August has been a whirlwind month for Big Wheel Coaching! We began the month with Coach Brian racing the Tour of Utah and as it closes he is lining-up to race the Tour of Alberta. In between all that excitement, we have led 3 separate clinics, each of which has been a great success and a project we have enjoyed immensely! With that said, we are excited to share this edition of BWC Business News as it is particularly 'event-packed', enjoy! Coach Joy, along with two other coaches, led the Colorado Springs USA Cycling Level 2 Coaching Clinic that included lessons on skills training, training plan development, as well as discussed the finer points of the business of Endurance Coaching. Photo Credit: Joy McCulloch BWC Leads At The Colorado Springs USAC Level 2 Coaching Clinic Having been coaching as a teacher and Endurance Coach since graduating college, Coach Joy has a wealth of knowledge and experience to draw upon. This fact was most recently noticed by the leadership at USA Cycling, which lead to her being asked to help coach and lead continuing-education clinics for newer coaches looking to move up the USAC ranks. We are excited to report that Coach Joy just completed her first assignment at the USAC Level 2 Coaching Clinic in Colorado Springs that included a series of presentations on the "Business of Coaching", "Training Plan Development", as well as on-the-bike skills work. It was a great event and she was more than excited to share her passion for coaching, as well as her experiences in the business, with this group of Coaches throughout the two-day clinic. Following this success, Coach Joy will be operating in the same capacity at the next event, scheduled for October. Big Orange Cycling along with a number of South Bay-area hammerheads joined us for the Seth Davidson Bike Injury Lawyer Peloton Skills Clinic. The group learned close-quarters riding through a variety of drills. Photo Credit: Joy McCulloch Seth Davidson Bike Injury Lawyer Taps BWC For The Peloton Skills Clinic Bike safety and learning the skills necessary to enjoy the sport of cycling, at every age, is something that is extremely important to the folks at Seth Davidson Bike Injury Law. To fill that need, we are excited that they contacted BWC to create and lead a peloton skills clinic that focused on close-quarters riding. In this FREE clinic, participants were instructed on the nuances of tight-knit pace-line work as well as how to react to the inevitability of contact when riding within a peloton. After a series of progressive drills in 'pace-lining', the group was introduced to contact drills on a grass field. We are excited to report that this session was well received and that all riders left with a better understanding of the potential pitfalls of over-reacting when contact happens in a tight peloton of riders. The end result was a group that had developed better spacial-awareness and skills to handle themselves when a peloton gets jammed into a tight spot. This skill alone will reduce the chances of crashes and injuries in a variety of situations. A win-win by all accounts! Event organizers at the Mammoth Gran Fondo go all-out to put-on an incredible event that is a must-attend for anyone that loves endurance road riding! Photo Credit: Joy McCulloch Upcoming Events: Come Ride With Us! We are excited for the late-summer and fall events that are coming up because they are a great opportunity to ride with many of our Athletes, Supporters, & Friends! For some of the most beautiful mountain views and small-town hospitality around, you must ride the Mammoth Gran Fondo. In addition to riding the Fondo, we will be leading a pre-ride, FREE to everyone who is registered for the event, on Friday September 8th, so come ride with us! For more information about the Mammoth Grand Fondo check out their website: http://fallcentury.org For more information about our Mammoth Gran Fondo pre-ride look here: http://www.fallcentury.org/mammoth-gran-fondo-prep.html Getting to see our Athletes in action, at events like the Westlake Village Century, is one of our favorite parts of coaching! Photo Credit: JC Chaufard
