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Back to this for a few days:
Like most cycling blogs, I suppose this one should include some comments about the weather as of late. It's been fine really. After the epic ride on monday, I ended up doing 5 hours yesterday and then today was a 2 hour ride mostly at recovery pace with two 15 minute tempo intervals out on the Paradise Lost loop. The wind was terrible. Just terrible, 17-22 mph gusting to 28. Once I got onto Woodley St. the tailwind was incredible, I was pushing a 53-14 on the rollers and flats into town at 138 bpm. The flurries hit around that point and it was kind of nice just coasting in listening to the new Arcade fire album, which is just as great and sublime as riding outside in somewhat adverse conditions.
On the homefront, my mom's been getting my suppliles for my trip ready, including a requisite trip to the Bike Dr. for vanilla Gu and Clif bars. Andrea responded to my questions about turning pro and it was pretty encouraging. From what I can gather, it's about exposure, friendliness, and results. This season should be about all three.
I love riding outdoors, again, even in the slush it just isn't that bad.
However, we just got dumped on tonight with more snowfall so I guess it will be back to riding the trainer for 3 hours a day until it gets nice out again. even though it is a training camp, I might just taper wednesday through friday in anticipation... Once indoors, I will no longer rocking the world champion's stripes which I wore everyday I've been outside, they really do make you faster: thank you ebay.
Oh yeah, here I am, looking well, yeah:
Today I rode outside, again. Only this time it was still snowing and there was slush and snow on the roads when I started. Despite the WNW wind, I headed down towards Sogn Valley to do some climbing work. 45 minutes into the ride I hit the first dry roads a few miles out from Dennison. And then Mark Krueger called me. He, like I just did not want to ride indoors. After giving him directions to Sogn Valley I continued on my way and eventually doubled back to meet him. Got in 4 hours today, the sun broke through the clouds for awhile and riding in a bright white mist/fog for a few hours today was awesome. I wasn't all that cold and Although I did some hill work, I wasn't as fatigued as I though I would be after 4 hours. 4 hour rides are definitely falling within my endurance ability. yes.
Mark and I descended and then climbed to the church where the finish of our collegiate race this spring. Then we climbed Sogn (I for the 2nd time). The two times I did it without going hard were in 5:20 and then 4:55. Those times arent too bad since Sean's early-season tests for Sogn were running 4:17/4:35 all out. Maybe I'll be able to outclimb him this year too.
Allright so I didn't post this last night, guess it's time for a picture:
This was my bb area, mostly ice encrusted. By the time I met Mark, my rear derailleur would not go past my 15 and I had about 3/4 of an inch encrusting my chainstays. Even the cranks collected ice and grit. Despite the freezing I didnt really have problems shifting or braking. Thank you Shimano
Friday, nothing
Saturday, 4.5 on the trainer mostly base with some standing climbing efforts at low tempo
Sunday 1 hour just to shake out the legs, some highspin intervals, all base pace
AR in two weeks. I feel good, just need to weed my way through my academic obligations
ciao
Today's ride ventured into epic territory despite being only 2:15 long. Mostly due to the weather (chillier than expected and windy) and the pace at times. I am tired. Tempo for at least 1.5 hours with the LT intervals, breaking away from the group of Jake Finn and Mike. Did the windmill twice, once as a warm-up (127bpm/1hour)then Northwest Passage in 1:10 (153bpm avg for hr2) and then windmill again (149bpm/3rd hour) and then a .5 hour cool down, part of it on the trainer.
After getting off Old Dutch, I got on the front and pulled a majority of the way to 86, doing an LT invterval from the top of the last hill to the turn for webster. After recovering I just got on the front and hit out on 86, 23 was recovery, windmill got faster and finally I took off to go for a solo 3 miles out from the townline sign, Jake and Finn came with. We ended with the Speedlimit sign sprint, all agreeing that it felt like a race, that it felt good, and that it was, well, awesome. Here's how it played out:
I took off thinking no one would come with. I look back and see Jake sitting on, I attack over the first hill to try and drop him. No such luck. By this time, Finn's with us. The pace drops. eyeballing. lots of eyeballing. Finn comes to the front/attacks, everyone sits on, he gets off I pull half way up the hill, Jake does a short turn, Finn attacks in the big ring, pulls everyone up the rest of the hill. Weak attack from me at the top before the descent, everyone sticks. Jake lets me get behind him, Finn starts the lead out 800 meters from the line, Jake goes I go, I get around Jake and gap him. Game over, sit down and power in for the win.
yes, the glory from the training ride sprints...
good ride had by all.
