Ah, what a day to ride outside!
Ride time: 1 Hr 20 @ 145 BPM
100 situps, core workouts (more on these later)
stretching
I cruised around Madison today on my Procaliber. I dig this bike. It's comfortable and quick. Maybe next week I can get the Madone out on the road. For now, however, I need to get to know the Procal. Man, I need to tune the suspension better.
Core workouts have been awesome! While I'm short of a six pack, my abs are flatter and more muscular than ever in my entire life, and I can feel the strength when I really sprint for it or get out of the saddle. Sweet! I usually do 100 sit ups every other day. Included in this workout are some planks (a pilates-style pose) and a side equivalent.
on the iPod:
Bone Thugs n Harmony- Crossroads
Teddy Bears feat. Iggy Pop- Punk Rocker
Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Show Your Bones
More outdoor riding!
Friday, March 13, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
rough week, even with such little riding
Monday, March 9th, 2009
Ride time: 45 minutes
100 situps, core workouts,
Tuesday: didn’t get to ride. I was at work until 1 am. yeah....
Wednesday and Thursday: Rest days. I did a lot of sleeping. My sleep schedule is still a little wonky, but I should be able to get back to normal tonight.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Why does one do this bicycle thing?
Ride time: 45 minutes at 145 BPM
core workout, stretching, sit-ups
Today, Coach Whale suggested I write about why I ride.
This is quite the topic, so I’ll try to give it the time it deserves. We’ll call this installation part one, and it will cover the basics. The obvious, clear, and easily understood motivations for a post-undergrad 23 year-old to spend an entire year living in his parent’s basement to train for a sport in which he has shown little previous talent.
As an outline:
Part 1: Personal motivations
2 Lifestyle
3 Culture
4 Competition
5 Health
6 Socially
7 Philosophically
The immediate gratifications I get, the most fleeting and temporary beauty I feel in riding a bicycle, come in racing. In a race I can focus like I cannot in any other aspect of my life. There is no outer world, no bike, no trail, and other riders are only peripheral. No longer am I the mastermind type with a hand in everything and invested in no one thing. A rider passing me quickly becomes nothing more than the urge to accelerate. Going as hard as possible, absolutely to the limit, gives me joy.
In a criterium, attacking just after the last preem sprint and doing the ITT for a few laps until the finish. It requires speed when I’m usually pretty spent, and it requires timing and forethought, cleverness, and the slightest amount of disregard for safety. When it works, everyone else it too smoked from the final preem to chase, and I’ve ridden away solo a few times. Occasionally some have come with me, but otherwise I can ride on my own.
In mountain biking, getting into the flow and rhythm of a trail is my goal. When I can stay off of the brakes through a corner and lean into it, keeping speed, and come out accelerating, it’s magic. It is necessary to focus, and the focus keeps me happy.
How about winning? I’ve only ever won one race; a practice crit in the 5s. Maybe it’s because I’ve never taken myself seriously as a racer. Last year, coming off of brutal bronchitis and an offseason plagued by schoolwork, I was somehow pretty quick on the bike. Suddenly, I could ride with the faster group on spring break, and I held my own in a cat. 5 road race coming in for 4th. I hadn’t raced the mountain bike in nearly a year, so I wondered whether I could stand up on my own in a WORS comp race.
It went reasonably well. My once-strong handling skills were rusty from all of the road riding, and my core muscles were weak, so I dogged it in for a mid-pack finish. But after a summer of riding the MTB, I had my handling skills back and landed a top 10 at the Fall Color Festival, 2nd in my age group.
So I’ve taken myself seriously, trained and stretched, done the sit-ups (I fucking hate sit-ups) and core workouts, and eaten better (I’ve only had Taco Bell once since 2008). However this season goes, I will someday look back and say I went for it and found my actual limits. I tend not to take many chances in other parts of my life. I am a calculating person, highly logical, and serious.
So I am focusing for this season. I am focused on winning, focused on always passing just one more person, focused on 2nd being a loss, focused on not letting the weather or course conditions influence my attitude. This season I have an opportunity that I will not have in other seasons, or perhaps ever again in my life.
For now, this is why I ride. More next time.
core workout, stretching, sit-ups
Today, Coach Whale suggested I write about why I ride.
This is quite the topic, so I’ll try to give it the time it deserves. We’ll call this installation part one, and it will cover the basics. The obvious, clear, and easily understood motivations for a post-undergrad 23 year-old to spend an entire year living in his parent’s basement to train for a sport in which he has shown little previous talent.
