A Cycling Life

Florida Cycling Hall of Fame: Nominations Needed For the Cycling Hall of Fame

2008-02-17T20:47:00.000-06:00

Florida Cycling Hall of Fame: Nominations Needed For the Cycling Hall of Fame

I would like to recognize and /or nominate post mortum my son(Sean Livesay) as a Hall of Fame recipient for his love and passion of the sport of mountain biking.Sean was so focused on the sport that he lost 140lbs to pursue his dreams.
A quick look into his short history and conversations with his peers,will support this nomination.(google: Sean Livesay for more info)
I can supply more info upon request.Thank you for your consideration.
Successfully Yours,
Stan Livesay...email stanlivesay@earthlink.net

T-Max...Torture to the Max

2007-09-01T22:13:00.000-05:00

This has been one of the best training weeks I've had in a long time. Why is that, you ask? Well, for starters I got in my all my hours. Second, I got in some good intensity work with 3 successfully completed interval sessions. One of those interval sessions was something new called T-Max intervals. What are T-Max intervals, and what is so special about them?

What makes these intervals different is that they are tailored to your ability...from the wattage number you do the interval at, to the length of the interval.
Here's the lowdown...

First, you've got to find out what your peak power output, or T-Max, is. To do this you do a graded type of test. You start out at 100 watts and then add 30 watts every minute until you collapse. Whatever your wattage was at the moment you stopped is your PPO (peak power output). After a day or two, go out and ride as long as you can at your PPO. For those of us who are mortal that will be between 4-6 minutes. We're almost done here. The last step in setting up your new interval is to multiply the amount of time you could ride at your PPO by 60% (0.6). That figure is your T-Max work interval. For example, if you rode for 5 minutes, your work interval would be 3 minutes. Double your work interval, and that number is your recovery interval. Using the above example... 3 minutes on, 6 minutes off.
Now all you have to do is go out and put yourself in the pain cave and do the work. The ultimate goal is to do 8 efforts, but don't feel bad if you can only do 3-4 for a while. From what I've read these are some of the most painful and hardest training sessions you'll ever do.
Now why should you bother with these particular intervals? They'll make you fast and fit...and in a hurry. Significant changes in fitness were observed within 4-6 weeks. I only just started doing them so I can't tell you much from personal experience. I will tell you this though, they hurt like a mofo. I completed 3 efforts and went for a fourth, and about a minute and a half into the fourth effort I collapsed... spectacularly.

Between the T-Max intervals, and 2 lactate clearance sessions, I was in the hurt locker this week. It's all good though. That's the thing about doing intervals/high intensity efforts. They hurt like hell while you're doing them, but afterwards you almost feel good about having pushed yourself beyond your comfort zone.

I leave for Las Vegas on Wed, and even though I'm gonna take my road bike out there, I'm gonna try and get as much riding in here as possible. I'd like to think I could get in 4hrs by Tuesday. That will give me almost half my hours in before I leave. I'm gonna ride with a buddy while I'm there, and I don't doubt that there are plenty of places to ride and accumulate some hours, but I'm not gonna take any chances. When I come back I'll only have a few days before my race in Tallahassee.

Suffering 101

2007-08-28T08:09:00.000-05:00

The motivation for getting out on long rides has really taken a hit with all this hot weather we've been having. I came up short on hours again last week, although I did have some good rides. This week I think I'll fare better as I'm already up over 3hrs for the week and it's just Tuesday.

I've learned of a new interval that I'm really anxious to try. It takes some testing to figure out the exact wattage and interval time though. As I understand it, these intervals will make you fast and send your v02max into the stratosphere...if you survive. They are supposed to be quite painful. From what I've experienced so far, they're right. We'll see though. I'll be trying them for the first time tomorrow or Thursday.

Mmm, lactate

2007-08-23T21:01:00.000-05:00

Tried those lactate clearance reps again. I tried a different line of attack this time, and conducted them on the trainer. I thought that maybe I might fare better under more controlled circumstances...ie, no hills, headwind/tailwind to contend with. While I didn't get my wattage where I really wanted it, I think I have to call the workout a success. My numbers were all within 10% of my range, so it was a good effort. They hurt, but they were good.
I think one of the problems I incurred on my first attempt was that I went out way too hard. I was hitting initial peaks of 600+ watts, and for such a short violent effort, it was too much with too little recovery. If I'm to do these outdoors I need to not throttle it in the opening seconds.

On a different note, as of yesterday I have logged 5000 miles for the year. What a step up from last year. I logged just over 4200 miles all last year. The difference in mileage is quite evident in my fitness and overall ability.

Stupid is, as stupid does

2007-08-21T11:23:00.000-05:00

After bagging on Monday's planned ride due to feeling kinda wiped, today was to be my first ride of the new week...the first interval session to boot.

Have you ever had one of those moments where, in retrospect, you should have listened to what your body was saying? When the alarm went off I stirred ('woke up' is too strong for what I did this morning), and began getting my helmet, gloves, glasses, etc. I'd at least like to say that the spirit was willing, but that would be a lie. When it came time to grab the bike off the rack so I could air up the tires I just stood there staring at the bike, having a conversation with myself. It went something like this...

Sean 1: Ya know, I'm kinda tired. Why not go back to sleep and do the ride later this afternoon?

Sean 2: That's not gonna work. A) there's the usual work issues on Tuesday night, and B) you know that afternoon interval sessions don't go as well as morning ones do.

Sean 1: Ok, then what about doing them tomorrow morning, and just get a ride in before the meeting tonight?

Sean 2: I hate to break it to you genius, but that won't work either. We're scheduled to do a long ride tomorrow afternoon with Joe and if we do intervals in the morning we'll be smoked come tomorrow afternoon. And we can't do them on Thursday morning either, because after 3-3 1/2 hrs Wed afternoon I can guarantee that it would not be pretty. Suck it up and lets go!

Sean 1: Fine. Whatever. [grumbles incoherently]

I manage to get myself to my riding location, and once I start riding I wake up and feel pretty decent. I take an extra few minutes for my warm-up, pushing it to 20 minutes. I even throw in a few fast accelerations since today's workout is going to be...violent, for lack of a better term. What kind of workout could be that bad? Lactate tolerance reps.

If you use a power meter, the effort is done in what is known as the CP1 zone...which is your 1 minute critical power (the fastest 1 minute you can do) +/- 5%. For me that zone is 503-557 watts. You're supposed to do 3-5 sets of 4 reps of 30-40sec, with your recovery interval being half of your work interval. That means 15-20 sec of recovery in between reps. That is followed up by 5 minutes recovery between sets.
On paper it doesn't sound too bad, but let me assure you that they are evil.
I am shooting for the 40/20. I do the first one, don't feel too bad, spin easily for the 20 sec, start the 2nd rep and it is immediate and total meltdown. Let's try 30/15 instead. I got 2 reps completed before the check engine light came on. That was it, time to abandon. I was already out there, so I figured I might as well salvage something out of this ride, and decided to get 1.5hrs in total. Let me tell ya, that last 45 min was tough. I was tempted several times to just lay down in the road and let a truck run me over and put me out of my misery.

Next time that I don't sleep well and my body is trying to send a message, I'm gonna pay a bit more attention.

8 days a week

2007-08-20T10:54:00.000-05:00

Last week had to be one of the hardest weeks I've had, with regards to getting my hours in. Since it's been so blasted hot I've been less than inspired to go out for any really long rides. As a result, I had to push it right thru to Sunday. I got my hours in, but just barely.

My plan, as I originally mapped it had me doing another 2 weeks of Base, but I've decided to cut that short by 2 weeks and move back into race specific intervals.

So...back to the pain.

Par-tay

2007-08-18T20:54:00.000-05:00

Nobody can say that us normally uptight XC race geeks can't let our hair down and get crazy once in a while. The conclusion of the Snowmass finals brought about a 80s themed, post NMBS soiree. For some of the pros it'll be back to business for the World Championships in Slovenia and a pre Olympic test event in Beijing.

Behind the eight ball

2007-08-16T22:17:00.000-05:00

It's been a heck of a week for getting my hours in. It's Thursday, and I have a whopping 4hrs so far...and I'm supposed to log 9.5 for the week. You do the math. It has been so friggin' hot that I've not really been that motivated to go out for 2 or more hours in one shot. I think I'm gonna have to do some 2-a-days for the remainder of the week.

Today was a great ride. Joe and I rode to the town of DeFuniak Springs so he could drop some papers off to his wife. We were supposed to meet her at 6:45pm, which would give us about an hour's worth of daylight to get back to the car. It shouldn't have been a problem. It took us just over 50 minutes to get there, so the return trip should not have been a problem...but you know what they say about the best laid plans of mice and men. She didn't show, and didn't show. After numerous attempts to reach her on her cell phone, we find out that she had just gotten off work and was at least 45 min away from DeFuniak. It was 7:15. There's no decision to be made...we can't wait, we've got to roll.

It was gonna be up to me to set the pace that would get us back before it was totally dark. The terrain is rolling, and while the hills are not long, they're steep. On the way out, I had dropped Joe on the first climb, and he didn't catch back on until I stopped to wait for him.This is why I was gonna have to do the bulk of the work.

The first couple of hills I'm not doing well, I feel like I'm bogging down. At this point Joe is hanging right there with me and I'm glad that one of us is feeling good, cause we're gonna need someone to get us back fast. A few minutes later and my legs come around. We're on of the longer climbs and I didn't really realize that I had done it, but I made an acceleration, and I heard Joe make a weird sound. I thought he had made a bad shift and was grumbling over it. I later learned that sound I heard was him cracking. I had a good gap on him over the hills, and when I hit some flat ground I slowed my pace for him to catch back on.

Once he was back on I kicked it into overdrive and let him hold my wheel. I don't know if it was the motivation of not wanting to get stuck out on the road in the middle of nowhere with it being pitch black or what, but I was cruising. I was like Superman. It's the kind of day that you hope to have come race day.

Ohh, and even though it's been since 2005 that Joe last competed, I am going to relish the satisfaction of cracking a Semi-pro.

Now, if you'll excuse me...between bouts of gloating, I've got to figure out how I'm gonna get 5.5hrs of riding in between tomorrow and Sunday.

Las minute save

2007-08-14T09:12:00.001-05:00

A new week has started, and with it another big week of miles, miles, miles. Originally I was going to do a full month of Base, but I've been thinking that might be a little overkill. I'm tossing around cutting that number in half. Right now I'm leaning in that direction, but I'm gonna see how things go this week.

For those keeping score, I managed to scrape together my miles last week. After Friday's death march I thought I was just gonna have to scratch those last hours. Fortunately, an impromptu late afternoon ride on Saturday with my neighbor changed all that.

Gettin' it done

2007-08-12T09:43:00.000-05:00

If you've been following the saga of embattled '06 Tour De France winner Floyd Landis, then you know he committed to race the Leadville 100. Originally, Lance was gonna do it, and then right after that Floyd came on board. Lance bailed on it, but Floyd kept to his word.

Well, yesterday was the big day. I'm thrilled that Floyd went out there and took care of some business. Despite a crash and a flat, he finished in 7:00:30, only 2 minutes behind first place. The crash happened early in the race, and as I understand it, the flat came near the end. That flat may very well have made the difference between 1st and 2nd. There's no denying it, the man has some skills.

I would love to see Floyd do more mtb events when/if he's cleared, but considering the lack of money in mtbing I can't blame him for going back to the road side.

Running on empty

2007-08-10T22:22:00.000-05:00

I don't know if it was the heat or the hours I put in yesterday, but today was the hardest 1.5hrs I've ever done. All I was doing was some endurance paced stuff, but by the 1 hr mark I was starting to wither. Right now I'm tired...tired like I am after a 3+hr ride.

I was supposed to be finishing up my week with a 3hr ride tomorrow, but I don't think that is gonna happen. I might have to push that final ride to Sunday,

The end of an era

2007-08-10T22:05:00.000-05:00

The Armstrong era has well and truly come to an end. Team Discovery Channel is folding up camp. Tailwind Sports cites the current status of pro cycling as the reason that they are pulling out.

