Texas Hell Week - Day 4: hammer time!

Whoa. Rode today with a group of fasties on a very hilly route. Fortunately, we had no wind early in the ride, and a nice tailwind coming home, so with pacelining and sprinting up the hills we averaged 19.3 for the 80 mile ride. It wasn't a total sausage fest, as two women, including fast Katie, were riding with us. By the end we were down to six people, pretty much all ex- or current racers. The pace was just beyond my comfort zone, so an absolutely perfect ride. The ride in was especially nice, with the tailwind and some nice scenery. By the time we were rolling into town, though, all I could think about was getting home. A few more miles and I think I would have collapsed from exhaustion! But that's the best kind of training ride isn't it? :)

Not sure about the Leakey Death ride tomorrow. The smart plan would be to recover and reap the benefits of this ride. Maybe an easy spin, a nap, and the consumption of food and beer.

Bike, run, ick

Today was my first serious "brick" in preparation for the TreadMan duathlon. I figure it's like cyclocross, only sub-LT, and motivates me to keep my running fitness from the summer. Besides, I have no anaerobic capacity yet, so I might as well do something that won't get me dropped right away. One hopes. TreadMan is a 5K run, 32K bike, 5K run. So I mapped out those distances from the Depot on the LRT trail, brought my cyclocross bike and some running shoes, and hit it. Okay, nudged it. Having no clue how hard to go, I took it fairly easy, just trying to get an idea of what it would be like. First 5K was fine. Transition to bike was as easy as hopping on after a barrier. But running again after being in an aero tuck for 32K was wonky. I kind of shuffled hunched over for a while before I got my stride back, and it was a pretty slow 5K. Next time I'll bring a watch and see how pathetic it is. At least the watch will motivate me to push it more.

The Plan

So surgery is scheduled for Tuesday morning. They want to keep me overnight to have me on IV antibiotics and monitor for infection or problems. Then I'm still in a sling for three weeks, and off the bike (and yoga mat) for three months. That puts me into August. That sucks, but not as bad as eight months and healing with a crooked, shortened and deformed collarbone (if I heal at all). I don't think I'll be doing any more crits this year, probably just focusing on getting fitness and mobility back. No choice but the trainer (sigh) until I can get back on the bike. My goal will be to be able to have some fun during cyclocross season. I've gotten a lot of good advice from people, in comments, emails and personally, so thanks to everyone who's shared their experiences! I'm sure I'll get my groove back, but I'm not going to rush anything. Fortunately, I'm not paid to race! Good thing, because I wouldn't have been able to live on a bag of coffee and $7 last year!

I <3 my team

Yesterday we had an awesome turnout for our Wednesday team ride. Probably 20 people at points, from regular Cat 6ers to occasional riders to friends of riders and other teams. All abilities from 1/2/3 to newbie. We kept it real though riding easy until the hills and sprints where we kicked it up a few notches and then waited for everyone to catch up. The only true no-drop ride in town! Afterward we invaded the Town Hall for beer and burgers. It was a really good time!

Cruise intervals

On paper, this is an awesome training technique. Cruise at LT for 6-8 minutes, rest 2 minutes, repeat. Except in this suburban hell we call the Twin Cities, a 48 mile ride doesn't get you out of suburbia to be able to complete even two intervals without running into a stoplight, stop sign that's not rollable or idiot in an SUV making a left turn right into you! I'd really like to incorporate this into my training, but I just don't see how that's going to happen in reality. Portlanders and Boulderites(?), count your blessings and appreciate your urban growth boundary. Maybe I'll have to load up the bike and head out for grav rides once a week...

