IBOHUNT

1:50 of JRA; most of that in the sticks

YogaKat

Last week was pretty much all rest since I torched the legs up pretty good the week before.

Openers today.
Rode into town, picked up my bib then left the girl at the shop for the spa treatment while I went to find my motel. Now I'm sitting in my room with a belly full of spaghetti and a happy washed bike with a shiny new chain. It's currently raining so crossing my fingers for a dryer morning. My start time isn't until 11:07am so I have time to get in some yoga before breakfast then heading to the course.

If I can ride the same as I did today, I will be one happy girl. Fastest average time I've recorded so far. If not... I still got one awesome ride on the books for my current fitness. (Very flat course btw)

sarals 

Crush it, woman!!!

YogaKat

RAWR!!!

(go away dang rain!)

sarals 

Heading out to do some 'cross training by riding (I wouldn't call it racing) in a local cross race. I haven't ridden my cross bike since early March. I think I remember how? I'll do some practice dismount/carry/remounts before the race. The hecklers should love that....

sarals 

Race report?

revchuck 

I did a threshold interval ladder yesterday. The intervals were short (4'/6'/8'/6'/4') but still felt disproportionately easy. I guess I'm about as ready as I can be for Utah.

The weather out there isn't cooperating, though. Wednesday is my first day on the bike and it'll be fine. Thursday is 100% chance of thunderstorms. Friday is >50% chance of rain with temps in the upper 30s in the morning. I'm bringing two pairs of cycling shoes and all the cold weather gear I have. I've been good to the mid-20s, so if I can stay somewhat dry it should work out.

sarals 

I KNOW you're ready! I'm eager to read about your results!

IBOHUNT

What is cold weather gear for LA? Long shorts?
Last time I was down there I couldn't stay dry and it was July with 100% sunshine.; nary a cloud in sight.

revchuck 

I rode several times with temps in the 20s last winter and stayed reasonably comfortable. That said, I almost had to hang my jersey to let it drip dry after today's ride.

Hermes

@revchuck Have a great time in Utah.

IBOHUNT

90 minutes of practicing my pacing skills, or lack thereof, at SST.

IBOHUNT

3 miles ru**i*g and 1:40 of endurance pace, most of that in the sticks

LAJ

The weights.....

Going a different direction, right now. Some warm up with just bar, and then a little added weight. Then 3x15 squats at 110% body weight. After that, my favorite thing in the world to do.... Deadlift, 3x15 at 80%. I had real issues with deads last year, but I believe I now have 100% mobility in the left leg again. Weird. Just happens, it seems. I tried to force it, and I was never able to manage that last 1-2%, but now I tie my shoes or pull the knee to my chest without even trying. Roundabout way of saying the deadlift may be better this year. Doing some leg lifts too, because I feel like it. No box jumps yet, and still not sure on them.

Couple hundred mile week with a 200K last week, and some plain ol farting around. So far, lots of AR and weights this week.

revchuck 

Utah, so far: The rain predicted for Thursday caused a change in plans. Originally I was going to get there, assemble the bike and relax. Instead, when I arrived yesterday, after having woken up at 0100 to ensure I made it to the airport on time, I assembled the bike and we did a 50-mile ride mostly rolling upwards on the way out, and then rolling downwards on the way back. Total climbing wasn't that much, ~2000 feet, but it was plenty as tired as I was.

Today's ride was shorter but harder, 39.9 miles with 3766 feet of climbing. My legs - or maybe more accurately, my mind - are getting used to the long steady effort. I kept my average power at about 80% of FTP while climbing. Had fun on the descents, too; spent a good bit of time >40 mph. The longest climb/descent I did was on National Forest land which had been leased to a cattle rancher. I had a mantra on the way down - "Watch out for cow$hit!" Sure enough, there were big piles strategically located in several corners.

The altitude hasn't walloped me yet, though I'm sure it has affected me. Tomorrow is a thunderstorm-induced rest day. Part of it will be spent in a hot spring with what's supposed to be the highest mineral content of any in the world. I'm planning on at least one set of nap intervals too.

sarals 

More track type drills with this years National Record Holder.

That woman is FAST. Her age means NOTHING.

We used a closed road and were aboard road bikes.

We did four rolling start match type sprints from 6 MPH to the end of a specific length of pavement X4. On road bikes, in 50/14 gearing (96 inches). She beat me, hands down, in three of those, and we tied in one (I threw down a huge 700+ watt effort, too). We topped out at over 31 MPH from the rolling start each time.

She hurt me!

Then I did four standing starts, with the NRH as my holder. Road bike, once again 96 gear inches. The first three were wobbly and I had trouble staying on the "sprinters line" (the yellow stripe in the middle of the road) until I really got rolling. On the fourth, I figured out what my sight picture was supposed to be, and how hard to pull up on the bars for the launch, and I was straight and better. My legs were pretty well munched by then, though.

This is complete fun!!

IBOHUNT

5 1/2 miles ru**i*g then 2 1/2 hours of Tree Stand
@revchuck - when do you start sitting on the top tube for descents?

revchuck 

When I learn to ride my bike well enough. I was in the drops with my fingers on the brake levers, telling myself not to brake in the corners. The fastest descent included range cattle and their poop, so maximizing my speed wasn't on the top of the list. I spun out on another one - 117 rpm in the 50/11 - before I stopped pedaling and just let gravity do the work.

Recovery day today, an hour this morning with possible skill drills this afternoon if the rain holds off.

IBOHUNT

let them dry out and you got frisbees

Hermes

My wife commented yesterday that I looked like the other racers at Velo Sports Center - covered in scabs. I was not pleased and do not wear my scabs as a badge of honor but as a reminder that my skill needs improvement. I may be able able to rest my forearms on the TT pads today. At least last night, I was not bleeding at the gym after doing my bridges and planks using my elbow and forearms to support my body.

revchuck 

Or fuel for the campfire...

sarals 

And I'm covered in bruises. I did my first attempt at riding rollers last night. They should clear up in a day or two....

IBOHUNT

3 miles ru**i*g at noon then 90 minutes on the TT bike tonight; most in the sticks.

sarals 

JRA today. TT bike scheduled, but it was way too windy, so I was aboard a road bike. Just a good, hard, what ever I want to do, where ever I want to go kinda ride!

revchuck 

Got both the recovery ride and skill drills done today, with only a little rain. Being Utah, the recovery ride included a 4-3/4 mile climb that averaged just over 150 feet/mile in elevation gain. Try as I might, I couldn't get my fat butt up there in Z1 but did keep it to low Z2. Three minutes of not pedaling on the way back down almost got me back into Z1 territory; IF for the ride was .58. It had rained here last night for the first time in a long while and I had no way of knowing whether the built-up oil deposits had washed off, plus the wet road was covered with wet leaves, so there was no 40+ mph descending going on.

The skill drills were something I've wanted to do for a long time. We did shoulder bumps, tire rubbing, track stands, cornering and bunny hops. I'm not one who learns easily from written instructions; I need someone to explain it, demonstrate it, and let me do it and screw it up and try again. I finally got that chance today. I'm not an expert, but I got the rudiments down well enough I can practice them on my own.

Core work at the gym tomorrow. It's going to rain all day with a high of 51 at 0500. This is the day that caused us to start the riding a couple of hours after I got off the plane instead of the next day. Saturday is going to be in the 40s and clear, Sunday morning's ride will start off in the upper 30s...and that's before the temperature changes caused by going up.