tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71345711386931926462024-03-14T06:42:13.020-04:00VeloracerThe journey of an amateur bike racer throughout his training and racing.bikracrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07470285296787197817noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7134571138693192646.post-12514389664359644142010-02-19T12:38:00.004-05:002010-02-19T12:47:57.698-05:00The inside grindIt has been too long again. I just can’t seem to find time to update lately.
<br />I have been stuck inside on the trainer and rollers. This is the first year I have tried rollers. They are quite an eye opener. I usually use them for my warm up then do the hard work and intervals on my trainer. I did have to upgrade my trainer. I had a Blackburn Ultra TrakStand. It started giving me problems and Blackburn was NO help at all. RUN from that trainer. Don’t buy one. DO, however, buy a Kurt Kinetic trainer. I got the Rock n Roll through the bike shop wher I work. This trainer allows the side to side motion that most trainers don’t. It is very smooth and challenges me much more than any other trainer I’ve owned. I upgraded to the Pro model which has an additional 12 pound fly wheel making it turn a total of 18 pounds. This is the best fluid trainer I have ever used. My last fluid was a CycleOps. There is just no comparison in the quality and smoothness. Get a Kinetic.
<br />See the Kinetic Rock and Roll in action:
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<br />I have been doing a 12 week off season plan and will be heading into the 10th week on Monday. I have dropped a couple of pounds, but I have to really get more serious about my nutrition and drop another 8-10 lbs.
<br />I have held my fastest time in the roller races. No one has threatened the time yet. I am going back next week to see if I can get a little better time.
<br />The weather this weekend looks promising for a long ride outside Saturday afternoon. We haven’t seen 50 degrees in forever. I can’t wait to get out on the road.
<br />I will give a ride report over the weekend.bikracrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07470285296787197817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7134571138693192646.post-22946586049503401172010-01-18T13:09:00.002-05:002010-01-18T13:20:38.319-05:00Road Ride, Really?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6TBqwPiuy4d3r7pcUlzu1-5dQrkDCQXO6PrOH1rRHXYxlkByDVdCmZ5XXBWsWQBSec-Dei-6AQPHYintuusUmx2-_jIHRvBRK4_QmMulIRvFplks15_R9BC8ZW9bIk1wn03cMv0fIREOM/s1600-h/cloudy_mountain.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6TBqwPiuy4d3r7pcUlzu1-5dQrkDCQXO6PrOH1rRHXYxlkByDVdCmZ5XXBWsWQBSec-Dei-6AQPHYintuusUmx2-_jIHRvBRK4_QmMulIRvFplks15_R9BC8ZW9bIk1wn03cMv0fIREOM/s320/cloudy_mountain.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428146183600896002" /></a><br />Really! I finally got out on the road Saturday afternoon beneath threatening rain clouds and 51 degrees. It was nice, yet an awakening. It's been almost 6 weeks since I got in a real ride on the roads. I am pretty sore from the ride, the roller races and from strength training on Sunday. I just got in 28 miles, but I put in a good effort and, of course, went far harder than I'd intended. It just felt good to be on my bike, on the road and not on the trainer with a fan blowing on me. I was dressed for the weather and the only parts that got a little cold were my feet. That was my fault for not using chemical heat packs inside my shoes. I did a familiar route from the bike shop to a one lane bridge, out and back. An hour and 35 minutes for a 28 mile ride is not too bad for a winter outing. The temps are supposed to be in the 50s again this week, but there is a chance of rain almost every day. i will probably still be confined to the trainer most of the week. Hopefully I can get in a long ride Saturday. 3 hours would be a nice start. <br />Until next tim, keep spinning your wheels. <br /><a href="http://www.cyclo-club.com/public/1176.cfm?affID=bikracr1"> <img align=top src="http://www.cyclo-club.com/public/affiliate/images/2.jpg" width="241" height="283" alt="click me"></a>bikracrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07470285296787197817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7134571138693192646.post-39939310444282228272010-01-16T08:38:00.006-05:002010-01-21T09:54:59.533-05:00Roller Racing, OMG!I did my first roller races last night at the bike shop where I work part time. It was very different than anything I've ever done on the road. Power and strength are not factors in this type of racing, only leg speed and control matter. The 2 bikes are fixed gear bikes with the same gearing. They are connected to a computer that tracks the progress of each rider on a virtual 500 meter sprint. Riders start from a dead stop to all out dprint. Speeds can reach over 50 mph per the computer program. I have only reached those speeds once on the road in real world conditions. I am proud to say I won all my heats and took the overall win. My best time was 21.57 seconds. I got this time in my second heat. Funny thing is, in that race, my saddle was not tightened properly and was slowly sliding down, getting lower and lower as the race progressed. Strange that I got my best time under those conditions. My other times were very close to this, none the less. I am posting a video of the "best time" race. I am the rider on the left. Not really a "pretty" race, but no matter I still won. This race was a preliminary test fo the system before we kick off the series next week. My prize was a pink glass with the shop's logo and, of course, bragging rights. Surprisingly, I am very sore this morning from those heats. Walking a little funny. It was all worth it though. Looking forward to next week's racing and hopfully a real ride outside today as the weather is finally nice and not blistering cold with snow on the ground. You can see more of the races on YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drLS-55D8Ik<br /><br />Until next time...<br /><OBJECT class=BLOG_video_class id=BLOG_video-a8365c778da78beb height=266 width=320 contentId="a8365c778da78beb"></OBJECT><br /><a href="http://www.cyclo-club.com/public/1176.cfm?affID=bikracr1"> <img align=top src="http://www.cyclo-club.com/public/affiliate/images/1.jpg" width="300" height="250" alt="click me"></a>bikracrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07470285296787197817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7134571138693192646.post-37156377361233116912010-01-13T10:10:00.002-05:002010-01-13T10:15:34.655-05:00Back at Last!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN8ctZgykKsOznD4_9BudAK1h0b12cHQLlDYK6kmhkeAD0OmCSOcKVbpWSKfB5Fx3Oqlve6e-X1UUeBoahdB5AsB5rqtKDmW0BNyTDJctFl1F5bJc2SuxpXvoBjnRE-A18WTmxWWtkMCuS/s1600-h/1001_indoor_training.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN8ctZgykKsOznD4_9BudAK1h0b12cHQLlDYK6kmhkeAD0OmCSOcKVbpWSKfB5Fx3Oqlve6e-X1UUeBoahdB5AsB5rqtKDmW0BNyTDJctFl1F5bJc2SuxpXvoBjnRE-A18WTmxWWtkMCuS/s320/1001_indoor_training.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426243234383456658" /></a><br />It has been quite a while since I posted here. I apologize for the laspe. It has been a challenging winter so far. My holiday schedule at work was just not condusive to blogging, training, or much of anything else. I have spent lots of time on the trainer and doing Cyclo-Core training. I will be updating more often now and hope I can keep up with the posts.<br />If you are looking for some core training and indoor workouts both on and off the bike, visit Cylo-Club. I am posting a banner/link to get a free cycling e-book if you are interested. There is no obligation to join the club, but I think you will see the benefits once you check out the book and the site.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.cyclo-club.com/public/1176.cfm?affID=bikracr1"> <img align=top src="http://www.cyclo-club.com/public/affiliate/images/4.jpg" width="728" height="90" alt="click me"></a>bikracrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07470285296787197817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7134571138693192646.post-12857888977802983362009-10-09T15:47:00.001-04:002009-10-09T15:49:26.794-04:00Sweet shifts and time in the saddle<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDVv2QMErIKldDsjzZreu7jx7q0hAwJMJDQFbx4gfXviDOaeEok7hWfF7x2o1a_Rax_bENEe63qA6eWkg6dMcivtcRLBiJpD8Y9ZAKMJi_cRM2_kJFw0mY5a5vbveSYZhsOjM-VeBvFcoP/s1600-h/BIKE%2520CHAIN.