I'm doing a lot of cross-country skiing this winter with a friend. I'm in better aerobic shape than she is, I can lift heavier weights, and I can put out more power on the bike. But she skis away from me, I struggle to keep up, and I'm the one who's sore afterwards. Why?

She has technique!

Cross-country skiers know that skiing efficiently requires technique. Good XC skiers practice skiing without poles to improve their leg timing and balance.

No, you're not reading Master Skiing, but UltraCycling. Technique is also important in riding! Whether you are riding centuries or racing 24 hour races, good performance comes from three factors:

• your aerobic capacity, your VO2 max which is largely determined by your genes and your age;
• your lactate threshold as a percent of your VO2 max, which can be improved by training; and
• your economy of movement, how much oxygen does it take to produce a given workload.

It's almost spring and most endurance riders are in the Base phase of our training. Whether our goal is completing more centuries in the Mileage Challenge, setting a cross-state record, or competing to be the top 12- or 24-hour rider of the season, this is when we improve our endurance.

As part of our Base training we can also work on our economy of movement so that we can go farther with the same total effort. In the next issue we'll talk about Intensity training to raise the lactate threshold so we can go faster.

Economy of performance improves as a result of:

1. a higher percentage of slow-twitch muscle fibers;
2. low body mass;
3. low psychological stress;
4. light, aerodynamic equipment;
5. proper bike fit;
6. low frontal area;
7. eliminating energy-wasting movements;
8. efficiency off the bike.

Let's consider each of these factors.

1) Percentage of slow-twitch muscle fibers
This is genetically determined, right? Yes, but you also have another type of muscle fiber, fast twitch IIa. These fibers can produce energy aerobically, like slow-twitch fibers. If you do lots of endurance riding, these fibers will become more oxidative, more like slow twitch fibers. If you primarily hammer through short rides with the big dogs, these fibers will become more like fast-twitch muscle fibers - and you'll become less efficient (although more powerful).

2) Low body mass
The rule of thumb for top climbers is that body weight should be no more that two pounds for each inch of height. While we don't need to starve ourselves, for most endurance riders losing some weight would probably produce bigger performance gains than almost any other change.

3) Low psychological stress
In psychological terms, good performance is the result of focus and optimal arousal. Focus is the ability to set aside irrelevant factors, to be calm and focused just on the ride. The first step is setting aside work and family concerns during the ride. Then you learn to ride in the present, just climbing the current hill, not thinking about what lies ahead.

Optimal arousal means being psyched up enough to ride well, without being anxious about the event. Anxiety results in loss of focus, increased muscle tension, less efficient movements and slower reaction times.

We can train to focus and to manage anxiety - but do we make the effort? See the series on mental training techniques.

4) Light, aerodynamic equipment
Wind tunnel tests consistently suggest that aerodynamically there are four main variables that slow us down. Typically, the rider's body accounts for 65% of the of the drag, the bike accounts for 20%, the spinning wheels account for 10%, and rolling resistance accounts for 5%.

A racer doing a crewed event such as record attempt may have several bikes and sets of wheels: a climbing bikes with light wheels and a more aerodynamic bike and wheels for the flats.

What if you wanted to ride a mountainous race like the Race Across Oregon, and can only take one set of wheels? Would lightweight wheels or aero wheels be better? "All else being equal, aerodynamic wheels would provide you with about a six minute (or 1.5 mile) advantage by the end of the race." Comeau, B.: From the Field: Wheels

Even if we aren't racing at 15-20 mph, attention to equipment weight and aerodynamics can make a significant difference. A couple planning to ride PBP last year went through their equipment, eliminated duplicates, and then put most of the gear in his saddlebag. As a team, they rode more efficiently - and had more fun!

5) Proper bike fit
Having your bike set up by a professional who understands endurance riding can have two benefits. First, your power can be increased by positioning the hips, thighs, knees and feet correctly relative to the pedal spindles. Second, comfort on the bike can be improved with correct foot placement on the pedals, proper saddle height, and setting the handle bars so that you are not too bent over or stretched out. See the articles on bike fit and power.

