Bike Racing In The Real World

Rest Time!!!

2008-05-13T11:21:00.003-05:00

I figured I would start my mid season rest a bit early this year.

http://picasaweb.google.com/Pestalozzi/BrokenShoulder

Build1 Week1 Day1

2008-02-25T17:44:00.002-06:00

So now that my secret Froze Toes training is over I can finally start posting again. This is the first week of the Build cycle. I think we'll start with a rest day...

My Froze Toes experience was less than stellar. I got a front flat somewhere around 15 minutes into the race. Simply splendid. No matter how much training time you put in there is no way to prepare for that long wait for the wheel truck to pull up. They seemed nice enough and it is hard to be mad at volunteers that set aside their whole day to provide wheel service. Changed out my wheel knowing full well that I was way behind and was ready for the hard effort back to the group. I was planning on tucking in behind their truck so I could get a little help back to the group. Unfortunately that was not to be. Once they got their truck started they sped off down the road. Oh well. I chased for the rest of the lap. At one point right before the long head wind section I could see the group not that far ahead. That didn't last long cause by the time I got to the service road that parallels the highway there was no sign of them. I still managed to finish my lap before any other groups on the road if that is any consolation. Next year I will be using some super thick training tires. SUCK!!! Oh, Karl Stover got 6th so the day was not a complete loss. He came flying through the finish like a man on a mission. Great job Karl.

Base2 Week3 Day7

2008-01-20T23:23:00.000-06:00

Planned - 3:30 E2
So, I remembered to change the battery in my HR strap about an hour into my ride. Oh well, maybe next time.

Entire workout (220 watts):
Duration: 3:30:10
Work: 2779 kJ
TSS: 169.6 (intensity factor 0.696)
Norm Power: 223
VI: 1.01
Distance: 66.715 mi

Base2 Week3 Day6

2008-01-19T14:38:00.000-06:00

Planned - 4:00 E2
Looks like my HR strap needs a new battery so not much data there...

Entire workout (226 watts):
Duration: 4:00:06
Work: 3250 kJ
TSS: 203.1 (intensity factor 0.712)
Norm Power: 228
VI: 1.01
Distance: 77.1 mi

Base2 Week3 Day5

2008-01-18T20:50:00.000-06:00

Planned - 1:30 S1/S2 8 x 1 minute spin-ups @ 5 minutes
This workout turned out to be a nice and well needed rest.

Entire workout (198 watts):
Duration: 1:30:05
Work: 1069 kJ
TSS: 62.8 (intensity factor 0.647)
Norm Power: 207
VI: 1.05
Distance: 27.243 mi
HR AV: 130

Base2 Week3 Day4

2008-01-17T20:47:00.000-06:00

Planned - 3:00 E2

Entire workout (223 watts):
Duration: 3:00:10
Work: 2409 kJ
TSS: 148.5 (intensity factor 0.703)
Norm Power: 225
VI: 1.01
Distance: 57.251 mi
HR AV: 135

Base2 Week3 Day3

2008-01-16T10:17:00.000-06:00

Planned - 3:00 E2
I for one felt like a piece of dog poop during this morning's ride. I thought I was in for a treat because I finally got a working copy of the Bourne Ultimatum. Not the best movie that is for sure. It didn't keep my attention at all. The story was bland but at least now there is some closure to that series, or is there...

Entire workout (225 watts):
Duration: 3:00:08
Work: 2429 kJ
TSS: 150.2 (intensity factor 0.707 )
Norm Power: 226
VI: 1.01
Distance: 56.544 mi
HR AV: 146

Base2 Week3 Day2

2008-01-15T21:47:00.000-06:00

Planned - 2:00 w/ 80 minutes of M1 @ 255-280 Watts
That made me tired. The last 15 minutes was the worst. I had a feeling it was gonna be hard based on my warm-up. Thank goodness next week is a rest week as I appear to really need one. Enough about that. In a previous post I talked about the pointlessness of listing mileage and speed for trainer workouts because of differences in resistance. Today I found that you may be able to use this to your advantage at times. If you are doing interval workouts and find that your cadence is a bit too high for the power level you are shooting for and if you shift to a harder gear your cadence is then too low, a simple adjustment to tighten the roller to your back wheel can add enough extra resistance to lower your cadence and still hit that same power goal. Now you don't want to crank that all the way down for obvious reasons but on my trainer it seems that a half turn can change my cadence by about 5 RPMs. While this does not seem like a lot, if you are spinning at ~101 RPMs to achieve your power goal this could be quite helpful to get you back to the 94-96 RPM range where I for one am more comfortable at for long durations.

Entire workout (251 watts):
Duration: 2:05:07
Work: 1883 kJ
TSS: 139.1 (intensity factor 0.817)
Norm Power: 261
VI: 1.04
Distance: 41.685 mi
HR AV: 162

80 Minutes M1:
Duration: 1:20:17
Work: 1335 kJ
TSS: 100.6 (intensity factor 0.867)
Norm Power: 278
VI: 1
Distance: 28.099 mi
HR AV: 170

Base2 Week3 Day1

2008-01-14T21:11:00.000-06:00

This is the second longest week of the season at 17 hours. Same workouts on the same days as last week just two more hours. I think I'll start with a rest day. All this talk about training is making me tired.

Base2 Week2 Day7

2008-01-13T21:03:00.000-06:00

Planned - 3:00 E2
Another day on the trainer... The only excuse I have for the low heart rate is that I rode kinda late in the day. Well, evening. I didn't start till 8pm. SUCK!

