This week I want to tell you about Jenny and Johnny. Two highly committed athletes seeking improvement in their triathlon performances. The race distances are not relevant, nor their performance level, with the only key being that both Johnny and Jenny are united in their desire to improve. Being time-starved, both Johnny and Jenny utilize the bike trainer for their mid-week workouts, but venture outside on the weekends for the endurance and race specific rides. The backbone of this story focuses on those mid-week rides. This is where their stories diverge.

Johnny.  Johnny loves riding his bike and working hard.  He embraces the intervals, and loves utilizing the structured workouts that allow him to follow along with the prescribed intervals, giving it all to the efforts that the intervals demand.  He also loves the spice of competition that comes along with the other riders on screen, and even the fun interactions he has with his friends that are also hitting up the same intervals.

Johnny takes regular assessments, and has seen improvements in his numbers, a nice validation to his hard work.  Strong input builds fitness, and with it arises growing confidence.

Where Johnny struggles is in some of the outside riding.  He loves the low cadence challenging work on the trainer, but hates outside hills.  He isn’t confident in standing out of the saddle, with his heart rate going through the roof as he lifts out of the saddle.  He also finds that his comfort on the bike declines through longer rides, with a feeling of heavy legs and aching shoulders.  Johnny doesn’t do well running off the bike, despite his consistent run training, he suffers.

Let’s compare to Jenny.  Jenny occasionally gets to join the Purple Patch live session, but her typical family and work schedule make the live classes impossible. Instead, Jenny has embraced the video-on-demand sessions delivered twice weekly. Jenny’s whole mindset has shifted when considering indoor training, and how to execute sessions properly. She has found herself really thinking about the prescription of the session, its purpose, and how to execute property. She has noticed that some days her power is a little lower than she anticipated, but other days have opened up a chance to push on with a little more power. Even more than she sometimes felt possible. These small adjustments amplified her broader perspective of training, but it is not here that she felt the greatest value.  

Jenny found herself improving as a bike rider. She has really embraced learning to apply the right pedal stroke, at the right time, with a shifting focus dependent on interval intensity and cadence. She is also developing the critical habits that transfer for better riding performance outside, such as recovering with good posture and form, maintaining tension on the chain even when recuperating, and retaining excellent position and posture as fatigue creeps in.  Jenny is not only working hard, and managing the intervals relative to intent, but she is building positive habits.

The final place that Jenny is evolving is the appreciation of how the work on the trainer applies to the real world. She is learning how to vary load and relieve postural stress, how to navigate terrain, how to utilize proper standing technique to maximize speed return on hills, or reduce systemic stress. She is becoming a better bike rider. She then goes out on the weekend feeling empowered, able to enjoy her riding, and apply the lessons supplied in the week.

You see:

Johnny is working hard and working on his physiology.

Jenny is working hard but with real intent.  She is becoming a better bike rider.

And guess what: Jenny is really excited about adding the upcoming watch parties to the equation, where she can share the video-on-demand with friends, but also receive in-flight coaching from the Purple Patch coaches for both strength and bike workouts. Accountability and feedback amplified, all with a fun community and supporting environment.

You guessed it. This is PLUS. This is the difference between normal structured strength and bike workouts and those who truly embrace the process. This is why we are spending so much time, energy and money into building and developing this part of Purple Patch -- it is real coaching!  It delivers better results and prepares you more effectively.

Don’t just build your physiology.

Become a better rider. 

Run better off the bike.

Maximize your strength.

Become a better athlete.

I hope that helps.

Matt