Welcome!
This blog/site is a collection of my thoughts, articles and
other general excitement tied into cycling, training and competing
as a vegan bike racer and athlete.
Articles of Interest:
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Call My Quads "Jack Bauer"
Call my quads "Jack Bauer", because they're gonna resist whatever torture i put them through...haha ;)
Part two of my recent updates here. I should also highlight that i've started an email list/discussion group called Vegan Power: http://groups.google.ca/group/veganpower
It's aimed at vegans who train with power, for inspiration and discussion, both about training with power, and vegan nutrition. It also features a spreadsheet that highlights all the power peaks of list members - we've got some really strong peeps on board, here's a direct link to the spreadsheet: http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=ptted2SfCAQ7-eg99loC-Kg
If you're a vegan who trains with power, please join us!! Doesn't matter if you're particularly strong, or particularly weak like me - everyone is welcome, and hopefully this will help inspire you to continue progressing. =)
Anyway, to continue with the regularly scheduled blog updates:
Sat (Jan 30th) - OBB Ride
It was a wet day, my Ridley streak was broken...a record of six consecutive rides!
I sold my 170mm Campy Chorus cranks to Emile, and finally swapped my winter bike over to 165mm Red cranks (why don't Force come in 165mm..??) I have had a lot of bad experiences with FSA, so they're out of the question. Nothing wrong with Red tho. =)
There's all the bits.....
And the bike is ready for them.
The new BB systems are so easy to install..love it!
Looks great!
Felt even better...the winter bike now feels 'right' when riding it. Why 165mm cranks you might ask? Stems from the track for me...that's the length most sprinters use, and it makes for a very smooth, efficient spin. On 175's, i feel like my legs are flailing around in circles. 170's aren't too bad, but still not 'right'. 165's also work nicely in crits, as you're much less likely to scrap the pedals in corners. And finally, they're great for your TT position, as you can get lower because your knees aren't coming up as high.
Anyway..enough about the cranks... Wet OBB ride, the regular mashers were out:
Just a little damp..
Good steady pace out to Sidney, and then we carried it through Land's End and back down the peninsula. Pretty tame past the Observatory, the group kept together for the most part.
Despite feeling good, i opted not to sprint: the chain on the winter bike felt pretty slack on the cranks..and i was worried that it might slip under power.. (I replaced the chain this week, it was quite stretched.) ProCity Tom was doing a strong pull up by Interurban Camosun, i was on his wheel...he was slowing up a bit, so i took over, and started picking up the pace. My target was the base of the final hill...blow myself up by that spot...
I put down my head and jam it...i crest the first hill, carry the speed over and barrel down..speed is great, up over 60kph. I get close to the bottom of the hill and pull over to let the sprint go... I sit up... No one's there...??!! I wait another few seconds, bracing...finally i look back, and the rest are just starting to reach me!! WTF!!
Turns out when i took over the front of the pack, there were a few people on my wheel that apparently just got dropped! That created a fairly significant gap that no-one wanted to close...so i just wheeled off totally solo..hahahaha!
Lesson: look back! Had i looked back fairly on, i could have stretched out my effort, and gone for the 'long bomb'....that day i might have actually succeeded..
Ahh well. Continued back into town. Scott challenged me for the King of the Overpass, but he was in too light a gear, and i managed to hold him off. ;) Which reminds me - the previous week Mike Elkink raced me for the KotO, and took it. That gave him 2nd in the sprint, and 1st there..hehe
Kept the pace up back into town with Tom Skinner and Scotty, and went out to Estevan again. Here's the finer details:
Entire workout (188 watts): Duration: 3:18:18 (3:26:49) Work: 2224 kJ TSS: 255.1 (intensity factor 0.88) Norm Power: 233 VI: 1.24 Distance: 104.458 km Min Max Avg Power: 0 1195 188 watts Heart Rate: 93 182 153 bpm Cadence: 26 222 93 rpm Speed: 3.7 64.6 31.7 kph
TSS a bit short from last week's OBB ride, but still a pretty fast ride considering the weather!
Sunday - 2hr EM w/Kevin
Was planning to MTB, but plans fell through, so hit the road instead.! Kevin and i went out to the Observatory. I was happy to get in another out-of-saddle effort up an extended climb.
Kevin went back down for a second go on the last portion.
The weather was pretty good...and the roads were dry..
But i brought out the winter bike instead...i was expecting wet roads. Ahh well, i'm enjoying riding this bike much more with the shorter cranks.
Entire workout (192 watts): Duration: 2:04:22 (2:35:01) Work: 1415 kJ TSS: 147.3 (intensity factor 0.847) Norm Power: 225 VI: 1.17 Distance: 58.079 km Min Max Avg Power: 0 743 192 watts Heart Rate: 90 191 148 bpm Cadence: 52 149 95 rpm Speed: 3.7 63.2 28.3 kph
And that concludes my 'easy-ish' week; back at it!
Tuesday - EM w/35m Tempo
Felt good, and thought i did a good job on the Tempo workout, but unfortunately the numbers weren't so good:
Ave Wts: 257 Ave HR: 167 Ave Cad: 71 Ave Spd: 33.9kph
Only 257w!! I tried something a bit different: i braked when the speed picked up, to ensure i kept under 75rpm..
Funnily, i don't think i can sustain power on the pedals and brake at the same time...i'd start to brake, and the power would just drop... Ahh well...
Good effort for the ride overall tho:
Entire workout (220 watts): Duration: 2:32:09 (2:36:03) Work: 1992 kJ TSS: 194.9 (intensity factor 0.88) Norm Power: 233 VI: 1.06 Distance: 79.431 km Min Max Avg Power: 0 840 220 watts Heart Rate: 94 182 160 bpm Cadence: 27 122 86 rpm Speed: 4.1 59.9 31.5 kph
Thu - EM w/40m Tempo with Chad
Chad made it out again, and i seem to have better Tempo sessions with someone in front of me, so especially happy to have him along. He motored off to do his own effort for the 40mins, but took a while to get out of my line-of-sight, so he was a carrot in front.
This time i didn't brake, and if my cadence got over 75rpm, so be it. I'd just maintain the intensity (trying to hold 270-280w.) And the result:
Ave Wts: 269 Ave HR: 177 Ave Cad: 75 Ave Spd: 36.4kph
Cadence was a tad high, but the power was AMAZING. That's the most watts i've held for one 'effort', that's for sure! (I've done 'harder' workouts, holding 300w for over 30mins, but there were a few 1min rests in there too.)
Pretty pleased with that. It was interesting to note that when my cadence got below 70rpm, my power just dropped.. As expected, lower cadences are killer for me.. I'm much better, but still not great. Also neat to note that Peak 20min was 270w, and Peak 30min was 269w, so it was pretty consistent.
Let's hope i can keep this up for a few more weeks...i was pretty smashed after this, and it'd be nice to get a few more solid efforts like this in. Will be aiming for 45mins after this...
Entire workout (210 watts): Duration: 2:43:09 (2:46:48) Work: 2047 kJ TSS: 204.9 (intensity factor 0.871) Norm Power: 231 VI: 1.1 Distance: 85.126 km Min Max Avg Power: 0 752 210 watts Heart Rate: 74 182 158 bpm Cadence: 27 124 86 rpm Speed: 3.7 61.4 31.5 kph
That's for tonight, gonna hit the hay, group ride tomorrow! Hoping the roads are dry and will get back on the Ridley. =)
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=============Labels: tempo, training
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Ensuring A Dry and Warm Winter
I think i figured how to make the winter dry and warm in your area - load up on new cold weather gear, and grow a beard.
Well, that's about all that's different this year, yet it's been remarkably dry and warm! I've taken out my new Ridley Noah a record six consecutive rides before last Saturday..and twice this week so far. Got a ton of riding in through January as well - nearly 44hrs spent on the bike! That may actually top what i was riding some months last summer...feeling really great regardless.
Also made a new home for the Ridley, running out of potential spots to hang bikes in my pad:
Got some catching up to do, last week was an 'easy-ish' week, just did a few 'steady' EM-paced rides with no big efforts... Let's see where we left off - this will be a two-part blog.
Wed (Jan 20th) - Climb
Will just do just one summary for the climbing: had a couple 'rough' weeks, didn't seem to be progressing much...hands not feeling like they're really recovering.. Keeping at it, working on easier routes and doing some laps and climb-downs to try and increase strength. Still working mainly on 10c's & d's.
Thu - EM w/30min Tempo and Mt Doug
Went up Mt Doug again, did it standing up the entire way...seems like it's the way to do it....i went at it pretty hard, averaged 310w and got to the top in 8min flat. Cadence was so low, ~56rpm..i think standing is required. As far as what might be my potential fastest time... I should be able to average 340w, and that ought to get me closer to the 7min timeframe, but i doubt i'll be cracking 7mins.
Chad and i atop Mt Doug (actually that was on Tuesday, previous blog entry, d'oh!), continued out to Sidney, and did a 30min Tempo interval:
Ave Wts: 257 Ave HR: 169 Ave Cad: 72 Ave Spd: 35.5kph
HR was quite high for that wattage...so i suspected i'm in need of some rest, which prompted my easy-ish week.
Deets for the rest of the ride:
Entire workout (211 watts): Duration: 2:29:03 (2:36:01) Work: 1870 kJ TSS: 189 (intensity factor 0.875) Norm Power: 232 VI: 1.1 Distance: 74.281 km
Min Max Avg Power: 0 951 211 watts Heart Rate: 74 189 158 bpm Cadence: 28 122 82 rpm Speed: 3.8 58.1 30.1 kph
Sat - OBB Ride
Good solid pace from Land's End to Interurban, i somehow ended up on the front of the group on the climb past the Observatory....weird being on the front, but pretty much ensures i'll be in there for the end!
The sprint was a big group, and i was near the back in the final stretch...pulled out to move up just before the hill and then it exploded! Dan Skinner, Craig, Scotty and Mike E launch, and i'm hot on their heels, but can't make up the ground...still, 5th in that company isn't shabby.
Been riding a bit further as well, i normally turn off at Richmond, but instead continue around the water to Estevan. If i turn off closer, it's usually around 98km. This way i'm doing over 100. ;)
Entire workout (187 watts): Duration: 3:15:52 (3:37:35) Work: 2187 kJ TSS: 261.5 (intensity factor 0.898) Norm Power: 238 VI: 1.27 Pw:HR: -1.9% Pa:HR: 4.32% Distance: 105.65 km Min Max Avg Power: 0 1221 187 watts Heart Rate: 78 188 151 bpm Cadence: 24 128 89 rpm Speed: 3.7 66.3 32.5 kph
I think that's the highest TSS i've gotten for a Sat ride so far...we've really been moving. An NP of 238w over 3.25hrs is also HUGE for me. I'm feeling much stronger later on in rides, which is a big change for me. Normally i get progressively weaker and weaker through a ride...i seem to be gaining some 'depth'.
Monday (Jan 25th) - 1hr Ride w/Chad
Skipped riding on Sunday, pooped and rainy to boot. Talked Chad into joining me, and just did my 1hr Power Hour loop. Nothing too crazy, obviously went fairly easily, good way to start my 'easy-ish' week. ;)
Entire workout (160 watts): Duration: 1:17:55 (1:22:15) Work: 744 kJ TSS: 55.4 (intensity factor 0.656) Norm Power: 174 VI: 1.08 Distance: 34.926 km Min Max Avg Power: 0 496 160 watts Heart Rate: 67 152 121 bpm Cadence: 28 114 84 rpm Speed: 3.8 57.2 27.1 kph
Max of 496w - i meant business! ;)
We stopped at the top of King George Terrace:
Yep, it's teh suck to be in Victoria in January.
Tuesday - 1.5hr EM
A weird day....it was totally dry as i was getting ready to head out. Hop on my bike, the sun is shining, and it starts to sprinkle!! Drat!
Plan was to ride out the Goose to Lagoon Rd, and do that loop, but the further i got out of town, the wetter the trail...gah..so turned around by the hospital and took the water back in..just a steady pace.
Entire workout (199 watts): Duration: 1:38:57 (1:41:48) Work: 1172 kJ TSS: 103.6 (intensity factor 0.795) Norm Power: 211 VI: 1.06 Distance: 48.392 km
Min Max Avg Power: 0 589 199 watts Heart Rate: 79 171 143 bpm Cadence: 20 126 93 rpm Speed: 3.7 51.4 29.5 kph
Thursday - 2hr EM w/Kevin
Kevin was able to make it out, and we headed out along the water, and did the Lagoon loop. It's actually pretty nice, and we're taking the new paved Goose out to Colwood. I think this'll be a fairly regular ride for me if i'm not doing any intervals...nice change of pace.
Entire workout (197 watts): Duration: 2:04:47 (2:08:43) Work: 1465 kJ TSS: 133.1 (intensity factor 0.803) Norm Power: 213 VI: 1.08 Distance: 59.751 km
Min Max Avg Power: 0 890 197 watts Heart Rate: 74 173 146 bpm Cadence: 24 126 92 rpm Speed: 3.8 67.2 28.9 kph
Will pick up last weekend's OBB ride in the next post. =)
Happy February!
