Three hours fast and hard were on tap for this morning's training ride. Needless to say, it didn't happen. First up the readings from the PT hub were intermittent, which really perturbed me! Nothing like cruising a long with inconsistent/no data! I looped back around to the house, swapped wheels... and off I went. Secondly, my iPod mini tends to have a mind of its own at times. For absolutely NO reason, it'll choose 3 artist, and only play those artists. My playlist or today featured 43 songs by several different artists. I think only 18 or so of the 43 tunes actually played. It's quite bizarre... there will be a long pause between songs, and chances are the next artist is the same as the one before. Today the iPod was on a junction, agents of good roots, and ryan adams kick... completely ignoring several other artists. Third the legs were dead... and not moving very fast or hard. So I turned around and spun home... perturbed.
Casey Auto Group Crit blog coming soon.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
satisfied.
I'm satisfied with this past weekend. A little disappointed in missing the break that rode away on KOA. I was there... all I needed was a couple extra turns of the crank... and I would've been there. "KOA Hill" is an ugly monster of a climb near the end of the JRVS training ride. It's ugly, it opens up with a false flat, then a steep wall, and finishes with a relatively mild grade to the top.
Anyways, the ride was pretty good on Sunday. Fairly well rested, I was ready to roll. I told myself I'd ride angry... but try to save some anger for the end. The roll out started well and steady... heavy with conversation. Although Todd Helmick was absent, there were still a few heavy-hitters: Cam, Stephen DeLisle, Chris, Dave Rushing, et al. Overall, I was aggressive, but not stupid. Usually my efforts early on cost me dearly by the time we get to "Stonehouse Hill"... but I was wise to monistor my efforts closely. I rode Stonehouse aggressively... hitting the base of the climb with Cam and Stephen, then launching a few soft attacks once the group reintegrated in order to move up the climb (and to regain my tenacity of climbs!). For reference, by "soft attacks"... I intended to get a little off the front, but never try to stick it. Nevertheless, I was happy to arrive at the top of Stonehouse in the group; the past few efforts were marred by my lack of fast paced rides: I was ready this time.
After Stonehouse, we slowed the pace a bit before picking things back up through the "Roubaix section". The Roubaix section features horrible pavement and twisty roads... my kind of roads. Roubaix was fun. Next up was KOA.
KOA broke up the ride pretty well. Cam, Stephen, and Chris got away with a gap. A small group of us gave chase. We were able to organize a rotating paceline... slowly bringing them back. Eventually the pulls at 30mph began to wear down the group... leaving Dave Rushing and I taking longer pulls at the front. As we were on the verge of catching them... an old Caddy pulled right out in front of us... forcing us to all but come to a complete stop. After the caddy, Dave Rushing and I broke away to give chase. We were able to close the gap to just a few seconds when the sprint started. Cam took the sprint easily, but we never caught them... we just barely missed the catch and were waaaay too gassed to sprint anyways. After the sprint, we reunited... crusing back to the Waller Mill parking lot under and umbrella of conversation.
After the ride, Cam was nice and bought Chris and I smoothies. We hung out at the BikeBeat in the 'burg briefly with Chris and Steve (who finished with the main group). I dropped off Cam... then swung by the Beat in Kiln Creek about arrangements for this Saturday. After that, I helped my Dad move some firewood... ate Easter dinner with the family... then hit the road for Salem (leaving Katie behind!).
Peaking?
Anyways, the ride was pretty good on Sunday. Fairly well rested, I was ready to roll. I told myself I'd ride angry... but try to save some anger for the end. The roll out started well and steady... heavy with conversation. Although Todd Helmick was absent, there were still a few heavy-hitters: Cam, Stephen DeLisle, Chris, Dave Rushing, et al. Overall, I was aggressive, but not stupid. Usually my efforts early on cost me dearly by the time we get to "Stonehouse Hill"... but I was wise to monistor my efforts closely. I rode Stonehouse aggressively... hitting the base of the climb with Cam and Stephen, then launching a few soft attacks once the group reintegrated in order to move up the climb (and to regain my tenacity of climbs!). For reference, by "soft attacks"... I intended to get a little off the front, but never try to stick it. Nevertheless, I was happy to arrive at the top of Stonehouse in the group; the past few efforts were marred by my lack of fast paced rides: I was ready this time.
After Stonehouse, we slowed the pace a bit before picking things back up through the "Roubaix section". The Roubaix section features horrible pavement and twisty roads... my kind of roads. Roubaix was fun. Next up was KOA.
KOA broke up the ride pretty well. Cam, Stephen, and Chris got away with a gap. A small group of us gave chase. We were able to organize a rotating paceline... slowly bringing them back. Eventually the pulls at 30mph began to wear down the group... leaving Dave Rushing and I taking longer pulls at the front. As we were on the verge of catching them... an old Caddy pulled right out in front of us... forcing us to all but come to a complete stop. After the caddy, Dave Rushing and I broke away to give chase. We were able to close the gap to just a few seconds when the sprint started. Cam took the sprint easily, but we never caught them... we just barely missed the catch and were waaaay too gassed to sprint anyways. After the sprint, we reunited... crusing back to the Waller Mill parking lot under and umbrella of conversation.
After the ride, Cam was nice and bought Chris and I smoothies. We hung out at the BikeBeat in the 'burg briefly with Chris and Steve (who finished with the main group). I dropped off Cam... then swung by the Beat in Kiln Creek about arrangements for this Saturday. After that, I helped my Dad move some firewood... ate Easter dinner with the family... then hit the road for Salem (leaving Katie behind!).
Peaking?
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
-7 degrees
It's good to feel good again. It's bad that I have exhuasted my supply of allergy medicine; hopefully I'll have that problem remedied tomorrow morning.
I flipped my stem, so it's once again a negative rise. I know that it is biomechanically counterproductive for me to do so... but to be honest, as a crit racer, I did not like the way it handled flipped positive. Perhaps for the occasional mountain timetrial I'll flip it, but for general training and racing, I'll keep it low. Besides... I went out today and posted my highest average zone 2 watts, so it can't be that bad.
I'm really looking forward to this weekend. While it's still to be determined when we'll arrive in Yorktown, I'm very much looking forward to Sunday's JRVS/Casey Auto Group training ride. Cam says, "Bring my race wheels and ticket puncher". We'll see who gets their tickets punched. I'm ready for a good ride, I'll be rested and feeling good. Oh yeah... and I get to spend Easter with my family too.
