Masters Racing (All Disciplines) - Tales From The Dark Side - Sara's Aspirations

Sara, knowing you from what you post here, there's a clear danger you will do too much too soon. When your doctor said "TAKE IT EASY" I promise you he did not mean "see if you can exceed 500 watts".

On this subject I know what I'm talking about. Less than two years ago I too had laparoscopic surgery - appendix rather than gall bladder - and like you I felt fine afterwards and was back on the bike in a week. That turned out to be a mistake, I had post-operative pain for four months, intermittently, sometimes quite severe. I'm pretty confident that my over-enthusiasm ended up prolonging my recovery.

Next season is a long way away, you have time to recover properly and build. Take it easy and, for a while, use the powertap to keep your effort levels down to a sensible level, not to set any PRs.

And welcome back, btw.

Glad you're back, Sara.

Everyone, thank you!

Chasm....yes, you know me. I'm trying (hard) to keep things in check.

I'm down to 133 pounds (muscle is dissolving), but I still have quite a bit of swelling on my right side where the "punctures" were. I still have some fluid buildup.

I'm going to join the group ride this morning, but I'll be off the back (by design) very early on. I have another week of "EASY" before I start ramping back up.

How quickly it goes away.

It is good to be back, though....

Welcome back Sara. Take it easy,... please!

Welcome back Sara. Take it easy,... please!


AJ, I will...promise!

It'll come back faster than you think. You still have your base fitness. You're slow now because your body's been traumatized by the stone and the surgery.

I wondered where heck you went.
Welcome back and take it slow and easy.
Enjoy the PT, fortunately I have a wireless ANT+ version. I hate fricking wires!!! ;)

Sara, 32 miles on your first ride after a hospital stay that included surgery?!?!?! :eek:

You don't lose cardiovascular fitness that quickly. Your body just needs to recover. Obviously your enthusiasm does not need any recovery.

Take care. :)

My enthusiasm HAS taken a hit, Cleave. I'm a little down right now.

I am going to spin class this morning. I am anxious to see how I fare.

I'm down to 132 pounds. I can feel it, too - as well as see it.

Next week I can start to rebuild with earnest. If earnest is still around....

Chasm....yes, you know me. I'm trying (hard) to keep things in check...



I'm going to join the group ride this morning, but I'll be off the back (by design) very early on. I have another week of "EASY" before I start ramping back up.

.




I am going to spin class this morning. I am anxious to see how I fare.



So, let me see if I have this right. 24 hours ago you were trying really hard to keep things in check, and were going to take it easy for another week before trying anything strenuous. Today you have decided to go to a spin class and are anxious to see how you do.

All makes perfect sense, Sara.

There's bound to be some hangover from surgery. Ease back into things and you'll do fine.

sarals: EASY

So, let me see if I have this right. 24 hours ago you were trying really hard to keep things in check, and were going to take it easy for another week before trying anything strenuous. Today you have decided to go to a spin class and are anxious to see how you do.

All makes perfect sense, Sara.

I am keeping things in check. If I wasn't I'd be going on a hammer ride with the ladies group tonight.

I did go to spin class, and I went easy while there. I needed to find a benchmark, and I needed to see what I had lost. Spin class is not all that strenuous to begin with, and today's class would have been, if I had not been through this, very easy. I didn't approach it as if it was an exercise class at all, it was more of a "finding what has happened". I listened carefully to my body, took it easy, kept the cadence down, didn't "go for it" on efforts, and I found out some things. The most profound is recovery - it takes me a long time time to recover from any effort that causes my muscles to produce lactic acid. The second is that my heartrate is down to normal values, but my lungs can't keep up. That's okay, I didn't try to shove myself to LTR or take really long deep breaths. I just wanted to see where I sit right now, and perhaps try to stop the bleeding.

To me, taking it easy is exactly what I just did. Sitting on my tuckus and watching TV is not. I do so appreciate the concerns. I know every one of you has been through something like this in your lives, so I also appreciate that what you say is advice - and I do listen, believe me when I say that. Compared to what I want to do, I am going slowly.

