I'm pretty buried in final assignments for this semester's MBA classes, but I need to post some good news: My lactate threshold test with Joe Wentzell at Breakaway this morning showed a 16% increase in threshold power from the test 8 weeks ago (increasing my MLSS from 185 to 215 watts). That is a HUGE improvement.
Of course, my target will be to increase by 15% again in the next 8 weeks (aiming for 250 watts by Oct 24).
While my body weight has stabilized due to traveling for work 3 out of the last 4 weeks (hovering around 182 pounds), my body fat percentage was under 20% this morning! (19.8% to be exact, and it helped to use a much higher quality body fat monitor than I have at home, which still says 23%).
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
A New Record
It's been so long since I've set a personal performance record that I've almost forgotten what it feels like. I never expected to break this record, and certainly not at age 35 (I set my old record when I was 28). I didn't wake up this morning planning on it. I didn't peak or taper for it. I just figured "Hey, I'll stop at the gym after work tonight."
I was feeling pretty good on the Stair Mill warming up, cruising from level 7 up to level 10. I only stay on for 15 minutes since I'm only on it to warm up. I hate that thing, but I think it's a decent workout and is a little more fun than being on a stationary bike.
When I got to the leg press machine, I knew it was going to be a good day. My first set, at 490 pounds, felt like it didn't have any weight on it at all. I did 15 reps of it.
I added more weight, expecting to aim high now, and bumped it up to 630. I did 12 reps without much effort. A few sets later, adding more weight each time, I was looking at 1000 pounds on the machine. That's a lot of weight: ten 45 pound plates on each side, plus a couple 25's and 10's to even it all out. I really wanted that nice big 1000 in my training log.
I was able to lift 1000 pounds for 3 reps. As soon as I locked the weight back in place, I practically bounded out of the chair. This was the time to make a decision. Do I add more weight, going for the record and making this a workout worth noting, or start to take weight off?
What the hell kind of question is that? I knew my old record was 1 rep at 1050 pounds and I was going to try to beat it.
I loaded 1055 pounds on the machine. I flipped through my iPod to find something really aggressive and motivating. I sat down in the machine, braced myself, and lifted off.
1...... 2..... I'm done. I locked the weight back in place. I had done 2 reps at 1055 pounds, a new record for me.
I did a few more sets, each with less weight than the last, focusing on moving the weight as quickly as I could to build a little speed/power in my legs. I worked my way back down to 12 reps at 540.
I should also note that I've lost 2 pounds since I weighed in on Saturday. I know it's not humanly possible to lose that much fat in 4 days, but I've got a theory. I was really sure that I was keeping an eye on my food intake the whole trip and I should not have gained weight. I should have lost a few ounces, really. I think the change in time zones and sporadic sleep made my body retain some water. As soon as I got back home and into a routine, my weight returned to "normal" and leveled out where it should have. I've been hovering right around 181.8 lbs and 24.8% body fat yesterday and today.
So, not only did I break an all time performance record, I'm also now down 15 pounds. Not bad for a random Wednesday!
I was feeling pretty good on the Stair Mill warming up, cruising from level 7 up to level 10. I only stay on for 15 minutes since I'm only on it to warm up. I hate that thing, but I think it's a decent workout and is a little more fun than being on a stationary bike.
When I got to the leg press machine, I knew it was going to be a good day. My first set, at 490 pounds, felt like it didn't have any weight on it at all. I did 15 reps of it.
I added more weight, expecting to aim high now, and bumped it up to 630. I did 12 reps without much effort. A few sets later, adding more weight each time, I was looking at 1000 pounds on the machine. That's a lot of weight: ten 45 pound plates on each side, plus a couple 25's and 10's to even it all out. I really wanted that nice big 1000 in my training log.
I was able to lift 1000 pounds for 3 reps. As soon as I locked the weight back in place, I practically bounded out of the chair. This was the time to make a decision. Do I add more weight, going for the record and making this a workout worth noting, or start to take weight off?
