Winter Fades - Spring Blooms!

Hello sports fans!

I'm happy to find that the winter appears behind us, and spring is doing its thing...it's been drier and warmer, and i can deal with that! Just for fun, i've updated the heading image on the Velodrome Association website:



That was from Jan 15th...

So, what's been going on.. Well, i'm done my MuscleTension/hill repeat sessions! Looking back, since Oct i figure i've spent something like 15-20hrs of MT riding...imagine doing 15-20hrs of leg presses in three months..haha.. Anyway, it seems that this did the job, and i've got a fair bit more mass on my legs, and i feel pretty strong.

Next step is to develop this muscle to be a little more useful on the bike, so i'll be doing CTS Tempo intervals for the next three weeks.. This involves holding about 250 watts at around 70-75rpm for 50+ minutes. Not the most 'fun' type of interval, but produces very good results!

This is actually what i did today - i decided to head out to the track and do it there, and i was pretty happy with the results! It was pretty sunny (tho half the track is still 'protected' from the sun by the trees), but i did the full 50mins. Every 10min i switched from the tops to the drops, and it was interesting to note that i'd gain 1-2kph being in the drops, despite the effort being the same (ie, holding ~250w). On Thursday i'll clamp on my aerobars, and i'll compare this position as well!

Speaking of watts, i gotta say, my PowerTap has been the coolest thing i've gotten....ever!! It's amazing to use for training - so much more useful than training with HR. I'm getting much more consistant workouts, i'm avoiding pushing myself too hard, and i'm getting *amazing* feedback from my rides. As mentioned previously, it records not only the watts, but heart rate, cadence, speed and more! And it's all downloaded to the computer, making keeping logs so much easier...

This thing is really the bomb.

I've also gotten most of my 2007 Campy Chorus parts for my road frame! It's all pretty spiffy looking...here it is laid out on my desk:

And some of it on the frame:

I'm still waiting for the cranks and BB to arrive..there's a delay on these parts, hopefully any day now tho!

I've also found some bar tape that matches my kit:

Now to figure out where to use it...

Final piece of new gear is my Specialize Toupe saddle. Damn this thing is COMFY!!

As mentioned above, i did a 50min Tempo interval today, and normally my butt would be screaming around 25mins, but i had NO issues. I like that...now i need to get one for my track bike..heh..

My friend Tanya was visiting from Ottawa for another of my Vegan Cycling destination trips (that makes three people now! Irene, Fredrik and now Tanya!)

Here she is trying out the track:

We also went offroad a couple times, which was a nice change! Last Sat, we also went with her friend Jen, who basically took us on the route we did a few days before, but backwards - pretty funny! A little less climbing (well, so it seemed!), and going up the switchbacks isn't quite as fun as going down, but she took us on a trail that i'd never seen before - 'Who's Yer Daddy' - and oh my fracking gawd, this was a FANTASTIC trail!! 15 mins of downhill technical singletrack. Definitely my new favorite trail there!!

I also got to ride her wicked Santa Cruz something-or-another full suspension rig (don't forget i ride a totally rigid MTB) for the final trail section, and that thing was such a dream to ride!! It's designed to be a 'climber', and you could tell..it was *so* grippy on the climbs...i felt like i could ride up anything!

The other amazing thing was how you didn't have to get out of your saddle when you hit a bump! I'd spend the previous two hours constantly lifting out of my saddle every time there was a bump on the trail...this thing makes that almost unnecessary. What a great way to save energy!!! I was faster almost immediately as well...i can totally see why people ride these things. Now i want one too...haha..

The visit with Tanya was really nice, she made me lots of tasty food in exchange for my lackluster hospitality, and is a strong rider, clearing several trails sections that i didn't - very impressive! However, not nearly as impressive as the amazing chocolate cake she made me for my birthday!

Yummy yummy!!!! Thanks Tanya!!

Final note of interest is that the OrganicAthlete Victoria chapter is nearly completed! We've got a BoD (thanks Tashie and Andy!), and just need to complete some forms. If you're in the Victoria area, and want to join the club, please let me know! We're accepting people from all areas, not just cycling! Tasha and Andy are both triathletes, for example.

Below is our display from the Victoria Health Show:

Also - check out the latest issue of The Victoria Vegan: www.TheVictoriaVegan.com

Spring has sprung - so get out there!!