needlessly stress out about. Heart rate is a very subjective measurement and it’s going to change dramatically based on weather, mental stress, sleep, training stress and a host of other things. Those of you who have a power meter can see this very easily by comparing heart rate from one day to the next on a similar interval. For myself, at the beginning of a training cycle, my heart rate at my threshold of 350 watts might be as high as 170, but a week or two later when I am tired, 350 watts could produce a heart rate as low as 155. This is one of the reasons that coaches subscribe heart rate zones with 10 to 20 beat ranges. But remember, even if your heart rate is below the prescribed range, but you feel like you are carrying a proper workload, go ahead and continue the workout. Always keep in mind that the object of training is to increase your power output, not your heart rate.

   The second part of this answer is to keep track of these fluctuations so that you can understand your body better. Keep track of how your heart rate responds to hard training. Just like resting heart rate, try to study your exercise heart rate so that you can track changes and decide whether they indicate a potential problem or just the natural flow of the training.

3. Q. I’m sick. Should I ride or take the day off?

   A. The usual answer to this is that if the cold is in your head only, you are ok to ride easy. If it is in your chest, then you should take the day off completely. Anything worse than a cold such as a flu also means a day or more completely off the bike. The only addendum I have from my own personal and coaching experience is to always err on the side of caution in these situations. Although at the time it may seem like the end of the world if you miss that all important training ride, in the grand scheme of things, it is a thousand times better to rest up, get better and return to your full training schedule as soon as possible rather than spend weeks wallowing in that training limbo where you are trying to recover while at the same time trying to train. Better to miss a week now than a full month down the road.

4. Q. I missed the last week of riding due to travel. How should I make up the missed workouts?

   A. I always like this question because it has a very simple answer. NEVER try to make up for missed workouts. The only thing my High School wrestling coach ever taught me that I remember to this day is that you can never make up for a missed workout. Once it’s gone, it’s gone and you have to move on from there. That definitely applies to cycling. Usually if I have a client who unexpectedly misses a week of training, I bring them back into the flow of their schedule no matter where we left off. If they have a recovery week coming up, then except for a few small adjustments, we’ll flow right into that recovery week. The most important thing is to keep the cycles flowing as smoothly as possible. When you try to make up for missed workouts, you may be ok for a week or two, but eventually it will catch up to you and you will be tired when you are supposed to be fresh.

   The most important thing is to not stress about missed workouts. If you have to miss a day or even a week, there is nothing you can do about it. Enjoy the time off and just assume that you needed it anyway. The last thing you want is to return to the bike more tired than when you left because you’ve been freaking out about all your missed workouts. One last tip is that as far as I’m concerned, a long day of travel whether it is in the car or on the plane counts as a hard training day. Traveling is exhausting so make sure to give yourself a recovery day to get back into the groove after any hard day on the move.

5. Q. I’m doing a race this weekend. What should my strategy be?

   A. As a coach, I always want my riders to be as prepared as possible for any competition and fortunately, in the past 16 years I have done most of the larger races in the US and many of the smaller ones as well. However, it is still difficult to dictate strategy without actually being there and knowing the competition and the race conditions.

   So the simple answer is, ‘It depends.’ In bicycle racing, you always have to go into a race with a plan, but at the same time, you have to be ready to throw out that plan and improvise at the drop of a hat. So without knowing anything about the race, here are some simple race strategies that apply across the board.

   Get a good warm up, fuel yourself with water and carbs, get a good night sleep and mentally prepare yourself through affirmations and visualizations. Check your equipment the day before and come to the start line with confidence. Always be aware of what is going on around you. Know who your competition is and what their strengths and weaknesses are. Conserve energy whenever possible. Never do any work unless you know exactly why you are doing it. Always be aware of where you are in the group and what you are doing.

   Imagine the race could be stopped at any minute and someone could come out and say to you, “What are you doing right this second to improve your chances of winning this race?” If you don’t have an answer, figure one out and then go do it. Finally, make sure you use your strengths and minimize your weaknesses. If you know you can’t win in a sprint, try to break away. If you know you can win the sprint if you can only get to the line fresh, suck wheel like you’ve never sucked wheel before. I think many riders let the race dictate their actions but as much as possible, try to control the race and make the circumstances work for you.

6. Q. I have a hard week of training in front of me but I hope to race and do well on the weekend. How should I alter my schedule?

   A. Cycling is a tough sport to train for. Cat 3’s and 4’s will often race every single weekend while elite riders may race 3 or 4 times in a given week. The fact is, you can’t peak for every race. If you did that, you’d be spending more time peaking than actually training. For most cyclists, 90% of your races should be considered training. This does not mean you can’t do well (I’ve had some of my best races on days when I could barely get out of bed.), but it does mean that you will have to train through most of your races and pick just a few that you will taper for.

   I think a major problem that a lot of riders have is they think that they need to take a rest day before a race if they want to have any chance of doing well. Mentally, if they wake up in the morning feeling tired with heavy legs, they’ve already counted themselves out. In fact, almost every rider I coach does better on the second day of intensity than they do after a recovery day. I keep careful track of this in their training logs and any time I hear this particular complaint, I can steer them back to a certain series of workouts and show them how their body operates better when the pump is primed and the legs are expecting a good flogging.