What the hell kind of question is that? I knew my old record was 1 rep at 1050 pounds and I was going to try to beat it.
I loaded 1055 pounds on the machine. I flipped through my iPod to find something really aggressive and motivating. I sat down in the machine, braced myself, and lifted off.
1...... 2..... I'm done. I locked the weight back in place. I had done 2 reps at 1055 pounds, a new record for me.
I did a few more sets, each with less weight than the last, focusing on moving the weight as quickly as I could to build a little speed/power in my legs. I worked my way back down to 12 reps at 540.
I should also note that I've lost 2 pounds since I weighed in on Saturday. I know it's not humanly possible to lose that much fat in 4 days, but I've got a theory. I was really sure that I was keeping an eye on my food intake the whole trip and I should not have gained weight. I should have lost a few ounces, really. I think the change in time zones and sporadic sleep made my body retain some water. As soon as I got back home and into a routine, my weight returned to "normal" and leveled out where it should have. I've been hovering right around 181.8 lbs and 24.8% body fat yesterday and today.
So, not only did I break an all time performance record, I'm also now down 15 pounds. Not bad for a random Wednesday!
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Race Day
I woke up looking at my clock in confusion. Ten out of the last twelve days, I've woken up in a hotel for work. For the last five days, I've been in the Pacific Time Zone.
Making matters worse, road construction outside my hotel in Portland kept me up the last three nights, so I slept the whole flight back. My body is pretty exhausted and has no idea what time it is.
Waking up in my own bed was a bit of a shock.
My weight was up a little this week. I'd eaten out with coworkers most nights this week and only worked out a little bit. My weight 183.2, up from 182.8 last week. It's my first setback since I started losing weight, but it's not a bad one. I didn't let it bother me. I couldn't or it would throw my whole mental game off for the race.
I dragged myself downstairs, got breakfast, packed my stuff, and just had to top off my bike tires. The pump I have just did not want to work with the valve extenders on my 808 wheels (the rim is so deep that the tire stem is completely inside it, and needs an extension). It took me 10 minutes of messing around and fighting with it to get it to work. Finally, I was off to the race!
It was about a 45 minute drive to Hammonton, NJ. I got my number, changed into my racing gear, and got in a good warmup. I pulled up to the line about 3 minutes before my start, with a good sweat going.
A time trial (or TT) is a relatively simple thing. Riders start every 30 seconds, they ride the course, and get a time. It's not like a pack race where you just have to beat the guy next to you. In a TT, you have to go as hard as possible and just hope that you went faster than everyone else. You really don't know. Anyone who you pass, you have beaten by at least 30 seconds. Anyone who passes you has beaten you by at least 30 seconds.
As I waited for my start, I noticed they were using a "held" start. In most time trials, an official holds you upright while you sit on your bike with both feet clipped in at the start line. It's been a couple years since I've done that and it was a little nerve racking waiting for my turn. I was pretty convinced that I'd fall over on the start line. Still, once that guy had a hold on my bike, something clicked in my head.
The whole world went away, and everything in my head focused on the race. It's like in the movies, where everything goes into slow motion and the focus narrows in on the task at hand.
I grabbed my brakes hard and reverse-pedaled until my left foot was in the start position, I hit the interval button on the Power Tap. I stood up with all my weight on that front foot and my brakes locked. All I saw was the road ahead. The clock beeped. 10 seconds to go.
I took a couple more deep breaths as the clock beeped out the last few seconds 5.....4....3...2..1.. I let go of my brakes and all my weight on one pedal shot me forward.
Over the first mile, I settled into a rhythm. I quickly realized there was a tail wind and that I'd have to pay attention to keep my power output high. With a tail wind, it's easy to look at your speed and think you are doing great, when you are really coasting a little. I actually started out a little too hard the first few miles and had to dial it back. I reminded myself that there would be a head wind on the way back, and I'd need to be ready for it physically and mentally.