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=============Labels: tempo, training
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Four Rides in Five Days
*phew*
Been a solid few days of riding! Got a little catch-up:
Monday (Jan 11) - Climb
Been slacking off in keeping track of my climbing...mainly working on the tougher 10c's and d's.
Tue - Ride w/30min Tempo
Just out of interest, looked back to last Feb/Mar to see what i was doing for my Tempo workouts, and i was holding ~255w. So up 10w a year later, not too bad!
Tuesday was MISERABLE - it held off until i got to Martindale, but when i began my interval, it just started to dump..it was weird, the rain splashing in my face was REALLY distracting!
I've managed to find a good 'loop' tho..basically following in the OBB route to the stop sign in Sidney, then turn around there and head back out Lockside, up through part of the old TT course, then turn around at the stop sign there. At my Tempo pace, it takes 20min to do a full loop...not ideal, but it works.
The Tempo effort this day was a bit lacklustre:
Ave Wts: 255
Ave HR: 163
Ave Cad: 70
Ave Spd: 35.4kph
Full ride:
Entire workout (218 watts):
Duration: 2:23:20 (2:35:01)
Work: 1859 kJ
TSS: 189.3 (intensity factor 0.894)
Norm Power: 233
VI: 1.07
Distance: 75.242 km
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 721 218 watts
Heart Rate: 67 175 155 bpm
Cadence: 30 120 86 rpm
Speed: 0 56.7 31.7 kph
Kinda strange, but it was a pretty fast ride, averaging nearly 32kph..
Wed - Rest Day
Opted to take the day off, climbing didn't work out. OA meeting in the evening too. Rest days are good.
Thu - Climb
Got in 2.5hrs, felt pretty good, improving on the climbs i'm working on.
Fri - 1hr Ride
Well, under an hour really... Day started awful, full rain, etc.. Afternoon got pretty nice. Didn't have a lot of time, but knew i'd feel gross on Sat if i didn't get out and work the legs a bit, so did a short ride when it was pretty nice:
Entire workout (204 watts):
Duration: 50:39
Work: 618 kJ
TSS: 68.5 (intensity factor 0.902)
Norm Power: 234
VI: 1.15
Distance: 25.029 km
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 1253 204 watts
Heart Rate: 73 189 158 bpm
Cadence: 36 222 93 rpm
Speed: 3.9 54.5 29.7 kph
Worth noting: did a couple short sprints, and nearly topped my 1sec and 5sec PB's!! I have no idea why my legs are still able to turn over this kind of wattage, but they're able to pull it off for some reason...i'm not gonna complain! ;)
Sat - OBB Ride
Bit of an odd day, it was pretty dry, so took out the Ridley on a group ride for the first time. Lots of peeps from the Burnside group turned out, kinda odd. I rode with many of them out to Sidney, a few good efforts in there. They didn't want to wait for the rest of the groups to turn up, so left..i opted to stay. Formed a 'firm' group to ride with, and continued on.
Oddly, when we got around the airport, we caught the BSiders, and there had been a crash.. Turns out Anatolli dislocated a hip...ouch..hope he heals up quick.
Our group continued on, and we were then in the 'front', so the sprint was our..haha.. Did a fair bit of work along W. Saanich to try and break things up a bit, and on Interurban...solo'd for a bit, as did Mike Elkink, although Scotty shut him down just before Camosun. Group was together for the sprint..
There were a couple peeps in front of me, leading the charge, i felt them slowing down as we hit the hill, so i swung out wide, got out of the saddle for a few pedal strokes to jam up the speed, and sat to get up the hill..crested the top, no one near me, so got out of the saddle and continued to huck it..odd being out there alone!! Line was closing, but then Mike and Scotty flew by w/15m to go...no was i was going to be able to pick up any more speed...bleh.... '3rd'.
Apparently i split away and launched pretty quickly..but couldn't hold those two smaller guys off, who have much favorable power-to-weight ratios going up that hill... Worth noting that i held 900+w pretty steady, for nearly 20 seconds...so i did *something*! haha
Turns out my 3rd was really 6th tho, as there was another small group that had taken off ahead of the BSiders before their crash. D'oh.
Entire workout (180 watts):
Duration: 3:08:52 (3:28:37)
Work: 2016 kJ
TSS: 242.4 (intensity factor 0.882)
Norm Power: 229
VI: 1.28
Distance: 98.904 km
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 1086 180 watts
Heart Rate: 79 190 147 bpm
Speed: 0 63.5 31.6 kph
Cadence magnet got bumped at start, so no readings. Peak hour NP was 253w, about normal.. I did a fair bit of work in our group.
Sunday - Hilly Ride w/Kevin
Managed to catch him before he headed out! Was supposed to go for a MTB ride, but it didn't materialize.. Kevin wanted to do the Up'n'Over (Ross-Durrance) so we headed out towards Saanich. Felt a hilly ride was appropriate if skipping the usual MTB ride. ;)
Roads were dryish, so took out the Ridley again. =)
Fun to do the U'n'O, it's been a long time since i last rode it, and it seemed much shorter and easier...how odd. Kevin started with a pretty firm pace, so i just stuck to his wheel...but as we were getting to the top his lack of time on the bike was oozing out, and i found myself powering away...unexpected, but it will likely be one of the few times this occurs!
Love that section tho, beautiful road and nicely enclosed in the forest. =)
Ripped back into town along Millstream and back on the Goose near Colwood (it's paved out there now, surprisingly!) Rode back in and around the water. Great day, and fun to spend it with Kevin.
Entire workout (194 watts):
Duration: 2:32:43 (2:46:41)
Work: 1772 kJ
TSS: 211.1 (intensity factor 0.913)
Norm Power: 237
VI: 1.22
Distance: 71.458 km
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 1191 194 watts
Heart Rate: 85 184 144 bpm
Cadence: 23 136 87 rpm
Speed: 3.7 52.9 28.2 kph
Interesting to note that my Peak 60min Normalized Power was 265w, which is actually higher than what i've got for my 1hr Threshold... I've suspected it's gone up, and of course Normalized Power isn't a perfect calculation...but i'm going to bump it from 260w to 265w...i think that's a safe bet.
Monday (Jan 18) - Climb
Rough night at the climbing gym...pretty knackered from the riding...hands just hadn't recovered...made the most of it, 2hrs out...
Tuesday - Ride w/35m Tempo with Chad
Gotta keep bumping my Tempo workouts up! Today Chad joined me. He pedalled on ahead to do his own workout, which was nice as i had a carrot in front of me to chase. We also rode up Mt Doug - i've been curious to see how much of it had been repaved...the descent is much improved, but near the bottom is still like a battlefield, having to dodge numerous potholes.
Solid effort today, managed over 34:56:
Ave Wts: 264
Ave HR: 167
Ave Cad: 72
Ave Spd: 35.9kph
Happy with that! It's such a weird workout, pedalling at 70-75rpm..legs get maxed out, but i'm hardly breathing any heavier despite the bigger watts.. It's funny because as i'm going, it looks like i'm in the 280-300w range a lot, but when you get it home and download it, it's another story.. Still, i'm holding 10w more over 35mins that i could last year in late Feb. That's pretty solid.
It was such a nice day, there was a steady breeze, but it felt WARM. 13C out, had leg warmers on, but just arm warmers, a jersey and vest. Very unusual for this time of the year.
Legs feel shot right now...mission accomplished!
Entire workout (211 watts):
Duration: 2:47:49 (2:57:50)
Work: 2109 kJ
TSS: 218.1 (intensity factor 0.886)
Norm Power: 230
VI: 1.09
Distance: 83.138 km
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 683 211 watts
Heart Rate: 81 176 151 bpm
Cadence: 32 122 82 rpm
Speed: 0 63.2 29.9 kph
That's a pretty long ride for me for a weekday! As i was riding home along the water, i actually felt like extending my ride...very unusual.. After 2hrs, i'm usually itching to get off the bike. I'm insanely happy with my Ridley Noah! It's really something else to ride. =)
So, that's four rides in five days...TSS is getting up there - hopefully i can sustain this, and when it comes to doing even harder workouts, i can maintain the through the summer...
Tomorrow, prolly a rest day. Thursday will be another Tempo session, maybe 40mins. Climb Fri, OBB Sat, and hopefully MTB on Sunday. Yip!
Have a great week! =)
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=============Labels: tempo, training
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2010 Training Has Begun
Just rolled through a solid patch of training, and i can now say that my training plan for 2010 has officially begun!
I'm happy to say that i've managed to carry a lot of my fitness over from the fall/winter, although it wasn't really 'intentional'... Through December, my plan was to ride when i felt like it...i didn't do any intervals, or any big efforts besides a few Saturday rides, but whatever i did, i'm feeling pretty solid right now...hopefully that's a good thing!
Here's how the last few days played out:
Wednesday - Climbing Gym
Another session with Kelly, felt surprisingly good! Started working on the 10d's....owie.
Thursday - 25min Tempo
So this is the 'beginning'...i dipped my toe into the water with a 25mins Tempo session (in the CTS training program, Tempo workouts are lower-cadence, long efforts. 70-75rpm, and go from 25-60mins, 80-85% of Field Test power.)
It's a good workout for building up leg strength, muscular endurance, sustained power, etc.. The power range i'm aiming for is 270-280w. It might be a little high for me, i haven't done a field test in ages, but i've got a pretty good idea where i'm at. It's hard to do as subscribed, not because of the workout itself, but finding a long stretch of flat or uphill terrain. Once you're going downhill, your cadence goes up too much.
Typically i start these at the bottom of the hill on Martindale (takes me ~40mins to get there, good warm-up), and then ride out to Sidney. Unfortunately, i usually have to stop at the lights passing through Sidney, but that's about 20-25mins of the interval, and quality ride-time there. Once across the highway, will continue either out and around, or up towards Panarama, depending on how long i need to go for. I can get a full hour in somewhere around Brentwood.
Anyway, my 26mins Tempo interval looked something like this in the end:
Ave Wts: 265
Ave HR: 169
Ave Cad: 71
Ave Spd: 33kph
And the full ride:
Entire workout (227 watts):
Duration: 2:17:54 (2:20:34)
Work: 1863 kJ
TSS: 194.9 (intensity factor 0.925)
Norm Power: 240
VI: 1.06
Distance: 70.951 km
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 812 227 watts
Heart Rate: 87 182 160 bpm
Cadence: 27 126 89 rpm
Speed: 0 59 31.0 kph
Felt really solid riding, got out on the Ridley as well...it's feeling REALLY good to ride. I was pretty happy with these numbers. Damn fine bike.
Note that i got a new PB! My 2hr PB has gone up from 233w (on July 1st) to 236w.
Friday - Rest Day!
Opted to take it off completely...phew!
Saturday - Brain Train and Partial OBB
Sat morning the PCC offered a free seminar on training with power, it was pretty rudimentary, but i was keen to see what they had to say. As i suspected, i was already familiar with virtually the entire presentation, but i did get a few tips, including one that i've already been doing: keeping the HR strap on...it's a good idea to check to see if the HR is too low (or high!), as indications of under-training, or over-training. Watts are amazing of course, but sometimes it's helpful to keep an eye on the other data too.
So i rode out to the PCC, which was ~35mins, and from there at 11am cut back across to Interurban and rode the route 'backwards' to meet up with the OBB ride.
Caught the first smaller group that had taken Wain Rd in Sidney, rode with them a few min, then turned around, and went back to ride with the 'main' group, and it was big with lotsa strong peeps! Nice to see!
I was feeling pretty darn fresh, so i discounted myself from contending for the sprint...
When we got up around Hartland, Emile took off of course.. Steve Bachup was sort of floating in the middle...i was several bikes back so i watched him launch off...no one else was responding, so i figured i'd give it a go. Sprinted away, and quickly found myself on Emile's wheel. Sat there for a moment, noticed he wasn't moving *too* fast, and i was still feeling peppy, so i pulled up past him and led him (and Steve, who had also bridged) up the hills past the Observatory. We had a sizeable gap, tho Mike Elkink was chasing and obviously wanted to play.
At the top Emile took over again, and i pulled off, and onto Steve's wheel...blech! No fender extender!! I hung back a few feet to avoid the spray at 50+kph down the hill. We turned onto Interurban, and i believe Mike had bridged up by then, the group was a ways back.
We worked around a bit more, but i was getting grossed out by the spray (Mike was another guilty party!), and so pulled out of the group and eased off to wait for the main pack. By Camosun Interurban, they were caught up, and so i began another pull, to bridge them up to the leaders.
We hit the corner leading into the first hump, and i look back, and no one's there!!! The group is charging towards me ~50m back! WTF? I did a pull for nothing..hahaha.. I just kept riding, and they all bomb past... Didn't see who won the sprint, but i'd guess it were Mike, he's a very strong sprinter.
