Introduction
Competing in team events is a wonderful way to explore new challenges in the world of ultracycling. Whether the goal is a team 12-hour challenge or team RAAM, the satisfaction of being a part of a group working together to achieve a common goal is a rewarding and fulfilling experience.

Establishing a foundation or base level of conditioning is critical and will prepare the body mentally and physically for the increases in training volume and intensity as the season progresses. Consider the house analogy: no matter how strong the walls, framework and other parts of the structure are, if the foundation was not properly laid down, the house may crumble; maybe not right away but sooner or later problems will certainly occur. In this article we'll take a look at planning and organizing the base season, cycling specific training, off-bike considerations, tactical concerns and psychological development. Implementing these factors into will help ensure that you and your teammates have a successful and enjoyable racing season.

Even though the focus will be on team training and development, the principles apply equally to riders preparing for solo events. So, with that said, let's get started on preparing for your best season ever!

Organization and Planning
"Failing to plan is planning to fail" — Vern Gambetta, noted strength and conditioning coach and author

Training for any cycling event, whether you're a first time century rider or veteran RAAM competitor should start not in the saddle but on a piece of paper. It is imperative that an overall strategy be outlined that will serve as a road map and individual training guide to a successful racing season, and the ideal place to start is with last year's training journal and records. Ask yourself how satisfied you are with last year's results — did you start too early? Was it too late? How did your body handle the increases in volume and intensity? How was your recovery? Did you meet your goals? The questions are virtually endless so it is important to take an objective, non-biased look at last year's performance, or better yet, get a coach or reliable training partner to have a look. They may spot something that you innocently overlooked. If you find any mistakes, don't worry — that's good! Better to find and note them now than to repeat them again this season. One of the major reasons for keeping detailed training records and logs is to look back at them and learn from our own mistakes. We'll look at training logs in more detail a bit later on.

The base season is the ideal time to start looking at the events, camps and races that you and your team would like to participate in. It is important to research the events as thoroughly as possible by talking to riders and organizational volunteers and by using websites/forums so that you may set realistic goals for yourself and your team. With team preparation remember that although it is good to set challenges, the scope of the event be within the grasp of each team member and it is essential that these decisions about races and events be made as a group.

Setting short- and long-term goals, both from an individual and team perspective will help ensure that your training program is on track and serve as great motivators and directors. Long-term goals (setting a cross-state record, a team victory in a particular event, etc.) are actually the easy part — the hard part is coming up with the smaller goals that will help support and achieve the bigger goals. For setting short-term goals, the U.S. Olympic Committee has an excellent worksheet (From the USOC Sports Psychology Mental Training Manual).

Here is an overview:

1. Ask yourself what is your dream goal for this season.
2. What are the abilities of athletes in your sport who could achieve that dream goal? (e.g. great teamwork, great aerobic conditioning, great confidence, etc.)
3. Do you have those abilities fully developed?
4. If no, which abilities do you most need to work on?
5. What will you do between now and the end of the season to develop those abilities?
6. What will you do this week to develop those abilities?
7. What will you do next training session to develop those abilities?

Goal setting takes work and discipline, it needs to become habitual. It will help change your behavior and will provide valuable feedback, direction and support to help achieve your team's season objectives.

Communication is a vital aspect of team training and the organization and planning stage is the perfect time to establish a schedule by which members can interact with each other. For riders living in the same area, regular meetings can be arranged to discuss group workouts, key dates in the schedule or voice any concerns that may come up during training. Sitting down with one another, discussing workouts or reviewing training logs can be extremely helpful in planning and will enhance the dynamics of your team. If this is not feasible, as with teams coming from across a wide area, periodic e-mails, telephone, or Internet conferences should be set up on a regular basis to make certain that all members are kept informed of each other's progress and issues.

Regardless of how communication is accomplished, it is important that teams interact with one another as easily as possible to ensure that any concerns are addressed quickly and to provide support and encouragement to one another as the season progresses.

