It's frustrating to get banged up when you know better.

In the old days I'd take short cuts with tools, protective gear, Etc. and end up going "that wasn't too bright". I work a little more cautiously now, especially when I'm around folks who want to help. Had a helper take off the end of my thumb many years ago...

-On the training front it's interesting how the MTB:Road TSS ratio plays out when you use comparative PE vs. HR. I threw my Garmin 305 on the MTB for yesterday's ride (going to make that a regular thing) so I would have some basic data sans power. After looking at the data (and looking at Gary's MTB SRM data) I've come to a couple of conclusions:

1) Add TSS for the equivalent road AveHR/ride on a sliding scale as the terrain gets more technical

2) An MTB PM is mostly useful if you're doing intervals on the MTB, as a reflection of the actual TSS of a ride, not so much.

Thanks for the welcome backs, folks. Forgive me if I don't lookup how many times you've had to say that! Last time. I swear!

Here's another one. You have been MISSED!!! Welcome back, AzT. Everytime I look at the toptube on any of my bikes I see "Look Long", and I know where it came from. And I am very appreciative of it!

I've been on a taper since last week. I blew up with almost five pounds of water after I did that 100 miler last Tuesday, and it took a few days for that to wear off. I've been getting into bad eating habits (again), so along with shedding the water weight, I've decided to eat r i g h t and shed a few pounds above and beyond the water. Oh, that long ride kinda beat me up, the backpack really put a hurt on my shoulders. Much of my swelling was around my shoulders and upper arms. Weird.

Tomorrow I ride a metric century hosted by the Davis Bike Club up in Davis. It's pretty flat, only 1200 feet of climbing, which calls for hammering, but I won't. I'll be riding with the non-racing ladies of C&W, and RedRider with Cgallah will be there on their tandem. That will be fun!

Cross races pick up again at the end of the month. Most of them have been too far away to take advantage of (there is a local one tomorrow, but I'm committed to that metric), and they get close again in a couple of weeks. The cross bike just got new wider (42cm) handlebars, but it now needs a new right shifter. The original would jam on downshifts (I had to push the lever back to the right, it wouldn't move on it's own) and it's gotten worse. SRAM is warrantying it.

AJ - careful, buddy! Heal up....

Had I spotted that you were doing this, Sara, I'd have told you not to. Take it from an old bicycle tourist - riding long distances with a backpack absolutely sucks. There are lots of frame bags and saddle bags one can attach to a road bike if there's a need to carry stuff. Backpacks are the Devil's work.

I agree! I rode my mtb for 2 hrs on the road yesterday with a back pack. In part I practiced with the backpack in anticipation of riding at Moab UT beginning Sunday. I have since decided based on the predicted weather to wear a 50oz Camelbak and take 1 water bottle. I can put a light jacket, arm warmers or knee warmers into my jersey pockets. I put two pair of shoes and some tools in the pack pack that included a heavy duty chain whip to give it some weight.

The other reason I had the mtb on the road is to prepare for the Iceman Cometh MTB race. Most of the race is on firm sand double track requiring several minute TT efforts with limited recovery on turns or when hitting single track sections and following slower riders. Riding in the woods with the constant "turn on- turn off efforts" doesn't help prepare for the Iceman. I rode on country roads that have a thin gravel and/or grassy berm that pretty much replicates the packed sand roads I'll be racing on in MI. Avoiding mailboxes, driveway humps and dicey sections while pressing the pace only helps prepare. I rode the first 1:15 at high Z3 then backed off to low Z2 for the rest of the ride. I plan to build the Z3 work up to 2 hrs before the race. In the big picture I need to remind myself that it's the off season, my coach had laid me off until December and it is the only mtb race I'll do.

Chasm, AJ, yeah...agreed. I just HATE that backpack. I only wore it because it was the only way I could carry around my Krytonite Lock. No more!

Time trial course is the new track. Today was my second ride on the local TT course this week and after a warmup, I did one hour of high tempo no stops on flat to rolling terrain. I rode about 75% of the time in the drops. Good workout.

Was off the bike all last week on a business trip.

Saturday 1:15 IF 0.82
Yesterday 2:15 IF 0.64
Today 48 minutes IF 0.96

21 hours this month and sitting on a negative TSB since 9/24. Still fat but the gut is going away. Other than a 20m walk with the dog took the day off. Heavy legs after weights yesterday.

Hoping that the bone doc gives me the go-ahead on November 5 to start cycling in earnest. Looking at doing this camp on November 21-24, my coach has given me a thumbs-up on it. She also likes the idea of a week in Tucson in February.

A teammate runs the local franchise of a national gym chain, and hooked me up on a membership. The gym is right on the way to work. Things are looking up.

Nice to see the two of you back.

Tell Christian Kurt says "hey".

My good friends kid rode on the Garmin devo squad for a year in Europa with him. Worked with him a bit in Tejas when I was there. Some nice rides in the area.

3 hour ride. I rode to my wife's office from home and she joined me for a ride up Mount San Bruno. I continue to focus on tempo work and rode high endurance pace to her office and the foot of the climb and switched to SST for one climb and Threshold for the next one. I rode tempo home. Yesterday, was leg strength training including jumping. My legs felt pretty good today on the bike. Tomorrow will be a repeat of today but probably just loops around the Brisbane Circuit Race course.

Off the bike for a while. Had the nerve (Morton's neuroma) in my foot removed. Doc said maybe(!) 2 weeks I can be on the bike. By that time I'll be headed out rootin the country side for a month lookin for the wife to say "This is the place we're moving to; make it happen"

Might be 6 -7 weeks off the bike :mad::mad:

I'm back from my dreaded annual season break, and started strength training. Those little bitty weights yesterday sure made me sore today! :)

FIFY ;)

I've been getting in the gym again myself. Taking my own advice and starting slow, but doubling up on the core work. Going to get out on the TT bike today, need to go down the hill and order some parts for the Shiv so I'll do the two birds/one stone thing.

Took Ridley out for a run next to the MTB yesterday, then did a short interval back up to the top of the hill.

Stay out of the gym. You can do this on your subdivision sidewalk or in any public park: Original - Prancercise: A Fitness Workout - YouTube

^^^TSS of 100.^^^

If you were playing basketball against her, it's pretty clear you could cross her over on her left side.

And there I thought I was done losing my lunch for a while

What does it say when an escorted (10 motorcycle cops; no stopping except at the 2 food stations) 52 mile ride averages less than 20mph, and totals just over 100 TSS after 2:38?

S L O W

Team decided to show for a memorial ride for a LEO cyclist who died suddenly a few years ago. It's a charity/memorial ride, with more police support than any ride could ever afford to fund. But they want everyone to have that escort, so they keep the pace down, which of course means you can't shake the freds. Thankfully everyone stayed upright.

He said "shake the freds". Is that PC here?

As your resident Fred, I approve this message.

He said "shake the freds". Is that PC here?