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!
Monday, August 16, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
An Intentional Break
The last couple months, I've been struggling with my motivation a lot. Looking back over my training logs, I realized that I trained straight through from May 2009 until now. I've also been working hard mentally on my MBA since Sept 2008 and my new job since March.
In other words, I haven't had a physical and mental break in quite some time.
So, I decided to at least take a physical break for the next four weeks. To put it in periodization terms, it's Transition time. I'm done racing for the summer and I need a little break before I start training for next year. For the next four weeks, I'm only riding when it's nice out and I feel like riding. I'll ride as far as I feel like it and nothing more.
There's a big mental difference between meaning to ride and not riding and having no intention of riding and not riding.
In four weeks, I'll start training seriously for the 2011 racing season. I learned a lot this year and I'm looking forward to applying it this winter.
In other words, I haven't had a physical and mental break in quite some time.
So, I decided to at least take a physical break for the next four weeks. To put it in periodization terms, it's Transition time. I'm done racing for the summer and I need a little break before I start training for next year. For the next four weeks, I'm only riding when it's nice out and I feel like riding. I'll ride as far as I feel like it and nothing more.
There's a big mental difference between meaning to ride and not riding and having no intention of riding and not riding.
In four weeks, I'll start training seriously for the 2011 racing season. I learned a lot this year and I'm looking forward to applying it this winter.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Not One of my Better Days
I knew today was going to be rough.
I felt pretty tired all week. I skipped my morning workouts on Tuesday and Thursday because I was just too tired. I didn't feel great at the gym Tuesday night and I felt pretty bad on the ride at lunch on Thursday. Then we went to see the midnight opening of Toy Story 3 on Thursday night. Last night, I fell asleep at about 7:30.
Warming up today, I didn't feel great. I could barely hold my target 260 to 270 watts, so I knew it was not going to be a record setting day. And it wasn't.
I finished with a time of 20:33 and an average of 250 watts. The time was a little high thanks to a strong head wind on the way back, but the lower power was all me.
On the plus side, my weight this morning is 183.2 pounds, down 2.8 pounds from my peak of 186 pounds just 3 weeks ago. If I keep this up at this pace, I should be around 171 pounds by Labor Day. I'm aiming for 170, so I might have to bump up the weight loss just a little bit to make it.
I felt pretty tired all week. I skipped my morning workouts on Tuesday and Thursday because I was just too tired. I didn't feel great at the gym Tuesday night and I felt pretty bad on the ride at lunch on Thursday. Then we went to see the midnight opening of Toy Story 3 on Thursday night. Last night, I fell asleep at about 7:30.
Warming up today, I didn't feel great. I could barely hold my target 260 to 270 watts, so I knew it was not going to be a record setting day. And it wasn't.
I finished with a time of 20:33 and an average of 250 watts. The time was a little high thanks to a strong head wind on the way back, but the lower power was all me.
On the plus side, my weight this morning is 183.2 pounds, down 2.8 pounds from my peak of 186 pounds just 3 weeks ago. If I keep this up at this pace, I should be around 171 pounds by Labor Day. I'm aiming for 170, so I might have to bump up the weight loss just a little bit to make it.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Long Time Trial: Day 1
After a bunch of logistical hassles this morning, I found myself running really, really late. I only had about 2 hours to fit in a workout, so I did what any sane person would do: A 40K time trial on my CompuTrainer.
I created a course that, in hindsight, was not a great design. It was mostly between 0.5% and 1.5% grade the entire time. Since most time trials are out-and-back, that kind of climbing rarely happens. As a result, my time was a bit slower than I would expect outside. My power, though, was not so bad.
I did the TT at a medium pace, pushing it a little bit, but mostly trying to get an idea of what kind of intensity I could hold. I didn't want to totally burn out and I was not out to kill anyone. I also wanted to gradually increase my average power as the time trial went on, meaning I woudl have to start kind of easy and build it up over time.
I finished the 40K in 1:11:57, an almost embarrassing time outside, but it was the power I was more interested in. My average power was 217 watts. It's hardly ground shaking, since my threshold is over 240 watts. Still, to hold that kind of power on a trainer while watching TV, it's not bad.
I'm hoping it will be nice next weekend so I can take a shot at this outdoors!
I created a course that, in hindsight, was not a great design. It was mostly between 0.5% and 1.5% grade the entire time. Since most time trials are out-and-back, that kind of climbing rarely happens. As a result, my time was a bit slower than I would expect outside. My power, though, was not so bad.
