Peak Energy Performance

Looking forward to my next talk and Q&A session tomorrow night (Tuesday) at 6:30pm at Prime Sports Institute. Topic: Interval Training! A much discussed and necessary topic for any training program, but often poorly understood. This is part of an informal “coaches corner” series aimed at helping to spread useful training knowledge to performance minded folks in the community. Come on by, hear a brief bit from me on practical tips and sample sessions, and bring your questions! Photo: Paul Kelly

2019 FedEx Small Business Grant Contest

Prime Sports Institute needs your vote! Prime has applied for a FedEx Small Business Grant as it grows in the start-up process (Prime launched in October, 2018). Prime is a distinctive new business and sports medicine clinic, here to help all active people in the greater Bellingham area and beyond.

If you are an active person who benefits from being kept healthy, aware of how our body works, preventing injury, and managing small movement problems before they become big issues, then please take a moment to click the link below and give Prime a vote in their contest for this grant.

https://smallbusinessgrant.fedex.com/home/detail/fc395eb9-623b-41e2-9558-bd97ba62af02?fbclid=IwAR2_gRUgfzqnJTqN0HyMZg3ps9JujlDmoKpnwthyiNLMeYkmioAtCOs_L0g#/gallery/detail/fc395eb9-623b-41e2-9558-bd97ba62af02

2019 FedEx Small Business Grant Contest

The concept of “scale” has a lot to do with training. A starting point with all of my clients is orienting on a macro-level of “programming”. Before we enter the rabbit hole of micro-specific exercise protocols, we discuss where they are at in terms of my version of the “programming pyramid” ...is there consistency in what they do? Is it the appropriate kind of consistency? Are they ready for progressions from an appropriate baseline? What does specialization look like for their target event? It’s all part of the personalized process I enjoy going through with everyone to begin to solve the performance equation. • 🤓

Trainer Tips for Those Unaccustomed to Actual Winter: remember the trails will eventually melt out...have a good playlist ready for hard efforts...a show for easier efforts...do something “structured”...don’t just “sit in Zone 2”...have 💧 with 🧂 and some 🧁 cause yer gonna sweat...set up a fan blowing on you...feel good about being efficient because 1 Unit Trainer=1.3 units outside, and don’t go longer than 90min at the very most...plan to fitness and don’t fret about losing it...work on things you normally wouldn’t outside, like cadence, breathing patterns, and reading something great like this. 😂 Then go find an offseason sport already!

What’s more productive than measuring snow depth on the trails these days? How about measuring angles, positions, force and skill elements on your bike? If a bike fit has been on your bucket list this off season (for MTB, cyclocross or road), then head over to PEAKBHAM.COM for a little February Snow Storm Special. Meanwhile...the skiing is pretty good, too 😉. •

Hello Bellingham cyclists - All this snow on the trails and roads have you fidgeting around like a hamster without its wheel? Well, if you aren't already just skiing, then consider a bike fit service with Spencer Paxson, CSCS and owner of Peak Energy Performance. If you have a history of dealing with aches and pains, trouble with getting a new bike set up, or seeking confirmation and/or guidance before you take on the next big training block, then this would be a good service to take advantage of while you wait for things to melt out. Schedule online at www.peakbham.com in February and receive 15% off this unique service.

Carpe ❄️!! Don’t let the snow get you stuck on too many extra trainer hours this month. Sometimes the trails slide as well as they ride. Weeks like this (in the snow storm areas, anyway) are good to force a brief change to the routine, embracing creativity rather than burning a match on trying to be too regimented. There are plenty of warmer weeks to come and harder days where those matches will come in handy. •

Multi-sport and endurance training questions? A multi-coach panel might have some answers. Join me, along with four other coaches, Tuesday Feb 12 at 7pm at Prime Sports Institute () for a Panel Q&A on multi-sport and endurance training. Coordinated by the Bellingham Triathlon Club, this will be a fun and informal opportunity to pitch your questions to us, and for us all to learn a thing or three from each other. • • PC:

When it comes to bike fits, I am fascinated by the interplay between the body's mobility and strength, the rider's style and performance objectives, the environment's terrain and surfaces, and the bike's suspension and geometry characteristics. I take all of this and apply my certification as a strength and conditioning specialist, as well as my own deep knowledge of bike mechanics and skills education and blend it in to a comprehensive and (as near as I can tell) unique fit service tailored to the needs of mountain bikers.

