Category Archives: Training

Not feeling it today…

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Last week I completed my longest week of miles since my initial base period. Late November and December of 2007 I began a base building program to get ready for my first few events in January 2008. LAST WEEK I COMPLETED 429 MILES. I’m feeling it now. Typically, Monday is a rest day for me. I took my rest day as planned.

Today is Tuesday and I felt exhausted after my usual 6 hours of sleep. I awoke at 4am and just couldn’t see getting a productive day of training out of it. I felt exhausted and my legs were still aching. I was supposed to commute today (100 miles round trip). I will listen to my body and take another rest day.

I will resume commuting (training) tomorrow Wednesday. This weekend is the 4th of July and since I would rather be riding my bike than just about anything else during the holidays —I’m going climbing.

All for now. MAKE SURE YOU SUBSCRIBE TO MY BLOG AND YOU WILL GET ALL THE LATEST NEWS.

Training update for Furnace Creek 508

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I have extended my commute to 50 miles each way. The graphs are above. I few more rollers and a good little hill on the way back to the car in the evening. You can see that on the elevation profile graph (exact opposite route).

I think I will keep it at 100 miles a day for July and then maybe by August start doing full commutes of 65 miles each way (130 miles a day). This is only for three days a week.

We’ll just have to see how the legs hold up. I am experience some pain on my left Achilles tendon I hope it goes away.

Training for Funace Creek 508 Update

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Training for the 508 is coming along nicely. I have extended my commute to 45 miles each way. That’s 90 miles a day (with an 8 hour work day in between) and 270 miles for the week before the weekend starts.

Today’s commute was plagued with little annoyances. The morning started off great. I got enough sleep the night before and my legs only ached a little from the Tuesday night Criterium I do in Long Beach. One hour of high intensity effort. So less than 12 hours later on the bike again.

1. I drive 20 miles to my commute start point. I really needed to go to the restroom and didn’t have any idea where to pull over.

2. Well as I am thinking about where to pull over I realize I LEFT MY BIKE AT HOME!

3. My iPod wasn’t working yet it was fully charged

4. I had a headwind and warming up I said to myself “oh this is going to be a long ride”

5. I have four saddle sores now and they began to cause discomfort right from the start of the ride.

6. I flatted on Interstate 5 South from Las Pulgas to Harbor Drive in Oceanside. First time I have ever flatted on my commute on the 5 freeway.

But the day got better. On my way through Oceanside I ran into Steve Hegg . Then I ran into my friend Jason. We rode together and he gratefully listen to me whine about my ride. I then get to the start of the “Camp Pendleton Ride” and see some other friends Kenny Souza and John Howard.

As I’m shaking John’s hand he says “Hey Mr. Ultra Distance Cyclist!” I was stunned and humbled by his comment. I replied “John you are the the Ultra Distance Cyclist.” Then we got into a discussion of when I was doing RAAM Solo and why I didn’t participate in 2008 RAAM. It was good talking to one of the guys you started this whole crazy RAAM thing. He is really a down to earth guy.

Anyway I eventually made it to work and then the doldrums of the day began for sure. Except when Scott Tinley came in for a bike fit.

If you have read this far I am beginning my search for crew members for Furnace Creek 508. If you are interested send me a line.

ALSO IF YOU SUBSCRIBE YOU WILL BE KEPT UP TO DATE ON MY DOINGS!

Training for Furnace Creek 508

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Starting this week I will begin ramping up the mileage slowly. Furnace Creek is Oct 4-5, 2008. I have about three months to get ready.

I rested on Monday.

I did the Tuesday night Criterium at El Dorado Park. 27 miles at high intensity.

Today (Wednesday) I did a partial commute from San Clemente to work on my Fixed Gear (32.5 miles).

Tonight I will commute back to San Clemente after work. (32.5 miles)

Thursday the same

Friday possibly a high intensity morning ride.

I would like to leave the doldrums of the 100-150 mile weeks. Seems that is all I have been doing since moving to crits and road races. As I near October I will be up to 400 mile weeks or more.

So, I was thinking…

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Four words. Seem innocent enough, don’t they? Not when they’re uttered by this girl.

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You see, everytime Brandy says the words “So, I was thinking…” it’s followed by some sort of pain for me. Don’t get me wrong, I feel incredibly lucky to have such amazing support from the girl that I love, but damn. She has the ability to find every single spare minute, and then some not so spare minutes (meaning I’m missing out on sleep) for me to get training time in. She makes out my training schedule and then encourages me to stick to it.

Gotta love a girl who supports your passion. Oh…and she rides. Not around the block. Not twenty milers. Double centuries with aspirations of bigger challenges. Does it get any better?

Hell Week

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Typically I will do two round trip commutes from Encinitas to HB during the work week. It normally works out to Tuesday night/Wednesday morning and Thursday night/Friday morning. Last week I wanted to ramp up my training miles, so I committed to three round trips. Each leg is 65 miles so I was looking at a 390 mile week from Tuesday night through Friday morning’s commute.

To prepare for this, Brandy sent me to work on Tuesday with four days worth of meals, which I’m sure my co-workers appreciated, considering I hogged up all of the space in the refrigerator. Along with that, she prepared bags of Sportquest supplements (Recover pills and baggies of Interphase and Carbo Pro which I would use pre-ride) along with multivitamins and extra Vitamin C and Vitamin E. What a sight I must have been making multiple trips into the store with all of my loot, I’m sure that it looked like I was moving in.

I would post more about what this experience was like, but honestly, it was one big blur of work, ride, eat, sleep, eat, ride, work, eat, ride…rinse and repeat. I averaged eight hours a day on the bike last week and though I was exhausted with the lack of rest time between legs, I felt pretty good considering. My routine when I was off the bike consisted of cleaning up and immediately putting on my Skins compression garments. I feel like these played a significant role in my recovery. Typically on big mileage weeks like when I was commuting frequently in preparation for Furnace Creek 508, Brandy would have to use the massage stick on me nightly. While that would have been nice last week, she was putting in significant mileage herself and was too exhausted to “stick me.” Thank goodness for Skins when the girlfriend is slacking on her girlfriendly duties. Kidding. 😉

Up next…an abbreviated commute week in prep for the San Diego Brevet Series 300K Brevet on Saturday January 19, 2008. I will be doing the full commute on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. On Wednesday night and Thursday morning, I will take the Metrolink train for a portion of the commute and ride the rest. This way I will still get some easy miles in for consistency, and give my legs a chance to recover for the brevet on Saturday.

Rick’s training…

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It has been interesting to hear how the two riders, Rick and George, have been training for Race Across America. Here are some words from Rick on his training as of late…

My hill work lately has been to climb the 2.5 mile 7-9% grade out to HWY 67 on Scripps / Poway PKWY twelve times in a row, then head down to outer torrey for seven repeats and finally on the hill I live on, less than 1/2 mile but 400ft of climbing, it’s 8-10% for another 4-7 repeats. I have been getting over 11,000 feet of climbing in less than 90 miles. Not tracking numbers as closely as George, I can only say that I am feeling fine on the climbs. The only thing I am keenly aware of; I do not let my HR go into zone 5 for nothing right now and won’t on the ride either.

I will have a four day weekend this weekend. I am off on Fridays, Monday is a company holiday. I plan to ride four consecutive 160 mile days as my last big preps for RAAM and then start my taper towards the event.