Continued in and around the water, and up to the Uplands to try and get a few more miles in for the day. A fair bit shorter, km-wise, but the TSS for the day was up there with an easier OBB ride:
Entire workout (203 watts):
Duration: 2:24:59 (4:32:27)
Work: 1749 kJ
TSS: 199.5 (intensity factor 0.913)
Norm Power: 237
VI: 1.17
Distance: 72.036 km
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 1132 203 watts
Cadence: 25 131 90 rpm
Speed: 0 62.7 30.0 kph
Sunday - 3.5hr EM w/Kevin
Kevin Park's back in Vic, yay! Got out for a great ride with him, nice to catch up. Also got to show off the Ridley..hehe.. Rode the main 'Burnside' loop, cutting early onto Wain Rd to keep it from getting too long. Looking forward to more rides with Kev. =)
This was also the first 'metric century' ride on the Ridley, over 100km. Felt great!! Legs starting to feel tired in the final hour, but that's to be expected (and somehow held solid watts..peak hour was actually the final hour! Averaged 222w for that period.)
Entire workout (194 watts): Duration: 3:33:08 (3:48:52) Work: 2475 kJ TSS: 245.6 (intensity factor 0.833) Norm Power: 217 VI: 1.11 Distance: 104.318 km Min Max Avg Power: 0 922 194 watts Heart Rate: 88 176 145 bpm Cadence: 25 126 91 rpm Speed: 3.7 58.1 29.5 kph
It's amazing how much doing a 10min cool-down does to drop the numbers! If i select the 100km before i end the ride, the numbers look like: 3:21, ave 199w (219w NP), 29.9kph. 10mins can really drop the #'s!
Anyway, nice to get a long ride in on the bike! It's gonna be a wicked summer.
Planning to climb this afternoon, another Tempo session tomorrow, maybe 30mins, climb on Wed, 35min T on Thursday, and then prolly rest...
Oh, i've also had my PowerTap (SL wired) for over 3yrs now! The rim has held up amazingly well, i got a ceramic-coated Mavic OpenPro. The ceramic is wearing off a bit in one spot, but otherwise that's 3yrs of solid training and racing...not too shabby.
I was thinking that they could *easily* devise a way to turn a wired PT into a wireless.. All you'd need is a transmitter that has a 'fin' (that reads the hub) and a cadence sensor, both could sit on the non-drive chainstay, and that could take the signal and transmit it via ANT+. A little unit like that could turn any wired PT into a wireless...i'd *totally* buy one or two of those things.... Anyway..
Keep it rolling!!
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=============Labels: PB, training
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Happy Old Year!
Yes, that's right - HAPPY OLD YEAR! Or, at least, i hope you had one! How was it? Did you do many of the things you wanted to? Were you happy with what you got up to? Sure, it's nice to say 'Happy New Year', but there's not much of a commitment to that..and literally ignores the fact a year just went by and perhaps deserves some reflection...
Anywhat, enough of the Dave-style mental deconstructionism, what's been going on? Lots!
Tuesday (Dec 29th) - 2.5hr Ride w/Emile
Another dry day, made it out on the Noah again, Emile joined me for the spin, nice to have some company during a weekly ride. Not much to report, here's the numbers:
Entire workout (194 watts): Duration: 2:19:21 (2:28:19) Work: 1603 kJ TSS: 155.9 (intensity factor 0.823) Norm Power: 214 VI: 1.11 Distance: 65.986 km Min Max Avg Power: 0 889 194 watts Heart Rate: 73 174 148 bpm Cadence: 33 126 90 rpm Speed: 3.7 56.7 28.7 kph
Wed - Climb!
Another 2.5hrs hang time with Kelly, i was pretty fatigued, nothing much to report.
Thu - Rest Day!
haha - it had been over 2 weeks since i had a full day off, and it was POURING out, so i took this one off.
Fri - MTB w/Halldor
New Years Day - time to ride! Went out for a short session with Halldor, planning to hit Hindgrinder (it's off Breathless.) When we got to the top at Sofa King, we were surprised to find Roland, Katie, Glenowyn and Emily (who i know from the Durian Cup MTB race OA Victoria organized, the 'B' winner!) It was a pretty wet day and Halldor suggested cruising back down with them, and so we did! Fun ride! No broken bones for Roland, maybe he'll MTB with me again some day..
Entire workout (162 watts):
Duration: 55:14 (1:34:37)
Work: 538 kJ
TSS: 61.9 (intensity factor 0.82)
Norm Power: 213
VI: 1.31
Distance: 8.267 km
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 1041 162 watts
Heart Rate: 70 187 152 bpm
Cadence: 33 196 72 rpm
Speed: 3.9 36.5 9.2 kph
Sat - OBB Ride
Decent sized group, lots of the regular offenders. ;)
Pretty mellow overall... We took a slightly skewed route outside of Sidney, hitting some roads i'd never been on. Pancake flat too, i liked them!! Alex had a flat at the Sidney stop, but unfortunately we never saw him again. On Daffodil Road, Emile's bottle and cage fell off, so i fell back with him to collect it, and we did a little bit of work to catch back up to the group.
I was actually feeling pretty darn good, and did a fair bit of work up W. Saanich and on Interurban. Dave MacLeod once again gave a strong lead-out, and come the hill i was 3rd wheel, with Matt Dilay in front of me, who i was keeping an eye on... We started up the hill and i began the work of inching my way up beside him....i was actually making progress, jamming the pedals hard as i could....the line was fast approaching tho!
I'm sure i grunted a few times, didn't see anyone else around, so it was just us fighting for the line....a few more hard pedal strokes, and we hit the line......i'm not sure who got it first, so we agreed to call it a draw. I can live with that. =)
Held nearly 900w for 20 seconds there (897w), peaked at 1043w...just a good, hard, effort...got it up above 800w, and held it as i worked my way up beside Matt. Peter Lawless was apparently behind us for 3rd, i jumped on Matt's wheel before he had a chance..haha.. ;)
Bit of an easier ride overall... Took the Overpass uncontested once again...haha..
Entire workout (169 watts): Duration: 2:59:57 (3:12:01) Work: 1802 kJ TSS: 219.6 (intensity factor 0.861) Norm Power: 224 VI: 1.33 Distance: 88.574 km Min Max Avg Power: 0 1043 169 watts Heart Rate: 88 195 141 bpm Cadence: 25 236 89 rpm Speed: 0 63.8 29.7 kph
Sunday - Ride & Climb
Headed out around 11am, went the 'reverse' route of the Burnside group, B-lining it up to Gorden Head & Arbutus, and then riding 'towards' them. Oddly, never found them...made it out to Mt. Newton, and then came back.
Entire workout (197 watts): Duration: 1:48:29 (1:52:04) Work: 1269 kJ TSS: 120.3 (intensity factor 0.819) Norm Power: 213 VI: 1.08 Distance: 50.873 km Min Max Avg Power: 0 911 197 watts Heart Rate: 83 177 153 bpm Cadence: 20 118 90 rpm Speed: 4 61.4 28.4 kph
Also met up with Tom Skinner and friend (Eva?) in the late afternoon for a shortish 2hr climbing session. My plan was mainly to keep it easy, as i was going out again the following night. Played around on easier climbs getting warmed up, and then finally cleaned the 'Orange 10b' that had been confounding me..got my footwork right and made it up and over - yip!! I think that was my first 10b cleaned since i've been back. Nice.
Also started working on a 10c overhang i'd been ignoring... It's a long route, which finishes overhanging, and there's a 5.8 on it as well. I figured i'd get a few holds in on the 10c, and then switch over. Turns out i made it nearly to the top!!! The final two holds are KILLER, but it was a very nice climb leading up to that. Will be looking forward to cleaning that one soon too...
Tom's a solid climber considering he's pretty green to the sport. Showed me a cool way to avoid a spot i disliked on a 5.9, one of the nice things about climbing with other people...they can give you ideas. Eva(?) also climbed very well, also pretty new to the sport. Hopefully our schedules will mesh for future sessions!
Monday - Climb Part Deux
This time with Kelly. Another shorter sesh, around 2hrs. I was afraid i'd be wiped, but the fingers were holding up surprisingly well! For lunch i'd had barley, corn and shitake mushrooms, gotta remember that for the future! (Note that Roman Gladiators apparently ate vegan, and barley was a mainstaple..maybe there's something to that..)
Warmed up and played around for a while, and decided to give the 'yellow' 10c a go. I've nearly cleaned this a few times...theres's a spot 3/4 of the way up, where i end up getting my feet too high, and it makes reaching the hold a very awkward manoeuvrer...so i was mindful of this, kept low, and made the hold! I kept pushing, and WHAM! 10c cleaned!
YEAH! Very happy with my progress, esp. after a slow week last week. Confidence is up, and it turned out my muscle endurance is looking up as well, i kept climbing 10a's, expecting my hands to fail, but they just kept on going.
Still a few other tough 10c's to work on...and there's a shortage of 10d's, only one i can think of.. And then the scary 11's....eeep!
Tue - Ride to the Velodrome
Lucked out with another dry day....overcast and wet roads, so not a day for the Ridley, but got out for nearly 2hrs...was a bit of work talking myself into it.
Opted to make it a destination day: checked out the new paved section of the Goose out in Colwood - it's very nice! Leads nicely to the velodrome, which was my destination.
Wanted to check it out, see how it's holding up.. Looks like someone snapped the cable that was strung across it...scofflaws and ruffians...haha..although no one's going to be able to ride it until mid-Feb at the earliest, it'll be wet until then.
I also rode up and around to the Wildplay Park, behind the track in the trees. I was very surprised to see that it's completely 'open' - as in i can get off my bike and walk/climb up into the bridges and lines....
Isn't that a bit of a hazard?
Like, the gashole Mayor Dave Saunders and West Shore Parks and Recreation Society have declared the track facility a national state of emergency, fencing in the whole track, for fear of people dying by tripping on a seam on the Astroturf....but this zipline contraption can sit there open and exposed?? This makes no sense to me. The reason Saunders and the WSPRS say the track is closed is because it's dangerous. What about this new facility?! Or the BMX track? There are crashes EXPECTED on the BMX track every time kids get on it...yet the velodrome is Public Enemy #1 at the Juan de Fuca centre?
This makes NO sense to me. (What makes this all the more frustrating is that it's never been more bike-friendly to actually GET to the track. There's full bike lane on the highway up to the JdF, and this new paved section of the Goose is also an excellent way to get there avoiding 99% of the roads.) GAAAH....
Anyway, here's what does make sense, my numbers from the ride. I rode back in the way i came out, and rode the water up to Haultain to get a few more kms in.
Entire workout (202 watts): Duration: 1:48:08 (1:55:36) Work: 1295 kJ TSS: 133.1 (intensity factor 0.865) Norm Power: 225 VI: 1.11 Distance: 51.287 km Min Max Avg Power: 0 991 202 watts Heart Rate: 81 179 154 bpm Cadence: 23 131 93 rpm Speed: 3.8 52.5 28.8 kph
The rest of my week is pretty straight-forward, climb tomorrow (Wed), another ride Thu (looking like it might be a Ridley day!) - time to start figuring out some training-specific intervals.. Perhaps climb on Fri. Skipping the OBB ride on Saturday, as there's a free seminar on training w/power at the PCC. Prolly will ride out, and continue my ride after that.
Sunday, hopefully back on the MTB!
Keep them wheels spinning! =)
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=============Labels: climbing, velodrome
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It's Ridemas Time Again
Ahhh...the holidays. I absolutely hate xmas (i even wrote two songs about it, check them out here) but i don't mind the time off, and spending time with friends who also have the time off!
The last few days looked something like this:
Thursday (Dec 24th) - Road Ride
Another beautiful day in Victoria, lotsa sun. Unfortunately, i was feeling pretty fried from the climb session the night before, but the roads were dry, and the Ridley Noah was begging to be ridden:
It really hides from the wind:
Safe to say i'm the slowest thing on it:
So it's weighing in at 17.35lbs with the PowerTap (sans bottles or saddlebag.)
Decided to head out for a Power Hour loop to keep it short. Cold day, and there seemed to be a constant headwind nearly any direction i faced..so stats not terribly impressive:
#3 SB Power Hour: 842kJ burned, TSS 87.2, NP 243w, AP 234w, HR 172, Spd/Dis 31.3km, ~4C, breezy
Previous two Power Hour rides, on the winter bike:
#2 WB Power Hour: 822kJ burned, TSS 84.4, NP 239w, AP 228w, HR 170, Spd/Dis 31.1km, ~2C
#1 WB Power Hour: 805kJ burned, TSS 80.7, NP 234w, AP 224w, Spd/Dis 31.3km, ~12C
Will have to give it another go on a less-breezy day!
Full numbers from the ride:
Entire workout (220 watts):
Duration: 1:10:24 (1:14:23)
Work: 924 kJ
TSS: 96.3 (intensity factor 0.909)
Norm Power: 236
VI: 1.07
Distance: 34.907 km
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 789 220 watts
Heart Rate: 94 188 168 bpm
Cadence: 38 118 93 rpm
Speed: 4.8 58.3 30.0 kph
Friday - Fun MTB Ride
Fun ride w/Alex, Steve and Chelsea:
We opted to hit a number of trails we normally avoid, the 'downhill' ones, such as Green Ribbon, Sofa King, Jelly Roll and Lumpy Pants. We had a little trouble finding our way to Sofa King, but we made it:
Here we are on a the big drop on Lumpy Pants:
I rode down the section on the left, as Alex checked out the big drop on the right:
Yay - i survived!