Entire workout (221 watts):
Duration: 3:00:08
Work: 2384 kJ
TSS: 145.4 (intensity factor 0.696)
Norm Power: 223
VI: 1.01
Distance: 57.042 mi
HR AV: 136

Base2 Week2 Day6

2008-01-12T20:52:00.000-06:00

Planned - 4:00 E2
Yeah, the weather was pretty good. Sun was out. A bit chilly though but still nice. I was on my trainer. Having kids, a lot or a little makes training difficult. With proper planning you can still get it done. Maybe not the way or in the places you would like, but still doable.

Entire workout (225 watts):
Duration: 4:00:14
Work: 3249 kJ
TSS: 202.4 (intensity factor 0.711)
Norm Power: 228
VI: 1.01
Distance: 77.22 mi
HR AV: 150

Base2 Week2 Day5

2008-01-11T20:47:00.000-06:00

Planned - 1:00 S1/S2 8 x 1 minute spin-ups @ 5 minutes
So this is usually a rest day with some sprints. Today I was tired so only did some light spin-ups.

Entire workout (187 watts):
Duration: 1:00:14
Work: 675 kJ
TSS: 35.3 (intensity factor 0.593)
Norm Power: 190
VI: 1.02
Distance: 17.589 m
HR AV: 125

Base2 Week2 Day4

2008-01-10T20:44:00.000-06:00

Planned - 2:30 E2

Entire workout (219 watts):
Duration: 2:30:17
Work: 1974 kJ
TSS: 119.1 (intensity factor 0.69)
Norm Power: 221
VI: 1.01
Distance: 47.632 mi
HR AV: 144

Base2 Week2 Day3

2008-01-09T20:41:00.000-06:00

Planned - 3:00 E2

Entire workout (227 watts):
Duration: 3:00:13
Work: 2455 kJ
TSS: 154.1 (intensity factor 0.716)
Norm Power: 229
VI: 1.01
Distance: 57.722 mi
HR AV: 149

Base2 Week2 Day2

2008-01-08T20:31:00.000-06:00

Yeah day 2. Everyone knows the first day of training is the rest day... The goal was 1:30 with a 70 minute M1 effort (tempo @ 255-280 watts). With warm up and cool down there is no way to only ride 90 minutes with 70 of it tempo so this is what I got.

Entire workout (257 watts):
Duration: 1:50:20
Work: 1700 kJ
TSS: 126.1 (intensity factor 0.828)
Norm Power: 265
VI: 1.03
Distance: 36.944 mi
HR AV: 164

70 Minutes M1:
Duration: 1:10:01
Work: 1175 kJ
TSS: 89.3 (intensity factor 0.875)
Norm Power: 280
VI: 1
Distance: 24.486 mi
HR AV: 170

LAZY

2008-01-07T11:03:00.000-06:00

Ha, not about riding. I thought that by making it so all I had to do was copy and paste my workouts from Cycling Peaks or Training Peaks or what ever it is even called would make it easier to post them. Well, easier yes I suppose but you still have to do it. I have been training though. Today is the first day of Base2 Week2. Lots of training left to do. This past weekend was sweet. Favorable temps for January, damp dirty roads, and a bunch of good riding. Got in 4 hours on Saturday and went up Franks Road for the first time. Definitely need a 25 if you plan on doing it at the end of a long hilly ride. Otherwise you'll be churning pretty hard during the steep section. Got in another ~3:45 Sunday doing more climbing. I was out with Austin both days as well as a few add on companions. WINDY WINDY WINDY. Looks like the temps are gonna drop again but if they stay near 40 with no rain we should have another good weekend of riding.

11/27/07 Trainer

2007-11-27T22:38:00.000-06:00

Entire workout (216 watts):
Duration: 1:00:15
Work: 780 kJ
TSS: 46.8 (intensity factor 0.683)
Norm Power: 218
VI: 1.01
Distance: 18.98 mi
HR AV: 146
Trainer

11/25/07 Trainer

2007-11-25T22:25:00.000-06:00

I don't mind cold, but cannot tolerate rain/drizzle and cold. So I canceled on Austin again.

Entire workout (211 watts):
Duration: 1:30:07
Work: 1141 kJ
TSS: 66.3 (intensity factor 0.664)
Norm Power: 213
VI: 1.01
Distance: 28.498 mi
HR AV: 149 bpm
Trainer

ZERO

2007-11-24T14:35:00.000-06:00

I suck, but have also been riding every day since Monday so maybe not so bad. Still I should of ridden for an hour instead of sleeping all day...

2007-11-23T14:34:00.000-06:00

Entire workout (217 watts):
Duration: 1:00:12
Work: 785 kJ
TSS: 47.4 (intensity factor 0.688)
Norm Power: 220
VI: 1.01
Distance: 19.102 mi
HR AV: 154 bpm
Trainer

Turkey For Me

2007-11-22T14:28:00.000-06:00

So I put in a whopping extra 30 minutes today. Nice ha. That will make all the difference... Just kidding of course. There is still another whole "Prep" week before training actually starts. Right now I'm practicing my training consistency and not really focused on ride time.

Entire workout (221 watts):
Duration: 1:30:05
Work: 1196 kJ
TSS: 73.6 (intensity factor 0.701)
Norm Power: 224
VI: 1.01
Distance: 28.957 mi
HR AV: 154 bpm
Trainer

2007-11-21T14:27:00.000-06:00

Entire workout (211 watts):
Duration: 1:00:09
Work: 761 kJ
TSS: 44.5 (intensity factor 0.666)
Norm Power: 213
VI: 1.01
Distance: 18.911 mi
HR AV: 149 bpm
Trainer

2007-11-20T14:25:00.000-06:00

Entire workout (216 watts):
Duration: 1:00:11
Work: 779 kJ
TSS: 46.6 (intensity factor 0.682)
Norm Power: 218
VI: 1.01
Distance: 19.032 mi
HR AV: 147 bpm
Trainer

Baby

2007-11-19T14:20:00.000-06:00

So, I was suppose to get in 2 hours yesterday, but as you can see that did not happen. I decided to break my tradition of Lazy Monday and put in an easy hour.