I am also taking this down time to tidy up my bicycles. I've gotten the wiring mess on my Look sorted out. I wanted to put the Easton wheels on my Giant CFR Team, but the 9 speed cassette won't fit on the hub. So, I decided to put the (heavy) Fulcrum 7 wheels on the Giant instead. The Eastons? I don't know yet.

My Felt TT bike needs attention, too. I really need to get fit to it, but that will have to wait.

My house needs some "ladies touch" attention, too, but I am not allowed to lift anything for at least two more weeks. I might do some spruce up painting here and there, though. No furniture moving!!

I can feel all the heads shaking out there... ;)

Not mine. You need to worry about aggravating the trauma, of course, but other than that, the sooner you get back into it, the less you will lose. Just take care of the trauma.

Sara, I had ankle fusion surgery 2 1/2 years ago. I was totally off the bike for 30 day then began some limited rides on the trainer. As I healed the work load increased to include rollers and more time on the saddle. Three months after the surgery I did my first race of the season and rode as well as the rest of the Cat 4's. The following Thursday my doctor gave me the OK begin easy riding.

You are not going to lose much in a few weeks. Maybe you lose some top end but that can be reclaimed. You have a good base that will not go away quickly.

AJ and AzT - you're right!

I had an extended conversation with my GP doc on Tuesday when I did my surgical follow up. He was much more concerned about lifting and doing exercises that would stress my lower abdomen than anything else. He, like the surgeon who performed the procedure, felt riding the bike was just fine, because it supports the body weight. Even when I'm OTS, I'm still not stressing the tummy muscles in a way that could cause them harm. "Go ride" he said. "Don't run, though" he added. "And, no lifting over 25 pounds".

Okay.

This afternoon, I took the Look out for 20 miles. Just a "regular ride" - with some Sara twists! My average power on the PT was 97 watts. On the two little climbs I did I'd average 230 watts, with some peaks around 280. I didn't sprint, so I don't know about that. I suspect if I did an FTP test right now it would be around 130 to 135. Pretty weak. And, that's what I've found. As AJ said, and shovel, I have lost top end, and top end sustain. I can't "pop", there just is no dig right now. Also, as I noticed yesterday in spin, I recovery slowly, but better than I did yesterday. My legs feel almost spindly, like there's no substance to them. They tire quickly, but I have to say I'm motoring pretty well when they do that! Oddly, my average speed is very close to what it was before I got sick, but my max speeds (on the flats) is lower, and I can't go that fast for very long. (By the way, the PT dropped data for about 6 miles - the computer was working, but the upload had a big gap..hmmm?).

I'm stoked! I think I'm going to get back fairly quickly. I hate being morose, and I apologize for getting that way, but you guys, you were right. It's not that bad. Having good core fitness and a good base means a lot!

I'm still going to go easy for another few days, then I'll start to ramp it up. The body feels fine. Most of the swelling is gone (but my tummy has all sorts of lovely shades of "bruise" on it), my respiration is normal, and my heart rate is getting back to where it should be.

Whew....

:thumb:

97 watts. Perfect. Keep it up.

97 watts. Perfect. Keep it up.

It's a good thing I use 60 watt bulbs around the house. I couldn't light anything else... ;)

Like AZT says, it's a progression. You have to start yours all over again. That sucks, but you're not dead. That would suck more. So go back to Start, collect your $200, and wait for your next turn. Your progression will go faster than the first time because you have a strong base. You have probably lost a lot less than you think. Your muscles are just bound up and need to be freed. I bet you'll be in a much better place in 60 days.

It's not common for racers to carry race fitness year round. Your body needs a break, so you'll have to go through a base and build cycle before racing season starts. For those of us in the Northeast that don't race cross, that's November through March. You get used to losing race fitness and the grind of building it back up. If you do it right, it's motivating.

Hang in there, sarals.

Sara, What does your coach say? My family doc who is an avid cyclist and my coaches, advocate rest and taking it easy when sick or recovering from a procedure will result in the fastest return to form. Your body has a lot of work to do in repairing and healing from the surgery. Adding muscle breakdown due to cycling or anything else adds to the repair workload. And since you are run down from the hospitalization, you may be more prone to getting a bug. So extra hand washing is advisable and watch going to gyms and spin classes where you are exposed to germs from other people. When I go to the gym, Equinox has dispensers of hand sanitizer at several locations and I use them a few times when working out.

