Monday was my rest day, so Tuesday was my endurance ride day. I did 2.5 hours at an average of 158 BPM.
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=277533
Once I got home, I noticed a police radar trailer was set up to display the speed of cars driving near Sandburg elementary. My legs were tired, but I decided to see how hard of a sprint I could throw down. I broke 30mph, but I could feel my legs saying "no thanks, we're done for the day."
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
recover, sunburn, recover, chunky lungs
Thursday I did some active recovery and rode over to my brother's house and cruised by the lake. It was nice.
Friday I did 2.5 very hard hours in the wind and sun. Due to time constraints I couldn't do the full time I'd scheduled, but managed to have a good hard ride.
Saturday morning I spun out my legs in preparation for the Campus Crit in Minneapolis: a race I thought I had a shot at winning.
Sunday morning saw rain, and tons of it. The course had puddles that would get swept out by course marshals between rider gaps. The 4s race had 5 participants, and we went hard from the whistle. It strung out, and on the windy backside, we got split apart. I chased up to the front two riders, and as soon as I got up there, the 2nd place guy(Randy) drilled it. He got another gap, and the GP guy who was with us jumped and went right past Randy. I tried to chase and popped.
When I dropped back to the last two, they weren't talking to each other or me. They wouldn't work together, and they kept attacking, trying to get back up to the front GP rider. It sucked, big time. They kept attacking me until I couldn't respond. There was no recovery, and I rode the last five laps alone and discouraged. According to the official, it didn't even look like a race after the first three laps; Just one rider every five seconds, hammering on his own.
I was soaked, cold, and shaking when I got done. I warmed up, stretched a ton, and went to the Mall of America to get some shoes before driving home through terrible rain that night. The saddest part is that when there's a good field, that race is awesome.
Cold, damp weather always does a number on my lungs. I felt them constricting right away after the race and just for safety took some mucinex the next day. It got a bit of the congestion out, and I feel better today, but chunky lungs always make me nervous.
A year-and-a-half ago now, I was going into the collegiate MTB season feeling great. I felt strong and excited about the chance of qualifying for nationals (I would have gotten smoked at nats, but it would have been awesome). The last road event I was going to go was the campus crit. I had a bit of a cold, but I didn't think it serious enough to drop from the race.
I raced hard that year, and was a little hung over from the previous night, so my cold turned to serious bronchitis in a day or two. It took me off the bike for three months, out of the MTB season, and involved weekly visits to the doctor to check on my progress. The most frustrating cold I've ever had wasn't severe, but I put on 15 lbs, missed my last collegiate MTB season, and learned a big lesson the hard way.
Friday I did 2.5 very hard hours in the wind and sun. Due to time constraints I couldn't do the full time I'd scheduled, but managed to have a good hard ride.
Saturday morning I spun out my legs in preparation for the Campus Crit in Minneapolis: a race I thought I had a shot at winning.
Sunday morning saw rain, and tons of it. The course had puddles that would get swept out by course marshals between rider gaps. The 4s race had 5 participants, and we went hard from the whistle. It strung out, and on the windy backside, we got split apart. I chased up to the front two riders, and as soon as I got up there, the 2nd place guy(Randy) drilled it. He got another gap, and the GP guy who was with us jumped and went right past Randy. I tried to chase and popped.
When I dropped back to the last two, they weren't talking to each other or me. They wouldn't work together, and they kept attacking, trying to get back up to the front GP rider. It sucked, big time. They kept attacking me until I couldn't respond. There was no recovery, and I rode the last five laps alone and discouraged. According to the official, it didn't even look like a race after the first three laps; Just one rider every five seconds, hammering on his own.
I was soaked, cold, and shaking when I got done. I warmed up, stretched a ton, and went to the Mall of America to get some shoes before driving home through terrible rain that night. The saddest part is that when there's a good field, that race is awesome.
Cold, damp weather always does a number on my lungs. I felt them constricting right away after the race and just for safety took some mucinex the next day. It got a bit of the congestion out, and I feel better today, but chunky lungs always make me nervous.
A year-and-a-half ago now, I was going into the collegiate MTB season feeling great. I felt strong and excited about the chance of qualifying for nationals (I would have gotten smoked at nats, but it would have been awesome). The last road event I was going to go was the campus crit. I had a bit of a cold, but I didn't think it serious enough to drop from the race.
