Super Speedy Racing

While I coach a variety of different cycling events (pretty much everything except BMX), I’ve been fairly conservative in my own personal approach to cycle racing. I’ve competed in TTs, road racing, e-racing, and gravel, and this was my 41st consecutive year of racing.

I started road (and criterium) racing in my second season as a junior rider (my first year I just competed in TTs), since then I’ve competed in road racing every year since.

In 1994, in a trip to the south of England I raced at the Goodwood motor racing circuit - which is about 4km in length and is pretty much pan flat. There’s no real technical corners and it’s a reasonably safe circuit for racing on. Since that first race in ‘94, I’ve probably raced there more than any other rider (as I only missed racing there one year when I lived in a different part of the UK).

This year we’ve had a great series of races put on by local cycling team RCR and Seb Ottley. Thank you so much for bringing pain and fun to my Tuesday or Thursday evenings over the last few years :).

However, one thing we’ve all tended to notice is the speed of the races. Just three seasons ago, in 2021, the average speed for 3 or 2/3 category races hovered around 39–40 km/h for a one-hour event. This year, those speeds have jumped dramatically—averaging 45–46 km/h for 3 category races and an astonishing 47–48 km/h for 2/3 races.

This year, the average speed in the 3 cat race was usually around 45 to 46 km/hr and in the 2/3 race was 47 to 48 km/hr. I didn’t do any E123 races this year (other than the handicap event where ex pro Alex Dowsett turned up and battered us stupid). That’s an average increase in speed of 5 to 8 km/hr. The last Tuesday race of the year at Goodwood, I recorded a power output in the first ~30-minutes that was higher than any other race I have power data on. Sure, I have other races with higher power, but just not for that long! As an indication the power from Tuesday’s race was about 30 W higher than the E123 races I was doing 3 years ago. THIRTY WATTS! That’s huge!

What’s changed? Well several things really. Coaching/structured training - more and more people are using coaching services (mine or others) to help increase their fitness — this is whether they race, or want to be fitter. The level of basic training everyone is undertaking has also risen — there’s more information available on the internet than ever before (even if it some of it isn’t great). We also have better tyre and wheel technology in races - they’re faster than ever before (and safer/better at cornering with the wider, lower pressure tyres), nearly everyone is on an aero road bike as well, which generally includes integrated cables, And, of course, the clothing is way more aero than ever before. All of these factors are contributing to significantly higher speeds than previously.

However, it’s the 30 W that is most surprising to me! The 2nd category races I’m doing now are harder than the elite/1st category races I was doing just 3 years ago. The training I’m personally undertaking is significantly, harder and more structured than a few years ago, and really quite different to how I was training by the time I look back to a decade ago. Some of these changes have been noted by others following me. Cycling Weekly has had two articles about me/with my input, where I note some of these differences.

As an overview, at nearly all time durations from 1 second through to about 2 hours I’m able to produce significantly more power than I did in my 20s (that’s 30 years ago!), when I’d worked my way up to a cat 1 rider. There are some durations that (typically around 60-secs that I’m approximately where I was when I was younger), however, these data run counter to the suggestion that fitness starts declining from your 30’s onwards (due to a decline in VO2max).

I’m working harder now, and in a more intelligent way. My recovery is delayed compared to my younger self, but with careful planning, and better training and nutrition it’s going well.

The big changes:
Cycling
More structure, carefully working out my training levels to ensure optimum amounts of MIET, threshold and above threshold training. Consistency, is hugely important (probably the most important factor for most people) and as I approach Christmas 2024, that will be 8 years of riding my bike every day (note: consistency for you could be something else entirely, I’m not suggesting everyone should ride daily).

Strength
Simply, the changes I had to make to counter my osteoporosis has had significant impact on both my short and long duration power outputs. It’s also improved my health, my bone density, and hopefully preventing or reducing sarcopenia. Initial training, had a temporary negative effect on my cycling (feeling exhausted), but 1 to 3 strength sessions per week, year round will have a positive effect on nearly everyone.

Nutrition
I’ve been a vegetarian (I don’t mind whether you eat animals or not, but significantly increasing your plant intake will have major health benefits for nearly everyone) since I was 20, and I thought my diet was ‘perfect’. However, analysis a few years ago, showed that while ok, wasn’t great. I’ve made lasting changes, upping my protein intake, and reducing my fat intake, while approximately maintaining my carbohydrate intake (for a modest reduction in energy intake) and this has resulted in me recovering better than I had previously been recovering, reducing my weight (lost about 8 kg and ended up weighing the same as my 20s), while also increasing my muscle mass.

Life
I’ve noted that sleep is more important now, I used to be able to stay up working late until 2 or 3 am and get up at 7am and feel fine. Can’t do that anymore ;-). I find that getting stressed over unimportant things is not worth the worry. I used to panic if I didn’t get a session done. Now, I know that if I feel like death I’ll change that day’s training from the schedule to a recovery session. I genuinely listen to my body.

Ageing isn’t the end of your cycling, and faster and harder racing doesn’t mean you can’t keep up. What it does mean is that there is now a really limited off-season where you have to work harder to improve and where you also have to be more consistent. The biggest issue I see with athletes who struggle in racing is taking big time off and losing lots of fitness (obviously, if you’re ill or injured that’s a different matter). And, this doesn’t just apply to the racers — everyone is training harder, and more consistently so that next year is better. Don’t get left behind.

The landscape of cycling is evolving fast—both literally and figuratively. If you’re ready to step up your game and make the most of your potential, structured coaching could be your next big step. Let's work together to achieve your goals for the upcoming season.