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 154px; height: 88px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDVv2QMErIKldDsjzZreu7jx7q0hAwJMJDQFbx4gfXviDOaeEok7hWfF7x2o1a_Rax_bENEe63qA6eWkg6dMcivtcRLBiJpD8Y9ZAKMJi_cRM2_kJFw0mY5a5vbveSYZhsOjM-VeBvFcoP/s320/BIKE%2520CHAIN.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390689724023360322" /></a><br />I got in several good rides this week. I did tempo on Wednesday. This was a very good workout. I felt strong and had fresh legs. I did about 25 minutes to warm up then hit it at tempo uphill for 35 minutes in the National Park. The temperatures are definitely much cooler in the Park. I didn’t wear arm or leg warmers, but I needed them, especially on the descent out of the Park. I did a form sprint workout Thursday. This is just a set of 10 short sprints to work on form, not power. I sprint for 10-15 seconds at a high cadence and concentrate on keeping my head up, back flat and pedaling circles. Sounds like a very easy workout, but, if all is done correctly, it can be pretty tough by the end of the session. I have just beaten the sunset each night. It gets dark quickly in the foothills. My narrow road is especially dark as I make my way back home. I am using both a flashing tail and headlight already. Seems too early to start such things, but it has been necessary. I have also been racing against the weather a few times. I got a few sprinkles in the Park Wednesday and this evening I will be very lucky if I can get my ride in before the rain gets here. The forecast says it will be raining by 5:00pm. If that is correct, it will be raining before I can get started. I only have a 1 hour ride of single leg drills planned. If the rain is falling, I’ll probably be on the trainer. I don’t mind getting caught in the rain, but I do hate to start in the rain. My biggest concern, however, is getting sick. I can’t really afford that right now so why take the chance when I don’t HAVE to. I want to get the training in, but if I miss one ride here and there due to bad weather, isn’t that better than missing 2 weeks due to illness and having to rebuild that lost fitness? I think yes. <br />Now a bit of technical stuff; I recently put new cables, housings and bar tape on the Cervélo. It shifts SO much crisper now. It is really SWEET. My next change is going from a SRAM chain to a Shimano Dura Ace. I have never been happy with the SRAM chain. While cleaning the chain, it just feels rough and “unfinished” ad you back pedal and run the chain through a sponge or rag. My Orbea has a Shimano chain and it is MUCH smoother. The Shimano is also much quieter. I am curious to see if the SRAM setup will be a little quieter after the chain swap. I will post the results of this little experience ASAP.bikracrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07470285296787197817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7134571138693192646.post-14492584826546987352009-10-06T21:46:00.001-04:002009-10-06T21:48:27.127-04:00Feeling the PainI rode every day last week. I took a well deserved day off Sunday. I put in my time on the bike as well as doing circuit/interval training via DVD every night. I am and have been sore for a solid week now. <br />I got in a very nice 62 mile group ride Saturday. We had a Pro 1-2 racer show up and, of course, egos flared a few times. It was all in good fun though. I felt very strong the entire ride. I stayed in the front 1/3 of the group most of the time and even went back to pull riders back to the group a couple of times. I did get off course at one point. Nature called and I had to stop. The group was out of sight quickly and I gave chase. I knew of 2 possible routes they would take. I blew by the turn I guessed they could have taken because I knew if they went straight that they would stop at a store on the route. I arrived to find no riders at the store. When I finally caught up to the group, they were stopped at a church. My little detour added about 2.5-3 miles to my ride.<br />Monday I got in my weight workout and another DVD workout. I didn’t get any time on the bike, but I was only supposed to do an hour of easy spinning. <br />Today it was pouring rain and I opted to do the weekly Wednesday grocery shopping instead because the weather is supposed to be nicer on Wednesday and I need to put in a solid effort on a tempo ride. I pretty much did nothing today other than walk a mile during a break at work. I was just dragging and tired all day. I hope to get up early and do a DVD workout before work tomorrow, get in the ride after work and do another post ride DVD session. A busy day ahead for sure.bikracrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07470285296787197817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7134571138693192646.post-56587708351058547782009-09-30T22:34:00.001-04:002009-09-30T22:44:38.218-04:00Turning the pedals<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3adYJbwdTxXxkOOsJ7CGeYY3T9v6dhUA5sKOD6qgkB2p8dyvYi0Py9Oho8aot7chunLvGp6S_zHdi4IS2GMluyg0KnweBXpW_XQ1mzuZG3hgu4Y_aP-eeWhOukUUTliY4GVTnWssDNcMu/s1600-h/pedaling.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 208px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3adYJbwdTxXxkOOsJ7CGeYY3T9v6dhUA5sKOD6qgkB2p8dyvYi0Py9Oho8aot7chunLvGp6S_zHdi4IS2GMluyg0KnweBXpW_XQ1mzuZG3hgu4Y_aP-eeWhOukUUTliY4GVTnWssDNcMu/s320/pedaling.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387456935039728066" /></a><br />Wow, it has been a while. Last week was a RAINY one. I got in only a couple of rides. The one I remember clearly was a tempo ride I did in the National Park. A 30 minute warm up followed by 45 painfully hard minutes at the top of my tempo power range. I was COMPLETELY spent by the time my cool down came around. I could not stand on the pedals. My legs were literally like limp pasta. I’d try to stand and nearly fall over. My only thought was “how am I going to climb the hill on the way home?” Somehow, I recovered before I got to the hill of truth. I came close to pulling off the road and calling for a ride to get me back home. I can’t remember being so wasted on the bike in quite some time. <br />This week started with an easy 20 mile spin on Monday followed by a full body weight circuit and a fitness test for a video workout series I am starting. It is called INSANITY and from the fit test, I’d say it will be. I know I was already tired going into the test, but it kicked my butt. I am supposed to take the test every 2 weeks to monitor my progress. This is a 60 day program that I am doing as a supplement to my cycle training to kick my cardio/endurance up a few levels. I have the first real workout tonight after I do 2 hours on the bike. The downfall is that I have a killer headache today that I can’t seem to shake. I will have to push through it and get it all done. <br />I did the first Insanity workout Tuesday night and it kicked my butt. Today I did another tempo ride. What a difference a week makes. I was supposed to do a 30 minute warm up, 30 minutes of tempo and cool down for 30 minutes. My 30 minutes of tempo turned into 50 minute. I felt great, very strong. The temperature along the river was pretty chilly. I had arm warmers, knee warmers and a wind vest. My feet got pretty cold, but I was okay other than that. Shoe covers next time for sure. I have to make up my Insanity workout in the morning. I got finished with my ride too late to do it tonight. I’ll either be in great shape in 60 days or this will continue to wear me out!bikracrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07470285296787197817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7134571138693192646.post-84756272290289839262009-09-21T20:07:00.002-04:002009-09-21T20:21:15.666-04:00Braving the gym<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV4S36sOAwxz2Uknw8CgRZayj2FqRHllAJ954nPBS4BF-RmHNX2x1gjl6uPtpQx9hzffW6ERvtNTolEbSOI9DvhA3U7_9Sa4HzmDUJg-J7V4vdUjQuyQzSwpZ3LTslMgt3btdhKBPQB07v/s1600-h/SRAM+cable+layout+photo.