Save me from Sport's Scientists
Article Published : 01/08/07
Sometimes I despair of sports scientists and the articles they have published in the Cycling press. I blame the articles as much as the scientists sometimes. In the last year we have had some guy spouting on about the "fact" that there is no need for weight training, high cadence, efficient pedalling etc. etc.
Three things I have proved are a boon to my athletes! Now we have the "wonders" of power as a training tool ... Do these people live in the real world? I really don't think they do. They are sitting behind their computer screens and reading learned articles by other sports scientists, maybe putting their own spin on it and then spewing out garbage ! They are hooked on figures and data and don't have any idea about "racing" or an athletes "head".
I have yet to see any of them at races and I don't think they have done anything on a bike themselves. Have they ridden the track in the World Championship Pursuit, World Championship Team Pursuit, Points race, Scratch race, Devil, Derny race, Italian Pursuit or gone for a Track Record etc ? Have they ridden a Pro Stage Race, a Pro Classic, a Pro World Championship, Belgium Kermesse, Dutch Crit, Derny Crit etc. Have they ridden a National Time Trial, Team Time Trial, Hilly Time Trial Classic etc.? Have they ridden a Grass Track Meet? Have they ridden a MTB race? I somehow doubt it.
So why do the Cycling press give them any credence ... I do not! Plus, I have done all of the above and more ... Sorry, but I have! Now we have to put up with their biased views on "power". Some with overwhelming vested interests in actually selling the product they are recommending ... Come on! The magazine is giving these products, for instance the SRM cranks glowing reports, but that is only half the story ... They don't tell you how heat sensitive the SRM cranks are and if you don't calibrate them really accurately before each ride the data is useless.. I'm not just making this up, as I coached an athlete for 2 years on power, using SRM cranks. He had 5 sets of these things on all his bikes, all at £2,500 a piece. He would send me reams of data each week from the downloads to his computer, and very often they made no sense - why? Because he wasn't calibrating them properly!
I actually have no problem with power as a training tool, But, you have to have a big data base to back up the results you get back, because each power measurer has a different calibration, so if it isn't of the same manufacture, they can be miles out from each other and if you change the power metre to another one or from a different manufacturer ... a nightmare! That is why I prefer working with Heart Rate, as that is the same on any equipment and only lags "slightly" behind power. These people are really hung up by figures and don't look any further than the data they see in front of them BIG MISTAKE ... I have a female athlete, and if anyone saw her power to weight ratio, they would say ... "No chance! Take up darts" ... But, she has a lot more than that ... she has the biggest "heart" (metaphorically speaking) I have ever seen. She wants it! She is a winner and is never satisfied with her performances. She is always looking to do better and is a dream to work with. I reckon it is about 30% physiological and 70% psychological.
It's what you have in your head and how much you "want it" that counts! This is what these people don't understand and they can't get into the "psyche" of the athlete ... Why? Because they haven't been there themselves ... So how the hell could they? They over-complicate the sport and make figures their credo ... They are wrong, big style and they need to "understand" the athletes they are working with (heaven help the poor athlete!) before they start banding figures about .... I say ... "KEEP IT SIMPLE" ... It works for me!
Comments
Malcolm Law | 22/08/2007 @ 17:05
This rings so true with me!.Although I have not used a power system,I have virtually drowned myself in reading material by these sports scientists inthe past 5 years to the point where my training and cycling in general had been becoming a chore and not a release from work and daily life.This winter 07/08 I shall ride on feel and enjoyment.Will still use H.R.M but only as an indicator of fatigue and well being.I will also keep it in my back pocket on rides so I am not constantly looking at the figures.Thanks for your article!,If I had not read this today I would have probably Packed up!.(Im a veteran (50)