I raced hard that year, and was a little hung over from the previous night, so my cold turned to serious bronchitis in a day or two. It took me off the bike for three months, out of the MTB season, and involved weekly visits to the doctor to check on my progress. The most frustrating cold I've ever had wasn't severe, but I put on 15 lbs, missed my last collegiate MTB season, and learned a big lesson the hard way.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Shitty weather: shitty movie!
Because I raced Sunday, my schedule got a little wonky: Monday I did a 60 minute active recovery ride instead of the planned 4x11 minute cruise intervals. I did my intervals on Sunday. And I did my core workouts Monday, as well.
Tuesday it was cold and rainy, so the trainer tire went back on and I watched Quantum of Solace while riding for 2.5 hours at 145. I know I was schedule to do 3-4 hours outside, but I got so freakin bored sitting in the basement that I had to cut it short. And the movie ended. It was a pretty good movie, I have to admit. Although there was less gadgetry and intrigue than on Bond movies, it was still fun.
You know what movie sucks? Transporter 3. There were a few good action sequences (including one on fa BMX bike that was just absurd), but the overall movie lacked any real plot. For as fun an pop-corn chompin silly as the first two were, the third just failed.
Wednesday I did hill sprint repeats. On a short hill out Portage road. With a headwind. It was really hard with that wind, and as hard as I was working I know I wasn't moving too quickly. 100 situps and big core workouts and stretching and all that good stuff.
Tuesday it was cold and rainy, so the trainer tire went back on and I watched Quantum of Solace while riding for 2.5 hours at 145. I know I was schedule to do 3-4 hours outside, but I got so freakin bored sitting in the basement that I had to cut it short. And the movie ended. It was a pretty good movie, I have to admit. Although there was less gadgetry and intrigue than on Bond movies, it was still fun.
You know what movie sucks? Transporter 3. There were a few good action sequences (including one on fa BMX bike that was just absurd), but the overall movie lacked any real plot. For as fun an pop-corn chompin silly as the first two were, the third just failed.
Wednesday I did hill sprint repeats. On a short hill out Portage road. With a headwind. It was really hard with that wind, and as hard as I was working I know I wasn't moving too quickly. 100 situps and big core workouts and stretching and all that good stuff.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
First race of the season.
Today I did a category 4 criterium at Research Park. The weather was chilly and windy, as it always is at Research Park, but the threatening rain waited until later in the day. The race was 35 minutes plus 2 laps, and I got 6th place in a field that started with about 30 people.
From the start, I sat in about 6th position. Sometimes I'd move up to 2nd or 3rd, but any time I ended up on the front I'd drop back ASAP. There were a few two-man teams, and one three-man team, but it was mostly a free-for-all. After four laps we'd burned out the guys who hadn't ridden all winter, and after six or so, we'd dropped the guys who hadn't trained much.
I was alone, so there were a few things I didn't do: I didn't jump on most of the attacks. I watched who was able to cover the attacks and figured out who was strong. One guy who was strong had an orange kit and one had an Alterra coffee kit. We'll call them Orangeade and Coffee from here on out.
Orangeade was pulling and covering attacks at the same time for most of the race, so I figured he would either win and upgrade or burn out. On the final straightaway the latter became true. Coffee was watching for attacks and chasing some, but not all. When one guy got a big gap, he made the pack pull the guy back in by ordering short, hard pulls. Orangeade did the final pull to bring him back, then I did a half-attack with four laps to go.
I was sitting halfway back in the pack of 18 and simply moved up along the inside on a flat. Somebody thought this was going to be an attack, so they went off the front. We reeled him in. As soon as we got him in, two guys did the double-pronged attack from the right and left. We tried to bring them back, but to no avail.
Coming around the 2nd to last corner on the last lap, I got bumped and was suddenly at the back of the pack. We made the final corner just as the two in the break crossed the finish line, so the spring started for 3rd. I had space to take the corner in the fastest way possible (being nearly off the back) so I grabbed two gears, shot through the apex, and grabbed two more gears.
Then I dropped the hammer. While I didn't win the sprint, I passed about 12 riders in the last 10 meters and we had to wait for the photos to sort out who got what place in the sprint. Four of us finished very close to each other. Some spectators commented that they thought I was going to win it from behind because of my acceleration. Sweet!
Lesson on the day: Keep that position you earned in the race even on the last lap. Had I done that, I think I could have gotten the bunch sprint and a podium spot.