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 226px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384080063922871442" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV4S36sOAwxz2Uknw8CgRZayj2FqRHllAJ954nPBS4BF-RmHNX2x1gjl6uPtpQx9hzffW6ERvtNTolEbSOI9DvhA3U7_9Sa4HzmDUJg-J7V4vdUjQuyQzSwpZ3LTslMgt3btdhKBPQB07v/s320/SRAM+cable+layout+photo.jpg" /></a><br /><div>DO NOT OVERDO IT. Those were the words of my coach this morning in my daily email. Leg day at the gym. I think I may have over done it. Not really. I kept the weight moderate, but I am definitely going to be sore tomorrow. I feel it already. I did a 10 minute warm up then 2 sets each of squats, presses, extensions, curls, calf raises, kick backs, hip abductions and hip adductions. I followed this up with 20 minutes of cardio. In and out of the gym in about an hour. I am going to sleep well tonight. </div>bikracrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07470285296787197817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7134571138693192646.post-47666118579365431682009-09-19T21:54:00.006-04:002009-09-21T14:54:10.067-04:00Lazy and unmotivated<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRxSTr54eA5mK727dQuXM2QFHbkSBPKYeo9wHrKYUZjy5Qg1FDQ5ODDLQrjDGHSCgFxHVWzK2suxZUxVbs3NH9ZzZudSTM2ZoBnQnaYISgQoQw9iVwoJ5OsnWo7apQF7297Ux45GmDVAMH/s1600-h/NorthWave+Aerlite+3+Road+Shoe.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383366527497212194" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 201px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRxSTr54eA5mK727dQuXM2QFHbkSBPKYeo9wHrKYUZjy5Qg1FDQ5ODDLQrjDGHSCgFxHVWzK2suxZUxVbs3NH9ZzZudSTM2ZoBnQnaYISgQoQw9iVwoJ5OsnWo7apQF7297Ux45GmDVAMH/s320/NorthWave+Aerlite+3+Road+Shoe.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggjMD5SI29QT0_xZdhblNalVXyaWAyU71sWAEfYVaabTwnEFtSoPwcGYsQuHH9TZU999q17aF33yaixk3TtFUczcug7MXKRaIiL1hZ7zNi9K7upTKRHBnO2BAosNHnDVlOQnKcxuySxQim/s1600-h/Oakley+Radar+Path.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383366534183456770" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggjMD5SI29QT0_xZdhblNalVXyaWAyU71sWAEfYVaabTwnEFtSoPwcGYsQuHH9TZU999q17aF33yaixk3TtFUczcug7MXKRaIiL1hZ7zNi9K7upTKRHBnO2BAosNHnDVlOQnKcxuySxQim/s320/Oakley+Radar+Path.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />I have done almost nothing for 2 weeks. I did a 50 mile ride last Saturday and not much more. I have tried to get in a couple miles of walking each day, but that's about it. I have been VERY unmotivated to get to the gym or out on the bike. I guess I just needed a break more than I realized. I have to snap out of this though. I want to go for a state jersey next season and the prep for that has to start very soon. I have to MAKE myself get to the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">gym</span> next week, no excuses. My goal, beginning in October is to lose 2 pounds a month. That should put me at a great "race" weight by the start of the season. I HAVE been spending too much time on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">ebay</span>. Nice additions to my cycling gear though...see the photos. I hope I will be posting more about fall/winter training beginning Monday. Send your motivational vibes my way...bikracrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07470285296787197817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7134571138693192646.post-52885737115150389022009-09-09T23:09:00.002-04:002009-09-09T23:13:47.274-04:00Easy does itSeptember is my month "off". I am taking it pretty easy. I did a quick, easy 40 minutes on the bike Tuesday. I'll try and get another ride in Thursday and a longer one on Saturday. Some gym time is on the schedule this week and maybe some yoga. I am going to try and get more serious with my nutrition before the training kicks up again in October and November. My coach suggested maybe hiking some as cross training. I may do that as the temperatures get cooler. Sleep awaits me now.bikracrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07470285296787197817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7134571138693192646.post-63558687127625736022009-09-06T08:50:00.012-04:002009-09-21T20:07:43.048-04:00Catching up and kicking back<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8VR_7kSq8uK1ZJOsm59sQjfroOG6tEzlCxNil-Dwf1tRPQTLxjfVNZhPMELbwD8VMXQBVZyppT8VBONMNRG65W2rqgG7yyjNZGP5vvaPLyIUVtB31FgO8_wrR06nz8FYqQIDbCDv34ssq/s1600-h/Hincapies+wife+e.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 263px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378345791191298466" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8VR_7kSq8uK1ZJOsm59sQjfroOG6tEzlCxNil-Dwf1tRPQTLxjfVNZhPMELbwD8VMXQBVZyppT8VBONMNRG65W2rqgG7yyjNZGP5vvaPLyIUVtB31FgO8_wrR06nz8FYqQIDbCDv34ssq/s320/Hincapies+wife+e.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglQVmM6bcD5e_PpPts_7GDOpN8p8PaGGOzb1CHZZivqOWeeGmqCc6yjfDkSqQqdlXK-GxfZUWsaA1deDkz6u9m-B5Vum4ooAN1AKVjBDzv7QRrAkVotSK5K-7Tzc3jp18Si4ZaPgz0aVJf/s1600-h/2009+US+Pro+Race+VIP29jpg.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378345784119506018" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglQVmM6bcD5e_PpPts_7GDOpN8p8PaGGOzb1CHZZivqOWeeGmqCc6yjfDkSqQqdlXK-GxfZUWsaA1deDkz6u9m-B5Vum4ooAN1AKVjBDzv7QRrAkVotSK5K-7Tzc3jp18Si4ZaPgz0aVJf/s320/2009+US+Pro+Race+VIP29jpg.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhRhuDmoh-8K8VhxMJQAKOUwA0vpaKY8vDCTOI19SoxybeeFab8nf07gUj6SbPivMATQp4jnR9Q9JNKdrEHGpXQiP7qgasBWSPJZhSlfnuXt-1njP053aswbHaMPzZjLAWwWTObSyqjAIN/s1600-h/2009+US+Pro+Race+VIP17jpg+copy.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 289px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378345774931892258" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhRhuDmoh-8K8VhxMJQAKOUwA0vpaKY8vDCTOI19SoxybeeFab8nf07gUj6SbPivMATQp4jnR9Q9JNKdrEHGpXQiP7qgasBWSPJZhSlfnuXt-1njP053aswbHaMPzZjLAWwWTObSyqjAIN/s320/2009+US+Pro+Race+VIP17jpg+copy.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju6SKxxu3G7MDwhUtKQMFfD0ziZN-Kng6FP0A0hq-MPHxWkGnEaLEVYgwbxr7z8rc40QQFCxApUOulyMQnFXYBQ-fHJcKG9tYh5H8Ruipdkv-X4VQYfqmaRGw3R7LWZrz4xalypHePfoKA/s1600-h/2009+US+Pro+Race+VIP05jpg.jpeg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378345431288775554" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju6SKxxu3G7MDwhUtKQMFfD0ziZN-Kng6FP0A0hq-MPHxWkGnEaLEVYgwbxr7z8rc40QQFCxApUOulyMQnFXYBQ-fHJcKG9tYh5H8Ruipdkv-X4VQYfqmaRGw3R7LWZrz4xalypHePfoKA/s320/2009+US+Pro+Race+VIP05jpg.jpeg" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1bwujpEKJ6KYXerjLfcOylLyNbAFDS011oZJZgoxSEhLnwuTjL8kzsWQGBcXXk_y5HJB0r7RiLuraxkqDYJr-3Mfxwm-N48m0Jn67GcS0qphYq_6_pOnFoNKZbK9xt-lyyYxE8l7nx8d7/s1600-h/2009+US+Pro+Race+VIP04jpg.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 226px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378345026310363714" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1bwujpEKJ6KYXerjLfcOylLyNbAFDS011oZJZgoxSEhLnwuTjL8kzsWQGBcXXk_y5HJB0r7RiLuraxkqDYJr-3Mfxwm-N48m0Jn67GcS0qphYq_6_pOnFoNKZbK9xt-lyyYxE8l7nx8d7/s320/2009+US+Pro+Race+VIP04jpg.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvo8_E9bJlQckROU247r3f8nQteVd2dLzHqihE4fkKZGMfQN06wgxdUnohOw9AFEzYdMbRAIukiympCSHDfIVrLpTcgbiP2fGkdfH3hG4JYnrSGgIZS7sLAOCqmKr1lNw8sr2aTkf5IauD/s1600-h/2009+US+Pro+Race+VIP07jpg.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 246px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378345182819650050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvo8_E9bJlQckROU247r3f8nQteVd2dLzHqihE4fkKZGMfQN06wgxdUnohOw9AFEzYdMbRAIukiympCSHDfIVrLpTcgbiP2fGkdfH3hG4JYnrSGgIZS7sLAOCqmKr1lNw8sr2aTkf5IauD/s320/2009+US+Pro+Race+VIP07jpg.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8AnvgrUqiMtmLujg-0SUBAgvnfst-fSUa1pXshn5R4SD4GhMFfaXyUMal7W4q4zQRAEz1RlVmA33ubGRTGusmZP3m_8MKS7YLb7beiE2vWtRO_qPubdcI-67TM0mfZZvwMv-VtNhozBXd/s1600-h/2009+US+Pro+Race104jpg.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 258px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378344859765449634" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8AnvgrUqiMtmLujg-0SUBAgvnfst-fSUa1pXshn5R4SD4GhMFfaXyUMal7W4q4zQRAEz1RlVmA33ubGRTGusmZP3m_8MKS7YLb7beiE2vWtRO_qPubdcI-67TM0mfZZvwMv-VtNhozBXd/s320/2009+US+Pro+Race104jpg.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh251TazPKgFaCwueaOpAfeR7R8ZKfYwjFdIBEUjdv6_vKGF_fODMtvHuPI9GJJwLOusQg-Xv2RJ4uZlHw5jgOcb1AL3nD2bI0nI2Zt41SklcxTBJFKiVjnf6SQlS0vmxVDv9SErMSL4GYl/s1600-h/2009+US+Pro+Race66jpg+copy.