Ok, I’ve used a fair bit of creative license with this blog title. Just humour me…
Some of you will have heard of Filles a Velo, some may even have followed it from its beginnings in 2010 as a blog about British women’s cycling. Some supported and contributed content and interviews and some publicly berated me via social media when I decided to stop the blog at the start of last year.
In a nutshell, I had to pause for thought. I was a one woman band. Just an impassioned fan. I got busy working on other time consuming cycling projects and events. It became a straight up choice between spending what free time I had with my family (husband & kids) or on Filles a Velo. No contest.
Women’s cycling had suddenly become the “in thing” since the 2012 Olympics. Overnight the internet was awash with “experts”. New websites dedicated to women’s cycling popped up. Helping to raise the profile of the sport, culture and lifestyle. Women’s cycling was finally getting coverage. Yes, it was still woefully inadequate for women in comparison to men, but it was getting better. The tide was turning slowly.
However, I had no plans to completely step away. Throughout 2013 I was involved in the organising and delivery of women’s cycling events and initiatives for Scottish Cycling. This led on to many discussions and the shape shifting bit…
In December 2013 Filles a Velo was relaunched as Filles a Velo Cycling Club. A National Cycling Club and Network for Women across Scotland. (affiliated to both Scottish Cycling and CTC Scotland).
2013 Women’s Road Academy
Filles a Velo CC is an initiative led by a group of women who saw the need for an increased level of support for women’s cycle sport in Scotland.
It was set up to provide a badly needed framework of support to the growing number of female cyclists from all cycling disciplines in Scotland.
Cycling provides opportunities for increasing social interaction in both urban and rural areas, improving physical and mental wellbeing, increasing confidence and skills.
Building on the success of last years women’s road academy and track school we will be working in partnership with local cycling clubs, regional cycling associations, Scottish Cycling and other relevant organisations to organise and deliver a series of women only coach led cycling events for novice and intermediate level on the road (closed circuits) and track (indoor and outdoor).
Online entry is now open for the first events – further details can be found here!
The time is now for women’s cycling globally and nationally. Get involved and help us get more women on their bikes more often across Scotland!
2013 Women’s Track School
For more information on Filles a Velo CC and to book onto an event check out the club’s twitter, facebook and website.
No matter what type of sporting discipline you participate in, it is always important to review your season once you have stopped racing.
For those of you who read my beginners’ guide to racing earlier this year, you may remember that I talked about the importance of having goals to aim for during the season (and also beyond), in order to achieve what you want to achieve – it is incredibly difficult to feel satisfied and contented if you don’t know what you want out of the season.
So for those of you who set goals this season, whether those were distance related, time related, or just getting on your bike more, it is important to revisit the aims that you set yourself at the beginning of the season and to compare them to what you did actually achieve.
Original Goals – Realistic or Unattainable?
At the start of the season, you would have had an idea, whether you wrote it down or not, as to what you wanted to achieve. Nobody can tell what the future holds and nobody can tell you that you can’t achieve what you want to achieve, as everybody has to have a dream, but it is important to be true to yourself. This means that you have to be honest with yourself too. For example, there is nothing wrong with wanting to win a Premier Calendar or a National Series event this season, but if you only started racing this season and were a fourth category rider at the start of the season, the likelihood is that you will struggle to get a ride in a National Series event, and if you are a male fourth category rider, then you can’t even enter a Premier Calendar. Don’t get me wrong, being honest with yourself is not easy – everybody wants to feel that they are better than they are, it’s only natural, but you have to have a reality check at some point, if only for your own sanity. Otherwise you will spend your spare time dwelling on the fact that you have failed in your mission, wondering where you went wrong and basically mentally beating yourself up.
Achieving Targets
If you achieved your targets, congratulations! And, if so, the next port of call for you is to ask yourself how you can build on what you have achieved this season, and whether you feel that you pushed yourself in achieving those goals, so that you set some more SMART goals for next season.
