Who's racing Bryan Park this Sunday. Looks like a good turn out right in our own back yard. Does anyone have travel plans yet?
The Jinks
Friday, May 29, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
RFK Race
Will be heading up to D.C. on Sunday to race at RFK. Is anyone else up for this. Jeff & I have already signed up ?
Monday, May 18, 2009
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Bryan Park Crit Season
It is that time of year. Tuesday kicks off the year. I'm ready to go and get the fears and anxieties out of the way early. 11 months ago, it all changed for me. It's great training! That's all-nothing else. So don't put yourselves into bad situations and DO try things in training that you might not otherwise try(breaks, pull for the entire race, etc).
I. for one, am planning on leaving Fred at 4:30ish for some good racing fun. $12 is a deal.
I. for one, am planning on leaving Fred at 4:30ish for some good racing fun. $12 is a deal.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Renegade Challenge
OK BWR, Jack says, if you show up Saturday 0900 at the Massaponax ride, he will school ya. Seriously, it is a very good ride, usually 4 or 5 of us go off the front. Last week Jose, Jack and me went off and held about a 23 - 25 pace. Come join us for a great leg opener. It is lookin like rain on Sunday..........................
Any interest?
Any interest?
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Scott May Training
I'm in Toronto with a little computer time, so I caught up on my April log entries and will get May filled out to date. Hope BW is riding Sunday; I could use a group ride!
* MHR=193, Z1 116-125, Z2 125-135, Z3 135-154, Z4 154-164, Z5 165+
Fri 5/1 - 1 Hr Z3, 10 x 10 sec sprints
Sat 5/2 - Travelled back from Louisiana
Sun 5/3 - Both my boys ran the F-Berg Train road race so I supported them and ran with my 6 yo. Ummm....I was supposed to get in a workout. My wife woke me up at a red-light (I was driving) so I took the day off.
Mon 5/4 - 1 Hr Z3
Tue 5/5 - 30 min Z1 recovery ride
Wed 5/6 - Trvl/long work day to Toronto
Thu 5/7 - No bike. 30 min on the elliptical and 30 min circuit x-fit trng
Fri 5/8 - Trvl day and late night
Sat 5/9 - Back in VA! No Opera sized seats on gym bikes or trainers. Felt great to be outside. I Hr Z3/Z4 17.8 MPH avg.
Sun 5/10 - 1 Hr Z4
Mon 5/11 - cycle day off & pouring out. Did 8 2 min rounds on the bag, with 8 X 2 min jump rope and upper body in the gym.
Tue 5/12 - 1 Hr Z2, then 10 x 10 sec sprints over 15 min
Wed 5/13 - 1 Hr 20 min Z4 with 6 x 20 sec jump/sprints
Sat 5/16 - Finished my 7 week program and need to add speed/jump work. It's easy to talk yourself into and hence out of something, so I consulted my friend Obi Won Jamie who advised Intervals: "My favorite is 10 seconds on, 10 seconds break, repeat until you puke. " So:
1 Hr 30 min in Z5 (169 avg) with 3 sets of 5 reps: 10 seconds max effort with 10 seconds recovery. Just for the record, if you burp up bile and swallow it - it's not puking. Can't wait for tomorrow.
Sun 5/17 - 1 1/2 hr Z4. 2 sets of 4. Max for 20, few min in between.
Mon 5/18 - 1 Hr CTS Sprinting session. Ouch.
Tue 5/19 1 Hr recovery spin.
Wed 5/20 - cycle day off. need it.
Thu 5/21 - 1 Hr Z 2 with 12, 10 second intervals. 10 sec max effort, 1:50 recovery spin and max effort again.
Fri 5/22 - 1 Hr 30 min. Zone 4. I think I just moved from "You Suck" to "Showing improvement." I kicked it up a hill which usually hits me back and then threw in more intervals - 1 set of 5, 10 sec on, 10 sec recovery. then 10 sec max effort with 1:50 recovery for 6 reps. Strong ride.
Sat 5/23 - 1 Hr Z2. Training is paying off. kicked that hill again. Tried a set of 6 20 sec intervals. fading towards the end, but felt good.
Sun 5/24 - Made the Sunday Massaponex ride. Jack was up North and Ben was tending to his family. Saw Gus and Joe. Hit it harder than expected. Stayed out in front and bridged every break. Got dropped on one hill, but fought hard. It was nice to be the guy at the gas station relaxing in the shade for the group to come in.
Mon 5/25 - cycle day off. Visitors from the UK. Day off.
Tue 5/26 - OK - So, I'm readier (not, ready). First time at Bryan Park. Picked the wrong wheel several times and got blown off the back on lap #8. Squirrel kid popped a foot left, sent one rider on the soft shoulder and I fatally tapped my brake to avoid a mess. Gone. Managed 4 laps with another rider, he faded and I wholeheartedly (foolishly) tried my best for the last 3 laps solo. I had a great Fri, Sat & Sun. Started with very heavy legs. Just registered for the race on Sunday. Pain is weakness leaving the body....
Wed 5/27 - Recvoery spin. 30 min only Z2
Thu 5/28 - Rest day.
* MHR=193, Z1 116-125, Z2 125-135, Z3 135-154, Z4 154-164, Z5 165+
Fri 5/1 - 1 Hr Z3, 10 x 10 sec sprints
Sat 5/2 - Travelled back from Louisiana
Sun 5/3 - Both my boys ran the F-Berg Train road race so I supported them and ran with my 6 yo. Ummm....I was supposed to get in a workout. My wife woke me up at a red-light (I was driving) so I took the day off.
Mon 5/4 - 1 Hr Z3
Tue 5/5 - 30 min Z1 recovery ride
Wed 5/6 - Trvl/long work day to Toronto
Thu 5/7 - No bike. 30 min on the elliptical and 30 min circuit x-fit trng
Fri 5/8 - Trvl day and late night
Sat 5/9 - Back in VA! No Opera sized seats on gym bikes or trainers. Felt great to be outside. I Hr Z3/Z4 17.8 MPH avg.
Sun 5/10 - 1 Hr Z4
Mon 5/11 - cycle day off & pouring out. Did 8 2 min rounds on the bag, with 8 X 2 min jump rope and upper body in the gym.
Tue 5/12 - 1 Hr Z2, then 10 x 10 sec sprints over 15 min
Wed 5/13 - 1 Hr 20 min Z4 with 6 x 20 sec jump/sprints
Sat 5/16 - Finished my 7 week program and need to add speed/jump work. It's easy to talk yourself into and hence out of something, so I consulted my friend Obi Won Jamie who advised Intervals: "My favorite is 10 seconds on, 10 seconds break, repeat until you puke. " So:
1 Hr 30 min in Z5 (169 avg) with 3 sets of 5 reps: 10 seconds max effort with 10 seconds recovery. Just for the record, if you burp up bile and swallow it - it's not puking. Can't wait for tomorrow.
Sun 5/17 - 1 1/2 hr Z4. 2 sets of 4. Max for 20, few min in between.