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 268px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378344703764057698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh251TazPKgFaCwueaOpAfeR7R8ZKfYwjFdIBEUjdv6_vKGF_fODMtvHuPI9GJJwLOusQg-Xv2RJ4uZlHw5jgOcb1AL3nD2bI0nI2Zt41SklcxTBJFKiVjnf6SQlS0vmxVDv9SErMSL4GYl/s320/2009+US+Pro+Race66jpg+copy.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibNlQmuktQklbHppvTtr22Dofu_2F3EsFPlFetQCFmcC6G69QK6Q25joV6Ej1y18c2eOH2K9uNb9mKE2E_SqFkKT1ExxQ8ZP-Asy8FLS4rXbXajCIXaOV2ep-MOhs18JTw8t5chP4GCMNt/s1600-h/2009+US+Pro+Race23jpg+copy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 286px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378344557991913378" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibNlQmuktQklbHppvTtr22Dofu_2F3EsFPlFetQCFmcC6G69QK6Q25joV6Ej1y18c2eOH2K9uNb9mKE2E_SqFkKT1ExxQ8ZP-Asy8FLS4rXbXajCIXaOV2ep-MOhs18JTw8t5chP4GCMNt/s320/2009+US+Pro+Race23jpg+copy.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS8Py7iwLIQQFCWCWhrYrYyN5BEakyNxQ2pOPfnoCmVUd-zEiZbW7vh8rlHFlEBkYrgjWT_aQ6pGKQcqprOLt3C7J6TQJVPM9dTZRGYmmqzTWEBkGgz9Mmy7DrWulAXqOUt5QLvI1J-occ/s1600-h/2009+US+Pro+Race51a.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 284px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378344390660144322" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS8Py7iwLIQQFCWCWhrYrYyN5BEakyNxQ2pOPfnoCmVUd-zEiZbW7vh8rlHFlEBkYrgjWT_aQ6pGKQcqprOLt3C7J6TQJVPM9dTZRGYmmqzTWEBkGgz9Mmy7DrWulAXqOUt5QLvI1J-occ/s320/2009+US+Pro+Race51a.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5CVp-mQ1wt3Edhb-ISvM85b-E-hb5TmV6bFzGz4gvMXnlYZCBebgQkWVBH-TMEwLe8iEGVun_78RU-D6_ckh3wzcYvUxXyjoZV5DxGpT-swH0QA76i3koECPzKs8fuVJdy20Ol8TxCWDe/s1600-h/2009+US+Pro+Race38jpg+copy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378344019788796162" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5CVp-mQ1wt3Edhb-ISvM85b-E-hb5TmV6bFzGz4gvMXnlYZCBebgQkWVBH-TMEwLe8iEGVun_78RU-D6_ckh3wzcYvUxXyjoZV5DxGpT-swH0QA76i3koECPzKs8fuVJdy20Ol8TxCWDe/s320/2009+US+Pro+Race38jpg+copy.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilQvaFvwRXKgKQrsNL0zafThBuWH59KMuD8RrCX60iFaa8_sHvZe0qumzXBbzBXiHvV-uPMkzIIUIutVsq9yPs6BmTw4VrtSYZl5IaiCJte67OfArngcnAPOEoV7u08Gcq-8qO3VGk2x_g/s1600-h/2009+US+Pro+Race05jpg+copy.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378343663849200962" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilQvaFvwRXKgKQrsNL0zafThBuWH59KMuD8RrCX60iFaa8_sHvZe0qumzXBbzBXiHvV-uPMkzIIUIutVsq9yPs6BmTw4VrtSYZl5IaiCJte67OfArngcnAPOEoV7u08Gcq-8qO3VGk2x_g/s320/2009+US+Pro+Race05jpg+copy.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpMjZ2phPswliDLhAT7whCDj82BMyQtJ6WAU4yGPx_4d5S060reX0eI63ylZX3fssgelJJvnSyAKizSlO88gwnJUCNL-z2vYhs3X1psD6mCGcSFq_0hYi8g2Q3AWmU8jlq3Lcw32cZNiqu/s1600-h/2009+US+Pro+Race03jpg.jpeg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378338212372819810" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpMjZ2phPswliDLhAT7whCDj82BMyQtJ6WAU4yGPx_4d5S060reX0eI63ylZX3fssgelJJvnSyAKizSlO88gwnJUCNL-z2vYhs3X1psD6mCGcSFq_0hYi8g2Q3AWmU8jlq3Lcw32cZNiqu/s320/2009+US+Pro+Race03jpg.jpeg" /></a><br />Wow, it’s been a while since I did a blog post. Just no time I guess. Where to begin…I guess with my trip to Greenville, SC. A friend and I headed out last Sunday morning about 8:30 am to attend the US Pro National Championship Road Race. We made excellent time and got there in 3 hours just as Bing mapping and our GPS predicted. Go figure. We had about an hour and a half before the race started, so we decided to grab something to eat (this turned into our theme for the day). We stopped at the natural health food stop of cyclist everywhere, Hardees. Yeah, right, can you feel your arteries clogging up? We royally pigged out then headed to the race. The crowds were already starting to line the barriers around the start/finish line. We made our way to the Hincapie VIP tent and got our bracelets to allow us unlimited access to the area. We quickly, upon surveying the set up, realized we’d mad a huge mistake by stopping to eat. There was a buffet set up with Stick Fingers BBQ. There were ribs, baked chicken, potato salad, baked beans, peach cobbler, cookies, wine, beer, water, and sodas, all free and all you cared to have. The buffet would not be lost on us. I mean who were we to insult our host by not making use of their efforts to supply us with primo eats?<br />Next we made our way to the vendor section of the festivities and located the Hincapie booth. There I presented out ticket and got our white Hincapie bracelets that were to serve as our passes into the party later that evening.<br />I’d printed photos that I had taken at previous races to try and get autographed. On our way back to the VIP tent, I saw Dave Zabriskie after he’d signed in for the race. I quickly fumbled through my photos and found one of him and me. He graciously autographed it. I got George Hincapie to sign my photo with him in the VIP tent. He came over and spent a few minutes after signing in. It was pretty cool to be there and get to hang with George for a while. We got more photos with him there. Fast Freddie Rodriguez was also in the VIP tent with George. Once they left, we had to partake in the food. SOOOO good. We left and perused the crowd for a while. I snagged the podium girls as they came off the stage and got photos with them. I kind of have a history of doing this at these races. It’s a sickness that I have not found a cure for. I guess seeking a cure might aid in its discovery? Who has the time? I wasn’t able to get to some riders to get my photos signed, but there will be another time. We watched the circuits of the race before the riders rolled out of town. Dave Z took a flyer right from the start and stayed away solo for almost 50 miles. He’d won the National Time Trial Championship the previous day (4th time). We watched the race on the big screen in the VIP tent. We grazed the buffet during the 4 ½ hour race. We ate WAY too much. The riders made the loop through town 3 or 4 times throughout the race. The crowd went ballistic every time George came through. Greenville is his home town and he was the favorite to win the race. He was very quiet in the race until the last 4 laps of the final circuits. He started moving up and on the last lap he came around the last corner, playing cat and mouse with a couple of the riders. Then he jumped and it was all over. He took the race as predicted.<br />Great finish! We played the part of cycling groupies to a pro level and tried to find the area where the teams were gathering after the race. We failed miserably. They were like ghosts after the race. They vanished into thin air giving us no opportunity for photos or autographs. No worries, only a short wait until the Hincapie party.<br />We arrived at the party a few minutes after 7:00 pm. MORE BBQ! We had already stuffed ourselves at the VIP tent, but we could not resist. We ate outside as the live band started playing. As the night went on, the venue became far too small for the number of people turning out. George and his wife Melanie arrived around 9:00 pm just in time for the start of the fashion show that showcased the new Hincapie line. Jason McCartney, a rider for SaxoBank was actually one of the “models” in the show. The other models were George’s friends and family. Afterwards, there was an auction of a painting of George that brought in major coin for a local charity. We meet George’s dad and his brother. Again, we snagged George for more photo ops. The highlight of our evening was getting photos with Melanie as we were leaving the party. She was the most gracious of the day about posing for photos. We made our way to the car and found Fast Freddie hanging out in the parking lot. I asked why he wasn’t in the party. He said he wasn’t invited and laughed. We think he was probably going out with George and Melanie after the party.<br />It was a great day and night. The drive home was a recap of the day’s events. I was starting to dose about 2 hours into the ride home. We got in around 1:30 am. Luckily, I’d had the foresight to take the day off, so I was able to sleep in Monday.<br />I got in a couple of easy spin days on the bike in the following days. It was mostly a recovery week. I did a 60 mile ride Saturday and today I am kicking back, catching up with the blog as the rain falls outside.