echappist

too far away for me, and i probably won't be at the next one either as i don't like the heat (how i survived racing in the Mabra-land heat last year, i do not know). Rivertown is more likely

sarals 

After two days of driving up to Hellyer to train and then to race, I finally caved to driving up there again tonight. Work, traffic, fatigue (mental) got me. Coach said my fitness will be in the tank tomorrow and I'll never recover.



I bought that car in November and I now have 18000 miles on it. Much more of that and I'll build a velodrome myself at the airport....

revchuck 

I hear ya. I bought mine in February and have just under 12000 on it. Tucson, Arkansas, Alabama...most of it cycling-induced.

Racer Ex 

Hydraulic brake issues. Every manufacturer has their own kit for bleeding and line attachments, and there are three standards for fluid. Given I might bleed them every two years or less, it's just not worth the hassle and cost.

I did McGyver my old MTB setup.

Heathpack 

Got my article written (except for final edits), met the Friday Coffee ride for coffee (no ride) with puppy in tow, got an awesome 90 min Thai massage, the kind where the tiny Thai lady stands on your hamstrings, for a really deep stretch. They definitely do not charge enough for those, shh don't tell em.

Tasty chicken taco salad for lunch with a mojito. Next up a matinee. Then TDF when we get home. And possibly another mojito. Starting to recover from my week.

MTB with the boys is on for tomorrow, starting in Malibu I believe.

IBOHUNT

Not sure of the temp when I started at 10:30 but it was up there with the humidity. Had one of these, which I cut a hole in to make it more of a vest. Poured water on it at the parking lot, stuffed it over my head, zipped up and off I went.

Super Chilly® Cooling Towel | frogg toggs

If I don't have yet another encounter where I need an ambulance I'll be at Rivertown

Heathpack 

Saturday, I headed down to the coast to ride mountain bikes with two friends. We started in Point Mugu State park in Malibu with a long fire road climb. Started off as easy fire road stuff but towards the top, it got rockier and more washed out and a little more technical. Great views though on the way up:


From Overlook Trail, Point Mugu State Park by Elbow&Foot, on Flickr


Then some single track, some of which was fun and some of which was annoying. Plus more fire road stuff. In total, 20 miles/2000 ft.


Sunday I was a little wrecked but did an interval workout on the road bike on a favorite canyon route. Despite feeling terrible and missing every interval target, my effort/time was surprisingly decent through the canyon. Really enjoyed it.


Yesterday a strength workout and some stretching.


Today I'm off and then back on the TT bike tomorrow.

IBOHUNT

Sure does look parched out that way

Heathpack 

We are officially out of the drought!

Believe it or not, we had several water crossings- maybe five? So not as dry as it's been...

sarals 

But, we are burning again...

sarals 

Hellyer today. Coach had a little change up, in that I finished the session (and myself) off with "accelerations". Those were done three laps, up to the rail on the third lap, drop to the sprinters lane while accelerating seated, hold that effort to the finish line (about a half lap), and then float up to the stayers line or rail after the line for a lap, letting momentum and kinetic energy carry me up to the rail. It's quite impressive how far the bike will travel at speed with little to no pedaling effort, like almost a full lap. I did three of the the three lap efforts. Earlier in the session I did three flying 200's, working really hard to get that cadence up. They weren't timed, so I don't know how they were. I was hovering around 124 RPM in 86 gear inches. I'd love to see 130 RPM, it's a goal, in fact. I'd also like to see a bigger gear for the 200, but not quite yet. Oh, I've improved my "climb to the rail/balustrade", working to keep from using too much energy to get up there. I'm getting better at it. The warmup today was gang busters, something you don't want to see. I don't know what got in to everyone, but with ten laps to go, we were motoring along at 24 MPH, which is WAAAAY too fast for a warmup (unless you're a youngster). I missed an exchange with two to go, timed it wrong, got a little gap off the back, and decided not to waste energy chasing back on. Two other people got dropped not long after, another sign that things were ridiculously fast.

Other than that, it's up to 31 sessions at Hellyer, not counting the races. I'm quite comfortable, and starting to get things half way figured out.