6) Low frontal area
As noted above, the rider's body accounts for most of the drag. For ultra riders, the biggest consideration is whether the event is drafting or non-drafting.

If you are training for a drafting 12- or 24-hour race such as Calvin's or the National 24, then find a local racing club and go on their training rides. A month spent learning how to ride a wheel safely and to pull through efficiently will do more to improve your performance than a month of killer intervals.

If the event is non-drafting, then set up your bike with aero bars and get comfortable using them. The aero bars on 40K time trial bike are set as low as possible with the elbows close together. That's the most aerodynamic position, but uncomfortable even for 60 minutes. For a one-day event, set the bars so that your upper body is in the same position as if your hands were in the drops. I.e., the bend at your waist shouldn't increase as you move from the drops to the aero bars. Set the width so that your elbows are directly under your shoulders. Then, really work on your flexibility so you can ride on your aero bars for hours at a time.

7) Eliminating useless, energy-wasting movements
Experienced cyclists pedal with a smooth, round stroke, applying power over most of the stroke. You can improve your pedaling by concentrating on four parts of the stroke:

• Top: Apply power forward, imagining that you are pushing your knee forward toward the handlebars.
• Front: Apply power downward.
• Bottom: Apply power backward, with your foot pointed slightly downward. Imagine that you are scraping your toes across the floor.
• Back: Don't try to pull up on the pedal (which is inefficient); rather, just lift your leg so that your other leg doesn't need to push it up.

Riding a fixed gear bike is the classic way to improve your stroke. Riding on rollers is another great tool - if your stroke is jerky you may find yourself on the floor. Riding a mountain bike uphill through loose dirt also helps to develop a smooth round stroke. If you have a CompuTrainer, the SpinScan program is very useful, both to balance the power of each leg and to develop a rounder stroke. Finally, one-legged pedaling on the trainer will improve both your muscle coordination and your functional leg strength.

Can you ride down the road in a straight line? Or do you wobble from side to side? Practice riding on the fog line for minutes at a time.

When you corner, do you know how to pick the fastest line through the corner and how to lean your bike safely to ride the line? Attending a racing clinic will help you learn and then you can do cornering drills around water bottles in a parking lot.

When you come out of a corner, to you hammer like you are racing a crit, snapping the paceline behind you? Or do you accelerate smoothly?

How do you handle transitions at the bottom and top of hills? At the bottom do you hammer out of the saddle as long as you can and then sit down? Or do you work progressively down through the gears? At the top, do you keep pushing until you're really on the downhill, or do you sit up as soon as you see the truck on the triangle?

When you are climbing, do you climb more efficiently sitting or standing? With your pelvis centered on the saddle or pushed back slightly? With a moderate cadence or a faster cadence? Experiment by climbing a hill repeatedly at the same speed but varying the technique while wearing your heart-rate monitor.

When you ride, are your shoulders and head rocking side to side, wasting energy? Good riders have a quiet upper body. Riding on rollers is a great way to develop a quiet upper body. Another technique is to ride the trainer in front of a mirror.

How many times an hour do you reach for your water bottle? (5-10, I hope!) Can you reach down, drink, and replace your bottle without breaking your cadence or losing your line? Or do you stop pedaling, grab the bottle, sit up, and lurch sideways as you drink?

8) Efficiency off the bike
Talking with friends at rest stops can be part of a great day of cycling. If your goal is to have as much fun as possible, stop for the photo ops! But if your goal is to post a good finishing time, then pay attention to your time off the bike.

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.

During the event, plan your stops to take care of multiple needs, reducing the number of times you stop and re-start. As you approach each stop, plan what you need to get done while you are off the bike.

At the stop, move through your task list in an organized fashion; don't wander around aimlessly. As you do other tasks, keep eating and drinking. Although you may be tired, don't sit down to rest - if you're on your butt, you're not moving down the road.

I'm turning 55 this year - I hope by working on my technique, I can still keep up! And I'm practice my smile, even while climbing hard. One of the best ways to intimidate others is to appear to be having fun while they are suffering!