Age: 46
Who is he? A certified personal trainer, O'Rouke is owner of ProActive Personal Training and president of the Victory Velo Racing team, both in Auburn. He also coaches riders sponsored by the Breast Cancer Network of Strength for the Oct. 23 "Ride to Empower" event in Solvang.
Hometown: Auburn
• Pre-workout routine: "(It's) really a 24/7 kind of thing. That is to say, I don't do anything different or special at the last minute. Everything I eat, drink or do today will affect my workout tomorrow, the next day, and so on. It's a continual process of keeping up my hydration level and glycogen stores."
• Morning or evening workouts? "What? I only get to have one? Seriously, I'm a big fan of two-a-days, and it's not as hard to do as you might think. If done properly, you can increase your intensity, facilitating greater fitness gains and get better efficiency for the time you invest. It's also a great way to combine the daily commute with training. If you're going to ride to work, why not make it a training ride?
"However, if I had to pick one, I'd go with morning workouts. You have your best energy then and your head is clear. Also, most races are in the morning, so situational-based conditioning comes into play as well."
• A typical training week on the bike: "The bulk consists of interval training in four-day blocks with three days of recovery. I perform a variety of high-intensity intervals that target particular fuel-delivery systems or muscle fiber type. Regardless of the intensity, by the fourth day of each training block, I'm cooked! As of now, I'm already base training for next season, which means lower intensity and higher volume. As the season progresses, the intensity increases, and the volume will eventually drop."
• Favorite exercise: O'Rourke is an advocate of T-Max intervals. For the uninitiated, T-max means the duration at which a rider can hold his peak power output. To determine your peak power, start out riding at 100 watts and add 30 watts every minute until you max out on effort. The wattage at the moment you stop is your peak power. Most riders do the intervals at 60 percent of their T-max. Your recovery should be double the time of your peak power effort.
"Three days in a row (daily undulating periodization) preformed at critical power, where 'T-Max' represents the maximum amount of time you can sustain your critical power. Day 1: 50 percent T-Max, 1-2 sets of 6-8 reps. Day 2: 60 percent T-Max 1-2 sets of 6-8 reps. Day 3: 70 percent T-Max, 1-2 sets of 6-8 reps.
"There are some tricks to performing these effectively, and most people who try this kind of workout frequently miss the details that make it so effective. As a (USA Cycling) certified coach, I have learned how to effectively apply the nuances of high intensity training like this to my athletes, as well as myself."
• Gadget you can't live without: "My SRM power meter (an electronic device that measures speed, distance, cadence, heart rate and also records the wattage the rider exerts on the pedals.)"
• Motivation on slothful days: "I can guarantee that in any competitive endeavor, any day that you choose to skip a workout, someone else out there didn't.
"On a more philosophical note, I work in physical therapy and see so many people every day that would love to ride a bike – or do any activity for that matter – but can't because of their physical limitations. Every day I'm reminded of how fortunate I am simply to have functioning limbs, senses, and a brain that works.
"Lastly, as a coach, I need to be an example to my athletes, especially the young ones. As president and captain of Victory Velo Racing, I need to be an example to my teammates as well."
• Favorite quick meal or snack: "Dark chocolate-covered almonds."
• Worst injury: "That's a toss-up between the shattered clavicle (six pieces) in 2007 and the fractured ishium (pelvis) in 2005. I rode the remaining 18 miles home on the fractured ishium, but believe it or not, the clavicle hurt more. In both cases, rehab was rest and reduced mobility for four to five weeks and a gradual re-entry to riding."
