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Motivation

Now retired from racing, Alison Powers is the only person, in history, to win all three road discipline National Championships in one year (Road, Criterium and Time Trial - 2014). These go along with two previous national championships (Time Trial 2008, Team Pursuit 2008), 2 National Racing Calendar titles, and a 2nd place at the Leadville 100 mountain bike race (2013, 7:26hrs). Today she coaches road, cyclocross, and mountain bike skills clinics, and high performance race preparation and tactics. Learn more at alpcyclescoaching.com

How to Get The Most Out of Your Off Season

How to Get The Most Out of Your Off Season

by Alison Powers
September 30, 2019

Summer is winding down and many parts of the country have already seen a shift of weather, signaling the end of a long road season and for others the start of cyclocross season. Whether you take a break now from structured training and racing or do it after cross, it's important to get the most out of your off-season. This is where the biggest gains can be made.

SBT GRVL Recap

SBT GRVL Recap

by Alison Powers
August 19, 2019

Since I didn’t post about Friday or Saturday, I’ll start there. Friday was a day off the bike. I packed, I worked, and I got ready to leave early Saturday morning. I do remember rolling and stretching in the evening.

Things You Won't Find on the Blog

Things You Won't Find on the Blog

by Alison Powers
August 16, 2019

I was talking to my sister and she was telling me how much she enjoyed reading the blog (yay!). I said, “you know what you won’t read in the blog is the fact that I’ve had diarrhea the past 1.5 days so I’m stopping all fiber now.

4 Days to Go!

4 Days to Go!

by Alison Powers
August 16, 2019

In an ideal world, we make a plan and are able to follow the plan to a “T”. However, our bodies are not machines, and plans often have to be changed. In this case, I’m referring to a training plan.

The Final Preparation Begins

The Final Preparation Begins

by Alison Powers
August 14, 2019

This close to a big event, it isn’t really about the bike or the training anymore. It’s about the preparation. Dialing in the final details that can make or break your race.

To Rest is to Recover

To Rest is to Recover

by Alison Powers
August 14, 2019

Not much to report on today. It was another rest day. As often seems the case, I was more tired today (2 days after the training block) than I was yesterday.

Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day

by Alison Powers
August 14, 2019

An early ski coach of mine used to always say, “at the end of the day, you are your own best coach”. I didn’t understand that. Did that mean he was a bad coach, or I needed to learn how to be a ski coach? I’ve come to learn that coaches are unique.

ALP Team MTB Ride

ALP Team MTB Ride

by Alison Powers
August 14, 2019

1 week to go! After months of planning, prepping, training, resting, eating, sleeping, the race is right around the corner.

8th Day

8th Day

by Alison Powers
August 14, 2019

Since I have started this SBTGRVL blog, I have had 7 recovery days. Today is my 8th. I want this to sink in— in the past almost 3 weeks, I have had 8 days off. As I’ve described before, days off are not always rest days, but I want to demonstrate how important recovery is when training for an event (or just life in general).

40/20's

40/20's

by Alison Powers
August 12, 2019

Today was an early morning so I could get to Boulder to meet and ride with one of my ALP Cycles Coaching athletes. He is a very strong rider and would be on a TT bike, so I needed to bring my ‘A’ game (that’s part of the reason I didn’t go longer yesterday).

Getting Dialed

Getting Dialed

by Alison Powers
August 09, 2019

Today was my last big/hard training ride before SBTGRVL. The last day to get everything dialed in. I tried a different approach with my dynamic warm-up and activation this morning. Since I did core yesterday, I felt pretty “activated”, but tight. I was worried that that would lead to a bike ride filled with back pain, so I rolled out (with the lacrosse ball) mostly my left side.

5x5's

5x5's

by Alison Powers
August 07, 2019

What a difference a rest day makes. I felt a lot better today and was ready for some good training. I’ve mentioned in earlier blog posts that my training has been lacking anaerobic efforts, so today was another day to get those e

Unglamorous

Unglamorous

by Alison Powers
August 06, 2019

There are days when a rest day and a day off are completely different things. Yesterday was a good example of just because you have the day off the bike (or away from training) doesn’t mean you had a rest day.

