kleinboogie

Heh, yeah we can all hope.

echappist

Here's a question on pacing.

Conference finals is two loops of 21mile long road, and the loop has a 5 mile long climb averaging 5%. Miles 2-4 average 7.5%. The finishline is about 4.5 miles from the top of the climb, during which the road dips 400'.

I consider myself a puncheur and not a climber. My FTP was tested to be 260 (flat road) in early January, and i'd think it's around 275 right now. My 5' power is at least 360 (uphill), which gives me a high pVO2max:FTP ratio. In the race this past weekend, i had a NP of 300 and AP of 260 for something slightly over 40 minutes, and the high NP is probably due to the 4' long VO2 max effort required per lap.

If you were in my shoes, how deep would you dig for the climb? Does averaging 290W for the five miles sound reasonable or likely? What i really won't like to see is somehow get stuck in no man's land between groups of riders as soloing 21 miles only to climb the damn thing again sounds awful...

Also, there are no local climbs over 5 miles long unless i want to go 40 miles out. What types of workouts would you try to do to simulate the demands? Something like 5x6x3 climbing intervals at 300W maybe?

ridethecliche

I think you'll want to be near the front at the start and then drift back as you get passed but still stick with the lead group. Honestly, it depends on what the group decides to do. Someone could attack and then you're not going to think about your best 20 min power. You're either going to go for it or you'll get dropped.

You'll just have to dig as deep as you have to if you wish to stick with the lead group.

miwoodar

FTP ride. First 'good' day since my crit on 02-Apr-11...my cold hit that afternoon (actually woke up with a scratchy throat the morning of the race). It's been a frustrating two weeks. There were a few days in there that I thought I was well again only to have my numbers come back as junk.

TheKillerPenguin

Knee still won't cooperate. Looking at 1.5mo to get back to where I was. Dr appt. tomorrow.

Bah.

echappist

I get to bump my FTP up by 12W. Did 2x25's at "FTP." The first was at 260 (old FTP) and on the second one, i wanted to see if i can hold 270W for 25min. I managed to do so. I really think the base miles i did a few weeks ago are helping tremendously.

TMonk

3 hrs today. Nice and easy.

bostongarden

Warmup, 8x30" (or so) with cruise down hill as rest, tried out another climb that is about 45" or so, cool down. Data for first 3 looked valid, 550ish, 530ish, 500ish (eyeball estimate while reading data at download), and then data are strange and recorded incorrectly (so, I didn't bother to put into excel and analyze). Independent of that, I was feeling some pain. I'm liking the look of the 45" climb that I tested out.

ridethecliche

I'm so sorry. Keeping my fingers crossed for you.

Out-The-Back

What a day.....

Started with an hour and a half at the gym doing core, stretching, and weight lifting.

Followed it up this afternoon with a base ride.

3:07
59.5 miles
227w ave.
143hr ave.

Almost home from ride, make a left turn on a green light but the on coming car, a black SUV is making a right and stops for me. I always hate this but just go and wave to thank them to avoid confusion. Riding along in the bike lane about a quarter mile later a white jeep buzzes driving in the bike lane to do so and then takes the bike lane and brake checks me...WTF? I then attempt to just ride past the car and the driver screams at me, "you ever run a red light again, I"ll kick your @ss" and swerves in to me. F-that...I've had it. I stop, get off my bike and set it up against a tree and proceed to the passenger window where I lay in to this stupid fat F, he's seriously 45-50 and 50-75 #'s overweight. I lay into him that first off all, I did nothing wrong and second of all, trying to harm me in such a manor? "Get out of the car and I'm going to beat your f-@ss and berate him in every way possible...to which he speeds off. What a tool.

Anyway...got home and went and did an hour of pilates...Full day and I'm tired.

bostongarden

Was it a full moon last night?

shovelhd

They hate us out there. Be careful.

waterrockets 

Yeah, I used to do a lot more of that confrontational stuff when I was younger. Much safer just to smile and wave. Blow kisses.