<br />I have weight training and a short ride tomorrow, though it looks like I may be facing more showers tomorrow.bikracrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07470285296787197817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7134571138693192646.post-7640029605142872112009-08-29T23:20:00.004-04:002009-08-29T23:34:36.534-04:00Pro Race and "After Party"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfi9nHI9eIDDo8WEV5IRwNmwJoPrLhrhxkgauMAQqGitD_2GNq_RyKvstDB6ul9erTvYHjAA3OsDewg61uX_2PoPLy3xxi3jzGwv55ffv36lfefVfd0hNnNmTZE9IukMLP4AcSDbM9MqwW/s1600-h/party+ticket+2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375594025073975538" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 191px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfi9nHI9eIDDo8WEV5IRwNmwJoPrLhrhxkgauMAQqGitD_2GNq_RyKvstDB6ul9erTvYHjAA3OsDewg61uX_2PoPLy3xxi3jzGwv55ffv36lfefVfd0hNnNmTZE9IukMLP4AcSDbM9MqwW/s320/party+ticket+2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Still in full recovery, not doing a thing, lazier than ever, can't seem to drag my butt of the couch mode. I am heading to Greenville, SC in the morning to watch the US Pro National Championship Road Race. I have passes to get into the Hincapie VIP tent for the race and the Hincapie headquaters for their after party Sunday night. Our club gets 2 passes each year and I got first dibs on them this year. Good times! I have several photos from past Tours de Georgia that I hope to get autographed. Especially the one posted here previously of me and George Hincapie. I am such a cycling groupie. My training will resume next week. I gave my coach the heads up that I might not be up to it Monday, after the late night, but Tuesday I'll have to get back to the grind and start the off season work.</div>bikracrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07470285296787197817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7134571138693192646.post-37521396313782200492009-08-25T21:44:00.004-04:002009-08-25T22:55:28.268-04:00Post season<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgerjajox8BDrWIcrqDdXMulRlhr58HzgLMgqfVLW55QhIBXkWuLcq3myOPF2v2ia63mCvMFiBj2WQaLmejwAA3m7ly27NSYlLH2iWw2u1p4R-3W2Cc2LnmsCEIbwSqDPM8LZSCIOFN9Gc9/s1600-h/WT.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 132px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 97px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374100103036233778" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgerjajox8BDrWIcrqDdXMulRlhr58HzgLMgqfVLW55QhIBXkWuLcq3myOPF2v2ia63mCvMFiBj2WQaLmejwAA3m7ly27NSYlLH2iWw2u1p4R-3W2Cc2LnmsCEIbwSqDPM8LZSCIOFN9Gc9/s320/WT.jpg" /></a><br /><div>With my last race of the season behind me, I went for a leisurely ride yesterday. Just an hour of easy spinning with a friend/team mate. I got word from my coach today that I should take it easy this week and get ready to start post season, off the bike, training next week. I am kind of looking forward to the change of pace. Weight training, yoga, core work and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">plyometrics</span> will be some of the things I'll be focusing on. I know this type of training can be just as challenging as on the bike training, but I will welcome the challenge. Change is always good in a training program. It keeps it fresh and shocks the system, a good thing.</div>bikracrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07470285296787197817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7134571138693192646.post-27583843984893360362009-08-23T12:43:00.001-04:002009-08-24T13:18:13.189-04:00Bikes, bodies and bottles<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9STri5MP7lXCs76_ZsqTZkzFg3CpVO-k1v1PYlxvMimepeGGTI1UBZmNZIbPMJW5opsnm6kR0IjhxK6_81ecrw4YFy2m8PAigBGmULDVSpQbca5ol1JxSRaCRYKOmE5yuexK8V6oFoMOC/s1600-h/bikecrash.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373580818630398210" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 243px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9STri5MP7lXCs76_ZsqTZkzFg3CpVO-k1v1PYlxvMimepeGGTI1UBZmNZIbPMJW5opsnm6kR0IjhxK6_81ecrw4YFy2m8PAigBGmULDVSpQbca5ol1JxSRaCRYKOmE5yuexK8V6oFoMOC/s320/bikecrash.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Friday I went out on my time trial bike just to run through the gears and make sure everything was functioning as it should. I was only out for about 40 minutes. I didn’t go too hard, just easy to moderate spinning. When I got home, I washed the road bike I’d be racing Saturday morning. After putting the race wheel set on and lubing all the components, I loaded the bike in the Element and got my gear together.<br />Saturday morning I was up for breakfast by 5:00 a.m. My race was scheduled to start at 8:20 a.m. I had to drive about an hour, check in at registration and hoped to warm up at least 30-40 minutes. This meant I’d need to leave by 6:30 or 6:45 a.m. Of course, I was late getting on the road, but, as seems to happen more times than not, the race was not starting on time and was about 20 minutes behind schedule. No complaint from me as I needed the extra time. I checked in got my bib numbers and quickly pinned them on my jersey and got ready. I warmed up a little, but hoped that the neutral start would also serve as a warm up. This would be about 2 miles of riding before the race official gave us the okay to start racing. I talked with 3 other riders who were representing our club/team. I had raced with 2 of these guys before. I knew what to expect from these 2 and hoped we could work together throughout the race. There were 52 pre-registered for this race and several had signed up this morning. This was a huge field, the largest I’d ever been a part of.<br />A CAT 4 race can take many forms. It can be just beyond a CAT 5 race some days, rival a CAT 3 race others and fall anywhere in between most of the time. Today’s race started at a moderate pace. I was able to warm up before the accelerations started, as they always do. But, like a CAT 5 race, there was WAY too much go and stop. Riders would speed up and slow for no apparent reason. JUST GO ALREADY!<br />The conditions were great Saturday morning. The temperature was mid to high 70’s, no wind and dry. There had been storms at home during the night, but Oak Ridge had not been hit by them. I was glad of this because there are a couple of fast, curvy descents on this course.<br />The first lap (1 of 2 - 24 mile loops) was good. One hazard we had not expected was that the county had dug a ditch across the road on Thursday. They filled it back in, but poorly. There was a definite dip in the road that could jar you pretty good. One team member in the Masters 50+ race broke his seat post at this point. Our group had no problems crossing it either lap. There were 1 or 2 attempted breaks off the front, but they were shut down very quickly without much effort. I managed to stay at the front of the group on all the climbs. I never fell back further than about 10-15 riders from the front. I was feeling very good. 2/3 of the way through the first lap, on a right turn in a slight descent, the group pulled one of those go and stop moves and I had to hit my brakes pretty hard to avoid slamming into my team mate. My rear tire locked up and I slid sideways for a split second. I released the brake and managed to straighten up correct. My other mishap was road kill. The group parted and I swerved right to miss a dead opossum. I ran over the front feet. “I hope his claws were facing down” was my comment to the rider next to me. I sure didn’t want a opossum induced puncture. The second lap was a little faster. Again, there were a couple of attempts to get away off the front. They didn’t get far before being brought back into the group. This was really a bit of a surprise because there were 2 or 3 teams in the race with 6-8 riders each. I’d have thought they would have had a better strategy since this was the TN State Road Race Championship. The climbs were more intense this time around as the pace was increasing. The lead riders tried to get a gap on each climb, but had no luck. I was still feeling really strong and was sure I could hang with the front of the group till the end of the race. I was on my team mate’s wheel up until about 3 or 4k to go. I lost his wheel to another rider somehow. I was pushed out and ended up on the left side of the lane right