I chalk it up to a few factors: adequate base, chocolate milk recovery drinking, and 9 hours of sleep over the last few nights (to the chagrin of my roommate). Tomorrow should be a recover day, maybe an hour and a half easy on my own. Just finished d/l'ing the newest Modest Mouse album, should be good for a recovery ride. This weekend I hope it stays nice outdoors, so I can get in another 4 hours Sat and Sun.
3/4 of my profs have ok'ed my trip to Arkansas in a little over two weeks. Nice, two weeks. Hearing from and about my teammates has kept me hyper-motivated for the indoor training. Hope you all are riding back in WI, it's already been a 13.5 hour week for me here in the nolongergreatwhitenorth.
all done
ciao
So far in the outdoor season, I have already flatted 50 feet from leaving the front door and dropped my chain twice. Hopefully these are the only kinks that need to be worked out as I train.
Today was the second day of riding outside so far this year. Yesterday we had a group of ten: Finn, Jake, Peter, me, Sean, Andrew, Bria, Mark, and then Sue and Patrick from the Mike's Bikes club. It was pretty easy until we turned home, I put the hammer down, I couldn't help it, doing some zone 4/LT intervals and sprints. 1:50 outdoors and a 40 minute session on the old trainer after I got inside. In TX I chatted with a guy named Rob who sang the praises of being honest about base miles: after every effort, he'd see cliffs, nice consistent drops in his heartrate. I've begun to see that happening since I got back to school. Endurance is where I need to focus, and so far it seems to be paying dividends. As for the sprint, that wasn't really a problem in yesterday's ride, 2/2.
Today was a leisurely 4 hours ride, 3:45 outside, 15 inside. avg hr 135 so that was spot on. I went out Old Dutch to the frontage, through Webster and then intsead of cutting down to Lonsdale, I took the long way back. 320th/70th street on the way back was well worth it, 6 miles of new pavement, washed light gray from the salt and winter, but perfect nontheless. No real hard efforts today, max hr of 162. When doing endurance work, for some reason I love riding into the wind, it forces one to go slow, to really work and focus on technique.
Speaking of technique, I've also gained some power from fiddling with my bike fit. I've raised the seat a good inch or so over the last month, and it's starting to feel really comfortable, I might need to go to a 120 stem, but we'll see. Arkansas is only 2.5 weeks away. wow. Should probably get back to school work and get to sleep at a reasonable hour tonight (being a damn college kid and all).
get outside
Managed to get in 7 or so hours of bike time in over the weekend and an "hour" ski, most of which was spent jawing as the tracked trails were just a little too gravelly for Finn, Peter, Nolan, and I. Monday was an off-day and just took it easy, the somewhat habitual 20min wakeup spin. Tuesday I spent 4.5 hours on the trainer, with two 5 min LT intervals. other than that all my trainer time is endurance pace. I really don't mind doing hours of endurance pace, it's what I need the most work on anyway. Tonight was only another half-hour spin, tomorrow hopefully will be another epic session as I don't have class Tuesday or Thursday. For the weekend it'll be 3 hours Friday, maybe Saturday and an epic Sunday, monday off.
Classes are going well, today I learned how ordinary people can torture other people, both method and transformation for my social psych class. It's a solid class, where we'll study the principles of social psych and apply them to the events at Abu Grhaib prison a few years ago. My great-books prof ok'ed my trip to AK and it's one of the greatest motivators to continue to ride the trainer.
In fact, last year I was so new and did not keep any training records, I feel so much fitter this year coming into the season. I have definitely put in way more endurance work (since I know what I'm doing for the most part this year) and have a year of racing under my belt. My only early-season goal so far is Hillsboro-Roubaix and some consistent collegiate results. I don't plan on having any major peaks this year, if it happens, it happens: my superweek peak fell into my lap last year. Hot Dog, Hillsboro-Roubaix sounds like one of the coolest races I have ever seen, 22 mile loop, 3 laps for cat 3's, 1.5 miles of paved brick roads, then shoddy, winding forest roads with short power climbs, and open flat roads through cornfields, sounds perfect.
My weight is also great, I'm hovering at 182-3 which is really only a pound or so away from my post-superweek weight I maintained (riding at 178 during superweek). I'd like to get down to 178 eventually, but it'll have to come from my upperbody, like arms.
This post has gotten long enough
ciao
I am up way past my supposed bed-time. This first week of the new semseter has rolled through rather quickly, I'm only averaging an hour and fifteen on the trainer so far, hopefully I can get a whopping NINE hours in over the weekend, with a rest day, one hour day on monday...we'll see. Homework isn't too bad and having class on MWF only is really quite a benefit. Come spring, I'll save my TTh's for endurance, and when the sun stays out long enough, same with MWF, after 1:30.
Texas was a thumbs up experience. Pictures to follow, for now it's time to read some Doestoyevsky and I am too tired to spell correctly.
Ciao