Racer Ex 

We've been nothing but for the last month. At one point all but one highway out was closed. I've got half a century up in here and the last 4 years have been the worst we've seen.

IBOHUNT

Did some of those 1 minute Christopher Cross intervals then rode a bit and ended with 3 intervals of big gear bits and limp home.

sarals 

Team ride tonight, then "off structure" for a few days.

Huh?

How will I ride a bike without numbers and goals?

Oh, that's right, I remember...go out and have fun! I think I'm going to ride my Bianchi, which doesn't have power, only cadence. That sort of mutes the temptation to get a little crazy.

Hermes

I went out for an hour ride yesterday. My shoulder does not like standing or taking any jolts from the handlebars. However, it is getting better each day - time time time heals all wounds.

Heathpack 

Wednesday I had an interval workout on the TT bike, hard targets to meet. Made one, almost made one, missed one. I'm trying to do these intervals on different terrain: one uphill, one rolling, one slightly downhill. I have to stomp on the pedals going uphill, I've already got that figured out. But the pedaling speed with high power and the new position- work in progress. Anyway, getting better but still difficult.


Yesterday a little climbing with a friend on the TT bike, haha that hard. But we got coffee after and juicy enough gossip that I got caught up in the story and almost missed my train.


Off today, heading up to Big Bear for a girl's weekend of mountain biking. Should be interesting, there's a big mtb race in town with $40K in prize money. They will be on the trails we intended to ride, so we'll have to come up with a Plan B.


Looking forward to it, though. Major work stress in the past few days. Last minute contract stuff with the new corporation, our corporate takeover is next Tuesday. Bit of a headache and not resolved yet.

IBOHUNT

Last night was one of those @Heathpack "What's the fuss" intervals. Temp 93* and with the humidity, it was a 'feels like' 98*

Made the first 2 and only 1/2 the last one. Had more water coming off me than a co-ed in a wet t-shirt contest at Spring Break. The frozen bottle was just warm water after 40 minutes.

IBOHUNT

Hope you and @revchuck heal up fast.

Racer Ex 

Did a 2 plus hour ride over the hill at Lake Tahoe yesterday. We did the "Triangle" which finishes with this climb:




Cruising along reasonably well but then the smoke and heat took over and my asthma shut things down. Spent the afternoon coughing and blowing my nose. A bit better this morning. Gym work today, then some sprints.

Hermes

Track workout yesterday at SD Velodrome. Warmup and 2 jumps followed by 4 x 30s efforts 2' rolling around between intervals.

The 30s all out sprints were in the aerobars diving off the banking and I got more than a full lap in at high speed.

The surface of the velodrome in the pole lane is variable. There are a couple of spots in the pole lane where it is too rough and I felt my elbows lift off the pad slightly going over the bumpier sections - not good.

I do not know the plans, if any, for further smoothing of the pole lane but a couple of sections need it. They have done some grinding but need to do more.

Also, the track is slow. I was putting in a lot of power and not going that fast. Of course, it will be the same for everyone but it will affect gearing selection.

Heathpack 

Mountain biking in Big Bear again. A bit smitten.

Heathpack 

valygrl

that looks so sweet!

Heathpack 

It's awesome. There's challenging trails here of course. But also a good amount of flowy easy stuff for beginners that's huge bang for the buck. And almost endless fire road climbing. I'm guessing kind of like Colorado. Or Tahoe, which I am now hugely looking forward too- road, TT and mountain bikes are all coming on the trip.

Here's another shot. We did a kindergarten level trail down to a huge tree called the Champion Lodgepole Pine. It's over 400 years old. It's the tree we're sitting under to look at the trail map.



It's a super easy trail with only a couple of slightly tricky bits. I cajoled my friends into riding it twice because otherwise we were just doing a bunch of fire road stuff (there's a big mountain bike race going on this weekend and they're using much of the singletrack in these parts today). First time coming up the trail, I managed to hit my shin with my pedal coming over a rock, I wanted to give that a second try. Unscathed on the do-over run, so that was cool.

valygrl

I haven't found any flowy easy mtb trails in Colorado. I see pictures, but then when I ask about it, it always seems like it's mostly gnarly rock garden and the beautiful easy meadows full of flowers are just some tiny aberration.