# Finish hard-why?



## Gervase (Aug 22, 2009)

My coach has just got me to do a ride, first 50 km consist moderate pace, next 70 km pace upped to firm, last 20km.."go hard". I did this & am wondering why? & what or how it benefits. 
My coach is not a man to share his thoughts / reasons much, hence asking here., I know an elite rider who says he always finishes the rides with the last 10 kms "going hard" hi reasoning is that it tricks the body into thinking it has done the whole ride like that.


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## sdeeer (Aug 12, 2008)

I would argue that a coach that is NEVER willing to justify the 'why' may not be a good coach.

However, an athlete has to trust that his/her coach knows what they are doing.

Increasing intensity at the end of a longer ride causes (potentially) greater metabolic adapatations via substrate depletion of the prior exercise duration.

I would however argue that doing this on a regular basis and consistent basis may not be the best approach and/or optimizing peirodized training.

Ask your coach for his explanation, and if he refuses, maybe find another coach. 

Unless you have been questioning everything thus far, and he/she is tired or answering.


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## Gervase (Aug 22, 2009)

Hi, Yes i agree about not sharing, perhaps like a lot of top athletes, a habit of "not sharing" the knowledge over all the years, so that they keep and edge over the competiion, is hard to break. He definitely knows what he is doing. 
"Increasing intensity at the end of a longer ride causes (potentially) greater metabolic adapatations via substrate depletion of the prior exercise duration."
I do not understand what you just said here? "substrate depletion of the prior exercise duration", What does this mean Please?


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## Alex_Simmons/RST (Jan 12, 2008)

Gervase said:


> Hi, Yes i agree about not sharing, perhaps like a lot of top athletes, a habit of "not sharing" the knowledge over all the years, so that they keep and edge over the competiion, is hard to break. He definitely knows what he is doing.
> "Increasing intensity at the end of a longer ride causes (potentially) greater metabolic adapatations via substrate depletion of the prior exercise duration."
> I do not understand what you just said here? "substrate depletion of the prior exercise duration", What does this mean Please?


Well by not sharing, they risk not learning as well, or losing clients who want to learn. But I suppose also it depends on how much you are paying and what the expectations are to start with when it comes to communications.

I would always answer a question for a coaching client about a training session and why it's been prescribed that way. The better informed my clients are about their training and what to do, the more we can focus on other elements of performance improvement.

It may be simply a case of simulating racing conditions, where often the last part of the race is the hardest.


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

Gervase said:


> My coach has just got me to do a ride, first 50 km consist moderate pace, next 70 km pace upped to firm, last 20km.."go hard". I did this & am wondering why? & what or how it benefits.
> My coach is not a man to share his thoughts / reasons much, hence asking here., I know an elite rider who says he always finishes the rides with the last 10 kms "going hard" hi reasoning is that it tricks the body into thinking it has done the whole ride like that.


um, did you ask this question of your coach?


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