Mon 5/18 - 1 Hr CTS Sprinting session. Ouch.
Tue 5/19 1 Hr recovery spin.
Wed 5/20 - cycle day off. need it.
Thu 5/21 - 1 Hr Z 2 with 12, 10 second intervals. 10 sec max effort, 1:50 recovery spin and max effort again.
Fri 5/22 - 1 Hr 30 min. Zone 4. I think I just moved from "You Suck" to "Showing improvement." I kicked it up a hill which usually hits me back and then threw in more intervals - 1 set of 5, 10 sec on, 10 sec recovery. then 10 sec max effort with 1:50 recovery for 6 reps. Strong ride.
Sat 5/23 - 1 Hr Z2. Training is paying off. kicked that hill again. Tried a set of 6 20 sec intervals. fading towards the end, but felt good.
Sun 5/24 - Made the Sunday Massaponex ride. Jack was up North and Ben was tending to his family. Saw Gus and Joe. Hit it harder than expected. Stayed out in front and bridged every break. Got dropped on one hill, but fought hard. It was nice to be the guy at the gas station relaxing in the shade for the group to come in.
Mon 5/25 - cycle day off. Visitors from the UK. Day off.
Tue 5/26 - OK - So, I'm readier (not, ready). First time at Bryan Park. Picked the wrong wheel several times and got blown off the back on lap #8. Squirrel kid popped a foot left, sent one rider on the soft shoulder and I fatally tapped my brake to avoid a mess. Gone. Managed 4 laps with another rider, he faded and I wholeheartedly (foolishly) tried my best for the last 3 laps solo. I had a great Fri, Sat & Sun. Started with very heavy legs. Just registered for the race on Sunday. Pain is weakness leaving the body....
Wed 5/27 - Recvoery spin. 30 min only Z2
Thu 5/28 - Rest day.
Training of Jinks
Was able to race this past weekend up in Mass. Was great to ride/race with old riding buddies. Unfortunately had a good friend Stu go down in a crash and my have broken his collar bone !! Have been inside with most of my training this week. Can feel all the training and racing starting to mount up in the way of some fatigue. Look forward to this weekend off from racing. Want to be on ride where someone isn't always trying to beat me into the corner!! Hope to see you all this weekend.
The Jinks
The Jinks
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
MAY TRAINING ED
I think May is going to be a strictly training month for me. All the racing/training intensity of the last 8 weeks has posed several questions about goals and objectives. I need to sort all that out and hope to do so while training in May. I also realized post-Wintergreen that it was for me much more of a key season goal/race than I thought. Now that its over I lack a focal point. Maybe I'll make it the two remaining WV RR Series races...we'll see.
MAY TRAINING STEVE
MAY 28
The ultimate coach says no training. Unloading at the park when the skies unload on me, to the basement I say. Arrive home and go to the basement only to find water coming from the ceiling. Rain stops water stops, nothing much I can do, might as well go ahead with trainer time. Get bike from car, flat tire! Finally get the message and call it a trying day not a training day.
MAY 27
Back in the park with Bill doing the VO2 TT intervals. Again it was great having a teammate there for encouragement. Plus we discovered that our speeds are compatible for the Team TT at the end of the month. Bill has more power, but I am narrow and aero.
MAY 26
In the park for 4x8 LT, but only time for 3x8. Was able to hook up with No Crit Bill. Since Bill had no power meter he used my pace as a guide. Having a rider behind really helped with the concentration necessary to keep the workout within the higher end of the operational parameters. Hopefully it was not too slow for him. A good feeling of fatigue afterword as I climbed the park hill on the way home.
MAY 24
Two hours on the TT bike out to Belle Plains and south Stafford. Good to have Bill, Ken, Ed, and Dre' along because I had no idea where I was. The revised TT position felt good. Especially the downwind, down hill run out with sustained 33+ mph. It was a nice reminder of how fraking fun riding a bike can be.
MAY 21
So I lied! Believing that I would just ride over to the park and spin for an hour or so I left the house and road up Laffayette. Legs felt like crap and I was breathing hard as I dodged the traffic crossing Blue Gray. Whew, into the park free of damage then up the hill. Hmm, legs feel better and actually almost good pushing up the hill. Maybe I'll warm up until Lansdowne and then come back and try a sprint. First sprint, not so bad, I'll try another. That's the way it went for seven sprints, then used the ride home to sprint up into town and then back to the house. Not a long workout but some intensity that felt good. A little rest over the next two days and back at it Sunday. Would someone mind posting their protocal for the sprints? I am not sure I did them to spec. But they were short intense efforts.
MAY 20
I am still playing with my TT saddle position, but it is close enough for training. After an hour and a half of yard mowing, I hit the park for tempo and TT efforts. I equated the yardwork to a tempo interval, so I only did one then hit the TT efforts. The first went well enough, but the second interval was pure crap. Between the still faulty shifting and the pain in my legs I was just frustrated. Luckily for me Not So Big Anymore Ben showed up. That kept me motivated to stay on the bike and re-adapt to the TT position. Ben confirmed that my back was still flat and the position at least looks aero. Today I am feeling the affects of two hard days in the saddle. I will forego the sprint intervals today for some spinning so that I can get back on Coach Bill's prescribed routine next week with the Team. Good seeing Jumping Jack Flash aka Twister at the end.
MAY 19
After basically taking the last week off (although it feels like two weeks) it was back to work. 2x10 tempo, followed by 4x8 LT. Yes it hurt like hell, but the good news was that I was able to keep each workout at the high end of LT. Even better, although I felt the fatigue in the legs all evening, it made me feel like an athlete again, albeit and old one. What bodes well for the TT's is that I seemed to hit a groove at the end of each interval. Looking forward to some racing, but again it will all depend on work and family schedule, which is usually chock full in the month of June.
MAY 13
Just wanted to say thanks to my team and Coach Bill. Nothing like being on a golf trip with other guys your age or younger to see the benefits of the cycling lifestyle. Two birdies and two pars in my first round in over a year! That's like collecting a couple of primes in a crit. Just don't ask where I finished.
MAY 12
On the advice of coach Bill I went for the 3x10 min LT workout. It was good being in the park instead of the basement. 15 min warm up, 2x 10 min tempo then the 3x10 LT the last interval definitely did not have the same power as the first two, but it was in the zone and completed. Following the bike work I did my lawn work. By the end of the day I felt the sweet fatigue only hard work brings. Now off to three days of golf.
MAY 11
The May training schedule is getting whacked by work, play and weather. So Monday was not a rest day, but not a real schedule day either. With only an hour to ride on the rollers (despite the late day sun no time to get outside) I road mid tempo for 30 minutes bookended by E. Not optimal training, but better than nothing. Today, hopefully, will find me in the park doing something. Fortunately there is time before the first TT.
