I'm paying for this?!?!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gimme more

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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.

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?

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!

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

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

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

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

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?

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?

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

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.

Pluggin' along

Yesterday's group ride finished off my weekly hours. I had never been on this route before, so color me surprised when we had some honest to God hills to climb..I'm talkin' about climbs that take more than 30 seconds to do! I was told of a hill in the area that takes around 3 minutes to climb- I'm gonna have to see that one to believe it.
Anyway, the ride was a good one and I even got to show my stuff on the hills...and I did do my part in tearing off some legs- I contributed to dropping a couple folks along the way.

Totals:
Sat ride- 61 miles, 3hrs, and 1300ft of climbing (I know, it's sad. 60 miles to get in 1300ft of climbing)
Week- 9:14, 184 miles

After 5 straight days of riding, I am looking forward to the day off.

Big props to our crew over in Belgium- Americans turned in some great performances in the Cyclocross World Championships. Way to go guys, and gal!

Those days

Ever have one of those training days where everything goes right? You seem to be able to pedal for hours and hours? If you have a day like that come race day, your competition better watch out?
Today was one of those days. Despite a hard week w/ both riding and some core training, my game was on. As I was riding along I was thinking, "gimme somebody, anybody". Alas, I had the roads all to my self.
Tomorrow is the weekly club ride, so if I feel as good as I did today, then perhaps I'll tear a few legs off on the ride.

What is going on?

January is typically a slow month for cycling news, team rosters and training camps dominate the coverage. Not this year though. Doping is back in the forefront...unfortunately. It's crazy. We've got Peirero, Museeuw, and the Patrick LeFevre and Quick-Step story, and January ain't even over yet. Peirero's been cleared (although I'm not sold on TUE's) and Museeuw is retired, so those are non isssues. The real potential bomb shell is the Quick Step story.
The media obviously loves this sort of thing, it really sells the newspapers. Personally, I think that the media does more harm than good. The Quick Step story is a perfect example. If nothing comes of it but allegations the damage is still done. The public will have formed their opinion on the matter (helped in no small part by the newspaper), and for years to come, people will question the results of Quick Step-Innergetic riders and question the reputations of everyone involved.
Now, if the paper has it right then they're onto something big and will be heroes over it. Whatever the outcome, let's hope that innocent parties won't get dragged thru the mud during this whole mess.

Turning it up a notch

With the start of my final Base period I've added some intensity to the training. The last two days I've done some Tempo sessions. Tempo workouts are done at 76-90% of Threshold power, so while not a real taxing workout, it does add a little variety to the menu.

Today was a MUCH better riding day than yesterday. There's nothing like Florida weather...48 degrees one day, and 62 the next.

In Winter's icy grip

Winter has us in it's icy grip...a grip on our balls to be exact, and he ain't lettin' go.

It seems like months ago when I last did a ride wearing shorts and a short sleeve jersey, but in fact it's only been a week or so.
For the last few days we've had some colder temperatures(cold for Florida). Today the high topped out at 48 degrees. I needed to get some hours in, but I sure as 'H' was not looking forward to riding in these temps. To be honest, I don't know how you folks from colder climates do it. It took me so long to get dressed I almost said "the hell with it".

Besides the normal gear (helmet, shorts, jersey etc):
Leg warmers
arm warmers
wool socks
shoe covers
skull cap
insulated gloves
fleece pullover/jersey

I don't have to go thru that much trouble to get dressed to go to work. God help me if it ever really gets cold. I was wearing every stick of cold weather riding gear I own, and my feet and hands still suffered.

I was shooting for an hour and a half but I cut it short by 30 minutes...something about losing feeling in your extremities makes you want to cry uncle and go home.

Fresh start

A new day, and the start of a new training block. With such a light week last week, my TSB really made a jump (circled in red). It won't be that high for at least a month. It doesn't take much for TSB to rise though, a day off here and there mixed with some recovery rides and/or keeping the watts on the low side of your endurance pace.



