JM Coaching - Caleb and 2015: Above and Beyond

Everything I’ve discussed so far doesn’t work for only Caleb, these are pretty general methods. Certainly the actual implementation would be different based on the specific needs of a rider and the specific demands of the events they plan to compete in, but for the most part, the metrics and methods of monitoring is pretty universal. My hope is that you might be able to take some of it and progress your own understanding of training. But now lets talk about what makes Caleb’s training a little bit different from what most would do. Lets talk about what makes Caleb the athlete that he is.

The biggest thing that a lot of coaches seem to overlook is skill. Whether its on the road or off, technique, skill, and experience are huge. We’ve all seen it, that one rider with too much power and not enough handling skills. Like a dragster trying to race formula 1. Caleb committing the time to training allowed him to fit in more skills training, but how do you integrate skill sessions into your training? What are the right time and how much? One huge way is to end training session with a little time messing around, riding trails or practicing skills. This is a great way to improve skills because although 10 minutes at the end of a workout probably won’t have you doing nose wheelies around corners, consistently getting that time in will help you cement skill learned in skill session and keep you comfortable on the bike.

Beyond these sneaky little skills sessions, you still need some actual skills days. One way to do it is to trade active recovery days with skills sessions. Pick a couple skills and get out there and practice them, keep track of what works and what doesn’t and discuss with your coach later. But a huge thing that people forget is that ripping a rut 6 times on an easy day is a lot different than in a race when you’re cross eyed. So incorporating some days where you get out and do race simulations, practice laps, and off road intervals is a huge way to save time and make you faster, not just stronger. This was another big component of Caleb’s training.

Beyond those, Caleb does have a couple qualities that make him exceptional. I think he’s physically gifted. As much as we hope, there isn’t much anyone can do to get that if you don’t already have it. But he also has two qualities that I think anyone can learn. He’s incredibly motivated, and he gives every workout all he’s got. Staying motivated is all about balancing the training load such that you’re always hungry, and learning how to push through when the training does get to be a lot. A good training plan will keep the athlete hungry and push them to the limit every 3-4 weeks. If the athlete can consistently push through that 3-4 week limit, then the training becomes hugely beneficial.

Caleb also pushes himself hard on each ride. I don’t know exactly how he approaches it, but I do know that each workout I see from him, the numbers are pretty consistent, consistently high. Getting out and training, going 98% is hard, but won’t stress the body the same way as giving it 100%. The short way to say it is that 98% is a fast way to maintain what you’ve already got. But if you go out and give it 100% each ride, each interval, consistently, you’ll see the real improvements. The difficult thing is that when trying to measure human output, the difference between giving it just less than 100%, and 100% is about the same difference as the difference between physically feeling good, and physically being tired. So it becomes very difficult o measure. That is why knowing your body and keeping good notes is very important. Somedays you just don’t have it, some days you phone it in. Both look similar on the charts, so being honest and keeping track helps maximize the training. Caleb hits both these marks. He give it everything and when he can’t or doesn’t, he is able to know and writes it down.

Hopefully in reading this you’ve gotten two things. You hopefully have learned a little about my training philosophy, and how I approach planning and tracking. If you’re looking to have your best season ever, don’t hesitate, now is the time to make that contact and get started. But far more importantly, I hope you learned a little about Caleb, how he trains, and what makes him successful. And beyond that, how you can improve your own training by learning from his success. I know I’ve learned a lot from him.