Team Dillon Coaching are great advocates of training on the Wattbike so I thought it would be interesting to share some updates from this incredibly talented group of triathletes.
Christy McKee gave us a great interview, talking about family rivalries, how she fits training into a busy schedule and of course what benefits she gets from training on a Wattbike. We'll be catching up with Christy in the New Year to find out whether she did indeed come out on top in the McKee tri challenge!
For most, the festive season is a time to let go of dietary inhibitions and cast aside the evening workout regimen opting instead for a boozy night out with colleagues and friends. Not so when your a member of Team Dillon and have the last triathlon of the year looming in the very near future - in this case December 4th.
Many of my friends would describe me as having a competitive streak; therefore it should not shock the reader to learn that genetics may have played a role. On December 4th I will be competing in a sprint triathlon with my now 64 year old father who I'm not ashamed to say, on an age adjusted basis, is a far superior athlete to the writer of this blog. Did I get the competitive gene from him? Nope, he's as laid back as the Dali Lama and eases through just about any physical obstacle with the patience and precision of a heart surgeon. My competitive prowess is a direct result of my cut throat, leave-nothing-to-chance mother.
Most of you are probably scratching your heads wondering what this could possibly do with Wattbike. Truth be told, I usually compete in longer triathlons - half and full Ironman - so this sprint represents a bit of a different challenge for me. To add more heat to the fire, my cousin, of similar age is also coming down to compete in the race as well. I can't recall exactly who began the debate, but wagers have been recorded amongst the McKee family regarding who will be the fastest and who will rank highest in their respective age groups. Based on what I mentioned at the outset, you can see that it would be of huge detriment to my ego if I were not, at least, the fastest overall.
Now I turn to Michelle and my trusty Wattbike to get me ready for this short race, while maintaining my endurance and base fitness up for an Ironman early next year. During the week I don't have the time (or the light) to ride outside. Cyclists of London can empathise. Also we're getting to that time of the year where it's either too cold or too foggy to have a safe and effective training ride outdoors over the weekend.
A typical week (running and swimming excluded) means a very tough BRIC workout incorporating intervals, a steadier 75-90 ride, and another interval ride lasting at least 60 minutes all on the Wattbike. And that's just Monday to Friday. Saturday is my long ride - either 4/5 hours on the road or 2/3 hours on the Wattbike.
When I'm doing intervals, which can range between 2 minutes to an hour time-trial, I try to keep my pedal stroke smooth and maintain 200+ watts. This gives me a good gauge for where I'm at and how my body is feeling that day. Even though I don't have a powermeter on my road bike, because I use Wattbike frequently, I have a pretty good idea of how many watts I'm pushing on the road. I was pleased when a few weeks ago one of my most accomplished cyclist buddies Rob told me he's never seen me looking better/stronger on the bike.
So there's no way to know what will happen on the 4th of December, but I shouldn't fare too badly with good genes on my side and a pretty disciplined approach to training on my Wattbike through the winter season.
Thanks so much for the update Christy, let us know how you went on and whether you are the family tri champ.