Well, something seems to be working, maybe the weight workouts, maybe the Optygen, maybe the lack of nicotine as I am now over a week clean. Before I get into the rides, Big Jim, you're strong and you know it, you have good skills in the pack, come to the Roubaix, I think you'll be pleased with your result and I think you will understand why I like it so much.
Okay, Saturdays ride, it was a cool 33 degrees at 8 am, it was a shop ride, but a hilly ride which I needed and the guys who worked there said they were going to take it easy, they pointed out a guy on a Scott Addict and said if anyone wants to go longer or fast he's the one to mark. So we started out sedate, small group of around 12 but what you gonna do. We cruised for about 15 minutes to the first hill and one guy was pulling at around 18 to 19 but seemed to be faltering up this hill so I Came around and said hop on as I put it to just over 20 up the remaining part of the hill, I satyed on the front for a few minutes and let Scott rider pull through, what? we were down to 4 riders at this point and decided to keep it rolling along, we take turns pulling through and again it seems who ever is one the front at the beginning of a climb falter so I would pull through, 15 miles in and I note we had dropped another rider so I asked Scott dude if we should sit up to let the guy back on and he said sure. Once the guy got back on I put the hammer down, well not really,, hard but manageable. As we crested, I looked back and realized we had dropped Scott dude and the other guy so it was just the two of us. We hit a steep 11 percenter and I did not want to get out of the big ring and while trying to find a lower gear, I popped the derailuer cable so ouch, now I am in the 11 with only the two front chainrings to choose from. Next thing you know, I am riding off the front on each climb as I play fixie rider! About that time we run back into the rest of the riders as they took as shorter loop, I pull them around for a while and finally break everyone but Scott Dude and one other, we finish it up and I feel good!
Sunday arises with me with a hangover from a party, a little leg tired but it is warm outside, I had fixed (well thought I had but found out I could not go into the three smallest cogs) my rear derailuer. The ride starts out sedate and there must have been 150 people out due to the warm weather. To the first break it was comapratively easy with a few accellerations. After that, I was having trouble due to a lack of gears, we head up the first climb (kom) and the subsequent turn and sprint, I note after the climb I am fine heart rate and leg wise but am in trouble as I am spun out. We make the rurn and I am turning what has to be 140 to 160 rpms to stay on and in. Based on this I decided to do the short ride and soon found myself in 3rd wheel on a slight rise into the wind and was hurting pretty bad. We make the turn with me thinking maybe I went to too hard yesterday. We start on the long drag back (about 18 miles) and it goes crazy, alot of peopel keep attacking, then would get pulled in , kinda like a crit, as soon as the attackers were pulled in another would go. This would not be a problem, but since I was trying to hide, I was in the yo yo section, having to jump and sprint to close gaps, over and over I am spinning the gears I do have out, covering break after break. After one, I find myself not being able to hide and do a few turns through the front, we're whittling the pack down and people are going off the back like a bran muffin and a cup of prune juice! I am fussing cause every time I would pull through it seemed like I am on an uphill section, people won't pull through and your forced to close the gap. I keep wondering when I am going to fall off the back and considered it, but each time I find new legs, I chck out the garmin on my pull through to make sure I maintain a steady pace and we are pulling through into the wind on risers and 26 and 27, again gaps open and I am spinning out like a madman to get up to 31 and 32 mph to close gaps. I finish with the big boys, knowing I did not hide and that I certainly did my share of work with out a full set of gears. It felt like I had just finished a crit! I would like to start going for the sprints but two issues. First off, in the drops but out of the saddle, the Somec is twitchy and I have trouble holding a line so I need more practice, second, I think right now, for the next month, fitness wise, I am gaining more by working on the front. It takes a huge amount of muscular endurance and to sit up there and pull through and not alot of people do it for long, then fade back in the pack to hide, so I think these efforts, especially having to close gaps not long after having pulled through are great fitness raisers. Yesterdays climbs gave me confidence, today's ability to suffer and then still spin up to a crazy cadence to close gaps when others are not willing and not blow sky high are good signs of where I am heading! Oh, did I mention that I only took one day off the bike this week? And that Friday's ride albiet only an hour long was pretty darn fast and hard and hilly? What do ya'll think? How about a little feedback?
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
Airport Ride and why the Roubaix!
Okay, so there may be some light at the end of the sore legs saga. Yesterday I did the airport ride, I am gonna cover how it went down and try and make those of you resistant to road racing understand the coolness of this stuff.
