2015 Coaching, Riding and Racing! A look back.

2015 is coming to a close and this is a great time to look back on the goals you had set or the new goals you have set for the next journey.. As a coach, racer and all round like to exercise this time of year if we do it we can learn to grow and challenge ones self to new experiences and well just more fun!
2015 meet me with the year to finally be healthy. After a few years of getting over a crazy accident in a CX race I felt like I was ready to take my training and racing to a new level. Several seasons ago I started racing the MTB. What a blast! After my first full season I decided to request my move to the CAT 1 division. Not really the best move on my part but a necessary move to keep me moving forward in my goals.The Wicked fast old man's group I call it CAT1 M50+ I get to race locally a National Champion and several other just wicked fast guys. There are not many who race the WFMG but you know each and every time to go to an event you will have these guys to keep you honest and you to keep the honest. Weather played a big role in what was to be and was not to be. Rain, Rain, Rain again can we say Rain held up most every race on the 2015 calendar. From Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma and Kansas it was rain date after rain date of change. So be it. I was able to get to just a few of the race I wanted to race. Had to miss some key events I had hopped to race this season but family and date changes just did not work our. I was looking to get make a good mark in the Unified Dirt west Series To my surprise after all the water had drained out I managed to get a third place overall finish to a damp season.
Keeping my goals in perspective I started to get my Cyclocross skills in check earlier that expected cause I could. The MTB season was over by July for me so what not be CX fit. Set my goals on several out-of-town events to move away from some of the local guys. Rolled over to Herman Sourish for an early September race. Sadly this was the last year for the DogFish Hermann Cyclocross. Short film of the venue and race here! Racing the M 50+ both days lead me to a Saturday 2nd place and Sunday 3rd place. One of the most fun two days of racing Id had in many years since the races out at Smithville lake in 2010 stopped happening. Loved the Money Tree! So I took my good fitness to ST. Joe and raced fair but not what I had hoped for but that is racing. From there I traveled to a few other out of town venues to just to keep it legit. One last CX race I prepped for the CX off The Old year Flier! From here we may as well kick off the 2016 year and prep for CX Nationals we will hit the Grote Prijs Shawnee! 
All in all my year was very good and happy I was able to stay healthy all year. My 2016 goals are in place. Working on those now! Are you!
GRAVEL will be the 2016 season opener with the Land Run 100, sold out and I'm in. This will be the first of many fun long gravel events I will be racing. 2016 will also be MTB racing and CX of course.
Power Team Coaching will be making changes to its offerings that we are sure will be more in-line with all people. Making things simple is the way for longevity.
If you are looking for guidance to your fitness goals let PTC help you get where you want to go.
Just few photos of this years racing and rideing.

 

GRAVEL Grinding and Racing

GRAVEL the "NEW" Endurance challenge events that are on the rise in the US. What has been a way to get outside in the winter to see other parts of the country landscape and keep some of that road fitness, many people have for years turned to the gravel roads. With the rise of GRAVEL Specific race events like the DirtyKanza 200, http://www.dirtykanza200.com/ Gravel Worlds, http://www.gravel-worlds.com/ Trans Iowa, http://transiowa.blogspot.com/ just to name a few of the big ones that I would say are local to the Kansas City area there is a real need for specific training.
There are also a small number of localized events coming out one could use as pre-event tune ups to the big events.With the rise of participation of such events across the country this has opened a new form of race challenge. Like IRONMAM or a triathlon of any kind, gravel adds it own allure and challenge. Most gravel events are self supported and are 100 miles or more. Some gravel events are adding in 25 to 75 mile grinders that allow a beginner grinder an opportunity to try and complete a challenging event like a sprint Triathlon to a Half Ironman to a Full Ironman.

Like any endurance event no matter how or what we deem as long it takes training, nutrition planning and some form of time commitment to achieve the goal. What ever your goal a comprehensive plan will make the journey much more enjoyable. Power Team Coaching has first hand experiences with endurance events, not limiting us in knowledge from ultra running, triathlons, and gravel racing. We are putting together training plans for the Boneshaker Gravel Series, LandRun100, Gravelleurs Raid and Cool Hand Luke Gravel Grinder. These are just a few of the local events we are working on to prepare for the DK200. Even if you are not planning now to do the full DK200 we have plans for all levels and goals. For more gravel grinding events across the country look here, --> Riding Gravel. The Kansas Cyclist.

After the DK200 we will continue our training for gravel events later in the season like Gravel Worlds, FarmHouse Classic and Pony Express 120 and the Big Ring Gravel Road Race series to name a few. 

I know its cold outside now but it will be warm soon. Contact us soon so we can dial in your plan to match your goals.

Remember you do not need to be a seasoned racer to use Power Team Coaching services. We work with all sizes and types of people as part of our commitment to health and fitness. 

Coach

913.523.3696

ptcruder@gmail.com  .

