Holiday training camp

The words holiday and training camp don't really sit well together, training is always seen as hard work and holiday is sat on a sunbed. Time off school though is a great opportunity to get some quality sessions in during daylight hours and still have the rest of the day to enjoy what kids do best and play. Jack Brough thought a sleep over and a few days with his mate Josh would be just putting their feet up and playing computer games all day and a little bike ride thrown in. The 'little' bike ride turned out to be two real quality sessions for the lads and familiarising them with race drills and efforts

Day 1
2.1/2 hours quality, warm up over the hills around Ilkeston to our training circuit at Coxbench, this consisted of thru and off (count to 30 on front then swing off) keeping high tempo on hills rather than blasting them, onto our 5km circuit we did one lap steady continuing thru and off, 2nd lap ramped it up to race pace and above 22-25mph with a headwind one way tailwind the other, rest for a lap then repeat twice so at the end of session we had done race distance, on the third and final lap we did 1.1/2 laps and lead Josh out for the 30mph sign as the finish, I did man 1 Jack man 2 Josh then nailed the finish, throw in a steady ride home and a quality session done

Day 2
2 hours in wind and rain what I call a proper Belg day so we headed out south over to the small lanes around Aston on Trent looping backwards and forwards keeping away from traffic. Today it was echelon riding a real craft to master I was trying to get the lads to understand the fine art of this task and show how little road you really needed to use, these efforts were long hard slogs into the wind round and round till we could take no more, this is a manoeuvre that practise makes perfect. Steady ride back over a few hills to really pummel the legs and build strength.
       
Tips
These are sessions you can practise on a club run or gentle family ride, it's about how you carry out these manoeuvres, keeping them smooth and controlled NOT about how you can smash everyone, leave that to race day

Learn To Love The Wind
You may love or hate riding into the wind, this is something you need to get used to, keep positive imagine your slicing through it, don't let it get the better of you as it plays with your mind, if your struggling take shorter turns, keep tight on a wheel for protection, use your gears wisely, drive into it then off the front for a rest.
Imagine what the Dutch feel like wide open flat roads no trees for protection just wind wind wind,

Making Them into Bike riders

Sunday 14th February was our first specific Go Ride coaching session using the new Harvey Hadden cycle circuit which was amazing very flowing, smooth and great surface, the weather was good and circuit bone dry even after the frosty mornings. A steady ride out from Ilkeston via Cossall seen the riders having a nice warm up and finding their legs before the planned session at the circuit. Whilst the riders signed in the coach checked out the circuit and the riders were eager to get started, after briefings and bike checks they were away riding in a nice tidy formation and practising the drill through and off and riding close on a wheel. Once warmed up they were split into two teams older riders and younger riders for part 1 sprint lead outs, cones were set up for a finish area and drop off markers for lead out riders. Each rider had there turn at sprinter whilst the other three lead them out whilst dropping off at the appropriate marker, this session was packed with skills and coaching tips, gear selection, following a wheel, communication, riding in formation, etc to name a few, all riders coped well really loving it. Part 2 was jumping a gap a few riders were sent ahead to form a break whilst the others formed a bunch behind, designated riders had to surprise the others and get across the gap, there were some amazing efforts from all riders. We finished off with an expert cornering tutorial from our road National Champion Mike Twelves all riders learning a lot about cornering coached from the sideline by Geoff, 90 minutes later we finished up having run over by a bit but all were buzzing. We all finished off the day with a 30 mile lumpy ride on a loop around back to Ilkeston taking in some grippy 'Bergs' around the area, there were some very weary bike riders but all feeling the benefits of a great day in the saddle, some of the younger riders surprised themselves by surpassing their max miles ridden.
Onwards to the next session before racing is upon us in March
Geoff Giddings - Coach MI Racing Academy