Racer Ex 

Gusts to 65.8

They shut the station down on the mountain.

Think I'm going down to a 46mm front for the TT bike today.

IBOHUNT

Or perhaps finish the mexican stage race blog thingy....

IBOHUNT

Took some time to put up the Christmas tree ( @sarals saw it ) then did Angels tonight.
Knackered.

Allegheny Jet

IBOHUNT, I see that you are a traveling guy, I'm planning to ride the Redbank Valley Trail on Monday with my big tire fixie. The trail surface is double track railroad ballast. I plan to ride the unimproved sections from Sligo to the Allegheny River then reverse and follow the Redbank Creek to the Climax Tunnel then ride back to Sligo. I know the area is your home ground. The plan is to go to my cabin Sunday evening then hitting the trail at 10:00 AM. You and all the BF Masters Racing Community are welcome to partake which includes meeting up at the cabin. We also will have a post ride meal and brew at the Allegheny Grill in Foxburg.

Trail info: Here is some info: https://www.redbankvalleytrails.org/w...9/RVTA-Map.pdf and Redbank Valley Trail Association | New Bethlehem PA

I'm betting that EX is having some ride envy.

IBOHUNT

After a month off of work I have to reluctantly go back on Monday. Thanks for the invite

revchuck 

Getting a little scary in a good way. Yesterday's scheduled workout was supposed to be 25 minutes at threshold in intervals of at least eight minutes; I did the 25 minutes in one chunk just to see if I could do it, then did another 11 minutes just to do it and could have stretched it longer with no problem but had to save some energy for work. The AP for the highest 20 minutes within the 25 minute interval was 105% of my current FTP and was relatively comfortable...though I was glad to go back to Z2 at the end of the interval. I spoke with my coach last night, and she opined that I was in a mini-peak. Okay with me. She wants me to squeeze in whatever extra time I can on the bike, since PT and work have me way down from where I was last year. 1:09, TSS 97, IF .92, 883 kj.

IBOHUNT

Great work. Me thinks someone will be getting a new FTP number for Christmas. Merry Christmas Chuck
Hope PT is progressing well with those handstand/"girly" pushup's and on a more serious note... Hope the wife is getting better.

valygrl

Awesome, chuck! Your coach is calling it a peak, and not having you re-test FTP?

I was in an awful slump a few weeks ago, tested a new lowest-ever FTP. Lots of reasons for that, which I won't belabor. But now I am slaughtering my intervals, overshooting all my watt goals. I can't wait to test again and get my new number!

Funny how much difference those little numbers on the computer make, psychologically. I know when I get my new number I'll probably be sad I can't kill it any more.

shovelhd

I got over that a long time ago. I do celebrate as the numbers come back up.

Racer Ex 

I would except I seem to have given up riding entirely.

Hermes

Send me your new Emondo.

sarals 

Valygrl...I hear you!!

sarals 

Tomorrow's cross race has been postponed until January 17th. There is 18" of water on the infield of the course. The park the course is in is closed. I suggested racing kayaks. I've never tried one of those!

revchuck 

My coach needs more than one really good day to consider adjusting my FTP. Me, I'm just waiting for the bubble to burst, but I'm enjoying the numbers for the time being. PT is going well - the therapist is pushing me, unlike the last time when he thought I was just another fragile old guy. And my wife's doing better, even though she won't admit it. Thanks!

She hasn't made any noises about re-testing. I've been pushing myself a bit, just to see where the numbers end up. And on doing intervals with a higher FTP, the cool part is realizing that you can meet the new numbers. It reinforces the idea that you have indeed progressed.

valygrl

thanks for that. good point.

i can't wait to test! .... but i'm waiting until i go to Arizona so I can start training there with altitude-appropriate numbers.

revchuck 

Still on a roll...1:10 at 92%, 1:22 total time, TSS 111, IF .90, 1061 kj. I was nowhere near the end of my rope, had to stop to go to work. Planning on 4+ hours tomorrow. I'm waiting for the shoe to drop and hoping it doesn't.

