Barriers.

Yes, you are a monster. Have fun and race safe.

Warts and all!

So that's what they are....

Thanks, Shovel!

Just finished week one of my transition period, TSS for the week is 270. My boss is at Interbike next week, leaving me in charge of the bike shop...he likes to live dangerously. I'm officially off the bike next week, though I'll probably do the TNWs to try out my new-to-me Reynolds 66 tubulars. The following two weeks will be 6-7 hours of whatever I feel like doing. After that, nose will be progressively lock-wired to grindstone, though the nature of the grindstone has yet to be determined.

Looks like my CTL will be 60-70ish through the winter, climbing to 80ish prior to my first A race in March (Rouge-Roubaix). My race schedule will probably be pretty much the same next year, hopefully with the exception of no injury-induced six week layoff.

5.5 hours of z3 / z4 chasing my wife around this weekend. Surprisingly, my legs felt great on Sunday after a 3 hour ride on Saturday and they feel good today.

2 mile warm up then 3 laps around the neighborhood.

17 miles w/2,400' gain :)

TSS 103
IF 0.92

35 miles, mostly Z2 with a few Z5 efforts on short climbs.

Oh, and 18 holes of golf at half-way.

Like a lot.

Clubs, clothes and shoes on your back to and from the course:eek: or you belong to a club and everything for golf is in your locker or storage:thumb:?

The latter. Seventeen miles each way on a road bike with a golf bag on my back would be eccentric even by my standards.

I do carry my bag for the golf game, though, so that counts as cross-training...

Trying to convince myself to do the club century in a couple of weeks. I could use the Fred ride at that distance just to keep the fires burning, but I'm not sure if it will be fun or FUBAR as the logistics are completely different than we've ever done before. As a lifetime member, I feel like I should support the ride.

BTW, I've been absent because I've been trying to balance riding, racing, working, AND getting started on building our green, dream retirement house. Also still have some ugly personal stuff going on that will be ugly for a while. Oh, and I managed to get picked up in a new org during a budget cutting reorg. Anyway, I'll try to be more regular than recently but less regular than in the past.

Best of luck with the chaos.

Hour and a half on the mtb last night. The middle hour was at Z3/4 but not quite at the race pace that I'll need to hold for 2.5 hrs at the Iceman Cometh MTB race in early Nov. I have 60 days to morph my body into a XC mtb racer. Last year's finish of 17/112 was unacceptable in spite of 4 mechanicals' during the race.

I'm in a transition period, this week is supposed to be totally off the bike. But...my wife's car got messed up so she needed my truck to go to a far-off doctor's appointment. She drove me to work yesterday morning and I rode the Allez home last night, 31.6 miles (about three miles shorter than by car) in 1:36, hrTSS 90, IF .71. The ride was interrupted by a flat caused by tire wire, first flat on the Pro4 Endurance tires; I've flatted on Gatorskins from this too.

This was the first ride on the Allez since I had done some work on it - new BB30 bearings, new Gore Ride-on cables and housings, fresh bar tape and a detail cleaning. Well broken-in Dura Ace and new cables...damn, that thing shifts nicely!

Group ride last night; most likely last one of the year

TSS 105
IF 0.8

2 hours 59 minutes Z2 ride. TSS 120. (estimate based on HR)

Did my first group ride of the season last night. Abut 25 guys and a few gals from a club I've been a member of for years. They like to ride single file with about 5 or 6 guys up front rotating and doing all the work by taking 30" to 1 minute pulls @ 24-25 mph. I went up front right off the bat and was doing my share of the pulls, then after drifting back to the rear of the few guys doing the work I stayed out to talk to a buddy and put my hand on his shoulder while we talked. The first guy behind the "worker's line" yelled at me to quick f***ing around and killing the pace line. Really? There must have been a bike or so gap that I allowed to form in front of him, by not filling right in, causing everyone behind to potentially loose the leaders. (why aren't there icons that represent a**holes?) I forgot all about the dynamics of club rides. It's time to start up my own off season invite only rides where we ride into the night then visit the brew pub afterwards.:thumb:

AJ, we should make a club ride where only the folks who post on this forum can join.

20 minutes ***ning this morning. Oh, I enjoy that!!

Yesterday was an OFF day. One of my brothers is out from NY for a class reunion in Palo Alto, and he came down for the day. He's a casual cyclist and a former marathoner. He really appreciated my bike stable!

I like to train solo or with a training partner(s) with similar interests. In general, I do not find group rides that great as it seems like I am always doing someone else's workout.

Yesterday, I finished an endurance training block with 2.5 hours with one hour of tempo on flat to rolling terrain. I like riding against the power meter with specific targets. Today, we are off to Mallorca for 10 days of cycling where the weather looks good albeit somewhat hot and humid.

I boxed up both bikes and I am not sure which effort had the higher TSS, the ride or boxing the bikes.

Couldn't agree more. Riding with others is fine. Training with others, not so much.

Agree with that!

Intervals, five minute ***, intervals this morning. Pow. CX training. I need more of that, it was hard!

I'm jealous Hermes! Have a great trip.

Did a two hr ride this AM. It was cool so I wore tights and LS jersey. Not sure if was due the first time in tights in 4 months or being older but I was Super Fred having done the ride with my tights inside out. Every time I would go back seated after OTS the tights liner would hook onto the tip of the saddle.:eek:

Sheesh. Get it together, willya? ;) I have been working (IT) all weekend so I only had a chance to go for a short ride. I wore knee warmers and a base layer. It's not time for that yet.

I can only dream of that cool breeze.

Going to be mid-60s for my ride tomorrow. :)