Entire workout (203 watts):
Duration: 1:00:09
Work: 734 kJ
TSS: 41 (intensity factor 0.639)
Norm Power: 205
VI: 1.01
Distance: 18.64 mi
HR AV: 140 bpm
Trainer

oops

2007-11-17T14:14:00.000-06:00

So, I missed Friday. No big surprise though. I woke up late, missed my chance to ride int he morning and attended one of the "mandatory" happy hours and stayed a tad too long...

Entire workout (214 watts):
Duration: 2:00:02
Work: 1542 kJ
TSS: 91.5 (intensity factor 0.676)
Norm Power: 216
VI: 1.01
Distance: 38.164 mi
HR Av: 162 bpm
Trainer

Trainer

2007-11-15T23:02:00.000-06:00

Entire workout (216 watts):
Duration: 1:00:19
Work: 783 kJ
TSS: 47.5 (intensity factor 0.688)
Norm Power: 220
VI: 1.02
Distance: 19.188 mi
HR Av: 147 bpm
Trainer

Week 2 - Day 2

2007-11-14T20:29:00.000-06:00

Riding
1:00 E2
19.27 miles
218 AV Watts
149AV HR
E 793
Trainer

Week 2 - Day 1

2007-11-13T22:56:00.001-06:00

So I finished last week without missing a workout. Lets see if I can do it two weeks in a row...

Riding
1:00 E2
19.05 miles
218 AV Watts
152 AV HR
E 789
Trainer

Destroying Keaton

2007-11-11T19:47:00.000-06:00

Well, destroying the kid was by far not the goal, but it happens. He was so quiet the whole time so I had no idea. I think the only words I heard him say were at the end when he told us we could ride on ahead without him. Silly boy. We don't drop people this time of year. So, It was Austin, Keaton and myself out today. It was windy. Crazy windy. I thought yesterday was windy. Today was worse. We still had a good time though, or I did. Hopefully Keaton rests up this week so he can come back out with us next weekend.

Riding
2:43 E2
48.7 miles
149 AV HR
OUTSIDE

Taking it to the streets

2007-11-10T15:07:00.000-06:00

You don't know me but I'm your brother
I was raised here in this living hell
You don't know my kind in your world
Fairly soon the time will tell
You, telling me the things you're gonna do for me
I ain't blind and I don't like what I think I see

Michael McDonald hit the nail right on the head with this one. Unfortunately for you folks with nothing better to do than read this there won't be any deep hippie talk about change and standing up for your rights. I only reference it because I finally rode outside today. I was out with Andy H and on our way back we saw what looked to be Austin and his boyfriend Martin as well as a group of Big Sharkers with Sven.

Riding
2:13 E2
42.6 miles
157 AV HR
OUTSIDE

That Makes 4

2007-11-09T14:53:00.000-06:00

Riding
1:00 E2
19.06 miles
217 AV Watts
159 AV HR
E 784
Trainer

Three Days In A Row

2007-11-08T22:23:00.000-06:00

Yeah, so three days in a row. Ha. Next season I'll be back in blue and white. The orange and blue team just didn't quite work out for me. Back to the big DW.

Riding
1:30 E2
29.04 miles
226 AV Watts
159 AV HR
E 1221
Trainer

Sleepy

2007-11-07T17:10:00.000-06:00

To stay on track I must train in the morning. I know these are only 1 hour days but still. By the time I get home, eat dinner, play with the kids, put the kids to bed I am usually ready to veg out on the couch and talk myself into not exercising. Gotta get it done first thing.

Riding
1:00 E2
18.99 miles
216 AV Watts
155 AV HR
E 786
Trainer

New Week

2007-11-06T17:07:00.000-06:00

So, the goal this week is to get back in the groove of working out six days a week. I tried last week with the whole November 1st thing thinking that I could finish the week from there. That lasted one day. Yeah the first day then it was over by Friday...

Riding
1:00 E2
19.07 miles
216 AV Watts
154 AV HR
E 784
Trainer

And Again

2007-11-04T17:05:00.000-06:00

Riding
2:00 E2
37.39 miles
208 AV Watts
157 AV HR
E 1500
Trainer

And Again

2007-11-03T17:04:00.000-05:00

Riding
2:00 E2
37.56 miles
212 AV Watts
160 AV HR
E 1531
Trainer

Riding Again

2007-11-01T16:56:00.000-05:00

Riding
1:00 E2
18.3 miles
202 AV Watts
154 AV HR
E 729
Trainer

Ride

2007-10-27T16:53:00.000-05:00

Riding
1:00 E2
18.09 miles
195 AV Watts
151 AV HR
E 705
Trainer

Ride Outside?

2007-10-21T20:20:00.000-05:00

So, when the weather gets crappy I am gonna regret all this trainer time. Why do I even keep track of the mileage for these rides? I don't go anywhere. It is kind of a good thing I opted out of the group ride today though. Story has it there was a wreck and a soon to be new member took the brunt of it. Tim Adale got messed up pretty good from the face plant and will probably be in the hospital for quite a while.

Riding
2:00 E2
37.95 miles
213 AV Watts
141 AV HR
E 1544
Trainer

Soccer?

