Enduance on a Calm Day

I was able to skip out of work early this afternoon with the idea of getting in a four hour endurance ride. The weather had finally calmed down, and winds weren’t blasting out of the northwest, so it was time. Since the conditions and the route were benign, I would again select the fixie. Sure, the miles of spinning would get to me, but they would be easy miles.

I headed east on 170th, but didn’t get far before smoke caught my eye.

With the calm day, the Story County parks crew was burning prairie. It was fun to watch from a distance:



It was more fun up close.



They tried to control it:


But it got away from them.


As fun as it was to watch the fire, I set out on my ride.

After a few miles I saw some evidence of another biker on 170th. Call me Sherlock, but this:


and this:

tells me someone else has been out here. If you recognize the blinky, let me know. I still have it.

My companions for today's ride . . . many, many dogs. They were all friendly:



By the way, 170th quits somewhere in Marshall county:


That is also where I also quit and turned for home.

Dirty Hill Repeats

After sitting around on the couch for a while complaining about how windy it was outside on Saturday, I finally went outside to get the full effect. I had decided to do some hill repeats on the backside of McFarland. I figured that would be sheltered from the wind. On the way out, who should I run into but Andrew Carney. He was doing a four-hour endurance ride around Story County. We chatted for a bit, and went our separate ways. I tried to do hill repeats on the backside of McFarland, but it was just too mucky. So I went back to a gravel hill near my place that was sheltered from the wind. I was an OK workout, but nothing to write home about. I was left wanting more.

On Sunday morning I headed for the same McFarland trails as I had tried on Saturday. Now they were nicely frozen. I did hill repeats for an hour, stopped to pick up sticks for a while, and did some more hill repeats after that. It was a very good workout.

But I didn’t feel as if I had enough redemptive suffering to repent for my wind-fearing ways. After a 1000 calorie Easter dinner and a nap, I set out on a 2 hour gravel-grinder on the fixie in the evening. It was to be the best ride of the weekend. It had hills, flats, a little wind, and some cruising. Sweet.

For next week I’ve got the Veishea race on Saturday, and the Sylvan Island race on Sunday. I’m on the fence regarding Veishea race, but I’m definitely racing at Sylvan Island. Veishea is in my back yard, and I know the course like the back of my hand, but a win there means very little to me. If that effort detracts from my effort on Sunday, then it is not worth it as Sylvan Island is a “B” race for me. As I have said, Sylvan Island is on a course that suits me (flat and technical). My early season fitness will also serve me well. We shall see . . . Either way I will be at the Veishea race to support my teammates.

Frontal Area, or, Why I Suck in the Wind

I went on another road ride today with Cory and Alex. It was brutally windy, the temps were right at freezing. I wasn't too worried about the cold (I got my cold weather gear pretty well dialed in this winter). I was a little worried about the wind, because I struggle in the wind.

We headed north and west out of town with the idea that we would ride into the wind as long as we could stand it, and then turn for home. We were barely out of town when we got stopped by a train.

I didn't notice the sweet graffiti in this shot until I got home.

This is Alex's nice looking Campy equipped Bianchi:

Out in the wind I was able to keep pace as long as I could stay latched onto one of their wheels. That lasted until I fell back a little on a hill. Once I was out in the wind the gap between us widened. Since we were doing an out and back to E-18, I wasn't too worried. I figured I would catch them on the way back.

Once we turned with the wind, the whole mood of the ride changed. It stopped being a deathmarch, and we went back to having fun.

I've been thinking about how the wind gives me trouble. As we were riding home with the sun at our back, I had a revelation!

Compared to Cory and Alex, I have quite a bit more frontal are to push into the wind. Notice the size of the shadows? My shadow appears to be 25% bigger. It takes a few extra watts to push all of that frontal area into a 25-30 mph wind.

Unlike my weight, there is not much I can do about my frame size. There are a few tweaks I can make to get a better aero position, but they would only be tweaks. And it really doesn't mean much in mountain biking.

The bottom line is that knowing this doesn't make me faster, but it does help me to better understand my weaknesses.

Wednesday Group Ride

OK, I bailed on tonight's fixie ride. Let's try again tomorrow.

What: A two hour fast-paced group road ride
Where: Bike World in Ames
When: 5:00 PM
Why: Umm, 'cause getting dropped by fast guys makes you faster?
Details: Bring your "A" game. I got dropped last week, but that ain't saying much.
Forecast: Partly cloudy, with a high near 41. Windy, with a north northwest wind between 18 and 23 mph, with gusts as high as 34 mph.

OK, the forecast is less than ideal, but I need to do a fast-paced ride, windy or not. I've ridden in worse conditions.

Let me know if you are coming.

Never Mind

Earlier I said I was going to join up with the fixie ride this evening, but it's just too stinkin' windy (again). I talked to BJ at the shop and here are the details (in case you are less wimpy than me):

What: Fixie or Single speed fun ride
Where: Bike World in Ames
When: 7:30
Why: Why not
Details: No spandrex. There may be tavern stops on the ride and you don't want to get beat up by the other kind of biker.

Blackout into the Wind

Regular readers will have noticed my lack of posting lately. I've got an excuse. After 35 years, Christy (my wife) retired from her day job. We had several days of festivities to celebrate her achievement. It was fun, but it left me exhausted. I had planned on going to the state fair crit on Sunday. When Sunday came, we were just too drained from the other activities to do anything productive.

Congrats to Bryan for winning the cat 4/5 race on Sunday. This comes after burning out on a breakout on Saturday. Oh, to be young again. A hard effort has me feeling it for days.

For the week I did a set of blackout intervals into the wind tonight, I'm planning on a fixie ride tomorrow (details with be forthcoming, and taverns will be a part of the fun), a group road ride on Wednesday (5:00) from Bike world, and 4 hours of endurance riding for each of the next four days (Friday through Monday). These will be some big hours for me, but I need it. If you want to take part in this sufferage, let me know.

The first IMBCS race is in two weeks, and it is a course that suits me (flat and technical). We'll see how it goes. Last year I laid back (it was my first IMBCS race) and I was sorry later. I'll be going flat-out this year.