on the double yellow line. No worries, I still had good positioning in the field. Once we went under the 1k to go banner the pace kicked. It was on and about to be over. The finish line was soon in sight when chaos ensued and the horrendous, familiar, dreaded sound that no rider wants to hear or be in close proximity to became all too real. CRASH!!! NASTY CRASH, right in front of me. (looked much like the attached picture) “Oh, S*@T!!! I’m going down!” was all that was going through my head. I jerked the bars to the left only to see this massive pile of bikes, bodies and bottles sliding across the center line. I corrected and swerved to the right. There was a bike summer saluting in the air about 6 feet in the air. I pedaled harder and somehow, made it through the carnage unscathed. The field sprint was on. I tucked low and hammered with all I had. The crash had opened the sprint up for some and hindered others. I was in the latter. I pulled past 2 riders and was gaining on a 3rd when he looked over his shoulder, saw me nearing and found a little more bite in his stride. He crossed the line 6 inches in front of me. I was glad to be over the line, surprised I had actually been in the sprint and relieved I had not been involved in the crash. My team mate had seized the opportunity he’d been given and crossed the line in second place. I finished 13th. I was VERY happy with that result. I have progressively gotten better results this season and hope this trend will continue as I stick to my training throughout the rest of the year and into next season. The crash had left one rider with a broken collar bone, one with stitches in his arm, lots of road rash and one trashed bike frame.<br />I drove home shortly after the race for a 2.5 hour rest before driving back for the evening time trial. Once again, the event was behind schedule by ½ an hour, then 45 minutes and finally an hour. I was supposed to start at 6:02:30 p.m. I finally rolled off the starting line around 7:03 p.m. The route was rolling terrain on a closed course. I had gotten in 30 minutes on the trainer and another 15 on the road before lining up to start. My legs were still fatigued from the road race and I couldn’t quite get my breathing down. The course was 8.24 miles (according to my GPS). I finished 16th with a time of 20:39 at an average speed of 23.9 mph. Not a great time, but respectable.<br />Sunday, doing absolutely NOTHING, just recovering and watching movies with the family. </div>bikracrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07470285296787197817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7134571138693192646.post-52927589500513760192009-08-20T16:55:00.003-04:002009-08-20T17:19:18.247-04:00Nice day despite the forecast<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcKISr-uaJBQQokJJd5QdVhZH7a4i5Xn-ZXIQde4XlFFgzOr3Bvo5rWVRiBvFqscvp87s_JyU2a5_xV4iOwIEOk2AZhULpZ7vUd87hMzMp0Xhcnt_nUMExbYJfjRI9Ww_8LVfEVSwFRJ4b/s1600-h/IMG000005.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372158567502384882" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcKISr-uaJBQQokJJd5QdVhZH7a4i5Xn-ZXIQde4XlFFgzOr3Bvo5rWVRiBvFqscvp87s_JyU2a5_xV4iOwIEOk2AZhULpZ7vUd87hMzMp0Xhcnt_nUMExbYJfjRI9Ww_8LVfEVSwFRJ4b/s320/IMG000005.jpg" /></a><br /><div>I got back from my ride about an hour and a half ago. Great ride, despite the forecast. They missed it AGAIN. I felt a few faint <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">sprinkles</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">on t</span>he way out but that's about it. It was <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">blazin</span>' hot. I did a new workout today, sprint intervals till ya puke, I think they are called. If not, they should be. I did 5 sets of 1 minute all out sprint efforts followed by 5 minutes of recovery. Complete recovery, because these were HARD one minute efforts. I literally thought I'd puke on the last 2. The 5 minutes between went by like a flash while the 1 minute of work seemed to last a lifetime. No complaints, mind you, that's what the workout is intended to do, push you to your limit, catch your breath and do it again x 5. I had a nice tail wind going out, but a relentless head wind coming back. I was out for an hour and 7 minutes. It seemed a lot longer. I spun the pedals easy on the cool down back to the house. Chocolate milk for a recovery drink and a turkey BLT 30 minutes later. Now I am sitting with my legs elevated, typing this and having a cup of freshly ground and brewed hazelnut coffee, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">ahhhh</span>. </div>bikracrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07470285296787197817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7134571138693192646.post-8725053005085443292009-08-19T22:55:00.005-04:002009-08-19T23:37:25.101-04:00A bump in the roadNo ride today, worked later than usual and I got home around 7:30, no time to get out on the bike. I may try and get in 2 rides or 1 two hour ride tomorrow. I'll have to see how I feel. I have to get it done early though. I have dinner reservations at 7:30 tomorrow night, 15th wedding anniversary.bikracrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07470285296787197817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7134571138693192646.post-82372958971558499172009-08-18T21:27:00.002-04:002009-08-18T21:53:18.045-04:00Race prepMonday I went out for a group ride to get in a little speed work. I got what I was looking for. This ride has really gotten fast this year. We averaged about 24-27 mph at most times, hitting 30 and 31 on some flat stretches of road. It was actually MORE than I wanted. I don't want to go too hard this week. I have to taper my work by week's end to be fresh for Saturday's road race and time trial. I did not feel 100% on the ride. I did shorter pulls on the front than usual. I kept thinking to myself, "ride smart now to ride strong later".<br />Today I almost didn't get out the door for my training. Just one of those lazy days I guess. I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">finally</span> got in gear and went for a 1 hour ride concentrating on high cadence spin ups. I did 10 of these with plenty of recovery between. I felt much better today. The hour was over very quickly. I was glad I got out and did the work. Despite the forecast, I didn't see any rain, just cloudy skies and a little wind. The rest of the week I have about an hour a day to ride. Wednesday and Thursday are specific workouts. Friday is just a run through of my <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">pre-</span>race warm up then home to put the legs up. Race day will be here before I know it. Rest, ride, relax and eat right. Easy, right?bikracrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07470285296787197817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7134571138693192646.post-38179752089459991302009-08-17T13:15:00.001-04:002009-08-17T13:18:01.814-04:00Reconnaissance missionSaturday I rode the TN State Road Race course with a team mate and a few other riders. It is going to be a challenging course at race pace. We did the 24 mile loop twice, just as we will in the race this weekend. I took a while to warm up, but felt pretty good after about ½ of the first lap. I’ll definitely get in a good, long warm up on Saturday before the race. The first 2 hills should be okay. I think the group will likely stay together for the first lap. Once we get onto a stretch of busy highway there are 3 more rolling climbs that could prove to be significant. They kind of catch you off guard. There are rumble strips cut into the road right on the white line at the right of the lane. I had the misfortune to get into this section and it about jarred my teeth out. One of my water bottles came out of the cage and I ran over it with my rear wheel. I lost about ½ of the water which cause me to go very sparingly on my water intake for the rest of the ride. I was sooo thirsty by the end of the ride. And famished I might add. It was just my team mate and I at the end of the final lap. Everyone else had dropped off or taken a shorter route back to the cars. I made lots of mental notes about the course, what might happen at certain points and where I need to be more attentive to the group and their reactions to the