P
CONDITIONING
ERFORMANCE
CYCLING
A NEWSLETTER DEDICATED TO IMPROVING CYCLISTS
www.performancecondition.com/cycling
Senior Moments- Insight into
Coaching the Master Athlete
Presented by: Marilyn Trout, USA Cycling Certified Elite Coach
Marilyn has coached since 1983. She received the Canadian Coaching Excellence
Award (coached cyclist to gold medal at Paralympic Games) in 1988 and was Ontario
Coach of the Year in 1990. Marilyn was a Junior Development Club Coach from 19871992 and Canadian National Team Coach for their 1990 European Project. She is National Coaching Certification Program – Level 3 (Canada). Marilyn has raced since 1978
was a member of the Canadian National Team from 1980-1988.
The following is the results of a survey response conducted and received by the
Sage Project. It is intended to offer cycling coach a better understanding of the issues
and challenges involved with working with master athletes. We hope you find this information helpful.
R
Shifting Gears with Colin Funk - It’s Never Too Late to Reach Your Peak
2/13
Marilyn Trout
ecently, I responded to an athlete who met up with an untimely cold just before heading down to Louisville, Kentucky
for the 2013 World Masters Cyclocross Championships. Colin Funk spent most of his life in a pair of running shoes
until his early forties when he swapped them out for some
Presented by:
pedals. When he was 16, he won the 1500 metres at the
Ontario Provincial Championships and now meets with success again
with his road and cyclocross bikes in Master C 50-59 age group; 2010
Ontario Provincial Hill Climb Champion, 2010 Ontario Provincial
Road Race 3rd , 2011Canadian National Championships Road Race
7th, 2012 Canadian Championships Road Race 10th and most recently 2013 World Cyclocross Championships 8th. He is currently
a Professor and Tier I Canada Research Chair in the Department of Biomedical
and Molecular Sciences specializing in Cardiovascular Inflammation at
Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Be inspired to keep pedaling whatever your age as you read some of Colin’s musings about his cycling.
- Marilyn
What changes have you noticed in your ability to train and/or race over the years?
Switching from running, due to injuries at around age 40-42 and gradually moving into “competitive” Masters level racing
at age 46, enabled me to feel “young” and reinvigorated again. Switching from a high-impact sport (running) to cycling (low-impact)
actually seemed to “rejuvenate” my body. I started to feel, both mentally and physically, much better than at age 40 when I was experiencing all sorts of running injuries. I have been able to train at increasingly higher intensities from 46 to present age of 54. I attribute much of this to a positive mental attitude. Even though the textbooks say that the older you are, the more you will experience
the guaranteed decline in physiological function (e.g. decrease in VO2max), I have found that this inevitable decline can be delayed.
Taking up “competitive” cycling at an older age has improved my ability to race over the years. I feel I can compete better than ever
now in my 50s. There is a very high level of competition in Master’s cycling events in North America that pushes athletes even
further. I have realized that as I get older it is critical to get enough rest and recovery between hard, intense workouts. Although this
may not be a lot different than for younger athletes, the main difference might be in the length of recovery.
What wisdom would you like to share with others Masters racers about aging and continuing cycling?
I believe one can continue at a high level well into their 60s with proper training year round (strength training, stretching,
positive mental focus, etc.). In my Master’s athlete study that I am conducting at Queen’s University (Ontario, Canada), we are
measuring VO2max in 50-60 year old competitive cyclists. I have never had mine tested before until this study and I was astounded
to find that mine was 65.2 ml/kg/min, which is considerably higher than most young men half my age. One participant in our racers
group is 60 years old with a VO2max of 60, which is about double the capacity of an average 60 year old man. My new slogan for
Master’s athletes is “60 at 60!” It’s never too late to reach your peak!
- Marilyn
If you would like to be a part of this endeavor through your involvement with The SageProject survey or a future SageRiders
workshop in your area, please feel free to contact me at [email protected].
Chain Link: to learn more click HERE for last issue's article.