Dropped

We had a pretty good turnout for the first Wednesday ride. Bryan, Andrew, Cory, another guy from the ISU Cycling club who's name I can't remember (sorry - no offense intended - I'm old), and me.

We headed south and east into the wind. On the Cambridge road we were able to get organized and were running a pretty good pace line across the wind. I won't kid you. The pace was fast, damn fast. At one point I dropped from second wheel to the back, because I was gassed. Cool, that's just what I wanted. Bryan and Andrew are really strong riders, and I'm lucky to have a chance to train with them.

We turned with the wind at Cambridge, and the pace picked up to about 30 mph. As we turned back north I was feeling pretty toasted, and apparently Cory was feeling the same. We both decided to let the pack (Bryan and Andrew at this point) get away from us. Cory was still feeling the effects of the SOS ride from the past weekend, and I . . . didn't have an excuse.

It was a good ride with good people. I hope we do it again.

On a related note, I stopped by the shop afterwards for some BS, and the guys mentioned the possibility of a Tuesday night fixie/single speed ride. It will be a casual ride, there would probably be a few beverage stops on the ride, and lycra will be discouraged. Details will be forthcoming . . .

Road Work

Bryan Moritz and I are going to do a couple of hours of tempo-paced road work tomorrow (Wednesday). We'll be leaving from Bike World at 5:00 PM. The plan is to get in 40 miles or so before dark. All are welcome. Cory, Alex, Emily, Paul, Andrew? Let me know so we don't leave without you.

Much Respect

Much respect to Paul, Cory, and Alex for slugging it out on a 100+ mile gravel road sludgefest. I was laying in bed Satuday morning listening to the thunder, and thinking of them. After this ride, I hope they don't all sell their bikes!

I went out for a few hours on the road bike on Sunday. Wind was a factor.

I left early, and headed south hoping to get there before the wind picked up. On the way out I got a glimpse of what those TransIowa guys got yesterday.


OK, that was a "B" road, but I'll bet their roads weren't much better.

I rode into the wind to Polk county. I tried to do some tempo work into the wind, but it sucked. After that I turned around. I had a much better time getting some intensity going with the wind. Go figure.

This was on flat ground without working too hard. I like riding with the wind.

Tonight's Ride

Some stats from tonights ride:

2 hours.
24 miles.
No pavement.
2 wheels.
1 gear.
No coasting.
2 cars.
No dogs.
All smiles.

Back on Track

Back on track? Singletrack that is. WooHoo!


On the way home I was checking out the farm fields. Hmmm, they are looking pretty dry. They wind is working it's magic. After turning toward home onto the gravel, yup, it's now a dusty gravel road. That's another good sign. My drive home takes me by a trailhead, so I stopped the truck and walked down the trail a little bit. Hmmm . . . tacky to soft, but mostly tacky. Certainly not sloppy like it was. It's time to get a bike out. Given the forecast, this will be the last chance for a few days.


So I headed for the first dirt ride of the year. At times the trail looked great:








Other places, not so much:




Oh. That's right. We had the ice storm of the century a few weeks ago. I've still got limbs all over my yard. I shouldn't be surprised that there are still a few limbs across the trail. OK, not a few, there are a bunch.


So, go out to your local trail system and help out with the clean-up effort. I'm sure they need the help. That's what I'm going to do.


And avoid the temptation to get out on the trails when they are wet. I saw that a few had already done that. Wet riding (or walking) leads to ruts, ruts lead to water retention, water retention leads to holes, holes lead to hate, and hate leads to the dark side (trail paving). None of us wants that.

Tired . . . Very Tired.

As I said yesterday I’ve been at the Team 14 off-road training camp this weekend. I’m beat! Two days of hard rides have been good training, but have left me drained (as they should).

Here are a couple of funny pictures from the rides.

We got real muddy on Saturday:

My new Lakes are nicely broken in:

This is what happens when you wheel suck on muddy gravel:

Here is some vintage southern Iowa. There is 40 years of vehicular history in this family’s back yard:

Here is another picture from the drive back. I saw this sign a few years ago but didn’t have camera with me. I asked a friend to take a picture of the sign. It still makes me laugh. How much for the babies?

I saw today that they have covered up the babies portion of the picture. They must have gotten tired of people stopping to take pictures.

It’s also Amish country. We saw several teams of horses training for their season. You could tell the Amish houses because they had no cars in the driveway, and had no electrical wires running to the house.

I’ve also put a write-up on the Team 14 Blog.

Team 14 Off-Road Training Camp Day 1

I went on the first day of the Team 14 off-road training camp today. The southern Iowa Hills kicked my ass! Because of the snow in the morning we didn't get to ride off-road, but we did do several hours of mushy gravel and Stephens Forest, which it very cool (and damn hilly). I put a write-up and some pictures here. I'm on a borrowed computer right now, so I'll write more later.

Going to the Dogs

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. I've been busy riding, and getting stuff ready for the Team 14 off-road training camp in Corydon this weekend.

I did another 2 hour gravel ride on 170th street on Thursday. I dealt with several dogs along the way. Why is it that if you live in the country, you think that you can let your rabid dogs run free? I've taken on some pretty risky behavior in my life. I raced motocross and I've raced mountain bikes, but I've never been quite as scared with those two activities as I was on my gravel road ride yesterday. Apparently the dog bite has taken something out of me. I need to get past that.

The Team 14 off-road training camp is this weekend. I hope for a hard workout on both days, I hope I live through it, and I hope I can out-sprint the dogs.

Suntan Weather

I started working on my tan today. It was a beautiful 75 degree day, and there was no good reason to stay at work.


I'm used to the conditions changing quickly this time of year, but I was suprised how fast things turned around.


10 days ago we had snow:



Last weekend we had total slop:


Today we had perfect gravel conditions:


I did about 2 hours of easy to moderate riding in shorts and a short sleved jersey.


After a long winter my legs have gotten a little furry. We'll take care of that soon.

Last Base Period

Today starts my last two-week base period. These two weeks will contain the most training hours on my schedule. So to kick of the two-week training block . . .

I took a day off.

I really needed a rest day after two pretty hard days of riding. Today was one of those days where I could feel the burn and fatigue after only two flights of stairs. I've come to use that as a measure of my level of fatigue. If I can feel it going up two flights of stairs, it's time for a day off. Thanks to recover-ease, I don't really have much muscle soreness, just fatigue that sets in really quickly. A day off will cure what ails me.