There are those that feel it is a case of "good riddance", due mainly to the tired argument that Lance doped, Bruyneel's leadership, yadda, yadda, yadda.
Despite your feelings about Lance or US Postal/Discovery Channel, losing one of the winningest cycling teams in the history of the sport...and it being the only US based ProTour team is not good for US cycling or cycling in general.
You certainly can't dismiss this based solely on the team's ethics, or lack of. There's not one team out there that doesn't/hasn't had its problems. What does it say in the bible?..."let ye who is without sin cast the first stone." Losing teams, any teams, is not good for the sport right now. I consider myself an optimist, but there's no denying that pro cycling is on the ropes right now.

Here's hoping that the worst is behind us.

One year anniversary

2007-08-09T20:52:00.000-05:00

This time last year I took possession of my very first road bike...a 2006 Giant TCR C3. In that time I've made a few additions/changes, including a couple of saddle swaps, and a Power Tap power meter (which I love!)

It's been a great bike. I've not had any problems with it and I've logged almost 7000 miles since getting it. Living in pancake flat Florida I've found out that with my compact crankset I am severely undergeared. I notice it most on group rides and the Tuesday Worlds. Other than that though, I don't have any complaints.

Hell

2007-08-08T22:09:00.000-05:00

We are in the midst of a full blown heat wave...complete with heat advisories.
Try training in this weather. It ain't fun.

Race schedule addition

2007-08-07T10:45:00.000-05:00

I've just added a new race to my calendar. The Piney Hills Classic, held in Ruston, La. sounds like it should be a blast! It's a 2 day stage mtb race. On Saturday there is a Time Trial and Short Track race, and then on Sunday is the XC event. Since watching the STXC at Sugar Mtn I've been eager to experience the pain of a short track event, and this looks to be my chance.

It's the last weekend of October, and as such will most likely be my last event of the year. It should be fun.

Sponsor update

2007-08-07T10:41:00.000-05:00

I'm thrilled to announce that I've picked up a new sponsor for the remainder of the '07 season. Dedicated Athlete will be helping to fuel me at my races. DA make some great products, with their Rapid Recharge recovery drink being probably the best recovery mix on the market.

It begins again

2007-08-06T11:02:00.001-05:00

After what amounted to a week off, I'm back to business. Today I start rebuilding for the remainder of my season. Since I've not had any weeks over 8hrs in well over a month, I'm gonna do a couple weeks of Base to rebuild my aerobic capacity. I originally had a full month of it planned, but I think that might be a little overkill. I think I might go for 2 weeks of Base, and see how things are at that time.

Photo bloggin'

2007-08-03T01:52:00.000-05:00

First up, Mt Snow...

Pro Men's XC

Shimano Tech support, working on a shifting problem on my bike.

Sugar Mtn...

Pro Men XC

Some downhill action

Pro Men STXC

Pro Women's STXC

Slippin' and Slidin' at Sugar

2007-07-31T02:30:00.001-05:00

Ok, I'm finally at some internet access...access that actually has some speed to it.
How 'bout we get to the gory details of my race at Sugar Mtn? I had returned from Vermont with the hopes that things would be dry for the NC race, as I'd had more than my share of wet riding. Alas, that was not to be. In any event, I was looking for some redemption after some bad juju got the better of me at Mt Snow. I didn't get to pre ride the course until late Friday afternoon, but as I was already familiar with the course, it was no big deal. There were some changes, but nothing too dramatic.

I was quite surprised when I came around the corner and saw this. Not exactly the kind of stuff you expect to see on/near a cross country mtb course.

There was some mud in attendance on the course, but the climbs were all rideable. The techy descents were kinda iffy. If the course dried any at all, the technical parts would be rideable as well.

Wouldn't you know it...it rained in the early hours Saturday. What you had been able to ride the day before, now had to be walked, unless you wanted to expend valuable energy trying to pedal up it. This race was about getting across the finish line first, not about your ability to clean a muddy climb. You burn to much energy getting thru the mud and you might not have anything left for the rest of the race.
The race starts well, in fact, I get the holeshot. I came to my senses though, and backed off the gas a bit. Getting the holeshot, only to crack 15 min later was not in my race strategy. A couple guys come around me, and at this point I'm more than willing to let them go, but keep them in sight. This race is pretty tough, in that the steepest climbs are at the beginning of the course. There are three steep pitches within the first mile or so. By the second pitch I notice the leaders are starting to get a gap on me. The legs are feeling a little heavy, and I just can't produce the effort to reel the front guys in. My effort keeps the rest of the pack off my back, but I just can't close the gap...in fact, over the course of the first lap the gap grows to the point where I've lost sight of the leaders.

I'm nearing the section where the course levels some, and I notice that one fella is riding back up to me. I dig deep to get over the last of the climbing so I can recover and gain some speed on the flatter ground. My effort works and I don't see that guy again. I motor up the last big climb, and while not as steep as the early stuff, it is a real kick in the nuts, as it just keeps going and going. Once you get to the top though, you're pretty much home free. A little singletrack, and a few rolling paved/gravel roads and you're ready to descend down the mountain so you can repeat the pain...I mean process.

I had originally hoped/planned to ride as much of the techy stuff as possible, but the rain had really messed that up. What had been good lines the day before were no longer the good lines. The "lines" were just that...lines. A tire wide groove thru greasy, sticky black mud. If your wheel went out of the groove, then you most likely would lose momentum due to sliding out, catching a rock/root, running into a tree, or a combination of. If you stop and/or crash, then the chances of remounting were slim...so it then becomes time to do your best cyclocrosser impression.

It made me feel better that some of the pros had to "hike-a-bike" it as well.

I make it thru the last technical section intact, and then I'm rewarded with a fast, if slippery, descent to the base of the mountain...so I can do it all over again. Hitting the climbs a second time, I can feel that my legs are slowing down more and more. I maintain a decent tempo, but my legs don't have the snap that I'm used to. By the time I hit the final long climb I'm spinning just trying to keep a rhythm going. I may have been stronger than I thought, as I never ever saw any of the guys behind me, but I sure felt slow and tired.

The straightaway to the descent finally appears, and now all I have to do is ride smart and not make any stupid mistakes. I'd still like to hit the good lines and ride most of the hard stuff, but I certainly won't risk too much on this last lap.

I catch onto the wheel of a rider from one of the younger classes and ride behind(not for lack of trying to get around him though) him to the finish line.

As I cross the finish line, I hear the announcer say that I was in 4th place. All things considered, getting a podium spot didn't hurt my feelings at all. Imagine my surprise though, when I'm standing at the awards ceremony and they call my name for 3rd place.

Yep, a bronze medal.

My podium spot at Sugar was redemption for Mt Snow. If I had been at 100% form/fitness I have no doubt that I would not have let those guys ride away from me on the first lap...but, that's racing. Sometimes you've got it, and sometimes you don't. I fought hard that day, and had to dig deep to get the placing I did. It is a result that I am as pleased with as any win I've had to date.

This week will be a transition week, where I won't do any structured training. When I ride, it will be purely for fun. I've also got to plan out the remainder of my 2007 race schedule. There are several races to choose from over the next few months.

Ohh, I've also got one hell of a cleaning job to do on my bike.

I sprayed off my bike after the race, and it is still dirtier than it gets in 3 months of riding here in Florida.

Over the next few days I'll post pics from both races.

In between

2007-07-26T17:44:00.000-05:00

I haven't dropped off the face of the planet...I'm currently stuck in dial-up hell. That's why I haven't added any more pics, but I'll do it as soon as I can poach some wi-fi.

I've been taking it really easy this week, as my legs were pretty sore after Vermont. The good news is, the legs are back to normal. Yay!
Tomorrow morning I'll be heading over to Banner Elk for the Sugar Mtn NMBS race. It looks like conditions will be kinda damp, but it can't be any worse than Mt Snow was, so it's all good.

US National Mudfest

2007-07-21T18:57:00.001-05:00

My pre-ride on Thursday was messy, to say the least, but it was nothing compared to race day. On paper, conditions should've improved. The rain had stopped in the wee hours of Friday morning, and the sun came out. Unfortunately, this made the course even nastier. Thursday, the mud wasn't too much worse than dirty water, but Friday the mud was the consistency of peanut butter.

The fire road climbs were the only sections that benefited from the sun coming out. Even then there were a couple sections that the steepness combined with the mud meant that you were "hike-a-biking" it.

I probably spent 20 or so minutes per lap walking/running my bike. Thank God the organizers reduced our race down to 2 laps...I could not imagine doing that course (in that condition) 3 times, or even the original 4.

My race didn't go as I had envisioned it. Not 50 ft from the line I go down...right in front of LOTS of people. My drivetrain locked up. My chain hung up or something and I came to a stop as if I had grabbed my brakes. Actually, it was the second time it happened within 50ft, but the first time I was able to keep moving and get the chain freed/unhooked. I get up and check my bike over, and I don't SEE anything wrong. No visible chainsuck or anything, so I hop back on the bike and try and catch back on to the group that is almost a minute ahead of me.

I try not to panic and up my pace so high that I crack, but I still manage to reel a few people in on the climb. Thru the first "techniclimb"(credit for that term goes to Adam Craig) and I'm like WTF? Why am I all over the place? I had been so focused on my drivetrain when I fell, and subsequently trying to catch my competitors that I failed to notice that I'd jacked up my handlebars, and they were crooked. I stop and have to use my multitool to get my handlebars straight. Meanwhile, guys are going past me. Dammit! I get going again, but by this time my HR is not where I'd want it to be...all the drama has me all flustered. Gotta calm down and focus on the race. Just pretend like all this crap didn't happen.

At every climb I catch riders, so I'm doing pretty good. Something that will haunt me thru the entire race though is some overly worn cleats. I either had trouble clipping in, or my foot coming unclipped...always at inopportune moments. I knew they were worn before the race and I had a spare set, but I didn't want to change them out last minute and risk positioning them wrong and causing me some knee pain or somethin'. In retrospect I should've put them on. It was frustrating, because I was doing really well at riding the techy stuff, but if I had to hop off for whatever reason and then I wanted to hop back on, and clip in while moving. Try bobbing over rocks and roots trying to clip in and not bust your ass. I was constantly stopping and starting because of it.

The mud was really taking its toll. Riding, walking, it all sapped the energy out of you. The mud was so thick and sticky in places that I almost walked out of my shoes on several occasions. I make it thru the first lap more or less unscathed, but I have no idea where I am in the standings.
The second lap is a carbon copy of the first lap, without falling in the starting chute. The final insult added to the injury was some cramping. I could pedal without cramping...only the hardest low cadence efforts brought on the twinges of pain. It was the walking that really hurt, and of course there were places I had to walk.
The cramps subside with about 10-15 minutes to go and provides me with the opportunity to drop the hammer as I head for the finish line.

Even with all the drama I finished 18th out of 29 riders. What I am most pleased about is how well I rode the technical stuff. Many of the techy descents I was just bombing down them. Two weeks ago if I had seen pictures of the technical areas I would've said I'd be walking them...no way would I ride that stuff.

It was a hard race, but I'm glad I did it, as it ended up being a personal victory. Who knows how well I would've placed if it weren't for all those annoyances.

I have pictures from the weekend, and I'll post them when I get a chance.

Vermont...

2007-07-18T19:11:00.001-05:00

Foggy, rainy, Vermont.

It has been raining all dang day. Yesterday was nice, but I was doing some sightseeing and didn't pre-ride the course. I would've slipped in a ride today, but I was trying to install some more appropriate tires for the conditions, and it didn't go as planned. So... tomorrow, in between the rainstorms I'll fit in a lap or two.
I'm holding out for an improvement in the weather before Friday @ 11am.

The Emperor's New Clothes

2007-07-09T21:07:00.000-05:00

My new kit finally came in. If nothing else, I'll at least look like I know what I'm doing.

Morning Cup O' Pain

2007-07-09T12:48:00.000-05:00

My pre-race taper began last week and continues this week with a modest 5.5hrs. I had another successful workout today. I don't know what it is, but since last week, all of my interval sessions have gone off like clockwork. The only thing I can think of is that I have more energy in the morning. In the past, my afternoon attempts at doing intervals have met with mixed results.

I'm just gonna accept it, and not ruin a good thing... I'll keep doing all my intervals in the morning.

I leave Thursday for NC for a couple days, before continuing my drive up to Vt.

London Calling

2007-07-07T18:54:00.000-05:00

With a max wattage like that, perhaps I should be racing the Tour!

Ok, so should I call Bullsh*t, or do you want to?
I would love to think that I could hit a max of almost 2000 watts, but alas, that number was an aberrant reading.

Ohh well, there goes my chance of mixing it up with Tom Boonen and Robbie McEwen.

