If you spend enough time with cyclists, eventually a story about someone “losing it in the dash” comes up. Dash can be a game of win or loss for many and is something that most wish they were better at. You may find that increasing your dash power is helpful, whether you are a professional road racer or attempting to push yourself at your local Wednesday night group ride. Sprinting requires a variety of skills, including the coordination of several programs in the body that work together to move you forward as quickly and powerfully as possible. We’ll dive into the details of what makes a good dash, and how you can improve your own.
What makes a good dash?
Let’s start by defining a dash. Dash is a very intense effort that takes place above the rider’s AnT. It can last up to 20 seconds. Two major factors are needed to provide a strong dash: leg pace and drive (energy). Together, these two factors produce the speed and explosiveness needed for a sprint.
Sprinting is no exception. Muscular power is the key to all cycling abilities. It is important to have the strength to overcome air resistance and gravity. You also need to be able to sprint with enough energy. If you lack the muscle part, it doesn’t matter how much cardio fitness you have. You will always be on the back! This muscular power is mostly associated with cycling-specific muscle groups in the lower physique. However, higher body energy plays a role in dash power as effectively. Two areas are available to develop such power. The first is through discipline-specific strength training, and the second is by using exercises that are specifically designed to build muscular power. Later, we’ll expand on these two topics.
Sprinting is not complete without a good leg pace. When we talk about leg speed or pace skills, it’s important to not confuse them with the speed at which you ride your bike down the road or path. In this case, we’re referring to the efficiency and pedaling system with which you are able to propel your bike forward. It’s not always easy to recruit both large and small muscles in a way that produces highly efficient but environmentally friendly pedal strokes. This is a learned talent that requires practice and concentration, just like any other aspect of coaching. Learning to improve your cadence through extraordinarily high output efforts will result in higher efficiency and financial system, thus resulting in a greater speed.
How to Become a Better Sprinter
Early in the season is when you can start to become a better sprinter. The traditional base interval training is where the foundation for speed and power in dash must be laid. The first step is to build muscular power. This will help you extend your energy. When integrating power training into your cycling, a periodized power coaching strategy is essential. Focus on dynamic and prime-movers that closely mimic the pedal stroke. Step-ups, lunges and squats are great exercises for building muscle power. These classes are based on your individual needs as an athlete. As you progress through the different levels of base intervals, the goal is usually to combine progressively heavier work with explosive movements.
You need a strong base to ensure your high-finish energy is durable. The first step is to focus on your cardio endurance. Spending time in zone 2 is a great way to build cardio endurance. These low-intensity runs facilitate many physiological changes. These changes can include increasing your VO2 max, becoming more efficient at delivering O2 rich blood to muscle tissues, increased enzymes for energy supply, and much, far more. Most riders believe that the only way to increase their dash speed is to train above their lactate threshold. This mentality leads to an insufficient basis and a lack of fundamentals. Remember, gradual practice is the key to being quick!
Once you have taken the time to build your cardio endurance and combine weight training, it is time to perform exercises that help develop your dash. When working to improve a specific talent, it’s important to be very specific. These exercises focus on building the two major components of sprinting: muscular drive and leg speed. To track your progress, begin your sprinting section with a dash power test. From a rolling start, after a proper warm up, perform 8 pedal strokes each side (16 total) as quickly and as hard as you can. The peak energy you have for these eight strokes will be a good indicator of your dash power. Test your dash power every 4-6 weeks and see if you’re seeing positive changes.
It is not only dash power that’s important, but also efficiency and style. During a trip, sprint for 5-10 seconds both out of the saddle and in. Then take 3-5 minutes to recover your form. Keep the intensity in these tests so that you can focus on your execution, and not just energy. You’ll then need to focus on your explosive energy. You can do this by adding “jumps” to your journey. A soar can be a very fast, high-powered surge. It’s usually around 12 crank rotations. They must be performed at maximum effort and high cadence. These are usually performed in sets where you take little rest between 3-5 leaps and then a few minutes of recovery before performing the next set.
Sprinting requires practice and focused training. Base intervals are the best time to make a good sprint, with an emphasis on cardio endurance and power building. Base training is the only way to prepare your body to handle the depth and power required for dash development. Once you have built the proper basis, you can then combine dash-specific exercises to help hone your kind, efficiency and power. The challenge of learning to combine all the elements of a dash at the right time makes it a very exciting and difficult skill for a biker.
Taylor Thomas, the founder and chief coach of Thomas Endurance Teaching, has more than a decade’s experience in the endurance sports business, as an athlete and coach, race promoter and staff organizer. TEC offers professional level coaching to athletes at all levels of ability and focuses on a scientific, metrics-based approach to endurance sports. They coach athletes in every discipline of running and cycling. Browse their pre-built coaching plans on TrainingPeaks, or for extra info on private teaching and customized coaching plans go to www.thomasendurancecoaching.com. Follow TEC on Twitter @endurance_coach.