The course was 20.25 miles. It's mostly flat with two turns and a turnaround. There are only two climbs, both of them highway overpasses. The latter overpass is pretty steep and short. I hit almost 35 mph going down it.
Throughout the race, I tried to pace myself. I knew that my leg muscles were a lot more developed than my lungs right now, and I tried to take advantage of that. I generally pushed a bigger gear at about 85 RPM. When my legs would start to burn, I'd shift to a lighter gear at 95 RPM. After a few minutes, I'd switch back. My speed and power didn't vary by much from either style, so I'd say it seemed to work.
I knew I was not going to win any prizes in the race. At least 3 or 4 people passed me before the turnaround, which is a sure sign that you're not winning. My only goal was a decent power output (I was hoping to average around 215 to 218 watts) and to do a race.
With just a few miles to go, I was struggling. The headwind was up and the course that I thought was dead flat had a very slight incline to it. My power was right where I wanted it to be, but I wanted to see some speed!
At the start, I thought it was a 19 mile race. When I passed the 19 mile marker and didn't even see the finish line, I was a little annoyed. At the 18 mile marker, I poured on all the speed I had left (which was not much). When I hit the 19 mile marker, I was really hurting. I really worked to hold on to that speed.
Finally, at 19.6 miles, I saw a 1 K to go sign. "Gee, thanks...." I thought. I gritted my teeth and tried to hang on.
I shot across the finish line at about 25 mph. My whole body ached from having so much lactic acid coursing through my body. I pedaled lightly for about 5 more miles, gradually cooling down and trying to get my body to clear out all the waste products in the muscles.
When I got back to the car, I finally looked at my data for the race:
Distance: 20.28 miles
Time: 52:38
Average Speed: 23.08 mph
Average Power: 222 watts
Since I was aiming for 215 watts, I was really happy with that number. What struck me most about it, though, was that two weeks ago I did a time trial at 224 watts that was only 8.25 miles. Granted, I'm better rested now, but to hold 2 watts lower for two and a half time the distance really surprised me.
I'm pretty sure I finished near the back of the group (maybe even last?), but I am really happy with my performance. I hit the power targets I wanted and showed a level of fitness I would never have thought possible when I got back on the bike just 12 weeks ago!
Besides.... it's all intel for doing this race next year and maybe aiming for some real results.
Making matters worse, road construction outside my hotel in Portland kept me up the last three nights, so I slept the whole flight back. My body is pretty exhausted and has no idea what time it is.
Waking up in my own bed was a bit of a shock.
My weight was up a little this week. I'd eaten out with coworkers most nights this week and only worked out a little bit. My weight 183.2, up from 182.8 last week. It's my first setback since I started losing weight, but it's not a bad one. I didn't let it bother me. I couldn't or it would throw my whole mental game off for the race.
I dragged myself downstairs, got breakfast, packed my stuff, and just had to top off my bike tires. The pump I have just did not want to work with the valve extenders on my 808 wheels (the rim is so deep that the tire stem is completely inside it, and needs an extension). It took me 10 minutes of messing around and fighting with it to get it to work. Finally, I was off to the race!
It was about a 45 minute drive to Hammonton, NJ. I got my number, changed into my racing gear, and got in a good warmup. I pulled up to the line about 3 minutes before my start, with a good sweat going.
A time trial (or TT) is a relatively simple thing. Riders start every 30 seconds, they ride the course, and get a time. It's not like a pack race where you just have to beat the guy next to you. In a TT, you have to go as hard as possible and just hope that you went faster than everyone else. You really don't know. Anyone who you pass, you have beaten by at least 30 seconds. Anyone who passes you has beaten you by at least 30 seconds.
As I waited for my start, I noticed they were using a "held" start. In most time trials, an official holds you upright while you sit on your bike with both feet clipped in at the start line. It's been a couple years since I've done that and it was a little nerve racking waiting for my turn. I was pretty convinced that I'd fall over on the start line. Still, once that guy had a hold on my bike, something clicked in my head.