2007-10-20T19:41:00.000-05:00

So, I can't wait till soccer season is over. It is getting to be that time of the year when it gets cold and the kids stop having fun. Emily almost scored a goal today which is HUGE considering she plays with just about all boys.

Riding
2:00 E2
37.68 miles
205 AV Watts
154 AV HR
E 1490
Trainer

Lazy

2007-10-19T23:23:00.000-05:00

Hard to ride when you are asleep...

Run Part Deux

2007-10-18T23:13:00.000-05:00

Running sucks and I suck at it.

5.5 miles
~50 minutes

Ride

2007-10-17T19:10:00.000-05:00

EZ trainer ride. Blah Blah Blah....

Riding
1:00 E2
18.57 miles
201 AV Watts
158 AV HR
E 727
Trainer

Run Day and a Roll in the Hay

2007-10-16T23:50:00.000-05:00

I suck at running but managed to get in 7.5 miles in a little under an hour. There is a middle school track on my route that I used to get in the extra 2 miles. So, I get up to the track and notice two cars parked on the upper lot by the playground. Kinda odd since it is such a remote lot and it was 10pm. Going down the back stretch I see what looks to be a big white blob not too far from the track. The closer I get I notice it is a white colored blanket covering something up. I personally barely tolerate the dark and jump when I hear the slightest out of place sound when I'm running at night. So, I'm think'n here is a dead body wrapped up in the grass just lay'n there for me to find. Always think the worst. That way you are never disappointed... I get about 10 or 15 feet away and I hear this awkward sound from a girl and realize it isn't a bundle of dead bodies after all just two teens shack'n up in the grass. I run by trying my best to ignore the goings on. The next time around I see the guy sitting up with his hands on his head and he says "Oh, man..." as I pass by. All embarrassed like. After my fourth time around they finally get the picture and move back to one of their cars. The whole time I'm think'n about how dumb these kids are. Who throws out a blanket 5 feet away from a track that is used quite a bit at night when there are two huge soccer fields up the hill where no one is ever going to walk at night?

Whew Rest Day

2007-10-15T16:29:00.000-05:00

Day, week, whatever. Let's just say I didn't put in a lot of time the second week of October...

Ride to Recover

2007-10-05T13:57:00.000-05:00

These easy trainer rides make my legs feel a ton better. Instead of two bloody stumps they feel more like ground up cow bones, I mean Jello.

Riding
1:00 E2
18.75 miles
205 AV Watts
144 AV HR
E 746
Trainer

Run, Jog, or Walk?

2007-10-04T23:43:00.000-05:00

I can tell you what I did tonight was by no means running. Holy crap do my legs hurt. I really didn't even want to start, that is how bad my legs felt. Becky made the decision pretty easy for me though. Either sit at home and rest to the tranquil sounds of NAG-NAG-NAG-NAG-NAG-JERK-NAG-NAG-NAG-NAG or go outside for an hour where it is QUIET. While my time for doing this loop is getting slower I don't mind. This kind of activity used to be a breeze. Go knock out 5 or 6 miles in about 45 minutes, no problem. Right now I'm loosing touch with the mid 40 range and embracing the slowness that is the 50 minute mark. Yeah I suck, my knees, hip, and back hurt too but it is a lot better than the alternative.

Trainer Time

2007-10-03T11:21:00.000-05:00

I really like my trainer. No seriously I do. My measly one hour ride on it today brought back some good memories of last Winter when I was putting in some exciting three and four hour sessions in my basement. It was nice to spin slow and work some of the pain out of my legs from the run last night.

1:00 E2
18.27 miles
196 AV Watts
154 AV HR
E 713

So, how much for a hip replacement?

2007-10-02T23:15:00.000-05:00

So, how much for a hip replacement? I went for a run today just like my plan says. Man do I suck at running. My whole body hurts, but I did manage to squeeze out almost 6 miles in about 50 minutes. Not a speed record by any means. At least I did it though, I guess...

Ahhhh

2007-10-01T21:00:00.000-05:00

Ah, rest day. I love these days. Just kick back no worries about goals or efforts. What a wonderful way to start my off season training.

Fatty Fatterson?

2007-09-30T17:00:00.000-05:00

No Fatty Fatterson for me this Fall/Winter. Still sit'n pretty at 168lbs. Last year I was almost 180 by November. I've decided to step up my off season training. I started with riding once a week. That goal was surprisingly easy to accomplish. For the rest of the month I will attempt to abide by an off season plan consisting of running and light riding. First I must take a rest day though. All this talk about training is making me tired.

Monday - Rest Day of Course
Tuesday - Run ~1 hour
Wednesday - Ride 1 hour
Thursday - Run ~1 hour
Friday - Ride ~1 hour
Saturday - Ride ~2 hours
Sunday - Ride ~2 hours

New Season, New Team, Same Me

2007-01-08T21:56:00.000-06:00

For the 2007 season I have increased my training hours from 500 to 600. It's not really set in stone, just a guess to base weekly hours off of. It does mean more time on the bike though. New for this season I got a PowerTap. Using it for the past couple weeks has made me wonder how I got by with just heart rate. Power today is the same as power tomorrow. No variables like time, temperature, or fatigue. Definitely a much better tool to measure intensity. Tomorrow I start week 2 of Base2, 15 hours. It is only the beginning. This year I'll max out at 18 scheduled training hours. Now that is gonna hurt.

New Team For Me

2006-10-16T10:43:00.000-05:00

Hopefully this turns out to be a good move for Andy H and I. Participation within the team is high and there will even be other folks in my category at the races. I also sent in my USCF upgrade request on Sunday. Holy crap Mike W. is on top of things. It was approved Sunday evening. So I am officially a Cat-2. Yeah, let the real fun begin. I honestly can't wait. I started training Sunday with a two hour trainer ride. No plan yet and it was really only one session so I'm not exactly in the full swing of things...