Time to start my Core training program. No rest for the weary.

Pain cave

Ever wondered what the "pain cave" looks like? I think this is a pretty good representation, courtesy of Tristan Schouten and some World Cup Cross action.

A day of rest

Saturday I finished up my last week of Base 2, with a 2hr ride. I ended the week with a little about 45 minutes over my goal...which didn't hurt my feelings any.

Today was a day to just chill out and take it easy. With all the rain it was easy to kick back, and that's exactly what I did.


I just stretched out on my bed and read Core Performance. I'm gonna start on this tomorrow, I've been neglecting it too long.

Easy does it

I'm in the midst of a R&R week, and my training is coming along nicely. Next week starts my final Base period, and then it will be onto more intense workouts... you know the ones, the ones that make you puke or at least make you wish you were dead. My Performance Mgr Chart shows the extent of my training since October. If you look closely at ATL and TSB you can see how my training blocks have played out. CTL keeps going up and up.


By the time my first Build period arrives, I should have around 2000 miles worth of Base in my legs, which I think is a good start.

In other news, the trailer for the new documentary, "24 Solo" is online, and it looks effing awesome! I just hope it will be shown somewhere that I can get to. I don't want to have to wait until the dvd. I had to do that for "Off Road to Athens".

Amazing

What an incredible story!

Page turner

I just finished reading The Death of Marco Pantani, the tragic biography of the Italian cyclist. It was a very good book, sad, but informative at the same time. You come away with an insight into the "Wild West" nature of EPO doping in the mid-late 90's and what has changed since then and what is the same.

The calm before the storm

Today was one of those days that makes me glad I live in Florida. Mostly clear, and a high of 70 degrees. Absolutely gorgeous weather. It should come as no surprise that I grabbed my bike and got some riding in.

But ohh how quickly fortunes can change. In just 24hrs we go from this, to this. That's a 25-30 degree difference....Damn! To top it off, there is supposed to be a 15-20mph wind which should really add that something special to the day.

From here to there

I finished my hours last week, and will be capping off my second Base period with a 5hr recovery week this week.

In getting my hours in last week I really got around. 3 of those hours were in Atlanta, on the Silver Comet Trail...which if you are ever in a position to ride while in Atlanta I highly recommend the Silver Comet. Very scenic, and most important, you can ride without concerning yourself over cars.

While it didn't offer much in the way of gradients, scenery was not lacking.

A tunnel...cool!

By the time I got back home, all I needed was 1 hr to finish off the week. Wouldn't you know it, I couldn't get home in time to hit the road. So you know what that means?

Trainer hell!

I suffered through it and got a total of 10:45 and 200 miles for the week. 5hrs this week will be a walk in the park by comparison.
I can't believe it, next week will start my last Base period. There's only about 2 1/2 months till my first race of the season. I'll be ready though.

That was tough

Another 2hrs in the books. I've got 5hrs for the week and it is just Tuesday. I wouldn't normally do my two longest rides back to back, but I've got to go to Atlanta on business, and while I'm gonna get some riding in while I'm up there, I just knew I wouldn't be able to get really long rides in... an hour and a half would be pushing it.

If I thought that getting up early yesterday morning was hard, getting up today was even harder. Trying to convince the body to get up and go ride after 3hrs the previous day takes some serious motivational skills. Once I was riding I felt surprisingly good, getting out the door was the hard part though.

I'm gonna get an hour on the trainer tomorrow morning. I wonder what kind of trick I'm gonna have to use to get myself up for that one?

Gettin' your shoes on

They say the hardest part of going running is putting your shoes on. I can attest to that. The hardest part of going out for these early morning rides is getting dressed. The alarm went off at 5:45am, and I SO wanted to go back to sleep, but I managed to drag my carcass out of bed and get some breakfast and get my gear on. I got out later than I wanted to, but at least I got out the door. 3hrs down, 7 to go. I'll have another 2 in the bag tomorrow.