Even though my planned training hours in the next two weeks are big numbers (for me), I'm not really too worried about getting my hours in because the Team 14 off road training camp is this weekend. There will be plenty of riding done down south. If the weather cooperates, we might even get to do some dirt riding. Fingers crossed.

Team 14 Road Training Camp

I went on the Team 14 road training camp today. It was a kick in the ass!

I was able to handle the flats OK, but the hills still give me trouble. I’m getting better, but I’m still slower than most when it comes to climbing. I wasn’t the last man up on the hills, and I even passed a few guys while climbing, so I’ll call that an improvement. But I think I will confine my road racing to the flat courses.

It was a great workout for me, and a great end to a rest week. I wrote a piece for the Team 14 blog here. Between this and the fixie ride on Saturday, it was a great weekend.

P.S. Cory ‘fessed up on the gory details of our Saturday fixie ride here. Read all about it. " . . .wielding 4000 pounds of penile inequity". Funny stuff.

Early Morning Fixie Fix

I send out a call late yesterday for a couple of hours of early fixie fun for this morning. Given the late notice I showed up expecting to ride alone. I was pleasantly surprised.

Alex was the first to show on his IRO, and shortly after that Cory appeared on his Le Tour. Both had to navigate the treacherous black ice on the Ada Hayden trail, but both were successful in doing so. Given the conditions, we elected to hit the county roads to Boone, hoping to avoid both ice and traffic.

We were successful in avoiding the ice, but were less than successful in avoiding Bubba in his pickup. I'll let Cory tell the all the gory details. Suffice it to say that I wish I would have had the presence of mind to take pictures. That is what separates goodness from greatness.

After the "incident", we had a great ride. The pace was good, the conditions were good, and the company was great. All rides should be like this. The Iowa legislature should pass a law making all rides like this one. That would be better than some of the laws they have been debating.

It was a good ride. We all lived, and some people got an education. It was a good day.

Ada Hayden 8:30 Tomorrow Morning.

I'm going to be at north parking lot at Ada Hayden at 8:30 am (sorry so early, I've got things to do) tomorrow morning if anyone wants to join me. I'll be riding my fixie and plan on riding a couple of hours of pavement. No gravel for me for a few more days - it's now got the consistency of wet concrete.

All are welcome. It's going to be sunny and above freezing. It'll feel like suntan weather out there!

Iowa Legislative Update

I will apologize in advance for getting political, but there are a couple of bills in the Iowa Legislature that are of concern to cyclists. Two of them need our support, and one doesn't.

SF244 requires the DOT the establish policy guidelines to ensure the safety of all users (including cyclists) when designing roadways. I think this is already being done within the DOT. I suppose this is a good idea, but every time I've been on a group ride and we take the bike lane on old 30 between Ames and Nevada 1) I've been scared to death because the small distance between bikes and many, many speeding cars. 2) Someone has a flat because of all of the debris in the bike lane. The bike lanes seldom (if ever) get swept, and debris (glass, cans, metal, etc) naturally accumulates in the bike lane.

SF101 establishes a ‘Share the Road’ car license plate and allows for proceeds to be used for bicycle education. The money goes toward educating Iowans about sharing the road with cyclists. It’s for a good cause. I would get one of these if it were available. It's kind of like a voluntary tax.

HF584 requires every bicyclist to have an orange flag, carry ID, and wear reflective clothing (even during the day). I'm ok with the ID. I already wear a Road ID. I don't wear it for myself. I wear it for Christy. I'm also OK with the reflective clothing section. Any woman will tell you that shoes are clothing. All of my shoes have reflective stuff on them.

I really have a problem with the orange flag. WTF?

Here is how it reads:

"A person shall not ride a bicycle on a highway unless the bicycle is equipped with a fluorescent orange safety flag at least six by nine inches in size and displayed at least sixty inches above the ground. "

I'll say it again, WTF? Does this include road races? Can't you just see a peleton full of carbon fiber, unobtainim bikes, piloted by big-legged, yet emaciated guys, all with 6x9 inch florescent flags flapping in the breeze. We're going to look really special out there on our ten speeds.

I'll let you form your own opinions, but here is contact information for your legislator. I'll bet they would like to hear from you. Please pass this along to other interested cyclists.

This Guy is Ready

In a previous post I said "I'd rather ride outside, but its just not possible to get a hard, safe workout in the current conditions". Apparently my friend Paul decided to prove me wrong.

He did a metric century this Sunday on roads like this:



this:


and this:




These are roads that I didn't even want to drive on. Forget about riding a bike!

I am so not worthy. I'd rather get bit by a dog that ride 62 miles in ice and deep snow. He is definitely ready for Trans-Iowa III.

Burning Matches

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.

Blackout Intervals

I did another set of what I am now calling blackout intervals. No, not because I blacked out while doing them. That's the workout I was doing last week when the power went out. It 30 minutes zone 2, 2X20 minutes zone 3 tempo with 5 minutes recovery in between, and 4x6 minutes cruise intervals (zone 4-5a) with 2 minutes recovery between each one. It's close to a two hour workout, and putting the cruise intervals at the end of that workout is a good way to improve your lactate threshold.

Like last week I ramped up the HR in the last two minutes of the last interval, just to see what I could get. What I got was 185 BPM. That's a new high for me. I shouldn't be so concerned about max HR, but it's a good exercise for me to take it up there for a few minutes to show that it can be done, to see how it feels, and to see who long I can keep that level of exertion. It hurts, but not to the point of failure. It's manageable.

I remember last year during the race in Council Bluffs where I got off and walked on "Heart Attack Hill". I got off because I didn't want to blow up riding it and I was already at or above my LT at the bottom of the hill. These short, high HR efforts are to train for those kind of real world over-the-top efforts. The training is as much mental as physical.

At 185 BPM my maximum HR is about 12 beats higher than the formula for my age (220-47= 173), and is about 4 beats higher than it was this time last year. I don't know if it's training, or better tolerance for pain. Probably both.

In other news, I've spent some time updating the Team 14 Blog. Check it out!