As an outline:
Part 1: Personal motivations
2 Lifestyle
3 Culture
4 Competition
5 Health
6 Socially
7 Philosophically
The immediate gratifications I get, the most fleeting and temporary beauty I feel in riding a bicycle, come in racing. In a race I can focus like I cannot in any other aspect of my life. There is no outer world, no bike, no trail, and other riders are only peripheral. No longer am I the mastermind type with a hand in everything and invested in no one thing. A rider passing me quickly becomes nothing more than the urge to accelerate. Going as hard as possible, absolutely to the limit, gives me joy.
In a criterium, attacking just after the last preem sprint and doing the ITT for a few laps until the finish. It requires speed when I’m usually pretty spent, and it requires timing and forethought, cleverness, and the slightest amount of disregard for safety. When it works, everyone else it too smoked from the final preem to chase, and I’ve ridden away solo a few times. Occasionally some have come with me, but otherwise I can ride on my own.
In mountain biking, getting into the flow and rhythm of a trail is my goal. When I can stay off of the brakes through a corner and lean into it, keeping speed, and come out accelerating, it’s magic. It is necessary to focus, and the focus keeps me happy.
How about winning? I’ve only ever won one race; a practice crit in the 5s. Maybe it’s because I’ve never taken myself seriously as a racer. Last year, coming off of brutal bronchitis and an offseason plagued by schoolwork, I was somehow pretty quick on the bike. Suddenly, I could ride with the faster group on spring break, and I held my own in a cat. 5 road race coming in for 4th. I hadn’t raced the mountain bike in nearly a year, so I wondered whether I could stand up on my own in a WORS comp race.
It went reasonably well. My once-strong handling skills were rusty from all of the road riding, and my core muscles were weak, so I dogged it in for a mid-pack finish. But after a summer of riding the MTB, I had my handling skills back and landed a top 10 at the Fall Color Festival, 2nd in my age group.
So I’ve taken myself seriously, trained and stretched, done the sit-ups (I fucking hate sit-ups) and core workouts, and eaten better (I’ve only had Taco Bell once since 2008). However this season goes, I will someday look back and say I went for it and found my actual limits. I tend not to take many chances in other parts of my life. I am a calculating person, highly logical, and serious.
So I am focusing for this season. I am focused on winning, focused on always passing just one more person, focused on 2nd being a loss, focused on not letting the weather or course conditions influence my attitude. This season I have an opportunity that I will not have in other seasons, or perhaps ever again in my life.
For now, this is why I ride. More next time.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Saturday: back at it.
Saturday, March 6th, 2009
Ride time: 1.5 hours at 138-160BPM
Stretching.
It was hard to get back on the bike after a tough week. My sleep schedule was getting back to normal, but my stress levels were still up there. Work has been quite challenging as of late, and I haven't had much fun outside of work. I got home from a successful day at the office, did my ride and went out for a friend's birthday. As the designated driver, it was quite the entertaining evening.
Sunday I rested. This is a recovery week, so the riding will be easier. I look forward to some nicer weather, outdoor riding, and a great season. Even though this last week was difficult, I made it through and am ready to get back on track!
Ride time: 1.5 hours at 138-160BPM
Stretching.
It was hard to get back on the bike after a tough week. My sleep schedule was getting back to normal, but my stress levels were still up there. Work has been quite challenging as of late, and I haven't had much fun outside of work. I got home from a successful day at the office, did my ride and went out for a friend's birthday. As the designated driver, it was quite the entertaining evening.
Sunday I rested. This is a recovery week, so the riding will be easier. I look forward to some nicer weather, outdoor riding, and a great season. Even though this last week was difficult, I made it through and am ready to get back on track!
Friday, March 6, 2009
a long, hard week
This was a difficult week for me. My sleep schedule was way off and prevented me from completing some of my scheduled workouts. Then I lost my heart rate monitor watch. Not fun.
Monday, March 2nd, 2009
Ride time: 1 hour at 155 BPM
stretching, sit-ups, core workout
Tuesday, March 2nd 2009
Ride time: 2.25 hours @ 145 BPM
stretching
Wednesday, March 3rd, 2009
scheduled ride time: 1.5 hours at 138-160- Was at work from 9am til 8PM. Got home and tried to ride. I was so exhausted I could only spin. Still did my core workout. My hamstrings felt super tight. Everyone at my work has this nasty flu, and I was worried I was catching it. Went to bed after an hour of easy spinning. Slept from 10pm to 9am.