The whole world went away, and everything in my head focused on the race. It's like in the movies, where everything goes into slow motion and the focus narrows in on the task at hand.
I grabbed my brakes hard and reverse-pedaled until my left foot was in the start position, I hit the interval button on the Power Tap. I stood up with all my weight on that front foot and my brakes locked. All I saw was the road ahead. The clock beeped. 10 seconds to go.
I took a couple more deep breaths as the clock beeped out the last few seconds 5.....4....3...2..1.. I let go of my brakes and all my weight on one pedal shot me forward.
Over the first mile, I settled into a rhythm. I quickly realized there was a tail wind and that I'd have to pay attention to keep my power output high. With a tail wind, it's easy to look at your speed and think you are doing great, when you are really coasting a little. I actually started out a little too hard the first few miles and had to dial it back. I reminded myself that there would be a head wind on the way back, and I'd need to be ready for it physically and mentally.
The course was 20.25 miles. It's mostly flat with two turns and a turnaround. There are only two climbs, both of them highway overpasses. The latter overpass is pretty steep and short. I hit almost 35 mph going down it.
Throughout the race, I tried to pace myself. I knew that my leg muscles were a lot more developed than my lungs right now, and I tried to take advantage of that. I generally pushed a bigger gear at about 85 RPM. When my legs would start to burn, I'd shift to a lighter gear at 95 RPM. After a few minutes, I'd switch back. My speed and power didn't vary by much from either style, so I'd say it seemed to work.
I knew I was not going to win any prizes in the race. At least 3 or 4 people passed me before the turnaround, which is a sure sign that you're not winning. My only goal was a decent power output (I was hoping to average around 215 to 218 watts) and to do a race.
With just a few miles to go, I was struggling. The headwind was up and the course that I thought was dead flat had a very slight incline to it. My power was right where I wanted it to be, but I wanted to see some speed!
At the start, I thought it was a 19 mile race. When I passed the 19 mile marker and didn't even see the finish line, I was a little annoyed. At the 18 mile marker, I poured on all the speed I had left (which was not much). When I hit the 19 mile marker, I was really hurting. I really worked to hold on to that speed.
Finally, at 19.6 miles, I saw a 1 K to go sign. "Gee, thanks...." I thought. I gritted my teeth and tried to hang on.
I shot across the finish line at about 25 mph. My whole body ached from having so much lactic acid coursing through my body. I pedaled lightly for about 5 more miles, gradually cooling down and trying to get my body to clear out all the waste products in the muscles.
When I got back to the car, I finally looked at my data for the race:
Distance: 20.28 miles
Time: 52:38
Average Speed: 23.08 mph
Average Power: 222 watts
Since I was aiming for 215 watts, I was really happy with that number. What struck me most about it, though, was that two weeks ago I did a time trial at 224 watts that was only 8.25 miles. Granted, I'm better rested now, but to hold 2 watts lower for two and a half time the distance really surprised me.
I'm pretty sure I finished near the back of the group (maybe even last?), but I am really happy with my performance. I hit the power targets I wanted and showed a level of fitness I would never have thought possible when I got back on the bike just 12 weeks ago!
Besides.... it's all intel for doing this race next year and maybe aiming for some real results.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
After the Recovery Week
Another week passed, another pound lost.
I am happy to report that after spending a week on the road for work, I have managed to lose another pound, putting me at 182.8 lbs (down 14.2 pounds since I started trying to lose weight).
It was a recovery week, so I only did two 45 minute easy workouts this week. I had to make sure I cut my food intake as well in order to balance the lower level of exercise, and it worked.
I did everything I could to relax this week. I spent a lot of time after work in the hotel reading and doing homework, usually with my feet up or while laying down. In this morning's time trial, it paid off.
One of the joys of training with a power meter is that I have a much more objective way to look at my results. With speed / time alone, all I see is the time, not whether there were massive head winds or not.