Training?

2006-10-01T12:46:00.000-05:00

I don't need no stinking training. I've ridden my bike maybe 3 times since Gateway. Rode with Austin and some Dent Wizard juniors today. We put down a powerful 15.5 mph average for the ~55mile loop. Shattering records all along the way. It was a good time though. Very relaxing. When I get back from Las Vegas the planning for my 2007 season conquests will begin. So don't ask me about training plans, how many miles I'm doing, what team I am gonna ride for, have I upgraded yet, what will be my first win of the season... I am still resting and have no idea.

Sedalia

2006-08-28T18:44:00.000-05:00

Wow, that place is far away. Great venue. More light would be nice, but not bad. I got 7th in the 3/4 race and 6th in the 1/2/3. Yeah, figure that one out. I can't move in a 3's race w/o being swarmed and the 1/2's could give half a crap about me. I didn't get to bed till just after 3am so my Sunday was totally shot. The season is almost over and all that is left to do is rest and see how Gateway Cup plays out. With the fields full all weekend long it's really gonna be a crap shoot.

Training After The Fact

2006-05-18T12:11:00.000-05:00

My zone2 training was back on track as of last night. I'll be doing low to moderate intensity for the rest of the week to get my head back on straight. Then fire it up for two weeks to prep for the state RR weekend using the 'ole Hellbender as a dry run. Blaze into Columbia like rolling thunder and blow everyone's F'ing doors off. Just gotta get the band back together first.

Joe Martin and the Rest of My Season

2006-05-17T11:36:00.000-05:00

So, I'm only gonna bitch about this one more time then it is over. Don't ask me about how I did or how hard was that race or anything. Pretend I was just a spectator. I'll talk to you about how impressed I was with some of the guys that were down there and a bit disappointed in the arrogance of others, but nothing about me.

Two weeks ago I had high hopes for this weekend. I was on top of the world, feeling strong, healthy and confident. I actually felt fast. Apple Pie went well if you exclude the last mile of the race and I was set to destroy the field on Sunday for Andy H at the Cougar Crit. That never happened. Instead I got sick from some bad pizza. I still love pizza a lot and that will never change, but the folks making better watch out. Cause if this crap happens again I'm not staying home puking and crap'n my brains out, I'm come'n up there for ya. So I loose about another 10 pounds on top of the 5 that I lost from racing earlier that day. No race for Rusty on Sunday. In fact I couldn't even muster up the strength to ride my bike till the Tuesday night crit. I felt weak. Sure I was in the break on Tuesday night, but I could barely turn the cranks to stay in. Training pretty much dropped off from there. I wasn't able to do adequate zone2 workouts let a lone the short high intensity sessions I had planned for race week. Things didn't change on race day. I still had no power for the road race and my stomach was in knots the whole time. I finished well inspite of the scoring which I refuse to even look at. The TT was more of the same. I got a pretty good start, and passed 2 guys. The whole time I couldn't get on top of my pedal stroke. I always felt like I was way behind. I even put in a slower time than last year. SUCK! Crit time. This is always a hard one. Just gotta make the selection to save a little face, getting dropped here would have surely meant the end of the season for me. Downward spiral of depression for sure. I managed to stay in the front group. I pretty much "cheated" up the hill every time by rolling to the front on the flats and small chainring up the hill, then hop onto the end of the train when it came by. No power. All systems were failing and I was barely surviving a weekend that was suppose to be a break through. That's it. No more. It's over. No questions. Nothing. The weekend is behind me and I'm moving on.

Weekend Recap - Tour of STL

2006-05-02T15:43:00.000-05:00

Tour of St. Louis.

Saturday, Carondelet Park. Man, is there always a wreck in the last lap of this race? There aren't any f'ing corners. I didn't see it so I won't comment on what happened, but I will say something about what I saw on the cool down lap. Some jerk stores ripping the poor kid from Columbia a new a-hole about the wreck. Was it his fault? I don't know or care, but show a little respect especially when it looked like the kids dad was standing right there. Enough on that. The rest of my ranting will be about me and my racing deficiencies (see Sunday). So, back to the race. Small field, kinda cool and damp. I hate that kind of weather. My tires slide, I get zero traction when I sprint what ever. So, last lap going into the first bump before the finish I'm screaming at my lead out guy to go faster. He poops out and I am alone. All I remember is trying to sprint my ass off and my bike is sliding all over the place. I get maybe every other pedal stroke to connect. I start freaking out cause I think I'm gonna get caught, and guess what. I did. A Mesa fella came past a bit before the line and out of no where Nick Coil saves the day for the win. I got 3rd. No problem, I felt great. Can a guy get a little F'ING TRACTION? Is that too much to ask? Totally my fault. That was lesson number one learned from the weekend. Here is lesson number 2. So, during this race I keep hearing people yell at Andy in the pack and from the side and I'm thinking WTF? I am the only one that gets to yell at Andy. Come to find out there is more than one Andy in St. Louis and he rides for Mesa. So, Andy from Mesa if you ever hear me cussing your name in a race again, I'm not mad at you, just trying motivate a teammate.

Saturday, TT. I drove out there with Danny B. The wind was throwing us all of the road and the sky was getting bad. This TT is not for the faint of heart when it is dry and actually light out. I'm thinking the worst. Maybe me over the cliff kinda thing. It was slick out on the course with the leaves and oak or whatever that slippery crap was. I ended up with a pretty good time that stuck for the win by like 38 hundredths of a second over my teammate Nick Coil (5:57 something). He is now my bitch.

