Hermes

Total HTFU day at the track. 2x20 laps behind the motor followed by 14 team pursuit efforts of varying distances. The weather was 70 degrees and sunny. Fixed gear rules.

rdtompki

I HTFU'ed through my first spin class while on travel in Portland. Definitely a workout, but with that big flywheel I do wonder if it works the muscles the same way as riding. Still, better than nothing.

Allegheny Jet

HTFU today? Not me, I'm basking in my recovery week and working on the decks at the house.

dynodonn 

Personally, I try to be a slacker as much as I possibly can while on the bike, but the morning and evening rush hour urban traffic seem to have other plans for me on my daily work commutes.

The Weak Link

I tried to HTFU today but I flat ran out of F. It was such an epic fail that it may be worth a separate entry.

jppe

First TT at Charlotte Motor Speedway is in the books. Due to track duties I only got in a 10 minute warmup before starting-hardly even broke a sweat which is not good. But I was able to keep my HR at 85% plus for the whole 10 miles. For the first event I was pleased with how I rode and also how the event turned out. We aer so fortunate to have a wonderful group of volunteers that put these things on.

Allegheny Jet

I wore my Team issued black HTFU wristband at today's Cat 4 race, conducted under spotty showers and 35+ mph winds, and ended up 6th overall with $10.00 winnings.

Taking 2nd on two cash prime sprints was not so good and a waste of 2 matches.

cervelo-van

First ride up one of the local mountains (Cypress in Vancouver) this season, via Horseshoe Bay. Tired legs, so just ground it out.

https://connect.garmin.com/activity/32712675

Hermes

On Saturday, I raced in the PG&E Criterium in the M Cat 5. I came in top 20 out of 50 (I do not have the official results yet). It was a 30 minute race around a .7 mile course with 3 - 90 degree right hand turns and 1 - longer radius right turn into the finishing stretch. The pavement was very smooth and fast. Our average speed was 25.2 mph and my average cadence 88 rpm. My top speed at the finish was 32 mph finishing about 5 bike lengths back.

I have done criteriums in the past but always as part of a stage race. So this was my first criterium only race. Generally, I do not due crits due to the risk factor - too many crashes but I needed another mass start race to upgrade to Cat 4 and this one looked good. They are a lot of fun to race in and this one was good.

I got a good trainer warmup and one lap on the course. The wind was into our face between turns 1 and 2.

I stayed in the back for most of the race and it was pretty easy. I have NEVER felt that way in a race before. I was feeling really good so with one to go, my plan was to move to the front on the home stretch and kill it after turn one, gap the field and hope to hang on to the finish. On the bell lap we were going fast into turn one. A couple of guys in front of me could not make the turn at that speed and swung wide into the cones but kept the rubber side down. I held my line, reduced power and made sure they were not going to be a problem. I lost several positions to the field. I decided to just roll in with the main pack.

My HTFU training for this race was motor pacing at the track at 110 -120 cadence for 2X20 lap efforts and 2X10 minute efforts alternating 30 seconds at z6 then 30 seconds at z2.

bjjoondo 

Well not to the extent you "racer" folks do but we have a constant 25mph. wind with 40+ mph. gust's today, wasn't going to ride but decided to "heck" with the wind as the sun was out and put in 18 miles, pushing against the wind as hard as a "old fred" can on a road/touring hybrid!

Hermes

Last night, I did a high intensity session with my racing club led by my coach. 3X10 minute intervals with each interval structured as 30 seconds at z6 and 30 seconds at z2. I have done these before by myself but it was fun in a group. The goal is to go as hard as you can for 30 seconds knowing you have to complete 30 intervals over approximately 12 miles.

Allegheny Jet

Last night at the Westlake Training Race we had temps in the high 40's, 25 mph winds and rain. Only 15 riders made up the A Field which included one National Champ. After 4 laps of the 2.1 mile course I was off the back, so I solo'd @ Z4 HR until the field could lap me. I held out for 7+ laps and even passed the B Field in the process. Once the A race caught me I got back into the fold for the next few laps and recovered. The rain started to come down in buckets so the race was shortened by a few laps. There were two groups of 3 up the road so the remaining field didn't have anything to race for except pride and practice, and no one cared that the lapped riders where in the mix. With 600 meters to go I jumped the field catching them off guard enough that no one chased and held on for the field sprint win.

Allegheny Jet

It's always more fun when everyone shares in the suffering.

Hermes

Nice.

cccorlew

Way cool. Congrats!

bobthib

Did you HTFU today?

I did! Well, almost.

4:14 am, one minute before the alarm is set to go off, I reach over and shut it off and quietly arise to avoid awakening the wife. After a bowl of cereal and all the other usual preparations, I head out to the garage to pump up the tires. It's 4:45. There is activity at neighbor's house. I head out at 4:50 to meet the 5:15 group for my first ride with them. I have about 4 miles. Plenty of time. I cruise at 20+.

The meeting point is in the parking lot of an old bike shop. I arrive at 5:05 to an empty parking lot. I'm certain the others will arrive soon. As I'm sitting there keeping a sharp eye out for others, I notice what appears to be an old Speedplay shoe clip. I guess thats to be expected. This used to be a bike shop, after all.

Not far from the first piece I see a second, then the third. This is no coincidence. It's not an old relic of the now defunct LBS. I'm now suspecting this might be my shoe clip I just had replaced two weeks ago. A quick look at the bottom of my right shoe confirms it.

I search for one of the 4 missing screws. Black screws on a blacktop driveway. Good luck. I un-clip my headlight and search in vain. I return to my seat on the curb and wait.

