Monday, August 16, 2010

Starting the foundation

This weekend, I did three "foundation" workouts

From Friday to Sunday, I rode 122 miles:
Friday: 22 miles, 1:10, 170 watts avg
Saturday: 62 miles, 3:30, 168 watts avg
Sunday: 38 miles, 2:10, 180 watts avg

I've been trying to keep my cadence up, too. I got average cadences of about 98 RPM for each of the three rides. My general target is an average cadence above 95 RPM and an average heart rate between 135 and 140 BPM.

These rides are not exceptionally long. I've been doing 40 to 50 miles both days of the weekend all summer long, but the difference is the intensity. I've been doing much lower power and speed, starting to build up for next year.

I have to admit, I'm a bit sore from doing this much long mileage, but I know that if I can keep it up through the winter, I'll be much better for it in the spring. I need to start the low intensity, long mileage now so I can handle the higher intensities that come later.

Of course, I'm still in the Transition phase, so I'm not aiming for real high volume or anything. We just had a few nice days in a row, so I figured I'd enjoy some easy rides!