Off the Grid

Christy and I had a little "Off the Grid" exercise this weekend. It started when I was talking to Thad yesterday afternoon. He said that they had no electricity in Webster City. I told him that, even though I had lived in the middle of nowhere for 23 years, I've been lucky in that I've never lost power for more that a few hours.

After that I went downstairs and had a great 2 hour workout on the rollers. I started with 30 minutes of zone two, then went to 2 x 20 minutes of zone 3 tempo, and finished up with 4 x 6 minutes of cruise intervals. Cruise intervals are zone 4-5a with a very short (2 minutes) recovery between each interval. I mostly stayed right at my zone 4-5a boundary (167 bpm) during the intervals. On the cruise intervals (my first of the season) I was surprised at how well I recovered on the first couple of intervals. On the last two my recovery was not as quick. In the last interval I put it all out there, and went for my max heart rate. I got as high at 183. I felt strong at the end, and felt like I was putting out enough wattage to power the house. That must have been the case, because as soon as I quit pedaling, the house went dark.

That's what happens when you tempt fate. But Christy and I had fun with it. We lit a fire in the fireplace, lit a few candles, and with nothing else to do we . . . .

. . . listened to a battery powered radio.

In the morning we made eggs and potatoes on a gas stove, made toast over an open fire, ground coffee with a rolling pin, and made coffee with a French Press. We are really roughing it! Then we planned out how we were going to get through the day without electricity. We were actually a little disappointed with the power came back on at 11:00 am. It was fun while it lasted.

Levi Leipheimer

In addition to riding bikes whenever I can, Christy and I watch cycling on TV whenever it is available, and whenever we notice that it is on. Read that to mean not very often. We like to watch cycling, but other than the Tour de France, the Tour of Georigia, and the Tour of California we don't see it too much.

One of the things that Christy came up with a few years ago while watching the Tour de France was playing the "Levi Leipheimer" drinking game. He was a little know rider, and his name was fun to say. The game was simple. Everytime Phil Liggit, Paul Sherwin, or Bob Roll would say the words "Levi Leipheimer", you would take a drink. It was a fun game to play a few years ago, but you could get pretty thirsty at times.

That isn't the case anymore. We are sitting here tonight trying to get through the week's recordings of the Tour of California. I'm glad it's Friday night. Because of Levi's sucess this week, I'm so drunk I can barely type. Don't get me wrong. I'm happy for Levi, but his success this week has taken a personal toll.

It's been fun. Try it at home. Go Levi!

The Animal Conspiracy

I've noticed that we've had a few problems with animals lately. There was my trouble with dogs yesterday, my trouble with horses last fall, Jihadist deer throwing themselves in front of Cory, and it even seems as if the squirrels are spying on us. I have begun to realize that Tim Bedore's Animal Conspiracy is becoming a reality.

Think about it. The horses and deer are trying to slow us down, making the dog's job easier as they tag-team on us, and they are all getting reports of our movements from the squirrels. It all makes sense now. They don't like us, and don't like the way we live our lives, so they are trying to do us in.

Be careful out there, and watch out for the squirrels.

It was bound to happen

I skipped out of work early so that I could get two hours of riding in. I warmed up on the gravel to the Roland road, and then hit it hard on the road to Radcliffe. I got about an hour of zone 3 tempo work in going out, and some zone 2 recovery time coming back.

But that’s not the point of this story. It’s been well documented that I’ve been off the bike for a few days. On the way out I sprinted past the usual dogs. On the way back I apologized to a dog about being too tired to sprint. He responded by biting me. It was just a “nip”. But it was a bite just the same. It hurt, it left a mark, and it tore a hole in my Pearl Izumi Fleece Tights.

I stopped to tell the owner about my displeasure with the situation. He wasn’t too happy, but it was hard to argue with the mark on my leg. Later he and his wife came by my place with a check to replace the damaged tights. I thanked them for doing the right thing, and then tore up the check. I had made my point (control your dogs), and didn't see the need for further punishment. I hope that I have helped make 170th street safer for cyclists.

Noisy Knees

This is the face of a happy guy!

Notice the big smile on my face? I'm happy because I got to go ride my bike this afternoon! It was just a short ride (1 1/2 hours), but I felt great!

The afternoon started with a visit to x-ray and orthopedist. The x-rays looked good, and the doctor told me that my bones, clearance between bones, cartilage, and ligaments all looked great. What I have are noisy knees. What I have is pain, not injury. The combination of volleyball, weightlifting, and force weightlifting aggravated them to the point stopping me in my tracks. The doctor gave me clearance to ride.

Nine days off the bike seems to have gone a long way to fix that what ails me, both physically and mentally. Being forcibly separated from my passion has gone a long way towards re-ignited that passion within me. It may have been just the spark that I needed. Not to mention that I am extremely well rested and ready to do some raging intervals. That is, after I've spent a few days to re-acclimate to the bike.

This season is gonna rock!

My Apologies

If you enter “Bicycle Knee Pain Older” into Google (OK, I'll do it for you, my blog is now third on the list (this post will probably get me the top spot). That is a pretty good measure of the lameness (both literally and figuratively) that my blog has acquired lately.

And, as another measure of lameness, I can’t help but notice that my readership has dropped off in the last week or so. Do you suppose that me whining about my bum knee has something to do with the sudden lack of interest in my musings?

Its not that I live my life in such a way as to increase my click count, but it can be a useful tool. I like to think of myself as interesting, and that I have something to say. But I know what it is like to be around someone that is always complaining about their ailments. I know a few people like that, and I’m sure you do to. I don’t want to be that person in your life.

So, I apologize for the whining. From this point forward, you’ll hear no more. I’ll still give updates on my knee, but the whining is done.

Feel free to call me out on it.

Long Weekend

It's gonna make for a a long weekend without me being able to ride my bike. My doctor took a look at my knee said we could either let if go a little longer, or he could refer me to an orthopedist. I elected to go the orthopedic route, as I've waited long enough. I've got an appointment on Monday.

I read something on a message board a few weeks ago. A few guys were talking about being sick, and not riding while sick, for fear of making the illness last longer by doing so. The wisdom offered was this -- A week of training lost this time of year sets you back a week. Two weeks of training losts sets you back a month.