Today, we did a slightly shorter course than usual to avoid a walk-a-thon registration line that was forming for an event later in the morning. It cut the course down by about 0.2 miles or so, with my bike computer reading 8.1 miles for the total course.
On days like today, with a slightly different course and higher winds in the last mile, it's nice to be able to compare my performance against last week.
The recovery week did me a world of good.
Last week, I did the time trial with an average speed of 23.3 mph at an average heart rate of 163 BPM and an average power of 224 watts.
This week, with high winds in the last mile, I did the time trial with an average speed of 23.6 mph at an average heart rate of 170 BPM and an average power of 240 watts.
The real number of interest is the average power of 240 watts. To increase by 16 watts (about 7%), in one week is HUGE.
It's also interesting to see how much higher my heart rate was when I was well rested. That's a sure fire sign that I was pretty tired last week.
This is an image with the kind of data I get from the Power Tap, with both a summary and a chart of speed, cadence, heart rate, and power. It has a TON more data for analysis, but this is as much as I feel like describing right now :-) :
(click on the image to see it full size)
Next week, I'll be doing the 19 mile Blueberry Time Trial, so I'll be training harder early in the week then taking it easy later in the week. My biggest worry is that I'm on the road again this week and flying home from the west coast on Friday. I should be able to get a few good workouts in at the hotel gym. I'm more worried about Friday. Nothing like a 5 hour flight the day before a race!
I am happy to report that after spending a week on the road for work, I have managed to lose another pound, putting me at 182.8 lbs (down 14.2 pounds since I started trying to lose weight).
It was a recovery week, so I only did two 45 minute easy workouts this week. I had to make sure I cut my food intake as well in order to balance the lower level of exercise, and it worked.
I did everything I could to relax this week. I spent a lot of time after work in the hotel reading and doing homework, usually with my feet up or while laying down. In this morning's time trial, it paid off.
One of the joys of training with a power meter is that I have a much more objective way to look at my results. With speed / time alone, all I see is the time, not whether there were massive head winds or not.
Today, we did a slightly shorter course than usual to avoid a walk-a-thon registration line that was forming for an event later in the morning. It cut the course down by about 0.2 miles or so, with my bike computer reading 8.1 miles for the total course.
On days like today, with a slightly different course and higher winds in the last mile, it's nice to be able to compare my performance against last week.
The recovery week did me a world of good.
Last week, I did the time trial with an average speed of 23.3 mph at an average heart rate of 163 BPM and an average power of 224 watts.
This week, with high winds in the last mile, I did the time trial with an average speed of 23.6 mph at an average heart rate of 170 BPM and an average power of 240 watts.
The real number of interest is the average power of 240 watts. To increase by 16 watts (about 7%), in one week is HUGE.
It's also interesting to see how much higher my heart rate was when I was well rested. That's a sure fire sign that I was pretty tired last week.
This is an image with the kind of data I get from the Power Tap, with both a summary and a chart of speed, cadence, heart rate, and power. It has a TON more data for analysis, but this is as much as I feel like describing right now :-) :(click on the image to see it full size)
Next week, I'll be doing the 19 mile Blueberry Time Trial, so I'll be training harder early in the week then taking it easy later in the week. My biggest worry is that I'm on the road again this week and flying home from the west coast on Friday. I should be able to get a few good workouts in at the hotel gym. I'm more worried about Friday. Nothing like a 5 hour flight the day before a race!
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Results and Rest
This was a great week for results for me.
I'm down another 1.2 pounds, putting me at 183.8 pounds (down from 197.0 when I started, not to mention I've gone in two belt holes!).
In the gym, I was able to leg press 2 sets of 4 reps at 940 pounds. That's not a typo. Nine hundred and forty pounds. I've always had huge legs, ever since my speedskating days. I'm just reminding all that muscle how to work. It's hard to believe I've gone up 130 pounds in a week!