Alex wasn't comfortable with the line needed to make it down that side, so he came down the same section as me. Steve showing off his tough spectator muscles:
hehehe
Fun day, i was on the big wheels, and Alex the little ones - 24":
Hilarious stats..we were out for 3hrs, but logged only 1hr 18min of actual ride time:
Entire workout (141 watts):
Duration: 1:18:39 (2:53:47)
Work: 665 kJ
TSS: 78.1 (intensity factor 0.772)
Norm Power: 201
VI: 1.42
Distance: 11.993 km
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 940 141 watts
Heart Rate: 72 169 135 bpm
Cadence: 35 201 77 rpm
Speed: 3.9 35.6 9.4 kph
I swear i burned more calories than that pushing my bike up Hot Cherry! They agreed to join me in a quest to find a section that i've been unable to find...there's a long rockface descent that ends with a couple trees that used to be a part of Hot Cherry like 10yrs ago, but i can no longer find it... : \
Saturday - Boxing Day TT
Rode out with a small group to the annual Boxing Day TT out in Sooke on Happy Valley Rd. Shortish 13.7km course with a small hill but otherwise mainly flat. I was looking forward to smashing my previous time, as well as seeing how fast the Ridley could go:
Unfortunately, that's about as far as i made it, as my chain malfunctioned. I guess the tension cased a link to stiffen.. I hadn't used the special replacement pin when i swapped it over, but it's funny as it lasted three rides and over 4hrs...ahh well. Stats from the ride out:
Entire workout (146 watts):
Duration: 1:12:51 (1:53:16)
Work: 619 kJ
TSS: 70.4 (intensity factor 0.774)
Norm Power: 201
VI: 1.37
Distance: 28.029 km
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 781 146 watts
Heart Rate: 81 170 135 bpm
Cadence: 31 120 83 rpm
Speed: 3.7 42.6 23.8 kph
Sunday - MTB
Final ride with Steve, who's off the New Zealand for five months on Wednesday! We'll miss you buddy!
Rode out to the Dump with Steve, met Alex and Johnny Y-Bike there (because he's riding a classic Trek Y-22!) Here we are up on Twister:
Yet ANOTHER beautiful day, trails were mint, just rode my regular loop.
And the numbers:
Entire workout (179 watts):
Duration: 3:32:19 (5:02:28)
Work: 2284 kJ
TSS: 255.2 (intensity factor 0.849)
Norm Power: 221
VI: 1.23
Distance: 60.501 km
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 1063 179 watts
Heart Rate: 69 181 145 bpm
Speed: 3.9 49.7 17.3 kph
Solid TSS. Don't really know where that 1.5hrs went..guess we stopped and talked a few times!! Crazy number of calories burned, even more when considering how it's cold and i'm doubtless generating more heat...
Will miss ya Steve and Chelsea! Happy travels! =)
Monday - Climb
Oh boy..i realized i haven't had a day off since a week last Friday...and was feeling it today.
Climbed with Kelly, i started off rather poorly, there's a shortage of reasonable 5.9's at the gym right now, so warm-up can be a bit harried if there are a few people around the gym..fell off the tough, purple 5.9 twice as i was trying to get my groove..!
Got better after that, didn't really push it too much, mainly stuck to the 10a's and b's, and tried one of the 10c's again. Tried out the long, increasingly overhanging 10a/b for the first time, and on my redline attempt i cleaned it! I think it's a bit under-ranked..i'd say this was definitely much closer to a 9 than 10...the black 5.9 on the opposing wall is SIGNIFICANTLY more challenging...! (I'd say a lot of the ratings are a bit screwy..but that might be just me.)
2.5hrs and i was completely beat, but happy with the session.
I'm pretty wiped at this point, looks like another decent day tomorrow, so hopefully another go on the Ridley. Likely climb Wed, ride Thu, and perhaps take Fri (New Years) off completely. =)
I posted another RideCam photo gallery, check out all the pics here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/davenoisy1/20091227RideCam26
Keep it real!
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A Week And The First Ride
*phew* Busy week! Took the Noah out yesterday, here's some catch-up reporting:
Tuesday (15th) - Climb
Climbed 3hrs w/Kelly, started work on some 10b's. Feeling pretty good!
Wednesday (16th) - Rest Day...plus..
I was actually planning to get out for an MTB ride, but Alyssa was keen on riding out, and i didn't want to on the cold, rainy day that it was...so i lingered around the house....good thing, as early in the afternoon an email from Scotty at OBB popped up in my inbox, with a photo attachment....i'll give you one guess which frame i've been waiting 9 months for that had arrived. ;)
I was actually half-naked, about to get in the shower (bet you appreciate that detail), but threw on some clothes and hoofed it over to the shop. WOOT! I was very excited. Drooled over it for a while, compared the sizing to the Blue, matched-up nicely.
That was pretty much the day there. =)
Thursday (17th) - Ride w/Emile
Decent day, made it out 2+hrs with Emile. I was worried he'd crush me, but near the Wallace Rd turn-off (heading away from town) i'm motoring along and look back, and i'd dropped him! When he catches up he says "you're going too fast!" HAHA! One of the only times i'll ever hear that from Emile. He wasn't feeling great and had a head cold the next day, but we eased off a bit, and he also just drafted a while. 2nd half of the ride was a bit slower, good start tho.
PowerTap details:
Entire workout (195 watts):
Duration: 2:14:38 (2:29:55)
Work: 1556 kJ
TSS: 150.2 (intensity factor 0.822)
Norm Power: 214
VI: 1.1
Distance: 64.681 km
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 853 195 watts
Heart Rate: 77 183 153 bpm
Cadence: 26 120 91 rpm
Speed: 3.7 60.4 29.1 kph
Friday - Climb
Headed to the gym with Mical Dyck, who had an awesome session, matching me route for route for several climbs. Impressive as she has only been climbing a couple times in Oct, and not since the spring before that..i'd been back on the wall five times over the last three weeks, building up. She's an excellent climber, very strong and smart, picking up the routes very quickly. Nice to have another great climbing partner, she'd get back up to working on 11a's in no time if she weren't to be taking off for work!
My session was good, the main goal was to complete the final two 10a's that had stumped me, and i did it! What that means: NEW SHOES! Next visit i get to break out my FiveTen Jet7 kick-ass climbing shoes. =)
Saturday - OBB Ride
Decent number of people out, maybe 30. It was the first ride that was a fair bit slower! Even through Land's End we hardly picked it up (although just enough to drop Alex - sorry buddy!)
Much bigger group for the sprint.. Emile took off the front just before Camosun. No one responded...i was a few bikes back, and i believe blocked in a bit, and had taken a recent pull... A few people pulled off the front and Dave MacLeod decided to give chase, and he did a spectacular pull, bringing us within striking distance of Emile at the hill at the bottom of the sprint.
I was actually feeling pretty good, and Dave was starting to blow up, so i jammed out to the left and started up the hill, seated. Craig Richey had been in front of me (and behind Dave) and he stood up as i was passing him, he started to crank it and WHAM! I looked back and he was sitting on his top tube!! The rest of the sprint wasn't much, i basically coasted up to the line, Emile had slowed quite a bit, so i 'won', although we were all looking back to make sure Craig was okay, which he was..chain had fallen off the big ring. He also broke a cleat in the process, but fine otherwise.
I also took the King of the Overpass, not even challenged..so a double-crown ride for me. ;)
The numbers, as you can see, an easier ride, measly TSS of only 222. ;)
Entire workout (166 watts):
Duration: 3:12:51 (3:31:22)
Work: 1909 kJ
TSS: 222.6 (intensity factor 0.835)
Norm Power: 217
VI: 1.31
Distance: 98.293 km
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 1027 166 watts
Heart Rate: 81 188 144 bpm
Cadence: 20 131 88 rpm
Speed: 0 65.2 30.7 kph
Sunday - MTB
Got picked up by Alex (thanks again!!), and met with Jamie and Alyssa at the parking lot (they rode out, i didn't want to with the rain!)
Fun day of riding, did my regular loop, rode pretty well overall but we were taking it pretty easy. Noticed that i was still pretty sore from the climb on Friday - it really takes it out of my arms and back!! At the end of the day, it looked something like this - surprised by the difference from AP and NP:
Entire workout (163 watts):
Duration: 1:32:16 (2:43:39)
Work: 901 kJ
TSS: 113.7 (intensity factor 0.86)
Norm Power: 224
VI: 1.37
Distance: 15.386 km
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 1023 163 watts
Heart Rate: 70 178 145 bpm
Cadence: 30 201 77 rpm
Speed: 3.8 34.4 10.3 kph
Monday - Climb
2.5hrs with Kelly, first day back in the Jet7 shoes - they feel SO AWESOME. I didn't want to start wearing them right away because the soles have very sharp edges, and i didn't want to wear them down floundering around as i got my form back..so i set the rule of having to clean all the 10a's before wearing them.
Good session, worked more on the 10b's, and started working on a couple of the c's.
Tuesday - Ride - RIDLEY RIDE!
Oh wow. First thing i can say: it was worth the wait. This bike is freaking AMAZING.
First thing i noticed as i'm headed to the Switch Bridge to meet Chad is that when the bike gets around 40kph, it just wants to go faster. It really flows through the air...
Getting out of the saddle uphill feels SOLID. I'm noticing how sloppy other parts are, like my front wheel.
The Lizard Skins bar tape is AMAZING. Very comfortable, and the tactile sensation is PRIMO. LOVE IT! I'm buying boxes of this stuff. And the orange looks hot, esp. now that i've swapped in a black Conti GP4000. And nice matching bar plugs too. Stylin'!
Over the jittery stuff the bike surprised me - it actually soaked it up, and i was pretty comfortable! I was expecting the stiffness to be too much, but the high-frequencies are nullified nicely.
Final 'a-ha' moment was riding up Ash Hill, i kept seated, and amazingly i could feel each pedal stroke going straight to the wheel. Normally it feels like energy is going into the cranks and BB and perhaps the chainstays or seatstays are flexing, but this just felt SOLID. All my work was going into making the wheel spin. Very nice.
The fit is great, i'm going to try raising the seat a hair, and slide it forward a wee bit, but otherwise i'm pretty freaking happy with it!!! I can't wait for the summer to race this thing!!
Otherwise a good ride with Chad, hope i didn't bore him with all my surprised expressions and fawning over the bike..hehe..
Entire workout (201 watts):
Duration: 1:57:07 (2:03:06)
Work: 1403 kJ
TSS: 152 (intensity factor 0.886)
Norm Power: 230
VI: 1.14
Distance: 57.035 km
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 875 201 watts
Cadence: 29 136 90 rpm
Speed: 3.7 64.6 29.4 kph
Didn't put on the HR strap, was in a hurry, running late!
Wed (today) - Climb
Felt pretty good, got out for 3hrs w/Kelly and Mical. Made more progress on the 10b's and c's i've been working on...should be able to clean some of them in the next session or two...figuring out the tougher bits, and letting my fingers catch up.
Pretty fried again, my back and fingers still ache as i type!
That's the last few days, it's been an exciting week!! Looks like tomorrow will be another dry day, so hoping to spend some more time on the Ridley, might do my 'Hour of Power' route to compare numbers.
Friday, got an easy/fun/social MTB ride planned, aiming to hit all the trails we normally pass on (Green Ribbon, Sofa King, etc). 'Big Bike' day as some say.
Saturday is the annual Boxing Day TT - again, if it's dry, i'm hoping to ride the Noah out! First race! Eeep!
And Sunday ought to be another MTB ride.
Happy Winter Salsa everyone!
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=============Labels: climbing, new bike, training
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Bike! Bike! A New Bike!
This is just a brief note to highlight that my new bike, a custom green Ridley Noah, which i've been waiting on for nine months, has finally arrived!!!
Finished building it up tonight, here's how it's looking:
Click for a slightly larger image - apologies in advance for the front tire, it's all i had laying around, it'll get swapped for a black one soon. I'm actually *very* happy with the orange Lizard Skins bar tape, it suits it perfectly (and feels really nice! =)
It's a small size, oddly (i'm 5'10). I prefer a shorter top tube, and the Medium was up around 56cm - them Belgiums must be huge - waaay too long for me. It was a pretty easy build. Didn't have to cut the seat mast, i just popped the biggest spacer in the seat mast mount, and it was actually the height i was looking for!
It's built up mainly with the Campy Chorus that i had on the Blue, and the SRAM Red cranks as well (165mm, same as my track bike.) It's actually a very similar set-up to my Argon 18 Electron track bike, maybe 1/2" longer wheelbase, and the saddle is a bit lower on the Noah, but that's due to the lower BB. Seat and bars seem nearly in the same location otherwise...so hopefully will be an easy transition between the two (assuming i ever get back on the track..)
I took it for a brief spin up the street - it feels SOLID. Rock solid. No flex anywhere (except the wheels!) I'm very much looking forward to getting it up to speed. Maybe tomorrow, if it remains dry!!
Last thing i need to do is install the wiring for the PowerTap... Not crazy about that (visually speaking), but it'll be a while before i can afford a wireless unit........next big upgrade. ;)
Special thanks to the kind people at Oak Bay Bikes, as well as Norco, for making this all come together!
Got my regular training updates to catch up on, more soon!
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=============Labels: new bike
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Catching Up on Links, Stories, Etc..
