The 2016 Absa Cape Epic is creeping ever closer and as Team ITWeb, powered by Dimension Data - JP d'Abbadie and Rob Mace - begin their last phase of preparation, it is reassuring to hear their coach Ian Martin of CoachOne say he is pleased with their progress.
"We determined their baseline numbers when they began preparing for the 2016 Absa Cape Epic and had a discussion about their availability to decide on the training phases. We have now done subsequent progress assessments and have compared those results to their baseline numbers, and I'm happy with their performance. Their power numbers, heart rate numbers and collective fitness levels have been improving consistently. They are doing well so far."
Martin is not new to preparing mountain-bikers for the toil of the Absa Cape Epic and similar contests like joBerg2c, Cape Pioneer Trek and the Kiwi Crusade in New Zealand. He has amassed more than 25 years of experience in the sport as a coach and endurance athlete, and has achieved provincial and national colours himself. Many of the athletes he has coached have gone on to become national champions and compete with the best internationally. He also obtained a BA honour's degree, majoring in applied physiology and sports psychology, although he cautions that textbook knowledge can only get one so far.
"I definitely share sentiments about [it taking] 12 months' preparation for the Epic. That is ideology, but ideology is not always reality at the end of the day. As a sport scientist and coach, I would recommend at least 12 months' build-up to the Epic for someone who has no experience of endurance mountain-biking," advised Martin when asked if D'Abbadie and Mace had begun their preparation in good time five months ahead of the race.
"Rob is a very talented athlete, and he has quite an extensive background when it comes to endurance sport. JP has ridden and he is not coming from a zero base. It all depends on the riders - some require up to two years' build-up and others can prepare in about six months. The art and the science need to gel together, so that we can make the most of the training environment and ensure that a rider can endure the overload during the Epic."
Martin makes wide use of advanced technology to prepare the athletes of both genders who sign up under his training group, CoachOne, for road and mountain-bike challenges. He measures and assesses pedal stroke and other performance indicators using tools such as Wattbike, heart rate monitors and Garmin for navigation and further performance monitoring, as well as Training Peaks, My Fitness Pal and other solutions to ensure peak performance.
"All roads lead to Rome. What we did 30 years ago still allowed us to achieve good performances. I remember my first heart rate monitor, in the early 90s, a huge contraption on my wrist - and it was heavy but it still allowed us to monitor heart rate. We didn't really know what to do with the biofeedback. However, over time we learnt to understand the numbers. The road to Rome has since become shorter and quicker and we are now able to optimise training time. Measuring and monitoring data almost immediately, as we do nowadays, allows us to make needed changes with the aid of technology. If you look at a lot of the professional teams and how they have taken their performance to the next level through analysis based on technology - for example, Dimension Data, where they start looking at big data in order to make predictions and determine strategy before an event even begins - you learn how useful it has become."
Martin says he has managed to optimise training for his riders, including Mace and D'Abbadie, through use of the latest technology. In addition to giving him enough information to decide on changes to the phases, duration and intensity of training for all riders, technological advances in mountain-biking have led to an increase in the number of people taking on his services.
"Technology has empowered me as a coach, allowing me to provide comprehensive coaching and monitoring services. You are always going to get 'Google professors', but my competitive advantage is that I am able to personalise and individualise training programmes and adjust them accordingly. One can make use of the excellent generic programmes online, but they are not going to cater for the specific individual. Even if you look at JP and Robert, their training has similarities, but they have also had to follow totally different training sessions. That is where the expertise is needed."
He also emphasises the value of the riders' psychological well-being and the support from their families before a race as taxing as the 2016 Absa Cape Epic.
"Because the course changes every year, one needs to prepare with that in mind. The nature and diversity of the course are critical. I've had a lot of my riders that are prepared for Epic training in extensive heat conditions because of the exposure to heat being an eight out of 10 possibility. You can also have the very extreme; some years there has been a lot of rain. The riders' skills set is important in heat and wet conditions. If you look at terrain, the rider is exposed to a lot of rocky ascents and descents and long climbs. I've had to prescribe training sessions of 1 500 metres to 2 000 metres of climbing for JP and Rob. Psychologically, one needs to be ready to do that sort of climbing and recover enough to do so day after day for the eight days."
Coach One is based in Johannesburg, providing coaching and monitoring services nationwide for all levels of endurance athletes.
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