Racer Ex 

Another hole in most/all training software.

FWIW I adjust my FTP when I come from or go to altitude. At altitude the number gets moved around for the first few weeks if I've had a long stint at sea level.

valygrl

Interesting - do you have a formula for how to adjust?

Racer Ex 

Yep. It's rider specific and depends on altitude. But ballpark usually you can figure 5-7% <> around 4500-6500' depending on if you're going down or up. Days 3-10 at altitude after a long stint at sea level I'll drop it more, up to 10%. At 7k I"ll add a couple %.

If you're just popping down for a few days and go right back up you don't need to do the day 3-10 increase because your body already is acclimated.

Days 3-10 are when the body is in full on acclimate mode. Most people are pretty sucky during this time period.

Again, it's an individual response but those numbers are close in a lot of cases.

With most devices providing altitude these days it probably wouldn't be too hard to write in an algorithm that would move this on the fly.

Racer Ex 

Three hour MTB ride today with some friends. Started snowing right at the end of the ride. Rain made the trails, for the most part, like velcro. My 7 y/o MTB held it's own against a lot of new iron, but barely.

Racer Ex 

Took Ridley out for a 20 ride on the cross bike in the snow, then tossed on another 15 of climbing. 2 weight cycles at the gym after. Dentist tomorrow.

valygrl

Thanks. That makes sense that it's rider specific - I seem to do much worse at high altitude than a lot of my competition.

I'm going to be 2500 feet lower than usual for 3 weeks. I know i'll have to reacclimate to home elevation when I get back, but I'm thinking 3 weeks training consistently at 2600' and 63* beats 3 weeks of grovelling on my trainer in the basement at 5200' when it's snowing and in the teens. I don't race until March, anyway.

Cleave

@valygrl, are you going to be in Arizona in February? AzTR (I believe) and I will be racing at the Valley of the Sun Stage Race on Valentine's Day weekend. BTW, I don't do well at altitude but that doesn't stop me from trying.

Last week was my hardest week (intensity) in a while. Intervals at the track were harder than normal: Z2 1 min, Z3 2 min, Z2 1 min, Z4 1 min, Z2 1 min, Z3 2 min - X 3 repetitions per set - X 2 sets. The kicker was the first (rest) interval, Z2 1 min. When I finished the first repetition of intervals, the Z2 at the beginning of the next repetition was not enough to recover so the the 2nd repetition was even harder. By the end of the 3rd repetition I was really hurting. Used the first 20 laps of the motor game after the 2 sets of intervals as a warm down. Ended up riding very easy on Saturday and did higher gearing hill intervals in the Newport Coast Drive area -- Pelican Hill Road, Ridge Park Road, Vista Ridge Road, and Spyglass Hill Drive -- as part of a 60 mile ride on Sunday. (The road references are for Hermes and Velo Diva.) More track intervals this week (taking it a little easier) and will do more a little more volume at a lower intensity this coming weekend. A bit of rest for a few days and then some big volume starting on Christmas Day through the weekend after New Year's Day.

My problem is that I have a week long business trip in Seattle starting on January 5th. The best I can hope for that week is to get to a spin class or two so I'm basically looking at it as a rest week which I have to deal with in my build up for my first objective for the year, the Valley of the Sun Stage Race. With a number of things going on this year, including the house thing, I don't have too many objectives. National Senior Games in Minneapolis - St. Paul is my other big one.

Racer Ex 

And some guy from Reno...

I'll bring the fixings for a "Buzz Aldrin" post race. It's a local specialty drink.

It's a good thing we didn't marry and have kids. Same gene pool. On the plus side I'm magnificent at sea level.

Hermes

@Cleave My wife and I will be in SoCal next week starting December 24th. We should try to go for a ride. BTW, Sisterhood of Cycling has a group ride on Saturday that we may do led by Amber Neben. We also plan on hooking up with Laura L for a ride. BTW, do you still have a spare Cancellara frame motor that I could borrow. I am going to need it.