7. Q. I’m looking to upgrade my ride. What is the best place to spend my money?

   A. The first answer is always a good coach. No amount of money in the world will buy you a bike that is going to continue to improve your performance year after year like a good coach. But since this article is all about being your own coach, we’ll skip ahead to the hardware. Usually, my answer would be a power measuring device. However, I prefer to steer newer riders away from this because there is still so much they can learn just from getting out there and riding with a heart rate monitor. I also try to steer the number crunchers away from the power meters. These riders (and you know who you are), can get so overwhelmed by the sheer amount of data they collect, that it can not only harm their performance, but also take away some of the fun of riding. However, if you are willing to invest the time into learning about and understanding how power works and why it is so important, than no other piece of equipment will give you the training edge like a good power meter.

   And for those who are looking for an answer with the word carbon in it, I’ll go ahead and say it. Wheels. A good set of lightweight wheels can completely change the way your bike rides. Since rotating weight is such a key number, a few ounces saved at the rim can make your bike feel a pound or two lighter on the climbs. After that, grab a nice set of tires to go with them.

8. Q. It’s been a long year and I’m having trouble staying motivated. Any suggestions?

   A. This is always a tough time of year. Most of us have been going non stop since December or January and we are tired. However, it’s only August and it’s a little too early to take a break and start with off season training. While burnout or overtraining are definite reasons to get off the bike, if you are going to keep riding, you want to continue to have high quality, fun workouts. So here are some tips on staying motivated.

   Everyone finds inspiration from different places and it is now time for you to look down inside yourself and find out where your motivation comes from. If it comes from competition, get out there and do whatever race or competition you can find, even if it is something you have never done before or don’t think you’ll be good at. If your inspiration comes from riding with friends or teammates, take some time away from your rigid training schedule and go out for a group ride, or get your friends together for some climbing. And if it comes from challenging yourself to new heights, go out and try to beat that old record you set on the local climb. No matter what, the most important thing is to remember why you ride and to have some fun. It’s easy to get tangled up inside your own head and often we forget the pure visceral thrill of riding a bike.

   Also, take this time to think about what you’ve accomplished over the past year. What did you achieve and what goals did you not quite reach? More importantly, what did you learn, not just about riding or racing, but about yourself? What did you learn about your body and the way it responds to different types of training stress? What mistakes did you make and how will you correct them next year? It’s never too early to start thinking about next season and how you will make it even better than the year before.

   Above all else, when you get to that point where your legs are no longer fresh and riding seems too much like a chore, PUT THE BIKE AWAY! Cover your bike with a blanket and don’t even look at it for two full weeks. Catch up on some TV, play computer games, send some e-mails. Let your body rest and prepare itself for another go round. Trust me, you’ve earned it.

9. Q. I’ve been trying desperately to lose weight, but it’s hard to diet and keep my energy levels up for training. What should I do?

   A. Losing weight is a very tough proposition for a cyclist. How do you cut calories while maintaining your energy levels? My philosophy is that rather than cutting calories, you must increase your metabolism so that the more you eat, the more you burn.

   Besides eating sensibly (which I am going to assume most of you know how to do), I have picked up a few tricks over the years that seem to work. First, Metabolism is the main thing you are fighting against. Forget counting carbs and calories. The cyclists metabolism often adjusts precisely to match whatever your daily intake is, so if you eat less, it slows down and if you eat more it speeds up (to a lesser extend as we get older). The idea is to trick your metabolism into thinking it is getting more food than it is in order to keep your body from shutting down and going into starvation mode.

   My trick is to eat normally all day (especially immediately after a ride) but then eat an early dinner (as early as possible). If possible, substitute the pasta and bread for something like steamed broccoli or asparagus. It’s actually not that bad with a little salt and you’d be surprised how quickly it will fill you up. Don’t worry about the portion size. You’re not going to get fat eating broccoli. Then right before you go to bed make sure to have some sort of low carb protein supplement which you will need to rebuild the muscle that you’ve been tearing down during the day.

   Keep in mind this only applies if your morning ride is less than 2 hours long. If you are going to wake up first thing in the morning and do a long ride, you will have to eat a little more the night before.

   Finally, always eat a little snack before you go for your morning ride. This will get your metabolism switched on so the engine is running and stays running all morning even though all you are giving it is a measly 100 calorie banana or an apple. I often notice that I will bonk faster on a morning ride after eating a small breakfast than if I had eaten nothing at all due to the fact that my metabolism is running faster than had I eaten nothing at all. Green tea is also a great metabolic booster, especially if you haven’t desensitized yourself to caffeine through years of coffee abuse.

   Observe your energy levels on your rides. If you do this right, it should not affect your workouts. If you do it wrong, you will start to notice a lack of energy and decreased workouts. If that happens, just up your calorie intake a bit before your ride. Also, always bring a gel when you ride since while you’re doing this there will always be the possibility of bonking.

10. Q. What is the best software for keeping track of my power data?

    A. I know I’m going to get some flack for this but I prefer to keep track of my own power date and my clients on a simple excel spreadsheet. The spread sheet tells me the date of the ride, the type of interval, the number of intervals and the average power for each interval. Simple, neat, easy to read and easy to track. I understand there is some great software out there that does amazing things, but I prefer to keep my riders from getting caught up in mountains of data to the point that it affects their ability to ride by feel and makes them unable to train if their SRM is in the shop. With this simple graph, I can chart their progress, follow trends in their training and keep on eye out for overtraining or even under training. When it comes to power, I strictly adhere to the old cycling adage of K