It takes general anesthetic weeks to leave your system plus laying around for several days with an IV has to cause some enzyme changes, muscle loss and general fatigue that your body was not used to.

Forget about the power meter unless you are using it to go easy and forget about FTP i.e. do not worry about it. Your FTP is higher than you think but if you push too hard and do not heal, you only prolong your recovery and THEN your FTP will really drop. Once you are back to normal, top end will come back fast.

Like AZT says, it's a progression. You have to start yours all over again. That sucks, but you're not dead. That would suck more. So go back to Start, collect your $200, and wait for your next turn. Your progression will go faster than the first time because you have a strong base. You have probably lost a lot less than you think. Your muscles are just bound up and need to be freed. I bet you'll be in a much better place in 60 days.

It's not common for racers to carry race fitness year round. Your body needs a break, so you'll have to go through a base and build cycle before racing season starts. For those of us in the Northeast that don't race cross, that's November through March. You get used to losing race fitness and the grind of building it back up. If you do it right, it's motivating.

Hang in there, sarals.

Shovel, thank you for that (oh, I'd give you such a big hug if I could!). That was as centering a piece of advice I've heard yet.

By the way, that Ridley Noah is a NICE bike!!! Is it stiff enough for crits, do you think?

Sara, What does your coach say? My family doc who is an avid cyclist and my coaches, advocate rest and taking it easy when sick or recovering from a procedure will result in the fastest return to form. Your body has a lot of work to do in repairing and healing from the surgery. Adding muscle breakdown due to cycling or anything else adds to the repair workload. And since you are run down from the hospitalization, you may be more prone to getting a bug. So extra hand washing is advisable and watch going to gyms and spin classes where you are exposed to germs from other people. When I go to the gym, Equinox has dispensers of hand sanitizer at several locations and I use them a few times when working out.

It takes general anesthetic weeks to leave your system plus laying around for several days with an IV has to cause some enzyme changes, muscle loss and general fatigue that your body was not used to.

Forget about the power meter unless you are using it to go easy and forget about FTP i.e. do not worry about it. Your FTP is higher than you think but if you push too hard and do not heal, you only prolong your recovery and THEN your FTP will really drop. Once you are back to normal, top end will come back fast.

Hermes, you've pointed out some things I haven't thought about - and need to. Thank you! You know, while I was lying in that bed in Lakeport feeling totally famished due to no food, I noticed on several occasions the ache that my legs would give each time I moved them. Walking wasn't easy, either. I knew then I was dissolving muscle. Since then, they've felt okay, but when stressed they just "disappear". And, OMG, the anesthesia. Yes. I have a hard time with it, anyway. I've been sleeping a lot since the surgery, and I think part of that is recuperation but part of it is the lingering effects of the anesthesia, too.

The power meter is entertainment right now. I'm also trying to get used to it. I know it's not valid. My heart rate isn't either, really. FTP? It might be better than I think, but you're totally right - it would do me more harm then good to try to find it right now.

I use hand sanitizers all the time!

My coach and I haven't really discussed very much, yet. I told him I'd be ready to go mid September. We'll take it from there. He did say "heal"!!

Right now, I'm healing, exploring, relaxing, sleeping, eating (more than I should), and worrying (my middle name). My biggest challenge is in trying to keep a positive mental attitude. That's not easy. In that, I need help, and I am getting it from you guys (and from many friends at home).

By the way, that Ridley Noah is a NICE bike!!! Is it stiff enough for crits, do you think?

It's a sweet deal. I could pick that bike up, swap my Dura-Ace/Quarq stuff over, put the Ultegra group on the Felt, sell it, and get a Noah frame for half price. I don't have that kind of money but it's cool to dream.

IMO the Noah is plenty stiff enough for crits. I'll see a friend tomorrow who has a Noah and a Foil and get his opinion.

IMO the Noah is plenty stiff enough for crits. I'll see a friend tomorrow who has a Noah and a Foil and get his opinion.

The Noah is plenty stiff for crits, I've owned and raced 3 of them.

My advice on recovery is to take it easy, let your body heal up, and don't force things or worry about getting back to where you were because you will if you follow the previous advice.