I did the TT at a medium pace, pushing it a little bit, but mostly trying to get an idea of what kind of intensity I could hold. I didn't want to totally burn out and I was not out to kill anyone. I also wanted to gradually increase my average power as the time trial went on, meaning I woudl have to start kind of easy and build it up over time.
I finished the 40K in 1:11:57, an almost embarrassing time outside, but it was the power I was more interested in. My average power was 217 watts. It's hardly ground shaking, since my threshold is over 240 watts. Still, to hold that kind of power on a trainer while watching TV, it's not bad.
I'm hoping it will be nice next weekend so I can take a shot at this outdoors!
Saturday, June 5, 2010
TT Day
It's that time again, time for the annual Amateur Time Trial. It's almost always held the day before the Pro race in Philly and varies in name each year.
The course varies a little too. This year, it started on West River Drive, right where it splits near the Art Museum. It ran out to about 100 yards short of the end barrier. The thing about that is that it eliminates the small hills at each end that usually make it a lot easier to get back up to speed.
It was really hot and humid this morning. At my 8:46 start time, I'd guess it was 83 or so. The light winds felt good at the start, not so good once I was on the road.
The short version is that I went out WAY too hard because I was more focused on speed than power. I should have been watching my power meter, not the speed. I was aiming for 25 mph and 270 watts. By focusing on the speed, not accounting for the head winds, I was hitting 290 to 300 watts on the way out. My power tap download later showed that I went over 400 watts a few times. NOT GOOD.
I lost a few seconds in the turnaround. I've practiced left hand turnarounds more times than I can remember. This was the first right hand turnaround in my entire life. It wasn't like I crashed or anything, but I took it really easy.
I was OK for the first few miles on the way back. Around Sweet Briar (1.2 miles to go), I knew I was in trouble. My power was dropping and I was going as hard as I could. My power was down to 250 watts and my heart rate was at 173 bpm. I'm usually only at 162 bpm , so I was working a lot harder than normal.
I held on as much as I could, but I know I lost a lot of time in the last mile. I crossed the line at just 22 mph and 220 watts. I can honestly say that I went as hard as I could, I just went too hard too early.
I can't complain about the final results:
8 miles, 19:21, 24.9 mph, 256 watt average.
I also lost 1.6 pounds this week and hit all my training targets. (yeah, I didn't really taper for this event and it's a "3-week" on the training plan, so maybe I could have taken it easier this week to rest up for the race).
I'm off to a good start to hitting my goals this summer!
The course varies a little too. This year, it started on West River Drive, right where it splits near the Art Museum. It ran out to about 100 yards short of the end barrier. The thing about that is that it eliminates the small hills at each end that usually make it a lot easier to get back up to speed.
It was really hot and humid this morning. At my 8:46 start time, I'd guess it was 83 or so. The light winds felt good at the start, not so good once I was on the road.
The short version is that I went out WAY too hard because I was more focused on speed than power. I should have been watching my power meter, not the speed. I was aiming for 25 mph and 270 watts. By focusing on the speed, not accounting for the head winds, I was hitting 290 to 300 watts on the way out. My power tap download later showed that I went over 400 watts a few times. NOT GOOD.
I lost a few seconds in the turnaround. I've practiced left hand turnarounds more times than I can remember. This was the first right hand turnaround in my entire life. It wasn't like I crashed or anything, but I took it really easy.
I was OK for the first few miles on the way back. Around Sweet Briar (1.2 miles to go), I knew I was in trouble. My power was dropping and I was going as hard as I could. My power was down to 250 watts and my heart rate was at 173 bpm. I'm usually only at 162 bpm , so I was working a lot harder than normal.
I held on as much as I could, but I know I lost a lot of time in the last mile. I crossed the line at just 22 mph and 220 watts. I can honestly say that I went as hard as I could, I just went too hard too early.
I can't complain about the final results:
8 miles, 19:21, 24.9 mph, 256 watt average.
I also lost 1.6 pounds this week and hit all my training targets. (yeah, I didn't really taper for this event and it's a "3-week" on the training plan, so maybe I could have taken it easier this week to rest up for the race).
I'm off to a good start to hitting my goals this summer!
Monday, May 24, 2010
One year and counting
Yesterday marked one year since my return to cycling. OK, I guess it really marked me getting off my ass and trying to lose some weight, but cycling followed that pretty closely!