It is essential that the overall training program is flexible and includes planned rest and recuperation to enhance recovery and reduce the possibility of overtraining injuries. For this, the importance of detailed training logs must not be underestimated. Many cyclists plan their season down to the last mile but fail to address the planning of rest and recovery strategies. After all, many physiological adaptations from training occur not during the actual training session but during recovery. Training logs should include both objective (ride distance, time, speed, terrain, etc.) and subjective (quality of sleep, emotional states, general well-being, etc.). The logs can serve as a training manual for the rider that will be a tremendous resource for current and future training. There are perhaps thousands of books and articles on endurance training, but only you can figure out what works best for you and your team — we are all individuals with unique concerns, and a cookbook approach to training must be avoided at all costs. As with all elements of training, try to enjoy the process of reviewing your training records and view it as a learning experience that will help you and your team further your development as cyclists.

Cycling-Specific Training
After all the planning is done, sooner or later we have to hop on the bike and start riding. Foundation training will enhance the performance and efficiency of the oxidative or aerobic energy system — the predominant source of energy in long distance cycling. This base will prepare the mind and body for the more intense work later in the season and will benefit all cyclists by:

• Increasing the amount of stored carbohydrates (glycogen) in the muscles and liver available for fuel
• Improving the efficiency of the heart and lungs delivering oxygen-rich blood to the working tissues (greater stroke volume, increased blood volume)
• Increasing capillary density — capillaries are the site of the O2/CO2 exchange
• Improving neuromuscular efficiency allowing for better pedaling technique
• Increasing the number of mitochondria (the cell's powerhouse) in the cell allowing for improved muscular endurance
• Promoting glycogen sparing that allows the body to more efficiently use fat as an energy source

This is also the ideal time to allow your body to adjust to any new equipment, feeding strategies or position modifications. Speaking of position modifications, you may want to consider consulting with a reputable shop or fitting specialist to make sure that your positioning is where it should be. Adding equipment (new saddle, aero bar, pedals, cleat systems, etc.) may affect efficient cycling position. As we age changes in flexibility will also affect bike position. It is not uncommon for lower back, neck and hamstring muscles to tighten, particularly if you spend a lot of time sitting at a desk, which, over time tends to promote poor posture.

During this phase, rides should be limited to light to moderate intensity levels that foster aerobic development; generally speaking, the pace should allow you to talk with your teammates. This is the perfect time for building team camaraderie, enhancing on-bike skills and allows for some good company during the long rides.

Avoid intervals and other intense work — there will be plenty of time for that as the season progresses. For those training with a heart rate monitor, the focus should be on Zone 2 using USA Cycling's training zone system which is 65-72% of maximum heart rate, and riders with a power meter should aim for 55-75% of CP30 min. average power. Remember that training is not a linear process, so resist the temptation to continually increase your training volume. Here is where a training record is incredibly useful — plan to level off every couple of weeks to allow your body to adapt to the program.

In certain parts of the world it may be possible to train outdoors throughout the year, but many riders are forced to train indoors with trainers or rollers due to increased darkness, poor road/weather conditions or other commitments. Something as simple as extra layers of winter clothing can alter positioning and indoor training will allow you to wear the same clothing and equipment anticipated during the event. The key to successful indoor training is to have a specific plan and goal for the workout. Instead of grinding away for 60 minutes, plan a warm-up period, workout period and cool-down session. The use of computer-based trainers (Compu Trainer, Velomax, etc.) or training with your teammates can provide an enjoyable and dynamic change to typical indoor training.

If, due to distance limitations, it is impossible to get together and ride together on a regular basis, it is important to plan some type of feedback schedule to keep others motivated. Perhaps you could share your logs online and show each other how things are progressing. However, it will still be necessary to ride together at some point. Planning a week or two together at a training camp, either a commercial camp or one that you organize on your own will provide valuable time with one another.

Building a foundation of training will help support the demands that will come later. If you are part of a four-person team riding a long distance event (RAAM for example) you'll be riding a relatively short 100 miles per day. If you establish a solid base of conditioning this will help minimize the inevitable fatigue that all ultra riders encounter and improve your team's chances of a successful performance.

Off-Bike Training Considerations
Successful cycling requires more than spending time on the bike logging miles — there are many factors that contribute to the success of a training program. One of the most critical aspects of any type of athletic training is proper nutrition. While precise nutrition strategies are beyond the scope of this article, it is important to view your intake of foods and fluids as fuel for cycling performance. Again, here is where training records are very important. Consider logging your daily nutritional intakes right alongside your training data. This way you have objective data from a training standpoint and a nutritional standpoint side-by-side. Ask yourself — is your current nutrition program adequately supporting the demands of your training? On the bike, are your feeding strategies working? Base training is the ideal time to experiment and find out what foods are tolerated on longer rides — trying new foods or energy drinks during a race can be a potential disaster, as your digestive system needs ample time to adjust as well.