Another one down

Another training week is in the books. I capped off my week's training with a group ride from Bluewater Bay to Freeport. Despite not actually raining during the ride, the wet roads got me soaked and dirty. With all the dirt/sand on the roads my bike looked like I had been riding out on the trails.

I ended the week with 9hrs and 190 miles. Next week the hours jump up to 10. Tomorrow I'm heading out early to get a jump on the training and get 3hrs in...hopefully the weather will hold out.
Note to self: Don't forget the ipod.

New year, same ole thing

We're 5 days into the new year, but I'm still plugging away at my Base miles... well, at least up until today.

This is putting a damper on the day's plans.

Hopefully this will pass and I'll get my time in. I only need 3 hrs to finish off the week, so even if I don't get out today I'm still in good shape.

Out with the old, and in with the new.

Happy New Year!


I hope everyone had a great holiday, and you didn't overdo the merry-making.
It's official, 2006 is in the history books, and a new year is upon us. I, for one, am looking forward to '07. I think it's gonna be a good year for my racing.
I finished up 2006 with 4,300 miles logged-2300 of those on the new bike, and 620 of those miles were in the month of December...which was a record for me.
While my '07 training plan has not been perfect, it has been MUCH better than 2006's effort.
The power meter has been largely responsible for that. Since getting my Powertap I've seen that last year I was going way too hard during my Base training. This go 'round I'm keeping my efforts reeled in more effectively.

I'm pleased with my progress over the year. I've come a long way. Today I got out early for 3hrs of endurance paced riding. It was the first time I had logged 3hrs in months and months. When I was finished I felt pretty good. The legs were spent, but I certainly didn't feel the need to go lay down or anything. Compare that with my first 3hr rides early last year and you can see the difference.
Looking at those old posts I realize I didn't really bitch about them all that much, but damn they sure did kick my ass...so much so that I all but gave up on doing 3hr rides. 2.5hrs was the most I'd go for. What a difference a year can make (and of course, a new bike too).


Here's to 2007, may it be a prosperous one!

It's official...

I am no longer a Beginner. Last night I upgraded my USAC license to Sport class.

I love it when a plan comes together

I'm within striking distance of my weekly goal. I've racked up 5hrs of the 8.5hrs I need for the week. My plan is to get an hour and a half in today, and 2hrs tomorrow, so that I can have New Year's Eve to just kick back and relax.

Last night I rolled with the usual suspects on the Thursday mtb ride night time edition. Although I'm not a big fan of night riding, it's always fun getting out on the mtn bike.

Back to business

Today I got back to my routine. It sure was nice to have a simple bowl of cereal for breakfast.

Yesterday Base 2 got kicked off, and despite it being Christmas day I still managed to log 2.5hrs. Combine that with the hour I got in today, and I'm off to a good start. The amount of mileage and distance that I've racked up since getting my road bike has been substantial. I remember when 2.5-3hrs on my old hardtail would totally kick my butt. When I'd step off the bike I felt like I had been run over. Since that time I've gotten a lot stronger, but the more comfortable road bike has no doubt played a big part. If I get my hours in this week then I'll finish with 600+miles for the month of Dec... the training is, so far, a lot more focused and structured than last year at this time.

Making Merry

I hope everyone had a great Christmas, hopefully Santa brought you some nice stuff. I got some good stuff, including this.
I love Christmas, but I'm glad it's over... there were too many good things to eat, things that are not exactly what you would call nutritious.

Merry Christmas!

Besides getting a couple hours of saddle time in this weekend, I'm in total holiday mode. I might go for 2-3hrs on Christmas day, just so I can eat guilt free.

Anyway, things are gonna be quiet around here at least until Dec 26th...so have a Merry Christmas, and be safe.


I'm outta here.