I've already lost a week. I don't really want to lose any more.

Going to the Doctor

Not much blogging going on because I haven't got much to say, because I haven't been on a bike for a week now. My knee is still bothering me, and I don't want to make things worse by pushing things before I'm ready. I'm just glad this happened in February instead of July.

I'm going to see a doctor this morning to get it checked out. I'll keep you posted.

We're a Fragile Species

As I sit here feeling sorry for myself about my bum knee, I ponder the fragility of the human muscular/skeletal system. We have so many points of failure, it's a wonder that anything ever works. And when one of those points of failure does does it's thing, my mind will try to play tricks on me ("What If I'm like this all season", "My knee will always be like this", and "I'm never going to be able to ride a bike again"). In a previous life (60 pounds ago), I had periodic bouts of back trouble. Some of those episodes would go on for weeks. The little voices could get pretty convincing after several week of pain.

It can get depressing. So I try not to let it get to me. I still hear the little voices. But I know that they are not speaking the truth, and ignore them.

Eat Like a Cave Man

Over the weekend I've been reading a new book "The Paleo Diet for Athletes". I can hear it now, "Not another diet book!"

No, this one is different. It is written by Loren Cordain and Joe Friel. The basic premise of the book is that we should be eating like a cave man, because that is what our digestive systems have become accustomed to, evolutionarily speaking. Our diets have gone through a tremendous change over the last 500 years. Even bread and pasta are only about 10,000 years old. In the terms of human evolution (a few million years), that is a fairly rapid change.

The authors suggest that we should be eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, fish, and lean meat. You know, the kind of food a cave man might have been able to find. I'm guessing the cave man didn't spend much time in the drive thru at Booger King or Taco Hell. And, have you ever noticed that the guys in the Geico commercials look really slim and fit?

The authors also say that our diets should also include carbohydrates only during or immediately after hard exercise, to replace the carbs that were expended. Carb loading before a race or hard ride actually hurts your performance.

The diet isn't really about weight loss. Its more geared towards improved athletic performance and recovery. I'm gonna give it a try. If you see me carrying a club and dragging Christy around by the hair, you'll know it's working. I'll keep you posted.

I'm Back, and Then I'm Gone Again

Regular readers know that I've been struggling with motivation for the last couple of days. I suppose it's a common theme this time of year, especially with the long string of cold days we've had. I want to thank all of you who have offered encouragement and/or commiseration. It really does help.

I think my lack of motivation could have been caused the weather. It could have been caused by a tetanus shot I got at my annual physical (which left me feeling achy all over for a few days). It could have been caused by switching from rollers (which I like) to a trainer (which I hate).

I had a volleyball match last night. So, last night before the match I got on the rollers for a 2X20 tempo session, which felt great! I'm back! Then I went to volleyball, spent about 25 minutes stretching before the match, and proceeded to mess up my knee in the first game of the match.

It's not too bad. It's just a little pain behind the patella. I can walk on it just fine, but stairs and jumping hurt a little. Fortunately there are no stairs or jumping in cycling until 'cross season, which is a long ways off.

The knee pain could be any one of several things. The first line of defense for any of them is rest, and avoiding any activity that causes pain. I don't know if cycling causes pain yet. I'm kind of afraid to find out.

I don't think its any big deal. I'm going to skip VB on Sunday, and stay off the bike for a few days, and we'll see it goes. I'll keep you posted.

For What its Worth

I had my annual physical this afternoon. There was he usual probing, prodding, and anal violation, but that was expected. What was unexpected were the results from my blood work. Two years ago my total Cholesterol was 225, HDL (good Cholesterol) was 76, and LDL (bad Cholesterol) was 128. One year ago total Cholesterol was 174, HDL was 66, and LDL was 93 (good to see results from hard work). Today's total Cholesterol was 174, HDL was 83, and LDL was 76. My doctor says he doesn't often see a man have an HDL number greater than an LDL number. I don't spend hours riding my bike to get these numbers, but they are a bonus.

In other news, I've had a hard time getting motivated lately. I rode for a 1/2 hour this evening, but that was it. That's not enough. I've got to get past that. I'll keep you posted.

Defining Your Tolerance

As I said last night, I went out today for three hours with couple of nut jobs (Cory and Paul J.), and a nut job-ette (Emily). It was about 4 below zero when we started, and the wind freshened as the day went on (freshened - that's a nice way to put it). It was freakin' cold, folks.

We decided to ride gravel into the teeth of the wind for a long as we could stand it, then sit up and enjoy the ride home. After about 10 brutal miles, that's what we did. If you ever have a chance to ride in these kind of conditions, do it with the wind. It was actually pleasant!

Emily is a pretty strong rider. She is also tough! How you deal with this kind of cold helps to define your tolerance for pain and suffering. Apparently her tolerance is pretty high.

Nutjob Express

A few of my nutjob friends and I are heading out for a ride from Ada Hayden tomorrow (Sunday) morning at 10:00 AM. These guys are training for TransIowa, so they are no strangers to pain and suffering. I plan on doing about three hours. The forecast I'm looking at says 4 below zero with NW winds at 18, gusting to 26. Can you dig it?

All are welcome (as if anyone else will show). If you start putting on layers on now, you might be ready by tomorrow morning. I get to try out my new goose down mittens. If they don't keep my hands warm, I don't know what will.

Adding Some Intensity

As I said earlier today, Base period 2 started this week. Tonight I got my first taste of a hard tempo ride on rollers. The first few minutes hurt, but after that I settled into a rhythm, and really enjoyed the work. I guess that's why they call it tempo work. I did 2x20 minutes with a 5 minute recovery in between. Technically tempo should be done without recovery, but that will come later.

Base Period 2

In addition to some new weightlifting, this week starts the beginning of my Base period 2. That means adding some additional on-the-bike workouts like tempo (zone 3 for 20-60 minute periods with no recovery time), hilly endurance (seated climbing with cadence above 60 rpm in zone 5a or 5b), and form sprints (short sprints where you only pay attention to form, not speed). All this is in addition to continuing with the spin-ups, single leg work, and fixed gear endurance rides (ummmm - fixie rides).