Soon I see two flashing headlights in the distance. Quickly they are upon me, and we exchange greetings. The first guy to pull in is Bill, an "older guy" about my age, who I've only met once before. Matt, the 30 something who invited me to this HTFU fest is right behind him. I inform them of my predicament. It doesn't look like I'll be joining them for an hour of sprint intervals after all.

I planned on riding with Matt until 7:30 when we were to meet some others for a 50 miler. So instead I bid farewell to Bill and Matt, and tell Matt I'll see him later. I limp home the 4 miles, trying to keep my right foot from slipping off the pedal. I'm wondering why I bought extra screws only to leave them in the "bike stuff" drawer in the garage. I'm about a mile from the house when a blinding "flash of the obvious" strikes me. I should have removed 2 of the 4 screws from the left shoe and attached the right clip. It would have made the ride home much easier and safer. "Oh well. I'm almost there now" I muse.

So now it's 6:30. I'm writing this to soak up time before heading off the 2 miles to meet the 7:30 group for a 50 mi ride.

I guess I'll just have to HTFU another day.

Kotts

Yes. I got up this morning.


HTFU comes in all sorts of flavors.

Hermes

Sounds like an ordeal...What kind of sprint intervals were planned?

bobthib

From what I under stand they do 15 sec all out and then rest and repeat. Eventually they get up to about a 1/2 mi. Sprint intervals are Tuesday and Thursdays. Wedensdays are just hammerfests.

bobthib

So maybe I did after all. Started out with 3 of us at 7:30 but Matt, one of the guys I was going to ride with at 5:15 had a business appointment and peeled off at about 8:30. Kelly and I continued on and logged in 57 mi on top of the 8 I out in at 5am. So I ended up "riding my age" plus a little. 65.8 mi. It was beautiful but the eastly winds were a bit of a challenge. Felt good going west!

Here's the ride:

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/72242

So while it wasn't the 5am sprints I was planning, it turned out to be a nice long ride.

Hermes

Our coach held a sprint training session last night. We worked on form drills and then 200 meter sprints. It was a great time and I learned a lot about technique. In the final sprint of the day, I made the best power ever - 10 second average power 1005 watts with a max of 1068 watts with a max cadence of 103 rpm (standing) and final speed of 34.4 mph. Cavendish has nothing to worry about yet.

Here is the data from Training Peaks.

Peak 10s (1005 watts):
Duration: 0:10
Work: 10 kJ
Distance: 441 ft

Min Max Avg
Power: 897 1068 1005 watts
Cadence: 86 103 96 rpm
Speed: 25.9 34.4 30.1 mph
Crank Torque: 735 1025 891 lb-in

bobthib

WOW! But what does it all mean? I only have a 305 w HR & CAD so I can relate to speed, cadence, and HR. I get some phony "average watts" but if it has any value at all its only to compare one ride to another, and even that is suspect.

I did "win the sprint" on the ride today at 32.1 mph. Of course one guy never got onto the big ring, and I'm not sure the other guy was even trying, and I know the 4th and 5th did not try at all.

I'm going to start doing sprint intervals at 5:15 am on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Let's see what that does. I know the HR intervals I've been doing help.

bobthib

Not so sure it's an HTFU, but I did do an unexpected 43 miles today. A club member called an ad hoc ride today, and I decided to join. I got to pick the route. It was a pretty sane ride, but a big east wind made some of the pulls tough, while going west was literally a breeze.

As I mentioned in my reply to Hermes' post above, I did "win the sprint" but it may have been a bit of a Pyrrhic victory as I'm not sure anyone else was really trying. But I did hit 32.1, a new personal best.

See it here: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/41031

Hermes

I debated posting the power but a couple of the guys here have pms so it might be interesting however, power is an individual thing.

Sprinting is very technical and a specialty. IMO, it applies to racing and not very much to general performance riding. And in racing, it mostly applies to a field sprint much like we see on TV with Cavendish winning a stage at the TdF. The sprint is about the last 20 pedal strokes...that is it. The most important ones being the first 5 or 6 pedal strokes of acceleration. Each sprinter knows what gear he has to be in at the end and has a marker where his 20 pedal strokes should start.

We did a sprint among four of us and I came in 3rd about 1 1/2 bike lengths behind but that was over 200 meters. I suspect your speed of 32.1 mph may have put you a couple of bike lengths behind me.

Honestly, sprinting twice per week is great but it will only improve your sprinting.

Allegheny Jet

Hermes is correct in that sprint practice only makes you better for the very last part of a race. Working up to 1/2 mile will not be sprinting but more like high Z5 intervals. I'll be going out in 15 minutes to do this workout tonight. These little babies really can put a hurting in the body.

WU 20 min in the little ring with the 23 and work up to the 19 with a cadence at 100-120rpm Z2. Then bump up to the big ring and take the HR and power up to the Z3 area for 10 min. Back off for 5 min Z2. Then WU further with 2-3 jumps out of the saddle for 3-7 sec and then in the saddle for 1 min of high Z4. Then spin easy.. Main set for this workout is in the saddle bursts. Go 15 sec with a big gear that you’d use in a seated acceleration at Z5a-b where you trying to really get up to speed. Click down one to two gears, snap it hard OTS (out of the saddle) for 15 seconds, and the hit the little ring for 15 sec of totally easy recovery. Then go through the same process again with another 15 sec OTS effort, trying to replicate that first rep with respect to your intensity level and power output. Do this for 10 reps or until you cannot replicate the first and second reps. Recover 10 min easy after first set and then do a second set if you have the gas.