The reality for most bike racers is that they try to train through illness or injuries when often all that's going to do is extend their healing time or make them sicker. Not always, but often.

In this case you have internal and external injuries that need to heal, and I think following the docs advice is the right call.

After getting busted up early this year it was tougher for me mentally coming back than physically. Losing fitness is frustrating, having to roll back through where you were a month or two ago is VERY frustrating because there are points in training where you just, for lack of a better word, suck. Where it's hard and you're not fast. Much easier to train when you start having good days but that takes a while.

In my case I had a multiplier in that life stuff had been limiting my fitness for nearly two years...I never got to enjoy the fruits of hard training to the extent that I normally did.

The Noah is plenty stiff for crits, I've owned and raced 3 of them.

My advice on recovery is to take it easy, let your body heal up, and don't force things or worry about getting back to where you were because you will if you follow the previous advice.

The reality for most bike racers is that they try to train through illness or injuries when often all that's going to do is extend their healing time or make them sicker. Not always, but often.

In this case you have internal and external injuries that need to heal, and I think following the docs advice is the right call.

After getting busted up early this year it was tougher for me mentally coming back than physically. Losing fitness is frustrating, having to roll back through where you were a month or two ago is VERY frustrating because there are points in training where you just, for lack of a better word, suck. Where it's hard and you're not fast. Much easier to train when you start having good days but that takes a while.

In my case I had a multiplier in that life stuff had been limiting my fitness for nearly two years...I never got to enjoy the fruits of hard training to the extent that I normally did.

Cool on the Noah! I have a feeling I'm going to be on the Look for a long time, though. I now have a set of Easton EA90 Aero wheels (with a Shimano free hub, they came off of the Look), a complete Campy Chorus gruppo (brakes and all) given to me by my boyfriend when he put a Record triple group set on his Bianchi L'Una, and no frame. I don't know Campy, so I don't know where the Chorus gruppo is in relation to Shimano gruppos. I do know it shifts differently. But, I think I may have the basis for a good crit bike with the wheels and group IF I can ever afford a decent frame set.

Ex. On the training and recovery. As always, you're exactly right. My biggest "problem" has been overcoming that loud voice in my little female brain that keeps saying "you're loosing fitness, get out there!". On the other hand, it also yells at me "you're tired and sick, go to bed and sleep". What I've doing is maintaining, and I'm feeling better and better. I still don't push, I resist that voice. I DO sleep a LOT. Over the last three days, I have seen huge improvements in the surgical site. I look waaaay better, and I feel great, really good. The other (really cool) thing is that my digestive tract is working better than it has in recent memory. I'm healthier!

Ex, when I do come back, I know it's going to be hard, but I am going to be stronger and fitter than I was before this happened to me. Mark my words!

I'm feeling better and better every day! I've now realized how much the anesthesia continued to affect me long after the surgery. I finally have my full lung capacity back, and I can slam the little piston thingie in the respiratory therapy device the hospital gave me right to the top of the scale, easily.

I took a short, 15 mile, easy ride with my boyfriend yesterday on my super heavy CFR Team (22 pounds). I did "hit it" on two short climbs (if you call them that) and I was really surprised at well I went up those little hills. Towards the end of the ride, I was warmed up and feeling loose and really good, so I hopped on to the rear bumper of a minivan on Oceanview Drive and motorpaced for a mile or so at 22 MPH - easy!!! It's fun playing rabbit for the boyfriend, too, but he rarely takes the bait.

Next week, I'll be ready to get back to training in earnest. Yay!!

That's good news Sara! The time off the bike allowed for good recovery.

Just don't overdo it coming back. You really don't have that far to go to get back so don't push it.

Just don't overdo it coming back. You really don't have that far to go to get back so don't push it.

Amen.

...easy ride with my boyfriend...

You're being redundant, Sara. ;)

Yeaaaahhhhh....easy is redundant, isn't it?

It's been hard laying low, but you guys, you're so right - it's really paying off. I can't wait to get back, but I will wait to get back!

I did the Tuesday group ride this week, as sort of a gauge for me. I'm also still trying to get used to the Powertap. I'm trying to figure out how to merge the PT data with the data from my Garmin. I'm pretty sure that can be done in Poweragent (and probably TrainingPeaks), I just have to put my (weak) mind to it and decide how it's done.

