Cycling in Alignment with Colby Pearce

The Cold is my Teacher - Ep134 Grandpa Pearce is here to tell you a walking story again. The story is about cold.  Cold can teach you a lot about yourself. It is an opportunity to work with the breath and to have an alternative means of generating a focused state.  It also brings about an experience of equanimity following the event.  Do you work with cold to enhance your durability or health? What has your experience been? Share in the comments.  As always, thanks for listening.  

Dr. Allen Lim: All About Salt - Ep133 This conversation with Dr Allen Lim covers a broad range of topics including heat stress adaptation, handing up water bottles and driving busses when you have a doctorate, salt and the sodium - potassium balance.     

Go For A Walk - Ep132 This episode of Cycling in Alignment is about the most fundamental pattern of human movement: Walking. Old school cycling would command that riders stay off their feet but I would offer that this is an old ideal that should be lit on fire and kicked off a cliff.  Walking is an absolutely essential aspect of the human experience and one that is easily taken for granted. Without proper gait patterns, many basic movement are compromised and at best daily life becomes impractical; at worst, it becomes impossible.  Cycling makes us bad walkers but lots of walking will help your cycling. 

GOATA: Ricky Stanzi - Ep131 This conversation is with GOATA Movement coach Ricky Stanzi. In our discussion, we unpack the philosophy of GOATA movement, what it is and the origin of this philosophy. GOATA stands for Greatest Of All Time Athletes. It is a movement education system that is based on movement principles observed in young children, tribal peoples, and the best movers in many different sports. From these observations, seven global laws were created. To hear more about this system of movement, enjoy our conversation. Links: GOATA Instagram ►► https://www.instagram.com/goata_movement/ GOATA Website ►► https://goatamovement.com/  

Shop Local and Organic / Birdwatching for Cyclists – Ep130 One more solo walking podcast in which I tell you a story, grandpa Pearce is here to tell you about the way things used to be.  The point I am making specifically is about how modern training has become dictated by head units and power zones, and why this is problematic.  Riders assume that they are more productive or will make greater gains by following a precise workout plan or description but I would offer this is incorrect. Training is best guided by sensation and intuition, based on understanding of the athlete’s goals and objectives. Many modern riders don’t like this because this method is perceived as nebulous or imprecise.  Links: Contribute! ►► https://www.colbypearce.com/podcast/    

Forging, hardening, quenching, sharpening – Ep129 This episode is a discussion of how the creation and construction of a Japanese samurai sword, or katana, is an excellent analogy for training in cycling. I break down these concepts in parallel so we can have a better understanding of how cycling training is performed in the proper sequence, and I explain how and why modern cycling is attempting to bypass this sequence to the detriment of the athlete.  Phase 1 Initiation:  Start with sand: this is you at the start. Raw material.  Apply heat. Heat is the equivalent of intention. A dream, goal or objective. Yin vs Yang. Heat is masculine, cool is feminine. The dream is what gives drive to the training, it crystalizes intent. Shape the dream. Phase 2 Hardening:  Hammer molten steel.  The initial training: repetition. Not super hard, but hard enough to shape. Too hard and you will shatter the molten steel or flatten it. You want to shape it, not shatter it. This is endurance training.  Cover with mud to prevent oxidation.  Smelt - stick pieces together. You can’t see the metal, you judge when it’s’ ready from the color of the fire and from intuition.  The color of the fire is training intensity - Intuition = feeling of when it is time to remove from the flame Phase 3 Purification:  Fold the steel many times to get out the impurities. Folding = intervals. “Strike while the iron is hot”. Adjust the carbon content of the steel. This takes lots of work and power. At lunch, the sword makers hands may be shaking. If you stop half way through, the sword will break. The process must be complete. It’s a battle against the heat: heat is the dream, you are shaping the dream and working with it. “Pray and move your feet” “Dream and move your ass” If you miss a hit on a thin sword, it becomes dented and damaged. You must strike with precision.  Final shape is decided so concentration is required.  Finish with clay - this is applied to form the Hamon pattern, which comes out when the tempering is done. Apply the clay to the metal, this creates the Hamon pattern, which indicates the hardened steel from the spine of the sword, the cutting edge. Each Hamon pattern is unique to each sword. This is your exact expression of fitness in a given race: your speed, reactivity, ability to execute tactics, corner, sprint, climb, endure. The clay is heated to 720-800 degrees C, then plunged in water repeatedly. This is when the soul is infused in the sword. The curved nature comes out, as the sword warps during quenching. This is the final process that makes the sword both flexible and unyielding, the blend of these two attributes gives it true cutting power.  Phase 4 Sharpening: Blade is sharpened. Final step. A sword sharpener studies for 10 years under his master. It takes 2 months, 8 hrs / day for 6 days/ week to complete one Katana. It is a difficult, honorable task.     

How to Pedal a Bike V3.0  - Ep128   In this pod, I discuss the importance of proper and correct form again. I get a lot of questions on this topic, so thought I'd revisit it.   SEATED: Like you are on a flat pedal. Push early in power phase. Do not pull up.  Axial extension of the spine. Feel shoulders depressed and retracted. Vertical movement of diaphragm, 360 deg expansion of lower ribs.  Head over foot during periods of higher torque. Less head over food during higher cadence.  Rotary model: IABH, lateral aspect of the foot. Fifth metatarsal. Not done with orthotics or support, tension must be intrinsic to the system. Otherwise we are isolating joints. All prostethic devices weaken the system. All human movement is rotary.   STANDING: Head over foot. This rocks the bike. Narrow bars ruin head over foot. Trainer riding ruins head over foot. Push early in power phase. Do not pull up except in a sprint.  Pull on ipsilateral bar. Hips and shoulders are relatively quiet. Bike moves under the body. when this doesn’t happen, you look like you are on a stair master.  Weight is more forward over BB. Arms may be bent more or less, depending on intensity, grade, cadence.  Standing can be used for increased power or recovery. In order to use it for recovery, weight must fall on the pedal. See point #1.   Links:   My Website/Podcast Page ►► https://colbypearce.com/podcast

Training in the Rain and Running from Thanos - Ep127 This episode is about a client who has undergone significant life and health challenges. We have exchanged several emails about his situation and had very honest discussions regarding his choices and trajectory in the sport of cycling. He has given me permission to share his story with my audience, we agree it may be of value for others to hear our discussion. This client’s name is Josh and he has experienced significant trauma in his life. His response to this trauma has included an expression of extreme behavior in his practice of cycling. The results of this evolution have led him to a state of health that involves multiple complications including episodes of anxiety, low hormone levels, and sensations of extreme duress during training and racing. I hope you find this direct and honest discussion of the events in Josh’s life helpful. One person’s healing is all people’s healing.     

Ideas to Restore Health - Ep126 This episode is a discussion about restoration of health when you are not feeling quite so perfect. Here, I reflect on my own state of health and strategies I have employed with myself and my athletes to spring back to full vital capacity.  Understand that illness is usually a sign that you have done too much and are in a depleted state, rather than an indication of exposure. Both can be factors in illness, however a person with robust physical health and life force energy can  stay healthy even in an environment with multiple challenges.  Links: Wim Hoff video on YouTube ►► https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-LxehFFqiQ

Moon Walk - Ep125 Well here I am wandering around my neighborhood in the dark with a microphone like a crazy person. Or someone who has lot of thoughts.  On this moon walk I take some time to answer a few comments and questions from my audience.  Discussion points include the relativity of diet, errors in logic and dictation of intensity using RPE, heart rate and power.  Go forth, make the listen, make the comments. Thank you for your attention to the discussion.  Move with presence.