On a completely unrelated note... Today I finished up my week with Anaerobic Capacity intervals. It's been a great week on the bike! I successfully completed all my workouts, which is something I've not done in a long time.

Anaerobic Capacity intervals:
Warm up- 20min <68%
Ride- 3x2min 135%
Recover 1min between sets
Easy pace-3min <68%
Ride- 3x1min 150%
Recover 1min between sets
Easy pace- 3min <68%
Ride- 3x30sec 200%
Recover 1min between sets
Cool down- 15min <68%

Now it's time for a much deserved break. Next week I'll only do 2 interval sessions, one of which will be some hill climbing when I'm up in North Carolina next weekend as I make my way up to Vermont.

Bringin' it

2007-07-05T15:21:00.000-05:00

This is turning into a good week on the bike. I've pulled off two consecutive days of successfully completed interval sessions. V02max yesterday, and sub threshold today.
Sub Threshold ("sweet spot") workout:
Warm up- 15min <68%
Blowout effort- 5min 100%
Easy pace- 5min <68%
Ride- 2x20min 88-94%
Recover 15min between sets
Ride, +105rpm-8-10x1min 85-95%
Cool down- 15min <55%

Tomorrow will be an easy day, and then I plan on wrapping up the week with some intense Anaerobic capacity intervals on Saturday.

I leave next week for Vermont, so these harder efforts this week are super important.

It's about damn time!

2007-07-04T12:43:00.000-05:00

It feels like it's been ages since I got in some good intervals...wait a minute, it has been ages since I've gotten any intervals in, good or otherwise. Mystery solved. Nevermind. Nothing to see here. Move along.

Seriously though, I had one of those great days on the bike. V02 max intervals were on the menu today...

V02 max intervals
Warm up- 15min <70% FTP (Functional Threshold Power)
Ride- 6x3 min 117% FTP
Recover 3min between sets
Easy pace- 5-6min <70% FTP
Ride- 4x2min 113-120% FTP
Recover 3min between sets
Cool down- 15min <70% FTP

I did all my sets and hit my target wattage numbers. And, the weather cooperated! It wasn't too hot and it didn't rain (which it did quite a bit of yesterday, but that is a story for another time).

Now I think I'm gonna go see Transformers...for a second time.

Independence day

2007-07-04T08:55:00.000-05:00

Happy 4th of July!

Now, go out and ride your bike...it's what I'm gonna do.

Hell ride

2007-07-01T09:56:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, several of us did a ride to the gates of hell...and it looked an awful lot like the country roads of N Florida. The ride started off well enough, but the temperature started to take its toll. I went thru 5 bottles in 3hrs 45min and I was still dehydrated by the time I got home. I felt like crap. My head was pounding, my legs were weak, and I was mildly dizzy. When I got in the shower, I just sat down in the tub...didn't have the energy to stand there.

I won't be doing that again any time soon.

How's your mental game?

2007-06-28T22:18:00.000-05:00

In athletic endeavors, many people focus their training almost completely on the physical aspect and ignore the mental training. If you want to give your mental game a boost, I highly recommend you pick up the movie Peaceful Warrior.

The movie is based on Way of the Peaceful Warrior, by Dan Millman. It is an entertaining, inspirational movie with some powerful lessons. I highly recommend it.

Time...err, reality check

2007-06-26T09:49:00.000-05:00

Over on MTBR, there is this guy that has been stepping up his training to enter a harder class. He asked if he should go sport or expert (he did limited racing the previous year). Most people suggested he try at least a couple of races in Sport class. Well, he started comparing his times from riding the courses, and figured he'd place well in expert. He also saw that his FTP numbers were comparable to those in the expert class...

Now, as any of you who do any racing know, there's more to racing than just numbers. You may have an incredible one lap time, but how will that time hold up for 3,4, or 5 laps at race pace? Numbers mean very little, except as a marker for potential. At this year's Bump n Grind, I had a one lap time that, using this guy's reasoning, would've given me a decent expert class finish. But. I was going all out for a race that I knew was only one lap of the 17 mile course. I didn't have another lap in me at that pace.

No surprise, the guy got his ass handed to him in the expert class, and he's downgrading to sport. He took a big mental blow over it, and that was worse than getting beat like a rented mule.

He learned a hard lesson. Numbers are all well and good, but nothing beats the experience of getting out and racing your bike.

Smoked like a cheap cigar

2007-06-23T21:22:00.000-05:00

I am totally wiped out.

Thursday I got a late start, so I had to adjust my plans somewhat. I was planning on doing some intervals, but the 3rd Thursday of the month is the club road TT. Trying to do intervals on the same road as the TT seemed like a recipe for some frustration on my part. I figured I'd go out and do the TT and then do my intervals afterwards....damn, was that overly optimistic.
I put in a solid effort and ended up with the second fastest time of the day (the guy with the fastest time was using a full on TT bike, complete with aero bars and rear disc wheel). I completed the 10 mile course in 24:53, and in the process saw a new high mark for my threshold power, so all in all not a bad afternoon. No surprise that my legs didn't have any more high intensity efforts left in them.

Friday my legs were still toast, but I went out anyway. What possessed me to go for 2hrs, with almost an hour and a half of that ridden at Tempo level, I'll never know. The legs didn't have much snap, but I was powering along nicely.

Today I managed an hour and a half, but at a much lower pace. The last couple of days had fully caught up to me.

Time for some much earned rest. I say that, but watch...I'll probably hop on the trainer tomorrow afternoon or somethin'.

Did it happen?

2007-06-21T01:23:00.000-05:00

So did I get my intervals in today? Nope. Dammit to hell. It wasn't for a lack of trying though. Had some fairly strong wind today, and it played havoc with my ride. It's kinda hard to explain... before starting the intervals, my workout called for doing 5 min @ 100% my FTP. Now, typically by the end of that 5 minutes my body can't wait for it to be over. Today though, I was cruising along in excess of my FTP and was pretty comfortable doing it. I kept having to look down to make sure I hadn't let my power drop. My HR averaged 157 bpm and only hit a peak of 163. I was pushing a bit lower cadence, but not that much lower. Maybe the combination of the headwind and the lower cadence did it?

In lieu of the intervals several of us hooked up for a group ride, which was a make-up for the normal Tuesday Worlds, since it got rained out. If I had done my intervals I probably would've gotten shelled before it was over with, but as it is I rode really strong. Now if I can just get some good intervals in...

Why now?

2007-06-20T09:54:00.000-05:00

North Florida hasn't gotten a whole lot of rain lately, which is not so good for the plant life, but it's been great for training. Well, starting on Monday the rain gods decided to rectify the problem. I'm not talkin' our usual light sprinkle...nosiree, we're talking full blown rain storms which culminated yesterday with thunder and lightning and some minor flooding.
As a result it really gummed up my training plans. Monday I was forced onto the trainer. I could go into one of my "I hate riding on the trainer" diatribes, but I'll save everyone and just leave it alone.

So, here we are in the middle of the week and I have yet to get an interval session in. Fortunately the weather is supposed to be better today, so I think I'll be able to get some quality training in. Hopefully. Check back to see if it happened or not.

Hurt locker. Population 1

2007-06-15T15:44:00.000-05:00

This has been a strange week for training. I can't place my finger on it, but it's like I couldn't get in the groove of things. Yesterday I did my first interval session of the week. I guess it was the fact that I didn't get my first intervals done until Thursday that made things kinda screwy.

Speaking of yesterday...that was one of the hardest days I've had on the bike. Things started off ok. I did my usual warm-up, and then proceeded to do some anaerobic capacity intervals, which went fairly well. After my intervals were done, the plan was to hook up with this guy visiting from Pennsylvania, and get some good mileage in. This guy is pretty fast, but I wasn't too worried about maintaining the pace. My, how things can change. One of the local hammers latched onto us, and what I thought was gonna be a brisk ride turned into the Thursday Worlds.

I did the best I could, but the legs were fast running out of gas. I'd drift off the back, and catch back on....off the back, catch back on, till finally at about 3-4 miles out from the parking area I got well and truly dropped. I had nothing left in the legs.
When I got home I was toast. I've never come home feeling that whipped before...ever.

Fortunately I feel better today. Good enough to do some riding, albeit easy.

Now, if I can just get in one more interval session before the end of the week (and without going on a hammer ride afterwards).

MTB racing vs road racing

2007-06-10T20:38:00.000-05:00

I was perusing the latest issue of Velonews, and in an article about Georgia Gould, Luna Chix Mgr Waldek Stepniowski summed up why mtn bike racing is so different from road racing. He said, and I quote," During the race no one is your friend except your teammates, but on the final lap, they're all bitches."

You won't hear Johan Bruyneel saying that.

Gimpy

2007-06-09T23:44:00.000-05:00

I was supposed to have 9.5 hrs of training this week, but as soon as I hurt my knee at the BnG last Sunday, I knew that wasn't gonna happen. Fast forward to Saturday, and I have a whopping 3hrs and change for the week. I at least got some good intervals in today, and I hope to get another round of them tomorrow. So, while quantity will be low for the week, the quality will be pretty decent.

Next week I'll be able to get back to my normal training load. The knee is still sore to press on it, but at least it doesn't hurt to ride...so next week I'll be good to go.

In other news, I've obtained another sponsor for the 2007 season. I want to give a big shout out to the fine folks at Crank Brothers! They make some awesome products and I am thrilled to be affiliated with them.

After it's all said and done

2007-06-06T19:19:00.000-05:00

Today I got out on the bike for the first time since the race. My knee is still a little achy, but it felt decent while riding. Tomorrow I hope to start back with my intervals.
While I'm pleased overall with my race, I have had a chance to analyze it some. I was only 1 minute off the podium, and 2 minutes off of 2nd place, and I have no doubt that I could've been 2 minutes faster. A mistake I made, and I know that this alone would've made a huge difference in my time, was that on some of the tight and twisty stuff I sat in a couple times instead of passing as soon as I could. I was using it as an opportunity to get a breather, but I should've just sucked it up and slipped past the slower riders ASAP. I have to remember that while stepping up the pace hurts, everyone is hurting, so I need to just go for it.

Here's a video of the race...

Bump n Grind, or Bumps n Bruises: Race Report

2007-06-04T10:16:00.000-05:00

After my DNF a month ago, I was looking forward to a good, solid race. I've heard about the awesome trails at Oak Mtn, just outside of Birmingham, Al but I've never ridden there...until now. The local club, BUMP(Birmingham Urban Mtn Pedalers), have been putting on the BUMP-n-Grind for 13 years. With such a long standing history, I expected a good race that was well organized. I wasn't disappointed.

Saturday afternoon I gave the course a pre ride. I originally thought of doing 2 laps, but since the course is 17 miles, I didn't want to overdo it and tire myself out.

Instead of riding multiple laps, I figured I'd re ride the difficult parts. The most techy section of the course is the infamous "Blood Rock".

I made 3 attempts at it, and never did clean the whole section. My most successful attempt/s came after I stiffened up my suspension. My first attempt felt like I was going down on a pogo stick. Once I changed the suspension settings (which is how I ran my suspension for the race the next day) it made things much more controlled.
I was told that many times someone in front of you blows it and you end up walking down it anyway, so I decided that discretion was indeed the better part of valor. I love mtn bike racing, but I have a life outside it, and a broken collarbone doesn't fit into my larger life plans.

Coming around that tree(in the middle of the image) is the tricky part. If you can get around it, you're essentially home free.

I felt good about the course, and my chances for success. The bike was dialed in, and I felt good, all I needed to do was relax and get ready to throw down the next morning.

The plan was to get to the park around 8:30, so I could finally get in a proper warm-up. A solid warm-up routine has been problematic for me in the past, and I think it has affected me some. This time I was gonna get a good warm-up in if it was the last thing I did.

I didn't get to the park as early as I wanted, and with trying to get water bottles filled and other million little things you have to do before a race, I started to doubt whether I was going to get the full warm up I wanted/needed to do. Just after 9am I grabbed the road bike and headed out for that all important warm-up. Keep in mind, my race was due to start at 9:58.
I got the warm up in like I wanted, but it almost made me late for my race...which would've really steamed my clams.

