The BJL Coaching, LLC. / Cycle Craft Fall Trainer Sessions are completed and were a success!  We had a strong showing of athletes each week, all working hard towards their cycling goals and fitness.  The classes started up the first week that the clocks went back.  By doing so, our participants didn't lose time on the bike, and many actually had their biggest "ride" each week during the class.  The five week session concluded last week with some very challenging drills that left all of us a fair bit tired, but with a big grin on our faces.  We're already planning on our 2015 Fall Trainer Sessions, so be ready for that next year.

However, our next big block of indoor classes is right around the corner...

Hope to see you at the Winter Trainer Sessions kicking off on Wednesday, January 7, 2015.  This will be our fifth year of holding the winter classes, and they've grown every year.  Don't miss out!  More information and registration links will be posted on www.BJLCoaching.com and at www.CycleCraft.com .

Keep on keepin' on!

The bike racing bug sunk its claws into me in 2013. After jumping into two races on a whim late last season, I was hooked. Fast forward to 2014, and my race number collection has grown ten-fold, from two lowly sheets of Tyvek to nearly twenty between road time trials and cyclocross. I placed just outside the top 10 in the NJ Time Trial Cup and I went well beyond what I ever believed I could achieve in my first year of real competition. But as much as I’d like to say I did it all on my own, I couldn’t have done it without a little help from my cycling coach, Coach Brian Lariviere of BJL Coaching.

My 2014 Race Number Collection


According to USA Cycling (USAC), there more than 1,400 licensed coaches operating nationwide. After going through an extensive educational curriculum and certification process, USAC-licensed coaches can begin working with athletes to help them unlock their potential.

Coach Brian is not only a USAC-licensed coach, but also has many years of racing and coaching experience in the disciplines I wanted to compete in.  That knowledge and experience made him the natural choice for me. As a bonus, he happens to be local, but a coach doesn’t have to be based in your area to be effective.

With Coach Brian’s help, I can confidently say I’ve made the transition from enthusiast rider to competitive bike racer. I also learned a few things about riding, training, and myself. Here’s my top 5:

1. Know Your GoalLast December, Brian and I met over coffee to start creating my training plan. The first question he asked me was “What are your goals?” I knew the answer to this question, since I had committed myself to compete in the NJ Time Trial Cup.A lot of people considering enlisting a coach may not have a clear goal in mind.

American writer Bill Copeland once said, “The trouble with not having a goal is that you can spend your life running up and down the field and never score.” Put simply, you don’t need a certified coach to put rides or workouts on a calendar for you. Anyone can do that, even you.

A good coach, however, can make sure that each and every one of those workouts counts towards achieving your goal. That goal should be more concrete than just “ride faster” or “get stronger”. Whether your goal is to complete a metric century or win the Tour de France, a coach can ensure you’re doing the right things to get there.

2. It Isn’t All For Fun AnymoreBefore I started working with Brian, my “training” consisted of whatever I felt like doing and however hard or long I felt like doing it. Fun value was high but training value probably wasn’t.

That all changed when I started my training plan. Brian warned me up front that there will be times when the scheduled workout might not necessarily be what I feel like doing, or that my rest day might be the only nice day of the week (see #5). Either way, sticking to the plan is essential to success even when it’s tempting to do otherwise.

I’ll admit, hill repeats in the driving rain and frigid winter base miles aren’t what I call fun. Neither is begging off social rides with friends to suffer through threshold intervals all alone. But no accomplishment comes without some sacrifice.

 3. Data MattersA training plan is like a custom-tailored suit. Without measurements, it will never fit. Your coach will need performance data from you in order to maximize the effectiveness of your training, and you must have the tools to provide it. A cadence-equipped cycle computer and a heart rate monitor will do the trick at the very least, but using a power meter is the best way to give your coach all the data she needs to unlock your potential. There is simply no better way for your coach to track your fitness level, make your workouts repeatable, and extract maximum benefit from your training plan.

