Mr Lance Armstrong has had many nicknames over his career, some not printable. The one that always fascinated me was 'the Millimetre Man', as to me it exposes a trait which in no small way helps to understand the man.
Lance has never left any stone unturned in the pursuit to being a better athlete. For many this can be a great inspiration, for others the obsessive behaviour can be crude, ugly and off putting. So what can regular riders like you and me learn from these obsessive behaviour, for me it is the balance point which exists between doing nothing and being a bit like Lance.
Preparation can release valuable time that can be lost to many things. It also can quell those nerves that may exist before an event, saving valuable energy for when it will be most needed. If preparation is worth 1%, it could be the simplest addition to performance you will ever make.
image belongs to SRAM
Fitness, not only is Lance very quick on a bike, he is also all round fit. This is an attribute which served him well as a younger man, but no doubt has made the transition from retired athlete to PRO again a hell of a lot easier. Many cyclists do not have all round body conditioning, and frankly we should. Again Lance was ahead of the game, and in some ways no doubt helped by his multi sport back ground. So what can we learn from Lance in this area. Work on upper body to counter act the time in the saddle to leave the back and core muscles strong. The arms, shoulders and neck should all be strengthened. This will add a wall of protection for the body, so reducing the chance of injury. Don't worry we are not talking bulk think Bruce Lee(supple, lean but very strong) rather than looking like the Incredible Hulk.
image belongs to SRAM
The Millimetre Man. It surprises me how many people do not know their measurements are on their bikes. This is critical to ensure that if you switch from bike to bike, buy a new one or are reassembling one from a trip you know what your body is used to. It will also give you a point of reference if you ever try out a new bar or tinker with your position.
So in my books it's great to see Lance back. If for no other reasons my kids are watching bike racing again. The sport needs characters, not machines, and I hope to see more personalities as they inspire people to get out there and ride for themselves. Welcome back Lance.
image belongs to SRAM