If this sounds interesting to you, head on over to www.peakbham.com/bike-fits to schedule an appointment with me. If you have questions, please feel free to DM via Messenger.

-Spencer

Photo Credits: Patrick Means

Hounded // Spencer Paxson: Professional Racer & Coach

Peak Energy Performance coach Spencer Paxson was recently featured in Freehub Magazine's "Hounded" Video Interview series. This in-depth interview was conducted earlier in 2018 while coaching business development and coordination with Prime Sports Institute was still in the works behind the scenes. It doesn't cover any coaching talk, but it does contain snippets of all kinds of other background stories from childhood bike roots, collegiate cycling with Ted King and Lea Davison, eclectic career paths in clean energy, racing with The Kona Bicycle Co. and the US National Team, family, and adventures in between. https://freehubmag.com/videos/hounded-episode-5

Hounded // Spencer Paxson: Professional Racer & Coach Shifting from renewable energy to World Cup racing isn’t a typical career change, but Spencer Paxson isn’t a typica

Mountain bikes and mountain bikers move together in all sorts of ways. When it comes to matching the movement of bike and body and trail, offers a bike fit service tailored to the unique needs of mountain bikers. We'll look at how you move, how your bike moves, and how you move on the bike to improve your comfort, performance, and understanding of how you ride. Now taking appointments at https://peakbham.com/bike-fits

It was a memorable weekend as a new coach on the roster and also as an old bike racer who’s been around the block, all put together in an opportunity to work with a great crew of young elite racers from and during a skills and training camp here in Bellingham. It’s a privilege to be able to contribute a few tidbits to their trajectories, and even cooler to imagine they’ll likely do it much better and take it farther than I have.

Launching into November like...! Excited to be delivering my first talk on “Training Principles - Attitudes & the Training Process” on Wednesday, November 7th at 7PM at Bellingham’s new Prime Sports Institute (). In this talk I’ll cover 5 specific ways to rethink and refresh the approach to the training process, and therefore improve specific habits. Whether you are on the brink of a winter season or looking ahead to 2019, and whether you are new to training or very experienced, this will surely be an insightful session. A few seats remain; sign up link in bio. This is a FREE event! • PC: •

Service announcement! In addition to coaching and training plan design, Peak Energy Performance services include Mountain Bike Fits. To learn more and schedule an appointment, visit www.peakbham.com.

Modern mountain bikes require a unique set of fit parameters to address a diverse combination of riding styles, terrain and abilities.

Traditional bike fits are typically based on ride characteristics of road bikes, which are relatively fixed and static. This unique service addresses bike fitting through the lens of mountain biking, where bike and rider are much more active. This comprehensive 3-part service outlined below blends together physical assessment, bike mechanics and skill education to help you establish a new understanding of the way you ride.

Things are really coming together as Prime Sports Institute builds steam since opening its doors at the beginning of October. As for my part of the operation, I am accepting new clients for coaching packages, and am taking appointments for training plan design consultations and mountain bike fits!

Visit my website at www.peakbham.com for updated information and how to get started. And while you're at it, have a look at some of the other terrific services at Prime by visiting www.primebellingham.com. Prime is located on North State Street just a couple doors up from The Kona Bike Shop!

USA Cycling Names 2018 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships Team | USA Cycling

Go "Team Washington MTB"! 5 Washington athletes have been named to the US Team for MTB World Champs in Switzerland this September. By my count, that has WA tied with NC, and only behind CA and CO for representation at the big show. Other states include UT, AL, VT, ME, MI, and PA. Anyhow, nice work Gideon Bender, Kaytlin Melvin, Scott Funston, Jake Yackle and Cole Paton. https://www.usacycling.org/article/2018-mtb-worlds

USA Cycling Names 2018 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships Team | USA Cycling Visit USA Cycling for the latest cycling news, cycling results, team USA news & much more. Sign up for our ride or race memberships now!