Hey Team,
I would like to see the riders start to add more days with riding to the scheduled rides for about the next three to four weeks. They will not be organized, team led rides, but you can pair up with a buddy and go out and spend additional hours on the bike. Not hard riding, just riding. This will help develop a strong aerobic base. Simply spending more time on the bike riding across town to school, or going up in the hills and playing is good enough. Try to make it so you are on the bike five days a week, including team rides, for an hour to two hours if your schedule allows it and it does not get in the way of good grades.
Now is not the time of year to get seriously out of breath multiple days in a row. That would wear you down, not make you stronger.
Try staying seated on most of your climbs to build seated leg power. Concentrate on pulling up on your clip in pedals as much as you push down. Practice it every ride and eventually you will automatically do it.
Also you should concentrate on pedaling speed, or leg speed. While riding across town, look at your right knee and it should come up to the top of your pedal stroke more often than one time a second. About 90 rpm's is a good rate, although it is hard to calculate while riding. Just be thinking that your legs should be kicking through rapidly, and your legs are turning fast enough that you can pull through the top of your pedal stroke with power. You can tell if you are not spinning fast enough because you will not be able to speed up at will without shifting. This is referred to as being "on top of the gear".
Hydrate throughout the day, everyday, but don't overdo it.
And eat healthy with nourishing foods. It will give you results you cannot achieve on a "hollow diet".
Have fun and be safe!
Adam