I got back to the car with about 10 minutes to go before my race. I had a race before the race, trying to get my race helmet, gloves, change shoes, grab my bike and go to the bathroom in time. I rolled up to the start line with only a couple minutes to spare.
When I started my HR monitor, I expected my HR to be quite high, with trying to rush to get to the line and stressing over potentially missing my race, but all was well.
From the start line, the course weaves thru the trees and sidewalks adjacent to the lake, before heading down road to the entrance to the singletrack. There was plenty of room for the group to thin out before hitting the tight twisty stuff, or so I thought.
I'm sitting at the back end of the second row, so getting out front at the start was not an issue. The horn sounds and I give it my best sprinting impression. Now, don't ask me what place I was in at this time, as I have no clue. I'm thinking midpack at this point. The ground was really dry, and this opening part of the race was dusty, with a capital 'D'. As we get closer to the trail entrance, I pass a rider here and there, but no major shake-ups in the placings. My position wouldn't change much until the first section of doubletrack, where passing is easy. Even then I only gain a couple spots. I expected the big shake-up to come on the long climb.
I was really surprised at how the group stayed together for most of the race. I've never encountered a race situation like that before. In past races, not long after the race starts you're practically riding by yourself. Not here though.
As the race progressed, more and more riders were dropping off the pace, and we weren't even to the climb yet. I was now feeling really good about my chances of climbing up some spots on the climb.
Exiting the singletrack onto the second jeep road signified that the climb was upon us. This climb is a kick in the pants. It's not particularly steep (although it does have some steep sections), but it is just long, long, long. Almost immediately, riders were put into difficulty and fell off the pace. Because there were so many different groups on the course it was almost impossible to tell if you were passing your class, or another. I had the strategy of passing everyone I could.
About 10 minutes into the climb I almost met with disaster. I was coming up on a guy and he had someone passing him on his right, so I decided to pass on his left. Passing on the left meant that I was near the edge of a drop off. As I came along side this guy, another rider started passing on his right, and the guy moved towards me to let the other guy pass. We tangle handlebars and I'm the one that goes down...almost going over the side in the process. No harm was done, but it could've ruined my race. It was my fault, as I should've said that I was passing. I'm back on my bike and I manage to reel back those who got past me when I went down.

On the climb, BUMP had set up a neutral feed zone, where volunteers were giving out bottles of gatorade, and spraying water on racers backs. Let me tell you, that was most welcome...especially the spray of cool water on my back!
I was still surprised at the 'train' or riders on the climb. As far as I could see, there were riders spread out on the climb, and we all had one thing in common, we were all suffering.
I hit the crest of the climb, and that is where things finally thinned out. The trail follows the ridgeline of the mtn, and I rode for quite a bit without seeing another rider. I put it in the big ring and hammered it, and I started reeling in some folks. A volunteer waving me towards the singletrack entrance signified that Blood Rock was not far away. I'm zoomin' right now and the adrenaline is pumping. How will I do on the rock? A guy has caught up to me and follows close behind as I start down Blood Rock. I get down the first few sections just fine, but as I have to make that right turn I cut it to close and have to unclip. Dammit! Almost had it! I run down the rest, and hop back on the bike. The next section is a rock filled fast descent. I bombed down it for all I was worth. I hit a max speed of 30mph on that section. Mucho fun, even if I was hanging on for life.

The next few miles go by without any drama. I come across some riders who are from other classes once in a while, but for the most part I'm riding by myself. I'm probably about a mile and a half from the end and I wash out in a corner and cut my left knee up pretty good. As I'm getting back on my bike I'm feeling the twinges of a cramp, but as I start pedaling it passes. Whew, that was close.

The "1 mile to go" marker was a most welcomed sight. The pain in my left knee was starting to affect my power, but I wasn't about to lay down now. I was this close and I wasn't gonna let anyone pass me.

I exit the singletrack for the final time and in an effort to get the best possible time I can, I sprint for the finish line...at which time I cramped up. It didn't hit me until I stopped pedaling and tried to sit back down. The legs totally locked up. Fortunately, pedaling eased it up.

I was totally spent afterwards. For not being an overly tough course, that has to be the hardest/most intense mtn bike race I've ever been in.
Race results take some time to get posted, but I feel that I did pretty darn good and no matter what my placing is I'm happy with my race. I raced my best, and I left it all out on the course. It was a 100% effort.

When the results were finally posted, my effort was good for 7th place. My time was like 1:17. I really wanted a top 5 result, but I'm very pleased with my performance. There were probably 25-30 in my class, so my placing was better than mid pack.

I made a visit to the Aid Station to get my knee cleaned up, and I was amazed at the number of people with injuries. Mostly scrapes and cuts (and oddly, quite a few people had banged up the left knee, just like I did), but ambulances made two trips to the hospital, and at least one rider was being brought down with a suspected broken arm and that would've made a 3rd hospital run. There may have been more. I guess that it was because of the ground being so dry which made things kinda slippery in the corners.

My BUMP-N-Grind souvenir

After I nurse my wounds, it will be back to the training grind for my next races in July.

BUMP'n-n-Grindin'

2007-06-02T21:42:00.000-05:00

Things have been quiet on the blogging front this week. I'm currently in Birmingham, Al for the 13th Annual Bump-n-Grind. The course is awesome, and I'm on form...feelin' really good. As I said, the course is great, with "Blood Rock" living up to its reputation. Depending on how I feel when I get to Blood Rock, I might hike-a-bike part of it.
Time to get some rest.
Once I'm back home I'll post a recap and some pics.

Camp

2007-05-29T10:47:00.000-05:00

I'm back home now, and my impromptu training camp went off as planned. Saturday's 63 miles thru the mountains was epic. I've never done that much climbing before. While not excessively steep, the climb up Cullowhee Mtn rd was a real kick in the pants, because it came late in the day so I was pretty tired as I hit the base of the climb. I thought the crest would never come...it just kept going and going and going. The high point of the ride is the descent down Walnut Creek Rd...what a ride!!! The best thrill ride in the area.

Crossing the Continental Divide, East Coast style.

Christmas Tree country.

Saturday night the legs were tired and sore, and I wasn't sure if I was gonna be able to effectively do any riding on Sunday. Sunday morning came and I felt pretty good, so I decided to do a shorter route and stop at around the 30 mile mark. Except for getting turned around, the ride went well. I finished the weekend with over 11K of climbing, and my goal was 10K.

A great way to end a day of hard riding.

Now it's time for a light 5hrs as I prep for this weekend's race up in Birmingham.

Training Camp

2007-05-25T17:01:00.000-05:00

I'm up in North Carolina for a business get-together/retreat, and I decided to turn it into an impromptu Climbing based training camp. There is no shortage of roads that go up, so I figured it would be a good way to accumulate some elevation in the legs. I started yesterday, by doing some anaerobic capacity hill repeats, and then an early morning jaunt thru some backcountry roads. Tomorrow and Sunday will be the epic days though. I'll probably log 8-10K of climbing by the time I head home.
If I remember, I'll take some pics along the way.

Devil dogs

2007-05-19T21:05:00.000-05:00

I finished this week off with 11+ hrs instead of the planned 10. Today's ride clocked in at around 85 miles. It wasn't a great ride. First off, the batteries on my Powertap died about 10 min into the ride, we got chased by Cujo and his cousin, and then I got a flat tire due to some glass.
On the topic of Cujo...what is it about Rednecks and their dogs? There's nothin' wrong with having a dog, but why give them free reign to terrorize cars and cyclists, or anyone else unfortunate enough to pass by?

The Power of one

2007-05-18T20:34:00.000-05:00

I'm closing out my first week of Build 1:Reloaded. I still have 3hrs to finish up my weekly hours, but today wrapped up my intervals.
Anaerobic capacity intervals were the order of the day. They went well. They hurt, but they went well. It was one of the best training weeks I've had...for whatever reason.

Graph of today's effort.

I'll be very pleased to keep up this kind of quality training!

Stunned

2007-05-18T01:24:00.001-05:00

If you've not been following the Landis doping hearing, then you missed some real fireworks.

I have just one thing to say to Will Geoghegan...

Zzzzzzz

2007-05-17T11:08:00.000-05:00

I've been trying to follow the live video broadcast of the Landis hearing. Now I'm not gonna say it's boring, but it's coma inducing, and should be a member of the barbituate family. There should be a warning about operating heavy machinery while watching this.
I really want to know how this case is transpiring, but trying to follow the technobabble is very very hard. I think I'm gonna stick with reading the daily summaries that are posted at the end of the day, over at TBV.

The best

2007-05-16T17:17:00.000-05:00

Do you know what the best part of a really good/hard workout is? The shower afterwards. You can be totally spent after a ride, and the post ride shower is like a new lease on life.

Ahhh.

Breather

2007-05-13T21:34:00.000-05:00

Not that I was wearing out or anything, but the transition phase I had this week was much needed. 5hrs of nothing in particular. I did the Tuesday World's, got out on the mtn bike a couple times, did the Sat. club ride, and then wrapped up the week with a light 1hr ride today.

Tomorrow I ramp back up the intensity. I'll be re-doing Build 1 to prepare for my next batch of 'A' races in July. I also have the Bump-n-Grind in 3 weeks.
Speaking of tomorrow, Floyd Landis' hearing begins. I'm gonna keep my fingers crossed that it goes well for him.

Suspensions for everyone

2007-05-10T00:33:00.000-05:00

Anymore, the road cycling scene isn't the same unless there is some doping drama.There's no shortage of it this year, just take your pick: T-Mobile, Bass o & Scarponi, Hamilton, and a couple other rider suspensions for good measure. So, here we are again, practically on the eve of a Grand Tour and the anti-dopes are rushing around trying to show the world how serious they are about the fight against doping, by getting teams to suspend riders "implicated" in Operation Puerto.
I'm really disappointed in Basso, and he deserves whatever he gets, but the powers that be really need to find a better system than suspending riders due to implication. Got concrete proof... in hand? Suspend/ban away to your heart's content.
I would rather see a low profile investigation, whereby nothing is announced to the public until the Anti-Doping Agency/s are ready to pounce on a rider/team/etc., instead of this on again off again crap. "You can't ride, you're implicated in the current investigation. There's no real evidence against you, you can race. It appears as if there's more evidence, we're not gonna allow you to race." It has gotten old and tired.

Postcards from the Edge

2007-05-08T01:17:00.000-05:00

I decided to toss up a few pics from my...adventure. The first few are from the race, or the day before the race. The last couple are from the huge climb I did up to Cataloochee Ranch.

The opening stretch of the course...a very damp course.

The singletrack begins...

along with the fun or nightmare, depending on your point of view.

Nice and slippery.

Slick roots thrown in for good measure.

The aforementioned mud, adhered to my rig.

Fie Top Rd in Maggie Valley, NC

2200ft of ascent in just under 3 miles.

Your typical winding mtn rd.

And damn steep too!

Tanasi Challenge V 2.0

2007-05-06T23:42:00.000-05:00

Race day has come and gone, and it didn’t exactly go as I had planned… and that is all I have to say about that. Okay, you obviously want more details than that.

I came into this final week feeling really good. I hung out in North Carolina for a couple days, mainly to do a couple rides at altitude, as well as get a little climbing training in. There’s this road that leads up to a ski resort, and the road ascends over 2000ft in just under 3 miles. On Thursday I decided that I wanted to attempt the climb on my road bike. While I faired pretty well climbing it, in hindsight I maybe shouldn’t have attempted it that close to a race. Live and learn.

Anyway, Friday I did another ride, but this one was definitely low-key. I was still feeling good, and I was pumped for the race. My enthusiasm did have a little water thrown on it, as it started raining Friday night, and continued on thru Sat. It was messy enough on Saturday that I decided not to do a pre-ride. I wanted to save my bike for the race. No use subjecting the drivetrain to all that mud. The forecast called for rain on and off all through the night, which was gonna suck for my 9:30am start time.

Upon arriving at the Ocoee Whitewater Center (home of the Tanasi trail network), I ran into a guy I know from Pensacola, and he was just coming off a lap on the course, and he affirmed what I already suspected…it was nasty out there. As I was signing in I got some good news. My wave would be going at 11:30am…YES! A couple extra hours for the ground to dry would certainly help. Things are looking up.

After a great meal at the Toccoa Riverside Restaurant, which I can highly recommend (the garlic seafood delight pasta is awesome, but I can’t say a lot about the live bluegrass music that was being played. I detest bluegrass, but your mileage may vary), it was time to head back to the motel and chill out for the evening.

