It’s Go Time

BY KENNETH LUNDGREN

Hey Gang,

So, here we are, April — for me, it’s Go Time. I typically find good form in April and May, I love the excitement of the new racing season upon us, I really thrive in the colder weather, and some of my favorite races are packed into these two months…

This winter, doing more work to elevate my power curve, am interested in doing far more MTB racing this year, getting my weight down a bit, doing virtually zero endurance work…

Here is a tip for all cyclists: your workouts all must serve a purpose. Your easy rides are easy. Your endurance rides build endurance. Your hard rides are hard, etc… Many riders, they mess this simple idea up severely — their hard rides are not hard enough, their easy rides are not easy enough… Just always remember: all your rides, every one, they all serve a purpose… You will get more bang for your training buck this way, your body will respond in the best manner this way…

I say this because I have goals, and I train for my goals — it’s like a horse with blinders — all I see are destination points, and I build carefully towards them…

First real racing weekend for me. Well, that’s a lie. I raced Muddy Tire MTB out on Long Island a few weeks ago, took 4th (was 2nd after disastrous wrong turn on last lap) (oxymoron — all wrong turns are disastrous, right?), and then a week later raced Sugar Hill MTB down in Papatsco, Maryland — and I felt good, did the Open class… I was like 20th up the first climb… but got stronger and stronger during the way, ended up 7th overall, an effort I felt great about…

This year, training for the shorter climbs, less recovery in between efforts, getting my weight down, fully on the Paleo Diet — if you don’t know, now you know: Paleo WORKS. There is usually a point in cross-country MTB racing where I sit up, happy with how hard I’ve gone, and try to cruise in, minimizing my losses… This year, I feel like a different rider, can keep it pinned from first lap to the finish — exciting to feel the differences in real-world situations…

Last weekend, first big weekend of racing for me, had this one highlighted… Last year, my life fell apart a bit… I became, really, a severe mess physically — but in my personal life, more importantly, I was in a very very very bad place… I was going through some heavy family issues…

Last week, my mother would’ve turned 66… and I had special motivation all week… I really wanted to make her proud…

I raced Allamuchy TT on Saturday, was 1st place overall, set the Course Record.

I raced Hop Brook MTB up in Connecticut on Sunday, won the Cat-1 race, felt stupid strong…

So, for me, first goals of the year, had them both earmarked on the calendar, went 2-for-2, very excited and happy to put goals down on paper, then do everything in your power to work and build towards them, achieve peak potential… Periodization is wonderful…

And that’s what I got… Deep and true, pure and simple — that was for you, Mom.

— Kenneth Lundgren

Rad RAD Results Round-Up!

Wilis Johnson WINS Singlespeed-A-Palooza, Sport Class! Overall, Ilya Cantor was 9th and William Christman were 14th. Wow, great job, guys! Wilis also was 2nd at the first Floyd Bennett Field race of the year, and 10th at Battenkill… Dov Torenberg rode strong, taking 15 minutes off his previous best time at SSAP…

Robert Jensen WINS Ohio’s Deer Creek Road Race!

Foundation Cycling New York City’s Steve Magyera continues his stellar 2014 with a WIN at Floyd Bennett on Sunday — he and his teammate went 1-2!

At the Allamuchy TT, Denise Bishop WON the Eddy class! Erin Erin Curley Mascelli was 2nd! Lauren Dagostino was 2nd in the women’s open. Sue Seyboldt was 6th in Eddy. Paul Cresti was 6th in the Cat-4/5… Toby Hanna was 3rd in the 45+! Richard Wolf was 3rd in the 55+. Chris Dawson was 4th in the stacked Eddy class… Kenneth Lundgren of Elite Endurance Training Systems was 1st overall and set the course record…

Nicholas Taylor of BIKE Doctor Racing Team-Bayside Velo Club went on a TEAR and WON the Pro/1/2 Chantilly Circuit race in Virginia, then came back on Sunday and was 2nd in the Pro/1/2 Carl Dolan Crit in Maryland on Sunday!! Cliff Chamberlain was 7th in the 35+ at Chantilly. Phil Barnes was 5th in the Cat-5. Jefferson Cup winner Frank Ramos was 10th in the Carl Dolan 35+. Junior standout Tanner Browne was 4th in the Cat-3 race at Carl Dolan! Eran Preble of Heart House is 5th in the pro event at Chantilly, impressive…

At the Hop Brook Root 66 Race Series MTB event in Connecticut, Kenneth Lundgren WINS the Cat-1 race. Jennifer DeFalco 3rd in the Cat-3. Laura Slavin 3rd in the Cat-2!!! Sean Runnette fights for 7th in the Cat-2 race.

At the Puerto Rico 70.3 triathlon, John Bye of MAPSO PRs his swim and is 1st place in the bike, ends up 5th overall!!! WARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR BYE!!!!!

John Bye of Team MAPSO WINS Battenkill 45+!!!!!!

Joseph Everett Grgic WINS the Sunday NYC Spring Series race and Steve Magyera is 2nd!!! 1-2 smash smash result!

Robert Jensen WINS the Zanesfield Road Race in Ohio!!!!

Bob Crescitelli WINS the Augusta Crit!

Nicholas Taylor of Team BIKE Doctor Racing Team-Bayside Velo Club is 2nd of 80 racers in the Pro/1/2 All-American Road Race in Maryland!!! Wow!!!

John John Edem Fiadjoe is 2nd in the Cat-3 Sugar Hill MTB race in Maryland… Stacey Barbossa is 2nd in the Cat-1 race! Laura Slavin is 2nd in the Cat-2 race!!! Kenneth Lundgren was 7th overall…

Glenn Hartrick PRs the bike and is 5th at the 70.3 Half-Ironman in Texas!!!! WARRRRRRRRRRR HARTRICK (and, he hasn’t even reached Build training yet)

At Cape May TT, Richard Wolf is 3rd in the 55+. Paul Cresti is 3rd in the Cat-4! Toby Hanna is 3rd in the 35+. Mark Curran is 5th in the 45+. Chris Dawson is 4th in the Eddy!!

And for BATTENKILL. Bye WINS 45+, Chris Strumolo of e2Value is 3rd in the Cat-2! Jesse Walker is 10th after drilling it… Chris Peck is 3rd in the Cat-4! Teammate Fred David breaks a cleat, virtually one-legged, and fights back for 6th!!! Jesse O’Donnell is 6th in the Cat-3 race! Lauren Dagostino fights off illness and battles for 6th in the women’s pro event!!! Ambrose Stafford is 10th in the Cat-5 event!!! Tanner Browne misses the early move and provides much of the horsepower in the chase and still rips 10th in the junior race, a very very impressive result given the immense depth of that field…

In closing, an athlete I coach, Ambrose Stafford, was involved in a wreck at Rahway Crit on Sunday… He was helicoptered immediately out of there, in very serious condition. He is currently in the ICU at the University Medical Center in Newark… I’ve been coaching him for almost a year, and his FT has increased 50+w, incredible — he loves cycling and has improved at an incredible rate, from a guy who was dropped on group rides to placing 5th at Mullica and 10th at Battenkill…

Ambrose is arguably one of the nicest people I’ve ever met in life. Ever. I am hoping wishing thinking for a speedy and full recovery, and I hope when he is able to have visitors we can get over and give him some good company… All the best, Ambrose — you deserve the very best…

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Coach's Diary | Thursday, April 17th, 2014 | | |