I flipped my stem, so it's once again a negative rise. I know that it is biomechanically counterproductive for me to do so... but to be honest, as a crit racer, I did not like the way it handled flipped positive. Perhaps for the occasional mountain timetrial I'll flip it, but for general training and racing, I'll keep it low. Besides... I went out today and posted my highest average zone 2 watts, so it can't be that bad.
I'm really looking forward to this weekend. While it's still to be determined when we'll arrive in Yorktown, I'm very much looking forward to Sunday's JRVS/Casey Auto Group training ride. Cam says, "Bring my race wheels and ticket puncher". We'll see who gets their tickets punched. I'm ready for a good ride, I'll be rested and feeling good. Oh yeah... and I get to spend Easter with my family too.
Monday, April 10, 2006
HCC
The Hampton Roads Cycling Classic kicked off and wrapped up this weekend. A windy April weekend played host to the events this year (quite the contrast from last year's oppressively hot July event). Saturday featured a 16 mile time trial in Smithfield; while Sunday featured the Conte's Classic (formerly the Ford Classic) in downtown Norfolk at Waterside.
Katie and I arrived in Yorktown shortly after 1am Saturday morning... I needed to be up at 5:30 in order to eat and get to to Smithfield on time. A little groggy, I finally got to bed at about 1:45... set the alarm, but didn't turn it on. Amazingly I awoke at 5:40, still groggy, but impressed I woke up without an alarm. I showered, dressed, top off the gas tank, then hit the McDonald's drivethru for a Nusbaumer breakfast (hot cakes).
I arrived in Smithfield in record timing... it really is amazing how much time is saved when 80% of traffic lights are green. I expected to be TT'ing in the rain, but fortunately the weather held out, and it was windy. Very windy... crosswinds, headwinds... more headwinds, and only ONE short stretch with a tailwind. I'm glad that I didn't ride a disc wheel (not that I own one)... I don't think they provided a significant advantage. I was also glad that my rear Reynolds Stratus with a hole n the rim held up (I'm not using it for mass starts... so don't worry).
After warming up and gettig ready, I was reminded of a lesson that I know all so well (and usually avoid these situations). My TT helmet (a Louis Garneau Rocket) had been stored in a closet since September... I took it out of its bag to find the shell slightly deformed and the straps extremely out of whack. Scrambling, I tried to get it wearable, only to have a 7 inch piece of the strap dangling. I wrapped that around the other straps and was on my way to the start.
I arrived late to the start, still putting my gloves on. They told me to come to a stop, put a foot down, and go. So I did. For the first 200 meters of the TT, I was putting my gloves on and making all neccessary adjustments. I'm not 100% sure how late I was to the start, or exactly how much time I lost fumbling around after the start. In sum, I don't think it made a huge difference, as I'm not a great time trialer (although I did a decent Mill Mt. TT last year); so a win wasn't lost here. I ended up 13th... snagging a couple of BAR points.
I awoke Sunday and turned on the local news for the weather... it's remarkable how much can change overnight: the day was going to be cooler and windier. I got there early, relaxed, warmed up... and was ready to go. The Norfolk course is tough and technical, a good candidate for a breakaway. In each of the races I watched (Women's 1/2/3&4, Cat 4, Men's 1/2/3) and our race, a breakaway succeeded. Very impressive when you consider the windy conditions.
I was disappointed in my legs not showing up 100% for the day, but all things considered, it's alright. Early on Chris took a solo flyer off the front for a few laps. I moved up to the front, determined to cover any chase attempts. There were several attempts, instigated by Seigler Imports and Hilton's Stephen DeLisle. My goal was to latch onto any of these attempts, hopefully bridging up to Chris, creating a big break with at least two JRVS/Casey Auto Group riders in it without me chasing Chris down. It was a good break attempt, and Chris at least got a prime out of it. Maybe next time it'll work out better in our favor.
Eventually a break of 5 got clear of the field in our race, and a solo rider chased in purgatory for 6th. Eventually the gap became insurmountable, and we gave up chase. The last few laps, I was hurting pretty bad, I really wanted the field sprint, but unfortunately could not force my way into the position I wanted (Ie I started the sprint from waaay back).
Chris and I shared a razor thin line betwen a rider moving over and a curb/sidewalk that jutted out into the lane. Both of us shared the same logic... either brake and coast to the line, or coast through between the rider and the curb with zero margin for error. We chose the curb line... interrupting our soon to be sprint (our pedals would have clipped the curb)... then starting the sprint really early. In the end we didn't catch the guys with a clear line to the finsh, but we did pass quite a few. I came across the line in 10th with Chris, Ken, Dave Olds, and Dave Rushing in tow. It was frustrating not to have at least one man in the break... but with every race I try to learn at least one lesson. Lesson learned; a kamikaze effort would've been approrpiate in the case to get into the break (for anybody on the team); even if I couldn't hang... then Casey Auto Group would've had a shot at victory. I was glad to have Rushing in our race, he's a vet racer with a lot of experience, and pointed out some things we could've done differently in the end that would've ensure at least a little more success.
Rest week, the home for Easter... see you all at Waller Mill for the ride.
Katie and I arrived in Yorktown shortly after 1am Saturday morning... I needed to be up at 5:30 in order to eat and get to to Smithfield on time. A little groggy, I finally got to bed at about 1:45... set the alarm, but didn't turn it on. Amazingly I awoke at 5:40, still groggy, but impressed I woke up without an alarm. I showered, dressed, top off the gas tank, then hit the McDonald's drivethru for a Nusbaumer breakfast (hot cakes).
I arrived in Smithfield in record timing... it really is amazing how much time is saved when 80% of traffic lights are green. I expected to be TT'ing in the rain, but fortunately the weather held out, and it was windy. Very windy... crosswinds, headwinds... more headwinds, and only ONE short stretch with a tailwind. I'm glad that I didn't ride a disc wheel (not that I own one)... I don't think they provided a significant advantage. I was also glad that my rear Reynolds Stratus with a hole n the rim held up (I'm not using it for mass starts... so don't worry).
After warming up and gettig ready, I was reminded of a lesson that I know all so well (and usually avoid these situations). My TT helmet (a Louis Garneau Rocket) had been stored in a closet since September... I took it out of its bag to find the shell slightly deformed and the straps extremely out of whack. Scrambling, I tried to get it wearable, only to have a 7 inch piece of the strap dangling. I wrapped that around the other straps and was on my way to the start.