The ride Tuesday was dismal. Or, it felt dismal. I abandoned the ride at the half way point. I didn't want to chance trying those steep climbs in the second half of the ride just yet, and I had doubts I had the strength to do them, anyway.

I uploaded the ride to TP and Poweragent, and what I saw was a bit of a surprise. First of all, Strava is not that far off on average power (at least for me), but what caused me to smile was the 5 second, 10 second, 30 second, etc. power numbers. Oh, I know I'm milk toast, but I did better than I thought. It looks like my FTP is right around 130 watts right now, and I am able to generate a max power of 498 watts.

Here's the page:

http://i1111.photobucket.com/albums/h470/sarals/82812ridepowertap.jpg

On another note, my boyfriend rides a Bianchi L'Una - a white carbon 928. His is a 61CM 2005 bike, Campy Record triple, 13t 28 cassette, and it's very beautiful. He found a 53CM L'Una frame on eBay, perfect condition, and he decided I needed to have it. I contacted our local Bianchi-ista (Bianchtiste?), Cleave, about it, and I got the same impression from him as I did from my friend Hector at my LBS (who represent Bianchi). It's an okay bike, not great, not terribly light (but it's lighter than my Look 566), and I could do better with the $1100 the frame is going for. I thought so. However, the deed has been done, or at least, my B/F has bid on it (for me). And, I shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. Hector at the LBS said it could make a decent crit bike, and it's an pretty good tourer, as well. But, it's dated. The plan is to build it up with Campy Chorus (compact, but I might have standard chain rings put on it), 11t-25 (or something like that), my Easton EA90 Aero wheel set, Conti GP4000S (700-25's) with the idea to keep it as light as possible. Before my B/F bid on it, I made sure it fit - Hector at the LBS put me on a 53CM Narone, and took some measurements. What do you know, that bike actually fit me better than my Look does.

If I end up with the L'Una, I'm going to have to evaluate whether or not I keep the Look. I love my 566, I don't want to part with it, but I don't need two bikes THAT similar. I need a CRIT BIKE, and the L'Una is not a pure race bike (neither is the Look).

Maybe someone will outbid him!

Fingers crossed....

Welcome to the wonder world of Power Sara! No more HR zones or PE, just truth in numbers.

Welcome to the wonder world of Power Sara! No more HR zones or PE, just truth in numbers.

And surprising truth!

I just discovered that my PT computer (it is NOT the 2.4, but it is an SL) does NOT work with the coded HR strap my Garmin uses - but it DOES read the non-coded Suunto strap my T3D used. Yay!! Small victory. Now "coach" can get ALL of my data When I start training up again)!

Welcome to the wonder world of Power Sara! No more HR zones or PE, just truth in numbers.

I find all three to be of value.

Conti GP4000S (700-25's) with the idea to keep it as light as possible.

Go with the 23's, because they're actually 24's. I run them with Michelin latex tubes. Save some weight. They are my standard race tires, and I race primarily criteriums. Excellent in all conditions. Never let me down.

Go with the 23's, because they're actually 24's. I run them with Michelin latex tubes. Save some weight. They are my standard race tires, and I race primarily criteriums. Excellent in all conditions. Never let me down.

Okay, I will! Shove, what do you think of the bike?

Drooled on this:

http://i1111.photobucket.com/albums/h470/sarals/58A10166-A724-4C5A-917F-4D7C06269D2D-2945-00000696F5B5FBA0.jpg

Four days after surgery. OMG, was I swollen up.

http://i1111.photobucket.com/albums/h470/sarals/DBBF2119-1E88-4C26-8E7F-12A50469C1F8-2945-00000696FD872954.jpg

Yes, I have a time trial bike:

http://i1111.photobucket.com/albums/h470/sarals/F6C6274C-65A1-4462-BB48-283FE83D4FFD-2945-0000069719FEBD7E.jpg

Not bikes, but way cool! I hear they're fast, too...

http://i1111.photobucket.com/albums/h470/sarals/375B09AE-67C8-4CB1-B02E-0BB338858624-2945-00000696F0B70AB9.jpg