Following the Eastern Sierra fun in Mammoth we will be gearing up for the Westlake Village Century. As our second year attending this incredible event, we can say it should not be missed! This years' event features a new route that will undoubtedly showcase the amazing views and local roads of the Santa Monica Mountains. What's more, being a BWC Athlete, Supporter or Friend can get you a $25 discount on your entry. Simply enter BIGWHEEL25 at checkout and we'll be seeing you in Westlake! For more information about the Westlake Village Century check out their website: http://westlakevillagecentury.com We hope you will consider joining us at one or all of these upcoming events and look forward to sharing the highlights from each of them in coming editions of our BWC Newsletter! #TrainYourPotential Until Next Time, Be Safe, Train Hard, & Have Fun! -Brian & Joy McCulloch Big Wheel Coaching Thomas Fuller is a lover of all things two-wheeled. He rides road, cross-country MTB and Enduro-style MTB all with regularity, with a special place in his heart for XC racing. But when the USA Cycling Talent ID camp came to SoCal to evaluate the next crop of junior road cyclists, Thomas was excited to test his talents amongst the best riders on the west coast. Following the Talent ID Camp Thomas received an invitation to represent USA Cycling as a member of the U.S. National Team at the Junior Tour of Ireland. With only a few short weeks to prepare for his first stage race, not to mention airline flight and travel abroad, it was a scramble to ensure he was set-up to make the most of this opportunity. Following his racing adventure in Ireland we caught up with Thomas for our 4-question Athlete Profile interview to discuss what he termed as, “an opportunity of a lifetime”. Enjoy! Athlete Bio: Primary Sport/Discipline: MTB/Road Average Hours of Training Per Week: 10-14hrs Upcoming Goals: The 2017 Road Cycling Season Thomas Fuller had a blast with his new teammates at this years' Junior Tour of Ireland. Photo Credit: Sean McNicholl Interview: Question #1: Thomas, after a fantastic Varsity NICA MTB season, you attended a USAC Talent ID Camp where you were selected to represent the US National Team at the Junior Tour of Ireland, congratulations! As your first stage race - tell us how you prepared for the event and what your expectations were leading into the race? Thomas Fuller: Thank you, I couldn’t have done it without BWC! This has been one of my most successful seasons of racing. I started the NICA season with the goal to get on the podium in at least one race, and finish top-10 in the overall standings. But after a successful 3rd place finish at the opening race, Coach Joy and I revised our expectations upward. I am happy to report that I finished the season with two podium placings and 5th overall! Training for, and racing, the NICA races really built my engine, so even though I headed to the USAC Talent ID camp with a nasty cold, I was still in a position to perform well. I felt confident that my road skills had improved substantially since I first began road racing. This was mostly due to participating in many BWC and Team Redlands group rides, as well as mentored races from GS Andiamo. This is all in addition the great training program Coach Joy created for me that combined both road and MTB riding all season long. Making the US National Team for the Junior Tour of Ireland was incredible! We only had two weeks after selection to get ready, which went by fast! Luckily I had Coach Joy to guide me. She even took me on a series of training rides to prepare me properly for the race not to mention helped me develop a nutrition strategy for the six-day event. This emphasis on fueling helped me so much during the race as I learned just how crucial it is to eat properly for the next day during a stage race. Coach Joy also talked with me about travel stress, mainly how to minimize it, which really helped as I had never traveled by plane before. While I was in Ireland racing, Coach Joy checked in with me via telephone regularly, to help me make sense of the racing, which put me in a great frame of mind for each stage. Coaches Perspective/Coach Joy: To say it was a whirlwind from the time Thomas completed the NICA season through his travels to Ireland would be an understatement! At the Talent ID Camp, I was confident that Thomas’ fitness was in a great spot, so when we found out he was selected for Ireland, we focused on fine-tuning his riding skills to make sure he was prepared to ride within a fast-paced peloton. Because I knew Thomas was going into uncharted territory at the race, not to mention the international travel, we opted to focus our efforts on every minor detail we could prepare him for that would reduce stress and ensure he could perform optimally. I am excited that all of the hard work paid off and Thomas had a great ride in Ireland! It was all smiles until the racing started when the Junior Tour of Ireland revealed itself to be a load of hard work. Photo Credit: Matt McNamara Question #2: Once in Ireland, you were met with 150 competitors and 6 challenging stages. What were your highlights from the event, what was the hardest part, and what was the most fun? TF: The Junior Tour of Ireland (JTOI) was an amazing experience! Everything was new to me, from stage racing to traveling abroad. The race was crazy and I wasn’t quite prepared for how fast the European riders were. Luckily, I had a good TT