I arrived late to the start, still putting my gloves on. They told me to come to a stop, put a foot down, and go. So I did. For the first 200 meters of the TT, I was putting my gloves on and making all neccessary adjustments. I'm not 100% sure how late I was to the start, or exactly how much time I lost fumbling around after the start. In sum, I don't think it made a huge difference, as I'm not a great time trialer (although I did a decent Mill Mt. TT last year); so a win wasn't lost here. I ended up 13th... snagging a couple of BAR points.
I awoke Sunday and turned on the local news for the weather... it's remarkable how much can change overnight: the day was going to be cooler and windier. I got there early, relaxed, warmed up... and was ready to go. The Norfolk course is tough and technical, a good candidate for a breakaway. In each of the races I watched (Women's 1/2/3&4, Cat 4, Men's 1/2/3) and our race, a breakaway succeeded. Very impressive when you consider the windy conditions.
I was disappointed in my legs not showing up 100% for the day, but all things considered, it's alright. Early on Chris took a solo flyer off the front for a few laps. I moved up to the front, determined to cover any chase attempts. There were several attempts, instigated by Seigler Imports and Hilton's Stephen DeLisle. My goal was to latch onto any of these attempts, hopefully bridging up to Chris, creating a big break with at least two JRVS/Casey Auto Group riders in it without me chasing Chris down. It was a good break attempt, and Chris at least got a prime out of it. Maybe next time it'll work out better in our favor.
Eventually a break of 5 got clear of the field in our race, and a solo rider chased in purgatory for 6th. Eventually the gap became insurmountable, and we gave up chase. The last few laps, I was hurting pretty bad, I really wanted the field sprint, but unfortunately could not force my way into the position I wanted (Ie I started the sprint from waaay back).
Chris and I shared a razor thin line betwen a rider moving over and a curb/sidewalk that jutted out into the lane. Both of us shared the same logic... either brake and coast to the line, or coast through between the rider and the curb with zero margin for error. We chose the curb line... interrupting our soon to be sprint (our pedals would have clipped the curb)... then starting the sprint really early. In the end we didn't catch the guys with a clear line to the finsh, but we did pass quite a few. I came across the line in 10th with Chris, Ken, Dave Olds, and Dave Rushing in tow. It was frustrating not to have at least one man in the break... but with every race I try to learn at least one lesson. Lesson learned; a kamikaze effort would've been approrpiate in the case to get into the break (for anybody on the team); even if I couldn't hang... then Casey Auto Group would've had a shot at victory. I was glad to have Rushing in our race, he's a vet racer with a lot of experience, and pointed out some things we could've done differently in the end that would've ensure at least a little more success.
Rest week, the home for Easter... see you all at Waller Mill for the ride.
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Doh!!!!!!
I thought about staying indoors and riding the trainer this morning. In hindsight, I wish I had. Windy days and intervals don't mix, but I was determined to attempt them nevertheless; itt was also pretty chilly this morning (after having a taste of 70+ degrees you don't want to go back!). I'll go right ahead and admit it: I took a spill this morning.
Most mornings I begin my ride with a decent from the neighborhood that features an off-camber (waaaay off camber) switchback with quite a bit of drop. Most mornings I try to see just how far I can lean the bike over. This morning I pushed the bike waaaaaay over... I think a piece of gravel decided to ruin my physics experiment in cornering. I slid a bit... ruining my team bibs in the process (at least they weren't my brand new ones!), watched the PT CPU pop off and slide... and watch the Klein slide right into the curb. I briefly assessed the damage, picked up the bike... turned around andlimped home. Total damage: scuffed saddle (a hard to find old school Concor Light!), scuffed shifter (no biggie, I knew it was inevitable), popped out a bzzzkill (no worries... it slides right back in), road rash, a sore elbow, and a bruised ego. Fortunately the ego will bounce back... and I'll have my finish line tenacity restored.
For a while my day seemed determined to nose dive into some sort of kamikaze mission. Fortunately, total disaster was avoided. Things were pretty busy at the shop early on.. meaning that my service work for the day was having to take a backseat (fortunately I was able to get everything done). Also, I blew up an inner tube fore the first time in a loooooong time; for a moment all I heard was ringing in the ears.
It's nearing closing time, and I'm looking forward to going home, seeing Katie and the boys (Target & Walker), eating dinner, and then finally giving this morning's workout a shot on the trainer. We'll see.
54x11 Sunday?!
Most mornings I begin my ride with a decent from the neighborhood that features an off-camber (waaaay off camber) switchback with quite a bit of drop. Most mornings I try to see just how far I can lean the bike over. This morning I pushed the bike waaaaaay over... I think a piece of gravel decided to ruin my physics experiment in cornering. I slid a bit... ruining my team bibs in the process (at least they weren't my brand new ones!), watched the PT CPU pop off and slide... and watch the Klein slide right into the curb. I briefly assessed the damage, picked up the bike... turned around andlimped home. Total damage: scuffed saddle (a hard to find old school Concor Light!), scuffed shifter (no biggie, I knew it was inevitable), popped out a bzzzkill (no worries... it slides right back in), road rash, a sore elbow, and a bruised ego. Fortunately the ego will bounce back... and I'll have my finish line tenacity restored.
For a while my day seemed determined to nose dive into some sort of kamikaze mission. Fortunately, total disaster was avoided. Things were pretty busy at the shop early on.. meaning that my service work for the day was having to take a backseat (fortunately I was able to get everything done). Also, I blew up an inner tube fore the first time in a loooooong time; for a moment all I heard was ringing in the ears.
It's nearing closing time, and I'm looking forward to going home, seeing Katie and the boys (Target & Walker), eating dinner, and then finally giving this morning's workout a shot on the trainer. We'll see.
54x11 Sunday?!
Monday, April 03, 2006
testing: 1...2...3...
Yesterday I did my first Cat 1/2/3 race. It was fast... and oh so smooth. The Tyson's Corner Circuit race: 1.1 miles with a fast downhil backside and long grinding start/finish stretch. Katie and my cousin Ryan can verify that I was actually smiling for the first few laps; I felt at home. I'm glad promoters occasionally allow 3's in with the 1/2's... it's a great learning experience. Anyways, I lasted about halfway through the race before pulling out.