My target was to get from 198 pounds down to around 160. I made it down to 173, but then put about 10 pounds back on. I figure I need to re-dedicate myself a bit on the weight loss side. Even with the backslide, I'm still down 15 pounds from last year. If I can lose another 15 this year, I'd be thrilled.
My fitness targets were a little more vague. Using my West River Time Trial times as a gauge, last year I did one in 22:34. On Saturday, I did it in 20:16. My Maximal Latate Steady State started out at 185 watts. Now it's up to 240 watts. I'm definitely a lot fitter.
I've done a few crits. I definitely don't have the repeatable sprint that I used to have. I'm still working on that. I waffle back and forth whether I should put a higher priority on weight loss or racing speed. It's really hard to do both at the same time. Strangely, I find that my time trial workouts are probably better for weight loss than the high end crit workouts are.
My life is totally different. I'm divorced, live in a different place, traded in my car for a different one, ride a different bike, and have a different job. Looking back a year, I can barely recognize that life as being "me." I'm still getting used to all the new aspects of my life, but I think they will all be for the best in the long run.
By Labor Day 2010, I'm aiming to hit following goals:
Weight: 170 pounds
MLSS: 275 watts
West River Time Trial Time: 19:45
5 second Max Wattage: 1100 watts
My target was to get from 198 pounds down to around 160. I made it down to 173, but then put about 10 pounds back on. I figure I need to re-dedicate myself a bit on the weight loss side. Even with the backslide, I'm still down 15 pounds from last year. If I can lose another 15 this year, I'd be thrilled.
My fitness targets were a little more vague. Using my West River Time Trial times as a gauge, last year I did one in 22:34. On Saturday, I did it in 20:16. My Maximal Latate Steady State started out at 185 watts. Now it's up to 240 watts. I'm definitely a lot fitter.
I've done a few crits. I definitely don't have the repeatable sprint that I used to have. I'm still working on that. I waffle back and forth whether I should put a higher priority on weight loss or racing speed. It's really hard to do both at the same time. Strangely, I find that my time trial workouts are probably better for weight loss than the high end crit workouts are.
My life is totally different. I'm divorced, live in a different place, traded in my car for a different one, ride a different bike, and have a different job. Looking back a year, I can barely recognize that life as being "me." I'm still getting used to all the new aspects of my life, but I think they will all be for the best in the long run.
By Labor Day 2010, I'm aiming to hit following goals:
Weight: 170 pounds
MLSS: 275 watts
West River Time Trial Time: 19:45
5 second Max Wattage: 1100 watts
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Too much of a good thing
This week, I made a rookie training mistake: I did WAY too much intensity.
Last Saturday, I did the West River Time Trial
Sunday, I did the Lower Providence Crit (got dropped, but still had some serious power numbers).
Tuesday morning, field test on the Computrainer.
Tuesday at lunch, went riding with coworkers.
Tuesday night, gym.
Thursday morning, tempo workout, forgot to calibrate trainer to the resistance was WAY high.
Thursday night, Green Tree crit until it rained.
Saturday, West River Time Trial.
Did I mention that I'm working almost non-stop lately and have an hour+ commute to work each way?
When I got on the trainer this morning , I couldn't figure out why I felt like crap. I looked over my training log for the last week and it was suddenly really clear: I'm doing too much at high intensity. To make matters worse, I'm not eating right or resting in between, so my body never refuels and recovers from the effort.
I've got to say, with my frustrations at the crit last week and annoyances like this, I've seriously thought about moving my training back to "weight loss" mode for the next few months until I lost the weight I gained back and get to a decent racing weight. Between gaining weight and seeing less-than-ideal performances, I'm not so sure that trying to race and lose weight at the same time is such a good idea.
Last Saturday, I did the West River Time Trial
Sunday, I did the Lower Providence Crit (got dropped, but still had some serious power numbers).
Tuesday morning, field test on the Computrainer.
Tuesday at lunch, went riding with coworkers.
Tuesday night, gym.
Thursday morning, tempo workout, forgot to calibrate trainer to the resistance was WAY high.
Thursday night, Green Tree crit until it rained.
Saturday, West River Time Trial.
Did I mention that I'm working almost non-stop lately and have an hour+ commute to work each way?
When I got on the trainer this morning , I couldn't figure out why I felt like crap. I looked over my training log for the last week and it was suddenly really clear: I'm doing too much at high intensity. To make matters worse, I'm not eating right or resting in between, so my body never refuels and recovers from the effort.
