Holistic Training
By Rich Strauss

The most dangerous times of day for me, from a thinking perspective, are walking the dog, showering, and driving. Well today Sonny walked me for an hour and I took a 25 min shower (shaving day), so I am about to unleash the product of some thinkin'. Stand by for heavy rolls as the ship comes about.

Yesterday I asked my athletes to complete an end of season assessment of their training and our time together. I did the same exercise this morning. One thing led to another and here I am. I'm even out of the house. I am in this thing called a "coffee shop," surrounded by these things called "other people." Lots of changes in the off-season.

Since Wisconsin my thoughts have naturally turned to "what can I do better next time," and specifically what I need to work on during the off-season. My talents, training, and implementation are very similar to most top age groupers. "Training," and everything that goes in that word, has been my focus. And like most athletes I have difficulty applying consistent attention to the "small details." These small details are nutrition, flexibility, strength training, core strength, and mental skills (race-day decision and execution skills).

So I'm walking Sonny and I'm thinking that my off-season is a perfect time to work on my weaknesses and hopefully develop good habits that will carry themselves into my regular season. Then I thought, wouldn't it be more efficient to learn to apply myself to these details consistently, year round?

In other words, the most efficient training method is a holistic approach toward reaching our athletic potential. Rather than applying the majority of our focus toward "training," the more efficient method is to develop the plan and habits that allow us to also work on the small details as best we can, concurrent with our "training."

I will explain these ideas in terms of cycling, since the sport has such a large money investment component.

The holistic approach views training as a system, consisting of the bike/rider machine and everything that goes into making that system faster and more efficient. The following is a list of time/money/focus investments. While these are presented in a ranked or chronological format, a holistic approach will address each of these components simultaneously.

The Holistic Approach

1. Knowledge: your first and most essential investment should be in learning what you're doing on a bike and how to do it better and faster. Learn how to build a better engine and to apply that power to the bike more efficiently.
   
   
2. Power Measuring Device: while this may be an expensive option for the beginner, I think its proven effectiveness should bring it to the top of anyone's list. Simply put, if you are not training with power, you are not training as effectively and efficiently as you can. Given all of the options available to blow your cash, a power measuring device is your best investment, particularly if you have a long term view of the sport.
   
   
3. Aerodynamics: your bike is actually a bike/rider system. To move this system forward you apply power to the rear wheel. As the system moves forward, forces apply resistance. These forces are weight, rolling resistance, and drag. Of these, drag is the most significant. The component of this system with the largest aerodynamic drag is YOU, not the bike. Therefore the most efficient route to reducing the drag of this system is to improve the aerodynamics of your body. Improving your aerodynamics consists of four components, the first three of which are applied simultaneously:
   
   
   • Flexibility: develop a realistic plan to improve your flexibility. Your desired end state should be an improved ability to assume a more aerodynamic and powerful riding position. Carry over benefits are improved range of motion and possible decreased injury risk in the other sports.
     
     
   • Core Strength: this is an important but often neglected component to applying more power to the pedals in this more aerodynamic riding position. Carry over benefits are improved power transfer in the other sports.
     
     
   • Nutrition: as it applies to aerodynamics, improved nutrition means getting your gut out of the way so you can assume a more aerodynamic riding position. More important carryover benefits are improved body composition (very valuable on the run) and improved maintenance/recovery nutrition.
     
     
   • Bike fit: after having improved these three components, you have increased your ability to assume a more aerodynamic riding position. Your next step is to invest time and money on proper bike fit.
     
     
4. Strength Training: Cycling is commonly believed to be limited by the muscular system rather than the aerobic system. Most often the aerobic engine is there but the transmission (leg muscular system) is the limiter to applying this engine to the pedals. A comprehensive strength training program, followed consistently, will improve the athlete's ability to apply power to the pedals and utilize more of their aerobic potential.
   
   
5. Mental Skills: when the gun goes off, your performance is dictated by how well you apply your fitness to the race. This is a function of race day decision-making and execution skills. The athlete develops these skills by:
   
   
   • Reading race reports and learning from the experience of others. I'll use the military as an example. A military professional is, above all else, a historian. We learn our craft by studying the experiences of other military professionals in war. A leader is presented with a tactical situation. The leader orients himself to possible courses of actions, makes a decision and then supervises the execution of that decision. What were the results of this process and how can we apply these lessons, should we face a similar tactical situation in the future? A race report provides the exact same learning opportunity.
     
     
   • Practical application of these skills in races and scheduled race rehearsals. These events are opportunities to "war game" ideas, theories and skills. Each smaller event is an opportunity to refine our tactics for the larger event.
     
     
6. Selection and purchase of better gear: in an effort to maximize our return in the bike/rider system, we have concentrated our initial investments in the least expensive but most important component: the rider. Only after we have reached some level of our potential does it make economic sense to invest in more expensive options: the bike and other gear.

In summary, I will now describe the Team Crucible Holistic Method to Improved Cycling Performance :)

• Apply the first and largest investment toward improving your knowledge of all things cycling related, specifically how to maximize the performance of the engine. This learning process is constant and continuous.
  
  
• Purchase a power measuring device to ensure that this knowledge is applied to your training in the most efficient and effective method possible.
  
  
• Formulate and implement a comprehensive plan to improve flexibility, nutrition, core and leg strength. Desired end state is improved rider aerodynamics and power generation. The final step in this process is applying these improvements to the bike by investing in proper bike fit.
  
  
• Concurrent with all of this is a structured program to improve race day decision-making and execution skills. The tools available are racing, race rehearsals and reports.
  
  
• Somewhere near the "end" of this process, invest time and money in the most proven gear available.

With a little thought and planning you can apply this holistic training method to swimming and running. Develop and implement a plan for the "small details," as they relate to the unique requirements of each sport.

Finally, I would like to introduce a very important training tool: the Geekometer. Essentially, this entire article is about forming and implementing a plan to work on lots of "little things." Your level of planning and implementation should reflect your athletic goals, desired lifestyle, and personal value system.

Just where do you want to be on the Geekometer? Rather than follow the plan of your favorite pro, set realistic expectations for yourself. Above all else, your plan should be realistic and individual to you, given your goals, lifestyle and an honest assessment of your ability to follow through with a plan. Whereas my plan reflects a goal to someday win my age group in an Ironman, your plan may reflect a goal to continue to eat a dozen donuts a day and still fit in your size 32 jeans. It's all good. Each plan conforms to our unique values and we each have realistic expectations of our ability to execute the plan.

My mission for 2003 is to adopt this holistic approach to the training of my athletes.

(Special thanks to the Monrovia Coffee Company and Fosselman's Ice Cream for sponsoring this article.)