family assist

(75 km, 250 m climbing, 43 kmph)

Now that looks like the data of Fabian Cancellara on a Sunday morning coffee shop club ride. The fastest man on two wheels – Cervelo, Specialized, Trek, the bike doesn't matter to him! He's so fast. Last year, they tired to get him for “mechanical doping” in the form of a hidden motor in his bike.

When the UCI asked to check his bike after a race, Cancellara replied, “You should check my legs!”

That's not FC's data but mine, albeit with a bit of mechanical doping in the form of motor pacing. It's a rare treat to get Shinobu to pace me and how I love every minute of it.

We headed out to Teradomari on the back roads. The wind was a strong headwind so it was great to be tucked in behind the car.

Most people think the benefit of motor pacing is to be able to keep up to speed in a fast moving group. However, there is much more to it than this. Cruising behind the car at 55~60 kmph, 150 HR, 110 cadence is the easy part. Similar to riding the rollers really.

One great training benefit is to build the power to close a gap. Keeping up with the car after a traffic light changes to green or jumping on the back as it comes from behind.

Climbing is also great too. In the big ring. Try to keep as close as possible to get the greatest drafting benefit. Braking into corners going up hill. Shifting down (rather than up) if a gap starts to appear.

When a gap appears on the flat, it's onto the aerobars to close it. When dropped on a climb, there's no slacking over the summit but head down to close the gap.

Shinobu, although not a cyclist, understands this training very well. She knows she is pacing me, not pampering me. She is watching me all the time. If I'm having an easy time of it, she'll put her foot down. She's also good at keeping me on a leash at about 10m back. How she loves to watch me suffer!

Coming back on the coast road there was quite a bit of Golden Week traffic. I did about 50% of the ride back solo. With the wind on my back and the speed in my legs I could keep a nice high cadence and a speed of 40kmph plus quite easily.

We stopped for a family lunch at Tenryo no Sato. A great way to combine family time and cycling.

Thanks, Shinobu, Luke and Mark....

Thursday's training: motor pacing - Teradomari loop

(75 km, 250 m climbing, 43 kmph)