terrain. I hope I am ready and can do well in the race. I hope to get in 1 or 2 hard efforts early this week, then taper off to light spinning by the week’s end. Wish me luck!bikracrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07470285296787197817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7134571138693192646.post-79708255419632729722009-08-14T15:21:00.003-04:002009-08-14T15:47:20.775-04:00Catching up<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqH3-u8NzqH5JgqkAiogHpW7hkt_t3IopIvrZv42ptA_JLkxfilhT0VZItmJ9r8ywoXUmltQCGwEBNvRw1d5BX6qXA-Y57jithJW1cImbbsyASTWF7Ln0OW4yuP7kjFwVey1N32zcz-Q7j/s1600-h/Bear+and+cyclist.gif"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 384px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 134px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369902456860219394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqH3-u8NzqH5JgqkAiogHpW7hkt_t3IopIvrZv42ptA_JLkxfilhT0VZItmJ9r8ywoXUmltQCGwEBNvRw1d5BX6qXA-Y57jithJW1cImbbsyASTWF7Ln0OW4yuP7kjFwVey1N32zcz-Q7j/s320/Bear+and+cyclist.gif" /></a><br />I am really behind on posting updates. I am not going to try and catch up. I’ll just say I have gotten a few training rides in, but nothing to “write” home about. I have done a couple of the easiest recovery rides of my life. I checked the ego at the door as I rolled out the bike and took it super easy. I have had no energy to speak of lately. My hard efforts have been mediocre at best. Training is all about performance gains <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vn29DvMITu4">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vn29DvMITu4</a>. I have not felt any gains in the last several rides. I’d be an easy target on the bike right now. I have to snap out of this quickly. I am going to recon the TN State Road Race course tomorrow morning. The race is only a week away. Hopefully I can also get lots of rest this weekend. More later.bikracrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07470285296787197817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7134571138693192646.post-34938322277329133812009-08-05T23:19:00.002-04:002009-08-05T23:23:11.369-04:00Great tempo rideTuesday<br />Today was Tempo day. I had 30-40 minutes of warm up and cool down with 60 minutes of tempo riding sandwiched in between. I did this in the National Park heading up a gradual grade. Just before getting into the Park I was buzzed by a car from Georgia. It passed me at about 18 inches away. I pulled into the parking lot where the car had gone. I rolled up to the driver, who was out of the car now. He and his family were about to go tubing on the river. I told him it was a state law in TN to allow 3 feet when passing a cyclist. He said “what cyclist?” “Me” I replied. He asked where he passed me. He, in fact, had not even seen me. His kids admitted that they had seen me and that their dad had passed me very closely. Upon the kids, (teenagers) confirming what I’d said, he was very apologetic. I was very nice and told him I was not mad, just suggesting he pays closer attention in the future. I told him and his family to have fun and be careful as I clipped in and rolled away. I felt really strong and averaged over 200 watts for an hour and 13 minutes with an average speed of 20.6 mph. There was a storm blowing in and I was trying to get finished and out of the Park before I got caught in a downpour. I passed a fellow team member. He got on my wheel and sat on for 3 or 4 miles. We chatted a bit before I broke off to head back. I made it out of the Park before the storm, but the rain started about a mile later. As the rain got stronger, I pulled into a carwash stall and waited. The rain got harder, and then it slacked up. I called my wife and she agreed to come pick me up. As I was waiting, the rain almost stopped. It was just a drizzle, so I decided to head on home. I called my wife again and she told me to stay put because the storm was heading my way and it was pouring there. She was right. It was only a few minutes before the bottom dropped out and the rain fell in sheets. I was freezing from the drop in temperature, the wind and the fact I was soaked in sweat. I could not wait to get into a steaming hot shower. It’s the little things, ya know… My legs were definitely feeling fatigued after this ride. The rain is supposed to be around for the next day or so. At least that’s what the weather says today. We’ll see.bikracrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07470285296787197817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7134571138693192646.post-79604914933750100432009-08-05T09:12:00.001-04:002009-08-05T09:15:05.542-04:00Test, rest, recoverMonday<br />Today was an easy recovery ride, just an hour and a half of light spinning. I got in most of the light stuff then hooked up with the normal Monday group. They passed me going in the opposite direction so I turned to give chase. They were cooking pretty well when I passed them. I poured all I had into the pedals for several miles. I had them in sight, but could not make the bridge. I backed off and went at my own pace. I knew they stopped about mid way on the ride. I might catch them there. NOT. They had already pulled out when I got to the midpoint of their ride. The slower riders were still there so I decided to continue my “recovery” ride and put in a few more miles with them. I sat in until my turn at the front rolled around. I got up to about 22 mph and held it there for several miles. I got lots of comments when I pulled off. (“great pace, nice pull, you’re killing me”, etc.) I did one more pull before I peeled off for home. I didn’t go too hard, so I still felt fresh and like I had a good recovery ride after all. <br /><br />Sunday<br />I did NOTHING Sunday. I did yard work after running errands Saturday, after the LT test. I was dead by the time I finished Saturday night and didn’t feel like doing a thing Sunday, so I didn’t. It’s that simple.<br /><br />Saturday<br />Today was the LT test. I’d spent the week recovering, not doing any hard efforts and resting when possible. I headed out around 10 am Saturday morning and was feeling pretty good. I was ready to get this behind me and see what kind of gains I may have made over the past few weeks. That’s about as good as this day got. Once I finished my 30 minute warm up, I didn’t really feel warmed up. I did an additional 10 minutes before starting the 15 minute all out set. I was at the base of the same climb where I’d done this test initially. There was no rain this time, but it was very hot. I was already pouring sweat. I started the climb and pushed hard on the pedals from the start. I was maintaining a high wattage output for about 10 of the 15 minutes. I felt myself starting to fade and was struggling to keep the power high. It seemed like the harder I tried, the more the watts dropped. At 13 minutes I was toast. I stopped the lap on my power meter and turned to descend the hill. It was not a great descent. I could not put out any more effort. I was completely empty. I’d left everything on that hill and hoped I’d get home in a reasonable amount of time. I stopped for a sports drink and rested a few minutes at a local store. I pedaled easy all the way home and the dreaded hill on my road just slayed me! I didn’t think I did well at all today. That was later confirmed. I didn’t do as badly as I’d initially thought, but I made no significant gains in my LT. I also got confirmation that the blood donation on Monday may have been a contributing factor in my less than desired results.