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Training Advice From Tim Kock S.African Professional Cyclist
My name is Timothy my friends and everyone i know calls me Tim i am currently a semi Professional cyclist in Johannesburg South Africa
i am also a sales Representative and fitment guru in a bicycle store called Fritz Pienaar cycles
a little bit about the racing in south africa, We have mainly one day events over 100km in length sometimes shorter, mainly we dont have rough hilly terrain so most of our races all end in a bunch sprint and that is where my main focus is in a race i am a sprinter that enjoys the thrill and enjoyment of a good elbow to elbow sprint
The reason i will be blogging on this page is for training tips for everyday guys and girls that are looking to have the time of thier lives on thier bicycles while being fast and being as comfortable as possible or as my friends would say have a ferrai engine in the comfort of your very own rolls royce...
i am also a sales Representative and fitment guru in a bicycle store called Fritz Pienaar cycles
a little bit about the racing in south africa, We have mainly one day events over 100km in length sometimes shorter, mainly we dont have rough hilly terrain so most of our races all end in a bunch sprint and that is where my main focus is in a race i am a sprinter that enjoys the thrill and enjoyment of a good elbow to elbow sprint
The reason i will be blogging on this page is for training tips for everyday guys and girls that are looking to have the time of thier lives on thier bicycles while being fast and being as comfortable as possible or as my friends would say have a ferrai engine in the comfort of your very own rolls royce...
PREPARATION AND GOAL SETTING
Evening from a very wet and rainy Johannesburg
This past Sunday was the last race of the year and i can finally say that i had a very average year with regards to my training and racing, not looking for excuses but to be honest i was not the best prepared and i set my goals too high
Thats what my first tip is to everyone, Preparation and goal setting:
Good
Everyone wants to do their absolute best all the time but unfortunately in order to do this we have to make huge sacrifices and as you know they don't come cheap
for some a sacrifice means that you will have to stop eating chocolate or to others it would mean going to bed early enough to be able to catch that 5am group ride, in my case it was both
living like a monk is a great way to prepare for a race or event that you want to do well in But with that lifestyle comes a huge price in that you will be putting everything into your bike with little or no margin for error, for some it works but for others it is too taxing sometimes causing breakdowns and frustration...
in comes a little situation where you have done all the right eating and training but you still haven't done a decent time in your race or you were still beaten by a guy that doesn't train as hard as you
It takes a few minor changes to you as a person to get these things right and more often than not it is because you are putting too much pressure on yourself
Pressure for professionals is what they thrive on it gives them that winning edge that industry advantage in order to get on the bike day in and day out but for us mere mortals it comes down to a matter of how well you handle your own mind.
with goal setting you should be prepared for failure and be prepared for unwanted things to happen and always be on the lookout for that winners edge, for people like me that advantage is having fun so i am not going to pull up for a race looking to sit at the back of the bunch and suffer the whole way, i would rather pull up with my best foot forward and make the most of the changing conditions during a race pulling a face while drafting behind a guy with red shorts or cracking a joke while everyone is sitting on at their limit just keeping contact
these little minor changes make the ride a whole load easier and are never a fool proof way of preventing the amount of suffering i will endure to get to the end
But with me doing all of these things and being very vocal in the bunch it sends messages to the bunch that i am here to stay and that i am not suffering as much has they are, even though i might be
with the ease of pressure and the right sacrifices goal setting becomes a little bit easier and helps you to calm down when the going gets tough
so with that in mind you need to make sure your goals are realistic it is no use saying that you are going to beat David miller (when you know you dont even have a bike*)
but at the same time it is of no use saying that you are going to beat the postman to the end of the street because that is just not fair on the poor guy
aim high but not ridiculous, train smart but dont be too much like your hero and remember to keep fuelled up with the right nutrients (no beer and french fries are not considered race prep)
with all that said i will be working out a 12 week training program for the christmas holidays taking into account your weather that will be slightly on the chilly side for the next few months which will include a few training methods used by pros and many multisport athletes to help with conditioning and core strength
till next week best regards
Tim