to kick off the race and then focused on the next five 5-days of fast and hard racing. For Stage 2, the Doonagore Road Race, I was super excited! I wanted to get a good start and to learn the flow of the race. The first 50km were fast and hard. I went for some KOM points, then when we hit the Castle Hill climb, which was a 3km climb at a 10% grade, I got popped and had to fight hard to join one of the groups chasing back to the peloton. I was trying to figure out why my legs were burning so badly when I noticed that my seat post had fallen a couple of inches! I fought through that discomfort until my team car stopped to help me fix it, then I got to motor-pace behind the car for more then 30km. What a rush! I had fallen into the rhythm of suffering behind the car when suddenly there was a group in front of me, and even better, two of my teammates were in it. I rolled to the finish with that group, which was 6-minutes behind the leaders. I was not happy to lose that much time, but was pleased with how much time I was able to make up after my mechanical. I could have easily lost half an hour on that stage if I hadn’t kept pushing myself. Stage 3, The Cliffs of Moher, was even more interesting, as it poured rain for the majority of the race. Early-on there was a giant crash that I managed to avoid, despite one-rider coming into my back wheel. After that it was pretty mellow for a while as the peloton slowed to allow the crashed riders to catch up. At the 60km mark we hit the Cliffs of Moher climb; I fought hard, but got dropped just before the top. I gave it all I had to chase, but ended up in the second group. Eventually a teammate caught me and we were able to organize the group to get to the finish. At this point I made it my goal to finish in the lead group at least one of the days of the race. Stage 4 was The Wild Atlantic Way race, which was possibly the hardest day for me. They should have called it The Wild and Windy Atlantic Way! The wind was so brutal I even had to work hard on the downhills to stay with the leaders. I got dropped on one of the climbs, but worked with a few riders to catch back onto the peloton on the descent. It was on the next downhill that I met my hardest part of the race; I got dropped just before reaching the super-fast 30km stretch along the coast to the finish. I was stuck in the race-caravan with only enough energy to stay with my team car and occasionally the car in front of it. After bouncing between those cars for a few minutes, I found the energy to start making my way through the race-caravan and back into the peloton. This experience was amazing! I was maxed-out on gears spinning as hard as I could and finally summoned the effort to get back to the group. As it turned out the group I chased back to was only the second group on the road and we worked together to finish just behind the leaders. Gallow’s Hill was Stage 5, and it was easily my best day of racing at the JTOI. I felt comfortable on the climbs and made it all the way to the finish with the leaders. I did get dropped in final Km’s, but finished only a minute behind the winner. The final stage was The Ennis Circuit Race, which was shorter than each of the road races. I am pleased to report that I rode well and finally finished in the lead group! All in all, it was a super-tough week of racing, but at the same time I was excited to be there and learning as much as I could about the sport of road cycling! I was surprised to find that I felt better after each day of the race and really enjoyed this once in lifetime experience. Coach Joy: Quite literally, Thomas had nearly every imaginable type of adversity thrown his way during the stage race! Luckily, he is tough as nails. With that said, I was sure to tell him these challenges are all part of road racing, and that ‘in time’ everything will fall into place. I was so proud of him for staying focused and charging forward during each stage. To me, this shows great mental fortitude, which is the biggest key to success in stage racing. Reviewing his race files, stress scores, and race reports, I knew Thomas’ was having the time of his life, while also digging a massive hole that would have to be recovered from when he got home. As his Coach, knowing how deep he can go, and seeing him push far outside his comfort zone, was very exciting. The sky is the limit for him in this sport! Prior to the Junior Tour of Ireland, Thomas had never flown on a plane, let alone traveled with his bike, it was quite the adventure! Photo Credit: Kimberly "Mama" Fuller. Question #3: What is one of your long-term cycling goals? And what is next on your cycling ‘to do’ list? TF: My main long-term goal is to become a professional road cyclist, which means I have to put in the time and work to move up the ranks. I