Regular readers will remember that I've also been trying to work on my core strength, and I can start to tell a difference. I think I've got a six pack now, its just covered with a layer of R-40 insulation.

Power Endurance

I started the power endurance phase of my weightlifting program last night. This is a phase that I skipped last year. The intent of the power endurance phase is to build muscle that excels at short, fast efforts such as sprints and short power climbs. This is done by doing squats, legs presses, step ups etc. Instead of doing the power portion of the lift in the normal way (slow and steady), you do it quickly with enough weight to get through 8-15 reps. I did three sets of each, plus some of my normal lifting. It’s good to break out of my previous weight lifting routine, but I’m a little sore today. I must be doing something right

Tough Guy Points

I went on a ride this morning with Cory, Alex, and Emily this morning. It was a little brisk (0 and a 10 mph WNW wind) when I headed out for Ada Hayden. I've learned to dress for it, so I didn't suffer too much. I met the others at the park.

Alex reinforces his shoe layer:



Emily on her sweet Salsa Dos Niner:

We briefly talked of gravel, but decided that an urban assault was more befitting of the conditions, and did an urban loop. At the end of the loop Emily and Alex wisely decided that they'd had enough for the day. Since Cory and I had no exposed skin, we decided to press on. But first we stopped to take pictures of our snotcicles.

Cory prepares his camera:

Me in all of my condensation glory:


It's not really snot, just condensation off the face mask. It was so cold today that it froze before it could drip off.

We rode back to Ada Hayden, where I figured we would go our separate ways. Cory had other ideas. Cory decided to ride home via my house (about 6 miles of gravel in the wrong direction). We pushed a little harder on the way to my house. It felt good. I even stayed with Cory on one of the big hills - that never happens. I got in 2 1/2 hours of riding today. It was a balmy 4 degrees when I got home.

I think I've finally got my winter wardrobe dialed-in. Today I wore:

1. Feet - Pedro's wool socks under insulated ski socks under shoes, under Pearl Izumi booties. I also used a chemical foot warmer between sock layers. My feet were never cold.


2. Legs - Pearl Izumi fleece tights under Team 14 bib shorts with full length Pearl Izumi fleece leg warmers over the tights. My legs were only chilly above the leg warmers.


3. Core - DuoFold base layer under Team 14 jersey, which was under a Team 14 winter jacket. My water bottle was carried in a jersey pocket under the winter jacket. It stayed unfrozen all day. It was still warm after 2 hours.


4. Arms. DuoFold base layer under Pearl Izumi arm warmers, under Team 14 winter jacket.


5. Hands - Marmott ski gloves. This layer was lacking. I think I need mittens for this level of cold. With the wind I was ok, but against the wind my fingers got a little numb.


6. Head/Face - OutdoorResearch Gorilla balaclava and some old ski goggles. The balaclava rocks! My face was never cold. It holds so much heat that I've learned I can't wear it with sunglasses because they just fog up. I wore some old ski goggles that I had laying around, but they suck. I've got to get some Oakleys.

I was surprisingly comfy. There, that's my answer to "How can you ride a bike in this kind of weather?" Go ride your bike!!!

Unsafe at Any Speed

Apparently the New Jersey legislature has run out of real problems, because they've moved on to this.

I've done it, and I've seem some of you doing it. Somehow we survived.

Early Season Training Intensity

I've been a little concerned about my training intensity. In Friel's book, he says to keep the training intensity low (zone 1-2) during the early base training periods. I get a little concerned because I've stepped outside of those guidelines a few times. Occasions like this, and this come to mind. I don't lay awake at night worrying about it, but I've given it some thought.

In my soul, I'm a lazy person. Avoiding training intensity is in my genetic makeup. Generally speaking, over-training is not something that I need to be very concerned about.

I was wasting a little time on MTBR tonight, and stumbled across an article by Friel regarding early season training intensity:

"Over the years my approach to building aerobic fitness has changed. I used to believe that long, slow distance (LSD) was the most important type of training for aerobic system development. But in the last few years, experimentation with the athletes I coach has led me to believe this is not enough. By itself LSD will not fully develop the aerobic system. A bit higher intensity is needed."

Apparently Friel's views on early season training intensity have changed. It appears that the occasional bout of intensity in the early season is OK. Now I need to find something else to obsess about. I'll keep you posted.

The Advantages of Being Old

Today starts another rest week for me. I can hear it now, "What, another rest week?!?". I'm on Freil's senior plan. Us old guys only have to go hard for two weeks, and then we get a rest week. I used Friel's regular schedule at the start of last year (3 weeks on, and one week off). By the end of the third week I was grumpy, cranky, tired, and no fun to be around. Right now, after two hard weeks, I’m a little tired, but otherwise I feel great. If I did one more long week, it might be a different story. That Joe Friel is a pretty smart guy.

On the menu this week is the last of the MS weightlifting, some more core strength work, maybe a Yoga session, a little XC skiing, and I might even ride the bike a few times. Somehow I've got to squeeze that all into a mere 5 1/2 hours of training time. But any bike riding I do will most likely be indoors. Have you looked out the window lately?

Team 14 Ride

This weekend was the Team 14 Group Ride/Team Party. I took part in both events, but took no pictures at the party to protect the innocent.

The ride started out at Brian's place where we had a tire-changing clinic:

How many Team 14 guys does it take to change a tire?

Once we got Sean's tire changed, we were on our way. Thad Neil, Bruce Neil, Sean Meyer, Brian Farrell, Jeff Farrell, and Matt DenHarthog were in attendance. It was a good day (for January), with temps in the 20's, and not much wind. We rode from Brian's place to Booneville.

At Booneville we stopped at the local watering hole, where Thad gave us the low down on the CX Nationals.

After a feew beers, we're back on the road:

I love winter training. It's so laid back.

It was good to hang out with the Team 14 guys again. I am really looking forward to getting this season started. I'm also looking forward to doing some road racing, as that will be new for me. I felt good about the way I rode on Saturday. I felt stronger on the hills. I must be doing something right.

Riding Indoors

I won't be doing the normal gravel ride this weekend, because Team 14 is having a ride and team party in Des Moines this Saturday. It will be great to ride with and hang out with all of the guys again.