Can’t tell your NP from your TSS? Your coach can show you what it all means.


Training with power involves a lot of numbers. Thankfully, I had a math teacher in my corner (Brian also happens to be a high school math teacher). Brian introduced me to the plethora of metrics involved in power training, how to interpret them and how to use them during training. Seeing my FTP (Functional Threshold Power) increase over the course of the season was a major motivator for me to keep working.

 4. Recover Just As Hard As You WorkOnce my race season started in earnest this April, I was surprised not by how much training I was doing, but by how much recovery was in my schedule. Easy rides and rest days totally off the bike are just as important as hard workouts, and you should take them just as seriously.

It’s just as easy to over-train as it is to not train enough, and finding the right balance of training and recovery is often challenging to do yourself. The objective eye of a coach can help you find the ratio that suits you and your fitness goals, allowing for proper recovery and eliminating dreaded “junk miles”.

 5. It’s Not All About FitnessA good coach and a good training plan will improve more than just your physical fitness. Depending on your discipline, your coach might also provide skills training. Brian is a top-level cyclocross racer and having his expertise and experience on my side while we practiced cyclocross skills (mounts/dismounts, hopping barriers, etc.) really paid off on race day. Below is a shot of Coach Brian’s homemade practice barriers that we used to sharpen my hops. (Yes, we met and practiced before dawn. Remember what I said about sacrifice?)

A good coach helps train your brain as well as your body. You can train your body all you want, but if your head isn’t in it, you won’t get far. For a discipline like time trialing, your mental fortitude is as important as your power output, so Brian’s advice on visualization and self-motivation were key to my success.

An athlete’s body needs fuel, so a good coach will also help optimize your nutrition. Much healthier hydration and fueling habits, both on and off the bike, have become a part of my daily life now thanks to Brian’s advice.

You don’t need to be a pro to access the expertise and knowledge of a cycling coach. All you need is a goal, a will to reach it, and the tools to help you along the way. A USAC-certified cycling coach like Coach Brian can build a plan around what you bring and help you achieve success.

Want to get started on your own training plan? You can find out more information about Coach Brian at www.BJLCoaching.com or contact him directly at [email protected]

You can also find out more about USA Cycling’s Coach Certification process here.

Link to the original post:  https://cyclecraft.wordpress.com/2014/12/02/put-me-in-coach-5-things-i-learned-from-my-cycling-coach/

The Mountain Man is one of favorite races out there, having participated in this since 1996 or 1997. Not every year, but I have quite a few Mountain Man sweatshirts floating around.

This year I hadn't done any run prep, and while I've done the "off the couch" thing before, I didn't want to do that to myself this year. Also, after getting third last year, with at least a little running in my legs, I didn't want to go backwards.

So...I had the bright idea to do it relay with my 9 year old nephew. Chris, the promoter, basically created this category for us, which was cool. I've seen folks do relay before, mostly father/son type of deal. Since my son is 5 months old, that probably wasn't going to work out yet.

Race day brought some amazing weather, and we were pumped. My nephew had a great run, coming in safely at 17:30. He handed off the "baton" and I was off. I knew I could go eye-bleeding hard since I didn't have to run afterwards. And, although my eyes didn't bleed, I did almost think I was going to black out. We had about 25 or so in front of us, so I had plenty of rabbits. I think I caught 10 to 12 on the first little climb up Patriot's, then kept moving forward from there. My goal was to catch everyone and to set a new fastest lap time. I knew the leaders had about 5 minutes on me, and one was former professional Jonathan Erdyli (sp). While not a mountain biker, he's good on his mountain bike on terrain like LM.

I kept pushing and pushing and came in on my first lap at about 20.5 minutes. I knew I had bested my fast lap from last year, as I would hope, and felt good for a second lap. I hit it hard, and chased down a handful more. I started recognizing the jerseys of the leaders, and when I saw last year's winner, I knew I was in good shape. However, I caught him just before the roller coaster at the end.