Hill repeats

2nd session of hill repeats this season. Seated repeats, speed up from last session, heart rate up slightly too though, one more repeat than last time. Ramsey hill was faster with lower heart rate. Progress - must be patient. Out of the saddle will come later. Read an interesting article about the important of training just below LT. I think I'll try to get some of that in tomorrow if I can get up early enough. Need to work right in the middle of the day - really messes things up - then it's beer drinking and Flanders time! I'm rooting for Hincapie - it's his turn. Botero represented Rock Racing well at Redlands - did his share of work in the break and then went on to win, putting some serious time into the competition. No drama necessary. Saw a group of unicyclists going up Ohio - awesome!

Texas Hell Week 08 - Day 5 and 6

This was to be the highlight of the week - the famous Leakey Death Ride. I'd intended to do the full 100+ mile ride, but due to road construction that route was closed. The 75 mile option was like last year, and I wanted to do that rather than stay in town and do the 100 mile option that didn't involve driving. Sascha's Birchwood friends Patti and Heather, who've never done Hell Week, came along as well. I was looking forward to riding with Patti, who's a fit rowing and speedskating powerhouse getting into cycling for cross training. We drove out to the start, couldn't find the court house again, and just headed out. Patti and I drove into the headwind for the first five miles before we turned west. She's a very strong rider, so we made good progress and were evenly matched. Watch out Minnesota women - I bet she's going to be ripping some legs off this season! We were caught by a tandem riding group after a while and sat in for a bit while avoiding a sketchy rider with aero bars and a drunken line. I inserted myself between him and Patti to try and make things safer for her, being a relatively new rider. Eventually the tandem riders stopped, and the sketchy rider hitched a ride on our train. Patti later said that he'd told her that he didn't think he was welcome with the tandem crew. We eventually dropped him on the big stand-up-or-fall-over hill (think Ramsey hill, only three times as long!). Due to my crash the day before, I didn't have my loweest gear available (the derailleur was pinging the spokes a bit), so that made it even harder! Patti was right behind me the whole time - amazing for a new rider! Speedskating really does cross over to cycling, as Connie Carpenter proved in 1984. Pics should be coming, as I gave my email address to a lady at the top taking pictures for her husband.

At the store, we found out that the B route was also under construction! The hard core group that was assembled there decided to do it anyway, but Patti and I elected to be safe and just head back the way we came. Heather rolled in not long after we'd discussed our options - she's quite the little triathlete powerhouse herself! So back we went, my hamstrings screaming after yesterday's epic ride and one trip over the nasty hills already, plus getting cold at the store. However, the NNW side wind was slightly at our backs, so the trip back was in the big ring for the most part, and Patti dropped me on the big hill! We met up again later on and rode the rest of the way back into town with a nice tailwind and paceline going - exhilarating!

Back in town we stopped at the bestest BBQ place - Busbee's BBQ in Bandera. Yum! I had a really interesting conversation with Patti about skating and rowing. Seems that they're really not that different from cycling in terms of the core training and competitive principles! Judging from when Heather rolled into the store on the way out, we were expecting her any minute, but she texted me that she'd made a wrong turn! She ended up going about 12 miles out of her way, poor girl. But that was good for 82 miles, plus the ride back was much more pleasant with the tailwind anyway. Afterward, I was beat, so today I'm taking off the bike completely, and considering a century tomorrow.

Texas Hell Week 08 - Day 3

After yesterday's ride I thought it would be best to take an easy day to recover and get ready for another two days of tough rides. Wednesday is the infamous Leakey Death Ride. Even the 60ish mile version is tough, and I'll be doing the 100 mile version. Rode 25 easy miles today, tried to keep the heart rate in the 120s. Hanging out at a coffee shop and catching up on the blogging and a little work. Took a picture of some frolicking lambs with the cell phone camera today. The little lamb on the far left next to its mother was especially cute.