In the time trial this morning, I roared in at 21:11, down from 21:53 two weeks ago. I wish I could claim all that was fitness, but the new racing wheels (Zipp 808 with a Power Tap installed) were probably a huge help. From the Power Tap, I learned that my average power was 224 watts. It also helped me pace myself better, especially with a tail wind (when I was going too easy). I'm sure they will make quite a difference in the Blueberry Time Trial in a couple weeks.
Thanks to Joe Wentzell at Breakaway Bikes for getting the Zipps to me so fast!
After the time trial this morning, I did two more half-laps (for some reason I love doing hard efforts on the way back from the turnaround) in times of 9:53 (248 watts) and 10:05 (238 watts). I'm still a long way from my personal records, but I'm very happy with the speed I'm seeing.
I'd like to get my full-lap time down below 20:40 and my half-lap time down to 9:40 before the end of the year. With 5 weeks to go before the end of the season, I just might make it.
This week coming up will be a recovery week. I'll be in Cincinnati for work and I'm just aiming for easy, low-end aerobic workouts this week, probably no longer than 30 minutes and maybe one light weight workout. My body needs a break!
My training for the next month will be kind of funky. I need this recovery week, then I'm in Portland, OR for work the week after. I can't train too hard since the time trial is at the end of the week. I'll spend 6 hours on a plane then have to do a TT the next day. I'll have to spin a little on the trainer when I get home to work out the kinks.
After that, I have two weeks before my next blood lactate test at Breakaway Bikes, so I'll have about 10 days to train before I need to start resting up for that. I'm setting my weight loss goals a little lower this month, only aiming for 4 pounds instead of 5, which should put me at 179.8 pounds just in time for the next threshold test. That will put me back down to the weight I was in for most of Summer and Fall of 2007 and set me up for the last ~20 pounds to go to reach my ultimate goal of "below 160".
I'm down another 1.2 pounds, putting me at 183.8 pounds (down from 197.0 when I started, not to mention I've gone in two belt holes!).
In the gym, I was able to leg press 2 sets of 4 reps at 940 pounds. That's not a typo. Nine hundred and forty pounds. I've always had huge legs, ever since my speedskating days. I'm just reminding all that muscle how to work. It's hard to believe I've gone up 130 pounds in a week!
In the time trial this morning, I roared in at 21:11, down from 21:53 two weeks ago. I wish I could claim all that was fitness, but the new racing wheels (Zipp 808 with a Power Tap installed) were probably a huge help. From the Power Tap, I learned that my average power was 224 watts. It also helped me pace myself better, especially with a tail wind (when I was going too easy). I'm sure they will make quite a difference in the Blueberry Time Trial in a couple weeks.
Thanks to Joe Wentzell at Breakaway Bikes for getting the Zipps to me so fast!
After the time trial this morning, I did two more half-laps (for some reason I love doing hard efforts on the way back from the turnaround) in times of 9:53 (248 watts) and 10:05 (238 watts). I'm still a long way from my personal records, but I'm very happy with the speed I'm seeing.
I'd like to get my full-lap time down below 20:40 and my half-lap time down to 9:40 before the end of the year. With 5 weeks to go before the end of the season, I just might make it.
This week coming up will be a recovery week. I'll be in Cincinnati for work and I'm just aiming for easy, low-end aerobic workouts this week, probably no longer than 30 minutes and maybe one light weight workout. My body needs a break!
My training for the next month will be kind of funky. I need this recovery week, then I'm in Portland, OR for work the week after. I can't train too hard since the time trial is at the end of the week. I'll spend 6 hours on a plane then have to do a TT the next day. I'll have to spin a little on the trainer when I get home to work out the kinks.
After that, I have two weeks before my next blood lactate test at Breakaway Bikes, so I'll have about 10 days to train before I need to start resting up for that. I'm setting my weight loss goals a little lower this month, only aiming for 4 pounds instead of 5, which should put me at 179.8 pounds just in time for the next threshold test. That will put me back down to the weight I was in for most of Summer and Fall of 2007 and set me up for the last ~20 pounds to go to reach my ultimate goal of "below 160".
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