Hermes

IBOHUNT

I sound like that ol rusty front porch swing in an F4 tornado.. creakin, cracklin, and the dogs are howlin/cowering under the porch. Get off spent and just want to lay on the floor in the fetal position

I like your descriptions. I may borrow those at some point

sarals 

I had a pretty decent training ride yesterday. Coach has me spending a lot of time riding at pace/tempo to build some base before the Madera Stage Race. I warmed up, then hooked up with the VCM Tuesday group ride. I was at or near the front the whole way, and then I got a great leadout from one of the guys for the field sprint and won it! I threw down some good power in the sprint (for me), 630 watts (and 34 MPH). Part of my confidence for the season comes from the fact that this ride was no anomaly - I ride like that most of the time. TSS was 246.

Oh, dilemma - do I do a two day Senior Games event May 2 and 3, on a course I don't like with a less than quality field, or do I go to Sacramento and race in M35+ crit with some seasoned bike racers? Gotta think about that one.

revchuck 

Awesome job, Sara!

#californiabikeracerproblems

sarals 

Yes, indeed!

IBOHUNT

Awesome work

It was 0 here when I got up. Not even thinking about racing.
I vote Sacramento. Any seconds? We can make this happen

sarals 

I'm leaning towards Sacramento (Golden State Criterium). I could always race the second day at the Senior Games. Recovery ride, don't ya know?

The weather out here has been stupid. I'm not complaining, but we've only had about a week of winter, if you could call it that, and there has been not much rain on Central Coast (where I am) since December. We're in some pretty deep trouble as for a drought.

Cleave

I assume that I don't make weird sounds but I also assume that I don't snore (much). In my head I'm quiet externally but screaming on the inside.

BTW, I did another FTP test a couple of weeks ago. I obviously don't have the psyche to do the test properly since my NP for the VOS TT (35 min) was almost 30 watts higher than the NP for my 20 minute test. At VOS NP = Average Power so I'm going to try to set my FTP at 95% of that number.

shovelhd

Tough call, a medal that isn't part of a national qualifier or a hard criterium for good training.

sarals 

Shovel, I want the crit. I can race on Sunday at the SG, I think it's a 40K road race and 5K ITT. Those would be good training! I'll have to see what coach says.

Cleave, you and I are alike. I test miserably, but my real world performance is almost always better than the test score.

shovelhd

Yes, you do.

Racer Ex 

For the record it hurts me to write FTP on anyone's training plan.

IBOHUNT

I'm the same way. I can't make myself go to that edge when testing or just riding but when the pressure is on you start cookin' (ethanol is easy)

PSA Notes:
1. Don't use an open flame. Hot plates are handy items.
2. Keep a fire extinguisher handy if using an open flame.
3. Best done outdoors.

sarals 

How quickly you can fall. I came down with a really nasty bug Thursday afternoon/evening, and by Thursday night I was down for the count. It hit fast and it hit hard. I had the darndest cramps in my feet of all places, very, very painful. The rest of my body felt like I was getting beaten. I don't know the number, but I had a strong fever, as well. It has been "not fun".

Today, I'm better. Much better. I am going to try a light spin on the Look as soon as it warms up a little bit more. I said "try"! The training schedule is out the window right now, but I do want to to save as much of my top end and recovery that I can. No heroics, just a ride.

revchuck 

Sara - getting sick =/= fail. Quit beating yourself up over stuff you have no control over. Hope you have a good, head-clearing ride!

sarals 

I did. Actually, it wasn't bad. I even did some intervals, and they were okay. There is nothing like the bike for what ails you. Now, if I was just racing it....

IBOHUNT

Plowed and shoveled 8+" of white sunshine in the morning.
In the afternoon got on the trainer and did 5 over/unders. Each interval was 9 minutes of 2 under - 1 over repeated 3 times with 6' between intervals.
Followed that with 90 minutes of Z2

I don't get how folks can do more than 3 hours on a trainer.

ColnagoC40

It depends on the trainer. Yesterday it was raining here, so I did some recovery hill climbing in Italy, with full course visual video and auto accurate grade resistance from the trainer. Did this in my living room in NC with the course on a big screen TV and Pandora playing in the background.

https://app.strava.com/activities/258624409

sarals 

Colnago, nice setup! I can't argue with that.

I'm getting over the bug. I still have head congestion, and my tummy has settled down. It hit fast and hard, and seems to be passing fairly quickly. It really did some damage, though. Coach told me to ride at "high pace", so I went out to my customary training grounds yesterday and put in over an hour. My course features constant grades, short steep rollers, false flats, fast descents, flats - everything you could want to really get a good workout. I was able to make the power, getting to threshold and going above it felt normal, but then trying to stay above LTHR was impossible. I would just poop out. My lungs, heart and legs are fine, my energy is not. That bug wiped me out. I'm hoping today is a little better.

Quick to fall, long to get back up.

ColnagoC40

Don't know if it is the same bug, but I went through the whole of 2014 without even a headache and then bam, just before Christmas this bug hit me. Put me in bed for three days, but same symptoms as yours. My average HR compared to Power output went up by around 10-15 and is only now getting back to where it was before. My wife ended up getting it last week, same thing, she really struggled with this.

I took a different route though and repaired my base with long endurance miles for three weeks, before again piling up the intensity.

sarals 

Gosh, I hope it doesn't take me three weeks! Like you, I had nothing at all last year. This year I've had a mild cold and ear infection, and now this.

Coach is waiting to see how I fare before we design a game plan. I need endurance, I just don't have the time to get long rides in. I tend to thrive on intensity, as coach put it, "fast twitch likes intensity". Anyway, it's a wait and see right now. I just HOPE I have enough top end back by March 6 so I can have some fun in that stage race.

Colnago, I'm glad you got past that bug. I hope your wife gets past it quickly. It surely is a nasty one!

sarals 

The ride today went pretty well. In fact, I matched a best effort on 7/10 mile constant climb, doing it in 3:08 and 14 MPH. I do intervals on that hill, and I also use the whole hill to measure progress. Lately I've been doing that thing in 3:12 to 3:20, and if I'm on, 3:08. I requires a sustained effort above LTHR for me, and an average of 180 watts, which doesn't sound like much for you big strong guys, but for me, to hold that power for that long, is a pretty big deal. I did it today, and then I went on to ride fairly well for the rest of the hour plus "high pace" training ride. It seems that the bug I had took away my energy, I must have used up a lot of reserves fighting it off. Those reserves are coming back. And I'm relieved!

revchuck 

Good to hear, Sara!

LAJ

Sara!

nacler22

Rode my bike today with a friend. It turned into a training ride, with some fast up, and faster down. If this keeps up, I'll consider myself ready to formally be somewhat prepared to acknowledge that I might be close to starting something that resembles training.

Have a new stem length, rear wheel, and a minor setback adjustment on the new bike. A couple more mods, a professional fit, and this bike will be as close to perfect a ride as I've ever had on a race bike. Man this @#$% is fun......................we're some lucky people here!!!!