MAY 8
I took Thursday off to drive to the Beach and celebrate my wedding anniversary, great meal at the Bluepoint Restaurant. Friday was back to work with a two hour ride. I rode at low tempo high E and felt really good. The best part was motor pacing without having to use a vehicle. The winds picked up from the south as I made the turn so I had a strong tail wind to push 26 mph 90 rpm, 225 watts for 45 minutes. Man did that feel good! Thanks to my Bikeworks Racing brothers for all the encouragement.
MAY 6
It is so much better to be outside, even in damp conditions. After the last two days I was worried about declining power and fitness, but the bookends went well (well at least the five I finished). After bookend five my stomach started gurgling and since I had no water nor teammates to wash me off (think Jan Uhlrich in the Tour) I went directly to the car and home. Apologies to Bill and Jack for the lack of conversation, but I had to GO! Anyway, back to the bookends. The jumps felt quicker and I was able to hold high LT or above throughout the two minutes. I believe this is a combination of strength/power gains and equipment adjustment. I am looking forward to training OUTSIDE and then the TT's. I have good sensations in the legs, but I have no expectations.
May I ask a question? When May I train? That is how the start to the month has been. Work weather and other obligations have kept me from being able to effectively train. Sunday and Monday I was able to get an hour each day on the rollers riding at high E low tempo. Tuesday's workout, unlike Bill's was a disappointment. The two x ten minutes at tempo felt like forever and I could only muster one LT interval before my legs started to cramp and I had to back off. That and another evening meeting that cut short training time leaves me in no man's land. The bike is packed in the car ready for another shot at outdoor training this afternoon. If the clouds and rain would only give us a break. At least the mushrooms growing under my saddle taste good and that makes me feel groovy!
Monday, May 4, 2009
May training BILL
This has been quite a crazy week. I did most of what the coach-me-prescribed for last week. It was fantastic doing the bridging intervals with another rider-Steve. We took turns starting the reps and chased harder than ever before. IT was the best set-up for the BIs that I've done. There is no doubt that Steve is a really strong rider.
Bicycle Safety
Wow, The safety seminar was a HUGE hit with all in attendance. There were about 150 kids and 15 faculty. Students were asking great questions, as were the teachers. The entire thing lasted about 45 minutes. Greg and Jeff's comments and perspectives were exactly what was needed. No doubt, the students will be safer and divers will me more cognizant. The high point for me was watching the kids rush up to Greg and Jeff for autographs on their water bottles. We had a fantastic time with all of the children. I like the direction the team takes on service! It's amazing how many kids are treasuring the bottles. Win-win
Sunday, May 3, 2009
MAY TRAINING JEFF
Saturday 5-2-09,
I had some work schedule for Sunday, so Saturday morning I started off from my house with the goal of a 3hr ride and just to keep it interesting I mixed in some good efforts. No racing for me this weekend so I felt like mashing the pedals a little would keep me in check. The ride went great I believe this has been my best ride this year 3hr total over 1800 cal. just to give an ideal of the intensity. I recover fast and ready for this weeks program.
I had some work schedule for Sunday, so Saturday morning I started off from my house with the goal of a 3hr ride and just to keep it interesting I mixed in some good efforts. No racing for me this weekend so I felt like mashing the pedals a little would keep me in check. The ride went great I believe this has been my best ride this year 3hr total over 1800 cal. just to give an ideal of the intensity. I recover fast and ready for this weeks program.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Jack Training May
Saturday - May 02 - Went hard yesterday, and really felt it today. For some reason I had one of those days where riding just felt good, and I was seeking out hills and doing sprints excessively, just having a ball. Today was recovery time, so I went and rode in the park with Ben to warm up the legs for tomorrow. Came home and fell out . . . . should have used yesterday to start to taper, not go hard. Looking forward to tomorrow. I really wish I could have been able to get to Wintergreen - I was checking out every ones times after they had been posted. Hopefully after tomorrow I'll still have all of my skin and spokes intact !
Fort Lee Crit - It was fun - I came in 8th. After today I really want to cat up, if for nothing else so that I can gain more experience. Hats off to everyone else who races . . . . especially Bill. I am saddened that some kid caused him to crash, ending his time in a breakaway that looked like it would have gone the distance. Good job Jordan - I thought you had 3rd place in the bag. And thanks Ben for the beer and the ride. I'm sure those beers helped to make the stuff I yelled at the racers at least 30 decibels louder.
I'm hoping to see everyone out this Saturday - its been too long since the whole BWR and Renegade family has been united!
May 4th - Legs didn't feel too bad, but the rain surely sucked. I hope it doesn't rain all week. I'm not sure when the next race is, but I'm looking forward to it.
Today riding wise was loosening up and trying to to recover. Since I'm working in Fredericksburg for half the week I rode the trainer after coming back home. Picked up some new hospital issue recovery tights . . . . nothing new is really happening. Maybe a dog will chase me tomorrow or something else will happen to break the monotony. Who knows?
May 5th - It wasn't raining when I left for work - the sun even came out for a little bit. This made me think that the rain would not materialize today . . . . boy was I wrong. After work I headed north to Quantico in a steady downpour, all the while wishing I had fenders. That and anti fog glasses. Got a ride back to Fred, and upon arriving home jumped on the trainer to raise my body temp so that no illness would set in. All in all a good day, but this rain has to go.
May 6th - After tooling around for a while after work I decided to hit the park in search of some local racers who I could hopefully emulate and thus become a better rider. First I spotted Steve, but he had to rush home, so I could gain no training time with him. However, he informed me that Bill was deeper in the park. Upon meeting up with him I was initiated into the world of bookends. As he had a limited gear selection, I was able to catch him after his sprint, stay with him during the middle of the bookend, and chase once again during the last sprint. All in all it was a good experience. As I headed home I had to stop at GNC and eat a couple of protein bars - truthfully my legs felt shaky after commuting and bookending.
Hope to see a sunny day Saturday!
May 7th - Crazy winds today. I tried to find a route that would avoid the majority of the headwinds so I could recover . . . . it kinda worked. I found myself of roads with too much traffic which made me in turn go faster. I don't want to be burnt out later in the season. The good thing about today was that the sun did come out for a bit later on, so I extended the ride a little, going to Borders to look at different cycling magazines.
May 8th - Recovery day - shorter commute, then a ride to Central Park and back. There was one pretty interesting wreck on River Road, where a kid drove his car right off the road into the ditch/hill leading to the river. Also washed my helmet this morning in a hurry, and apparently didn't rinse it well enough. Suds and soap flavored sweat when I was really going hard.
May 9th - Ben, Joe and I led the way at the Massaponax Church Rd Classic this morning. Afterwards I had to work . . . . this sucked. Usually after a weekend ride I come home and piddle around in compression stockings . . . . not today. Kept busy at work, and afterwards I noticed I was smoked when I hit Central Park on the way home. A flat tire forced me to call for a ride. But later on, around 9 I got the itching to ride again, so I did a nighttime hour, finding the legs refreshed.