I awoke early Sunday morning with already tired legs. I'm in Build 2, with loads of intervals... by the weekend the legs don't seem to have much zip. No worries though. During the Cat 3 race, I tried to stay near the action, joining promising moves.. but to no avail. I knew I didn't have the legs to ride in a small break, but if I could get in a decent group, it would be a matter of "institutional imperitive" (do as little as possible while getting the job done). Needless to say, I missed the move of the day. A group of 9 made the split, eventually getting a gap of 40 seconds on the field. Rockville Harley Davidison tried blocking the field from chasing... at least that's what I think they were doing. It was as if sometimes the were chasing full throttle... an others the refused to pull through. I attempted to organize a chase; but came up empty handed. On the final lap I moved up to my usual spot near the front. Evolution had a train of guys trying to blast through the back side of the course for a lead out. Being the oportunist that I can be, I got in behind them. Unfortunately their second man ran out of steam, causing a swarm on both sides of us (talk about a blown lead out!). I sat up and finished at the tailend of the reduced field.
The 1/2/3 race was great... I know if I had not done the 3 race, finishing would not have been a problem. Who knows? Maybe I could've followed the right wheel to be up near the front atthe finish? The race ended up in a field sprint... my coach and mentor Cam lost by just a tire width. So close... he had it until the final few meters. There was a crash in the sprint... amazingly only one guy went down.
After the race; Katie, Ryan, and I enjoyed dinner at the TGI Friday's in Tysons. Check out the Jack Daniels burger sometime... very delicious. We ate, chatted, then finally parted. It's always great to mix bike racing and family. The drive home wasn'ttoo bad, but finally became tedious halfway down 81. Nevertheless, we arrived home safely.
This weekend I'll be at the Hampton Roads Cycling Classic... the Smithfield TT on Saturday (finally a TT under 40k!), and the Conte's Classic in downtown Norfolk Sunday. Sunday's course is great: 180 degree turn, cobbles, and a loooong (and misleading) finishing stretch.
53x11? We'll see Sunday.
I awoke early Sunday morning with already tired legs. I'm in Build 2, with loads of intervals... by the weekend the legs don't seem to have much zip. No worries though. During the Cat 3 race, I tried to stay near the action, joining promising moves.. but to no avail. I knew I didn't have the legs to ride in a small break, but if I could get in a decent group, it would be a matter of "institutional imperitive" (do as little as possible while getting the job done). Needless to say, I missed the move of the day. A group of 9 made the split, eventually getting a gap of 40 seconds on the field. Rockville Harley Davidison tried blocking the field from chasing... at least that's what I think they were doing. It was as if sometimes the were chasing full throttle... an others the refused to pull through. I attempted to organize a chase; but came up empty handed. On the final lap I moved up to my usual spot near the front. Evolution had a train of guys trying to blast through the back side of the course for a lead out. Being the oportunist that I can be, I got in behind them. Unfortunately their second man ran out of steam, causing a swarm on both sides of us (talk about a blown lead out!). I sat up and finished at the tailend of the reduced field.
The 1/2/3 race was great... I know if I had not done the 3 race, finishing would not have been a problem. Who knows? Maybe I could've followed the right wheel to be up near the front atthe finish? The race ended up in a field sprint... my coach and mentor Cam lost by just a tire width. So close... he had it until the final few meters. There was a crash in the sprint... amazingly only one guy went down.
After the race; Katie, Ryan, and I enjoyed dinner at the TGI Friday's in Tysons. Check out the Jack Daniels burger sometime... very delicious. We ate, chatted, then finally parted. It's always great to mix bike racing and family. The drive home wasn'ttoo bad, but finally became tedious halfway down 81. Nevertheless, we arrived home safely.
This weekend I'll be at the Hampton Roads Cycling Classic... the Smithfield TT on Saturday (finally a TT under 40k!), and the Conte's Classic in downtown Norfolk Sunday. Sunday's course is great: 180 degree turn, cobbles, and a loooong (and misleading) finishing stretch.
53x11? We'll see Sunday.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
It's Wednesday already?
I cleaned my drivetrain the other night; put a fresh new 10 speed chain(stripped of the factory gunk) on, cleaned the rings, cassette... everything (cleaned off the pulleys... didn't feel like stripping them). I wish I had taken a picture... it was CLEAN! It sparkled, and boy did it feel good during Tuesday morning's cruise intervals.
Hmm... as for Jeff Cup; not much to report. I made it until the 3rd lap when I got gapped on one of the hills. After getting popped, I dropped out, as I didn't feel like rding two more laps off pace. The race was fast... but I wasn't drifting from the front to the back effectively on the climbs.
Allergy-wise, I seem to be getting back on track. After a week and a half, the allergy medicine is finally kicking in; I feel much better. The past couple of days' workouts have been outstanding... I'm once again crushing the intervals. Watch out.
According to the rumor mill... junction will be opening for Agents of Good Roots in Charlottesville this June. Both bands reuniting for one night? I'll have to make a call or two.
Tyson's Corner this weekend.
Hmm... as for Jeff Cup; not much to report. I made it until the 3rd lap when I got gapped on one of the hills. After getting popped, I dropped out, as I didn't feel like rding two more laps off pace. The race was fast... but I wasn't drifting from the front to the back effectively on the climbs.
Allergy-wise, I seem to be getting back on track. After a week and a half, the allergy medicine is finally kicking in; I feel much better. The past couple of days' workouts have been outstanding... I'm once again crushing the intervals. Watch out.
According to the rumor mill... junction will be opening for Agents of Good Roots in Charlottesville this June. Both bands reuniting for one night? I'll have to make a call or two.
Tyson's Corner this weekend.
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Agents of Good Roots
Did anybody else have trouble sleeping last night? I sure did... I slept like a rock for a few hours, and the tossed and turned for the remainder. I decided to procrastinate on my workout today... instead of riding the trainer doing sub-thershold intervals this morning, I'll do them tonight. Not really looking forward to it... but it's a trainer specific workout. I'd love to have a trainer with built in programmable power so that I could set it at the right output with no deviation. But I suppose riding the trainer with a PT is better than nothing! I've just got to keep a keen eye on the power output. We have a CompuTrainer here at work that would make a great tool; sometime I'll make use of it. I look forward to running the SpinScan sometime soon; I scored pretty well last time, and hopefully well show improvement next time. I finally feel like I'm getting smooth on the bike again... I was a little rough for a couple of weeks.