Sunday arrived and things were looking better and better. It never did rain during the evening, so the ground had 8-9hrs to dry out. Once I got water bottles filled and number plate on, and the numerous miniscule pre-race details to attend to, I grabbed the road bike to get some warm-up time in. This is an area that I need to be more mindful of. With the longer races, and higher intensity efforts, I really need a solid 45 min with some intensity. I think the lack of a good warm-up affected me a little today. On the flip side, I finally managed to get to the starting area early enough to get a front row position. How many races did it take me to finally make it?

As the various classes are getting called up I notice that I have a HUGE case of pre-race jitters… we’re talking epic here. My HR was pounding away at 133bpm! This is something else that hurt me, and I mean HURT. My threshold is around 177-179BPM, and I’m standing still on the start line with a HR of 133, and within less than 200yards the course was going to go skyward. You do the math. I was probably at my threshold before I hit the singletrack. I’ve GOT to get into my zone, relax, and get that HR down, at least to low 100’s.

The race starts, and sure enough, the hurt comes fast. With so much climbing ahead, I don’t concern myself too much with positioning. 7 or 8 riders get ahead of me going into the singletrack, but almost immediately their pace starts slowing. I pick off a rider here and there, and then an incident happens that will ultimately affect the outcome of my race. Two of us are going to pass a slower rider, and I guess the guy got flustered and he veered off the good line, straight into some roots and then he stops… except that he doesn’t just stop, he stops and then falls over. The fella in front of me got by cleanly, but I wasn’t so fortunate. Now, I’m still not 100% sure how this happened, but when that guy fell over, his handlebar jabbed me right in the knee (the muscle on the top of the knee to be exact). Of course, it momentarily stopped me as well. Let me tell you, trying to get moving again on an incline is not easy or fun.

At the time the sensation in that muscle was nothing more than a minor irritation to me, but as the race went on it started affecting my pace. I still managed to pass a couple of people, even passed a couple of women experts and some guys from the 19-29 Sport class. Around 35 min or so into the race is when I knew I was in trouble. I had a couple of guys just in front of me, and I knew I was stronger, but I couldn’t generate the force to get around them. Adam Craig calls it “riding like a small child”. I know what he means by that now.

To add insult to injury, I wiped out on one of two bridges. The bridges were slick with mud and did a little too much lean, and down I went. So, in addition to my bruised knee I have a nice selection of scrapes and cuts on my left side. I’m wondering if I lost some concentration from focusing too much on my bruised muscle.

The last section of the course follows the highway that runs along the river, and I was in full on hurt mode. Originally I figured I could make up some time or put some time into my opponents on the paved part of the course. As you’ve read on here, I have a decent threshold power, and I was gonna use that to drop the hammer. Alas, no dropping the hammer today. I had to resort to drafting off another guy for a respite, and even that didn’t help much.

I came thru the Start/Finish line for the second lap, and as I approached the feed zone I did something I never ever thought I would have to do. I stopped and called it quits. As much as it pained me to stop, there was no way I could’ve maintained a race pace for a second lap. As it was, the moment I stepped off the bike and straightened my leg out, it started throbbing. I quite literally limped over to the timekeeper booth and told them I was out. DNF!
I don’t know if anyone has any idea how peeved I was/am. Quitting goes against my personality. Getting a DNF just sticks in my gut.

Despite today’s outcome, I’m still in good spirits. This coming week will be a transition phase, where I won’t have any specific workout goals. When my workouts do start again, I’ll be working on V02 max and anaerobic capacity, in addition to formulating a solid warm-up routine. Overall, I felt good about my fitness/strength/form, there’s just a few details that need some fine tuning.

Once I'm back home I'll post a couple pics from Saturday, when I walked part of the course.

As I write this my leg is still quite sore, so I'm going to hit the sack and see if it'll start feeling better tomorrow.

Almost 'GO' time!

2007-05-04T20:40:00.001-05:00

I'm currently in Western North Carolina, and I've gotten a couple good days of riding in. Tomorrow I'll be heading over to the race venue where I'll do a pre-ride and then chill out for the rest of the time, so I can be rested and ready to go for Sunday.

Gotta cut it short, need to chill...

The countdown begins

2007-04-30T09:28:00.000-05:00

Race week is here! The race is on Sunday, and I'm gonna have a light 5hrs of training leading up to it. My goal is to put the bulk of those hours in before I leave on Wed/Thurs. I want to make sure I hit Sunday fully rested and ready to give a 100% effort.

Where'd that money go so fast?

2007-04-28T23:29:00.000-05:00

No riding today. Instead I took the MTB over to the fine folks at Higher Ground Bicycle Co., in Tallahassee. Since that was where I purchased the bike, I try and take it back there when I need it serviced, although it doesn't always work out like that.
Anyway, I wanted to get the bike looked over, so that I know everything is in order for next weekend. Along with a full tune-up I had them install some Avid Flak Jacket shifter cables. The exposed shifter cables get gunked up something fierce and affects my shifting performance constantly.

It took longer than I expected, but the bike was/is in good working order...a slightly tweaked derailleur cage notwithstanding. I didn't get out of Tally until 4pm, and once I was outside of town I made a quick stop (or so I thought) at a rest area. I come back to the car and...nothing. It wouldn't start. Lights wouldn't come on, radio, nothing. Out comes the AAA card and it would be a total of 2 1/2 hrs before I'd leave that rest area due to a battery that was toast. Ohh, and let's not forget the fact that I left there with $122 less than I arrived with. It ended up being quite an expensive trip; $90 for the bike tune-up/cable installation, $122 for a battery, and fuel costs...and I don't really have anything to show for it.
On the plus side I did finalize plans to race this season in Higher Ground colors, so it certainly wasn't a total loss. Just expensive, that's all.

Do less to do more

2007-04-28T00:29:00.000-05:00

As far as getting my remaining intervals in, this has been a mixed week. With only 5.5hrs to log, recovery was a big goal for me this week. On that front it's been successful. I did an easy ride Monday, and with Tuesday off, I went into Wednesday ready for some good results doing some intervals. For whatever reasons that didn't happen. The legs felt good as I got on the bike, but as soon as I started that first interval I knew it was gonna be hard. I ended up pulling the plug on that day's session. Due to some bad weather I took Thursday off, and that brings me to today. I really wanted to get some high intensity work in this week, and thought I'd try some anaerobic capacity work.

To make a long story short, the intervals went extremely well. Instead of trying to shoot for the exact wattage number that the workout called for, I focused on staying within 10% of that number. That made all the difference in the world. They hurt like a mother, but at least I completed all the sets. I saw first hand how important recovery is. Even after completing those intervals I felt really good. It turned out to be one of those great days on the bike...if you have that kind of day at a race, good things are in store for you.

Next week is race week, and with 5hrs I'll be concentrating on heading into the race super rested and on form for a good showing.

I'm paying for this?!?!

2007-04-24T10:34:00.000-05:00

I've been trying to follow the Floyd Landis saga, and I must admit that trying to understand the finer points of the science behind it all is very very bewildering, but it doesn't stop me from staying up to date with it all.

Now, for anyone that has been reading my blog knows, I have not made it a secret that I am on Floyd's side on this, and have been from the day the news broke. My gut leads me on this more than what I read on the science of the case. The flaws/inconsistencies in the science, as laid out by Floyd's defense team, just reaffirms my stance.
For every person like myself, who believes in Floyd, there is someone who believes he doped and is gonna get what he deserves.

Something that I think everyone should be outraged over, is the way USADA is prosecuting this case. Whether you think he doped or not, you should be expecting that he get a fair shake at presenting his case.
Unfortunately, he is not. USADA stacks the deck against the athlete before the process even starts. Once you get away from pro basketball, football, baseball, hockey, etc, most pro athletes (no matter the sport) do not compete for the money, they do it for the love of their chosen sport. Cycling is definitely on the low end (on the whole) of the pay scale for pro sports. I know for a fact that in pro mtn biking, most pros have a "day job". Floyd is pretty high profile, and has/had deeper pockets than your average pro cyclist, and if he's having trouble paying for his defense, then that doesn't bode well for your average pro athlete. Because the bulk of USADA's funds go directly to the adjudication process, that means they bring the same resources to a case, whether it is a TdF winner, or a mid pack pro mtn bike racer.That means that most athletes end up bringing a knife (unlike the judicial system, the USADA does not offer counsel for the athlete-it's up to the athlete) to USADA's gunfight.

On top of the guns they bring to the fight, USADA is trying to win this case hook or crook...which absolutely turns my stomach. Denying documents Floyd's team needs for his defense, breaking their own rules, Making demands of Floyd that have no direct bearing on his case except to tie up time and precious funds and infringe on the rights and privacy of Floyd and others, all in an effort to strong arm him into submission.

A good chunk of USADA's funds come from taxpayers. I'm not one to say that the United States does it better than anyone else, but I will say this, when some governing/authoritative agency has "United States" in it's name, by God, as an American citizen I expect the highest standards from that agency.

Our judicial system is by no means perfect, but it at least does its best to be fair, and offer everyone involved to prove their case...getting their day in court. It's all about due process. Both counsels agree on jury members. Jury members can be sequestered so they they are not swayed by outside influences/sources. If it helps their case both sides can call whomever they want as witnesses, but at the same time surprise witnesses are not allowed. What happens if the prosecution does not provide the defense with EVERY piece of evidence they intend to use against the defendant? Without "full disclosure" a case would get dismissed or thrown out. USADA has decided to pick and choose which documents it has sent to Landis. What do you think would happen if an observer for a defendant was locked out of a discovery process or not privy to discussions between the prosecution and interested parties? Would that fly in a court of law? It's happened in Floyd's case.

I hate to keep coming back to our judicial system, but in a court of law, it's about discovering the truth, not winning at all costs. Would it not be in everyone's interest if USADA provided all requested documents, allowed full access to the accused, and allowed for a totally fair and balanced process? Because turning it into a search for the truth would ultimately benefit the whole anti doping movement. If it's discovered that current testing protocols and rules are flawed, then it offers a chance to make the necessary changes and updates so that the system works like it should...catching the cheaters, not taking down the innocent, but at the same time allowing both innocent and guilty to "have their day in court".

Whether you believe Floyd doped or not, you should be outraged at USADA's tactics. If you are choosing to ignore what USADA is doing just because you think Floyd is guilty, then you are missing the big picture. What if it was you? What if Floyd is telling the truth and his team is is right about the flawed testing?If Floyd's case clouds your judgment on all this, then allow me to direct you to the case of Jason Sager. That should show you that the system is messed up.

I'm gonna do my part in demanding change in the USADA's modus operandi, especially since I'm paying for it! I recommend that everyone contact your congressman about too.

BTW, if you've been having trouble understanding the finer points of the case against Floyd, I highly recommend you pick up the June issue of Bicycling magazine. For once they put together a great article. Their "you be the arbitrator" nicely lays out the scientific technobabble quite succinctly.

I'm gettin' there

2007-04-24T10:07:00.000-05:00

Week 2 of my peak phase has begun, and it started with less flair than I originally anticipated/planned for. 5.5 hrs is all that is planned this week, and I was going to break up my intervals over the course of the week, with the first set being done on Monday, resting on Tuesday, the second session on Wed, a Thursday rest, and the final interval session on Friday, and then close out the week with an easy spin on Saturday. That was the plan, but it didn't work out that way. As Monday wore on I felt...well, for lack of a better word, I felt kinda "blah". I was tired, not super energetic, and the legs felt lifeless. Under those circumstances I wasn't even gonna waste the effort to try and do some intervals, but at the same time I didn't want to totally stay off the bike, so I went for an easy spin instead.

I'm gonna see how I feel today, but my new plan calls for doing my intervals today.

Riding with a champion

2007-04-21T18:06:00.000-05:00

I was originally supposed to be up in Georgia watching some pro cyclists duke it out, but plans went awry and I didn't get to go. As it turns out though, all was not lost-and in my mind-worked out for the best. At almost the 11th hour I learned that Floyd Landis was going to be present at the open house of the recently opened Andrews Institute in Gulf Breeze. His visit was to include a charity ride. This was not a "town hall" stop, it was sponsored by Smith & Nephew- the medical device company that supplied the components of Floyd's hip. A chance to meet and ride with the 2006 TdF winner...count me in!

Everyone was eagerly anticipating Floyd's arrival. When he did arrive, he was met with applause. Floyd is a very down-to-earth individual. As everyone started clapping, he had this...well, for lack of a better phrase, an "awwe shucks" kind of look/response. Floyd could be one of your riding buddies...unlike a certain other Tour winner named Armstrong, who is larger than life almost. Within minutes of seeing him, I really liked Landis. When I got a chance to talk to him, my initial reaction was reaffirmed.

A few people took the opportunity to grab photos and get a couple autographs, but time was short and the ride got started. I don't know what the final tally was on the attendance, but before Floyd got there my count was somewhere around 35 or so and more people arrived after that count. I'm thinking that the final number was closer to 50 (although math wasn't my strong subject in school).

Seeing that a number of attendees were not what you would call experienced cyclists, I didn't want to be stuck in between a bunch of squirrely riders. Between that and my desire to actually ride WITH Floyd I got up near the front.

Yeah, that's right...I'm drafting off Floyd Landis. How many chances will I have to do that?

There wasn't a lot of time, so the route was a short one. It was the right call, as the pace was kept low to enable everyone(almost everyone) a chance to ride alongside and chat with Floyd. He made a point of talking with a large number of the participants, in some cases slowing down to do so.

I got my chance to ride alongside and spend a few moments talking to him, which was totally cool. The ride was over WAY too fast. Once we were back at the staging area, I took the opportunity to get my picture taken with him.

Me and The Man... can you say Mutt & Jeff?

Once I learned of the event, I rushed and got hold of a Phonak jersey for Floyd to sign. I wanted more than just a magazine or photo for him to autograph. Thank God Craft USA ships fast!

More than a couple people were envious when they saw me getting this jersey signed.

I know I'm geeking out over this more than some would, but Gosh darn it, I enjoyed every minute of this event!

After meeting and talking with Floyd I am even more convinced that he is innocent of the charges leveled against him. I want to do my part to help in any way I can.

Day of the dead

2007-04-19T19:38:00.000-05:00

Today I felt like an extra out of a George Romero movie. After two days of super intensity sessions, I was done... just stick a fork in me. I did hop on the bike, but just to spin long enough to do 500Kj of work and then I was done.

Tomorrow will be another intense day, and I should be feeling more peppy by then. Only 2 more weeks to go.

Tour de Lame

2007-04-19T19:28:00.000-05:00

I've been following the Tour de Georgia this week (I know, I'm supposed to be AT the TdG, but that's another story). The race had a good start to it, but the Stage 3 charity ride has me scratching my head. Can someone tell me how and why the peloton let a break get 29 min up the road? The main bunch was 2.5mph SLOWER than the 13 man break! 2.5mph slower!?!?!? Gimme a break. For every rider that wasn't in the break, their race is over.

I'm kinda glad that I didn't go. I woulda hated to spend the time/money for a...less than exciting race.

It's coming together

2007-04-16T10:43:00.000-05:00

I had a successful recovery week, and today starts my Peak phase... 7.5hrs this week, 7.5hrs of intervals. I'm feeling really good about my fitness. I shed a couple more pounds and get in a few more V02 max and anaerobic intervals in and I'll be very very pleased about that first 'A' race.

I'm in love

2007-04-14T18:10:00.000-05:00

Is that not the coolest hardtail you've ever seen? I want one...in the worst kind of way.

Gimme more

2007-04-13T19:47:00.000-05:00

This week has been all about recovery and it has paid off. Today I did an FTP test, and despite not getting a higher number than I did, I was extremely pleased with the effort. I came into the test fully rested, and had my mind set on throwin' the hammer down, come hell or high water. Even a steady wind didn't mess me up.

Like I said, I would've liked the number to be a bit higher, but it was an increase, so I'm not gonna give it a second thought. The last few times I've tried to do an FTP test, something got in the way; I wasn't fully rested, weather conditions, and/or perhaps a loss of fitness.
I ended my ride after 1hr due to putting in a hard effort, but I was so jazzed about my ride that it was tempting to hop back on the bike and go ride for a bit longer. You gotta love those kinds of days. Those kinds of days are what make bike riding so special.

Empty tank

2007-04-09T01:08:00.000-05:00

I normally like to have Sunday off, so I can enter the new week refreshed and ready to tackle more training. Sometimes though, you've just gotta be willing to go with the flow and accept some changes. So...I rode on Sunday. A 2.5hr ride that was supposed to include a V02max workout. I thought I was fairly well rested after having Saturday off. I entered the first interval and knew that it was gonna be a tough day. I start the 2nd interval and after the opening 30 seconds of it I had to pull the plug, as I had nothing left in the legs. In this particular workout the opening 30 seconds are quite brutal. The plan calls for averaging 200% of your FTP, with a peak of 300% in that opening 30 second sprint (15 of those sec are out of the saddle.). On the second interval I hit the 300% figure, but struggled in the final 15 sec to hit 200%. After the opening sprint, you continue on for 3 minutes at 100% FTP. My second go 'round I had nothing left, the legs were totally lifeless.

What's strange is that I managed to ride for the next 1.5hrs at a low Tempo pace. I guess it was just the intensity that the legs couldn't handle. Ohh well, no big deal.

I've been doing some reading on the subject of mindset/attitude and visualizing and believing in what you want, and that has helped me not get too worked up when a training session goes awry, among other things.

This week is a recovery week of 5hrs, and then it's on to the opening week of my Peak period.

On a side note, I'm gonna hit up a few stages of the Tour De Georgia. Should be cool to see a pro level road race. I can't pass up the opportunity to see a race like that when it's relatively close to home.

I have my limits

2007-04-07T10:16:00.000-05:00

Friday I got in a good threshold workout- 2x20 min efforts at 343 watts. The wind made it more challenging than the interval/s already are, but I hung in there. By the time evening rolled around though, I was toast. Nothing like a good night's rest to make you feel better.

Even though I woke up this morning feeling pretty good, I had already made the decision to bail on the Saturday club ride. With the late season cold snap there was no way in hell I was gonna try and deal with heading out for a 60 or so mile slog. As I write this, it's 46 degrees, with a 13mph N wind. My body has already acclimated to warmer conditions, and I just can't deal with riding in temps lower than 60.

That said, I guess I should consider myself fortunate that it is only 46 out, and not the weather conditions that they are getting at the US Open up in Virginia.

Workin' it

2007-04-05T21:32:00.000-05:00

I've been making the most of my final full week of Build 2. So far I've gotten some good hard workouts done, including those elusive anaerobic capacity intervals that gave me trouble last week. While they didn't go exactly as I planned, it was close enough that I called the workout a success. As a result of the AC intervals, and a Tempo/Fartlek workout, I had back to back days with 100+ TSS, so I took it easy today. Tomorrow though I'll be back at it with a threshold session on the menu.

On a side note, yesterday it was 83 degrees during my ride, and on today's ride it was in the 60s and I needed my arm warmers. This is April for God's sake! I'm not supposed to need arm warmers at this time of year...I had put them away and had to go looking for them. The next few nights are gonna be chilly, with Saturday night dipping into the upper 20s. BRrrrrrrrr.

Got mud?

2007-04-02T16:59:00.000-05:00

It looks like Tsali was a real sufferfest this past weekend. I'm kinda glad I had a scheduling conflict and couldn't make it. Tsali woulda been a tune-up race, and I would not have wanted to go thru that just for what would've essentially been a training race.

That race was in stark contrast to the NMBS opener in Arizona. It appears that the K-Bomb is back to his winning ways, and Georgia Gould is the woman to beat right now.

On Target

2007-04-01T19:04:00.000-05:00

With some minor adjustments, my training has been going fairly well. If I can get a full run of intervals this coming week I'll feel really good about my progress. This coming week marks the final big week of Build 2. After that, it is a R&R week, and then the Peak period begins.
I finished up this past week with a 2.5hr ride with the group on Sat.. I had planned to do my AC intervals in lieu of riding with the group, but when I woke up my legs weren't in top form, and the fact that it was an uber windy day didn't help either.

Fun

2007-03-30T10:00:00.000-05:00

Ya know, there are certain words that are fun to say, or even type. For example; Hoobastank. My new "fun" word is Fartlek.

That is all.

Stick a fork in me, I'm done

2007-03-29T23:49:00.000-05:00

I've really pushed myself the last few days...probably pushed too hard, to be honest. On Tuesday I did some V02 max intervals. These are the same ones I attempted last week. This time they went much better. I completed 3 solid efforts. Still short of the prescribed 5-8, but all things considered, I wasn't upset over it. Wednesday I continued with yet another intense workout. This time I was doing a Tempo session that I turned into a Fartlek workout, that is to say that I randomly accelerated and increased my power within the Tempo range. The whole workout only lasted 1.5hrs, but because of the added Fartlek element I generated a hefty TSS and IF.
Today I was going to do some Threshold training. I should've known better than to go 3 days of intensity. I had to pull the plug on today's planned intervals, as I just couldn't generate the power necessary. Even after I'd thrown in the towel on the intervals, and just decided to ride for 2hrs, I couldn't even get my power up to the upper range of endurance pace.
The legs haven't been this worn out in a while. Tomorrow will be a recovery ride, and hopefully my legs will have some snap in them so that I can do some anaerobic work on Sat.

Like it or not

2007-03-27T00:23:00.000-05:00

Changes happen whether you like it or not. Today started a new training week, and usually I like to get one of my intense days done on a Monday so I can recover on Tuesday for another hard day on Wednesday. I had every intention of riding... the weather was great, nothing was stopping me. I got home and was gonna get my gear on and it occurred to me that I was feeling a little worn out. Walking up and down the stairs confirmed that my legs were feeling like the rest of me...tired. At this point in my training, quality is more important than quantity, so I stayed home and chilled. Changes happen.

Next up, this coming weekend is the Knobscorcher in Bryson City at Tsali. This was to be my first race of the season, even if it was just a tune-up race. Due to circumstances beyond my control I won't be able to make that race. Changes happen.

The good news is, tomorrow I'll be back at my training, with only a minor adjustment to my weekly schedule, and I'm gonna shoot for a race up in Athens, Ga in mid April. I've learned one thing with all this training...you gotta be able to go with the flow and be willing to accept that stuff is gonna get in the way of your meticulously planned training/racing plan.

Mental Game

2007-03-23T10:59:00.000-05:00

It's quite common for people to wax poetic about the physical demands of bike racing and training, but the physical aspect is only part of the story.

What I'm talking about is the "mental game", your attitude, if you will. Your attitude is what really enables you to push harder, or at least your desire to push harder. If you've raced more than once, then you've got that competitive spirit, and pushing yourself in a race takes care of itself. But what about training?

Training can be much tougher mentally than racing. You're by yourself, and when you're doing intense efforts you have nothing to focus on but the pain. At least in a race you have many things to focus on; fellow competitors, the terrain, just to name a few. With training though, it's just you and the hurt locker. It takes a supreme effort to ignore the pleadings of your mind to end the pain as you are 1.5 min into a 3 min V02 max interval.

I had such a moment yesterday. I was doing some great V02 max intervals, in addition to eliciting improvements in your V02 max, it also makes for an excellent neuromuscular workout as well. This specific workout mimics a race winning effort.
You start with a 30 sec sprint (15 sec out of the saddle) to establish a gap, then 3 min at your Functional Threshold Power to maintain the gap, and ending with a 10 sec burst to shoot for the finish line. The workout is as follows:
30 sec sprint (15 sec out of saddle)- Avg 200% FTP w/Max 300%
3 min- 100% FTP
10 sec burst- 200-250% FTP
Recover 5-6 min

Do that 5-8 times.

Now, going into yesterday's workout, I knew that going for 8 of those badboys was not very realistic, but I thought I could handle 5.
The first two go as planned. I hit all my wattage goals for the first two intervals, but by the end of the 2nd one I was beginning to feel the effects of the sprinting in my legs. The 3rd interval starts and I'm out of the saddle, and as I sit back down for the final 15 sec I'm not in the right gear and my power is dropping as I begin to "spin out". At this point my mind and body is already crying "uncle", but as my power drops off, the damned logical side of my brain starts using that as concrete proof that I have reached my limit and to cut my intervals short. I hate to admit it, but I listened to my brain. I could've easily clicked up a gear and finished that initial hard effort... I was only a few seconds away from the more manageable 3 min @ FTP. There's no telling if I would've been able to complete 5 of those intervals, but I definitely could've finished that 3rd interval. Unfortunately though, I didn't have my head on straight. I was already filling my head with self doubt as I contemplated being able to do 8 intervals, and as the 2nd interval was wrapping up, the 5 was coming into doubt.
I had given up before I even started.

I'd like to say that it will never happen again, but the mind isn't something you can turn off and on like a light switch. It looks like I've got another form of training to undertake between now and race season.

It blows

2007-03-18T01:23:00.000-05:00

The last two days have been unbelievably windy. On Friday there was a steady 20mph NNW wind, and Saturday graced us with a 15mph N wind. Riding in that is less than ideal. Call me a stick in the mud, but those kinds of conditions really take something away from your ride.

The only good thing about a 15-20mph headwind is the resulting 15-20mph tailwind.

I finished up my recovery week today. I was supposed to do some threshold testing, but between the damned wind and being kinda drowsy from all the friggin' pollen floating around, I just couldn't generate the kind of power needed for an FTP test.

Come Monday I should be ready for some more intensity, as that will be the start of my final Build period. Lots of vomit inducing intensity lies ahead. Lucky me.

Time

2007-03-14T00:49:00.000-05:00

Daylight savings has begun, and that can mean only one thing... the Tuesday World's have started back up.
Today was the first Tuesday ride of '07. I went into it with my legs feeling a little stale (I think it is leftover from Saturday's hammerfest), but I was mistakenly assuming that the first ride of the year would not be at full gas so I wasn't too concerned about my rather lifeless legs.
Here's something I learned. The Tuesday World's are ALWAYS full gas. Whether it's the first one of the year, or the last one...it doesn't matter.

I'd put the attendance at around 20-25 riders. As the pace quickened more and more riders were shot off the back. By the time the ride was done, there were only 8 or 9 riders.

Time- 1:18
Distance- 32 miles
Avg speed- 24.6 mph

And to think this was supposed to be a recovery week. I must be a retard for doing a high intensity ride like this on a recovery week. Right this minute I'm promising my legs I'm gonna take it easy for the rest of the week... no road TT on Thursday, or group ride on Sat.

Big Props

2007-03-13T10:12:00.000-05:00

The US MTB team just wrapped up a successful continental Championships. We racked up a total of 8 medals. US elite women swept the podium, and Todd Wells almost had the gold medal. That's gotta suck...what a bummer.

If the US can keep this kind of surge thru the rest of the '07 season, then that will bode well for us to get the maximum number of rider slots for the Olympics.

Keep it up!

Another day, another mile

2007-03-11T17:15:00.000-05:00

After next week's light 5hr recovery week, Build 1 will be in the history books. I wrapped up my 3rd week with the group ride. The route took us from Niceville, to Defuniak Springs and back to Niceville- a 70 mile loop. Even though I didn't feel super fresh on Saturday, it was a good thing I was feeling as good as I was. While most of the ride was fairly normal, albeit a slightly higher pace than usual, I had a couple of incidents that really pushed me to my limits.

We were on the homeward leg of the ride, and we'd already dropped a couple of riders. The group had just turned onto a military road that was gonna help us bypass some of the spring break traffic heading to the beaches. About a mile down the road and I slipped my chain. Maybe 15 seconds and I was back on my bike and moving, but that was plenty of time for a gap to develop...and a sizable gap at that. I was pushing hard to catch back on, as I didn't really want to spend the rest of the ride by myself. One of the group fell off the pace and after a few minutes I caught up to him. As I pulled along side of him I said "Let's see if we can't bridge up to the rest" and he said "ok". I continued with my pace, fully expecting him to sit on my wheel for a bit. After 2 or 3 minutes I look back and he was nowhere in sight. So much for getting some help.
The good news is I finally caught back up with them just as they were turning back onto the main road. About 10-12 miles down the road I get a flat tire, and after much fussing, fuming and creativeness I'm ready to go again. As I'm getting my crap back together the group goes ahead and takes off, and damn wouldn't you know it... another big gap to overcome. Another 20 min of pain and I catch back on. Now though I am toast. I have enough juice to stick on a wheel and that's it.
The upside to that whole thing is that my fitness has indeed come a long way. If that would've happened to me last year I never would've caught up, or at the very least I would've gotten dropped again because I wouldn't have been able to sustain the pace.

Because of my solo forays, my TSS for yesterday's ride was a whopping 193! That's the highest TSS I've recorded since I started using WKO.

Ohh, did I mention that I'm gonna have to get new tires? Whatever caused my flat tire put a nice big slice in it. I had to use the ole dollar bill trick to get home.
I only had this set of tires a month...ohh well. Considering that this is the first debris caused flat in 4000 miles, I shouldn't feel too bad.

The week, by the numbers:
Planned- 9hrs
Actual- 9:59
Miles- 203

I think I'm gonna hurl

2007-03-09T00:42:00.000-06:00

I finally got around to those V02 max intervals, and I have to say that the '0' in V02 stands for "OW!" Damn, did those hurt. The interval session was, I admit, an overly aggressive one, but I thought I could pull it off. Unfortunately, I didn't complete the entire workout. The workout was scheduled as follows:

2hrs w/L5 workout
Warm up- 15 min <68% FTP
Blow out effort- 5 min 100%
Recover- 5 min 70%
Intervals, 3 min rest int. 6x3 min 117%
Recover- 10 min 70%
Intervals, 4 min, rest int. 4x2 min 113-120%
Cool-down- 15 min <68%

I needed to do those 3 minute intervals at any wattage over 410 watts. The first interval I averaged 412, and then the next one is what got me into trouble... I was now riding into the wind, and I really overcooked this one. The second interval I averaged 422 watts, with a sustained segment at almost 466 watts. The 3rd and 4th intervals topped out at 406 and 395 respectively. I bailed on the remainder of the intervals, after I couldn't get my wattage up.

On these short intervals there is a real trick to starting just hard enough and finishing strong. If you take too long to get your wattage up then you're not really getting the full effect of the interval, but if you go too hard too soon then you risk blowing up before the 3 minutes is up.

I'll try them again once I come off of next week's R&R week. I'll make sure I'm better rested, and I control my pacing a bit better.

Pain in satisfaction

2007-03-06T10:25:00.000-06:00

Completing a successful workout can be extremely satisfying, even if it hurt like a mofo while you were doing it. During the toughest intervals your body is saying "just stop and the pain will go away"...but you muscle thru them and in a perverted sort of way, feel great afterwards.

Tomorrow is my day for V02 max intervals, and while part of me is not looking forward to it, the other part is saying "bring it".

Whoever said, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger," must've been referring to intervals.

Toasty

2007-03-05T21:19:00.000-06:00

A new training week began today, and being the glutton for punishment that I am, I kicked off the week with some sub threshold intervals. I would've normally held off on these till mid week, but I've got some V02 max intervals on the menu, so I was forced to do my sub threshold stuff today.
While the intervals were a success, I was struggling while doing them. I think I was still a little tired from the weekend. When I finished that second interval I was SO happy that I was done, because I was cooked. I'm really gonna appreciate the day off I have tomorrow. It'll give me some much needed recovery time, so that I'm ready for Wednesday, and what is sure to be my toughest workout so far.

I think I'll be needing the R&R that will be coming next week.

It takes all kinds

2007-03-03T21:47:00.000-06:00

Despite missing Thursday, I'm still on track for the week. Today was the usual Sat. group ride.
We had a small group, made up mostly of the usual suspects, and one fella that must be bi-polar or somethin'. The route we took had more than the usual amount of climbing (for Florida, that is), and so the weaker riders were really fighting to hang on. They were obviously right on the edge for most of the ride. One guy, who was the oldest in the bunch (around 60 or so) was really having a rough go towards the end. To make matters worse he started cramping. It was at this point that Mr Bi-Polar decided to attack on a climb. Needless to say, Larry got spit out the back. When it was discovered that he had gotten dropped we went back for Larry, but Mr. BP kept on going.

I'm still trying to figure out why he wanted to make that guy crack. While these group rides are done at a fast pace, the pace isn't gonna be set so high as to make someone intentionally crack.

The word on BP guy is that one day he can be totally laid back and pretty calm, other days he's like totally psycho...going so far as to cause the occasional crash. Fortunately I've not had too much interaction with the guy...and I'm happy to keep it that way.

What would our world be without drama, huh?

Tomorrow I finish up my week with a 1hr recovery ride. That'll give me 9hrs for the week. Next week I'll be doing some anaerobic intervals...I can feel the bile rising in my throat already.

Thrashed

2007-03-01T21:19:00.000-06:00

Last night I was wiped after my sub threshold intervals yesterday afternoon. I was out as soon as my head hit the pillow. I was feeling the lingering effects today. I wasn't sore, but I was tired...tired enough that I laid down and dozed off late this afternoon for 30-45 minutes.

I was supposed to get some saddle time in today, but the weather had other plans. It was supposed to rain like crazy... and while it never did rain we were subjected to a steady 20mph wind. Given my lethargic state, I just couldn't deal with a 20mph wind. Tomorrow I'll pick up where I left off.

This is what I'm talkin' about!

2007-02-28T21:45:00.000-06:00

February is over, and that means one thing. Race season is almost here! I can't believe that it's almost time for racing to begin. It seems like yesterday that I was slaving away at Base miles in mid December. My race prep/specialization training is in full swing.

For my last ride of the month I did another sub threshold workout, and today's session went MUCH better than my last attempt at these particular intervals. Last week I had to bail on my second interval, as I could not get my avg power where I needed it to be. Today though was a different story. On my first 20 min interval I avg'd 344 watts, and my second 20 min interval avg'd 343 watts. To say that I'm pleased with today's workout is an understatement.

I'm keeping this post short, as I'm beat after my ride.

TTFN

Local boy does good

2007-02-25T22:12:00.000-06:00

The Tour of California has just wrapped up, and California boy Levi Leipheimer secured overall victory. If you didn't catch it, you missed a lively, action packed race. Levi's Discovery teammate George Hincapie broke his arm during Saturday's stage, and still managed to finish the stage and subsequently help keep the gold jersey on Leipheimer's back...what a stud! I hope he recovers quick enough to be on form for his bid at the spring classics.

While I enjoyed the Tour of California, I sure wish '06 winner Floyd Landis would've been competing, but alas it wasn't to be. On a related note... from what I've been reading lately, it sure appears that things are swinging in Floyd's favor. I'm pulling for Floyd, because dammit, I believe him when he says he hasn't taken any PEDs. I'm just afraid that he's gonna get off on a technicality, and while it gives him the right to return to racing, getting off like that will still have many people doubting his innocence...which I'm sure is something he is all too aware of.

The court of public opinion is the harshest court on the planet.

Coconut, it does the body good

2007-02-24T23:48:00.000-06:00

I've tried several different sports drinks, starting with Powerbar Endurance, Hammer HEED, and finally Cytomax. I've been using Cytomax for the longest. The taste isn't offensive to me and it seems to work. But I'm always on the look out for something better; better taste, better electrolyte profile, etc.

A couple of years ago I read about the benefits of coconut water from the folks at ZICO. I was quite intrigued, but since no one in my area even heard of coconut water, much less carried it, I just filed the whole thing away. Well, today I was in our new Fresh Market, and I was browsing their cooler section, and what do I find? ZICO coconut water. I bought two containers of it, and I'll be using it next week. I hope it doesn't taste like crap, because I am impressed with it's nutrients. It has 5 electrolytes, including 670 mg of potassium. That's more than what is found in a banana! It even has some protein (albeit a tiny bit-1mg). All that in an 11oz container.

If it is as good as I think it's gonna be, then I've found my new sports drink.

That's a wrap

2007-02-24T23:33:00.000-06:00

Another training week has come and gone. I finished up my first Build week with 3hrs 14min and 67 miles on the weekly club ride. Coming off of that sub threshold workout and recovery day must've done wonders for my form, because I had some legs today. You just love having one of those days, the day where your energy reserves seem to be endless and lactic acid never becomes a factor. It was fortunate I was feeling good, because towards the latter part of the ride we encountered a vicious crosswind in the form of 15mph SE winds. That was the only part of the ride that sucked. Other than that it was a great day in the saddle.

I ended the week with just over 10 hrs, and 215 miles. 9hrs per week will be as big as my work weeks get right thru the start of my race season.

A different kind of performance enhancer

2007-02-23T23:50:00.000-06:00

I was perusing powertapgeek and saw a link to the following write up in Joe Friel's blog...changing your cleat position from the tried but true "Ball of the foot" location to the center of your foot. Talk about a radical departure from the norm. But Friel claims he's seen a 9% increase in his own performance. That is huge!

