Hear Gerard Coach in Real Time

Get Fast Podcast, Ep 65, with Gerard and Jordan Donnelly

In this episode Jordan puts real questions from athletes to Gerard, and his answers keep coming back to two things: prepare properly and stay consistent. It covers what to do when a race is moved, why a course recon matters, how to use power in a crit and on Zwift, and how to train after an A race.

What should you do when your race is moved?

When the Geelong half Ironman was moved six weeks later, about a week out, Gerard's first question to every athlete was whether they could make the new date. If you can't, race on the original day as planned. If you can, treat the original weekend as a training race.

All his athletes moved to the new date, so he changed their week:

• No taper, because you can't fit two tapers into six weeks
• A couple of easier days before the training race, then recovery early the next week
• Hold the planned run pace the whole way, with no sprinting over the last 3 km

He found a positive for each group. Athletes who came in underdone got a second chance at five more weeks of consistent training. Those in great form were told form can be held for six weeks.

Why do a course recon?

Gerard was surprised how few athletes outside the TriVelo squad went to Geelong that Sunday. The night before, he drove 45 km of the bike course to learn every hill and turn, and checked the wind direction that night and again in the morning. He suggests rolling the run course on your bike, which won't take anything out of you.

Know where the aid stations are so you can plan your drinks. Know where to park, which roads close and how long it takes to get from your accommodation to the start. Then all your energy on race day goes into racing, thinking no more than five minutes ahead.

Nutrition was the other lesson, as some athletes faded from nutrition rather than fitness. His rule: "never try something on race day you haven't tried in training."

One cyclist told Gerard that after preparing this way for nationals, it was the first time he'd reached a start line and realised all he had to do was race.

What goes wrong in race plans?

Ambition. Gerard checks every race plan and saw athletes planning 15 watts more than they'd ever done in training, or run paces faster than they'd ever run fresh. On the day, some athletes still rode their first lap faster than their second. Gerard rode it too, and his second lap was four minutes quicker.

He checks the plan, but he won't hand athletes their numbers on a platter. They have to know their own numbers, because they can't ring him halfway through the ride.

Should you do swim-bike bricks?

Yes, where it's practical. Gerard would recommend a short swim before your weekend endurance ride, once a week or even once a month. He doesn't push it, because adding travel to an already big day can get in the way of consistency.

Should you follow your Garmin's advice?

Gerard doesn't. Once, in the middle of a recovery phase, his watch told him he was overreaching and needed six days off. He relies on the performance management chart in TrainingPeaks, HRV and a smart ring instead. The watch may do better if your settings are entered correctly.

What power should you look at in a crit?

None, Gerard says. If someone attacks, your job is to hold the wheel, and seeing a number you've never seen before only tells you you're close to your limit. Use power afterwards: if you were dropped on a hill at 510 watts, practise 30 to 40-second efforts at 550 watts so you can respond next time.

He does check his power in a breakaway, to make sure his turns aren't harder than anyone else's. And when the first 10 minutes of a crit go far above what anyone can sustain, he sits in and waits, because it always eases.

Which power should you train with on Zwift?

• Train to lap power on your bike computer. Zwift shows instant power, which jumps around with every pedal stroke.
• Use your bike's power meter indoors as well as outdoors. For most athletes TriVelo coaches, the two read 1 to 20 watts apart, which can make an indoor session too hard or too easy. You race with your bike's power meter, so train with it.

How do you keep a bunch ride rolling smoothly?

• As you roll over the front rider, keep the power on until you reach the front, then ease up slightly so the next rider doesn't have to fight past you.
• At the back, call the name of the rider you're about to roll over and tell them they're up. Nobody runs into anyone, and nobody leaves a gap.
• When riders are sitting on, a gatekeeper at the back calls next to each rider coming back, so riders in the roll never take their eyes off the road.

What should you do after an A race?

Take a short break first. Easy training or complete rest are both fine, for seven days to two weeks, depending on the event and what suits you. If your next race is a few weeks away, plan back from it. If it's months away, find a B race to keep things fun, like the time trial rider now preparing for a teams time trial.

After the break, keep the frequency of training the same and drop the intensity and duration, so your body keeps its adaptation to regular training. You can't hold form for 30 weeks, Gerard says. Six weeks is about the limit.

Asked what matters most in any program, he didn't hesitate: "consistency is king."

Related

• How we coach triathletes
• Ironman coaching
• Cycling coaching
• Apply for coaching