This is a good time to develop a strength training program to support the volume of training that is to come. There are many benefits highlighted in scientific literature of strength training for endurance athletes including enhanced bone mineral density, increased strength in ligaments and tendons, correcting muscular imbalances (a key in minimizing the potential for lower extremity injuries), and improved neuromuscular efficiency. There are several articles on the UMCA website that explain in further detail the benefits of strength training as well as exercise descriptions: http://www.ultracycling.com/siteindex.html#training

To keep things fun and interesting, team members can workout together taking turns designing different workouts. This is a great way to try new exercises and avoided getting stuck in a rut doing the same program week after week. Along with strength training, pay attention to supplemental flexibility training. Long distance endurance activities predispose the body to flexibility deficits due to the high volume of training necessary for success. Look at it this way — a four-hour training ride (a relatively short ride for an ultra rider) averaging 90 RPM produces 21,600 pedal strokes. It is not uncommon for the muscles of the hamstrings, hips, lower back, shoulders and neck to become tight over time. There are many different flexibility programs that can be followed, and with the increased popularity of yoga and Pilates classes, training as a group is a possibility. A word of caution — be sure to check the difficulty level of the class and progress slowly — some classes can be quite aggressive.

One of the most important things to keep in mind is that cycling is just one aspect of our lives — we all have family, friends, work and other social commitments that rightfully deserve our time, energy and dedication. It is very easy to become narrowly focused and neglect others. Instead, do your best to get others involved. Something as simple as packing a lunch, riding with friends or family enjoying the day can go a long way in receiving support for your training. At work, post flyers about your event to keep co-workers informed, and who knows, some of them may want to come out and volunteer. The more social support networks you establish, the easier it is to relax and enjoy your training without the added stress and guilt.

Tactical and Psychological Training
Tactical preparations will help formulate effective strategies for your particular event and it is never too early to get a detailed overview of course profiles, important climbs, support stations, unique rules, weather conditions and clarifying any confusions your team may have. Many events have dedicated websites and other riders and organizers can also be a valuable source of information. You may want to consider taking the advice of professional teams and train on key parts of the course such as important climbs to gain confidence and experience.

More Information    UltraCycling Magazine Authoritative information for endurance cyclists. Each issue contains articles by experts on: training nutrition equipment event preparation rider profiles race results Join the UMCA and receive six issues a year.

Conditioning the mind is just as important as conditioning the body and the base season is the ideal time to develop a plan for mental fitness. There are many excellent books and articles dealing with sports psychology and mental training. Just like training the body, each athlete is unique and may require slightly different approaches. An excellent reference mentioned earlier is the Sports Psychology Mental Training Manual by the U.S. Olympic Committee. In this book there are many useful assessment tools and exercises that can help you and your team perform your best. The book is arranged with fundamental skills at the beginning and more complex skills at the end, providing an ideal progression that minimizes confusion. Team members may want to complete the worksheets and review them together — learning about each other's psychological strengths and weaknesses can have a dramatic impact on overall team dynamics. The USOC Sports Psychology services can be reached at: http://www.usoc.org/teamusenet/TeamUSAnet_46377.cfm.

Conclusion
The foundation phase of training is perhaps the most critical phase of the training season. With proper planning, organization and training, base training will help pave the way for a successful and enjoyable racing season and open up some new challenges with racing on a team. Enjoy this part of the season — get to know your teammates, learn how to support one another, get others involved and have a wonderful and safe season.

References

• Burke, E.R. (1995). Serious Cycling. Champaign, Human Kinetics.
• Chapple, T. (2006). Base Building for Cyclists. Boulder, Velo Press.
• Kehlenbach, D. (2004). Winter preparation for one-day events. UltraCycling. 13(1), 53-58.
• Kehlenbach, D. (2007). In-season training considerations. UltraCycling. 16(3), 22-25.
• UltraMarathon Cycling Association. (2005) Preparing for Long Rides. UMCA, Boulder.
• USA Cycling (1995). Expert Level Coaching Manual. USA Cycling, Colorado Springs.
• US Olympic Committee (2002). Sport Psychology Mental Training Manual. USOC, Colorado Springs.