I'll be interested to see how this develops, but I'm in no rush to drill holes in my shoes.

Cobwebs

2007-02-22T23:58:00.000-06:00

I'm close to wrapping up my first week of Build 1, and it has been a rude awakening. I learned really fast that I was a little rusty when it came to sustained high intensity workouts. Doin' nothing but endurance pace over the last 2.5 months really made this opening Build week a kick in the balls.
I managed some good tempo work, and today I did some sub threshold intervals. The sub threshold workout called for the following:
Warm-up- 15 min @ <68% of FTP
Blowout effort- 5 min @ 100%
Easy pace- 5 min @ <68%
Ride- 2 x 20 min w/10-15min recovery(@<76%) between sets @ 96-105%

I completed the first interval with no problems, but by the time I started that second set I couldn't generate the power to get my watts to the prescribed level. I needed to do the interval at a minimum of 333 watts, but by 13 min in I still was only at 308. I shut it down at that point, because there was nothing to be gained by completing the interval at a lower power...that said, something inside me said I shouldn't quit and man up and complete the workout. For almost a minute I waffled back and forth on whether I should complete the 20 minutes, but in the end common sense won out and I throttled back.

Friday will be a recovery ride, and then on Saturday I'll wrap up the week with a 3hr ride with the club.

As my form comes back I'll be looking forward to these workouts getting better and better. Easier would be nice too, but if your training is getting easy then you must be doing something wrong, or not enough of it.

Intensity

2007-02-20T10:08:00.000-06:00

Base is over, and my first Build period started yesterday. Now I will start focusing on increasing my power, anaerobic capacity, and race specific skills. You know...the workouts that hurt like a mofo.

I tried to cap off last week's training with an FTP test, but coming off an illness...well, that was a good idea gone horribly wrong. I tried it again yesterday, and while it went better than Sunday's attempt, it was still not great. I fought wind both days, but I think that after almost 3 months of LSD riding, I'm a little stale in the hard effort department. So, for the time being I'm not gonna worry about the testing. After getting some more hard efforts in I might try the test later in the week. If I don't, no big deal.

A twist in the narrative

2007-02-18T10:04:00.000-06:00

It's Sunday morning and I still only have 2hrs training time for the week. I know it was a recovery week, but this is ridiculous. I rode Wednesday, and then on Thursday it was nasty out, I'm talkin' frigid. It made the weather conditions for that infamous Saturday ride look like a summertime jaunt. So no ride on Thursday. Friday rolls around and it is only marginally better, but I'm not feeling well. Scratch Friday. Saturday is upon me and it is decidedly warmer (still windy), but now I'm full blown sick. Dammit.

Here I am on Sunday, 3hrs short of my schedule. I'll have to end up being short on my hours, as I'm not going to try and recoup those hours in one ride. I'll get a couple of hours in and then call it a week. I might even leave it at one hour so I don't tire myself out with a Build week starting tomorrow. I'll just play it by ear.

Check out my TSB(Training Stress Balance). It won't be that high again for a while.

If there's nothing to write, is it still a blog?

2007-02-14T19:21:00.000-06:00

I've been kinda quiet the last couple of days, as there wasn't a lot to talk about. Being a recovery week I've only done 2hrs since Monday, and 1 of those hrs I did today. So, as I said, not much worth talking about training wise.

So, if I don't really have anything to say, why am blogging about it? I think it takes true talent to have nothing to say, but still be able to write about it anyway. Don't believe me? Just read the paper or listen to a politician talk.

In the interest of actually having something worthwhile to discuss...
I've been thinking about USA Cycling's '07 MTB National Racing Calendar. They say that the calendar is to give much deserved recognition to the organizers/promoters that put on some great events. Recognition is good, but are they really gonna get more participation now than they did in the past? I don't think the Bump n Grind needs to be part of the NRC to garner attention, they're doing great anyway. I would think that many events are in the same boat. The only thing I think they're hoping for is that this will now attract more pros since there are UCI points and series points available.
But is this new format really gonna attract the top athletes? Unless a pro lives near one of these races, he/she is gonna be hard pressed to take the time/energy to race there.

They're gonna be doing the NMBS races (the events formerly known as NORBA's) and the UCI World Cups, so why risk your fitness or valuable time to gain a few points? Not to mention, there won't be lots of competition for the pros at these smaller events. Even with the Semi pros or neo pros, it'd be like a top expert competing in the sport class.

I just don't see many top level pros entering these smaller races. They have too much to lose(no support, very few points, limited competition). Maybe I'm wrong..I kinda hope I am wrong. I'd love to see US mtn biking get a real shot in the arm. If it helps us compete on the international level then it's for the best.

What do you know, I really did have something to write about. Will miracles never cease.

2007-02-11T19:54:00.000-06:00

At the start of last week, as I was looking at the number of training hours I had ahead of me, I was wondering if I'd get all 10.5 hrs in...and this was after completing a ride. Well, today is Sunday and I'm happy to report that I got my hours in. I even went over my time by an hour.

It was a long week. I rode everyday from Monday thru Saturday. The only respite I got was a recovery ride on Friday, and let me tell you, I needed that easier ride. After Thursday I was really feeling worn out. Thankfully Friday's easy ride recharged my batteries for the big day on Saturday, and a big day it was.
I left the house just before 8am and didn't get back until after 1:30pm. It was a gorgeous day, if a little cool, so it made for a good ride. The Saturday club rides make are a good way to get those longer rides done. It sure beats riding alone for 3hrs.

For all you Northerners, you'll have fun with this. By looking at the riders in this pic you would think it is REALLY cold. Well, when I snapped it was probably around 45 degrees or so. Can you imagine what they'd dress like when it is honest to God cold?

One of the great things about riding with a group. Wind protection while in a paceline!

So, exactly how many cyclists does it take to change a tire?

Except for a recovery week starting tomorrow, I am finished with Base riding. Next up volume will decrease while intensity skyrockets.

Could it be?

2007-02-08T20:27:00.000-06:00

When I've raced, and even Time Trialed, my threshold HR was in the 170s. I could always tell when I had reached that range, but current indications are that I must be getting more aerobically fit, as I've hit the 170s, but didn't realize it until I got home and analyzed my ride files. Seeing a max of 176bpm came as a surprise, and I had to review the actual ride graphs to find out when/where I hit that number.

I'll be doing some formal testing next week, so it'll be interesting to see if a 20 minute TT bears out what I've been seeing this week.

This is more like it!

2007-02-07T12:22:00.000-06:00

Temperatures have crept up in the last couple of days, and it is most welcomed. Yesterday I had a good ride, due in no small part to the weather. I logged a total of 2hrs, but I did an hour of Tempo...averaging 300 watts for that hour, which makes me feel good that after all the lower intensity work that I still have something that resembles power.

New soles

2007-02-06T00:10:00.000-06:00

After almost 3000 miles on my current tires, it was time to get new shoes for the roadie. What necessitated it was the fact that I noticed this morning that my front tire was soft (that's the same tire that gave me so much trouble on Saturday). I found some a piece of glass embedded in the tire, and I think that was the culprit or at least part of the problem. It wasn't deep enough to out and out poke thru the tire, because when I initially got that flat I ran my fingers around the inside of the tire and I didn't feel anything. I think it wouldn't poke thru until there was some weight/pressure on the tire.

Whatever the cause, I took it as a sign to slap some new rubber on there. The previous tires were Maxxis Detonators, and they were super durable. Saturday was the first flat I had encountered since I put those tires on. My local bike shop didn't have a lot of selection when it came to reasonably priced tires, and it just so happens that they had Detonators in stock, I figured why change something that works?

Sold by volume

2007-02-05T11:21:00.000-06:00

Today starts my biggest week I will see all year long. The highest volume I will hit any week this year is 10.5 hrs, and even then I won't hit that many hours again until late summer when I rebuild after my July races. After that many hours I will be looking forward to the R&R week next week.

I called that one wrong

2007-02-03T20:28:00.000-06:00

I spoke too soon yesterday. This morning, the club was doing a ride known as "the Red Bay Loop". The day was full of drama. It started off with a flat tire, and then the replacement tube went kaboom in the living room...which at 7:30 in the morning is sure to get the blood pumping. Did I mention that was my only spare? I had to mooch one off the other riders, which I would pay for later on.
It was 34 degrees when I headed out, and it didn't warm up a whole lot for the rest of the day. We had a steady 15-20 mph wind. A wind which we never got a reprieve from. We either got a headwind or a crosswind, but never a tailwind.

About an hour and a half into the ride, that second spare tube gave out. It turns out it was patched. Thanks a lot for that one, I appreciate it. After getting yet another tube I was back on my way. My hands got a little cold, but my feet suffered the most, and I mean suffered. They hurt they were so cold. There were 4 of us in our new group and thank God one of them had parked his van at a secondary spot and he drove us back to our cars/town. I didn't get the total mileage I set out to get, but I didn't care.

The revised trip totaled 73 miles, but it felt like 173 miles. This ride definitely is the toughest/most grueling I've ever done, or hope to do.

At least I got my hours in, and I can take it easy tomorrow.

It doesn't take much

2007-02-02T20:30:00.000-06:00

I'm closing in on the end of the week, and as of this morning I still had 5hrs to get in. Yesterday it rained all damn day, and today the temperature was about 17 degrees colder...ohh, and it was cloudy with high humidity. Despite the less than stellar weather I had to get at least 2hrs of saddle time in. Attired in my usual array of every stick of winter clothing I own, I struck out on what would be a grueling 2hr ride. See, there was a piece of the puzzle I wasn't aware of until I got into my ride...a nasty headwind.
Overall I stayed fairly warm except for my feet. I did feel some wind blowing thru my fleece jacket, but I wasn't in any real distress. The wind though, combined with the cold feet and slight chill combined to make a miserable time. Maybe 15-20 minutes in I was thinking how I could make up the time in the next couple of days if I cut the ride short. It was that bad.

In the end I man'd up and suffered thru it, but that had to be the toughest ride I've had since last season. I'll be happy if I don't have any more of days like this for the rest of the '07 season.

Where'd my sprint go?

2007-01-31T21:51:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I did some sprint intervals- 3 small chainring sprints w/no gear changes, 3 big chainring efforts w/1 gear change, and 3 big chainring efforts w/2 gear changes. It's supposed to hone your ability to sprint without having to dump the chain to a higher gear first. This was the first high intensity effort I've put in for my 2007 training, and I felt it, or I should say, my legs felt it.
Anyway, after yesterday's more intense effort I kept today's ride low key. If it wasn't for the coming rainstorm I probably woulda taken today off.

January was a good month, I got in just over 39hrs of training, for a total of 775 miles. By the end of my Base training I should have plenty of miles in the legs to support the more intense training to come, and of course my early-mid season races.

They shoot cyclists don't they?

2007-01-31T00:15:00.000-06:00

Whenever I'm doing longer rides, or intervals, I choose the seclusion of a road on Eglin AFB property. The lack of traffic allows me to concentrate on intervals, and not worry about cars. I wasn't a half mile from the parking area when I started seeing shell casings littering the side of the road. There must've been 50 or 60 scattered over a couple hundred feet...

Maybe this is what they do to you when your rec. permit isn't up to date.

I know that the Rangers do war games out there, but I've never known them to conduct their games so close to the main road.

In any event, that sort of thing keeps my rides on military property...interesting, to say the least.

3,000 miles to Graceland

2007-01-30T00:35:00.000-06:00

I have logged 3,000 miles since getting the road bike, back in August. I rolled the odometer over to the big 3K with today's 22 mile ride.
For anyone in the market for a roadie, I can highly recommend the Giant TCR C3. I've had no problems with it in the 5 months that I've had it, other than a couple of saddle changes, and a switch to new tires it has not needed anything. It handles really well, it is stiff enough that you can really get the power down on the road. I've offered up my impressions on the TCR C3 on a couple of occasions. Two things have not changed; The Xero XSR-3 wheels are lacking-they're heavy and they don't roll very well. Still, to their credit they are stiff- in 5 months I've not had to have them trued. The brakes are the other weak link. On long descents they are less than confidence inspiring. Of course, if you don't live anywhere near the mountains then these brakes should give you no problems whatsoever.

Finally, for anyone really interested in taking their training to the next level, I cannot overstate how impressed I've been with my Powertap. It's some of the best money I've ever spent.