Hola~
Kinda weird weather, there's a snowfall warning for Vancouver Island, but here in Victoria, it's up around 6 Celsius...stepping outside for a minute, it's actually feeling a bit warm! Rainy and windy as well. Sure beats snow!
Rest day for me today, planned to climb, but my climbing partner Kelly got called into work. Might switch my days around and go climbing tomorrow..if not, planning to hit the trails with Lysanne - her first time out, should be a blast. Wed planning to MTB with Alyssa as well - yip! Tomorrow night is also the party for the VCX crew, should be fun!
So, this entry is to post a bunch of links and stories i've come across the last few weeks, but haven't had a chance to update my blog about.. Let's see if i can organize these somewhat...
Other Victoria Riders Who Blog About Riding, Etc..
Andrew McCartney:
http://andrewmccartney.blogspot.com/
Nice guy and super-talented athlete, despite all the running and swimming, hope to see him out on the OBB rides again soon. ;)
Mical Dyck:
http://micaldyck.blogspot.com/
One of Canada's top MTB riders, and all-around swell person and new Island resident!
Regan Pringle:
http://strifeandlines.blogspot.com/
We've raced a few times, but have yet to get out on a ride together! Thanks again for the green bar tape tho! =)
Halldor Gunnarrson
http://onbiking.blogspot.com/
We've mountain biked, raced, and sprinted - let's get you out on the trails more this winter!
Fergus Lavelle:
http://ferguslavelle.blogspot.com
I don't know Fergus very well, but he friended me on Twitface, and we've raced all season in 'cross. Will likely see him on the road more in 2010, see ya out there buddy!
Joele's Guynup:
http://www.joeleguynup.blogspot.com/
Haven't really chatted with Joele much, but she's one of Vic's most talented and successful MTB and CX racers.
Tom Skinner:
http://tom-skinner.blogspot.com/
One of the weirder riders i know. ;)
Jenny Skinner
http://j-skinner.blogspot.com/
Sister of Tom, she would harass me at Oak Bay Bikes. Now sorely missed at the shop! And no, silk isn't vegan either because it comes from worms!
Dan Skinner:
http://dan-skinner.blogspot.com/
Brother of Jenny, and perhaps one of the most prolific cycling bloggers in Victoria, i've known Dan for a few years now, and he's a really swell guy, always a pleasure to have around! Have a great 2010, and update your blog! ;)
Jamie Sparling:
http://jsparls.blogspot.com/
Very talented and entertaining...currently away from the Island, but he always seems to return. Cool tunes and mixes on his site.
Gillian Carleton:
http://gilliancarleton.blogspot.com/
It got off to a good start...let us know what you're up to! Only a year to catch up on! ;)
Wendy Simms:
http://wendysimms.blogspot.com/
Another slightly neglected blog from the world's most awesome cyclocross racer, and now mom. =)
Not From Victoria, But Another Vegan Cycling Blog, John Scales
http://looksurly.blogspot.com/ (aka @looksurly on Twitter as well)
We've been exchanging messages on Twitter, cool guy, fellow OA rider in the US.
Vegan Stuff
I'll Have My Lobster Electrocuted, Please
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/news/ill-have-my-lobster-electrocuted-please-1824925.html
This is a bizarre piece...and is yet another example of why i detest PETA (People for the Ethical[sic] Treatment of Animals). They're actually instructing people on ways to murder other animals, and selling the machines to do it. Who needs advocates like that?? PETA is a scam, straight up.
Vegan Paradigm
http://veganmeans.com/Hot_Topics/vegan%20paradigm.pdf
PDF Excerpt from the latest issue of The Vegan from The Vegan Society by Lee Hall: a case for vegan optimism!
World Watch Report: Livestock and Climate Change
http://www.worldwatch.org/node/6294
A must-read, World Watch has researched the UN's FAO numbers from the 'Livestock's Long Shadow' report, and concluded that that they're way off..and that instead of 18% of all greenhouse emissions coming from livestock, it's actually over 50%. (From the numbers in the report, as a comparison, all transportation in the world would be less than 6% of all global emissions.. So a hummer full of vegetables is significantly better for the environment than riding a bike to McDonald's. Scary, and it's really time people started changing their diets.
Cargill "Cheese"
http://www.cargill.com/news-center/news-releases/2009/NA3020258.jsp
Kinda weird posting a media release from this company, but they've apparently developed a cheese substitute that is nearly identical to dairy in taste and texture, but entirely plant-based...i'll take it!
Eating less meat helps the planet – and your heart
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18195-eating-less-meat-helps-the-planet--and-your-heart.html
"If the UK ate 30% less meat, 18,000 fewer people would die prematurely from heart attacks annually" - yet they say they're not telling people to go vegetarian...wouldn't want to reduce health care and improve the environment *that* much...
Biking Stuff
29er Prototype Downhill
http://www.vitalmtb.com/features/Why-Not-Prototype-Intense-2951,58
I was sceptical when i saw the title on Twitter, but once i saw the video, i saw how this could be a pretty sweet thing...
Video: BC Cross Championships
http://www.bicycleradio.com/blog/?p=440
Cool vid of the Elite and Women, i got cut out tho! BicycleRadio.com seems like a cool site too.
Ready to Exercise? Check Your Watch
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/10/health/nutrition/10best.html?_r=2
Interesting story, discussing how people seem to be able to train better at different times of the day.. I'm definitely a later rider!
Walking, biking good for you and the planet: Study
http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Walking+biking+good+planet+Study/2263982/story.html
Pedestrians and cyclists should be made king of the urban jungle, according to an international study showing the big benefits of “mass active travel.”
It suggests money should be diverted way from roads to make walking and cycling “the most direct, convenient, and pleasant options for most urban trips.” Pedestrians and bikers should also get “priority” over cars and trucks at intersections.
Boo Cycles Bamboo CX Frame
http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/pro-bike-tyler-wrens-boo-bicycles-boocx
Another company doing bamboo bike frames!
Graeme Obree dumps hour record plans
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/graeme-obree-dumps-hour-record-plans
"Oh well, nobody died." - Sobering quote from the Flying Scotsman...check out the film if you haven't.
Canadian's go to Cali, Columbia for a World Cup, Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrN5K6b-oco
Cool vid before they left, our riders did AMAZING, with Tara, Laura and Steph winning GOLD in the Women's Team Pursuit (which is now an Olympic event!!) They also set a new Canadian record. Tara also won two Silver's, in the Individual Pursuit (Sarah Hammer won), and Points Race. Other riders did spectacularly well, and this was an extremely successful event for Canada! Full story and summary here on Canadian Cyclist. CC is also now on Twitter! Be sure to follow @cdncyclist.
Also, while i'm thinking of it, be sure to write Colwood Mayor Dave Saunders, perhaps the world's most shining example of supportive cycling hypocrisy and empty promises, and the rest of the West Shore Parks and Recreation Society, for their decision to lock cyclists out of the velodrome here since Aug, 2008. Thanks to their efforts, riders have been leaving the island. Who knows how many more medals might have had to come to Canada were more riders exposed to track racing? We don't want to strain the metal detectors in Customs after all.
Thank you, Mayor Saunders. You're a real class act...and you can't have 'class' without an 'ass'. Thanks for being there for the cycling community. After the track, and the Times Colonist Cycling Festival, i can't wait to see what event you help to take down next.
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The Week Ended On Ice
A chill has set into the Island..even a light sprinkling of snow today! Still, i'm getting out for adventures!
Monday, was a rest day (planned to go climbing, but belaying partner bailed on me!) Carrying on:
Tuesday - Ride w/Chad
Lovely day, Chad sent me a note through Facebook asking if i wanted to go for a spin - perfect! Haven't had a chance to chat much, he's been away travelling a good deal, but we used to race on the track. Nice to catch up! Here's the deets:
Entire workout (203 watts):
Duration: 2:10:08 (2:14:24)
Work: 1575 kJ
TSS: 153.2 (intensity factor 0.844)
Norm Power: 219
VI: 1.08
Distance: 60.95 km
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 791 203 watts
Heart Rate: 68 177 155 bpm
Cadence: 35 124 93 rpm
Speed: 3.7 57.2 28.3 kph
Nothing too crazy there.
Wednesday - Climb w/Kelly
Back on the wall! Didn't do anything too spectacular, worked on the 5.9+, and tried out a few of the 10a's. Fingers were fried tho. The purple 5.9 kicked my butt at the end of the session! At the gym for ~2.5hrs. Oh yeah, toes were sore! Funny how i have to rebuild my toe strength..
Thursday - Power Hour on the bike
Had trouble motivating myself to get out..legs still a bit tired from Tue, as well as Wed! (Guess i'm weighting my legs in a way different than happens on the bike!) It was late in the afternoon, but i thought i've give my Power Hour route another go. (Went back in October.) Felt good once i got going. The 1hr brief:
1hr Power Hour: 822kJ burned, TSS 84.4, NP 239w, AP 228w, Spd/Dis 31.1km, ~2C
As a reference from Oct:
1hr Power Hour: 805kJ burned, TSS 80.7, NP 234w, AP 224w, Spd/Dis 31.3km, ~12C
Rode the same bike (my winter bike w/fenders), surprised the cold didn't slow me down more....i think i went a bit harder on the hills this time tho. Anyway, full numbers from the whole ride:
Entire workout (210 watts):
Duration: 1:11:39 (1:14:14)
Work: 897 kJ
TSS: 94.5 (intensity factor 0.894)
Norm Power: 232
VI: 1.1
Distance: 34.88 km
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 960 210 watts
Heart Rate: 63 185 164 bpm
Cadence: 36 118 94 rpm
Speed: 3.7 57.8 29.4 kph
Pretty quality hour.
Friday - Climb w/Kelly
Very happy with this session! Cleaned my first THREE 10a's since getting back! One was a climb i hadn't tried yet, and the other two were ones i toyed on (and kicked my butt) on Wed. Pleased with my progress. I've been climbing in my older Anastazi shoes (from FiveTen), i've been worried about wearing down my good shoes, my Jet7's. Rule is: once i clean all the 10a's at the gym, i can wear my good shoes! There's two remaining...
I love how my form is pretty solid, and how quickly my fingers are re-adapting! Pretty neat.
Saturday - OBB Ride
Started off pretty mellow, got to Sidney and we hadn't really been going hard at all...
There's the group! Still surprised with the turnout we're getting.
A bearded Shish. ;)
We carried on, i think some people went elsewhere, as there were only about half the number in our group as we hit Land's End. Ride remained civilized, although i thought i'd make Peter Lawless suffer a bit, and on the descent behind the airport, i ensured we hit at least 56kph. (Peter's been riding his fixie, and told me earlier he's spinning out around 53kph..muahahaha..) He hung on!
Things remained chill up Panorama, Peter set the pace on the front. I lead the descent, and onto Daffodil Road (the north end of Wallace Dr) Ryan and Craig got on the front of the pack, and duelled the whole stretch!! They were freaking gunning it, and it was all i could do to hang on.... We hit an intersection, and the group had been pruned a fair bit!
We carried on, although not quite at such a firm pace...along the south end of Wallace Scotty, Craig, Steve and Ryan rotated at the front, i kept out of the loop but right behind, and no one else in the group seemed to be interested in getting ahead of me and joining in....so we all kept in a paceline otherwise..
The Four Horsemen carried on at the top up past Hartland Rd, and did not relent. As we're heading up past the Observatory, i take a moment to glance back, and Dave MacLeod is the only rider remaining! EEEP!
I know i'm good to go so long as i can make it up and over the hill... Luckily the pace wasn't too high, and i manage to cling to the back of the group... I hadn't done any work for a while, and decided there that i wouldn't fight for a spot in the sprint, but give them a lead-out.
The pace quickens as we hit Interurban, but being flat, i'm in no prob, and take a long, hard pull by Camosun. We get to the corner and hills, and as we approach the hill i get to the front and power away...pulling the group to the bottom of the sprint hill. Everyone shoots off past me, didn't really get to see who was at the front, but i *think* it might have been Ryan, or Craig...
Next sprint is the King of the Overpass (Switch Bridge), and these guys have gotten it in their heads to try and block me, so Scotty and Craig try and pinch me off, but i'm not having any of it and shoulder by Craig - bumped him harder than i'd planned, but got by and claimed my title once again. ;)
Everyone else turned off until it was Craig and i through downtown and we did the water. Great finish to the ride. Happy i was able to hang in there, and finished strong. =)
The numbers:
Entire workout (175 watts):
Duration: 3:15:19 (3:29:59)
Work: 2035 kJ
TSS: 235.7 (intensity factor 0.854)
Norm Power: 222
VI: 1.27
Distance: 98.807 km
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 1081 175 watts
Heart Rate: 72 187 148 bpm
Cadence: 29 124 90 rpm
Speed: 3.8 60.7 30.5 kph
Note another big TSS...235..owwie.
Sunday - Snowy MTB w/Steve
Tried to get another big group out like last week, but everyone's wussing out! Met Steve at the Switch Bridge at 10:15, and headed out. There was a light dusting of snow in some spots, and was calling for rain, so i dressed in my most waterproof gear, and my plan wasn't even to make it out to the Dump..but at least i'd get some time on the bike.