Cyclocross Specific Training

Cyclocross season kicked off this past weekend for the UCI guys and gals. If you have not started and your plan is to race the Cyclocross season it's well past time to be riding your CX Rig. Gravel, Road and MTB seasons are not over but ask your coach when your plan will start the transition. NO plan! NO coach! How about a weekly CX training opportunity?  A coach lead session so you can increase your fitness, fine tune some skills and get your body ready for those CX specific efforts without thinking about what to do.  Each session will have a good mix of off camber, short hill, power, cornering skills. Each weekly session will have something creative to keep you learning.
Fees for one-on-one 1 hour session is $45.00
Have a group of two or more 1 hour sessions $30 each person (must sign up together).
This will be an ongoing during the season opportunity. If you find you are not able to get to that next step I am here to help you. Your season starting latter because of your schedule let me help you get ready.
Want a plan! lets talk.
Contact me to schedule your session today.


Respectfully
Coach Ruder

Rise and Fail of The Group Ride

What seams like years ago and it has been that I've seen the rise and fail of what people deem as a Group Ride. There are a few true group rides happening around our city but I do mean a few.

What is a Group Ride? A ride that has a specific goal of keeping the group together for a fitness and education aspect. A place where the new rider and intermediate rider can learn how to ride in groups safely. Not always is it for racing but for the safety of other riders in the group or at an event. What I have seen happen is those old school group rides are now being lead by people who do not know what they are doing and are just out to punish the group. Who gains anything from that? The rest of the group just feel like they can never get better, or I will never be like :::::::! Or why do they always do this? With those uneducated loosely called leaders are rolling through stop signs teaching the new rider it is ok because we have a STRAVA segment to try and kill!

Once the leader set a good pace for all to maintain and if a hill came up the group would slow a bit at the top to allow the slower rider to latch back on. Get a flat or mechanical issue and the group or one or two would take the time to wait for the unfortunate rider to get his bike back running and help pace them back to the group. Not today! It is a community race as the so called RACE TEAMS are leading some of these rides and making it a race not a good ride. Do not get me wrong there is a time and a place for these type of rides but not at all the local restaurant rides or charity events.

Steve Tillford had this article out a few month or so ago about the group training ride. http://stevetilford.com/2015/05/19/group-training-rides/

There are rides in our area that are a training rides and they are not your group rides. You may ride in a group if you are one of the front guys but that is about it. The difference is you know this going to that ride and the Novice or new cyclist is more than likely not attending this ride. YET!

I guess what I am trying to say is BRING BACK THE GROUP RIDE! In the not so distant past when I was leading yes leading groups along with other leaders all we ever heard is "that was a great ride! We all rode well and finished well ahead of our personal best times. I think that is what we would all call a successful Group Ride!

Bring back the GROUP RIDE!

Respectfully
Coach

July! Time is slipping by!

Well it has been way too long since I've posted anything. I had decided to take a short break(longer than Planned) to focus on some rest, family and managing my training plan. Many of you know I took up Mtb racing a few years ago and have put much of my training into the dirt. Last year racing was not as good as I had planned but I learned lots which set me up for a better 2015 season, Early MTB races like Gods Country Marathon was delayed two time from early April to May then we finally race in June. My first marathon event. We raced at the Lawrence River tails, a fast, flat flowing trail system. Races some really fast Elder men in the CAT 1 50+. I took 4th overall and I was happy with the finish

God's Country Marathon

God's Country Marathon last Hill

The MTB CX session started May 2-3 rd with the Kansas State FAT Tire festival out at Wilson Lake in north Central Kansas. What a beautiful area. A lake my family visited often when I was a child. The trails are really as they call it EPIC and one would not know you are in Kansas Prairie Land. Sand Stone makes up lots of the trail with larger rock gardens to challenge the experts and really challenge those not so expert but all is rid-able or walk it if you must. I did! The first day it got hot so my body did not want to work very well so I DNF'd for my own safety. 

Then the rain set in and I think I or all of us in this area hit single trails a few times prior to the next event on the calendar June 7 Down'n Dirty in Warsaw, MO. Great trail system there. I have only raced there now three times. First as a CAT 2 50+ and won and Second as a CAT 1 and DNF'd with 3 flats in the first loop of 3. I was done. This year it was time to get back on the + side. There where not many people at this years event I think cause many thought it would be too wet and another event across the state happening. Non the less we race. Not many in the CAT 1 50+ but one must finish an event in order to win place or draw. I finished and took a Second place. It was a hard and again a very hot day. It was all about perseverance. 

The following weekend it was the Mason's Midsummer Meltdown, a fund raiser for the Trail Masons at Wyandotte county lake Park. Not as warm as one would have expected in mid June. A good group of racers showed up to give this one a-go. As with this race not alot of CAT 1's in general but we are racing. The tails in the park are good flowing with climbing that makes you work all the time when trying to go fast. I was really glade to get this one over with for some reason. I was not sure where I was in the mix of things when we got into the single track from the start so I just kept on fighting to not let people just past me nilly willy. With great surprise I was third on the day again racing in a very fast and skilled class of CAT 1 50+ guys.

Masons MidSummer Meltdown

Stay tuned for more MTB racing and start of CycloCross Training