Sunday, Forest Park. I thought I had my head in the game. I had a good warm-up and felt great. Almost too good. That's the problem with flat courses. All the fatties were there and I got beat by at least half of them. You just can't drop fatties on a flat course. So, that's lesson number 3. Why can't I get it through my thick head. It is not worthwhile to try to drop fatties on a flat course. Race your race, attack in moderation, and cover breaks that look good. So, I got 12th. SUCK! But that's bike racing. Get your head in the game and keep it there. Don't be stupid. I still picked up second in the overall by like 1 point and Nick Coil got 1st in the overall. More racing next weekend.

That was for you Dave Brez. Now I gotta get to the Crit.

Dogwood

2006-03-26T21:06:00.000-06:00

This is the first year I have done the Dogwood road race. I examined the topo and noted the climbs. I was fully aware of the amount of climbing to be done today. I even put my 25-12 cassette on. I thought I was pretty prepared. Lets just say you have to see it to believe it. This is the toughest course I have ever raced on. Without going into a play by play I'll just throw out some general observations in no particular order.

Fast, crap that was a fast start for a 100+ mile road race. Not having much experience racing in the "A" race since I'm a suck ass 3 take it how you want. The start was f'ing FAST.

Quite a few people were dropped before we summited the first climb which was HUGE!

I was feeling great, almost too good if ya know what I mean. At the start of the race I was one of the silly people up front chasing people. About 35 minute in Brewer asked me how I was feeling and I told him I wished we were 1:35 into the race. Not good since we had at least another 4 hours ahead of us.

These guys can climb. We're going up these dare I say hills big chain ring style. Some were steep enough to throw it in the 39, but when there was a surge you better be tough enough to get back in your 53 cause the group ain't wait'n.

One would think that the second lap would be more tame cause of the smaller group and ~55miles of climbing in your legs. Wrong. First climb second lap. DRILLED IT! The surges started again. I kept myself up near the front and was fine.

Man, these guys get more and more horse shit with each other the farther along the race progresses. By horse shit I don't mean poop in the road, or people being mean and calling each other names. This is a term I use for those times in the race when the attacks start, and people counter, and there is chasing and PAIN all with the intention of dropping people out the back! The anticipation of "horse shit" behavior is the worst. It is almost a guarantee that when there is a climb 1/2 to 3/4 of the way up someone will attack and then counter and then hammer at the crest.

All in all this is a great course and I will be back next year. I ended up finishing 8th. Yeah believe it, 8th in a 1/2/3 road race. I wasn't just sitting in, I continued to chase/attack for the duration of the ~110 miles. I learned so much from this race and have a new respect for the 1/2 field.

Sylvan Springs

2006-03-18T21:03:00.000-06:00

Been pretty busy to even post training info if any even cares about it. I only post it to keep my plan honest and to motivate me to not miss any workouts. I now have new motivation. You better save this picture cause it's not gonna happen much this year.

Third in the 3/4 race isn't too bad especially for the first crit of the year. Definitely nothing to brag about. Andy H and I are getting a better feel for each other for the 2006 race season. He stepped up for the lead out when teams of about six didn't have the balls to. After a few more races to dial in our attack we should be a pretty tough combo. A 30minute plus 5 laps race doesn't mean SHIT!

The 1/2/3 race was a bit different. The hour of rest between the two races wasn't bad since the 3/4 was more of a warm and never put me in difficulty. I was aggressive and closed gaps, but when it was really gonna count I got a little intimidated by the field of riders. That was pretty dumb since I had a bunch left at the end and should have sucked it up and blew myself out for the finish. That won't happen again. I had fun though and finished 19th. Much better distance for me 60minutes plus 5 laps.

Let The POO Continue

2006-03-02T22:57:00.000-06:00

I actually felt good this evening before my ride. I was ready for the short but hard efforts. I got on the trainer warmed up and fought through the first couple intervals. By the start of the fourth I could hardly turn the cranks. I shut down and did E2 for the rest of the time and went to bed. No sense in ruining the rest of the training week.

1:30 Zone2-5b
27.3 miles
A2 - 4-4-4 minute work intervals w/ 4 minutes rest (missed 2 intervals)
Trainer

I feel like POO

2006-03-01T23:49:00.000-06:00

I got back yesterday before my hard M3 workout from a "business" trip to Chicago where I may have had a bit too much fun. Now I am tired.

2:30 Zone2
47.93 miles
Trainer

Week 17 Build1

2006-02-28T23:40:00.000-06:00

I am now in the build stage of my 2006 training. Similar to Base3 with a few less hours and an extra day of intervals.

2:00 Zone2-5a
39.17 miles
M2 - 7-8-9-8-7 minute work intervals w/ 3 minutes rest
Trainer

Totals - Week of 02/20/06

2006-02-26T23:31:00.000-06:00

Totals - Week of 02/20/06
Base3 7 hours
Training week #16

8:18
166.18 miles

It worked out that I had a rest week for Froze Toes. Can you believe people got dropped in the 1/2/3 field... Pretty easy to sit in and chill unlike what I had heard for previous years.

Totals - Week of 02/13/06

2006-02-19T23:25:00.000-06:00

Totals - Week of 02/13/06
Base3 15 hours
Training week #15

15:15
286.72 miles

That week sucked. All hours done on the trainer due to weather and work. Nothing like busting out a few 3 hour and a 4 hour training rides in the basement....

Week 15

2006-02-14T23:59:00.000-06:00

The longest scheduled hours of the season. It is Base3 with 15 hours.