So, I awoke around 6:30 am, temperature a balmy 25 degrees, had a great breakfast, reflected that I was on day 4 of no Copenhagen or other nicoteen products. Dawdled around till it got close to time to go only to realize I could not find my wind blocking tights. Well this is gonna suck as it's still around freezing! Make the drive up in time to put on my sidis, pull down my booties and strap on the helmet and head to the line. Looks like a good crowd, not hure but say around 80 or so. And we're off, seems like the guys are frisky already, decent accelerations but no bid deal as we head out of town, what's this after about two miles here comes several of Phil's TT1 boys all kitted up and bringing a bit of good morning heat. Now, it's roughly 33 degrees, we are doing 27 to 28 mph in between stoplights, gonna be a fun day. Its' kinda squirrely here towards the back of the pack and I am getting a little aggravated so, take a peek at the HR and realize I am feeling pretty good, so I decide to eat some wind as I crank on the pedals and move to about 7th or 8th wheel, just far enough forward to feel some effort. We hit the nature break area with an average of around 22mph with all traffic lights so pretty fast. We take back off and I know that soon we'll begin the series of climbs that lead to the right hand turn that leads to the first sprint. If I am caught out here I may never get on and typically it's where the ride explodes for the first group to get dropped. So, through each climb I move forward, of course the sprinters are moving forward as well and it's really heating up, we make the turn and off like a rocket, I stannd for three revs, then sit down and power up, okay, watching the heart rate creep, I am still with the lead group, okay heart rate about 175, thinking, "I could contest this sprint". But wiser heads prevail and I just sit, as we approach the split, I want to go long but don't have confidence in my legs so, I take the short route, we regroup after I pull a bunch up to those who went off on the sprint and some who skipped the nature break, so I am kinda tired but surviving. We hit the long 2o mile section of road that is bascially flat to uphill and in to the wind. A couple of guys are working and I am sitting back just watching running about 7th wheel but letting them work back in. At a light a couple complain so I tel the, "I got no problem working through, set up the line and talk to people. So, we ended up with about 14 of us working through while the other 26 set back and ley us pull through. It hurt, my heart rate was sky high, but I worked. We came up the next sprint (4 miles to the finish), a couple of guys who had been hiding decided to come forward to win the sprint so we had all out craziness for the next 100 meters, no I did not win, just happy to be sitting in on that one considering I was already feeling it. So we reform and again us 14 workers are going and we decided to really put on the heat, next thing you know, we have a gap and are gone! 42 miles, 1 hour 50 minutes total time, high of 36 degrees, windy. Come get some of that boys.
Now the reason I like this stuff, is you have to think, you have to strategize, you don't have to be the strongest, but you gotta ride smart, on this ride, I chose first to not get dropped, second I chose to work which I needed versus sitting in and waiting for the sprints. Next week, I may hide until it's time to sprint, this stuff is fun guys, now sign up for the Roubaiz and lets have BC go and control a race!
So, I awoke around 6:30 am, temperature a balmy 25 degrees, had a great breakfast, reflected that I was on day 4 of no Copenhagen or other nicoteen products. Dawdled around till it got close to time to go only to realize I could not find my wind blocking tights. Well this is gonna suck as it's still around freezing! Make the drive up in time to put on my sidis, pull down my booties and strap on the helmet and head to the line. Looks like a good crowd, not hure but say around 80 or so. And we're off, seems like the guys are frisky already, decent accelerations but no bid deal as we head out of town, what's this after about two miles here comes several of Phil's TT1 boys all kitted up and bringing a bit of good morning heat. Now, it's roughly 33 degrees, we are doing 27 to 28 mph in between stoplights, gonna be a fun day. Its' kinda squirrely here towards the back of the pack and I am getting a little aggravated so, take a peek at the HR and realize I am feeling pretty good, so I decide to eat some wind as I crank on the pedals and move to about 7th or 8th wheel, just far enough forward to feel some effort. We hit the nature break area with an average of around 22mph with all traffic lights so pretty fast. We take back off and I know that soon we'll begin the series of climbs that lead to the right hand turn that leads to the first sprint. If I am caught out here I may never get on and typically it's where the ride explodes for the first group to get dropped. So, through each climb I move forward, of course the sprinters are moving forward as well and it's really heating up, we make the turn and off like a rocket, I stannd for three revs, then sit down and power up, okay, watching the heart rate creep, I am still with the lead group, okay heart rate about 175, thinking, "I could contest this sprint". But wiser heads prevail and I just sit, as we approach the split, I want to go long but don't have confidence in my legs so, I take the short route, we regroup after I pull a bunch up to those who went off on the sprint and some who skipped the nature break, so I am kinda tired but surviving. We hit the long 2o mile section of road that is bascially flat to uphill and in to the wind. A couple of guys are working and I am sitting back just watching running about 7th wheel but letting them work back in. At a light a couple complain so I tel the, "I got no problem working through, set up the line and talk to people. So, we ended up with about 14 of us working through while the other 26 set back and ley us pull through. It hurt, my heart rate was sky high, but I worked. We came up the next sprint (4 miles to the finish), a couple of guys who had been hiding decided to come forward to win the sprint so we had all out craziness for the next 100 meters, no I did not win, just happy to be sitting in on that one considering I was already feeling it. So we reform and again us 14 workers are going and we decided to really put on the heat, next thing you know, we have a gap and are gone! 42 miles, 1 hour 50 minutes total time, high of 36 degrees, windy. Come get some of that boys.