am looking forward to next spring’s stage races to really test myself, especially since I am moving out of the junior ranks and into category racing. I love my MTB, so I would like to fit in some Pro mountain-bike racing when it fits into the schedule. Next on my cycling to-do list is to spend a couple of weeks without protocol, having fun on my trail bike, before gearing up for the Mammoth Grand Fondo. I’ve never done a Grand Fondo before, and I am excited to see how it goes! Coach Joy: Since Thomas has completed his Varsity season racing NICA, he now has the chance to race early season SoCal Stage Races on the road, which is sure to be challenging and fun! I am so excited for him to have these opportunities, where he can test his skills and tactics against the best in the country. Having the chance to race more road events will solidify which direction he wants to go with his cycling. Until then, I am excited to have the chance to ride the Mammoth Gran Fondo with Thomas next month - he is going to have a blast and I am sure he will have a great performance! Ireland is one of only a few countries that drive on the left side of the road. Just another first for Thomas on his adventure. Photo Credit: Matt McNamara Question #4: Describe your favorite workout in your training program, also, please share a ‘knowledge-bomb’ you have learned while training with Big Wheel Coaching. TF: One of my favorite workouts from Coach Joy are the 10-minute Over/Unders. They are super-painful to complete, but they really helped me during my MTB season. As for a knowledge bomb, here’s one; listen to your Coach! In the past I would sometimes choose to ride with friends instead of doing my prescribed workouts, or I would add in activities that didn’t support my overall goals. Coach Joy was patient and reminded me that being successful requires discipline and focus, not to mention sacrifice. It took some time, but these days I am “all in” on the training plans Coach Joy creates for me, understanding that she wants the best for me, and has the knowledge to help me be successful at the highest level. Coach Joy: This is awesome! Thomas loves to work hard and really embraces the suffering that comes along with performing at the highest level. I was excited to quietly sneak in the Over/Under workouts into training to see what his mental and physiological responses would be. I am excited to report that he nailed them, which allowed us to layer on harder and more potent work afterward to ensure he was ready for the volatile efforts of stage racing. Thomas is young, confident, and head-strong, so it’s natural to question authority a bit, but it has been wonderful to see him fully “buy-in” to the training process as it is prescribed and reap the benefits. Great things await this young man! It wasn't all hard work in Ireland, Thomas and the team made time to enjoy the sights and local scenery. Photo Credit: Matt McNamara
Summary: We hope that you have enjoyed reading about Thomas Fullers’ success at the Junior Tour of Ireland. In training for, and racing abroad he accomplished many things, not the least was which was a series of ‘firsts’ that made his experience powerful and memorable. By enlisting expert advice, having an open-mind, and inserting plenty of good old-fashioned hard work to compliment a purposeful training plan there is almost no limit to what an Athlete can achieve. So the question is, how can these principles be applied to your goals and help you accomplish heights previously thought to be unattainable, just as Thomas' has? #TrainYourPotential Until Next Time, Be Safe, Train Hard, & Have Fun! -Brian & Joy McCulloch Big Wheel Coaching In Endurance Sport, there are many factors that influence the quality of a workout and how an Athlete performs on a given day. Most of these variables we can control, positively influence, or account for. But in order to balance training with life stress, catch early signs of fatigue, pinpoint low adaptation to training stimulus, or signs of over-training - there has to be more. More of what you ask? Feedback! From the coaching perspective, cutting-edge data collection tools, although robust in many ways and armed with tremendous analytic capability, are still limited to three offerings: a power-meter, a heart rate monitor, or a GPS-computer. And what’s more, not every Athlete has access to, or utilizes, each of these tools simultaneously. All the data in the world can't tell the whole story from a given workout or event, which is why it is necessary to enhance your data with excellent feedback! Photo Credit: Danny Munson, DMunsonPhoto.com When feedback is not included with an uploaded activity, this leaves many details to the imagination of a Coach who will be trying to assess what the Athlete experienced