All in all, it was a great race. Everyone was communicating attacks, communicating where they were, and nobody was sketchy. Except for the fact that we weren't going as fast as the 1,2,3 field, I think things went as well as any 1,2,3 race. There were lots of acceleration, and I was able to accelerate and recover, accelerate and recover with the group. I felt strong.
On my way home, I stopped at the capitol square to watch the UW Criterium. The men's A's got rained on halfway into their race and then everything went ot hell. The officials were pulling kids who had gotten lapped, and then started pulling kids who hadn't gotten lapped. Then they were letting kids who took a free lap jump into the breakaway. Then the rain really started coming down and the crashes started.
Saw Rambo, Art, Gehling and Claire, Mary and a few other usual suspects.
Today was a good day.
From the start, I sat in about 6th position. Sometimes I'd move up to 2nd or 3rd, but any time I ended up on the front I'd drop back ASAP. There were a few two-man teams, and one three-man team, but it was mostly a free-for-all. After four laps we'd burned out the guys who hadn't ridden all winter, and after six or so, we'd dropped the guys who hadn't trained much.
I was alone, so there were a few things I didn't do: I didn't jump on most of the attacks. I watched who was able to cover the attacks and figured out who was strong. One guy who was strong had an orange kit and one had an Alterra coffee kit. We'll call them Orangeade and Coffee from here on out.
Orangeade was pulling and covering attacks at the same time for most of the race, so I figured he would either win and upgrade or burn out. On the final straightaway the latter became true. Coffee was watching for attacks and chasing some, but not all. When one guy got a big gap, he made the pack pull the guy back in by ordering short, hard pulls. Orangeade did the final pull to bring him back, then I did a half-attack with four laps to go.
I was sitting halfway back in the pack of 18 and simply moved up along the inside on a flat. Somebody thought this was going to be an attack, so they went off the front. We reeled him in. As soon as we got him in, two guys did the double-pronged attack from the right and left. We tried to bring them back, but to no avail.
Coming around the 2nd to last corner on the last lap, I got bumped and was suddenly at the back of the pack. We made the final corner just as the two in the break crossed the finish line, so the spring started for 3rd. I had space to take the corner in the fastest way possible (being nearly off the back) so I grabbed two gears, shot through the apex, and grabbed two more gears.
Then I dropped the hammer. While I didn't win the sprint, I passed about 12 riders in the last 10 meters and we had to wait for the photos to sort out who got what place in the sprint. Four of us finished very close to each other. Some spectators commented that they thought I was going to win it from behind because of my acceleration. Sweet!
Lesson on the day: Keep that position you earned in the race even on the last lap. Had I done that, I think I could have gotten the bunch sprint and a podium spot.
All in all, it was a great race. Everyone was communicating attacks, communicating where they were, and nobody was sketchy. Except for the fact that we weren't going as fast as the 1,2,3 field, I think things went as well as any 1,2,3 race. There were lots of acceleration, and I was able to accelerate and recover, accelerate and recover with the group. I felt strong.
On my way home, I stopped at the capitol square to watch the UW Criterium. The men's A's got rained on halfway into their race and then everything went ot hell. The officials were pulling kids who had gotten lapped, and then started pulling kids who hadn't gotten lapped. Then they were letting kids who took a free lap jump into the breakaway. Then the rain really started coming down and the crashes started.
Saw Rambo, Art, Gehling and Claire, Mary and a few other usual suspects.
Today was a good day.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
catching up on the week
Wednesday I did hill sprints. My legs weren't really feeling it, but I still got in 13. How does one know when one has done enough hill sprints? When walking down a flight of stairs is hard the next morning.
Thursday was active recovery. I rode to the coffee shop very slowly. Then I rode home very slowly. Then I rode to work even more slowly than that. My legs were sore.
Friday was very fun. I got in 2.5 hours on the MTB while testing a new saddle for Bontrager. I think it's coming out in 2011, and this thing really worked out well for me.
I've been keeping up on the core workouts pretty well, but in the last week or so my eating has gotten bad. I've been drinking lattes instead of just coffee. I've had soda quite a few times. I've had fast food a few times. It's been bad, and I've been feeling the effects of the poor diet. So tonight I changed that. I had fruit for a snack, and I've been replacing soda with water again. I didn't really slow the water intake, but instead of juice I had soda or coffee this week. It's amazing how quickly my body slow down when I keep riding hard and eat like shit. Time ot get the diet back on track. I'm having an orange right now.