We ended up hitting a bunch of little side trails, and exploring a few places (Logan's Park). We were most surprised to find ICE! First, this big pond near Camosun was frozen over, we found a couple guys using it as a runway for their model planes, took a few pics:
Pretty wild! I'm not used to doing this around here!
We kept on riding, it was pretty fun exploring a few areas. We eventually started heading back in, and found another frozen section, more people had been on it:
Steve was enjoying his 180's, until there was a really loud rumbling.....at first i thought it was Steve's brakes making some weird, deep squeal, but it was the ice rumbling/cracking. YIKES!
We got off that section quick!!!
We continued down the Colquitz/Centennial trail into town, and saw across the field a swept section and people skating!! We had to check it out:
Further across even more people:
We zipped around some more, Steve doing his 180's at top speed, pretty funny! I was a little more timid, i don't like the idea of falling on ice...but it's pretty neat to be able to ride this. It can all melt away now. =)
Fun day! I don't know what i'm gonna do when Steve and Chelsea take off for New Zealand at the end of the month, everyone else is wimping out!
Anyways, here's the numbers from the day:
Entire workout (165 watts):
Duration: 2:15:08 (2:43:30)
Work: 1334 kJ
TSS: 152.4 (intensity factor 0.823)
Norm Power: 214
VI: 1.3
Distance: 42.496 km
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 843 165 watts
Heart Rate: 75 173 139 bpm
Cadence: 30 206 86 rpm
Speed: 3.9 54.8 19.1 kph
Took it easy for the most part. =)
The rest of RideCam25 can be found here...smaller collection.
That's the week, nothing too exciting planned for next week, climb a few days, ride the rest!
Stay warm out there!
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Weekend Riding - Super Sunny Spinning
Yip - lovely weekend!
Friday was a full rest-day, climbing partner couldn't make it, and felt my hands could use a break after two days back on the wall last week. Ready for tomorrow, got a climb planned for the late afternoon.
Saturday - OBB Ride
Gorgeous day, full-on sun. Didn't even feel like the 4C it was out, nice!
Smaller turnout, maybe ~25 riders. So we split into two group, i much prefer a smaller pack of ~12 riders. People do shorter, more steady pulls, much smoother training...all i'm looking for these days as racing season is over!
It was an uneventful ride out to Sidney, enjoyed the bright day, everything looked crisp and clean. The water on some of the fields was frozen over as well.
Dressing for the cool weather is a series of layers.. I've got the full leggings RS tights from Sugoi, and my OA shorts overtop (i generally wear 2x shorts. The OA ones are light on padding anyway.) On top i had a basic base layer, my OA Verge thermal jersey and OA Mt Borah windbreaker. Neck 'tube' of spandex, headband. My regular cold-weather gloves: a poly-pro base and regular fingerless gloves. On top of that was the windstopper layer i've got (took them off for the last 40mins or so.) My hands run warm, thankfully. Feet are another story.. Thermal socks and regular socks, and then two pairs of booties over my shoes (a pair of Pearl Izumi booties, which are a tight fit, more for warmth. On top of that is a pair of Sugoi booties, which are effective against water.) Also tried wrapping my insole with tinfoil, not sure if it made any difference, but was pretty shredded when i removed my shoes. ;)
Also, i use ductape to seal the very bottom of my shoes - the holes near the cleat, plus the vent holes on the bottom. Gotta keep the cold out!
After Sidney, over half the group turned off on Wain Rd - very strange! There were about 14 of us, a decent number, and most of the strongest guys that came out. We continued on Lands End, and did Ocean Spray, one of the steeper sections around these parts, as a detour. Poor Alex was having a rough day, we figure he hadn't eaten enough. Continued on around the airport, etc.. Funny moment on the Panorama hill - a group of us had begun to break off the front, but there was hella traffic, and we all got caught behind a car...so those trailing got a 'get out of jail free' card. ;)
Around Hartland Rd, the pace picked up, and Emile got on the front and things broke up...by the top of the hill at the Observatory, there were basically six of us, Craig, Daniel, Ryan, Scotty, and Emile was starting to gap us all... No one was really feeling like chasing, and by the time we hit Interurban, he had a good 75m break. I contemplated snapping away from the group and bridging up (maybe in the draft of a passing vehicle!) - it was actually in a very good spot for me to do that, a fast spot on a slight downhill leading to a full downhill...but i wasn't really feeling too spunky so just sat in to be a factor in the group sprint..
We carried on, i think Ryan was at the front as we hit the 200m mark. I prolly should have jumped about there and got in front of the group, but i just sat in, and hit the line on the wheels of Craig, Scotty and Daniel. Ryan had faded a bit, understandably. Emile, of course, was well over 100m ahead of us...haha..
I took the King of the Overpass with little competition, other than Craig trying to take me to the rail..hahha..thanks to Emile for reminding me to go for it!
An interesting note: i came up just a bit short of my wattage PB for 1sec and 5sec in the sprint -- something that really surprised me, after 3 months of no sprinting! (Don't really do it in cyclocross!) I hit 1227w and 1169w respectively, and my PB's are 1257w and 1188w. Kinda cool, but no idea what i'm gonna do with sprint legs in December..hahaha
I kept it pretty chill for most of the ride, no major pulls or anything, but got a good workout in, here's the numbers:
Entire workout (164 watts):
Duration: 3:09:52 (3:31:58)
Work: 1847 kJ
TSS: 212.3 (intensity factor 0.824)
Norm Power: 214
VI: 1.3
Distance: 93.067 km
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 1227 164 watts
Heart Rate: 72 189 151 bpm
Cadence: 23 122 91 rpm
Speed: 0 59 29.6 kph
Note: cut the ride short, went straight home from downtown, had a Horses Without Carriages demonstration at 2pm to do! TSS of 212 is good tho.
Sunday - MTB Ride
Super windy night Sat, and had tried to organize a bunch of peeps to come out Sunday, but most punked out!
Met Steve at the Switch Bridge, and Alex was meeting us in the parking lot. I was a bit late out the door, which normally isn't a problem, but it was WINDY!! I met Steve nearly 10mins late. Which is pretty bad for what's normally a 15min trip.
Set the stage for the rest of the ride out to the Dump - by the time we got off Interurban, it was 10:50, and we were supposed to meet Alex at 11am. It had felt like we had been climbing for the last hour! Pretty bad, considering the trip is normally about 55mins from my door (to the parking lot at the Dump!)
We skipped Prospect Lake and Executive (the way we normally enter the Dump, great trail off Meadowbrook Rd), and stuck to the road and up the Hartland hill. Got there just a min after 11am - phew! Steve creamed me on the hill...but i had my heavy Camelbak on too. ;)
We headed out, stuck to the main trail until the far end of Shock Treatment (which i call the beginning of the trail), bombed along it, up and around to Skull Trail and Inventive. From there, i thought we'd add in a fun extension to my 'normal' loop. Turned left onto Little Face (normally go right) and then up to Rolly Ridge - fun trail! Continued along Crazy Horse, down Centerfold to the Switchbacks. Wasn't feeling too spunky (legs a bit flat) so didn't quite get up a few sections...rode well otherwise.
Continued up Waterworks, and then hit Old Payoff on our way to North Ridge and Bubble Wrap. Haven't been up there for a few months, and so we decided to hit my favorite trail. =)
Conditions were great, the frost made the ground a bit funky in some spots, but otherwise it was really dry and pretty grippy. Bike didn't feel 'great' tho, the rubber was a bit harder from the cold, as well as firmer shocks from cold oil in my Manitou Minutes. Air springs seem like a better choice for the cold...
We kept the pace fairly casual, enjoying the terrain. A few near-spills, but nothing serious. Got to the bottom, and rode back up the Regional Trail..long climb! At the top, we decided to call it a day (contemplated crossing back over and doing Dave's Line, etc), and booked it down Who's Yer Daddy, Nightshift and Skull Trail.
I opted to get a lift back with Alex, Steve was feeling spunky and rode back. Crazy guy. ;)
The rest of the afternoon was napping, eating, and watching shows (Legend of the Seeker and Merlin..tee hee..love my SciFi weeknds.) Was pretty beat!
Here's my power data from the ride:
Entire workout (186 watts):
Duration: 2:42:53 (3:48:29)
Work: 1815 kJ
TSS: 220 (intensity factor 0.9)
Norm Power: 234
VI: 1.26
Distance: 38.42 km
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 1111 186 watts
Heart Rate: 82 183 159 bpm
Cadence: 31 206 79 rpm
Speed: 3.9 49.7 14.4 kph
Kinda surprised by my NP result! Didn't think we were going that hard.. Pretty sure my cadence didn't hit 206 either. ;)
This week will prolly get in a few road rides, and hopefully 2-3 climbing sessions. Have a great one! =)
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Another Article Debunking Lactic Acid Myth - Sodium-Potassium Pump!
I found this article in the latest email newsletter from www.roadbikerider.com (whom i thought i'd unsubscribed from, but then a couple weeks ago started getting newsletters again..) There was actually an interesting article, progressing the ideas of what causes muscle fatigue (aka not lactic acid, see here for an article i put together a while back on the subject, and how lactic acid ISN'T a bad thing.)
Read on, discussion welcome!
Does Interval Training Improve Endurance?
No doubt about it, according to a new study published in the November issue of the Journal of Applied Physiology and reported by cycling physician Gabe Mirkin, M.D., in his weekly ezine (available at http://www.drmirkin.com).
We're pleased because the findings underscore a training approach long promoted by RBR's Coach Fred Matheny. Here's an overview:
Dr. Jens Bangsbo of the University of Copenhagen asked competitive distance runners to reduce their mileage by 25% but add 8-12 half-minute sprints 2 or 3 times per week. They also ran fast repeats of 0.6-0.8 miles (1-1.3 km) 1 or 2 times per week.
Meanwhile, a control group of runners continued what was basically long, steady distance training.
After 6-9 weeks, the control group showed no improvement. Runners in the intervals group, however, improved both their 3-km (1.8-mile) and 10-km (6.1-mile) race times by more than 3%. Half of them ran their best times ever, even though they'd been racing for more than 5 years.
That's remarkable improvement after only about 2 months of interval training.
Two years earlier, Dr. Mirkin reports, Dr. Bangsbo had done ground-breaking research supporting the theory that exhaustion of the "sodium-potassium pump" (not lactic acid buildup) is the major cause of muscle fatigue during exercise.
Now in his new study, Dr. Bangsbo shows how interval training improves a muscle's capacity to pump potassium back inside muscle cells during exercise. This helps athletes run or ride faster even in very long events such as marathons and multi-day bike rides.
Dr. Mirkin explains that a muscle can contract only if it has an electrical charge across the muscle cell membrane. This electrical charge comes from having sodium primarily outside the cell and potassium primarily inside the cell. These higher concentrations are maintained by the sodium-potassium pump in the cell membranes.
Dr. Bangsbo showed that during rapid contractions, muscle cells lose potassium so fast that it's doubled outside cells in less than a minute. The pump is overwhelmed. This reduces the electrical charge between the inside and outside, so muscle cells contract with much less force until finally they cannot contract at all.
Now here's the good news. Repeated muscle contractions can increase the ability of the pump to put potassium into cells. The greater the force on a muscle during training, the more effectively the pump can do this. It's why a training plan that increases the number of intense efforts will give an athlete greater endurance.
How to Apply these Facts
You cannot gain maximum endurance just with continuous steady exercise, says Dr. Mirkin. It's also a message found in various RBR training eBooks written by Coach Fred, Coach David Ertl and Arnie Baker, M.D.
To improve your sodium-potassium pump, you need to put some serious force on your muscles. And probably the "easiest" way to do it is with interval training (although hard climbing and time trialing can work too).
Of course, Dr. Mirkin cautions, intense exertion can kill a person who has blocked heart arteries. You should get your physician's permission before increasing hard efforts.
Once cleared, you can do intervals on the road or on a trainer. There are 2 basic types for this discussion:
---short intense efforts of 30 seconds or less
---long intense efforts of 2 minutes or more
"Intense" is for you to decide. It's possible to ride as hard as you can for half a minute, but the effort can't be quite as great when going longer.
Dr. Mirkin recommends 30-second intervals once or twice a week. Do 6, 8, 10 or more sprints during a session, then follow with a short, easy recovery day.
Because long intervals of 2+ minutes are more stressful, you can't do as many during a workout or do them as often. You may need 2 days of easy riding for recovery.
Rest Intervals
Athletes usually learn their ideal between-effort rest interval through experience, notes Dr. Mirkin.
You may want to rest until your pulse drops enough for you to begin to feel comfortable. Or until you're able to slow your breathing rate towards normal, or until your muscle discomfort begins subsiding. But don't wait for complete recuperation before going again.
Between interval workouts, if it takes longer than 2 days to recover you are probably riding too intensely, doing too many repetitions, or your rest intervals are too short.
Weekly Training Plan
In Dr. Mirkin's view, based on Dr. Bangsbo's research and his own cycling experience (he's 74 and a dedicated roadie), a weekly endurance training program should include a good amount of relatively slow miles, 1 or 2 workouts with numerous short intervals, and perhaps one workout that includes several long intervals.
So that's that - something new for me.
Have a good weekend of riding!
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One CX Ends, A New CX Begins
Yes, cyclocross season is over, and back to winter training, and several days a week at Crag X Climbing Gym.