during a particular bout of training. Additionally, the data metrics compiled by the tools above only offer a “2-D” view of a workout, while a Coach is seeking to evaluate an Athlete in a 3-D world. There-in lies the necessity for high-quality feedback direct from the Athlete to detail their experience and what did, or did not, go well. With this reality in mind, and the knowledge that detailed post-workout feedback is key to prescribing the most appropriate training load, we have assembled the following guidelines for Post-Workout Feedback: #1: Be A Narrater Of Your Own Story That doesn’t mean you have to be suspenseful like Stephen King, dramatic like Shakespeare, or witty like your favorite sitcom-writer, but you should think of your workout as a story, as it has an opening (the warm-up), middle-act or crescendo (interval work or structured training), and a conclusion (the warm-down). Using this method will add a high-degree of clarity to any workout data provided through your GPS-computer, power-meter, or heart rate monitor; taking this 2-D information and making it a three-dimensional experience that can be assessed and evaluated by your Coach. For example, if prescribed a fast-paced group-ride, but upon arrival you find the group to be less-spirited than normal; communicating this information through your post-workout commentary would clarify why workout data reflected an easier than expected ride. It should be said that by no means is the expectation that each workout requires a written novel. Much to the contrary, post-workout commentary should clear, direct, and concise. However, a rough outline of your workouts’ storyline will greatly enhance your Coaches ability (as well as your own) to evaluate the performance now and into the future. Was it unexpectedly raining or windy, and you didn't have the appropriate gear? Those are important bits of information a GPS-computer can't share. Photo Credit: Danny Munson, DMunsonPhoto.com #2: Detail What Is Not Included In The Data Modern training metrics and data-collection tools are incredibly sophisticated, but there are still components of training that are not measured, gathered, or monitored. These items include hydration and nutrition consumption, traffic patterns that potentially interrupt interval work, mechanical mishaps that cause lengthy stops, or issues such as cramping or pain in the body, just to name a few. Detailing these items, and others, as they arise, will add clarity to the workout in question. For example, knowing that an Athlete is experiencing back pain while in the drops is important information that can be discussed and potentially solved once the root-cause(s) are understood. #3: Discuss Possible Outliers An outlier is defined as anything that is wholly different than all other items being considered, something out of the ordinary. This could be a lack of sleep before a difficult training session, a particularly stressful day at work, the addition of a new saddle, bike position or shoe/cleat combination, it could even be indigestion brought on by trying a new restaurant at lunch-time... the possibilities are limitless. By describing possible outliers in your post-workout commentary it can be much easier to understand or investigate why a particular performance did not go as expected or why the body did not perform accordingly. I did GRATE...a most excellent play on words when competing in an area of the country famous for it's gourmet cheeses! Photo Credit: Joy McCulloch
#4: As A Bonus Add Color-Commentary Color commentary is definitely not a requirement for a post-workout comment, but there is something to be said for making the feedback uniquely yours. Just as a blogger develops their own “voice” or a Sunday morning comic strip creator has a knack for a particular kind of humor, adding jest to a workout only enhances the experience as it is being communicated, thus helping your Coach better understand the scenario being described. Summary: Time is our most valuable asset, so it is understandable that post-workout commentary can get over-looked from time to time. However, with these simple guidelines it can be easy to add direct and relevant feedback to every workout. By adding post-workout commentary to your training on a regular basis, you will experience numerous benefits that will enhance your training, not the least of which is better and more enlightened feedback from your Coach. As Endurance Athletes it takes mastering many facets of these complex sports to achieve our very best. And two ways to expedite that mastery is to seek expert advice and maintain a log of detailed workout feedback… the combination of which will propel you to your best much more rapidly! #TrainYourPotential Until Next Time, Be Safe, Train Hard, & Have Fun! -Brian and Joy