Comments on: Inertia is a funny thing http://treadly.net/2006/11/03/inertia-is-a-funny-thing/ A Melbourne commuter cyclist Fri, 21 Nov 2008 23:32:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2 By: Treadly and Me http://treadly.net/2006/11/03/inertia-is-a-funny-thing/#comment-2388 Treadly and Me Sat, 04 Nov 2006 10:18:31 +0000 http://treadly.net/2006/11/03/inertia-is-a-funny-thing/#comment-2388 <p>Yeah, we often hear of AFL players bulking-up over summer. Undoubtedly that's not something players (elite or amateur) could do during the playing season. That longer-term work during the off-season is a different kind of fitness, isn't it? But if done well, it's the kind of thing that helps players stay on peak (and maybe avoid injury too) at the pointy end.</p> <p>However, there is no season for me—every day is a good day to commute by bike (although some days are gooderer than others). So it's pretty much the same workload every day, month, year. When there's no off-season, what am I to do to build more strength and speed without losing that all important peak that makes it easy to cruise?</p> Yeah, we often hear of AFL players bulking-up over summer. Undoubtedly that’s not something players (elite or amateur) could do during the playing season. That longer-term work during the off-season is a different kind of fitness, isn’t it? But if done well, it’s the kind of thing that helps players stay on peak (and maybe avoid injury too) at the pointy end.

However, there is no season for me—every day is a good day to commute by bike (although some days are gooderer than others). So it’s pretty much the same workload every day, month, year. When there’s no off-season, what am I to do to build more strength and speed without losing that all important peak that makes it easy to cruise?

]]> By: Al. http://treadly.net/2006/11/03/inertia-is-a-funny-thing/#comment-2378 Al. Sat, 04 Nov 2006 02:36:41 +0000 http://treadly.net/2006/11/03/inertia-is-a-funny-thing/#comment-2378 <p>Back when I played rugby more seriously (i.e. not pints the day before a match!) we were given summer work-out programmes - that was the time we were supposed to work on base strength and build up more muscle. It's hard to do that during the season.</p> <p>At the end of the day there's only one way to train for a match, and that's playing a match :)</p> Back when I played rugby more seriously (i.e. not pints the day before a match!) we were given summer work-out programmes - that was the time we were supposed to work on base strength and build up more muscle. It’s hard to do that during the season.

At the end of the day there’s only one way to train for a match, and that’s playing a match :)

]]> By: Treadly and Me http://treadly.net/2006/11/03/inertia-is-a-funny-thing/#comment-2359 Treadly and Me Fri, 03 Nov 2006 06:02:56 +0000 http://treadly.net/2006/11/03/inertia-is-a-funny-thing/#comment-2359 <p>If I can hazard a guess, Al, I reckon like most footballers the gap between seasons is plenty of time for you to not just slip down from the peak but also to lose some of your underlying fitness.</p> <p>It must be a constant struggle for people who play seasonal sports. I know the AFL teams make a big deal of getting their players to maintain pre-season form, but even then they only really get match fit when the season starts.</p> If I can hazard a guess, Al, I reckon like most footballers the gap between seasons is plenty of time for you to not just slip down from the peak but also to lose some of your underlying fitness.

It must be a constant struggle for people who play seasonal sports. I know the AFL teams make a big deal of getting their players to maintain pre-season form, but even then they only really get match fit when the season starts.

]]> By: Treadly and Me http://treadly.net/2006/11/03/inertia-is-a-funny-thing/#comment-2358 Treadly and Me Fri, 03 Nov 2006 05:57:47 +0000 http://treadly.net/2006/11/03/inertia-is-a-funny-thing/#comment-2358 <p>Yeah Chris, I'd forgotten that. Well, I kind of hinted at it. Some Mondays are good but after a long weekend ride they aren't always so good.</p> <p>But then again sometimes it's fine.</p> <p>In general I prefer to keep riding than to have a weekday lay-day, but I can see how having no time to recover could wear you down.</p> <p>As for technique, I think I'd have to acquire that first before I could lose it!</p> Yeah Chris, I’d forgotten that. Well, I kind of hinted at it. Some Mondays are good but after a long weekend ride they aren’t always so good.

But then again sometimes it’s fine.

In general I prefer to keep riding than to have a weekday lay-day, but I can see how having no time to recover could wear you down.

As for technique, I think I’d have to acquire that first before I could lose it!

]]> By: Chris L http://treadly.net/2006/11/03/inertia-is-a-funny-thing/#comment-2357 Chris L Fri, 03 Nov 2006 03:49:22 +0000 http://treadly.net/2006/11/03/inertia-is-a-funny-thing/#comment-2357 <p>Yep, I've noticed something similar myself -- although for me it comes from three consecutive days of "only" riding to and from work. I actually think there might be some finer aspects of pedalling technique that are lost as much as physical conditioning. Something similar happens in the closing stages of a long ride (i.e. a 200km ride), pedalling technique is the first thing to fall away when tiredness sets in.</p> Yep, I’ve noticed something similar myself — although for me it comes from three consecutive days of “only” riding to and from work. I actually think there might be some finer aspects of pedalling technique that are lost as much as physical conditioning. Something similar happens in the closing stages of a long ride (i.e. a 200km ride), pedalling technique is the first thing to fall away when tiredness sets in.

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