Last weekend was the BC Provincial Cyclocross Championships over in North Van. I headed over with Fluffy, Steve & Chelsea. Fun road-trippin' crew!
Got picked up at (ugh) 6am, and made the ferry with plenty of time. Uneventful ferry ride, and arrived at the course with plenty of time to spare. We wandered around a bit, checking out some of the features. It was pretty flat, winding around Mahon Park. Very different from any Cross on the Rock course. I believe the entire course was at least a couple meters wide, so nearly always opportunities to pass. It had been pretty wet, and although a grey day, no rain was seen....but it had done it's thing to the course, and the sharp 2m ride-ups were savaged and there were a few spots with muds of varying liquidity.
My racing option was Senior/Elite, so i was definitely outgunned. Not to mention i was still under the influence of that surprisingly tenacious cold...i managed to get on the bike the week before, but it wasn't particularly productive, nor did i feel fantastic. (Still, got that 5min/350 watt PB which i'm pretty happy with.)
Roland had gone over the day before, and raced the final BC Cup, and finished just off the podium in 4th in the B's. I would have been there had i felt more spunky...it was my original plan, but didn't feel up for it..
Roland raced in the Masters 30-39 field, which was bigger than he expected....he pulled off a 10th tho, good show! Fluffy in the next level of Masters pulled off a 4th (he thought he was further back!) and the Island's CX superhero Norm took the title, Provincial Champ! ( He edged out Johnny Fokkema, who in turn sniped him at Nats.) There were lots of Islanders on the podium including my ride back, Peter Wellsman, who got 2nd in his field, and young Amanda Wakeling, who also claimed 2nd in the U17 Women. Joelle and Chelsea had great rides. Mike Brinton and Jordon Duncan, juniors who gave me grief in the local races also earned medals. Apologies to others i missed, full results and very accurate course-description here. Here we all are afterwards, great idea by Wendy Simms to snap a pic:
So, for my own race it was weird to line up with people i know who are so fast, and many more people i don't know who are fast. Steve was the only rider i'd see nearby for a little while.. (Apologies to Michael Rothengatter, who was with me at the start line, but i didn't recognize in the H&R kit, and out of context from the velodrome!! Glad we trackies are consistent in finishing off the back of the field in CX - really, could any cycling discipline be any less compatible?! Wait, what was Scott Mulder doing finishing 2nd?? hahaha.. Molly Cameron totally blows my theory out of the water, doing well on both...anyways..)
It was a tough course, with virtually no opportunities for recovery. Lots of shifts in speed, and a staggering assortment of mud.
The course started off with a straight-away and wide corner on a hard running surface, and then a sharp left into an uphill mudpit. It looked a bit like this (thanks to Amanda for the pics! Don't blame her for the blurriness, blame Vancouver's sky!):
There was a line you could ride up at the top, if you could get there... I gather more people ran it:
That led the first of many hairpin turns, and a set of 3 stairs. (The more advanced or brave riders would just ride up them. I stuck to running 'em.)
That spit us out into mudpit #2. Mudpit #2 lead to Mudpit #3 - The Descent. A short drop that was pretty carved out. Another stretch on running track, a few tight twists through some trees, over a pit of fist-sized sharp rocks, and back onto the playing surface, around another hairpin and into the barriers.
That lead back over the rocks part two. Luckily there was a narrow line on the right, i called the flat-free alley. A 90 degree turn led to some grass, and a short drop...which ended in Mudpit #4 - The Ascent. Luckily you hit this with some speed, and would get up quick. It was ridable on my pre-ride, but impossible afterwards... That wound around a tree and down another descent, which had another turn and then another sharp climb back up. This one was ridable all race. It literally hairpinned into another descent. These were all about 2m rises/descents, btw. Very power-oriented, which was fine for me..
All this lead to a paved straight of about 250m, and back onto grass with another hairpin. You're prolly starting to sense a theme here. ;)
This was the only recovery on the course, as you descended another 200m on a slight slope. It was over in about 8 seconds. Hope your heartrate has dropped sufficiently!
Another hairpin with some mud, another stretch on and off some concrete, and another hairpin. This lead to another hairpin and Mudpit #5 - The Drop Into The Slop. First off, it was a hairpin on a drop. The drop section itself was mud, and had many deep ruts. I managed to figure out a line that cut across it all and dropped me into the deepest section of 'The Slop', which was the best section to ride. It was about 10cm deep mud, about as thick as applesauce, where we can see Norm here:
Just a 90 degree corner there, but just out of view is a brief muddy berm into Mudpit #6. Similar to The Slop, but not as deep. These sections really tested your drivetrain... Across a small basketball court, into another steep powerclimb, this one maybe 3m long. If you were smart, you conserved a bit across the b-ball court to make it up this. If not, it was a run. And yes, muddy, tho seemed better as the race progressed.
Another 50m straight, and the 'real' stairs, about six of them. A quick ascent and return to the saddle, but for some reason this next section just killed me to get through. It was just 30m, into a hairpin and around a tree, but for some reason i moved SO SLOW there. The course wiggled between several more trees, and then wound back to the playing field, for a 100m straight, then another drop, tight corner and muddy ascent. I wasn't riding this, i think i saw a few other riders making it tho. 50m down was the finish/lap point.
This was the most exciting moment of the day for me - it was the final lap and Sven Sturm had been chasing me from the stairs.. He caught me by the run-up, and had a sprint for the line, and i managed to avoid getting lapped by him..haha.. Well, lapped twice. I think. For some reason the results say i was lapped once by the leaders, but i was definitely 2 laps down on Evan, Craig, Dan, Drew and Nick. I guess i held Sven to only 1 lap. ;)
I went into it with two goals: Top 20 finish, and not-last. Mission Accomplished! There were 22 riders, so there was some risk with this, but four DNF'd. As for the 2nd goal...that was fairly close, but luckily i remained ahead of one rider.
So two more Islanders finished around the podium, with Craig taking Silver, and Drew in 4th, both putting in strong rides.
Glad i went, although my body wasn't really up for any degree of competitiveness. I think were i feeling better, might have been able to finish 2-3 positions higher, but that'd be about it.. I guess that'll be my goal for next year: Top 15. =)
A few more pics, here's Norm negotiating the top section of the descent into the Drop Into The Slop:
Rollie about to hit the slop:
Fluffy catches and passes Rollie:
On one of many hairpin corners:
Hello haybale, had to ditch the shades as they were fogging up:
On the ferry on the way home, i didn't get a chance to hose down my bike before leaving (technically they took down the hose before i could!!)
My full set of shots can be found here. Not a lot, but hey.. Fun ride home with Peter and Craig, and a satisfying end to the 'cross season. =)
I've got some PowerTap data from rides on Thursday (w/Alyssa) and Saturday (again, out to Mt Doug with the OBB group), but it's not particularly interesting. Took Tuesday off, and hoping to get on the MTB tomorrow (Thursday.) Oh, fun link: my report for my first 'cross race, Nov '06.
Climbing Gym
I've been excited for months to get back to climbing, and so Monday made it out with my vegan climbing friend Kelly. This is our 3rd year of climbing together. Started Dec '07 or Jan '08, and go until March or so. It's an excellent form of cross training, and does wonders for the core (not to mention developing overall upper-body strength.) I usually end up going 2-3 days a week (the days i'm not on the bike!) By the end of Season 1 (Mar08), we were doing 10a's with relative ease, and completing some b's, and working on c's.
Fall '08, return in mid-November, work my way up, and back to 10a's in a few weeks. By end of Feb '09, i'd cleaned most 10d's, and was working on several 11a's, very nearly able to clear a couple... Pretty good progress! Most happy with my form, which i'd really worked hard on. Racing started early March, and i was feeling pretty done by then, so ended the season and focused back 100% on cycling.
So it's Fall '09, and i hit the walls on Monday. Very happy to be back! Funnily, there was only one rope that had routes from when we left. ;)
I felt pretty clunky starting off..jumped onto a 5.6, no prob tho i didn't feel very smooth. Did a 5.7, no prob. Moved up to a 5.8, again, no prob, although starting to feel it in the fingers a bit more, more fatiguing.
Thought i'd limit myself to the 5.8's, and cleaned them all. That was 2hrs, called it a night, pretty happy. After a couple 5.8's, my form really started to come back, and i was feeling mostly 'normal'. Even gave a 5.9 a go, felt great. Toes were sore tho!
Last night (Wed), went back for my second session. Recovered well, fingers and forearms felt solid. Started on a 5.7 - felt great. 5.8 - no prob. Did my first 5.9 - it had smaller, tighter near-pinches, no prob. Felt it a bit more, but it was good. Continued on with the 5.9's, and cleaned all in the gym but the long, overhang one with a nasty hold near the top. I think we've figured out how to manoeuvrer it, so shouldn't be a prob next session. There was also a 5.9+ that i attempted near the end, but i was pretty fried by then, but i *really* enjoyed that route. More challenging, and required a fair bit of 'yoga' as i put it - where you have to twist your body to make a hold with the greatest efficiency and smoothness. ( You can just muscle it, but that's not my climbing 'style'...not to mention that it becomes an increasingly futile method as the climbs get more difficult. To all new climbers that might be reading this: WORK ON YOUR FORM!! Be SMOOTH and flow from hold to hold.)
Next session (Fri or Sat) will begin to tackle that 9+, and some of the 10a's. At this rate, i ought to be nearly back to where i was in a few weeks...assuming my fingers can keep up! Goal this season is to conquer the 11a's, and maybe a few b's. With climbing, there's diminishing returns once you get up to those levels... Going from a 10a to a 10b is fairly do-able. Going from 11a to 11b takes a LOT of practice. One note about my 'training': i'm just doing this for fun. I'm not doing pushups, pullups, or any finger exercises, and rarely do laps. I know i could progress faster doing these things, but i'm getting enough of a challenge, and happy with my rate of progression. Besides, once able to do 12a's, there's not many climbs left to do at the gym. ;)
Links of Interest
Okay, it's getting late, and i've got a bunch saved up, but got a couple fun ones -- GoogleMaps Streetview have invaded Victoria, so i can show the world a few spots, so here are a few.
First, my bike shop Oak Bay Bikes. Here's the section of Beacon Hill Park where we'd do most of our 'cross practice. And unfortunately they don't going up the street where Crag X is, but it's the tall building on the right.
Laters!
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=============Labels: climbing, cyclocross, racing
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Falling From Fourth
Ahh...'cross on the island is over..went out with a high and low. The course we designs for CrossVega was AWESOME. People raved about it. Low was that i went into the race sitting 4th overall in Intermediate, and after being unable to perform, plus a flat, i've probably dropped to 10th or so...nuts. Anyway, catching up on the week:
Saturday - OBB Ride
Still wasn't feeling very great, cold still lingering. Headed out on the OBB ride, planning to ride an hour and a bit. Funny group, rather small, and we had *two* flats before leaving Oak Bay!! I realized i was still feeling like crap. Fraaaack..not looking good for Sunday. I stuck with the group to Mt. Doug, then turned left on Shelbourne and cruised back home. Power deets:
Entire workout (166 watts):
Duration: 1:03:14 (1:11:33)
Work: 622 kJ
TSS: 64.1 (intensity factor 0.784)
Norm Power: 204
VI: 1.23
Distance: 27.911 km
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 590 166 watts
Heart Rate: 82 180 148 bpm
Cadence: 32 138 91 rpm
Speed: 3.9 66 26.7 kph
Not much power, and even this was draining.
At noon headed up to Shawnigan Lake School with Jen, Roland and Katie, and met up with Norm, Chris, Dan and Ian Craib to set up the course. Below is the 'general' map.
There was some wiggling in the whiteish bit in the middle, and the field on the lower right was my domain...and i turned it into an epic, challenging sequence, features some tight turns off the top, up a small rise, which drops into a mud pit, then back up immediately (which got quite slick) and then a short straight into 'The Flush', basically a mini whirly-whirl. Another short stretch on a trail to the three off-camber V's. The first most rode, the second was a challenge, and very few could ride the third. Then another short straight, a tab more elevation, and then a drop in an S bend corner that was also very challenging, with riders slipping out and unclipping with great frequency...the goal there was to slow riders before the chute into the woods, which was a fast downhill - it woulda been a bit nuts to have riders hit that with speed!
From there was the downhill, which became a river overnight (it was mostly dry Saturday, i swear!) That river hid many sharp rocks which caused most to flat...myself included. In the woods was a short 'singletrack' technical section, and then out onto a road section that continued downhill. From there, back to a trail which had a very technical riser/berm, and tight turn back to the main trail, that led to the stairs. Best placement for stairs, imo as well, as you were fully recovered by the time you hit them. Long set too, but i actually managed okay on them.
That continued with the uphill..up a road, then a short cross over to more wooded, rocky trails, and up and up and up...into the bottom of the rugby field, some more climbing getting ABOVE the rugby field, and then around it..ugh! Once back nearly where we started circumnavigating the field was the real mud...it just got worse each lap, real wheel-sucking stuff..haha.. A 5 meter drop and short stretch before the barriers (just two), another downhill on the road, and then back up to the lap/finish point. From there a long uphill road to the grassy field. It was a LONG freaking course, nearly 3.5km by my estimates. Awesome to ride tho.
