Track Training on a Saturday Morning

Missed you guys Saturday morning as I was at the track (DISC) for my fortnightly session. Heard you had great weather for the morning.
Just thought you might like to hear what a Saturday morning track session consists of. And just maybe I might encourage a couple of you to join me on a wet day when Beach Road is not an option.

The Coach is Daryl Perkins, father of Shane. I first met Daryl in the mid-60s and remember his as our best National Kilo riders. Competition was fierce for the Kilo crown in the 60s and most of it came from Victoria.
Anyway I had the good fortune to make the State Team back then and had the opportunity to meet, ride and be mentored by the great elite senior riders from Victoria.
As well as Daryl, there was John Nicholson and Gordon Johnson, both whom went on to win World Sprint titles for Australia. A very tall pursuiter, Jan Bylsma was our first Aussie to break 5 minutes for the 4000 metre event which sounds rather pedestrian now but every bit of a milestone as the Teams Pursuit sub 4 minute records of today.

Hilton Clarke was in the team and cut a dashing slim figure of an athlete at the time - I have video to prove it.

I digress - Daryl runs the 3 hour session starting at 9.00 am through to 12ish. The program consists of the following;

40 lap warm-up. Swapping 1 lap turns of pace, we start at a medium pace and build up over the first 20 laps and then rise to the top of the steep banking swapping turns on the fence line. This is followed by a fast 10 laps, still swapping turns of pace until we reach the end of 40 laps.

While rolling around for about 10 minutes, we give ourselves time to recover and get the heat rate down before doing an "entry". An entry is the line you take when doing a 200 metre qualifying time. It's meant to give you the maximum speed before hitting the 200 metre line and on to the finishing line.
A good line for an entry consists of a good build up of speed in the back straight along the fence line.
As you hit the bend at the very top of the track, you rise out of the saddle, gaining good leg speed. This allows you to used the transition of the high banking to flow into the other bend into the metre line at maximum speed. An entry is to hone your technique and to blow the cobwebs out of the system before the tough stuff starts. This is usually followed by a slow rolling almost standing start for 150 metres.
Incidentally, I looked down at my HRM after the entry to discover a reading of 175. During the laps it was sitting in the 150s. (remember, I am 60)

The next part of the program involves 5 x 300 metre seated sprints starting from high on the banking. Seated means staying in the saddle. We are instructed to be a line that is the shortest distance, meaning we stay on the lowest black line on the track. Sometimes not easy under effort, its all part of the overall training.

Now we get about 15 minutes rest time where I go off into a quiet corner to vomit.

Back on the bike with larger gears for the next session. We use a gear of 94", now that's usually a 49 tooth chain ring and a 14 tooth rear cog.
My group was of three riders so we had 3 sprint efforts taking it in turns to lead our. Vomit time again!!!!
The lead rider would hit out at 320 metres and then back off a bit down the back straight. As his/her opponent came along side, the lead rider was to give a second kick on the bend. While this was going on. the third rider was to lay off a couple of lengths and hit the other two coming out of the bend. Exciting stuff.

More rest time before the next item on the program. This one was more endurance where the three of us were instructed to ride a 6 lap team pursuit, swapping laps every 1/2 lap. Perko the Sadist had us do 4 of these. Once again vomit time.

After some time lying on the ground with my legs trembling, we were then told to get back on the track on a small gear of 82" (45x15) for a 30 lap cool down.

And that's how we spend 3 hours at DISC on a Saturday morning. All you need to join me is a licence and a track bike, oh yes and a strong stomach.

A well deserved lunch after training. My reward.