2009
12.30

The day-to-day life and activities of the athlete are very important to the overall understanding of the athlete’s potential abilities, limitations, and personal ambitions. Some of these questions are covered it the Introduction form that we (Elite Bicycles) ask the athlete to fill out before the fit appointment begins. The Introduction form is divided into several parts, and includes numerous additional interview questions along a more in-depth question and answer expanding on a number of the topics listed on the form itself.

The first section of the introduction form is general contact information important for continued conversation, billing, filing, and future reference.

We then move into part two of the introduction form; general riding information, general riding questions (including such things as type of riding style participated in by the athlete, be it road, triathlon, mountain, track, etc). The intensity of the athlete, from casual riding and progressing to a power guided regiment designed to create growth and physical advancements. We also look at the general approach to riding chosen by the athlete, whether it be recreational, serious recreational, amateur racing, or Elite / professional competitor.  What kind of rides is the athlete participating in: solo, partner, small group, club, and or team training rides? How many miles does the athlete ride on average per day, week, and year?  Is the athlete able to get on their bicycle during the week and on the weekends? Or are they forced to do all of their rides on the weekend? How does the frequency of riding change throughout the year? The frequency and duration the athlete commits to riding and training has a direct effect on the position he or she can maintain comfortably for the period of time needed to prepare themselves for the athletic endeavors they undertake.  What is the average speed that is easily maintained by the athlete during typical training rides? And does the athlete typically spin (> 95 RPM*) or mash (< 90 RPM).  Some athletes are unaware or confused about where they are as far as their average RPMs are concerned, thus, an evaluation of the riders average RPM will need to be taken regardless of the athletes answer once the fitting starts to take shape on the bike.

Part three references the work life of the athlete. If not already a professional athlete, what is their current occupation? What is the nature of their job? Are they at a desk all day? Do they have an opportunity to move around throughout the day? Is there any manual labor involved? What is the nature of this physical work? If labor is involved with their job to what capacity is it? How do they feel this manual labor job affects them athletically? What is the stress level felt by the athlete while performing their duties at work?  How many hours a day and week are required by their job? What is the flexibility of their hours? How much time off of work are they given in the year? How does the athlete use this allocated time away from work? How do they balance their personal, professional, and athletic lifestyle?

The final section of the introduction refers to personal maintenance. Maintenance can take many different forms and treatment styles. These include professional maintenance visits to physical therapy, massage therapy, chiropractic, ART, rolfing, acupuncture, dry needling, and reflexology, in addition to personal maintenance which includes such things as stretching, weight training, yoga, and palates. Duration, frequency, and continued commitment of both physical and professional maintenance must be calculated and considered throughout the fitting process, along with an understanding of the athletes personal perception of their current level of fitness and where that lies in their overall goals for peak conditioning.

Other things to consider would be the athlete’s involvement (or lack thereof) with a coach or training plain – this would include the training philosophy being followed by said resource. Personally I also like to know what the athlete enjoys to do outside of work and training, call me nosy.   Lastly, we like to know what the athletes likes and dislikes are in reference to their current bike and what they fancy and expect to gain out of the fitting process and/or a new speed machine.

Hope you have enjoyed the full break down of the interview process. If you are interested in any of the answers to how any of these points can effect your overall performance and conditioning, please feel free to make an appointment with us to learn more. The next section of this series will move on to a explanation and education of the philosophy behind our protocol.

Merry New Year

DGG

* = Revolutions per minute


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