I've got to say, with my frustrations at the crit last week and annoyances like this, I've seriously thought about moving my training back to "weight loss" mode for the next few months until I lost the weight I gained back and get to a decent racing weight. Between gaining weight and seeing less-than-ideal performances, I'm not so sure that trying to race and lose weight at the same time is such a good idea.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Like One isn't Enough
In case you haven't noticed, I have a lot of fun blogging. Now I get to do it at work, too.
My first post just went up this week. I doubt I'll mention it much here, but wanted to at least tell you all that it's out there!
My first post just went up this week. I doubt I'll mention it much here, but wanted to at least tell you all that it's out there!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Not So Bad for a Comeback Race
Today was my first pack race since April 2005. Ironically, that was the race that got me my upgrade to Cat 4. I hadn't ever raced in a pack as a Cat 4. I've done several time trials, but nothing in a group.
The Blueberry Circuit Race is 5 laps of a 6.3 mile course, for 31.5 miles of racing. It's almost completely flat and had just 4 corners (one of them pretty sharp).
All week, I've been bugging my teammates about "who wants to go in the breakaway with me?" Everyone said the same thing, "no breakaway ever succeeds in this race." I was determined to make one happen.
Luckily, my teammate Aaron started it. We were only about a mile or so into the race when he made a move. I waited for someone else to try to catch him, then jumped on his wheel. As we came out the next turn, there were six of us together.... and we had probably 50 yards on the group. We quickly formed a rotating paceline and kept the pace at 22 to 24 mph for the next 30 miles.
Back in the pack, the 20 other riders from QCW Cycling/breakawaybikes.com did everything they could to stop anyone from chasing us. They rode four across at a slow pace. They chased every breakaway attempt and messed with their rhythm. Basically, they did what good teammates did: keep the pack off us. I heard some rumblings that our pack got as much as five minutes ahead of the pack.
The six of us worked pretty smoothly together. With a mile left, we had a round of congratulations to each other for working together so well, exchanged a few pats on the back, then gunned it. I pulled alongside Aaron, tapped him to get his attention, and then took off with him on my wheel. My download showed us at 32.6 mph. Hardly a great sprint, but certainly hard to catch. I held the pace as long as I could, then moved off the front. Aaron shot past me going for the win.
About 10 feet back were three more riders. I got on their wheel, caught my breath for a second, then attacked again. Another rider countered and got in front of me. I was sure I had third when another rider flew by me and the rider in front of me to catch second.
I want to be upset about not seeing him coming and doing anything about it (I could have gotten on his wheel and caught the other guy for third), but I'm absolutely thrilled with a 4th place finish in an event of this caliber.
A few stats:
Distance: 31.5 miles
Finishing Time: 1:20:38
Avg Speed: 23.4 mph
Max Speed: 32.6 mph
Normalized Power: 256 watts
Max Power: 1057 watts
I know I was lucky to have a huge team presence this day and I was in the right place when the break happened. I didn't have any control over the team presence, but I did have control over my location in the pack.
Now I just have to live up to the results from today for the rest of the summer!
Lastly, my thoughts are with my teammates and fellow riders who crashed today, some of whom were seriously hurt.
The Blueberry Circuit Race is 5 laps of a 6.3 mile course, for 31.5 miles of racing. It's almost completely flat and had just 4 corners (one of them pretty sharp).
All week, I've been bugging my teammates about "who wants to go in the breakaway with me?" Everyone said the same thing, "no breakaway ever succeeds in this race." I was determined to make one happen.
Luckily, my teammate Aaron started it. We were only about a mile or so into the race when he made a move. I waited for someone else to try to catch him, then jumped on his wheel. As we came out the next turn, there were six of us together.... and we had probably 50 yards on the group. We quickly formed a rotating paceline and kept the pace at 22 to 24 mph for the next 30 miles.
Back in the pack, the 20 other riders from QCW Cycling/breakawaybikes.com did everything they could to stop anyone from chasing us. They rode four across at a slow pace. They chased every breakaway attempt and messed with their rhythm. Basically, they did what good teammates did: keep the pack off us. I heard some rumblings that our pack got as much as five minutes ahead of the pack.
The six of us worked pretty smoothly together. With a mile left, we had a round of congratulations to each other for working together so well, exchanged a few pats on the back, then gunned it. I pulled alongside Aaron, tapped him to get his attention, and then took off with him on my wheel. My download showed us at 32.6 mph. Hardly a great sprint, but certainly hard to catch. I held the pace as long as I could, then moved off the front. Aaron shot past me going for the win.