May 10th - After yesterday I thought I was in for a refreshing day of E riding . . . . wasn't meant to be. I heard that Joe and Gus had gone all the way to Richmond, so I knew Ben and I would have to at least spend some good time suffering lest our training fall behind. We did the White Oak loop, and then rode around Fredericksburg for a bit, hitting the hills at Fall Ave and on Cowan. Overall I had 50 some odd miles, not bad for a late starting ride. I'll most likely be a little off my game tomorrow, but hey, what better way to spend a mothers day?
May 11th - Time to recoup. Ankle felt a little weak after the last two days rides . . . . so I'm limping around, drinking protein shakes and dreaming of becoming a better rider. Rode only half of the commute today . . . . saw the police bike convoy on rt1 . . . . on their way to DC I guess. This sporadic rain is killing me . . . . hopefully it will dry up soon . . . .
In other news I picked up some new chamois cream . . . . after watching Bill slather up his chamois cream at the last race I decided to get some of my own. However, I'm working on a limited budget, so instead of buying some high tech cream, I went into the first aid kit at work and used some burn cream. After about 35 min of riding I noticed a pleasant numbness. At first I thought I was losing circulation to my vital parts, but upon closer inspection of the burn cream I found it contained lidocaine . . . if nothing else it was an interesting sensation.
May 12th - LSD ride. Still felt pain in the ankle. but its not too bad. Kinda chilly day even though the sun was out. Rode a little bit in the park. Not too much to report. Was a little dehydrated today, judging by the color of my urine. It it wasn't for the water fountain by the tennis courts I'd be toast . . . .
May 13th - Rode around the park after work, waiting to see who would show. I got there a little early and had a few miles in when I met Jeff, Bill, and Jinks, and later Ed and Andre. Did the hill sprint workout . . . . I'm tired as I write this. Lucky for me the guys are generous with the gu's and cliff bars . . . if not for that I might be in a severe bonk in a ditch somewhere. Thanks. Good luck to all racers this weekend . . . .
May 14th - Recovery ride, legs still felt good . . . . looking forward to this weekend.
May 15th - Seeing as I'll be riding back and forth tomorrow to the ride at MCR, and once there fending off attacks from experienced renegades and BWR'ers alike, I only did a minimal ride today. Tomorrow I'll get some big miles, and then do a LSD ride sunday.
May16th - It was an all around good ride - really nice to have the BWR guys out. After today I realized I need to work on being smooth overall . . . . the group rides are really to my benefit bc no one is around during a commute to correct me. Aside from that I was bored to tears for the rest of the day. I don't know that having the TT helmet made me any faster, but I sure as hell tried to be fast on the way home . . . .
May17th -Recovery day . . . . aside from the riding this weekend I've been bored . . . . after some riding today I decided to have a little bit of whiskey. So, after pouring a little bit and downing it I noticed it had no "bite", almost as if it wasn't alcohol at all. Then I realized my younger sister must have replaced the whiskey with iced tea or something last time she was home. So I peered down into the bottle to see some moldy growth developing, which made me a little sick to my stomach. I'll stick to spike shooters and protein shakes from here on out.
May 18th - Interesting day. Got the race info from Bill and Jeff . . . . . wish I coulda been there to show my true cat 5 spirit. Got a new set of wheels - they felt really smooth . . . . smooth enough that after tomorrow race I won't look forward to putting my old ones back on. Got cursed out by a older man driving a red truck, and then in the park when I passed an old man walking he threw a jab in my direction! I have to be careful about the people in the park . . . . they get into a zone out there amongst the civil war relics. Went by Bills, and then Ed's . . . . sorry to both you guys and your families if I smelled at all - commuting will do that to you.
In other news I must have developed some sort of illness from the "whiskey" I drank yesterday. I had no appetite, which is unusual for me, and couldn't manage to drink enough to get clear urine. Hopefully I'll be ok tomorrow . . . .
May 19th - Training crit - good race - it left me so tired that this will have to be a short post. It was nice to have another renegade face in the peloton. If only Joe could make it to the next one . . . . . the three of us might really hurt them then. The course itself wasn't too bad . . . . I ended up chasing and trying to get into a breakaway . . . . had a good chance when it was myself and two Natures Path guys. But working together doesn't really exist at the Cat 5 . . . . too bad for all of us. Riding back with Bill was another opportunity for me to learn . . . . next time I'll be more wise when it comes to "burning my matches", so B racers everywhere watch out !
May 20th - E miles, trying to recover. No easy task either . . . . I'll still be recovering tomorrow by the feel of my legs. But, it won't be in vain because I plan on doing a longer ride Friday in order to catch a bus from DC to NYC . . . . I'll be up north this weekend for a wedding, but I'll be back in Richmond next week . . . . hope to see more blue and white kitted riders out!
May 21st - Short ride today, because tomorrow will be long. Riding to DC after work to catch the bus outta Chinatown into NYC for the weekend. Will be back in time for the training crit next weekend . . . . just glad its not me getting hitched . . . . good luck to everyone racing and training this weekend!
May 22 - 23th - Rode to the nearest metro station after work on Friday. Got into NYC late that night, and didn't get much rest. Felt ok the next day, but with all the running around getting ready for the wedding I had to do a short ride. I'm staying in NJ, and the terrain is has alot more uphills, so I'm going to use that to my advantage. I'm looking forward to getting back to VA so I can resume my usual training regime.
May26th - After a couple of fays in NYC and NJ playing basketball, riding, doing wedding stuff and drinking I needed to come back to VA and settle back into a rhythm. Tonite was the Bryan Park training race . . . . I almost didn't go because the intense games of basketball I played left my legs quite sore. I did a little ride this morning, just to test the water . . . . I had decent form, but couldn't get my speed up to where it should be. The race went off well enough . . . . I ended up doing work in the front, but couldn't close as many gaps as before. Also, my bike computer malfunctioned before the race, so I was going using only intuition. The fatigue may have been a good thing for me, because I had to use what power I had wisely. All said and done I was happy, even though I sat up in the end . . . . . there is always next week. Big thanks to Scott for letting em catch a ride with him, and for the interesting convo during the trip.
Hope to see some BWR jersies this weekend and next week too!
27th - Legs felt good today, almost as if the race had flushed out some of the remaining fatigue. the original plan was to go to the park, but I needed to retrieve my old wheels so that I'm not always riding on the new ones. Got that done, came home and changed the cassette, and then it was about time for bed. Bill had spoken about how after a race sometimes it is hard for the body to shut down and sleep at night - I had a touch of that last night. Hopefully tonight will bring solid rest.
28th - Okay day - little bit of riding, little bit of resting, just to make sure the legs aren't taxed out this Sunday. Switched the wheels so now I'm using the older, heavier wheels . . . . kinda sad to not be riding in style anymore. It was also quite humid today with the showers coming and going . . . . . not really to much to report overall. Tomorrow is going to be a longer E ride type day so that I can get some saddle time in and get my mind prepared for the race this Sunday. I hope to bring some of my family out so that I can get them to cheer for BWR and Renegades alike . . . . .
29th - Nice ride today, even if part of it was in the rain. Big thanks to Bill for the vest . . . ! I actually though that it would rain for longer. The pattern seems to be that it will rain and then dry up quickly, leaving everything that much more humid for the next day. Tomorrows ride will be a shorter one to open the legs for Sunday . . . . .good luck to everyone racing, and see you then!
30th - Routine ride - shorter so that I can hold my own tomorrow. This week has been awkward for me - after my time in NY it was hard for me to get back into a decent rhythm.
I'm praying for good results tomorrow - it would be nice to tell everyone that I did well when they see me.
31th - Good job to Joe and Ken today. I had a good race, but in the end the podium places went to better men. Hopefully the guys from Rt 1 velo forgive me for egging them on during the race - sometimes I just can't help it. I get super excited during the races . . . . I'm glad that I now know I need a 53 - thanks Jeff for finally counting it for me. Had you not done that I would probably have ridden that crankset until it fell apart. So, it was a good race day, made better by Bens beer and getting to watch everyone else race. I'm going to recover as best I can tonight, e ride tomorrow, and then do my best to terrorize the B race on tuesday.
Fort Lee Crit - It was fun - I came in 8th. After today I really want to cat up, if for nothing else so that I can gain more experience. Hats off to everyone else who races . . . . especially Bill. I am saddened that some kid caused him to crash, ending his time in a breakaway that looked like it would have gone the distance. Good job Jordan - I thought you had 3rd place in the bag. And thanks Ben for the beer and the ride. I'm sure those beers helped to make the stuff I yelled at the racers at least 30 decibels louder.
I'm hoping to see everyone out this Saturday - its been too long since the whole BWR and Renegade family has been united!
May 4th - Legs didn't feel too bad, but the rain surely sucked. I hope it doesn't rain all week. I'm not sure when the next race is, but I'm looking forward to it.
Today riding wise was loosening up and trying to to recover. Since I'm working in Fredericksburg for half the week I rode the trainer after coming back home. Picked up some new hospital issue recovery tights . . . . nothing new is really happening. Maybe a dog will chase me tomorrow or something else will happen to break the monotony. Who knows?
May 5th - It wasn't raining when I left for work - the sun even came out for a little bit. This made me think that the rain would not materialize today . . . . boy was I wrong. After work I headed north to Quantico in a steady downpour, all the while wishing I had fenders. That and anti fog glasses. Got a ride back to Fred, and upon arriving home jumped on the trainer to raise my body temp so that no illness would set in. All in all a good day, but this rain has to go.
May 6th - After tooling around for a while after work I decided to hit the park in search of some local racers who I could hopefully emulate and thus become a better rider. First I spotted Steve, but he had to rush home, so I could gain no training time with him. However, he informed me that Bill was deeper in the park. Upon meeting up with him I was initiated into the world of bookends. As he had a limited gear selection, I was able to catch him after his sprint, stay with him during the middle of the bookend, and chase once again during the last sprint. All in all it was a good experience. As I headed home I had to stop at GNC and eat a couple of protein bars - truthfully my legs felt shaky after commuting and bookending.
Hope to see a sunny day Saturday!
May 7th - Crazy winds today. I tried to find a route that would avoid the majority of the headwinds so I could recover . . . . it kinda worked. I found myself of roads with too much traffic which made me in turn go faster. I don't want to be burnt out later in the season. The good thing about today was that the sun did come out for a bit later on, so I extended the ride a little, going to Borders to look at different cycling magazines.
May 8th - Recovery day - shorter commute, then a ride to Central Park and back. There was one pretty interesting wreck on River Road, where a kid drove his car right off the road into the ditch/hill leading to the river. Also washed my helmet this morning in a hurry, and apparently didn't rinse it well enough. Suds and soap flavored sweat when I was really going hard.
May 9th - Ben, Joe and I led the way at the Massaponax Church Rd Classic this morning. Afterwards I had to work . . . . this sucked. Usually after a weekend ride I come home and piddle around in compression stockings . . . . not today. Kept busy at work, and afterwards I noticed I was smoked when I hit Central Park on the way home. A flat tire forced me to call for a ride. But later on, around 9 I got the itching to ride again, so I did a nighttime hour, finding the legs refreshed.
May 10th - After yesterday I thought I was in for a refreshing day of E riding . . . . wasn't meant to be. I heard that Joe and Gus had gone all the way to Richmond, so I knew Ben and I would have to at least spend some good time suffering lest our training fall behind. We did the White Oak loop, and then rode around Fredericksburg for a bit, hitting the hills at Fall Ave and on Cowan. Overall I had 50 some odd miles, not bad for a late starting ride. I'll most likely be a little off my game tomorrow, but hey, what better way to spend a mothers day?
May 11th - Time to recoup. Ankle felt a little weak after the last two days rides . . . . so I'm limping around, drinking protein shakes and dreaming of becoming a better rider. Rode only half of the commute today . . . . saw the police bike convoy on rt1 . . . . on their way to DC I guess. This sporadic rain is killing me . . . . hopefully it will dry up soon . . . .
In other news I picked up some new chamois cream . . . . after watching Bill slather up his chamois cream at the last race I decided to get some of my own. However, I'm working on a limited budget, so instead of buying some high tech cream, I went into the first aid kit at work and used some burn cream. After about 35 min of riding I noticed a pleasant numbness. At first I thought I was losing circulation to my vital parts, but upon closer inspection of the burn cream I found it contained lidocaine . . . if nothing else it was an interesting sensation.
May 12th - LSD ride. Still felt pain in the ankle. but its not too bad. Kinda chilly day even though the sun was out. Rode a little bit in the park. Not too much to report. Was a little dehydrated today, judging by the color of my urine. It it wasn't for the water fountain by the tennis courts I'd be toast . . . .
May 13th - Rode around the park after work, waiting to see who would show. I got there a little early and had a few miles in when I met Jeff, Bill, and Jinks, and later Ed and Andre. Did the hill sprint workout . . . . I'm tired as I write this. Lucky for me the guys are generous with the gu's and cliff bars . . . if not for that I might be in a severe bonk in a ditch somewhere. Thanks. Good luck to all racers this weekend . . . .
May 14th - Recovery ride, legs still felt good . . . . looking forward to this weekend.
May 15th - Seeing as I'll be riding back and forth tomorrow to the ride at MCR, and once there fending off attacks from experienced renegades and BWR'ers alike, I only did a minimal ride today. Tomorrow I'll get some big miles, and then do a LSD ride sunday.
May16th - It was an all around good ride - really nice to have the BWR guys out. After today I realized I need to work on being smooth overall . . . . the group rides are really to my benefit bc no one is around during a commute to correct me. Aside from that I was bored to tears for the rest of the day. I don't know that having the TT helmet made me any faster, but I sure as hell tried to be fast on the way home . . . .
May17th -Recovery day . . . . aside from the riding this weekend I've been bored . . . . after some riding today I decided to have a little bit of whiskey. So, after pouring a little bit and downing it I noticed it had no "bite", almost as if it wasn't alcohol at all. Then I realized my younger sister must have replaced the whiskey with iced tea or something last time she was home. So I peered down into the bottle to see some moldy growth developing, which made me a little sick to my stomach. I'll stick to spike shooters and protein shakes from here on out.
May 18th - Interesting day. Got the race info from Bill and Jeff . . . . . wish I coulda been there to show my true cat 5 spirit. Got a new set of wheels - they felt really smooth . . . . smooth enough that after tomorrow race I won't look forward to putting my old ones back on. Got cursed out by a older man driving a red truck, and then in the park when I passed an old man walking he threw a jab in my direction! I have to be careful about the people in the park . . . . they get into a zone out there amongst the civil war relics. Went by Bills, and then Ed's . . . . sorry to both you guys and your families if I smelled at all - commuting will do that to you.
In other news I must have developed some sort of illness from the "whiskey" I drank yesterday. I had no appetite, which is unusual for me, and couldn't manage to drink enough to get clear urine. Hopefully I'll be ok tomorrow . . . .
May 19th - Training crit - good race - it left me so tired that this will have to be a short post. It was nice to have another renegade face in the peloton. If only Joe could make it to the next one . . . . . the three of us might really hurt them then. The course itself wasn't too bad . . . . I ended up chasing and trying to get into a breakaway . . . . had a good chance when it was myself and two Natures Path guys. But working together doesn't really exist at the Cat 5 . . . . too bad for all of us. Riding back with Bill was another opportunity for me to learn . . . . next time I'll be more wise when it comes to "burning my matches", so B racers everywhere watch out !
May 20th - E miles, trying to recover. No easy task either . . . . I'll still be recovering tomorrow by the feel of my legs. But, it won't be in vain because I plan on doing a longer ride Friday in order to catch a bus from DC to NYC . . . . I'll be up north this weekend for a wedding, but I'll be back in Richmond next week . . . . hope to see more blue and white kitted riders out!
May 21st - Short ride today, because tomorrow will be long. Riding to DC after work to catch the bus outta Chinatown into NYC for the weekend. Will be back in time for the training crit next weekend . . . . just glad its not me getting hitched . . . . good luck to everyone racing and training this weekend!
May 22 - 23th - Rode to the nearest metro station after work on Friday. Got into NYC late that night, and didn't get much rest. Felt ok the next day, but with all the running around getting ready for the wedding I had to do a short ride. I'm staying in NJ, and the terrain is has alot more uphills, so I'm going to use that to my advantage. I'm looking forward to getting back to VA so I can resume my usual training regime.
May26th - After a couple of fays in NYC and NJ playing basketball, riding, doing wedding stuff and drinking I needed to come back to VA and settle back into a rhythm. Tonite was the Bryan Park training race . . . . I almost didn't go because the intense games of basketball I played left my legs quite sore. I did a little ride this morning, just to test the water . . . . I had decent form, but couldn't get my speed up to where it should be. The race went off well enough . . . . I ended up doing work in the front, but couldn't close as many gaps as before. Also, my bike computer malfunctioned before the race, so I was going using only intuition. The fatigue may have been a good thing for me, because I had to use what power I had wisely. All said and done I was happy, even though I sat up in the end . . . . . there is always next week. Big thanks to Scott for letting em catch a ride with him, and for the interesting convo during the trip.
Hope to see some BWR jersies this weekend and next week too!
27th - Legs felt good today, almost as if the race had flushed out some of the remaining fatigue. the original plan was to go to the park, but I needed to retrieve my old wheels so that I'm not always riding on the new ones. Got that done, came home and changed the cassette, and then it was about time for bed. Bill had spoken about how after a race sometimes it is hard for the body to shut down and sleep at night - I had a touch of that last night. Hopefully tonight will bring solid rest.
28th - Okay day - little bit of riding, little bit of resting, just to make sure the legs aren't taxed out this Sunday. Switched the wheels so now I'm using the older, heavier wheels . . . . kinda sad to not be riding in style anymore. It was also quite humid today with the showers coming and going . . . . . not really to much to report overall. Tomorrow is going to be a longer E ride type day so that I can get some saddle time in and get my mind prepared for the race this Sunday. I hope to bring some of my family out so that I can get them to cheer for BWR and Renegades alike . . . . .
29th - Nice ride today, even if part of it was in the rain. Big thanks to Bill for the vest . . . ! I actually though that it would rain for longer. The pattern seems to be that it will rain and then dry up quickly, leaving everything that much more humid for the next day. Tomorrows ride will be a shorter one to open the legs for Sunday . . . . .good luck to everyone racing, and see you then!
30th - Routine ride - shorter so that I can hold my own tomorrow. This week has been awkward for me - after my time in NY it was hard for me to get back into a decent rhythm.
I'm praying for good results tomorrow - it would be nice to tell everyone that I did well when they see me.
31th - Good job to Joe and Ken today. I had a good race, but in the end the podium places went to better men. Hopefully the guys from Rt 1 velo forgive me for egging them on during the race - sometimes I just can't help it. I get super excited during the races . . . . I'm glad that I now know I need a 53 - thanks Jeff for finally counting it for me. Had you not done that I would probably have ridden that crankset until it fell apart. So, it was a good race day, made better by Bens beer and getting to watch everyone else race. I'm going to recover as best I can tonight, e ride tomorrow, and then do my best to terrorize the B race on tuesday.
Livestrong Philly Challenge
All right you heartless bastages, I'll keep posting this till somebody eith joins us, or donates.
Guys, most of you know, Shelly has been sick since last June. We've been chasing this phantom for almost a year. Last week, we finally found the true source; cancer. So, I've decided to combine my two loves; Cycling and my wife (or visa versa).On August 23rd I'm going to ride the Philly Livestrong Century Shelly is going to walk the 5K. I'd love it if you would join our team; Clean the Pipes, by riding or donating. Here's the link http://philly09.livestrong.org/faf/login/teamPageEdit.asp?ievent=294753&lis=0&kntae294753=E094DEF9BD81480A857AD3DE78578A48&page=view.
Guys, most of you know, Shelly has been sick since last June. We've been chasing this phantom for almost a year. Last week, we finally found the true source; cancer. So, I've decided to combine my two loves; Cycling and my wife (or visa versa).On August 23rd I'm going to ride the Philly Livestrong Century Shelly is going to walk the 5K. I'd love it if you would join our team; Clean the Pipes, by riding or donating. Here's the link http://philly09.livestrong.org/faf/login/teamPageEdit.asp?ievent=294753&lis=0&kntae294753=E094DEF9BD81480A857AD3DE78578A48&page=view.
Friday, May 1, 2009
May Training Jordan
5/18-28: Tech Week Time Constraints
The past 10 days have been a really busy time. We are getting prepped and administering SOL tests, and then I have had rehearsal every night from 7-10 for the show. It has left precious little time to train, but what time I have had I have fortunately made pretty good use of. I only had one really bad day, Saturday, when I went out for a 4-hour ride and was struggling with hydration. I had 4 bottles with me, but I didn't adequately pre-hydrate in the hours before the ride, which resulted in the first ride of the season where I almost had to call the broom wagon to pick me up, I was that bad off. Later that day, I noticed the veins in my hands were about half their normal size, I was so tapped out of fluids.
I must have the art of recovery figured out pretty well, though, because the following day I went out for 2 hours and did 15 x 20sec x 5:40 rest sprint intervals and set a new PR for that duration. Also had a pretty good tempo ride on Monday, a shorter workout on Tuesday, and then a good 1.5 hours yesterday on the TT bike, which is feeling very comfortable. Looking forward to the race this weekend and the time trials coming up in June and July!
5/16-17: Apple Orchard Mtn. & TT Intervals
Went out to the BRP Saturday with my buddy Rodney today to introduce him to Thunder Ridge - a 13-mile 5.5% climb from the James River to the top of Apple Orchard Mtn. For Rodney, we hooked the powertap up to his bike and it was a 90-minute power test. For me, it was the only time I've ever ridden a sustained climb at a low tempo pace, shepherding Rodney to the top. We went part of the way down the other side and then, while he climbed at a sustained pace, I would do a hard effort, turn around at an overlook, roll back down past him, then repeat. So I did get a little bit of work. The best part was jamming down the other side at 40+ mph.
Sunday was cold and rainy, so decided to do some tempo riding on the TT bike. Popped Coach Troy into the DVD player and did about 56 minutes of efforts at approx. 300 watts - about 90% of road bike FTP, but in truth it felt a bit harder than that. Of course, 10 watts of that is lost through the drivetrain, and then factoring in the TT position and the fatigue from the previous 3 days, I think I can rationalize away the discrepancy in perceived exertion. Regardless, I'm still more powerful on the TT bike compared to the same time last year, and that's what counts.
5/15: Happy National Bike to Work Day!
Yesterday got to go out and do some decent up-tempo riding with my buddy Patrick - a true "hard man" in the world of cycling. When I asked him once why he doesn't compete, he replied, "Because I would be satisfied with nothing less than total domination." I was given two significant compliments while out on the ride. The first was when, about halfway through, as I was doing my turn at the front, he said, "Too fast." The second was when he told me that my improvement in speed had finally given him the motivation he needed to drop a few more pounds. I'm glad I can push that competitive drive in him, since he has helped me get faster over the years through our weekly hammer-fests.
Today was Bike to Work Day, and I was excited to ride the 19 miles to work this morning. I found a great route that snaked back and forth across the main road to work, so that I only had to ride on the main route for a total of 1 mile. The side roads were very quiet, and I was passed by maybe 3 cars the entire time. The route was gently rolling, allowing some good tempo riding, and it's nice to be able to combine commuting and training into one task - since it saves me about 40 minutes to do other things, like take a nap!
5/13: The LT says, "Drop and give me 2x20!"
It was surprisingly refreshing to actually do some structured training today, since last week consisted primarily of unstructured tempo and endurance riding (a welcome break after a weekend of hard racing). Going into the intervals I wasn't sure what to expect physiologically, but I knew I needed to go hard. I felt strong on the first one, but on the second one I was certain that I just wasn't putting down close to what I should have been. However, when I got home I pleasantly discovered that I only saw a 3% drop in power across the 2 intervals, and both were well into the upper realm of FTP (based on 330 watts):
Rep #1: AP 357 watts, 24.5 mph
Rep #2: AP 346 watts, 22.9 mph
5/4 thru 5/10:
My inability to blog this previous week is fortunately not indicative of the amount of training I was able to get in, but rather how busy my schedule has become between work, classes at the YMCA, training, and rehearsals at the theater. I figured that, given the choice between actually training and blogging about training, I should choose the first one!
This week has primarily been a return to LT and VO2 work, with some hard 3-8 minute efforts on the TT bike on Wednesday, Thursday off (my first completely off day since the Friday before Ephrata), then some sweet spot tempo on Friday. Saturday and Sunday were both primarily endurance, with 3 hours on Saturday (1 horu of sweet spot tempo) and 3.5 hours L2/L3 on Sunday. Saturday was oppressively humid - I lost 3 kilos of fluid weight during the ride. No wonder I felt like warm Jello by the time I was done. Sunday's ride was much, much better.
5/3:
Burrito Burrito Burrito! I learned a lot from racing at Fort Lee today. After looking at the corners, which were rather scary, I went into the race with the goal of getting on the front and out of danger. So I went hard from the gun, averaging 350 watts for the first 6 laps. While I at the front, I practiced what I learned from the Ephrata RR - slowing into the tight corners, then sprinting out of them, so as to accordion the field and make them suffer. This had the effect of shelling out quite a few folks, I think.
Then I settled into the front group, doing some work, marking some break attempts, and trying to get away with a few groups here and there. I got suckered into a couple primes, which was a mistake, since I burned some matches for nothing, really. In fact, the second one cost me dearly, and I dangled off the back for nearly 5 laps. I almost called it a day, but then my "inner Bill" yelled me back to my senses. I managed to chase back to the field, although by this time a 2-man break had gotten away. From there I actually found fresh legs, and was in the front group again as we approached 3 to go. Then at 2 to go, they rang the bell for the Burrito Prime! As we came around the corner, I could see that the front of the group wasn't really going for it, so Banzai!! I uncorked it, attacked, won the prime, got a gap! Unfortunately, I got caught on the backside of the course, but it was an awesome race!
5/2:
Wintergreen Race Report: I had a damn good TT. I wish I could say so good as not to get passed by Paul Buschi (I did hold him off for 10 mins - and kept him at about 15 seconds for another 10), or so good as not to get passed by Ted Michaels (I forget when that happened, but at least it was over quickly), or even good enough to beat Hosang (he had an "off" day, which for him means only 2:00 faster than me) but I did pass 2 guys in my group, and came within 4 seconds of my PR for the race (despite being about 3 kg heavier). Compared to last year, which was a debacle at 48:00, I was 5:40 faster, with a 42:20.
Okay, so enough with the negative; after all, I went into this TT with the intent of really testing FTP for both 20 minutes and then for the full 45 minutes (a bit shorter than the typical PLT time). So here is the "damn good TT" part:
The past 10 days have been a really busy time. We are getting prepped and administering SOL tests, and then I have had rehearsal every night from 7-10 for the show. It has left precious little time to train, but what time I have had I have fortunately made pretty good use of. I only had one really bad day, Saturday, when I went out for a 4-hour ride and was struggling with hydration. I had 4 bottles with me, but I didn't adequately pre-hydrate in the hours before the ride, which resulted in the first ride of the season where I almost had to call the broom wagon to pick me up, I was that bad off. Later that day, I noticed the veins in my hands were about half their normal size, I was so tapped out of fluids.
I must have the art of recovery figured out pretty well, though, because the following day I went out for 2 hours and did 15 x 20sec x 5:40 rest sprint intervals and set a new PR for that duration. Also had a pretty good tempo ride on Monday, a shorter workout on Tuesday, and then a good 1.5 hours yesterday on the TT bike, which is feeling very comfortable. Looking forward to the race this weekend and the time trials coming up in June and July!
5/16-17: Apple Orchard Mtn. & TT Intervals
Went out to the BRP Saturday with my buddy Rodney today to introduce him to Thunder Ridge - a 13-mile 5.5% climb from the James River to the top of Apple Orchard Mtn. For Rodney, we hooked the powertap up to his bike and it was a 90-minute power test. For me, it was the only time I've ever ridden a sustained climb at a low tempo pace, shepherding Rodney to the top. We went part of the way down the other side and then, while he climbed at a sustained pace, I would do a hard effort, turn around at an overlook, roll back down past him, then repeat. So I did get a little bit of work. The best part was jamming down the other side at 40+ mph.
Sunday was cold and rainy, so decided to do some tempo riding on the TT bike. Popped Coach Troy into the DVD player and did about 56 minutes of efforts at approx. 300 watts - about 90% of road bike FTP, but in truth it felt a bit harder than that. Of course, 10 watts of that is lost through the drivetrain, and then factoring in the TT position and the fatigue from the previous 3 days, I think I can rationalize away the discrepancy in perceived exertion. Regardless, I'm still more powerful on the TT bike compared to the same time last year, and that's what counts.
5/15: Happy National Bike to Work Day!
Yesterday got to go out and do some decent up-tempo riding with my buddy Patrick - a true "hard man" in the world of cycling. When I asked him once why he doesn't compete, he replied, "Because I would be satisfied with nothing less than total domination." I was given two significant compliments while out on the ride. The first was when, about halfway through, as I was doing my turn at the front, he said, "Too fast." The second was when he told me that my improvement in speed had finally given him the motivation he needed to drop a few more pounds. I'm glad I can push that competitive drive in him, since he has helped me get faster over the years through our weekly hammer-fests.
Today was Bike to Work Day, and I was excited to ride the 19 miles to work this morning. I found a great route that snaked back and forth across the main road to work, so that I only had to ride on the main route for a total of 1 mile. The side roads were very quiet, and I was passed by maybe 3 cars the entire time. The route was gently rolling, allowing some good tempo riding, and it's nice to be able to combine commuting and training into one task - since it saves me about 40 minutes to do other things, like take a nap!
5/13: The LT says, "Drop and give me 2x20!"
It was surprisingly refreshing to actually do some structured training today, since last week consisted primarily of unstructured tempo and endurance riding (a welcome break after a weekend of hard racing). Going into the intervals I wasn't sure what to expect physiologically, but I knew I needed to go hard. I felt strong on the first one, but on the second one I was certain that I just wasn't putting down close to what I should have been. However, when I got home I pleasantly discovered that I only saw a 3% drop in power across the 2 intervals, and both were well into the upper realm of FTP (based on 330 watts):
Rep #1: AP 357 watts, 24.5 mph
Rep #2: AP 346 watts, 22.9 mph
5/4 thru 5/10:
My inability to blog this previous week is fortunately not indicative of the amount of training I was able to get in, but rather how busy my schedule has become between work, classes at the YMCA, training, and rehearsals at the theater. I figured that, given the choice between actually training and blogging about training, I should choose the first one!
This week has primarily been a return to LT and VO2 work, with some hard 3-8 minute efforts on the TT bike on Wednesday, Thursday off (my first completely off day since the Friday before Ephrata), then some sweet spot tempo on Friday. Saturday and Sunday were both primarily endurance, with 3 hours on Saturday (1 horu of sweet spot tempo) and 3.5 hours L2/L3 on Sunday. Saturday was oppressively humid - I lost 3 kilos of fluid weight during the ride. No wonder I felt like warm Jello by the time I was done. Sunday's ride was much, much better.
5/3:
Burrito Burrito Burrito! I learned a lot from racing at Fort Lee today. After looking at the corners, which were rather scary, I went into the race with the goal of getting on the front and out of danger. So I went hard from the gun, averaging 350 watts for the first 6 laps. While I at the front, I practiced what I learned from the Ephrata RR - slowing into the tight corners, then sprinting out of them, so as to accordion the field and make them suffer. This had the effect of shelling out quite a few folks, I think.
Then I settled into the front group, doing some work, marking some break attempts, and trying to get away with a few groups here and there. I got suckered into a couple primes, which was a mistake, since I burned some matches for nothing, really. In fact, the second one cost me dearly, and I dangled off the back for nearly 5 laps. I almost called it a day, but then my "inner Bill" yelled me back to my senses. I managed to chase back to the field, although by this time a 2-man break had gotten away. From there I actually found fresh legs, and was in the front group again as we approached 3 to go. Then at 2 to go, they rang the bell for the Burrito Prime! As we came around the corner, I could see that the front of the group wasn't really going for it, so Banzai!! I uncorked it, attacked, won the prime, got a gap! Unfortunately, I got caught on the backside of the course, but it was an awesome race!
5/2:
Wintergreen Race Report: I had a damn good TT. I wish I could say so good as not to get passed by Paul Buschi (I did hold him off for 10 mins - and kept him at about 15 seconds for another 10), or so good as not to get passed by Ted Michaels (I forget when that happened, but at least it was over quickly), or even good enough to beat Hosang (he had an "off" day, which for him means only 2:00 faster than me) but I did pass 2 guys in my group, and came within 4 seconds of my PR for the race (despite being about 3 kg heavier). Compared to last year, which was a debacle at 48:00, I was 5:40 faster, with a 42:20.
Okay, so enough with the negative; after all, I went into this TT with the intent of really testing FTP for both 20 minutes and then for the full 45 minutes (a bit shorter than the typical PLT time). So here is the "damn good TT" part:
- Peak 20 minute average power: 367 watts (+19 W compared to last test)
- Average power (& normalized power) for entire TT: 350 watts (359 watts)
- Watts/kg for TT: 4.43
Needless to say, I am very happy with the numbers, even if my time was not a PR. On the flats, 365 watts for 20 minutes is a strong solo breakaway attempt. If I can drill it with enough juice to get a gap, that's the kind of power I need to win or place well in the crits. And 330 watts on the TT bike... well, let's just say that would be icing on the cake.
5/1:
Well, I'm Wintergreen bound on Saturday. Don't know what I'm thinking, but every year I come back for the pain. This year I will have the joy of getting passed by Paul Buschi (my 30sec man) and Ted Michaels (at 1:30). But with only 9 competitors in the 30-39 age group, it's a good opportunity to get in a hard workout and get some easy BAR points (I'm not trying to win the BAR, but I think I can finish up in the top 5).
Sunday will head out to Fort Lee for the Cat 4 crit, maybe get off the front and have some fun, hoping to add another top ten to the count, I think I'm up to 5, maybe 6, at this point. I didn't really focus on crits last year, so I'm hoping I can get 4 more and upgrade for the 2010 season.
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