So I came in hot with the fastest bike time by 5 minutes. Honestly, I would have been a bit embarrassed if I didn't since I had fresh legs. I didn't think I caught everyone, and I didn't, but my family was cheering saying "great job!" I asked, "How many?" and it turns out it was only Erdyli and he was only 15 seconds up! Doh! So my nephew was off.

He did GREAT, and only had 3 people pass him. He was 30 seconds faster than his first run, and he attributed this to no traffic.

He came in and put us in 5th overall, and 1st (out of one  ) relay team. He was soooo pumped that it totally made my day! For a point of fact, he's a very good, competitive runner, but had never trail run before. When he gets a little older and some more experience...look out.

Chris, after 26 years, is seriously considering adding a relay category. I hope he does as this will really open this event up to more mountain bikers and only add to the fun nature of this race.

What a super day!

And, as a bonus, my teammate Kris Weber showed up and it was great seeing him. He ROCKED the course and finished FIRST in his age bracket. Congrats, Weber!

Sunday, September 7, 2014, was spectacular weather for racing!

David G., Alexy U., and me lined up for what would be the last TT for each of us this year, but this time instead of competing against each other, we would be doing the Route 29  TT as a team of three.  I was super stoked to be asked to be on this strong team and excited to race.

We had a great ride, all taking equal pulls on the very flat 20+ mile out and back course.  The format for the race is unique and nice.  After the "out" leg, your time is taken and you have about 1 minute of neutral to U-turn, line up, and start again.  This eliminates the need to try to do a fast turn around, especially on this road where the promoter was not permitted to completely stop traffic.

Our out and back legs were very similar, averaging almost 30 miles per hour.  We ended up taking the win by several minutes, and we all went home with a little extra dough in our pockets.

BJL Coaching Athlete Kevin E. had a great ride for what would be his last TT of the year as well.  Keving scored in the top 10 again and put forth a solid effort on this long course.

I was also excited for my teammate Keith L. who took the win the the Masters 40+ Category in his first TT this year.  Actually, it was his first TT is many years and this was a great prep for the half Iron Man Tri that he had a couple of weeks following.

Great way to cap off the TT season.  Now, we're looking forward to getting out on the dirt, grass, gravel, pavement, sand, mud, and whatever else will comprise the 'cross courses.

Keep it rolling!

This was a last minute add for me, as originally this great event did not fit into my schedule.  When my day opened up, I jumped at the chance to participate in one of my favorite TT courses around.

The weather was amazing, and there was a good buzz, both literally and figuratively as the racers warmed up on their trainers in the parking lot.  I hit the line ready to go and was looking forward the challenges that this event brings.  The course begins on a nice, albeit bumpy, flat road, then you turn towards "the hill."  Naughtright looms like a wall in front of you, but after the initial punch, it climbs fairly steady for a while.  Then, once up top of Schooley's Ridge, you tackle one more little roller, a decent flat section, and then bang a hard right onto River Road.  You lose all the elevation gained on this road, although over a longer distance than Naughtright.  However, speeds still creep up over 40 MPH even on standard road bikes, as TT rigs are not permitted.  Finally, you sweep onto Bartley-Flanders Road for the finishing home straight on this pancake flat section.  The course is about 11 miles long with almost 800' of gain.

I had a good run and caught several riders.  Andreas R. smoked the course again and took home another victory in 35+, catching me about 2/3 of the way through.  I was also passed by the winner and I believe fastest time of the day by a rider in the Senior Men Category.  My time put me in 3rd place for the fourth time in the four races I competed in the NJ TT Cup this year.  These four consistent results actually put me into 5th overall which was a little bonus, as I wasn't pursuing the cup this year.


BJL Coaching's Kevin E. had another good day on the bike, finishing just outside the top 10 in 12th place.  This jumped him up to 11th place in the Cup for the Men 4/5 division for his first year in competition.  Nice work, Kevin!


If you've never done a TT and you're looking for help, shoot me a message!