Not to much else to report, except that I've been doing a lot of roller riding. It's good for getting base miles in, but man is it boring. At least the rollers are a step less boring than a trainer. The fear of falling helps to keep my attention. I've been doing some spin-ups, some single leg stuff, and some plain old zone 2 endurance riding. I'm doing just enough to get my hours in. Some days I can ride the rollers for hours, and other days, I'm lucky to get 30 monutes in before I throw in the towel.

The cold and snow have forced me inside. I'll ride in cold, and I'll ride in the dark, but I really don't want to ride in the cold and the dark. Even on a cold day, sunshine just makes me feel better. Oh, well. The days are getting longer. It's staying light until almost 6:00. It won't be too long before I can ride after work in the daylight.

Day Off

No, not a day off from training, but a day off from work. Like my Grandpa used to say, I feed at the public trough (I'm a government employee). I'm using the time off to do some more work on core strength, and to do some weightlifting. Christy has also promised to give me another Yoga lesson (I especially like the Corpse pose - I could do that for a long time). She has a few poses that will help to correct the muscular imbalances created by cycling.

Given that we have about 6 inches of fresh, powdery snow, I am also going to dust off my cross county skis. We don't get ski-able snow very often, and it gets tracked up pretty quickly, so it's best to take advantage of it while I can.

Speaking of cross training, last night I played volleyball for the first time in about 12 years. I used to play quite a bit (3-4 nights a week in the winter). The team I'm on is made up of the same people that I used to play with 12 years ago. We all quit playing at about the same time, so we were all equally rusty. I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly the fundamentals came back to me. My timing still needs a little work, but I'll get there.

Volleyball is a great cardio workout, and the constant jumping is great for the legs. My main goal for the season (8 weeks) is to stay off the floor, and to stay healthy. So far, so good, although my hitting shoulder is a little sore today.

On the weight front, I tipped scales at 194 this morning. That's the same weight I was at on December 18th. I feel like I'm getting somewhere, but the scale doesn’t show it. 15 more pounds. That’s all I want. Where ever I am at the end of March is where I will stay for the season. Running a calorie deficit and racing don't mix. Either way, I'll be glad when it's over. I'm getting sick of steamed broccoli.

Finding My Limits

I went out for a 2.5 hour ride with Cory this morning. It was around 8 degrees when I started at 8 o'clock, and wasn't much warmer when I got done. Add an inch of snow and some wind to the mix, and you've got the makings for a fun day.

The conditions were right at the limits of my equipment, and my tolerance for cold. Riding into town wasn't too bad, but riding home into the wind was a real bitch. It hurt. But I got through it with all my digits intact. We did some urban riding around campus, bike paths, side streets, etc. until the snow started to make things a little slick.

If you believe the forecast, we've got more of the same (snow, cold, and wind) on the way. Even though it hurt, today's ride was probably the last chance for a while. I'm glad I got out while I could. There will be plenty of time for rollers later.

In other news, I'm been re-reading my Friels, and laying out a schedule for next season. I'm trying to tailor each day's schedule to the period (base 1, build 2, etc). I didn't get that specific last year (my first year of real training). I'm trying to put it all into a spreadsheet that I can use to schedule training and track progress. I'll keep you posted.

No Brains, No Headaches

Apparently and I have no brains, because Cory and I are going out for a small ride tomorrow morning. The conditions will be clear and cold (10 degrees), but nearly windless (less than 5 mph). It will be no match for last weekend, but should be good for a few tough guy points.

We may do some gravel, or we may do some town stuff. I'll be riding my fixie, so that will determine my pace (not fast), and my hill tolerance (not much).

We'll be meeting on Satuday, at 8:30 am it the North Ada Hayden parking lot. We'll probably ride for an hour or two. All are invited. Call 515-290-7789 with questions. If you also have no brains, come out and ride with us, but dress warm.

Adding Some Structure

Not much new to report today. I was going to do a 20 minute spin on the rollers before hitting the weights. 55 minutes later, I'm thinking this is kinda fun, in a evil way. Nothing too intense, just a couple of spin-ups. But, I've got a plan, and I 've got to stick to it. So, I got off the rollers and hit the weights for another hour. It's all good.

After this weekend's abuse, the legs felt surprisingly peppy. I was expecting a case of DLS (Dead Leg Syndrome). I took yesterday off, and I felt pretty good today.

In other news, I got my copy of Friel's book back from Cory. It's time to add some structure to my training, and Friel is the guy to do it. Besides, Cory has his own copy now.

If Cory adds some structure to his training, look out!

A Death in the Family

There was a death in the family today. That death was mine. I died in a convenience store in Ogden at about 2:00 this afternoon.

This is the face of death (notice that I've lost control of my bodily functions).

But let me start from the beginning. Squirrel showed up at my place at 9:00 sharp for OP’s Trans-Iowa Training Ride (no acronyms please, were trying to keep our PG-13 rating).

No, I'm not doing Trans-Iowa, I just hang out with some nut jobs that don't know when to stop riding their bikes. Speaking of bikes, this is Squirrel's sweet looking Schwin Traveller.

After some BS and coffee we headed for Paul’s place in Gilbert. We got there a little early.

Instead of standing around, we headed to Ames on the gravel. When got to the backside of Ada Hayden, we turned around and headed back to Paul’s. That part of the ride was very pleasant. The pace was good, the gravel was great, and the wind was mild. It wouldn’t last.

At Paul’s we hung around for a few minutes, then we were off.

I was on the TriCross, Squirrel on his Schwin Traveler SS, Cory on his Cannondale SS, Alex was on his Surly CrossCheck, and OP was on his IBEX hardtail.

Apparently the moron disease is contagious, because OP forgot his helmet. Unlike me, he noticed, and we went back for it.

Once again, the pace was good, the company was great, but the wind had stiffened bit. Even then, riding into the teeth of the wind was doable. After going west for a few miles, we turned south. That was great. There was just enough tailwind to give a guy hope. The good feelings would not last, and we turned west on a particularly brutal leg of the ride. I slugged it out, but it took a toll.

We finally got to the Ledges for a rejuvenating rest break, where Greg Moore joined us on a single speed. At the rest stop I ate some, I drank some, and I felt a lot better.

