I've heard people take about starting a race with a book of matches. Each effort that goes above your lactate threshold burns a match. The longer you stay there, the more matches you burn. Once your matchbook is empty, your race is done.
I did a little match burning experiment this morning. Because of the blizzard outside this weekend I am resigned to riding in the basement once again. I'd rather ride outside, but it's just not possible to get a hard, safe workout in the current conditions.
So I did my blackout interval workout again. But this time, instead of ramping to zone 5B-5C in the last two minutes of the last cruise interval, I did in first cruise interval. The first one went OK, although I noticed that I'd dug a hole deep enough that the two-minute recovery didn't go very far. The second interval felt OK, but the last two-minute ramp really started to hurt, and the two-minute recovery barely got below zone three. The same happened on the third interval.
Finally on the last interval, I was not even able to pull hard enough to get beyond zone 5A. I was spent. I finished it out, but my matchbook was empty. That is probably as close to race level exertion as I am going to get in the basement.
Tomorrow is the last day of my third base period, so I've got a rest week coming. I figured I could safely blow out some cobwebs, and have plenty of time to get it back next week.
Team 14 is having training camps the next two weekends. The roadie camp is in Des Moines next weekend, and a mountain bike camp is in southern Iowa the following weekend. Both should be great workouts, and lots of fun!
Note to self - it's time dust off the race bikes.
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5 comments:
Ever thought of buying a blow torch?
Joking. %^)
Seriously, that sounds like a tough work out. Great work Paul!
You are going to join us on the SOS ride right? At least for the 75 miler! You deserve some redemption on that part of the course!
Sorry Paul. I probably won't be going on the SOS ride. I've come to realize that I'm just not a long (>5 hours) distance bike rider.
I know that ride owes me something, but I just don't know if I have that kind of ride in me. Even if I did, I'm not sure it would be a good idea two weeks before the first IMBCS race.
IMBCS!!????!!! Shit! Now start the nerves and no bike to ride yet. Parts and pieces arriving weekly. I hope it's together in time.
Relax, that's still almost six weeks away. There will be plenty of time for nerves later.
...please where can I buy a unicorn?
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