I was supposed to do a crit tomorrow. It's going to be 40 and pouring rain, which I think means it's okay to opt out. Maybe I'll go to a movie or do some backroom work at the shop. Monday night I'm headed to Minneapolis for two-day visit and some more crit racing if the weather holds up.
Thursday was active recovery. I rode to the coffee shop very slowly. Then I rode home very slowly. Then I rode to work even more slowly than that. My legs were sore.
Friday was very fun. I got in 2.5 hours on the MTB while testing a new saddle for Bontrager. I think it's coming out in 2011, and this thing really worked out well for me.
I've been keeping up on the core workouts pretty well, but in the last week or so my eating has gotten bad. I've been drinking lattes instead of just coffee. I've had soda quite a few times. I've had fast food a few times. It's been bad, and I've been feeling the effects of the poor diet. So tonight I changed that. I had fruit for a snack, and I've been replacing soda with water again. I didn't really slow the water intake, but instead of juice I had soda or coffee this week. It's amazing how quickly my body slow down when I keep riding hard and eat like shit. Time ot get the diet back on track. I'm having an orange right now.
I was supposed to do a crit tomorrow. It's going to be 40 and pouring rain, which I think means it's okay to opt out. Maybe I'll go to a movie or do some backroom work at the shop. Monday night I'm headed to Minneapolis for two-day visit and some more crit racing if the weather holds up.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Intervals, long MTB rides
Monday I got totally metal. The rain rain rain came down down down, so I sat in my basement and did 4x9 minute LTs. With the right music it's not that bad. My legs weren't too shot for a 2.5 hr MTB ride at Jim's today.
Riding with suspension is a very different feel. I'm getting used to it, but sometimes it catches me off-guard. I like the cornering traction and the ability to sit while climbing without losing traction. Sometimes, however, the rebound messes with me.
I got a little sloppy on Pine Shadows and while trying to get over a log and I only stayed upright because of my core muscles. I could feel them working when I had to yank the bars up and throw my weight back. Core-workouts FTW!
Riding with suspension is a very different feel. I'm getting used to it, but sometimes it catches me off-guard. I like the cornering traction and the ability to sit while climbing without losing traction. Sometimes, however, the rebound messes with me.
I got a little sloppy on Pine Shadows and while trying to get over a log and I only stayed upright because of my core muscles. I could feel them working when I had to yank the bars up and throw my weight back. Core-workouts FTW!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
scheduling, mountain biking, fit, and crits
My work schedule has made training difficult, so I've tried to get up earlier in the morning and now I'm working mostly evening shifts. Up at seven, riding by eight, at work at two. Sounds like a plan to me.
I have a crit coming up this Sunday at noon, and then another crit in Minneapolis the following Sunday. I think I need to talk to coach about adjusting my schedule.
In other news, I've started doing my endurance rides on the mountain bike trails. The Procaliber is sweet, and Propedal is pretty nice to have, but I need to change up the fit and check out other propedal settings.
I've been doing these core workouts pretty seriously. Partially because my coach has been on top of me to keep up with them and partially because I know my back is one of my biggest weaknesses. I am also very familiar with bicycle fitting. Even with all of this, my back was feeling a little taxed when I went out this morning with Geo. I'm going to drop my seat a bit and throw a shorter stem on and see how that goes.
I called it the Zombie Jesus ride. Geo rode most of the technical features, and then put his bike upside-down in a tree on something I've never been able to clean smoothly, but have never crashed on.
Question: Should I just ignore how much I weigh if I'm doing the training, eating well, and feeling fast? Or should I try and drop a few without losing power?
I have a crit coming up this Sunday at noon, and then another crit in Minneapolis the following Sunday. I think I need to talk to coach about adjusting my schedule.
In other news, I've started doing my endurance rides on the mountain bike trails. The Procaliber is sweet, and Propedal is pretty nice to have, but I need to change up the fit and check out other propedal settings.
I've been doing these core workouts pretty seriously. Partially because my coach has been on top of me to keep up with them and partially because I know my back is one of my biggest weaknesses. I am also very familiar with bicycle fitting. Even with all of this, my back was feeling a little taxed when I went out this morning with Geo. I'm going to drop my seat a bit and throw a shorter stem on and see how that goes.
I called it the Zombie Jesus ride. Geo rode most of the technical features, and then put his bike upside-down in a tree on something I've never been able to clean smoothly, but have never crashed on.
Question: Should I just ignore how much I weigh if I'm doing the training, eating well, and feeling fast? Or should I try and drop a few without losing power?
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