McCulloch Big Wheel Coaching Brian Kramer is a life-long mountain-biker and loves to go fast! Having spent the majority of his saddle-time on downhill runs, he has recently turned to the world of Cross-Country (XC) MTB racing to quench his competitive thirst. He now regularly competes at the Southern California Over The Hump Tuesday-Night Races and the Kenda Cup XC Series. Having enjoyed a number of impressive wins that propelled him to the overall title at the Kenda Cup Series, as well as leading the Over The Hump Race Series with two events remaining, Brian is in the middle of a break-through season. Following his championship win at the final round of the Kenda Cup Series at Snow Summit in Big Bear, California, we caught up with Brian to ask him about his success in our four-question Athlete Profile interview. Enjoy! Athlete Bio: Primary Sport/Discipline: MTB Racing Average Hours of Training Per Week: 6-8/hrs. Upcoming Goals: The Final Over The Hump Series Races Brian Kramer has quite a win streak going at this years' Over The Hump series. Photo Credit: Brian Kramer Interview: Question #1: You have racked-up quite a win streak at the Over The Hump weekday MTB races this year, congratulations! What has been the biggest factor in your training & racing to make this success possible? Brian Kramer: The combination of structured training as well as more hours on the bike has been the key to my fitness gains and ability to generate more sustained power at the races. In the past 5 to 6 months, I have more than doubled the number of hours, per week, that I spend riding & training. When Coach puts a structured ride on the calendar, I almost always find a way to get it done, even if it is on the trainer at 10:00pm at night! Coaches Perspective/Coach Brian: It has been incredible to watch Brian achieve so many race-wins in a row. He has won ten…yes 10, races since May, how cool is that?! When we started working together it was clear to me that Brian was a pure competitor, he loves the thrill of “battling it out” against his opponents. With that in mind, we adjusted his training to include more competitive-type rides as this would break the monotony of interval training. Although we still include plenty of focused interval training, it was very important to create training that would fuel Brian’s competitive-spirit and maximize his performance. The results have been exciting to watch as Brian has been 'crushing-it' at the races and having a blast doing it, which makes me so proud! Brian won the last few races and the overall series at this year's Kenda Cup. Photo Credit: Brian Kramer Question #2: Most of your week-day training is performed on an indoor-trainer, yet you are still able to race well on the trails. How do you balance your indoor and outdoor training to prepare for the races? BK: I have spent the last 25-years mountain biking with an emphasis on bombing the descents… Unfortunately, I have the concussions and surgeries to show for it! As a result, the “rubbing is racing” component of XC events is not a problem and I simply need to be efficient enough to stay with the leaders on the climbs. The time on the trainer works really well for me because on the easy days I can actually get work done (emails, calls, etc.) and the interval days really improve my recovery from hard efforts. The only downside to all the Endurance/Zone 2 training is that the hard days on the mountain bike seem to hurt more than before. Coach Brian: Brian has a busy schedule that means he must maximize his training time, making the indoor-trainer a great option. As we discussed the benefits of indoor workouts, it became clear that embracing trainer work would help take his training to the next-level. The bonus was that because he was not loading-up his bike to head for the trails he could get this benefit for not much more time investment than he was currently allocating to his workouts. The result has been a sizable increase in his training volume and a significant increase in fitness, both of which have translated into success at the races. As with any increase in training, a majority of the time has to be at sub-threshold levels as recovery time (generally) cannot increase as much as training time. This is a small price to pay, as Brian would say, for the performance gains he is experiencing. It hasn't all been success for Brian Kramer, he has the dubious honor of sharing a father/son hospital room following separate MTB crashes while on vacation in Park City, Utah. Photo Credit: Brian Kramer Question #3: What is one of your long-term cycling goals? And what is next on your cycling ‘to do’ list? BK: That’s a good question. Since I won the Cat 3 Kenda Cup series, winning the final races by a decent margin, I believe that I can be competitive in Cat 2 