I rediscovered on of the greatest bands ever a couple weeks ago. I've never forgotten about them; I just had not been relying on CD's while driving. Agents of Good Roots. That's all there is to say. One of, if not the best and most talents acts to come out of Virginia. Unfortunately they disbanded a few years ago. They were briefly signed to RCA, with some success on Modern Rock and Adult Alternative Contemporary with two completely different songs. It was their live show that really made AGR. Completely different from night to night, with no telling what to expect from show to show. I know I must have seen them at least 80, if not 100 times... never once was the show the same. It's not like some Phish or Panic thing either... they weren't really a jam band, although it was easy to label them as so. They were very much a jazz induced rock band, and definitely not strangers to improv. The amount of musical talent on stage was astonishing, and very complimentary... it was musical magic in the making. Their final album, recorded for RCA but independently released, was a definite show piece for what they could achieve. Needle and Thread is amazing, "Shotdown" brings back memories of Wednesday nights at Alley Katz... I've NEVER heard a band capture the live feeling of a song in the studio! Simply amazing. I often though Agents of Good Roots were at least 5 years ahead of their time, listening to Needle and Thread, I found myself thinking, "This stuff is pretty relevent now!" Not that their music was ever irrelevant (although a stint with a different bass player made them more a jam band briefly)... but I think the album could be successful finally in 2006; it was recorded in late 1999. If you see a used copy at a music store or online, snag it.
Where'd you get that vibe?
I rediscovered on of the greatest bands ever a couple weeks ago. I've never forgotten about them; I just had not been relying on CD's while driving. Agents of Good Roots. That's all there is to say. One of, if not the best and most talents acts to come out of Virginia. Unfortunately they disbanded a few years ago. They were briefly signed to RCA, with some success on Modern Rock and Adult Alternative Contemporary with two completely different songs. It was their live show that really made AGR. Completely different from night to night, with no telling what to expect from show to show. I know I must have seen them at least 80, if not 100 times... never once was the show the same. It's not like some Phish or Panic thing either... they weren't really a jam band, although it was easy to label them as so. They were very much a jazz induced rock band, and definitely not strangers to improv. The amount of musical talent on stage was astonishing, and very complimentary... it was musical magic in the making. Their final album, recorded for RCA but independently released, was a definite show piece for what they could achieve. Needle and Thread is amazing, "Shotdown" brings back memories of Wednesday nights at Alley Katz... I've NEVER heard a band capture the live feeling of a song in the studio! Simply amazing. I often though Agents of Good Roots were at least 5 years ahead of their time, listening to Needle and Thread, I found myself thinking, "This stuff is pretty relevent now!" Not that their music was ever irrelevant (although a stint with a different bass player made them more a jam band briefly)... but I think the album could be successful finally in 2006; it was recorded in late 1999. If you see a used copy at a music store or online, snag it.
Where'd you get that vibe?
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
5x5's
Today marks the first Wednesday of the year I've done intervals. Today's prescription was a 5x5 workout, with 4 minutes of rest between the five intervals of five minutes. It was downright cold this morning. As usual, I watched the temperature drop from 32 at 6:30 this morning to 29 when I left at 7:30. I still haven't completely figured that one out... since sunrise is a bit before 6:30 these days. The high winds skewed the tems even more... with a frigid windchill.
I tooled around town a bit, just warming up before heading over to the Hanging Rock area. Kessler's Mill Rd. and Rt. 311 were to be the battlefield for the intervals. The first two were directly into the wind. The wind definately made things frustrating, as I was in my 39t cog, going 16-19mph at 330 watts. It almost made me laugh. As I reached the approach up Catawba mountain, it was time to ride with the wind. What a difference a friendly breeze makes, I was flying... much much faster. It felt pretty good, although it was definately chilly!
At the end of the 3rd interval, I almost witnessed a horrible accident. Traffic was stopped on 311 (a two lane road) for a turning vehicle. A huge pickup truck didn't see the brake lights and stopped cars, forcing him to thread the needle. He slammed on the brakes, swung off the road, onto the shoulder (skidding a bit), and then continued on past the stopped cares on the shoulder. Quite the impressive display of last second handling, but something a littlle bit of attention would have prevented the situation entirely. After some hindsight, I am glad I am not one of those riders that squeezes past stopped cars on the shoulder... had I continued on the shoulder this morning, I would've been lucky to be in Intensive Care. A little courtesy and patience on the road goes a long way.
The final two intervals were tough, but completed nontheless. No big drama, no excitement, just a lot of focus and some minor drooling. Today I eschewed monitoring my heartrate during the efforts (although the PT was recording HR), just focusing on Time and Power. I also audtioned some of the new team clothing. I'm glad I ended up getting the thermal jacket... it may not be the most techincally advanced, but it kept me warm and looks good. The bib shorts remained the same; although the jersey seems to have a bit more room in the torso. I'm beginning to look forward to Sunday's Jeff Cup, making my Cat 3 debut. That's all for now.
Get the dirt off your shoulder.
I tooled around town a bit, just warming up before heading over to the Hanging Rock area. Kessler's Mill Rd. and Rt. 311 were to be the battlefield for the intervals. The first two were directly into the wind. The wind definately made things frustrating, as I was in my 39t cog, going 16-19mph at 330 watts. It almost made me laugh. As I reached the approach up Catawba mountain, it was time to ride with the wind. What a difference a friendly breeze makes, I was flying... much much faster. It felt pretty good, although it was definately chilly!
At the end of the 3rd interval, I almost witnessed a horrible accident. Traffic was stopped on 311 (a two lane road) for a turning vehicle. A huge pickup truck didn't see the brake lights and stopped cars, forcing him to thread the needle. He slammed on the brakes, swung off the road, onto the shoulder (skidding a bit), and then continued on past the stopped cares on the shoulder. Quite the impressive display of last second handling, but something a littlle bit of attention would have prevented the situation entirely. After some hindsight, I am glad I am not one of those riders that squeezes past stopped cars on the shoulder... had I continued on the shoulder this morning, I would've been lucky to be in Intensive Care. A little courtesy and patience on the road goes a long way.
The final two intervals were tough, but completed nontheless. No big drama, no excitement, just a lot of focus and some minor drooling. Today I eschewed monitoring my heartrate during the efforts (although the PT was recording HR), just focusing on Time and Power. I also audtioned some of the new team clothing. I'm glad I ended up getting the thermal jacket... it may not be the most techincally advanced, but it kept me warm and looks good. The bib shorts remained the same; although the jersey seems to have a bit more room in the torso. I'm beginning to look forward to Sunday's Jeff Cup, making my Cat 3 debut. That's all for now.
Get the dirt off your shoulder.
Monday, March 20, 2006
implosion!
Winter is back! Just in time for Spring. Today is chilly and overcast... tomorrow low to mid 30's with a broad range of precipitation: rain, freezing rain, snow, and sleet. The weather for my rest week could not of been much better for this time of year (go figure it was a rest week!). Tomorrow it looks like I'll be a slave to the trainer. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for epic rides in extreme weather conditions; but I've already had my taste of warm weather, and my body no longer accepts the cold and precipitation.