Thursday: scheduled rest day. And I rested. My sinuses were a little stuffed up and I felt dehydrated. Did some stretching Thursday night I didn't fall asleep until nearly three a.m. Got up for work at eight.
Friday, March 6th, 2009
My scheduled ride was 2.25 hours at 138-160. I was so fried that I could only spin for an hour. Mentally I am exhausted. Tonight my plan is to go to bed at ten and get up at 7. Hopefully that puts me back on a normal sleep schedule, and I can do tomorrow's planned ride. My sinuses feel better and I'm hydrated again. This may have been a near-miss on catching the flu that everyone at work has. The weather is warm enough that next week I could ride outside if I wanted.
Sometimes it doesn't go according to plan.
Monday, March 2nd, 2009
Ride time: 1 hour at 155 BPM
stretching, sit-ups, core workout
Tuesday, March 2nd 2009
Ride time: 2.25 hours @ 145 BPM
stretching
Wednesday, March 3rd, 2009
scheduled ride time: 1.5 hours at 138-160- Was at work from 9am til 8PM. Got home and tried to ride. I was so exhausted I could only spin. Still did my core workout. My hamstrings felt super tight. Everyone at my work has this nasty flu, and I was worried I was catching it. Went to bed after an hour of easy spinning. Slept from 10pm to 9am.
Thursday: scheduled rest day. And I rested. My sinuses were a little stuffed up and I felt dehydrated. Did some stretching Thursday night I didn't fall asleep until nearly three a.m. Got up for work at eight.
Friday, March 6th, 2009
My scheduled ride was 2.25 hours at 138-160. I was so fried that I could only spin for an hour. Mentally I am exhausted. Tonight my plan is to go to bed at ten and get up at 7. Hopefully that puts me back on a normal sleep schedule, and I can do tomorrow's planned ride. My sinuses feel better and I'm hydrated again. This may have been a near-miss on catching the flu that everyone at work has. The weather is warm enough that next week I could ride outside if I wanted.
Sometimes it doesn't go according to plan.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
schedule thoughts
Friday, February 27th, 2009.
Ride time: 2.15 hours @ 145
stretching and 100 sit-ups, core workouts
Saturday, February 28th, 2009
Ride time: 1.45 hours @ 145 BPM
stretching. My legs were pretty tired from this ride. I don't think I ate too well between Friday's long ride and Saturday's shorter one.
Sunday, March 1st, 2009
REST DAY!
My work schedule can get really crazy. Occasionally it makes my evening workouts really difficult (see last Wednesday) either from exhaustion or just over-scheduling. Now that store hours are changing to 10am-9pm M-F and 9am-6pm Saturday, everything should get easier. I'm hoping to go up to Mpls sometime in the near future.
Got a USA cycling e-mail reminder that there are some early season Crits at Research Park coming up in April. We'll see what coach says, but those could be fun.
Ride time: 2.15 hours @ 145
stretching and 100 sit-ups, core workouts
Saturday, February 28th, 2009
Ride time: 1.45 hours @ 145 BPM
stretching. My legs were pretty tired from this ride. I don't think I ate too well between Friday's long ride and Saturday's shorter one.
Sunday, March 1st, 2009
REST DAY!
My work schedule can get really crazy. Occasionally it makes my evening workouts really difficult (see last Wednesday) either from exhaustion or just over-scheduling. Now that store hours are changing to 10am-9pm M-F and 9am-6pm Saturday, everything should get easier. I'm hoping to go up to Mpls sometime in the near future.
Got a USA cycling e-mail reminder that there are some early season Crits at Research Park coming up in April. We'll see what coach says, but those could be fun.
Friday, February 27, 2009
long work days
Date: Wenesday, February 25th, 2009
Workout: 45 minutes at 138-160 (scheduled to do 1.15)
My legs felt: tired. Same with my brain.
Food: don’t remember
Sleep: fine
What I learned today: After working 9am to 8:30pm, I was totally fried. After hopping on the bike to give the workout a shot, I knew it was going to be difficult. My legs were a bit tired, but my brain was totally out of it. After half an hour of trying I spun for 15 minutes, did my core workout and went right to bed. The blankets closed over me in tandem with my eyes.
Thursday, February 26th, 2009
REST DAY! It was a day to hydrate and eat. And boy did I eat.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