Battle Royale

In an interesting twist, both Lance Armstrong and Floyd Landis are going to do the Leadville 100 next August. It's not everyday that you can say that you lined up for a race, with two TdF winners on the line as well. For those in attendance, it'll make the race that much more memorable.

I wonder if I could handle 14,000ft of climbing?

I'm impressed!

Frenchwoman Jeannie Longo has her eye on the 2008 Olympics....which would be her 7th! She is 48yrs old, so she'll be 50 when the Beijing games open. My hat goes off to her, as she's been competing longer than most of the current pros have even been alive. That just goes to prove the old saying "age is a case of mind over matter...if you don't mind, it don't matter." Full Story

She is proof positive that it is never too late to go after what you want.

Dopey

I have had an epiphany.

When the word "doping" comes up, most people connect that to an athlete using chemical/pharmaceutical means to cheat, but I've come to the conclusion that "doping" means dealing with the USADA/WADA...they're the biggest dopes around.

I've been following the Floyd Landis case/details over at the Daily Peloton forums, and it is quite apparent that the the powers that be are more than happy to bankrupt Floyd to get their win. Now, there are many who consider Floyd to be guilty, and if he gets off it'll be on a technicality. Which is a shame for Floyd, as his reputation is essentially trashed. Now, if you're one of the ones who thinks that Floyd is guilty, then perhaps more concrete proof of the USADA's inane tactics can come from Jason Sager. Jason has been suspended for missing a post race test...which was the fault of the USADA personnel on site.
Since I feel that Floyd is in fact innocent, it is my opinion that both Floyd and Jason (and others) are victims of a deeply flawed system...a system that while created for a noble cause, is not interested in the athletes. They (USADA/WADA) are operating under the credo that "if you've not been sanctioned by us, then you just haven't been caught yet".

It's a load of crap!

My biggest hope is that Floyd wins and it brings to light the flaws in the anti-doping authorities' modus operandi.

Takin' it easy

I kicked off my final week of Base 1 with a 1:20 recovery ride. I was thinking of taking the day off, as my legs were a little sore after yesterday's ride...which was kind of strange as I didn't go all out, in fact my Intensity Factor for the ride was 0.76. For 2+hrs of saddle time that's not an overly high IF number. In any event, it left me sore, so after thinking about it I decided that some active recovery would be better than totally taking the day off.

It was indeed a recovery ride...my avg watts for 1:20 was 183. We'll see tomorrow, but I think it was just what my legs needed.

Nothing like a little Christmas decoration sightseeing while riding.

All quiet on the western front

Things have been kinda quiet lately...not a whole lot to talk about. It's that time of year where schedules become hectic. Tomorrow starts my final week of Base 1. This past week I didn't get my hours in that I had planned, due to Mother Nature having some plans of her own. Today was the only long ride I managed for the week, and it clocked in at just over 2hrs. As of today I've logged 2000 miles on the TCR... that averages out to 500 miles per month.

In other news, I finished reading The Tour, and you need to do yourself a favor and read both The Race and The Tour. Dave Shields has crafted a wonderful story that begs to be read.

Truth in labeling

I was at a party recently, and as usual, there was the standard fare of potato chips and other fattening snacks (all the good and tasty stuff). I took particular notice of the new Lay's chips that are "made with 100% pure Sunflower oil". Combine that with the "0gs of Trans fats", and most people would consider those chips somewhat healthy. Ohh how wrong you are.


Take a look at that ingredient list. The first thing you'll notice is that Sunflower oil is not the only oil. Sure, the Sunflower oil they're using is 100% pure, but it is only one of several oils...and despite the packaging stating 0gs of Trans fats, the "partially hydrogenated Soybean and Cottonseed oil" says otherwise. That is not really Lay's fault there. The FDA says that if you have 0.5g (or less) per serving of Trans Fats you can say that you have "0g of Trans Fats" on your packaging.