The ride through the lower Ledges canyon was especially cool.

Then we started the first of our big climbs. It’s well documented that I suck at climbing. I was the last man up on the climbs, by not by as much as I would have guessed. I’m still slow, but I'm getting better. On the second climb, I used Steve Lauber’s technique. Break away on the descent, and give it back on the climb. It worked, but I’ve never worked harder to maintain 20 mph on a Des Moines river descent (the descent was into the wind – now a very stiff wind).

Back on the gravel, another stiff climb, out into the wind, and I’m off the back. I’m really feeling the pain now. It’s not a sweet kind of pain that you get on a climb. It was more like a sour kind of pain that really hurts. The time spent in zone 4-5 was really taking a toll. The guys waited for my at a turn (still into the wind), and we slogged into Ogden. We were struggling to make 10 mph. We stopped at the aforementioned convenience store on Ogden where I was hoping for the same kind of amazing rejuvenation as the rest stop in the Ledges. When I got off the bike, I felt dizzy, had tunnel vision, and staggered into the store. I looked like death (see "face of death" above).

I figured I’d eat something, I’d drink something, and I’d feel better. Boy was I wrong. I was too zapped to even choke down a gatorade. I felt like yakking. When the other guys started gearing up, I announced that I could not go on, and was calling in the Life Flight (Christy). I got several surprised/concerned looks, and a slightly relieved look from Squirrel, who said he would stick with me (what a guy).

The remaining nutjobs took off. Squirrel and I hung out in Ogden waiting for Christy.

Squirrel has a moment of silence in memory of the dearly departed.

On the way home, we tried to follow some the remaining route so that we could do some heckling/rider support. We drove through Fraser and the YMCA camp at 3:30. We never did see them. I wonder if they are still out there?

While climbing the YMCA hill (in the warmth of my truck) a furry rodent ran out in front of the truck. I hit the brakes. Christy's reaction was "Don't brake for squirrels!". After a a whimper from the back seat, and a quick apology, all was well.

What did I learn from this?

1) Squirrel is a great guy to hang out with. I should do this whenever I can.

2) I’m really glad I didn’t take either the Steamroller fixie or the SS Rig.

3) These guys are all really strong. I am weak. But I’m working on it.

4) Spend more time riding in the wind. The hills didn’t bother me near as much as the wind. Apparently that’s one more thing that I suck at.

5) Never, never, never, never (I mean never) consider doing TransIowa. I’ve fantasized about endurance racing from time to time. Based on today’s results, I’m not built for that.

For what it's worth, here is my elevation/HR profile. I spent WAY too much time in zone 4-5.

.

More Travel Gravel

We are still on for a 60+ mile gravel ride for this Sunday. Everyone is welcome. The current nutjob - err rider list is Cory, Other Paul, Greg Moore, Matt, Squirrel, and me. The more, the merrier. We will be leaving from OPs house at 10:00. Squirrel will be coming by my house around 9:00, and we will be riding to OP's from my place. Everyone is welcome to join in. If you are interested, give me a buzz at 515-290-7789.

Travel Gravel

Looks like there is a 60+ mile gravel ride in the planning stages for this Sunday. Everyone is welcome. The current nutjob - err rider list is Cory, Other Paul, Greg Moore, Matt, and me. The more, the merrier. Let us know if you are coming, as important details (like when we are leaving, and from where) are still being hammered out.

I promise to wear a helmet this time.

I've Changed

As I sit here digesting my supper of steamed broccoli (it's hard to gain weight eating broccoli, unless it's coated in ranch dressing), I think to myself "Self, you've changed". Changed for the better, I think, but I've definitely changed.

Today I ate an apple, a banana, a handful of nuts, a half order of veggie lo mein for lunch (yum!), and the previously mentioned steamed broccoli for supper.

Three years ago, I would have eaten smothered hash browns for breakfast, chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and cream gravy for lunch, and pork chops with french fries for dinner. I get a little queasy just thinking about it now. It's a wonder I didn't weigh 300 pounds.

Don't misunderstand. I still enjoy the occasional piece of slightly grilled red meat, I just don't enjoy it as much as I used to. One of the more interesting things about changing my ways - I really don't miss the old ways that much.

I still enjoy eating, I just like different foods. I really, really (I'm mean really) enjoyed the veggie lo mein I had for lunch today. I liked it as much as any steak I've ever eaten. It was that good.

These days, there's no way that I could eat (or even order) french fries, but I still steal a couple from Keaton's plate when I get the chance. The funny thing is, the fries don't taste that good anymore. Instead, I find myself stealing the broccoli from his plate, and I enjoy it way more than the stolen fries. No, I'm not kidding. That really happens.

Massage
Since it's a rest week, I got a massage today. Ummm - massage. I'm still feeling relaxed.

Off Topic
And, since it's a rest week in the off-season, we'll go way off-topic here. I was reading a comment on Cory's blog from Greg Moore, who was discussing a ride to Templeton, IA to get a bottle of the "best rye whiskey on the market". I thought back to my college days. A friend of mine drank Rittenhouse Rye. I remember it being very smooth.

That post must have planted a seed. While at the local grocery store tonight, what should appear in my cart but a bottle of Templeton Rye (it's a rest week - what the hell).

I looked the bottle over when I got home. I've heard of boutique distillers, but this is what I call small:


Batch number one? Barrel number 27? Now that's small.

If you like sippin' whiskey, give this a try. I won't bore you with the whole Templeton Rye story. But if, after a glass or two, a vision of Al Capone appears, don't be surprised.

Like Kerkove says, "Train hard, rest harder". I think I've got the resting part down.

Happy Haircut

Happy Haircut/Happy New Year!

For the New Year I gave myself a new haircut. Christy says it looks like a prison haircut.

Imagine Bruce Willis in "Twelve Monkeys":


I'm tryng to dedicate myself to the sport. The legs are next. Christy is a little freaked out .

I've reached the end of a base period. and am going to use it to rest. I'm also going to use it to build up my core strength (which is lacking). Christy has several tools (a Bosu and few resist-a-balls) that I can use to help. They also help with balance. I would really like to improve my core strength this season.

I'll bet the haircut will help. I'm feeling faster already.