I watched a bit of the America's Cup "World Series" over the weekend. The AC45's are way fast, but I prefer monohulls, which can mix it up at the marks without fouling. It seemed every time the boats got close one of them would get the light turned on that meant they had to lose a couple of boat lengths as a penalty. Really hampers the spectating. You need to able to see the impact of the tactics develop over the course of a race, and I wasn't getting that. The really short legs and "gates" might make it better for onshore spectators, but overall, I'll pass on it. And, they are doing the buildup in one class of boats, and racing the cup in another? Between the frequent legal messes, and the constant juggling of organizational approaches, I can no longer stay on top of it all.

Not and feed my cycling pathos, anyway.

Good luck on sorting out the N+1, Sara. Be sure you are making a well-reasoned choice, that matches your plans.. :)

Okay, I will! Shove, what do you think of the bike?

I'm really not qualified to say. I haven't ridden or even seen a Bianchi 928. I don't know what year it is, so all I had to go by was 2010 geometry. Given all that, it looks like a heavy frame, but that's not a big deal for crits. The geometry looks very square. How well that works for you is very personal, but I like and ride a fairly square bike. The head tube is a bit long for the size, and the head tube angle is a little bit relaxed. There was no data on BB height or wheelbase. Based on this information, it seems like it would be stable but not super nimble, the kind of bike you may have to muscle through the twisty stuff but would be rock solid under power.

Shovel, the 53CM bike has a 978mm wheelbase, 74 degree seat tube angle, 72 degree head tube angle, 43mm of fork rake, and a standover of 30 inches. Here's a picture of a 53CM bike:


http://i1111.photobucket.com/albums/h470/sarals/LUNA06.jpg

AzT, I think that the "money" has ruined the America's Cup racing. I preferred the days of Dennis Conner and the 12 meter mono-hulls (oh, that Aussie winged-keel boat!). During the hey-day of those boats and those races, I had a sailboat (well, my family did). It was hull number 4883, a cedar plank Lightning (a 19 foot one design planing hull centerboard sloop). I crewed for a boyfriend on his Blue Jay during that time, too. We actually won some heats in a few Eastern Long Island regattas! That was fun! Do I miss sailing? Nope. I don't know why, either.

This morning marked the beginning of the "rebuilding". I did a 40 minute 10 mile ride on the Giant. After a short warmup, I tried some efforts for some benchmarks. My cardio is way down. That's got to come first, I guess. I think I'm going to have to do some running to help build that back up. Apparently the surgery and the huge fluid buildup after it really stressed my heart and lungs. My lungs are back, but my heart isn't. Then, there is the muscle loss. Along with that are the fat stores - the "long term" energy banks. They're gone. When I cook off the glycogen in a short effort, there is nothing left to sustain, and recovery can take three or minutes. OMG...

I've a long way to go. However, when I think back to how pitiful I was 6 or 7 years ago, I'm a total monster!

AzT, I think that the "money" has ruined the America's Cup racing. I preferred the days of Dennis Conner and the 12 meter mono-hulls (oh, that Aussie winged-keel boat!). During the hey-day of those boats and those races, I had a sailboat (well, my family did). It was hull number 4883, a cedar plank Lightning (a 19 foot one design planing hull centerboard sloop). I crewed for a boyfriend on his Blue Jay during that time, too. We actually won some heats in a few Eastern Long Island regattas! That was fun! Do I miss sailing? Nope. I don't know why, either.

I sailed for 25 years on the Great Lakes and Florida. I miss it once and a while. I've had motorcycles for 17 years and I miss them as well. Besides upkeep and insurance, I'm glad I'm riding bicycles now.

My past addictions include sailing and underwater photography. Both are unique, as are flying and cycling. Of the things I no longer do, I miss the underwater photography more than the sailing. There was a lightning fleet where I sailed for quite a few years at Mission Bay Yacht Club, Sara, and I crewed a Lightning a time or two. There is also a fleet here in Arizona on Lake Pleasant. I moved on to offshore boats from the dinghies. Offshore sailing makes the costs of bike racing seem penny-ante.

"Offshore sailing makes the costs of bike racing seem penny-ante."

That's for sure!!!:thumb: