The Training BILL-Who's footin' it?

Real pontification comes at the middle of the month! Gad Zukes!

12/1
I rotated the workouts and did the PE2s last night on the trainer. Of the 8 reps I was attempting, I was only able to finish 7 due to time. The first portion of the rep at 45rpms was nice and controlled for the three min, however the second three-minute segment at 85rpm was more difficult. Sure the power climbed to the top of the tempo zone, but my hip-flexor issues continue. The stretching is helping quite a bit, but those swollen nodes in the hip keep the area quite tight. In the AM, I did a complete upper body balance-ball/weights workout, followed by more serious core work. Talk about a way to burn off the body fat...The superset/balance format really exhausts the muscles. I'm doing the 20 min pre-eating before meals and the intake is shrinking a bit(about 200-220 calories worth). Slow and steady keeps the power.

12/2
I spent one hour on the rollers doing the SpeedIntervals. I really get mentally tired changing up every two minutes, but got the gear shifts down without much thinking. Fast music really helps! After that, I did a bodyrock.tv strength/cardio workout. Jenn did it beside me to see what all the hype was about. Sure she's beautiful, but Jenn saw how motivating and difficult the workouts were and finished about 60% before yielding. Thank goodness, 'cause I was fixing to quit and kept going so my wife wouldn't crush me. I quit after completing 63%! I added the abs for good measure. Ha-take that!

12/3
I got up early today to do an upper body workout. It was really nice to just work on arms and shoulders. It's Family Club at the Evans's tonight, so I will enjoy the recovery day for the legs. Here comes really cold weather!

12/4
Drinks(several)

12/6
You know it's cold when...You get an ice cream headache sipping your bottle, when the ice on the pedal keeps you from clipping in, and if only one other rider shows up for a ride(all true). Jeff and I went out for just about two hours and although it was only 38, the moisture and wind made it feel much worse. Over-stretched and skipping chain kept me from completing the PowerStarts. Still, it was great to chat with a highly motivated Jeff and get outside. I finished off the day with a complete Cyclo-core workout. Tuesday I'll be walking like Ken was last week.

12/7
Lifting-all upper body. Recovery everywhere else.****later**** I'm so sore I can't climb stairs. For someone who has no glutes, you'd never know it!

12/8
The time keeps getting away from me and the expectations of my job this time of year are taxing. I got up this AM at 5:15 to go for a nice run. The lights were beautiful and the weather was chilly and damp(28). I did 4.9 miles in about 43 minutes(no record there) strictly for fat loss/weight management. Never claimed to love running, but the moment I turned from Lafayette onto Caroline I was speechless. Yes, it was my turn for home, but the Christmas lights through downtown were great to run by-tunnel of light. I over-dressed at my core and need to seriously reup the H2O. Compression tech is on as I write. I've got to replace my SKINZ big time! Ken, where did you get your ZOOTs?

12/9
I met up with YoungGreg to get the PowerStarts done. I brought out the new bike and was pretty happy by the end of the workout. Why not happy from the get-go? It seems that with the old Seven frame flex, I learned to sprint differently. With the rocketship, I was having difficulty counter-steering the acceleration. Once I "rastled" the bike on-line, it was amazing. It was really fun riding with Greg and look forward to others meeting up for the Wed ride. I came home to do the bodyrock strength workout. I'm sure I'll feel that in two days.

12/10
I went out into the worst cold and wind combo of my year. I never really felt comfortable on the bike. I did three LT reps and the first one was all over the place. Wattage on the hills was about 375 and down to 175 on the backs. The second rep went much smoother and only fluctuated about 60 watts. The temps were steadily dropping and darkness was setting in for the last rep. I was ALL over the place on that rep and could not hold the wattage any longer. I pulled the plug midway through. I was a bit disappointed by the results of the day. I really think the gusty wind had some to do with the inconsistencies. I also know that it is early and that the body is nowhere near used to harder efforts, by design, at this point. I was still glad to have been able to ride outside. Abs to finish and tomorrow, complete recovery.

12/12
Boy is it cold! I did the speed intervals today on the rollers before venturing out with YoungGun and Steve. Steve and I did about 2 more hours at 14mph for some E mileage. Greg was doing his PE2s as good as you can off the trainer. Steve and I just chatted the ride away. The next thing I knew, we were already done with 1.5 hours. Never once was I even tempted to look at the clock. Last evening I dropped the front end of the TT bike down 1.5 cm. I brought the Allen wrenches and never needed them once. Yes, it was quite low in the front, but it was a simple transition to the position. No changes needed for the saddle, steering deck, or bars. It was like everything fell into place. Now after spending more than an hour in that position, I never had a sore neck, back, or hamstring. The leverage took some time to get used to, but it was a seriously aggressive and fast position. I was cruising easily in the mid E zone at over 20 mph on the flats. That is just plain faster than the previous set-up and I'm certainly glad I experimented with it. I did come home and eat the couch! It was all I could do to hold back consuming the Christmas tree.

12/13
OK, so like, once in band camp...I knew I had church all afternoon so I went down into the dungeon for some real fun. One major change this year over last is that I am adding a race intensity ride that is completely whimsical and unscripted. This was my day for the intensity. I certainly don't suggest this for everyone! A bike buddy loaned me a training video where you go on a route with a team and do what they do. It was chock full of different kinds of climbs. The major 7 minute climb I repeated twice for some added "ouch". I saw just how weak my LT is at this time and felt the strength workout pay dividends. I was a sweaty mess and loved every minute of it. Thanks for the loan Dave. The best part of the ride was at about 9:15, when Twister calls the house asking when the ride was. Keep in mind that it was pouring and 35 degrees. I just had to laugh. Nobody should take those kind of risks unless you are a Tigger and bounce. I'm more like Pooh at this time.

12/14
I started the day feeling a bit tired, but ended with a sudden burst of guilt(peppermint cookies) . It's amazing what motivates. I went to the gym and did a complete leg/arm workout. Weighted step-ups followed by bicep curls and tris. The negative step down was where the most struggle came-stepping back off the block slowly. And so it went. I would not go so far as to say I'm getting ripped, but my new fan-dangled bodyfat scale has me definitely heading the right way. When I got home, I did the PE2s. although I stopped to talk shop with Jinksy mid-way through. Everything felt great, but I am looking toward recovery tomorrow for certain.

12/16
I met up with Ben, Greg, Jack, and the Jinks for a PS workout. When Twister got to the shop we could not help to notice the destroyed front wheel. Jinks has pictures of the exploded Ksyrium rim. A hand-grenade would have done less. And the bulk of the damage occurred when he not even riding the bike. Jack has put some real excitement into this team for certain!!! The temps dropped quite fast and I found myself in a bad way with my hands. I had to do the right thing and head for home after 6 PSs. I did two more on the way home for a total of 8(out of 10) Not a complete wash, but it did take me a good two hours to get my hands feeling "normal".

12/17
Because of my power numbers this year, coupled with the experiences from the past years, I moved into my Jan. training at the begining of this month. Today I did the PE3s Modified. I combined two reps at a time without recovery(six total reps). The second time through, the power certainly drifted off, but I sorta expected some decline. By the middle, that drifting was more like flopping. I opted for the bottom of the zones. It was a struggle, but not terrible. I threw in an ab workout after the sweat dried. The recovery drinks tonight will be hoppy and barley rich. Add the MASH episodes and we might just have a perfect day!

Alright, time to cut to the real life behind this frakin bikeboy wannabee. I have plenty of time to wax about all of the "highs and lows" of training, but it's time to talk about HOW the aforementioned workout even became a reality. More interesting than the actual meaningless-to-others workout was the alignment of all things carbonic for me to even set chamois to the decrepit Aireon saddle. First, I had to complain after I got on the bodyfat scale(dang sweet/spicy pecans). After milking that for all it's worth, I had to offer to watch the kids(preemptive) while encouraging my wife to nap, write her book, and run errands. I played "Doggie daddy" for hours so the girls will know that dad is more than the guy who shaves his legs and locks himself in the dungeon. I would sneak down to pre-setup my bike, computer, shoes, and slip into my bibs, all in an attempt to maximize every sweaty moment in the basement. Even my riding socks were on during a quick trip to the lav. I certainly think all of this is more amazing and difficult then any actual time clipped into the Speedplays. AND it's the stark reality for a chance to step into the ring and throw knockout punches in a few months. Anyone who throws a leg over their bike without this much effort is...well...not the norm on this team.

12/18
I started the AM(my 1st day of Holiday break) with an upper-body weight routine. I'm certainly not a ProTour rider who is trying to loose muscle mass up top. For any racing I do, the "Jeff Brandon" body mass index holds true. Mean muscle mass/lower body fat is all I'm going for. Vein action is the goal! From there, I jumped onto the trainer for 2 hours of E time. Every 20 minutes I got off to do some core work. I watched a DVD of Scrubs and laughed all the way through 5 episodes. Good thing I did not need to concentrate on any fixed agenda. Hip swelling was pretty bad today as the fever has died down.

Phase two of my post is the "How was I able to get the workout time?!" In order to do this workout, I got up at 5:00 and lifted for 40 min. Then Gwyneth got up ready to play. I got her settled in with the wii and made all the breakfasts(including the wife's in bed). Then, I used the old-I'm going down to do the laundry and hop on the trainer while there-excuse. I did have to dismount about three times up reset the game/change controller batteries, but it was only for a few seconds. But hey...It's done!

12/19
It's our anniversary today, so the kids are staying down in Richmond for the weekend. Thus, I was able to go down into the dungeon guilt free. I did 2 hours and 15 min in the E zone. I went to NBC.com and watched 2 episodes of the classic 1978 Battlestar Galactica. Each was about 45 min, so I sat on the trainer to watch and then hopped onto the rollers for 15 min out of every hour. That change-up was all I needed to keep it fresh. My "undercarriage" is the only thing on the fritz. It looks like at least 4 more trainer days, unless I can get my cross bike back from Twister to ride in the snow.

12/20
Into the dungeon for another trainer workout. This time I did a hill workout with five total reps of 9 min. At various intervals within the rep, I would increase the power from 200 watts(mid-tempo range for me) up to 400+ watts by the end of the hill. It took me well over my LT by the end of the acceleration. This constitutes my weekly intensity day. I look at the benefit of this workout and the fun as well. The build up to the higher wattage went quickly, although not painlessly. Imagine the last laps of a crit when the effort grows and you still have to have the strength to sprint at the end. Or perhaps when the field surges for a time and then backs off a tad. I'll be ready with this workout! A side note; I was able to hold 440 watts for the final 30 seconds of each rep. The PowerTap reading seemed high when I was really getting it at the top. Then I would do a 8 sec sprint in a difficult gear. These were all in the upper 1400watt range except for the third which was 1508. This is the first time I have mentioned my wattage numbers and I only do so now to explain the progression in the work. Capped off the workout with fermentation intervals(FIs).

12/21
FIs

12/22
Today was the PE3 day and yesterday's recovery day was great. I just sat about, dug the car out twice, and lived the life of a pro. (I have no idea what that means.)Each rep today was combined with another w/o the recovery between. So 3 min at 50rpm, 3min at 75rpm and 3min at 100 rpm and repeated for one superset X 3 total supersets. The wattage was up to and including LT for the final 3mins at 100rpm. I watched Bryan Vaughn's Jeff Cup video and most of the final three min. reps at LT were at the time of the big 3 min climb, so that was about perfect for focus to shoot for where the top was verses counting seconds. I'm half tempted to race the Jeff Cup this year in the Master's. I'd only do it it several of my teammates did it as well.

When I got out of the dungeon, I did a complete BodyRock lower-body workout and my legs were fried. I did the Platinum set with 20 sec work to 10 sec recovery x 8 for each of 5 workouts. High knee skip-rope, Burpees(yes I was), jumping lunges, Deep Broad-jumps, and triple-jump Plyometrics. Yes, tomorrow I will attempt 3 hours of E on the trainer/rollers. I will hang up the bike for the three days after for a serious recovery and ultimate family time. Santa's almost here!!!

12/23
I just could not sleep last night! Too excited about Christmas and I drank a really hoppy beer(crazy dreams). So at 6am I went down to knock out a 3 hour E ride. I opted for Die Hard/Tour of CA to help me pass the time. Every 30 min I would jump off for some arm lifting. Finally pulled the plug at 2:53min. Yes, I could not even do the final 7 minutes because I was so uncomfortable(Dang Assos cream). Now I'm quite ready for a three day break. Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad to all!!!

12/25
My fever is at an all-time high and the joint fatigue is almost unbearable. At least we're back home so I can lay in MY OWN bed. See what the next two days bring.

12/26
Fever gone completely, but I'm walking around the house like a 90 year old man. If things go well, I'll be ready to ride in another day of so!

12/27
With the soreness in all of my lymph nodes, I decided go ahead and get out for the EPIC ride today. I'm so glad I went, for it was one of the most amazing rides I've done. The first two hours down toward Doswell was all about torque and riding the 53x11,12 most of the way. After that, it was spent easy spinning until we got back to Rozelle Store. There, we refueled with treats of all kinds. The final 45 min were spent playing KOM all the way back to FCS. The guys were hitting the first hills pretty hard, so my goal was to stay close after the first and then keep the pressure high immediately afterward so nobody could recover.

Then Jinks jacked it and Joe jumped over him. I came up and pushed it harder to see where everyone was. Jack jumped really hard on the long hill and all I had to do was to get over him. The final selection was made there for us and he and I were off the front with Joe/Jinks chasing. Jack and I went into team mode to share work and split all the KOMs equally. Twister could only use one gear, so we could not go too fast or our relationship would end and we'd both be caught by the boys behind. Toward the end, I was slightly picking up the pace and Jack stayed with it. It was good practice to see what it takes to stay away. The rest of the trip was just a pull from Jim Morris Rd back to town. I'd like to thank Ben, Gus, Ken, Dre, Jack, Jinks, Jeff, and Joe for being such great riding buddies. 2400kjs and lots of fun!

12/28
1 hour recovery ride on the rollers on my new bike with the appropriate crankset(finally)! I then lifted upper-body and did core. Legs feel great, courtesy of my brand new SKINZ compressions(thanks Jennifer).

12/29
Today was the day to work on explosive power by doing a dozen PowerStarts. The wind kept me indoors, which proves somewhat limiting for this workout. The resistance knob on my trainer was maxed out as I went into each rep driving the bike up to speed. However, on the trainer, it never gets up to speed, so I pull the plug at 8-10 seconds. I used Bryan Vaughn's race video of the CSC Invatational to help me with focus. Each lap was about 1:15, so I would do the sprint at the end of every two laps(time enough to reboot my PC system). It really felt like I was accelerating up into position, so it had double benefit(race awareness). I did a pretty heavy lower body strength training after a good recovery and a bit of calories to make the workout stick. Certainly I'm doing either more weight or reps, so that's progress on the small side.

12/31
Last day to post for 2009. My finale was yet another dungeon trainer ride. I did the Master's 35+ Reston Grand Prix. Really it was all muscle tension work w/ 2 short LT reps to open the legs. Tomorrow I am doing a ride down in Richmond, which should prove quite interesting given the people posting. I hope 2010 is safe and promising for all of the BWR guys.