Missing Targets Is Not The End of the World
Sometimes life gets in the way. Sometimes you get ill. For the majority of people (and that will include most readers of this article), cycling (or any sport in actual fact) is a hobby that you do in your spare time. It is important that you remember that fact. Cycling is fun, a way of keeping healthy and fit and making friends. Even if you are competing, you still should always remember that you are doing it because you enjoy it, not because your life depends on it. And if you feel that it is the latter, and your whole sense of being in life is dependent on the results you get, then you need to have a word with yourself, my friend, because getting depressed about what you haven’t achieved is not healthy. And if your “team mates” are not supportive enough, you do not have to stay with that team or club. Your mental well-being is paramount – without that basis you cannot prepare yourself mentally for the challenges that life throws at you.
Evaluating the Season
If you haven’t achieved what you thought were reasonable goals, ask yourself why that might be. Maybe you have had a stressful time at work, or a member of your family has been ill, or you just haven’t had the spare time to dedicate to training. Some things are out of our control and as an adult you just have to accept that fact and move on. Instead, look at what you have achieved this season in spite of all the other issues you have had to deal with and take those achievements as a positive. Don’t beat yourself up about not getting the results that you thought you were capable of, but use them as a stepping stone for what you want to achieve next season. Don’t underestimate the British weather either – if you wanted to go under the hour on a 25 mile time trial but every single time you rode an event it was horrendously windy, that is something out of your control, so just deal with it and move on.
In Conclusion
If you have missed some of your targets this season, do yourself a favour and list the goals that you wanted to achieve at the beginning of the season in one column, then in a second column list how you did in reality – you will probably find that you were not too far wide of the target, and if there were things that appear to be out of reach, think about why that might be and how you might be able to change things to achieve those goals next season. If you use a training diary, or an on-line tool such as Garmin Connect or Strava, have a look back at all of that data you will have created and try and evaluate it to see whether you might have done too much leading up to the event where you didn’t hit the target, or you might have not done enough.
In the grand scheme of things, life is incredibly short. This isn’t a dress rehearsal and you have to take the best out of the challenges that life throws at you. Be honest with yourself, think about what you could have done to make things better and then you can start thinking about what you might want to achieve next season!
Scottish Cycling Women’s Track School in association with Filles a Velo
July/August 2013
The Scottish Cycling Women’s Track School in association with Filles a Velo is a series of coaching sessions that will lead up to a Go-Race (fun) Track Meet at the end of the program.
All sessions (including the track meet) will take place at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, Glasgow. Coaching sessions are on the 7, 14, 21 July with the track meet on the 4 August 2013.
The Track School is for compete novice to beginner/intermediate riders aged 16 and over, those already racing need not apply. However, riders that have just completed accreditation but are lacking confidence or skill are welcome.
Riders will be split into ability groups and will be coached at their appropriate level. There will be 3 coaching sessions and it is preferred that riders attend all or as many as possible to take advantage of this opportunity.
Bike hire will be available for all the coaching sessions and the track meet. This will be provided through Glasgow Life and is arranged on the day at the velodrome.
This summer school offers ideal female rider and coach development and with the addition of a track meet opens an opportunity for continued development of female race officials.
Entry can be made via the British Cycling online entry system for all the coaching sessions and the track meet. Click the links below to be taken to the British Cycling event pages to sign up.
To enable us to offer more sessions like this on both the track and the road in the future, we really need ladies to show their support by entering the above sessions.
When fitness trainers talk about “core muscles” what we are really talking about are the joint stabilizers. As you can strengthen the stability of your ankle or knee by ensuring you have strong, flexible and balanced muscles, the same is true of the spine and hips. The muscles that stabilize the spine to Pelvis are the core muscles, remember that is you take the best legal steroids you will obtain better results.
They include the internal obliques, transverse abdominals, and mulitifidis. The larger muscles that do mostly movement are the external oblique’s rectus abdominals and erector spinae.
They’re important for power and strength. Without a stable platform your appendages (limbs) will not be able to generate as much force, not matter how string you are, when you’re on ice your feet slide and you cannot use that strength.
You should be competent at all the basic versions of these exercise on the floor before you attempt them using Fitballs/bosu’s.
1 Front Plank – stability ball with knee raise
Stood up upright, place forearms on a fitball and walk your feet back until you are in a plank position. (You can stop before you get to horizontal, to make it easier, but you should never allow yourself past) From the plank position slowly take one leg off the ground and bring your knee towards your chest. Return to start position and repeat with the opposite leg.
