Over the last twelve years, the ride from the Philly Art Museum to Betzwood Park has been a staple in riding. It's about 42 miles round trip, with a flat 4-mile section on West River Drive, a 5-mile hilly section through Manayunk, and then a 12-mile flat section on the Betzwood trail.
My first exposure to the course was when I was still skating. Small groups of 3 to 6 skaters would head out together. The downhills on the return were especially difficult, since racing skates do not have brakes. My biggest memory of that course was the day we did it as part of a skating century. Two laps from the Museum to Betzwood and two laps of West River for a total of 100 miles on skates. Ah, the good old days....
As a cyclist, that course is much easier. The hills through Manayunk, either up or down, are not that bad. They just give you a little more to work on during an otherwise flat course.
Yesterday, since I now live so close to Betzwood Park, I rode the course in reverse. It's a lot different!
The differences were more psychological. The long flat section on the Betzwood trail is now the beginning and end, not the middle. West River Drive is no longer the "almost home sprint." It's the turnaround section. It was weird seeing the Museum and thinking "just 21 miles to go!" not "I'm done!"
Most of all, I never realized how hard the hills in Manayunk could be. When you are only 6 miles out, they are not so bad. When you have 27 miles in your legs, it's another story. The little zig-zag hill going from Main Street up to Umbria is a lot harder.
It wasn't all that bad, though. On the way back, I didn't stop at home. I kept going out to Phoenixville, for a total of 52 miles in about 2 hours and fifty minutes. It was a fun ride that I'm sure I'll repeat in the future.
I was just happy that I felt better. I'd been fighting some kind of stomach thing the last few days and I didn't have any problems at all today.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Sunday, October 17, 2010
A City Smurf goes to the Country
Saturday I did the suburban QCW ride that left from Betzwood park and went about 60 miles. Let me tell you, it's a lot different starting in Center City Philly and going 60 miles than starting near Valley Forge and going 60 miles.
First of all, there's a lot more country roads. Within about 15 minutes, we were passing stables and cow pastures.
Next, it gets real hilly real quick. I'm not much of a climber, especially since I'm still carrying a few extra points. I really struggled to keep up with the other four guys a few times. I figure that's a good thing, since now I'll work to keep up with them.
We had a few notable experiences. One was the seemingly endless, straight climb that we took at about 8 mph. It was only about a 6 minute climb or so, but felt like forever.
The other was going across the closed bridge around Evansburg State Park. We went a little off-road and were handing our bikes over the railing to each other. Talk about team building!
It was a really great ride and I'm looking forward to doing them through the winter. I do kinda miss that last 4-mile burn coming in West River Drive though...
First of all, there's a lot more country roads. Within about 15 minutes, we were passing stables and cow pastures.
Next, it gets real hilly real quick. I'm not much of a climber, especially since I'm still carrying a few extra points. I really struggled to keep up with the other four guys a few times. I figure that's a good thing, since now I'll work to keep up with them.
We had a few notable experiences. One was the seemingly endless, straight climb that we took at about 8 mph. It was only about a 6 minute climb or so, but felt like forever.
The other was going across the closed bridge around Evansburg State Park. We went a little off-road and were handing our bikes over the railing to each other. Talk about team building!
It was a really great ride and I'm looking forward to doing them through the winter. I do kinda miss that last 4-mile burn coming in West River Drive though...
Sunday, October 3, 2010
A bit cooler
Today was the first time I've ridden below 50 degrees in quite a while. When I went out for my morning ride at 8AM, it was 48 degrees.
I was a little overdressed, with a long sleeve jersey (which is fleece lined) and tights over my normal cycling shorts. I could tell I was overdressed and could feel the extra heat the whole time. Combined with the cooler air, my heart rate was running high the whole ride.
It felt good to do a foundation ride. My average power for the day was a mere 156 watts (a out 16.7 mph average), doing 37 miles in 2 hours and 12 minutes.
It felt good to get out on a sunny day and do an easy ride like that. Over the course of the winter, this ride will grow to be 4 hours long.
The down side: in the last month I've only lost a half pound. I'm hoping now that I live right next to the trail and I am settled into the new apartment, I can devote more time to training,
I was a little overdressed, with a long sleeve jersey (which is fleece lined) and tights over my normal cycling shorts. I could tell I was overdressed and could feel the extra heat the whole time. Combined with the cooler air, my heart rate was running high the whole ride.
It felt good to do a foundation ride. My average power for the day was a mere 156 watts (a out 16.7 mph average), doing 37 miles in 2 hours and 12 minutes.
It felt good to get out on a sunny day and do an easy ride like that. Over the course of the winter, this ride will grow to be 4 hours long.
The down side: in the last month I've only lost a half pound. I'm hoping now that I live right next to the trail and I am settled into the new apartment, I can devote more time to training,
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Here we go again
Early Spring 2009, I was just shy of 200 pounds and 28% body fat. I had a great summer, dropping to 173 pounds and 19% body fat. In just a few months I went from couch potato to holding my own on the bike.
Then I got divorced, took a new job, and hit the difficult final semesters of my MBA. I focused a lot on training for performance, but stopped watching what I was eating. I was still reasonably fast on the bike, but I went back up to 189 pounds and 23% body fat.
Over the last month, I've finished up my MBA, spent some easy time pedaling on the bike to relax a bit, and started planning for the next season. I've also managed to drop a couple pounds.
I want to get back into the mid-160's, with a body fat around 15%. My training plan is aimed at weight loss for the next six months as I build an aerobic foundation for the 2011 racing season. I've got my eye on a few races (some criteriums and some time trials) that coincide well with when I will hit peak fitness based on the training plan. I did a two-peak season, so I will have a cluster of races in the spring and another in the late summer.
Today, I'm at 186 pounds. I want to be at 174 (19% fat) by January 1 and at 165 (15% fat) by April 1. I realize those goals are not difficult, just about 3 pounds a month. If I can do better, then I will!
I know that all I need to do is watch my diet, keep the training volume up, and stay involved here and I should be able to drop the weight without much problem.
Then I got divorced, took a new job, and hit the difficult final semesters of my MBA. I focused a lot on training for performance, but stopped watching what I was eating. I was still reasonably fast on the bike, but I went back up to 189 pounds and 23% body fat.
Over the last month, I've finished up my MBA, spent some easy time pedaling on the bike to relax a bit, and started planning for the next season. I've also managed to drop a couple pounds.
I want to get back into the mid-160's, with a body fat around 15%. My training plan is aimed at weight loss for the next six months as I build an aerobic foundation for the 2011 racing season. I've got my eye on a few races (some criteriums and some time trials) that coincide well with when I will hit peak fitness based on the training plan. I did a two-peak season, so I will have a cluster of races in the spring and another in the late summer.
Today, I'm at 186 pounds. I want to be at 174 (19% fat) by January 1 and at 165 (15% fat) by April 1. I realize those goals are not difficult, just about 3 pounds a month. If I can do better, then I will!
I know that all I need to do is watch my diet, keep the training volume up, and stay involved here and I should be able to drop the weight without much problem.
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!
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 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
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