Yesterday I did the 1:00 group ride. I imploded. It could've been due to the fact that it was faster and more climbing than I'm accustomed too at this point in the year; although i suspect it may be allergies. The symptoms seem to be the same every year, unrecoverably high heart rate, sinus crud, breathing difficulty, and a few others. Oh well, the trick is to try and get things under control... the key word being "try". Hopefully it'll work out. It is kind of ironic though... during interval workouts I have been having trouble getting the heart rate up... now it just goes up and doesn't come back down very easily!
Yesterday I did the 1:00 group ride. I imploded. It could've been due to the fact that it was faster and more climbing than I'm accustomed too at this point in the year; although i suspect it may be allergies. The symptoms seem to be the same every year, unrecoverably high heart rate, sinus crud, breathing difficulty, and a few others. Oh well, the trick is to try and get things under control... the key word being "try". Hopefully it'll work out. It is kind of ironic though... during interval workouts I have been having trouble getting the heart rate up... now it just goes up and doesn't come back down very easily!
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
weekend update
Finally, a chance to sit down and type a blog. This weekend went pretty well; as I returned to my flatlandish roots.
Saturday was supposed to be a quasi-lazy day for me, a chance to catch a mid-afternoon nap and recover from a restless week. It started out with a bang... the Saturday morning ride out of Kiln Creek featured a brisk and steady pace. After emerging on Cool Rd, I turned right as the group turned left... a few, including Pete and Pat, joined me. No regrets on turning a steady temp ride into a conversation pace ride-if only for a few minutes; we eventually were reintegrated into the group. I did get a couple good sprint-like jumps in Saturday morning, which did inspire some confidence for Sunday's race. On the downside, my HR did have trouble recovering after efforts on the ride, I casually chalked this up to lack of sleep the night before. Also of note, I tried the Jelly Belly Sport Beans... although they are very tasty, and definately provide a confectionary treat... I found myself with a bit of a sugar rush not long after consumption; better stick with the Hammer Gel (and the occasional Enervitene when push comes to shove).
As for the rest of Saturday, it was filled with good cookin'. For lunch, I met Jeff at the Mongolian BBQ in Williamsburg. What a delight... it was the best it's been since I can remember. Definately a bonus, as Jeff and I (and several others) used to raid that place on a regular basis in high school (especially on half days). Between the ride, a haircut, and lunch, an impromptu appearance at BB in Kiln Creek helped burnt some time I had to kill. I found some pretty smokin' Pearl Izumi RED shoe covers using their "Aerosensor" material. DW figured I'd be among the first to buy; he was right... he had just put them out on the floor that morning. Fortunately, I was able to dodge Gilly Garlow's marriage advice 101 this time. Oh yeah... they also updated the layout of the store... it looks great. I was very impressed. After lunch I stopped in to see the 'BurgBeat people, then home to wash the car and bike, and eat dinner with the parents and bestman Matt.
So Saturday turned out to be a marathon. Fortunately I was able to get a full night of sleep... made even better with the window open. Sunday turned out to be a hot 80-something degrees with relatively high humidity.
Chris and I met at Kiln Creek to carpool down to Chesapeake for the Snowball Crit #2. We had a good team meeting and warm up. I was able to secure a front line starting position, and the the race was off! Whoa... man, is my HR really that high!? "Uh oh..." is what I was thinking fairly early on. The 3/4 race turned out to be a bit faster than the previous Snowball, but that wasn't the problem, my HR would not recover! I repeatedly tried to move up to the front, and try to join my teammates in taking turns at the front, but I just couldn't move up far enough! It was even more frustrating when I was struggling just to hold the wheel in front of me! I finally shifted up a few gears to lower the cadence and thusly try to lower the HR; eventually I started to feel a little more comfortable... although I still had trouble moving up in the pack.
I don't even t hink I was in the top 20 as we hit the bell lap... not where you want to be if you want to have any chance to sprint in the end. Fortuantely, I managed to find Chris' wheel with just about half a lap to go, "PUNcH IT CHRIS!" Next thing I know, Chris has delivered me right onto Steve Simet's wheel. Perfect! Rounding the final turn, I shot out wide, sheltered from the wind at just the right time. BOOM! The first (remotely) explosive sprint of the year for me! I was able to obtain immediate separation and handily took the field sprint for 2nd. However, I hate to admit, I did not even know that a guy solo'ed in by a large margin (refer to my inability to move up). Apparently the guy attacked on lap 20 of 35, and put 25 seconds on the field in two laps. Not to shabby considering we were flying and it was windy. I also hate to admit that I nearly dropped out of the race; although I was determined to not let my teammates down as they agreed to help me... a win would've secured my Cat 3 upgrade.
On a positive, the field sprint gave me a significant boost in confidence. It confirmed that I've been working hard, and that the power and drive is there. On a negative, I feel horrible for not pulling my share of the load up front during the race. I can't recall ever really suffering that bad in a crit before... and not having much to show during the race. The sprint was great... and as usually, after a good sprint I just want to see straight, not puke, and get off the bike. I'm looking forward to more suffering in races... although a lot more productive suffering!
Yesterday's recovery spin was maared by wind. The wind managed to kick a leaf up into my brakes as if I was mountain biking in the fall. I also tried the Gatorade Endurance Formula sports beverage (lemon-lime)... it was tasty and fit in my water bottle. I forgot my bottle before the ride... I think it's still sitting right where I left it (unless Target or Walker knocked it over)
Restin' on a Rest week!
Saturday was supposed to be a quasi-lazy day for me, a chance to catch a mid-afternoon nap and recover from a restless week. It started out with a bang... the Saturday morning ride out of Kiln Creek featured a brisk and steady pace. After emerging on Cool Rd, I turned right as the group turned left... a few, including Pete and Pat, joined me. No regrets on turning a steady temp ride into a conversation pace ride-if only for a few minutes; we eventually were reintegrated into the group. I did get a couple good sprint-like jumps in Saturday morning, which did inspire some confidence for Sunday's race. On the downside, my HR did have trouble recovering after efforts on the ride, I casually chalked this up to lack of sleep the night before. Also of note, I tried the Jelly Belly Sport Beans... although they are very tasty, and definately provide a confectionary treat... I found myself with a bit of a sugar rush not long after consumption; better stick with the Hammer Gel (and the occasional Enervitene when push comes to shove).