next year. In terms of Over the Hump, at the beginning of the year my goal was simply to “podium” and now it looks like I have a good chance of winning the Sport Class series overall. With that said, I will move up to Super-Sport next year and possibly get hammered by the fast guys. Beyond Super-Sport I have no aspirations to move up to Elite or Cat 1 (45+) because those guys are either super-human or dedicate a huge amount of their lives to racing. I have far too many commitments to family, kids, and work, not to mention the enjoyment of wine, beer, & fine food for that level of racing! Coach Brian: It is exciting to be having the conversations Brian and I are regarding racing and moving-up in category. Given his limited training time we will adjust a few things leading into next-years series of MTB races, but for the moment what is important is enjoying the success he has worked so hard for. Once the Over The Hump series is over, and Brian has had some down-time, we will craft a plan for next year, but I can say with confidence that I am certain he will be very competitive in the Super-Sport category. Brian's favorite riding buddies call themselves the El-Mo Crew, as you can see the vibe is all about fun! Photo Credit: Brian Kramer
Question #4: Describe your favorite workout in your training program. Also, please share a ‘knowledge-bomb’ you have learned while training with Big Wheel Coaching. BK: I really enjoy the interval work, other than hill repeats, because I have never really done them. I also love doing the long, slow days on the bike because I get a chance to enjoy the ride. The greatest racing advice I have received from Coach Brian is to breath very deeply, and rapidly (almost hyperventilating), during the first minute or two of an Over the Hump race. I used to kill myself just trying to be mid-pack after the first two minutes, which often left me dropped when the trail got congested. Now I am able to get out front with, what feels like, relatively low effort and there is no longer a wave of pain that hits me. Thanks Coach!! Coach Brian: It makes my day to hear that the breathing techniques we discussed have made such an impact on Brian’s racing. For many racers, but especially MTB and Cyclocross riders, the opening moments of a race are faster and more intense than the rest of the event. Coming from a dead-stop at the start line can make this effort overwhelming. To combat the shallow and rapid breathing that is natural, I suggest Athletes breathe deeply and forcefully in order to get as much oxygen into the body as possible. I think of it as proactive breathing as opposed to reactive breathing, which is what the majority of racers do. As for Brian enjoying interval training, that is excellent news as there are more great interval workouts in his future as he tackles the final two races of the Over The Hump series and Super-Sport next year! Summary: We hope that you have enjoyed reading about Brian Kramers MTB success as much as we have enjoyed watching him achieve it! Performing to your potential and pushing your limits is a great feeling, whether it’s at a week-day MTB race, group ride, big event, or even a low-key training ride with friends. At Big Wheel Coaching we believe that performing to your potential is about more than numbers, it’s about finding your own balance of performance and passion as well as harnessing your competitive-spirit. As coaches, it is our passion to help Athletes find and perfect their individual recipe for success, in events of all kinds, on-road or off… And something we would would love to help you with! #TrainYourPotential Until Next Time, Be Safe, Train Hard, & Have Fun! -Brian & Joy McCulloch Big Wheel Coaching As Fathers, Mothers, Students, Business Owners, Executives, & High-Performers it is easy to set lofty-standards and expectations as we pursue our goals in Endurance Sport. Therefore it should be no surprise that the motivation and drive an Athlete relies on to fuel the journey toward these goals is something to be cherished. So then how does a book about leadership principles apply to Athletes striving to be their best…? And what can Athletes learn from U.S. Navy SEAL’s relentless focus on winning? The answers to both of these questions can be found in the book, “Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEAL’s Lead & Win. This book is far more than a collection of leadership principles that have served U.S. Special Forces ‘Operators’ to be some of the finest military units in the world. The leadership principles in this book transcend their battlefield utility to be applicable to many other environments, one of which is the world of Endurance Sport. There is so much great information in this book, but some of the most easily applicable principles come from the