M2 7-8-9-8-7 minutes w/ 3 minutes rest @ Zone4-5a

2:30 Zone2-5a
46.61 miles
Trainer

Totals - Week of 02/06/06

2006-02-12T23:28:00.000-06:00

Totals - Week of 02/06/06
Base3 13.5 hours
Training week #14

14:14
250.27 miles

Cold in Illinois

2006-02-12T17:13:00.000-06:00

We had snow, ice, cold, and strong winds. The long flat section by the river was a breeze compared to the conditions that layed ahead on the bluffs. It was an experience shared by Stover, Papa Pirtle, and myself. By the end of the ride our bikes were covered in ice, brakes frozen, and even a nice sheet of ice on our shoe covers. It was actually quite fun. Hopefully Stover will post some pics on his blog since he brought his camera along.

4:03 Zone2 ish
66.2 miles
Market Place to Maeystown with add-on climb

Babler

2006-02-11T15:33:00.000-06:00

It was pretty chilly today. Babler park is a nice place to get some hill work in. There is a little of everything. Rollers, smooth down hills, and challenging climbs. The park is well protected from the wind which was nice. On the way back we ended up on Strecker/Valley Road to get to Clayton. Some yahoo in a white RX-8 traveling towards us lost control in a minor turn/downhill section right in front of us. Luckily he smashed into a tree on the embankment on our side of the road before his car could take us all out. Dumbass.

3:11 F2 - all zones on climbs
52.17 miles
Babler

Totals - Week of 01/30/06

2006-02-05T22:30:00.000-06:00

Totals - Week of 01/30/06
Base3 11 hours
Training week #13

11:00
189.03 miles

Totals - Week of 01/23/06

2006-01-29T22:28:00.000-06:00

Totals - Week of 01/23/06
Base2 7 hours
Training week #12

7:30
131.08 miles

Base2, Week 4

2006-01-24T23:33:00.000-06:00

A week of R&R. Only gotta get in 7 hours this week. Hardest day will be testing on Saturday. Not sure if I could've gone any slower today without loosing complete interest in the ride.

1:00 Zone2
16.88 miles
Trainer

Totals - Week of 01/16/06

2006-01-22T19:16:00.000-06:00

Totals - Week of 01/16/06
Base2 14 hours
Training week #11

14:30
259.6 miles

End of Base2

2006-01-22T18:51:00.000-06:00

The hard part of Base2 is over for the season. All that remains is a well deserved rest week. Left in its wake are soar legs and a valuable lesson learned about mental toughness.

2:30 Zone2
45.98 miles
Trainer

Covered Bridge

2006-01-21T17:33:00.000-06:00

Danny B., Carl Frederick, and myself, met up with Andy Hunsaker, Greg Giraurd, Chris Brewer, and Bruce G. for a go at the Covered Bridge ride. Good times were had by all. Carl worked a bit too much at the start and had to turn around almost half way through. Danny B. was quite playful until the real climbs started, but ended up finishing strong. He thought we left him in Antonia and he tried calling my cell phone as we watched him from the quick-mart. Pretty damn funny cause he didn't know where he was at or how to get home. Brewer put me in some difficulty on the first main climb and beat me to the top. He must be feeling better. The temperature was chilly and got colder as we rode. All and all a nice ride.

4:30 Zone-All
75.88 miles
Covered Bridge from Webster

Easy Day

2006-01-20T11:59:00.000-06:00

7 x 1 minute spin-ups @ 5 minutes

1:00 Zone2
17.30 miles
Trainer

Another One Down

2006-01-19T23:36:00.000-06:00

It was a little sloppy, but I got it done.

2:00 Zone2
35.96 miles
Trainer

Feel The Burn

2006-01-18T23:52:00.000-06:00

Well, I don't have any blood gushing out of the holes in my head so I must be OK. Tonight was a long one. A nice way to rub in the pain from yesterday.

3:00 Zone2
55.73 miles
Trainer

Base2, Week 3

2006-01-17T23:22:00.000-06:00

Second longest week of scheduled hours for the season at 14. It's gonna be a rough one.

1:30 M1 - 60 minutes of Zone 3 Average HR 172 bpm
28.75 miles
Trainer

Totals - Week of 01/09/06

2006-01-15T23:36:00.000-06:00

Totals - Week of 01/09/06
Base2 12.5 hours
Training week #10

12:30
225.73 miles

Totals - Week of 01/02/06

2006-01-08T22:56:00.000-06:00

Who knows what my totals were this week. Something like 4.5 hours. Training was going well until my bike commute to work on Friday. Bike commute? Yes, bike commute. I changed jobs in November to work closer to home, more predictable hours, and the ability to ride my bike to work. Well, the first commute didn't go well. I made it 2.5 miles into an 8.5 mile ride when I got smoked at a 4 way stop by some dude not paying attention. It was my turn to go through the intersection and about 3/4ths of the way through I heard the rev of the motor and the grill of a GMC Jimmy up in my face. Yeah, oh shit is what I thought. No where to go, nothing I could. Bang. I get hit and thrown off my bike and back into the intersection. I've never been hit that hard by anything before and we weren't going more than 10-15 MPH. Got to spend the morning at the hospital. Long story short I am still alive, my Lemond Tete De Course is busted as well as some miscellaneous bike equipment. SUCK ASS!

Base2, Week 1

2006-01-03T23:52:00.000-06:00

Base2 is build up of Base1. The ride time gets increased plus a Muscular-Endurance workout is added. I am feeling great right now. No signs of over training yet and I am eager to start my next workout.