As for the rest of Saturday, it was filled with good cookin'. For lunch, I met Jeff at the Mongolian BBQ in Williamsburg. What a delight... it was the best it's been since I can remember. Definately a bonus, as Jeff and I (and several others) used to raid that place on a regular basis in high school (especially on half days). Between the ride, a haircut, and lunch, an impromptu appearance at BB in Kiln Creek helped burnt some time I had to kill. I found some pretty smokin' Pearl Izumi RED shoe covers using their "Aerosensor" material. DW figured I'd be among the first to buy; he was right... he had just put them out on the floor that morning. Fortunately, I was able to dodge Gilly Garlow's marriage advice 101 this time. Oh yeah... they also updated the layout of the store... it looks great. I was very impressed. After lunch I stopped in to see the 'BurgBeat people, then home to wash the car and bike, and eat dinner with the parents and bestman Matt.
So Saturday turned out to be a marathon. Fortunately I was able to get a full night of sleep... made even better with the window open. Sunday turned out to be a hot 80-something degrees with relatively high humidity.
Chris and I met at Kiln Creek to carpool down to Chesapeake for the Snowball Crit #2. We had a good team meeting and warm up. I was able to secure a front line starting position, and the the race was off! Whoa... man, is my HR really that high!? "Uh oh..." is what I was thinking fairly early on. The 3/4 race turned out to be a bit faster than the previous Snowball, but that wasn't the problem, my HR would not recover! I repeatedly tried to move up to the front, and try to join my teammates in taking turns at the front, but I just couldn't move up far enough! It was even more frustrating when I was struggling just to hold the wheel in front of me! I finally shifted up a few gears to lower the cadence and thusly try to lower the HR; eventually I started to feel a little more comfortable... although I still had trouble moving up in the pack.
I don't even t hink I was in the top 20 as we hit the bell lap... not where you want to be if you want to have any chance to sprint in the end. Fortuantely, I managed to find Chris' wheel with just about half a lap to go, "PUNcH IT CHRIS!" Next thing I know, Chris has delivered me right onto Steve Simet's wheel. Perfect! Rounding the final turn, I shot out wide, sheltered from the wind at just the right time. BOOM! The first (remotely) explosive sprint of the year for me! I was able to obtain immediate separation and handily took the field sprint for 2nd. However, I hate to admit, I did not even know that a guy solo'ed in by a large margin (refer to my inability to move up). Apparently the guy attacked on lap 20 of 35, and put 25 seconds on the field in two laps. Not to shabby considering we were flying and it was windy. I also hate to admit that I nearly dropped out of the race; although I was determined to not let my teammates down as they agreed to help me... a win would've secured my Cat 3 upgrade.
On a positive, the field sprint gave me a significant boost in confidence. It confirmed that I've been working hard, and that the power and drive is there. On a negative, I feel horrible for not pulling my share of the load up front during the race. I can't recall ever really suffering that bad in a crit before... and not having much to show during the race. The sprint was great... and as usually, after a good sprint I just want to see straight, not puke, and get off the bike. I'm looking forward to more suffering in races... although a lot more productive suffering!
Yesterday's recovery spin was maared by wind. The wind managed to kick a leaf up into my brakes as if I was mountain biking in the fall. I also tried the Gatorade Endurance Formula sports beverage (lemon-lime)... it was tasty and fit in my water bottle. I forgot my bottle before the ride... I think it's still sitting right where I left it (unless Target or Walker knocked it over)
Restin' on a Rest week!
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
It's go time.
The race this past Sunday went well. I ended up 6th, not what I was hoping for, but not bad. I knew a break would eventually stay away, unfortunately I didn't make that particular break. Seigler Imports, Richmond Ciclismo, and Bike Works were very well represente din the field; launching several attacks until one stuck. Wade from NCVC and I tried to cover and stick to the dangerous looking attempts, but couldn't muster the energy to stick to the one that stuck. Oh well, Wade ended up getting me by half a wheel in the field sprint. Roger Hunt deserves a lot of credit for digging deep, bringing me up into postion with just a couple laps to go. Thanks again, Roger.
This weekend brings the last race before BAR time. The Snowball Crit #2. Looks like Casey Auto Group/JRVS will be extremely well represented in the 3/4 race. Unfortunately the strategy is classified; although I hope to reveal its success Sunday night or Monday morning.
that's all for now.
This weekend brings the last race before BAR time. The Snowball Crit #2. Looks like Casey Auto Group/JRVS will be extremely well represented in the 3/4 race. Unfortunately the strategy is classified; although I hope to reveal its success Sunday night or Monday morning.
that's all for now.
Friday, March 03, 2006
Thursday, March 02, 2006
thursday
It's 76 degrees outside... how nice it would be to be outside. Oh well, at least it's windy, so I'm not too jealous. Of course it will be cooler this weekend, but should not be anything like last weekend. I went to Walgreen's today to have a passport picture made... it's perhaps a marginal improvement over one I had made nice years ago. Other than that, not too much to report today, although I did finish my weight lifting (other than a few more heavily reduced workouts).
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Wednesday
It's Wednesday. I awoke this morning to a balmy 60 degrees. "Great" I thought, "It will be another nice arm ride," although the forecasted high for the day was in the 50's. Although my ride began at 60 degrees, the temperature dropped 13 degrees over the two hour period. It was a chilly (although still warm compared to most all mornings so far this year) 47 degrees. Strangely is was 70 degrees when I went to lunch, and 63 after lunch... strange.
This weekend's forecast looks to be much more comfortable than last weekend. The Sonny Hutchin's Memorial Crit is Sunday at the Southside Speedway in Midlothian. Hopefully I can improve on my result from Sunday. It'll be fast, and I hope it comes down to a field sprint.
This weekend's forecast looks to be much more comfortable than last weekend. The Sonny Hutchin's Memorial Crit is Sunday at the Southside Speedway in Midlothian. Hopefully I can improve on my result from Sunday. It'll be fast, and I hope it comes down to a field sprint.
Monday, February 27, 2006
Finally, the Season is Upon Us.
I'm quite happy now... it's racing season. The Virginia Cycling Association (formerly known as D42) kicked off the season with the first of two Snowball Crits yesterday. They have altered the categories a bit from last year; which I assume is from increased demand.
