View Frank Overton’s profile on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional community. It didn’t feel right to advertise during a pandemic. It is performed by the cyclist going as hard as they can for 20 minutes, just like a time trial. Sweet spot however crosses over two zones and covers the high end tempo to low end threshold zones. Frank founded FasCat Coaching in 2002 and has been a full time cycling coach since 2004 and a USA Cycling Level 1 coach since 2006. And when it’s time to compete in an event like a 50-mile summer mountain bike race, fall gravel grinder, or even a beery Saturday cyclocross jamboree with snow threatening, you won’t live up to your potential. I recommend starting from the bottom of the climb and going as fast as you possibly can, full gas, for 20 continuous minutes. Warm up like you would for a race and begin the test. But the old adage of you get what you pay for applies. Expend every ounce of energy during the test. ", Finally, Overton recommends that you don't just hire a coach for a month or two. Go out hard but not too hard. The analysis is simple: take the average power from the start to the end of the 20 minute test. OK, fast forward 20 minutes, cool down, finish up your training ride and download your power meter file. We try to lead by example, which is FasCat’s core value #7, and lately we’ve become a little more life coach in addition to cycling coach. After the 2005 season, he “retired” to dedicate more energy to being a coach and a family man. Get the latest race news, results, commentary, and tech, delivered daily to your inbox. Post college he spent two years researching nerve regeneration in spinal cord injuries at the Bowman Gray School of Medicine. Professionally Frank comes from medical school spinal cord research and molecular biotechnology. Let’s be real — this is bike riding and we do it for fun and self improvement. A good coach will also be your number-one confidant, that person you can ask questions and bounce ideas off, says Jeremy Powers, multi-time US national cyclocross champion. Your fitness flatlines. My six-week plan included eight to 12 hours a week of riding—as opposed to training—with one big week where I bumped up to 16 hours. Select a section of the road where you can drill it for 20 minutes. Because cycling is primarily a lower body sport, riders risk losing muscle volume in their upper body. And with the advent of power meters, your coach can get a really good idea of what you're doing and where your fitness level is. "It's really beneficial to have someone telling you what to do in training. Our mission to inspire readers to get outside has never been more critical. What Should Your Ideal Cadence Really Be? Every day you try to make yourself better. However, to this day it is a dream come true for Frank to be able to help cyclists as a coach. He’s got a dental practice that is shut down and three kids who were normally at school that he’s not only taking care of but now taking on the responsibility that their education continues. Ideally you want to start strong and finish strong at the same wattage. Completely off . Your average heart rate after 20 minutes is your functional threshold. Bicycling participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. Peter Abraham. These days (2019) I primarily coach masters road, gravel, fondo, time trial, mountain bike and cyclocross athletes who want to take their training serious and have fun along the way. 1. Instead we met the pandemic head on for our community with several training tips and podcasts about what to do for training, as well helping with the gravel series on Zwift mentioned below. Your first 20-minute field test should not be your last. Since cyclocross races are relatively short, 90-minute efforts, many casual racers assume you don’t need to train much for distance. 5 Interval Workouts That Increase Speed and Power, 5 HIIT Workouts You Can Do On and Off the Bike. The 23 Best Lower Body Exercises For Leg Strength, First Look: The New Indoor Bike From Stages, Why You Should Pump Iron for Just 13 Minutes, Indoor Trainer Workouts That Aren’t Boring. If you have a steady 3-8 percent grade climb that lasts for 20 minutes, that is my first preference for athletes. ? Massive. Frank draws from his own experiences as a racer & a coach to help his athletes and all FasCat athletes. For more power-based training tips please visit www.fascatcoaching.com or Email Frank Overton. Making a financial contribution to Outside Online only takes a few minutes and will ensure we can continue supplying the trailblazing, informative journalism that readers like you depend on. They’re passing food to her through the dog door. The result was a near-perfect bell curve that offered a tantalizing training secret: Focus the bulk of your workouts in the middle of the bell curve, and you’ll maximize your efficiency on the bike and recover faster than you do from high-intensity intervals. FasCat Coaching founder Frank Overton practices and preaches a mix of year-round riding, resistance training (weights) and yoga. My friends and I created a Strava segment out of our weekly group ride. “The trick,” Overton says, “is to leave time post–sweet spot training to allow for cross-specific intervals—usually that’s three to six weeks.”. Time outside is essential—and we can help you make the most of it. An all-access membership to everything Women’s Running, VeloNews Training Plan, part 1: The fundamentals, Training FAQ: The definition of threshold, Sweet Spot training for cyclists: How to maximize your time and gains, an accurately calibrated, working, reliable power meter capable of downloading the test data, a good stretch of road (or a good trainer) w/o interruptions for 20 minutes (climb preferably), the the average power for the 20 minute test. By week three of the sweet spot program, the benefits were kicking in, and I was riding comfortably with faster groups. Cycling aside, they are facing financial and professional disruption and most of all trying to keep their families safe.We have one athlete whose wife is an anesthesiologist working every day and living in the garage so as not to risk infecting their young children.