I went to the Trek Store STL to look at bikes today at lunch and picked out a 2005 Trek Madone 5.2SL. Brewer and his staff were able to get me fitted after work and the bike was 99% finished by the end of the evening. Exact setup as my Lemond Tete De Course. That is a quick turn around. The new bike, even with Ultegra, is ~1 pound lighter then the Tete. I am planning to pick it up tomorrow after work. It would have been done last night, but I needed the next size larger handlebar. Luckily in stock and ready to go. Pictures tomorrow hopefully.

Today's training was great. Short and sweet.

1:00 M1 - 35 minutes of Zone 3 Average HR 170 bpm
19.2 miles
Trainer

Totals - Week of 12/26/05

2006-01-01T23:59:00.000-06:00

Totals - Week of 12/26/05
Base1 7.0 hours
Training week #8

07:40
136.9 miles

A little over time for the rest week, but feeling good.

Funny Math...

2006-01-01T23:22:00.000-06:00

Never mind. Not gonna. At any rate, it was nice to see some folks out today that actually wanted to train.

2:40 Zone2
46.25 miles
Rock Creek Area

Testing, Testing

2005-12-31T23:10:00.000-06:00

LT testing with Andy H. today. Pretty good go at it for being a bit out of shape. This is the time of year when I have the motivation, the lungs, but no power. My LT heart rate for the first half of 2006 will be set at 186 bpm. Retesting will be in May.

1:30 Test
26.78 miles
Trainer

Three In A Row

2005-12-29T22:38:00.000-06:00

7 x 1 minute spin-ups @ 5 minutes

1:00 Zone2
18.39 miles
Trainer

More Rest

2005-12-28T23:11:00.000-06:00

Well, actively resting.

1:30 Zone2
27.44 miles
Trainer

Base1, Week 4

2005-12-27T23:59:00.000-06:00

This is a "rest week" with performance testing on Saturday. It is also the final week of Base1. Time to start fresh. Easy hours to achieve. There are only 7 hours of training this week. I should be able to get a gold star for finishing all of these. Hopefully I can role the training consistency into Base2.

1:00 Zone2
18.04 miles
Trainer

Totals - Week of 12/19/05

2005-12-25T10:22:00.000-06:00

Totals - Week of 12/12/05
Base1 13.5 hours
Training week #7

08:46
157.65 miles

Unimpressive...

Much Better

2005-12-23T23:11:00.000-06:00

I rode with Danny B. today. Great ride. I started from my house and met him in Webster. Nothing fancy, just out to High Ridge and back. It is nice to ride with the same people consistently. I like seeing them improve over a period of weeks. Watching our average speeds increase. Seeing them drive it harder every week because they're getting better. Dan big ringed Marshall hill today.

4:16 Zone2
76.08 miles
Group Ride

Bad State Of Mind

2005-12-22T23:59:00.000-06:00

I need consistency in my training. Repetitious activities keep me going. The knowledge of a future missed workout even though it hasn't happened yet bothers me. Today I planned on 3 hours and only did two. Not because I was tired, and not due to time constraints. I just stopped at two hours. How f'ing stupid is that.

2:00 Zone2
36.43 miles
Trainer

Ran Out Of Time

2005-12-21T23:59:00.000-06:00

So, the work trip to Springfield took a bit longer than anticipated. I didn't get home till ~10:30pm so riding didn't start till 11:00pm. I figured a short spin to keep my training rhythm would be better than nothing. There is no way I could have gotten in 3 hours today. Should have ridden before we left...

1:00 Zone2
17.88 miles
Trainer

Base1, Week 3

2005-12-20T23:49:00.000-06:00

This is the third week of Base1. I can already say that this week of training is going to be messed up. How messed up is the question. I'm suppose to do 13.5 hours in a SUPER holiday week that includes a one day work trip. Plan for the week is to minimize my losses.

1:30 Zone2
27.26 miles
Trainer

Totals - Week of 12/12/05

2005-12-18T23:41:00.000-06:00

Totals - Week of 12/12/05
Base1 12 hours
Training week #6

13:06
227.6 miles

Snow?

2005-12-18T20:53:00.000-06:00

Yeah, so there wasn't any snow today. Who'd a thunk? I got in a nice ride on the trainer anyway. Kinda glad I didn't go outside cause it took a while for my legs to warm up.

2:00 E2
36.07 miles
trainer

Too Much

2005-12-17T16:10:00.000-06:00

So I got in a nice ride today with Danny B. and Carl F. Carl had a route plotted out in is head that ultimately destroyed both him and Dan. We basically did a partial of the covered bridge ride backwards via Old Antonia. There was a 3 tier hill that got steeper and steeper at every level. I had never been that far off of the normal route before and may find myself looking for that one again. It wasn't quite as long as the three main climbs of the ride but it was much steeper.

5:36
89.96 miles
Out to somewhere and back

Friday

2005-12-16T23:03:00.000-06:00

Fortunately I got to get a ride in before my work Christmas party today.

1:30 Zone2 - S1 7x1 minute spin-ups @ 5 minutes
28.18 miles
Trainer

Base1, Week 2, Day 2

2005-12-14T23:59:00.000-06:00

I felt great today. Legs were solid. Got a late start (9:45pm) because of my kid's X-Mas show at her school and my wife went out shopping afterwards. Didn't finish until 12:15am.

2:30 Zone2
47.13 miles
Trainer

Base1, Week 2, Day 1

2005-12-13T23:06:00.000-06:00

Felt kinda tired today. Legs felt like rubber.

1:30 Zone2
26.26 miles
Trainer

Totals - Week of 12/05/05

2005-12-11T22:45:00.000-06:00

Totals - Week of 12/05/05
Base1 10 hours

10:30
193.21 miles