I did the Cat 3/4 race with quite a few teammates. It was windy, with a huge headwind coming down the Executive Dr. straightaway; I knew a break wouldn't have a chance in this race unless it was a big break. As seems to be the norm with the Snowball Crit, everybody flew down the start/finish stretch, while on the back straight of the course everybody sat up, causing swarm after swarm. I was very happy with my positioning throughout the race, despite the swarming, I was able to stay within striking distance at all times. A few guys tried to break away solo, or a couple at a time... but quickly found their efforts futile. Rick Young spent a little too much time at the front early on, he is flying for this time of year, and definately should've been there in the end. I kept myself out of the wind until the last lap, where I had to stick my nose into the breeze on the last headwind stretch (it was REALLY windy). The guy that won, shot hard out of the 2nd turn, opening a huge insurmountable gap. As the sprint started I lacked my explosiveness, but made up for it with a diesel-like effort to finish in 3rd. I'm satisfied with my result, it's early in the season, I just finished base mileage, and there were a lot of guys already flying. I'll be flying soon enough, I've learned to be very patient with my training this year.
Saturday I did the BikeBeat shop ride... a heavenly flat rout profile. It was a pretty good size group considering the windchill. Nevertheless, David Wilson was in hurt mode... although I hate to admit, soon enough just a handful of us were trading pulls... and it hurt.
I did the Cat 3/4 race with quite a few teammates. It was windy, with a huge headwind coming down the Executive Dr. straightaway; I knew a break wouldn't have a chance in this race unless it was a big break. As seems to be the norm with the Snowball Crit, everybody flew down the start/finish stretch, while on the back straight of the course everybody sat up, causing swarm after swarm. I was very happy with my positioning throughout the race, despite the swarming, I was able to stay within striking distance at all times. A few guys tried to break away solo, or a couple at a time... but quickly found their efforts futile. Rick Young spent a little too much time at the front early on, he is flying for this time of year, and definately should've been there in the end. I kept myself out of the wind until the last lap, where I had to stick my nose into the breeze on the last headwind stretch (it was REALLY windy). The guy that won, shot hard out of the 2nd turn, opening a huge insurmountable gap. As the sprint started I lacked my explosiveness, but made up for it with a diesel-like effort to finish in 3rd. I'm satisfied with my result, it's early in the season, I just finished base mileage, and there were a lot of guys already flying. I'll be flying soon enough, I've learned to be very patient with my training this year.
Saturday I did the BikeBeat shop ride... a heavenly flat rout profile. It was a pretty good size group considering the windchill. Nevertheless, David Wilson was in hurt mode... although I hate to admit, soon enough just a handful of us were trading pulls... and it hurt.
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
End of Monasticism
Everywhere I went it was nothing but headwinds. I figured an out and back course would involve some sort of polarization; but I was wrong... there must have been some funky crosswinds today.
Anyways, today was my first interval session of the year. The end of the monastic base period! Although I did break the silence with one group ride, and briefly rode with some friends out at Wintergreen, I can now integrate back into group rides... especially races! The Snowball Crit #1 is this weekend, I should be up for it physically. Ah, back to the intervals. It was chilly this morning; during my first cruise interval I think my arms went numb at some point. It was just warm enough to not warrant the heavy stuff, but cool enough to be tough on the arms. The second and third intervals went well. I tried my best to keep the power (classified) consistent. I was happy to be finished after the third one. I had to get out to Elliston and Shawsville (almost Christiansburg) to do my intervals, to my knowledge, that's the closest quasi-flat stretch that suitable for 8 minute efforts ( i hate the trainer).
Thursday's 20 minute criss cross intervals will be fun. Maybe not. Nevertheless, it's a necessary evil. Throw weights into the equation, and it's going to be a long morning of workouts.
Anyways, I think that's all for now. Hello to the occasional group ride and the races.
Anyways, today was my first interval session of the year. The end of the monastic base period! Although I did break the silence with one group ride, and briefly rode with some friends out at Wintergreen, I can now integrate back into group rides... especially races! The Snowball Crit #1 is this weekend, I should be up for it physically. Ah, back to the intervals. It was chilly this morning; during my first cruise interval I think my arms went numb at some point. It was just warm enough to not warrant the heavy stuff, but cool enough to be tough on the arms. The second and third intervals went well. I tried my best to keep the power (classified) consistent. I was happy to be finished after the third one. I had to get out to Elliston and Shawsville (almost Christiansburg) to do my intervals, to my knowledge, that's the closest quasi-flat stretch that suitable for 8 minute efforts ( i hate the trainer).
Thursday's 20 minute criss cross intervals will be fun. Maybe not. Nevertheless, it's a necessary evil. Throw weights into the equation, and it's going to be a long morning of workouts.
Anyways, I think that's all for now. Hello to the occasional group ride and the races.
Monday, February 20, 2006
"The Warm Pool is Closed Due to...
Accidental Defecation" That is the sign (printed and laminated) that greeted me as I signed into the YMCA this morning. Kinda disgusting, but pretty funny at the same time. At least it was the "Warm Pool" and not the Olympic pool. The "Warm Pool" is basically the kiddie pool, complete with the huge mushroom looking thing you see in water parks.
As for the workout, Mondays are now an optional recovery ride and the weights are now longer heavy... going back to the higher reps, lower sets. Nevertheless it snowed again last night, I figured a ride on the wet grimy roads would be counter productive (I'm trying to avoid getting sick). The low reps thing was cool, by the time I got past 10 reps today my muscles were cryin'. I guess all that matters is that I didn't quit, and I got everything done.
Tomorrow brings the first day of intervals this year. I'm excited. Although I must admit I am slightly hesitant, as I fear that I may have a little bit of a cold coming on. I've been lucky so far to keep illness at bay (especially compared to last year!). My resting HR has been high lately, although I am hoping it's a sleep related thing, and not a viral related bug.
Cruise intervals tomorrow, Zone 2 Wednesday, and criss cross intervals Thursday. Bring on the speed.
As for the workout, Mondays are now an optional recovery ride and the weights are now longer heavy... going back to the higher reps, lower sets. Nevertheless it snowed again last night, I figured a ride on the wet grimy roads would be counter productive (I'm trying to avoid getting sick). The low reps thing was cool, by the time I got past 10 reps today my muscles were cryin'. I guess all that matters is that I didn't quit, and I got everything done.
Tomorrow brings the first day of intervals this year. I'm excited. Although I must admit I am slightly hesitant, as I fear that I may have a little bit of a cold coming on. I've been lucky so far to keep illness at bay (especially compared to last year!). My resting HR has been high lately, although I am hoping it's a sleep related thing, and not a viral related bug.
Cruise intervals tomorrow, Zone 2 Wednesday, and criss cross intervals Thursday. Bring on the speed.
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