Ok, so you have 0.5g of trans fats per serving, typically a serving of potato chips is around 12-15 chips...how many people eat the exact serving size? I'm thinking double or triple the serving size, and that 0.5g of bad oil multiplies, along with the other fats.

Why do I mention this? As more and more companies start offering "healthy" alternatives, it is still going to pay to look at food labels. I'm doing my best to stay away from foods with man-made ingredients in them. It can be hard...you've got the aforementioned hydrogenated oils, artificial colors, High Fructose Corn Syrup, and Aspartame, just to name a few.
I try to go organic when I can, but as I said, it can be a challenge.

Anyway, I was just really surprised to read those ingredients.

Change of plans

John Lennon said it best..."life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."
Yesterday I totally missed out on riding, despite my best intentions. I did get 2.5hrs in today, and I'll get 1.5hrs tomorrow so I'll only be an hour and a half off my weekly goal. Not too bad, all things considered.

Required reading

I've read my share of cycling related books, but they've all been works of non-fiction; training guides/reference, etc. I would like to recommend a book that is a totally fictional story. The Race, by Dave Shields. It's about the Tour De France, and it is one of the best books I've ever read (of any book). I couldn't put it down. I finished it in one day. As I finished the last page I wanted to grab my bike and get out on the road.
It's an extremely compelling story, with a sympathetic protagonist in Ben Barnes.

Whether you know a Peloton from a Trinitron, you'll enjoy this book.
Big thumbs up!

BTW, it is twenty-friggin'-seven degrees right now! I'm cold just thinking about that number. Brrrrrr.

Jack Frost nipping at my nose...

And ears, feet, and any other exposed skin.


It is freakin' cold today! As I type this, it is 35 degrees with a 15mph N wind. Yesterday it was a rather mild 58, but that was the most uncomfortable 58 I've ever experienced. Between the wind and dampness it was miserable. As a result, I bailed on riding yesterday, so now I'm left with having to ride today, tomorrow, and Sunday... regardless of weather. Tomorrow and Sunday won't be bad, but today is gonna suck.
We don't have these kinds of temps very often, but when we do get 'em I wish I had better/more effective cold weather riding gear. I'll be wearing every stick of cold gear I own, and I'm sure I'll still be a little chilled.

It's all about suffering for your sport, right? That's a load of bullsh*t, isn't it?

Brother, can you spare some warm clothes?

Week 2 of Base 1 got rolling today, albeit not exactly the way I wanted. I was hoping for at least 1.5hrs of saddle time, but I got a late start and couple that with the nip in the air and 1hr is the best I could come up with.
I'm glad I live in Florida, as I don't think I could handle really cold weather (at least trying to ride in it.). It was around 50 degrees with a 15-20mph N wind, and I was using all my cold weather riding gear and I still was a little chilled... I don't know what I'd do if I lived in Colorado or N Dakota.

Week's End

Friday night I attended the club's annual Christmas party. I think they probably should have made it mandatory for everyone to wear their helmets, as that is the only way I would've recognized most of the people there.
Anyway...other than the restaurant being overwhelmed by our group, the evening went well. After everyone was finished eating there was a "Dirty Santa" gift exchange. I ended up with a pair of books...which I'd ordinarily be thrilled with, but take a look at the covers of those books.

Can you say 'dated'?

The party was my only real social outing this week, as the rest of my free time was devoted to saddle time. Today I finished up the week with a 50 mile, 2.5hr ride and 8hrs for the week.
I'm looking forward to a day or two off the bike.

December already?!?

I can't believe it, it's Dec 1st. Even though my first race of the 2007 season is not until the end of March, the '07 season seems so close now. I'm almost done with my first week of Base 1. Only 7 more weeks of Base training.
During the 8 weeks of Base I'll log somewhere between 1100 & 1600 miles. My legs are sore just thinking about it. The good news to that is that I should have a sufficient foundation to build on as I get into the Build periods.