Spring Training at Ascend Cycle

April 2, 2018

Spring is here, and with it...race season! Brian Hallee is a seasoned endurance athlete, having completed everything from a half-Ironman, triathlons, and full and half marathons. He’s a committed, ambitious athlete who burns off his pent-up energy from his day job as a nuclear engineer through competitive endurance sport.And, he trains at Ascend.We interviewed Brian as he preps for race season -- he's aiming to qualify this year for Ironman Hawaii -- to find out why he trains with Ascend, and how the Ascend Method helps him meet his training goals. [divider height="30" style="default" line="default" themecolor="0"]

First things first: What does your race name mean?

I have the best dog in the world, Shelby Grace, and I brew beer in what spare time I have. I combined these two to make my very unofficial racing pseudonym – Team Shelbrau.

What was your most challenging race?

Hands down, the SavageMan 70.0 (half-Ironman), a race that takes place in the mountains around Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, near where I grew up. This is the race I credit for getting me hooked on triathlons. It became a bucket list item for me once it was dubbed the toughest triathlon in the world! The bike course gains more than 6,500’ of elevation over 56 miles, and has one climb called “The Westernport Wall” that is so steep it’s shut off to traffic! If you make it up the “Wall” without falling off your bike, you get a brick with your name on it paved into the road (which I was able to snag). The whole race took me 6.5 hours to complete, and I couldn’t walk right for the next week, but between the gorgeous views, epic fan support, and spartan feel of the race, I’ve been convinced to do it again this year.

Brian finished on the podium (2nd) at St. Mary’s International Triathlon last year, which garnered him an invite to USAT Age Group Nationals.

When did you start training at Ascend Cycle?

My first class was in January 2017 with M.B.!

Why did you start training at Ascend Cycle?

I heard from racing friends that indoor cycling can give you a workout that rivals, or even exceeds, the workout you get from riding outside, because there’s never a chance to just coast. But riding inside on a trainer can be so boring. It was a mental struggle to train hard because the motivation wasn’t there to push myself. Ascend was the best of both worlds – an awesome interval workout with the motivation I needed to push out of my comfort zone.

Why do you continue to train with Ascend Cycle?

Over the last five months I’ve increased my average power by 10 watts, and since I’ve been riding almost exclusively indoors, Ascend gets the credit for this. But I keep coming back to Ascend because of the awesome sense of community and camaraderie that’s just built into the culture there. It doesn’t take long for a new instructor to feel like a good friend and mentor. I’ve always felt that Ascend cares more about your development and well-being instead of simply being a paying member.

Why don’t you just train outside?

I’ve never come close to being hit by a car on an Ascend bike!Jokes aside, the interval training is simply a more savage workout that makes me feel stronger on the bike compared to riding outside. There’s definitely no substitute for kicking it on some of the awesome trails we have around the D.C. area on a nice, sunny day, but when I want to build muscle on the bike, I choose Ascend first.

Brian at USAT Age Group Nationals last year

What do you consider to be the benefits of the Ascend Method (structured interval training) for the athlete?

Having trained with Ascend for nearly a year and a half, I’ve noticed a few key benefits of interval training. Triathletes usually come into the sport with minimal cycling experience, and get frustrated when they can’t get faster, even though they’re going for long rides every weekend. The problem is they aren’t getting outside of their comfort zone, and if they are (like climbing a mountain), there isn’t enough built-in rest.Ascend’s structured intervals push you beyond what you think you can do, but are followed by proper rest (high cadence, reduced resistance) to let your body quickly recover so you can do it again. This type of training is so hard to do on your own because it’s uncomfortable, but it’s what actually makes you stronger and faster, and Ascend’s instructors, music, and ambiance actually make it fun.The other key benefit is the core strengthening that’s built into Ascend’s training. A strong core makes you more effective and efficient at practically any endurance sport, but everyone ignores it. I consider the core strengthening I’ve gained from Ascend as a bit of extra "free speed" against my competitors.

Do you feel there’s an aspect of community that benefits your training?

Definitely! In order to get the miles needed for long course racing, there’s so much training I end up doing alone. Having the community at Ascend keeping me accountable gives me inspiration to show up and give all I can on the bike. I mean this literally. If I’m away too long, I can usually expect a message from May or M.B. wondering what the hell I’m doing that’s more important.

How would you sum up training at Ascend?

They tell me there’s a mop in the back with my name on it that’s used to clean under my bike – that’s how much they make me sweat in 50 minutes. ‘Nuff said.

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