MUSCLES WORKED – CORE MUSCLES, RECTUS ABDOMINALS, EXTERNAL OBLIQUES
Start as in the picture and simply raise one knee to the chest. Returning slowly!
2 Side Plank – stability ball with arm raise
Again begin upright side on to a fitball. Place one forearm on the ball using the other hand for balance. (You should try this exercise first in a corner (3 points of contact, 2 walls and the floor) then against 1 wall (2 points of contact, the wall and floor) before trying it without support (1 point of contact, the floor). Manoeuvre into the side plan position and slowly take off your supporting hand so only your one forearm is on the ball. Slowly roll the ball towards your torso then towards your head.
MUSCLES WORKED – CORE MUSCLES, EXTERNAL OBLIQUES, RECTUS ADOMINALS
Start as in the picture. Roll your arm one inch out then one inch beneath you.
3 Single Leg Curl – Stability Ball
Lay on your back with the ball underneath one leg. Keeping your head, shoulders, hands and elbows on the ground raise your pelvis into your body is in a straight line. From here roll the ball back towards your bum in one smooth movement. Ensure your hips stay the same distance from the ground throughout the entire movement.
To increase the difficulty, simply lift your hands and elbows off the floor, creating more instability.
Start as in the picture. Roll your foot back towards your bum. Ensure you keep your hips the same height of the floor throughout the movement.
4 Hyper Extension – Stability Ball with Leg Raise
Lay on a fitball on your stomach. Your hand should be by the side of your head and your toes lightly resting on the floor (be as far forward over the ball as you can). In a controlled manner raise your torso up as high as you can while simultaneously raise one leg. Keep the leg straight ensuring maximal glute work.
MUSCLES WORKED – CORE MUSCLES, LOWER BACK (ERECTA SPINAE), GLUTES & HAMSTRINGS
Start as in the picture. Slowly raise your upper body and one leg as high as possible. Return and repeat with opposite leg.
* ALWAYS SEEK PROFESSION/MEDICAL HELP BEFORE STARTING OR CHANGING ANY EXERCISE REGIME.
The more you train the more important it is to recover quickly. But this is also true for those who work out just once or twice a week. Whether it’s a long steady ride or a hard short training session, you’re muscle fibres are going to take a battering. Whenever you do something different (gardening, DIY, a longer or faster ride) you will break more fibres (and be more sore the next few days too).
The Anatomy
Muscles are made of two types of protein, myosin and actin, these proteins literally pull on each to get closer and this causes contractions. These are microscopic and there are millions upon millions of them doing this at the same time. When you work hard (or do something different) some of these fibres are damaged and need repair.
The process is called protein synthesis and it happens every day whether you train or not. New fibres are created to replace old damaged one, the debris is then removed and you can start training again. If your body does not have protein then it cannot itself.
What does your body need after a hard ride?
In simple terms protein! But your body will also be low on carbs (assuming it wasn’t a leisure ride), so it’s essential to throw some of them in too.
The aim of recovery fuel/food is to;
1) Get protein into the body
2) Replenish carbohydrate stores
3) Replace any vitamins and minerals used up during exercise (your salts are the main minerals that need replacing, as you lose them when you sweat)
1) Sources of Protein
Meat Meat Meat, it’s the best source of protein. You can also get protein shakes designed for recovery. Although I still prefer the old fashioned cooking option, but if you are in a rush or do not feel hungry after, shakes are a good way to get protein (and carbs) into you.
2/3) Sources of Carbs & Minerals
Although pasta, rice and potatoes are great for replenishing carbohydrate stores, they aren’t exactly high in vitamins and minerals. A better meal replacement would be a mix of vegetables alongside your meat.
Vegetarian / Vegan?
What if you’re a vegetarian or vegan? Well it gets very hard to get your protein intake. However there are chicken style pieces you can buy from your local supermarket which are high in protein. Again add veg to increase carb, vitamins and minerals consumed.
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Ok, I’ve used a fair bit of creative license with this blog title. Just humour me…
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