following chapters: Extreme Ownership, By Jocko Willing and Leif Babin is about more than leadership principles. Photo Credit: ExtremeOwnership.com Chapter 1: Extreme Ownership Each chapter of the book begins with a real-world battlefield illustration that details and reinforces the leadership-principle being presented. In the opening chapter that lesson comes from the books title, Extreme Ownership. In the world of sport it can be tempting to take the perspective that many factors that could enhance performance are outside our control. But this mentality does not work for the authors of Extreme Ownership, and the U.S. Navy SEAL community. The authors assert, and illustrate with clear effect, the incredibly positive and powerful impact that anyone, in our case Athletes, can have by taking ownership of all the factors of performance in their world. Take equipment for example, every Athlete operates on a limited-budget, but that doesn’t mean it has to be a negative thing. By taking ownership of that budget, and soliciting help from those within our circle of influence (Coaches, Bike Shop Mechanics, training buddies, etc.) an Athlete can maximize their budget and give themselves the best equipment available. The same concept of Extreme Ownership can also be applied to training time, as time is our most precious and limited resource. By ‘owning’ the time available to train and consulting regularly with your Coach, you can ensure that you are doing everything within your power to be successful. Belief is arguably the most powerful attribute of a successful Athlete, and much confidence can come from the knowledge that your training plan will prepare you in the best way possible. Photo Credit: Paul Abrahams Chapter 3: Believe Extreme Ownership is a great book, and each chapter has something significant to contribute to an Athletes’ performance, but the chapter detailing belief is arguably the most influential and empowering. That is because without belief, the entire process of training and preparing is made more difficult and challenging. The authors apply their Extreme Ownership perspective to the concept of ‘belief’ by emphasizing that it is up to an Athlete to thoroughly understand and believe in the plan they are set to execute. For those Athletes that have the benefit of coaching, this concept further emphasizes the power and importance of a solid Coach/Athlete relationship. Purposeful and productive training is at the heart of every training plan, but that is only half the puzzle. Understanding and believing-in the direction of the aforementioned training plan will make it as easy as possible to execute difficult workouts or otherwise make the commitment to the prescribed training. Just as U.S. Navy SEAL's must plan for the unknowns of battle, an Athlete must make contingency plans for the uncertainties of event-day. Photo Credit: Joy McCulloch
Chapter: 9: Plan In the modern world of high-powered data collection tools, the breadth of information that can be gathered to create an Athletes’ training plan is immense. For the authors of Extreme Ownership, their crucible, i.e. the battlefield’ has an infinite number of variables, only some of which can be controlled. This is a concept not at all dissimilar to Athletes competing in events of all types. With this reality in mind, the book offers a perspective on the planning process that emphasizes fundamental preparedness, while understanding that some factors are outside our control, no matter how much we prepare. By creating a detailed and thorough plan, but still accounting for the ‘unknowns’ that could arise on event-day, an Athlete can develop the tools necessary to conquer challenges of all types that could seem insurmountable in the moment. Summary: Unfortunately, due to the constraints of our newsletter format, we cannot detail all of the chapters of Extreme Ownership that are applicable to Athletes. However, we highly recommend Chapter 4- “Check The Ego”, Chapter 6- “Simple”, and Chapter 7- “Prioritize & Execute” as a great start! As the famous author, Lawerence Clark Powell once said: “Write to be understood, speak to be heard, and read to grow.” This sound wisdom has lead us to read, re-read, and share Extreme Ownership with friends, family, Athletes, and now our newsletter readers. We hope that you will enjoy this book as much has we have and that it can motivate as well as empower you, with it’s pragmatic approach, to achieve your very best in sport, business, life, or wherever you choose to apply the principles of Extreme Ownership. #TrainYourPotential Until Next Time, Be Safe, Train Hard, & Have Fun! -Brian and Joy McCulloch Big Wheel Coaching |
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September 2020
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