<br /><br />Friday<br />Today was just an easy day. I was out to run through all my power zones to prepare for the LT test on Saturday. I had done the work and was on the way home when an old fart in a Ford pickup pulling a rusty horse trailer decided he could not wait and pulled right out in front of me. I grabbed both brake levers and almost came to a complete stop. He never checked up. He continued in my lane of travel. He was going pretty slowly and I continued on my course. I was beside him when he decided he was going to take a right turn. I had to take the turn with him and he still nearly ran me into the curb. I was right next to his open window and yelled, “Hey buddy, watch what the hell you’re doing!” His head jerked around and revealed his dumb founded face. He continued to turn and made another right into a vacant lot. He continued across the lot, pulled back onto the road and turned left, the way I had come from. Why in the world did this man not just turn left in the first place instead of taking 2 right turns and nearly taking me out TWICE? People are idiots. I still cannot figure out what he was thinking. I just shook it off, and continued home thankful that I had not been hit.bikracrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07470285296787197817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7134571138693192646.post-680514186529621212009-07-31T08:20:00.004-04:002009-07-31T08:42:49.867-04:00Does rain make you faster?I rushed home, kitted up and got on the road as quickly as possible to beat the impending rain. There were dark <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">clouds</span> hanging low in the direction I intended to ride, so I altered my plans and went toward the National Park. I was at the end of my 30 minute warm-up when the rain started falling. I started my isolated leg drills and the rain began DUMPING. I pedaled harder. Does rain make you faster? I think it may. I got in 2 or 3 sets before I pulled off to take shelter <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">from</span> the deluge. It was sunny just a ways down the road so I knew this wouldn't last too long. I sat for only 5 or 6 minutes before it slacked up and I set off again. I was able to finish the 10 sets and make my way back home under dry skies. My biggest challenge of the day was the hill of truth. Since the major <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">dumpage</span> of rain, the road was completely saturated and traction was at a minimum. This is multiplied by the grade of the hill. I could not stand on the climb making the effort more labored due to the seated <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">position.</span> I tried to stay in the middle of the road where the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">asphalt</span> was not so smooth from years of car traffic. This helped, but I still could not stand for very long without spinning the rear wheel. I could get maybe 2 pedal cranks and have to sit back down. I was only out for about an hour, but I got the work done and felt pretty <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">accomplished</span> considering everything. It was sunny and blazing hot when I arrived back at home, go figure...bikracrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07470285296787197817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7134571138693192646.post-86033146199870824622009-07-28T20:54:00.009-04:002009-07-29T08:10:48.365-04:00Easy ain't always easy<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicmE_rH0IOn6OdtsoNG3iqSNLP4zG3UiT6WeA7YBB1hrtWuGd2zFixAkTg677bJVbyp2ox1uRWP_Im8L380v9agpLNy6oYY1oIco-2rlBQDanHUEqJOqnQhj5q33NpID2Dl9bAnavMtIbF/s1600-h/sea0835l.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363852840714836930" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 167px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicmE_rH0IOn6OdtsoNG3iqSNLP4zG3UiT6WeA7YBB1hrtWuGd2zFixAkTg677bJVbyp2ox1uRWP_Im8L380v9agpLNy6oYY1oIco-2rlBQDanHUEqJOqnQhj5q33NpID2Dl9bAnavMtIbF/s320/sea0835l.jpg" border="0" /></a> I guess I misunderstood what a week off was. In my mind, I just heard the OFF part. In truth, off is more easy than off. I have short easy workouts each day. So I guess that is still a week off. I was stuck on the trainer this evening. The rain was pouring down as I pedaled away, going nowhere. I was <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">doing</span> 10 sets of spin ups. It went pretty fast, but I was glad when it was over. I think it might have been better to be riding in the driving rain. I gave blood yesterday and I think I am still feeling some of the effects from that process. I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">should</span> be back to normal soon. I have to be by the end of the week because Saturday is going to be an all out attack of a workout. I will be doing a 15 minute interval at max effort. There should be NOTHING left if I do it correctly. I will be dragging myself home. Sound like fun? Want to go with? Yeah, I thought not...bikracrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07470285296787197817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7134571138693192646.post-12509068691085158572009-07-27T19:39:00.002-04:002009-07-27T19:49:02.090-04:00R & R, Ahhhhh<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkTnm0BtVr3gqJxX83GYp8HolszlBZ0ZhF2JtaYh3ORsbuFicvMk9QwJbpTC76zixJYx_JWGrAmSh4_NW25xWU2D3-OVZ-pPWunXqL04ANgYPiWIv8vgPp1-1u2_cM4Brbdel9V7abIvpB/s1600-h/Napping.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 191px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363291019290414306" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkTnm0BtVr3gqJxX83GYp8HolszlBZ0ZhF2JtaYh3ORsbuFicvMk9QwJbpTC76zixJYx_JWGrAmSh4_NW25xWU2D3-OVZ-pPWunXqL04ANgYPiWIv8vgPp1-1u2_cM4Brbdel9V7abIvpB/s200/Napping.jpg" /></a><br /><div>I got confirmation this morning that I have the week off from training. I can do some light spinning a few days if I want, but no hard efforts. I will be doing LT testing on Saturday. That will be a major effort that I NEED to be rested for. This is all very good timing. I donated blood today and I could not have ridden today if I'd wanted. I was very weak and shaky by the time I got home. There was no energy for a ride of any kind. I am going to kick back and take it easy the rest of the week. I may get out on the bike a couple of days, but will have to stick to my guns and NOT go very hard at all. Can someone hand me a cold one??? Ah, when I wake up.</div>bikracrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07470285296787197817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7134571138693192646.post-56627169323054717512009-07-26T21:22:00.002-04:002009-07-26T22:09:39.248-04:00Lame duck seen on road, film at eleven.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeyyUqqpj2uEAlSS495xIh70csohbFTRHFJwAMGNY3pDpCWdW3p5Xv0jUEjvw2IAA-PI81b4H1yRSEzHenFjr9W7vdu6mpR2kM0HXJsrka064LR8mZpKk6SOJia65OLRKzenVUwaUyBSTI/s1600-h/duck.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 170px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 127px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362955689835786754" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeyyUqqpj2uEAlSS495xIh70csohbFTRHFJwAMGNY3pDpCWdW3p5Xv0jUEjvw2IAA-PI81b4H1yRSEzHenFjr9W7vdu6mpR2kM0HXJsrka064LR8mZpKk6SOJia65OLRKzenVUwaUyBSTI/s200/duck.jpg" /></a><br /><div>I decided to do Saturday's LT workout today instead of a recovery ride since I didn't get it done on Saturday. I think I mush have still been tired from Saturday because this was a brutally hard workout. I felt really good for each of the 3 sets, but it was very difficult to average the needed power output. I struggled on each set. I hot my mark on the first set but was off on the next 2. I was in my LT zone, but barely. I made it throught the workout, dealt with all the traffic, ran out of water and limped home like a wounded duck. I didn't think I was ever going to get home. I had no energy left at all. I was dreading my hill of truth with every pathetically weak pedal stroke. I pulled myself up that hill and basically collasped on the bike at the top. When I made it home, I couldn't wait to get a cold glass of water, then a glass of choclate milk and another cold glass of water. I had some chicken, rice and vegetables then pretty much fell on the sofa and almost dropped off to sleep in a matter of minutes. I dragged myself to the shower a half hour later and it was a real effort to do that. I am completely wasted. Luckily, tomorrow is better than recovery, it is a day off from ANY training. This is the first one I have had in a while, so I will welcome it with open arms. I may tackle the cables on my Cervelo, otherwise, I'm doing nothing. I will be doing an easy recovery ride on Tuesday then my training is going to be kicked up a notch, so I am told. I don't even want to know what that means. More later...</div>bikracrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07470285296787197817noreply@blogger.com0