Occasionally, I feel as if I am in a “zone” and all elements of my forward stroke are operating efficiently and effectively.
Then: an element of the stroke deteriorates i.e. not pushing with the legs as much, not rotating to the fullest extent feasible, not having a smooth catch with the paddle or not reaching as far forward as is practicable, etc.
Two or three questions:
Is this normal? Does this happen to you?
I can correct this periodically by ceasing to paddle for 30 seconds to a minute and then resuming. How do you adjust?
could be fatigue in your small muscles if that is the case try to shorten the time it takes to ‘reset’ the stroke (endurance training).
For me it can be something like unconscious concentration. Everything works fine until I get a bit distracted and it throws my rhythm off. The fix for that is to try not to make yourself get back on track, instead try to relax your brain and drift back into the zone.
If that doesn’t work check out some books on sports psychology and athlete performance.
Isn’t that “zone” wonderful! I can only suggest that in time you will probably stay in it.
I used to think that it was only in long distance running and cycling that the “endorphine factor” kicked in, but after quite a few years of paddle race training I have come to realize that it is here also.
Last week after a hard ten mile training paddle with my wife when we were driving back home I turned to her and asked if she had that wonderful feeling that I had, and she said “I was just going to ask you the same”
I do have to admit that when I am in a race, the last few miles when I am pushing myself as hard as I can, I am constantly reminding my self: “form, form, form”
cycling zone Jack. I've felt it several times during a relatively long ride at a relatively respectable pace. You reach a point where everything flows without the feeling of exertion and you feel you can pedal indefinitely without fatigue.
zone I get INTO that zone easily on rides. So I often ride by myself, slowly but I can go on forever.
It’s pushing that “zone” INTO the fast part that doesn’t work too well! That’s why I ride with group, to vary the pace so I might get a wider zone that overlaps the speed of faster guys.
That’s why I ride with group, to vary the pace so I might get a wider zone that overlaps the speed of faster guys.