Rest Day?

Rest Day?

by Alison Powers
August 06, 2019

There are days when a rest day and a day off are completely different things. Yesterday was a good example of just because you have the day off the bike (or away from training) doesn’t mean you had a rest day.

Hill Attacks

Hill Attacks

by Alison Powers
August 06, 2019

Yesterday, I blogged about how much sitting I do. Today felt like the exact opposite. The day started with coaching a 2 hour private mountain bike skills lesson. I very much enjoy this type of hands-on coaching and she was a strong rider so we got some solid pedal time.

Are the Legs Ready?

Are the Legs Ready?

by Alison Powers
August 06, 2019

I woke up in the middle of the night worried about what I was going to do for hot water (coffee) and bathroom while in Steamboat for the race. I plan to #vanlife it for the race- a quick in and out trip with one night spent in Steamboat. But that one night is important and that one morning (race morning) is most important.

Rest then go Big

Rest then go Big

by Alison Powers
August 02, 2019

"The best 3 days on a road bike every year. This year, I was a bit selfish and scheduled the Tour exactly 3 weeks out from Steamboat. Three weeks out from an event is a perfect time to do a big training block."

ALP ToC day 3 - a Day of Pedaling

ALP ToC day 3 - a Day of Pedaling

by Alison Powers
August 02, 2019

"Day 3 of our annual tour of Colorado went from Carbondale to Avon at 66 miles and 2400ft of climbing, it was our easiest day of the Tour. However, due to all the pedaling, it felt harder than I thought it should. Minus a bit of downhill bike path riding (which was a wonderful warm-up), it climbed steadily for 53 miles. So, for 3hrs we pedaled. No coasting, no real climbs to get out of the saddle for."

ALP ToC Day 2

ALP ToC Day 2

by Alison Powers
August 02, 2019

"Day 2 of our annual tour of Colorado went from Aspen to Carbondale by way of Maroon Bells and Ashcroft; two amazingly beautiful climbs. I was support and van driver today (coaches Paddy, Brie, and I take turns driving the van and riding). Because we had 2 out and back climbs, I was able to squeeze in a little riding between van stops. I was tired today but felt surprisingly better than I thought I would after yesterday."

Active Recovery

Active Recovery

by Alison Powers
August 02, 2019

"After the Lickskillet ride, my legs hurt so badly that I took Ibuprofen before bed. The research on taking “vitamin I” as a recovery tool is not good and it’s not something I make a habit of doing. But, for me, Ibuprofen works. Laying in bed with aching legs and low back does not make for good sleeping and sleep is the #1 most important tool for recovery."

Other People's Pace

Other People's Pace

by Alison Powers
August 02, 2019

"I have a small group of friends who are also “in training”. Among other races, both are racing SBTGRVL. Every couple of weeks we get together and ride. I very much like these rides as they let me pick the route (usually very hard), and they are mostly ok with my “no phaffing” philosophy (No B.S.- let’s ride and then get home to work and take care of dogs). These friends are also quite strong riders and each ride challenges me; I come home tired."

Rest Day

Rest Day

by Alison Powers
August 02, 2019

"Today was a planned rest day. After 5 days of riding, I was ready for a break (more mentally than physically). I mentioned in Day 1's blog that I have no plans to pre-ride the Steamboat course. So, today I took the time to get to know the course. I have already watched all the course video's that the race has provided (thank you for doing that!) but I was having a hard time putting it all together and seeing the course in my head."

Specific Training Day - Flats

Specific Training Day - Flats

by Alison Powers
August 02, 2019

"Today's ride goal was 2 intervals to the Portal (the flattest road around here). The goal was steady/hardish riding. I wanted the second interval to be just as fast as or faster than the first interval. Each interval was ~28min and the second was far more uncomfortable than the first (a sign that this was good training for my body)."

#happiness watts

#happiness watts

by Alison Powers
August 02, 2019

"While playing and having fun on bikes isn't necessarily the best for headspace and staying happy; which in my mind is more important than forcing a "training" ride or intervals. A happy bike racer is a fast bike racer."

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