Texas Hell Week 08 - Day 1

Currently in Fredericksburg, TX: Sunny and 79 (feels like 79)
Currently in Minneapolis, MN: Cloudy and 31 (feels like 26)

That pretty much sums it up. Although it's been marginally decent in Minneapolis the last few days, it's pretty much impossible for me to get a 60 mile workout in Minnesota when I'm expending my energy trying to stay warm and avoid snow, ice and sprawlsville traffic. Here about the only thing I have to avoid are sheep and cows wandering across the open range! It was a gorgeous day and I was feeling extra frisky, getting some "muscular endurance" drills in as well as 60 miles. No mechanicals, although something's up with the bottom bracket. Rode with a group of fasties for a while, among whom was Fast Katie, although I didn't recognize her until we ran into each other again on the way to the coffee shop. I've committed to making the highlight of the week the infamous "Leakey Death Ride" - a 100 mile epic with some very serious (for Texas) hills! For now I'm sticking to the "B" rides - ususally 60-70 miles. Hopefully I'll have a better base of fitness by the end of the week!

Training with a plan

Well this Friel guy might just know what he's talking about. On the slate today was "E3B" (guy uses so many acronyms it's not funny). That means two hours of "Ride on rolling course. Big chain ring. Most of ride time in heart rate zone 2-3. Seated on most hills." Finally having cadence on a computer for the first time ever, I learned something very interesting. Actually, it wasn't so much that I learned it, but backed up a well-known theory, namely, the inverse relationship between cadence and heart rate. Keeping the heart rate in zone 2-3 was tough in the big chain ring, but as soon as I realized this session was supposed to be training the legs, not the cardio system, it all made sense. As long as I kept my cadence under 80, the heart rate stayed down and my legs were doing the work, not the cardio system. If I stick to this training plan, maybe I'll suck less this year!

On the way home it started drizzling, and I was out of Gu today, so a stop at a coffee shop in St. Paul was perfect for fueling up, warming up and drying out a bit. "Rolling course" is very difficult around here, but between Ohio St., Little Italy and the MN River valley I got a few in, but focused on the intent, namely working the muscular endurance. It was so nice to have a (relatively) warm day! No fingers and toes thawing out, no crawling under the covers shivering when I get home. They say there's no such thing as bad weather, just bad gear, and that's so true. I've lost my cycling windbreaker shell, and making do without has sucked. Everything else hile either doesn't fit won the bike, doesn't breathe, is too warm, too cold, whatever. Might have to get another.

Time to clean the bike (again!).

"Form sprints" - WTF?

On the Trainingpeaks/Friel training plan today is Form Sprints: "FORM sprints. Warm-up & then do 6-8 x 8-12 second sprints. Slight downhill or with tailwind. Emphasize FORM--not power. 3-5 minute recoveries after each form sprint." What is good form in a sprint?? There's more to it than getting out of the saddle and busting a lung?

Mental fortitude

My yoga practice has really been hammering home something I've been learning on the bike as well. And that is the seemingly simple, oft-repeated fact that the greatest limiter to most athletic endeavors is the mind. I really enjoy riding my bike. What I don't so much enjoy is suffering. However, the point at which I want to quit comes way before the point at which I really must quit. The area in between is where the training happens. Last month I practiced yoga every day for the month of January along with many other people around the globe for WoYoPracMo. My asana practice grew more in a month than in the last couple of years that I've been practicing. More importantly, however, I've learned about focus and learned all about that area between wanting to quit and needing to quit, and the amazing benefits of playing in that area. It was similar to the benefits I encountered when I started climbing repeats the fall before last. Pushing beyond "this hurts" when powering up Ohio St. time after time after time resulted in measurable improvements. The theory and blah blah became reality, the pain became (relative) performance. Thus the spring training is going better this year, because I'll go out and train even when I don't want to, when riding or running is not a pleasure, because I've actually experienced that improvement begins when the comfort zone ends. This is probably nothing new to the competitive athletes reading this, but as a relative newbie to competive cycling, it's a revelation to me!

I wants!

If promises are true, this will be the first computer that does both cadence and heart rate wirelessly, without screwing up every time I ride past the airport or refinery or whatever, is sleek and small like the Strada, and costs well under two large. Too good to be true? Stay tuned.