Taking him up on his offer to "beat your ass" normally at the price of running two red lights, but at the bargain price of just one "red" light, is a deal though. I guess he was out of product for that offer.

Out-The-Back

Full moon, don't know but it was a nice sunset.

haha, that's typically my tactic as well WR..... just blow it off. However apparently 3 aggressive maneuvers is my threshold, this guy didn't seem to be letting it go. Must have had a bad day at work or something.

Funny, I see you guys are from Austin...actually have a job out there (Samsung) but think I'm going to reject it. Hows the racing scene? How's the Pflugerville area? Housing looks pretty reasonable.

badhat

man it really bugs me when i'm perfectly happy to wait my turn and yeild in an intersection and a driver who should have right of way makes a big production out of letting me go and then everyone else thinks i cut them off.

i'll cop to being a little loose with signs and lights, but i'm unfailingly respectful of rightof way.

GirlAnachronism

Wow, I had a really terrible race last night. Sitting in was okay but I exhibited a complete and total inability to accelerate. Oh well. 3:45 ride time, most of it junk getting there and back. I'll do an easy spin tonight. Hopefully tomorrow goes better.

ridethecliche

Doesn't that make road rage worse in tejas?

GirlAnachronism

Not when I do it.

carpediemracing 

For car incidents - helmet cam. I wear mine whenever I ride outside, racing or training.

I rode rollers (no resistance) two days ago, watching Lord of the Rings. Realized I was better than I thought at holding a line since I forgot I was on rollers during some of the more exciting scenes and then remembered that, oh, I can fall off. I didn't fall, nor did I have a close call, so that was a pleasant surprise. Typically I hold 100-110 rpm and focus on spinning; I do rollers when my form is bad.

Then I rode outside yesterday. Kept having to shift into an easier gear as I felt overgeared in my normal gears (I normally ride at 80-90 rpm). Focused on pedal stroke at slightly higher than threshold efforts (220-230w - my favorite training loop is very flat). I didn't look at my avg cadence but 90 felt slow.

I forgot how helpful rollers can be.

carpediemracing 

haha

caloso

Me too. Once I was nearly killed by a too-nice right of way yielder when the car behind her didn't see/didn't care and passed her and nearly took me out.

Volume is down this week, but I've been hitting every ride really hard. Trying to drive the TSB into the -30's (a full set of WRI's at lunchtime today will probably do the trick) then I'm off the bike for a week for spring break.

waterrockets 

Texas? Why would I ride in Texas?

You crayzee

mollusk

Austin is not Texas, but it is totally surrounded by Texas.

As for my training (or lack thereof) I decided not to ride this evening. It has been a hard week work-wise. Even though my Zero-G brake pad holders came in so I can ride my "good" bike again after nearly three weeks, my new team helmet is sitting in a box on my kitchen table (Lazer Helium), and it isn't raining, I just want to sit on my ass tonight. It has been a tough week.

bostongarden

Heading out for the ride, I wasn't feeling it, which, perhaps is not too surprising given that I did intervals yesterday. But, still, in my mind I wanted to push it a little bit. About 20 minutes in, of a 60 minute ride, I was about to call it a day and turn back, but, I felt like standing. So, I did (think Forrest Gump -- I just felt like running, so I did...). Then I sat; then I stood; then I sat, and then, I stood again, for about 3 straight minutes. I just felt like it. After that, I was feeling better, and went to my intended turnaround point. I attacked each climb the rest of the way, at about, I don't know, 80% effort -- it was "leisurely" strong, nothing that would wipe me out (600-700w). I was feeling a springy confidence in my legs. Nice series of attacks on the way back. Then, for my final sprint, I stood and went at about the same 80%ish effort, and for the first time this season, held it for the "full distance," 32 seconds at 580w average. Strange. I went into the ride feeling slightly blah; coming out, I feel decent.

wanders

Just to show how realistic the enviroment I've created for myself is down in the dungeon.

In the basement on the trainer, watching the 2006 tour de flanders on dvd. During one of the cobble sections, I flatted.