About 10 feet back were three more riders. I got on their wheel, caught my breath for a second, then attacked again. Another rider countered and got in front of me. I was sure I had third when another rider flew by me and the rider in front of me to catch second.
I want to be upset about not seeing him coming and doing anything about it (I could have gotten on his wheel and caught the other guy for third), but I'm absolutely thrilled with a 4th place finish in an event of this caliber.
A few stats:
Distance: 31.5 miles
Finishing Time: 1:20:38
Avg Speed: 23.4 mph
Max Speed: 32.6 mph
Normalized Power: 256 watts
Max Power: 1057 watts
I know I was lucky to have a huge team presence this day and I was in the right place when the break happened. I didn't have any control over the team presence, but I did have control over my location in the pack.
Now I just have to live up to the results from today for the rest of the summer!
Lastly, my thoughts are with my teammates and fellow riders who crashed today, some of whom were seriously hurt.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Back in the Saddle Again
This week marked a major return to outdoor cycling for me. While I've been regularly riding the trainer all winter long, both at home and in the RPM classes, I have not been outside in quite a while. I had to look it up: my last ride outdoors was in November, when I did a 45 mile team ride. It had been almost a month before that since I had ridden outside then.
So I'm a little out of practice. I really wanted to get some mileage before the race next weekend.
This week, on Wednesday and Thursday, I went on a bike ride at lunch with a few guys from my new job. There are some decent roads for cycling and we did about 15 to 20 miles on both days. It also means I have to eat fast, so I'm not going for super-high-calorie meals at a sit down restaurant either. It's nice getting out at lunch. It definitely makes it easier to work on a nice day!
Friday, I rode about 45 miles out to Valley Forge. It was really great to be out for a long ride, but I was hurting. My hands, shoulders, back, and crotch were not used to the vibrations from the road. They were somewhere between numb and sore after about 20 miles.
Saturday, I was a bit of a space cadet. For some reason I thought the West River Time Trials started this week, so I was up and on the drive at 6:30 to warm up. Only after I was there did I realize that it's not for two more weeks. Oops....
I warmed up and did a time trial anyway. It was less than idea conditions, being about 47 degrees, windy (about 18 mph winds), and foggy. Still, my average power was the best it's ever been (250 watts) and my time was not that bad (21:53, about 22.6 mph). If I can do that same power on a nicer day, it should be a really good time (I'd guess right around 20:00, 24.8 mph). By comparison, my all time best out there is 19:42. I just might be getting close!
Today I was running late and missed the VV ride. I decided instead to just do laps around the West River Drive. I did 6 of them, keeping each lap around 220 watts . The wind was pretty harsh, really making me work. I totaled about 50 miles for the day in 2:32:00.
So, in classic "Tom style", I barely ride for 6 months and then do 155 miles in 5 days and seemed to just get stronger each day.
So I'm a little out of practice. I really wanted to get some mileage before the race next weekend.
This week, on Wednesday and Thursday, I went on a bike ride at lunch with a few guys from my new job. There are some decent roads for cycling and we did about 15 to 20 miles on both days. It also means I have to eat fast, so I'm not going for super-high-calorie meals at a sit down restaurant either. It's nice getting out at lunch. It definitely makes it easier to work on a nice day!
Friday, I rode about 45 miles out to Valley Forge. It was really great to be out for a long ride, but I was hurting. My hands, shoulders, back, and crotch were not used to the vibrations from the road. They were somewhere between numb and sore after about 20 miles.
Saturday, I was a bit of a space cadet. For some reason I thought the West River Time Trials started this week, so I was up and on the drive at 6:30 to warm up. Only after I was there did I realize that it's not for two more weeks. Oops....
I warmed up and did a time trial anyway. It was less than idea conditions, being about 47 degrees, windy (about 18 mph winds), and foggy. Still, my average power was the best it's ever been (250 watts) and my time was not that bad (21:53, about 22.6 mph). If I can do that same power on a nicer day, it should be a really good time (I'd guess right around 20:00, 24.8 mph). By comparison, my all time best out there is 19:42. I just might be getting close!
Today I was running late and missed the VV ride. I decided instead to just do laps around the West River Drive. I did 6 of them, keeping each lap around 220 watts . The wind was pretty harsh, really making me work. I totaled about 50 miles for the day in 2:32:00.
So, in classic "Tom style", I barely ride for 6 months and then do 155 miles in 5 days and seemed to just get stronger each day.
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