Now the reason I like this stuff, is you have to think, you have to strategize, you don't have to be the strongest, but you gotta ride smart, on this ride, I chose first to not get dropped, second I chose to work which I needed versus sitting in and waiting for the sprints. Next week, I may hide until it's time to sprint, this stuff is fun guys, now sign up for the Roubaiz and lets have BC go and control a race!
Monday, January 17, 2011
Okay, I need some Advice..and you guys better come do the Perry
Okay, I am already signed up for the Perry Roubaix and I hope you guys all come up and race. I am probably going to be racing the weekend before it in Albany as well.
Now, the reason for the advice. I know I am not overtrained as my heart rate if anything has lowered over the past three months. The problem is my legs, as soon as I start putting the heat to the pedals, they ache and burn like fire. It's not lactic acid (I think). More of a deeper searing pain, it's truly my limiting factor right now. Heart rate is not an issue, my legs just don't work. They have been this way for say a month now. I am finally past the heavy strength building part of my leg workout now. Ended up with the last week with 8 plates aside on the leg press for 6 reps followed by plyometric jumps for 10 reps. Three to four sets of those, followed by leg extensions and leg curls then 30 to 45 minutes on the spin bike with three sets of four minute intervals at 95% of mhr (or in other words till I slobbered) Again, the heart rate was'nt the problem, It was the muscle pain when came to completing these. Last week I dropped weight down and did sets of 40 reps followed by jumps, then the spin bike, My need of advice, is......will this leg pain pass? Thinking back of previous training, knowing me, I typically lost power after a hard effort and just tried to survive from there which is why I am trying to be stronger. My wattage is around 220 for a 45 minute ride at 130 to 140 bpm, again , the legs hurt by the heart rate is comfortable. I can hold 400 for around two to three minutes (have'nt really tried to hold it longer or go harder as I am still working on base mainly) So for Silk, the question would be last year you said something about holding 280 for like an hour or two, what percentage of heart rate was that? I know I am stronger now, the 220 at an aerobic heart rate is very good for me, two years ago this time of year that number would be around 170-180 on the same trainer, so I am know I am stronger. Today was two and half hours of cold wet miserable outside hill riding and it sucked, my legs hurt, at times I felt very fast, at other times I wanted to park it halfway up the hill, total climbing was just over three thousand feet according to the Garmin. Oh, the Somec is good for about two miles per hour faster average up climbs that are say half a mile long, but I do not like those Speedplays.
Okay guys, I know ya'll want to hear about Amsterdam, New Years eve was crazy, this past Saturday night was crazy, lots of beer that's for sure and that's all I am saying! Ghana sucked, I did not take the Malaria pills so I am hoping I don't get it. Now I am trying to get serious. Current weight.......188. I am on a diet, now please give me some advice and sign up for the race!
Now, the reason for the advice. I know I am not overtrained as my heart rate if anything has lowered over the past three months. The problem is my legs, as soon as I start putting the heat to the pedals, they ache and burn like fire. It's not lactic acid (I think). More of a deeper searing pain, it's truly my limiting factor right now. Heart rate is not an issue, my legs just don't work. They have been this way for say a month now. I am finally past the heavy strength building part of my leg workout now. Ended up with the last week with 8 plates aside on the leg press for 6 reps followed by plyometric jumps for 10 reps. Three to four sets of those, followed by leg extensions and leg curls then 30 to 45 minutes on the spin bike with three sets of four minute intervals at 95% of mhr (or in other words till I slobbered) Again, the heart rate was'nt the problem, It was the muscle pain when came to completing these. Last week I dropped weight down and did sets of 40 reps followed by jumps, then the spin bike, My need of advice, is......will this leg pain pass? Thinking back of previous training, knowing me, I typically lost power after a hard effort and just tried to survive from there which is why I am trying to be stronger. My wattage is around 220 for a 45 minute ride at 130 to 140 bpm, again , the legs hurt by the heart rate is comfortable. I can hold 400 for around two to three minutes (have'nt really tried to hold it longer or go harder as I am still working on base mainly) So for Silk, the question would be last year you said something about holding 280 for like an hour or two, what percentage of heart rate was that? I know I am stronger now, the 220 at an aerobic heart rate is very good for me, two years ago this time of year that number would be around 170-180 on the same trainer, so I am know I am stronger. Today was two and half hours of cold wet miserable outside hill riding and it sucked, my legs hurt, at times I felt very fast, at other times I wanted to park it halfway up the hill, total climbing was just over three thousand feet according to the Garmin. Oh, the Somec is good for about two miles per hour faster average up climbs that are say half a mile long, but I do not like those Speedplays.
Okay guys, I know ya'll want to hear about Amsterdam, New Years eve was crazy, this past Saturday night was crazy, lots of beer that's for sure and that's all I am saying! Ghana sucked, I did not take the Malaria pills so I am hoping I don't get it. Now I am trying to get serious. Current weight.......188. I am on a diet, now please give me some advice and sign up for the race!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