Sunday - CrossVega!
Ahh.. The Island Championships...double-points for the series too, and i'm flattened by a cold. I had a decent first lap, stuck with the front through the grass:
I think one person might have snuck by on the stairs:
After that it went downhill on the uphill. Several people eased by as i had no high-end to power up the climb...so sad..trailed the group around the field and then lost contact on the road..
(Thanks to Mical and Danielle for these shots!)
And basically kept moving backwards from there all race.. The grassy field allowed me to bridge up to a rider a time or two, but that was about the only momentum i could manage.. And then i flatted to boot..haha..
Other riders had good races tho, Geoff Pendral won our race, Roland pulled off another impressive 4th place finish, securing his victory of taking the entire series! (And then he raced Expert later on too, what a maniac!)
Teammate Jen had a rough race too. Battling it out with Glenowyn for a couple laps, but then flatting as well as a few mechanicals. Still, she managed to hold onto 3rd for the Open Women's field, awesome work Jen, nice job representing! =)
The event finale was pretty swell, with TONS of awesome prizes for the draws, and nearly everyone must have walked away with something. Gotta thank Vega, Green Cuisine (vegan chili and corn bread for racers!) and Pink Sugar for helping with prizing for OA. =)
It was bittersweet as well, as the series was finished...wouldn't be seeing so many faces, especially Normon and Wendy, who have done SO much work to make the series happen. Norm won the Top Organizer's award from CyclingBC this year, and rightly so! Cross on the Rock is a golden, magical event, thanks to these two!
My own pics of the Masters/Womens and Elite race, plus details on course features can be found here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/davenoisy1/20091122CrossOnTheRock6CrossVega
Tuesday - Training, 350w/5min Effort
Wasn't sure how i'd feel, or if i'd be able to do anything on the bike. Plan was to head out to the Observatory, do a short effort on the way, and see how that felt and go from there..
Off the top i didn't feel too great, legs a bit achy, but a few minutes in it started coming together, and by the time i was on Interurban, i felt mostly "normal"! Legs were pushing the watts they should, and felt lively. YAY! A little late, but glad to feel good.
Around Camosun i put some pressure to the pedals for a minute, and it felt fine. HR and breathing increased at a normal rate. Okay, on to the Observatory for a 350 watts and 5min test (hopefully one and the same!)
I've been curious to see how my power compared to when i started doing my 350w intervals. My first test saw me holding 350w up to the first switchback in under 4mins, but failure at that point. Wasn't able to carry on. Also, my 5min PB was 341w, although that was from a year ago...i never have a reason to give my all for 5mins! It's either much shorter (5-30seconds) or 20mins+. (Were i racing track, my 5mins would be much more relative..) Anyway, i had my recent benchmark of ~4mins.
Started off, felt pretty good. Held the watts with relative ease...and managed to feel this way until the steep bit before the switchback...by then was breathing fairly heavily, but far from done. Upon looking at my data, i had actually hit that point around 3'30, and had been holding 360w!
I powered as much as i could while corning the switchback and then back uphill...close to the top of the first stretch i could feel myself beginning to fade, but i wasn't going to give up. Got out of the saddle and maintained as much as i could sustain...i was going to get myself to the buildings..... Still 20m to go, and i was DYING. Breathing so hard, legs very unhappy, i crested the section, sat down and tried to continue pedalling, and there was nothing. That was all i had....
I didn't know what i'd done, i didn't switch over to the timer, so i wasn't sure i'd even ridden 5mins. I cooled down for a minute up there, breathing heavily (a worker there commented!), and then pointed downhill, and made tracks back for home.
So turned out i HAD ridden 5mins, so there was a chance to break my previous PB...and i did, yeah! I managed to average 350w - woohoo! I'm pretty happy to be hitting a PB this late in the season, and esp. after a crappy weak of non-training and illness.. I suspect i'm capable of more, but i think this was the one timeframe i hadn't gotten a PB in this year, so nice to complete that. ;)
Here's the full session details:
Entire workout (201 watts):
Duration: 1:31:44 (1:34:54)
Work: 1096 kJ
TSS: 118.2 (intensity factor 0.882)
Norm Power: 229
VI: 1.14
Distance: 44.426 km
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 863 201 watts
Heart Rate: 78 190 159 bpm
Cadence: 25 124 94 rpm
Speed: 3.9 56.1 29.3 kph
And here's the 5mins breakdown for shits'n'giggles:
Peak 5min (350 watts):
Duration: 5:01
Work: 105 kJ
TSS: 15.2 (intensity factor 1.347)
Norm Power: 350
VI: 1
Distance: 1.668 km
Min Max Avg
Power: 106 492 350 watts
Heart Rate: 133 190 183 bpm
Cadence: 52 99 82 rpm
Speed: 12.5 26.9 19.9 kph
Funny to think i burned up a banana doing that. =P
I had also pinned 190bpm for the final 30 seconds..owwie.. Funny to think that in previous years i'd spend quite a bit of time in that range...much less this year, doing more TT stuff, etc.. I think if i could maintain this effort to the top, i would finish around 6'15..far from any record, but i'd be happy with that! Holding 350w for another minute+ would be quite an achievement...i was DONE at 5mins.
Coming Up
Will jump on the bike for a short ride tomorrow. Planning to head to the mainland for Saturday and Sunday which feature the final BC Cup and Provincial Championships for cyclocross, it'd be fun to see what the events over there are like. For the Provincials, i'd have to race Elite, which will be hilarious, i'll be lapped by most of the field, but hey..heheh
After that my season is FINISHED!! December will feature less time on the bike, and more fun-oriented, including lots of trail time on the RIP9. Also, will be heading back to Crag X to climb - really, really looking forward to that!
A few quick links:
CYCLOCROSS WORKOUT
US Cyclocross Champ Ryan Trebon's Workout - Adjusted for You
http://www.trainright.com/articles.asp?uid=4700&p=4694
Funny to see that a pro is doing pretty much the same workouts as myself! Although i was doing mine a bit harder, spending time quite a bit above my Fieldtest output, but slightly below SS for the 'under' (260w v 270w).
VeloNews: Clinchers for Cross
http://velonews.competitor.com/2009/11/bikes-tech/clinchers-for-cross-three-good-choices_101423
I'm of course a huge fan of the Mud tire (esp the original green Mud). The Wolf is also pretty solid for racing in these parts.
And more pics from Sunday:
Rita's Pics:
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/Missdragonfly1/CyclocrossShawniganLake
Jamie's pics:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jam1ec/sets/72157622868380514
Regan's CrossVega Photos
http://www.flickr.com/photos/reganpringleshoots/sets/72157622859138448/
Happy Thanksgiving to the US readers!
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=============Labels: cyclocross, PB, racing, training
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It's Not Too Late To Give This a Title
Oi, that's been a rainy week.. Catching up:
Saturday
Went out on the OBB group ride (meets at Oak Bay Bikes at 9am, be fendered and extendered if wet!) Felt good until Land's End, took a long, strong pull, 375-400 watts for a minute, pulled off as it went uphill, ended up at the back of the big pack, and tried to recover a bit...another brief downhill, moved up mid-pack, then up again, and worked back near the front....a stop and left turn, and someone (Craig Richey i believe - not this one) got on the front and "turns the screws" putting the hurt on.
I could bridge up, still wiped from the earlier pull..there was a small group (4) of us that chased until the airport, no dice.. Another much bigger group caught us, but it wasn't terribly cohesive, and ended up being a lot of work to stay in, with people not at all working as a group. At the Interurban sprint, i went really early, and gave several peeps a wicked lead-out.
Legs felt like lead, i attributed it to the weather - it was the first real cold ride i've done, with temps in the 3-5 Celibate range. Turns out that i'd just been really given'er! Highest TSS on an OBB ride since i got WKO+ in May. Here's the data:
Entire workout (184 watts):
Duration: 3:13:13 (3:34:22)
Work: 2124 kJ
TSS: 256.6 (intensity factor 0.896)
Norm Power: 233
VI: 1.26
Distance: 99.424 km
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 1222 184 watts
Heart Rate: 79 186 151 bpm
Cadence: 33 128 90 rpm
Speed: 0 61.1 31.0 kph
NP of 233 over 3.25hrs, and the TSS of 257 is a big jump from my previous hardest effort of just over 240. Normally they're in the 220-240 range. The cold and fenders are slowing things down a bit too, but 31kph is a pretty fast average speed..for the peak hour we were averaging just under 35kph.
Also got some new gear, needed some new shorts, and figured i'd chop two carrots with one swipe, and got full leggings. The Sugoi RS Zero Bib Tights are pretty sweet, although it's a little material-heavy over the belly which got a big sweaty, but otherwise a winner! I'd say good in temps 1-9C, or 3-12C if raining.
Sunday
Headed out to the Dump for this rainy day! Got a lift out with Laura and met up with a bunch of my favorite MTB buddies. Wanted a relatively short ride, no need to push it before next weekend, which is the Island Championships for cyclocross, CrossVega!
Jamie and Steve (left) had ridden out and already spent an hour on the trails. (They got in ~5hrs by day's end!) Matt, John, Laura and Alex rounded out the bunch. We headed out, and bee-lined it to the bottom of the new Fun Trail extension - nice work SIMBS! At the top i think we made a wrong turn as we ended up hiking up parts of Hot Cherry..but soon enough were on Dave's Line working our way up to the top.
I hadn't been on the MTB for over a month, but for some reason i was having an awesome day, no tumbles and riding most everything, sweet! Grip felt surprisingly good, i'd switched my front tire over to the WTB Weirwolf, which is a 2.55" monster, but surprisingly light at ~750g. On the rear i had the Victoria Standard, the WTB Nano Raptor (~650g). I bet OBB orders more of the Nano's than any other shop on the planet... Both are Stan'sd, and down in the 20psi range. I was sticking to everything and felt supremely confident, and had an awesome day out with these peeps. Fun doing the trails i normally do backwards, and threw in Snakes'n'Ladders we well.
Here's my power summary (yep, i have an MTB PowerTap!)
Entire workout (158 watts):
Duration: 1:05:24 (1:55:47)
Work: 619 kJ
TSS: 87 (intensity factor 0.893)
Norm Power: 232
VI: 1.47
Distance: 10.866 km
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 1003 158 watts
Cadence: 34 201 80 rpm
Speed: 3.8 37.9 10.3 kph
Fun day, looking forward to spending more time on the trails once 'cross is over!
Wednesday
Nothing too fancy here, intended to go out Tuesday, but was feeling a bit under the weather.. Kept it short, got out for an hour and a half, took the Goose out to Interurban, W. Saanich and then Prospect Lk, back in town along the Goose and the waterfront. Stayed dry!
Entire workout (207 watts):
Duration: 1:30:07 (1:32:53)
Work: 1108 kJ
TSS: 108.8 (intensity factor 0.855)
Norm Power: 222
VI: 1.08
Pw:HR: 5.47%
Pa:HR: 11.23%
Distance: 40.942 km
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 782 207 watts
Heart Rate: 78 185 162 bpm
Cadence: 27 141 94 rpm
Speed: 4 63 27.5 kph
Didn't feel too great tho - i should have been feeling really peppy with the time off, but i've got some low-level cold...nose getting running, and feeling gross when going above threshold power. Speed was slow because on the ride back in the wind picked-up BIG TIME. I was brought nearly to a standstill at 300w in a gust!!
Took today off as well, still not feeling great..will likely chill tomorrow (with some commuting thrown in), a small effort on Saturday and then:
Cross on the Rock Island Championships: CrossVega!
That's right - CrossVega - i got them to sponsor the event..haha.. It's out at Shawnigan Lake School on Sunday, racing goes from 11am until after 4pm, and i'll be starting at noon. Come on out! Details here and here.
Final race of the year on the island, double points! The course isn't really my cup of tea, i prefer much more technical, this will be a pretty fast course...but the climbs are relatively mild, so it might go alright.... Saturday will be heading up to set it up, yip!
RideCam #25
For the uninitiated, i almost always have my camera (one of them waterproof ones from Olympus) in my jersey pocket, and pull it out on occasion while out and about, my latest series is here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/davenoisy1/20091115RideCam25
Some highlights:
Jon Taylor leads one of our 'Cross Clinics.
An arbutus tree at Hartland.
Ran into Liz in a matching jersey!
A rainbow ruins an otherwise beautiful pic, Roland, Mike and i are headed to a VCX session.
Alison Sydor also lead one of our 'Cross Clinics, she had some really useful tips, and people loved it despite there being a rainfall warning that day!
So, i've got Shawnigan this weekend, and next weekend i'm planning to head over to the mainland for the final two 'cross races in the province - a BC Cup on Sat, and Provincial Championships on Sunday. I won't be a factor at all on Sunday (i have to race Elite..d'oh..) I'll try to keep from getting lapped by too many peeps..haha...
It's getting late, so i'll cut it short there. G'nite!
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=============Labels: MTB, PowerTap, ridecam, training
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 About
Me
Name:
Dave Shishkoff
aka Dave Noisy
Location:
Victoria, BC
Canada
Click for more!
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Contact me and let me know if you're a vegan cyclist with a blog!
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