Wednesday Ride Comparison

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For the last three weeks I have been slowly increasing the amount of effort I put out at the weekly endurance ride.  What I do is sit in front for the first hour of the ride and pull.  I do this so I get one hour unsheltered .  Most of my events I ride/race in I don’t have the benefit of drafting behind other riders. It’s important for me to get time in the wind whenever I ride with groups.  You will notice my Normalized Power increases from 220, 235, 241 watts or 3.23 w/kg, 3.45 w/kg and 3.54 w/kg, respectively, for a 60 minute period.  The first hour of ride is generally uphill.

Thanksgiving Day Ride

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On my ride today (Thanksgiving Day) I rode up to the top of Ridge Park in Orange County, California. Beautiful day with morning temps in the low 40’s and highs in the 70’s. Here are some pictures of Sasha, Soloist SL w/Di 2 and Wireless 7900 SRM with mountains in the background.

and just for the heck of it a shot of Newport Harbor and the Pacific Ocean below.

The Week in Review

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WEDNESDAY RIDE- ENDURANCE

On this week’s Wednesday ride I sat out front for one hour instead of hiding in the peloton.  My Normalized Power was 235 watts or 3.45 w/kg


THURSDAY RIDE- HILL WORK

On Thursday I began my first of many hill repeat workouts of the 2011 season preparation.  The local hill is Newport Coast Drive.  It is 1.5 miles with an average grade of 6% and gains about 460 feet.  Because of the enormous amount of mental focus required for hill repeats, I planned for a short workout.  This Thursday I only did four repeats.  I will slowly increase the duration and intensity of my hill workouts.   The gearing choices were 39 x 28, 39 x 25, 53 x 11 and finally a “free ride”.  The 53 x 11 climb was for strength training on the bike.  Below are the graphs and data for the 39 x 28 and 53 x 11 repeats.  You will notice a huge difference in wattage and torque.

FRIDAY RIDE

My legs were a little stiff from the hill repeat workout on Thursday.  I felt good through the hills on Tesla and stayed with the front group.  Even when a gap opened up I closed the gap.  The power chart below is the final 5 miles just before the sprint.  There are a couple of rollers and lots of changes in pace.  Unfortunately, we got caught at the light at the bottom of Newport Coast Drive.  I was in a trackstand when the light turned green and was able to be one of three riders ahead of the pack.  I didn’t have anything left to sprint though.

My Normalized Power for the last 13 minutes of the ride was 282 watts or 4.14 w/kg

Sasha Gets a Makeover- Cervelo Soloist SL with SRM 7900 Wireless Power Meter and Shimano Di2

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Sasha got a makeover last night.  She is now equipped with Shimano Di2 7970 electronic Dura-Ace.  I am also running the Dura-Ace Tubeless wheels.  The Dura-Ace wheels are already the best riding wheels I have in my wheel inventory –  going tubeless just increased the ride comfort one more notch.  Along with the Dura-Ace wheels, and Di2 I also installed my SRM 7900 Wireless Power Meter on Sasha.  This is just about the closest I can come to dream bike!  Only thing left to do is upgrade the frame to a Cervelo S3…hmmm.

 

 

Hill Work — on the coast

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Training Goal – Three (3) hour training ride, maintain 200- 220 watts on the flats- (Tempo wattage range 209-249 watts)

Work coastal rollers in my 53 x 11 seated as a muscle tension workout

I had a great ride today with incredibly nice weather as a bonus.  We are in Santa Ana conditions with clear blue skies and unseasonably warm weather.  The downside is the drier air which dehydrates you much sooner.  It was a stretch to do the 60 miles with only two bottles.

On the power chart you should be able to notice the Torque squiggly line greater than the yellow power line.  On the rollers with a 53 x 11 gear selected torque shoots up significantly.

Thursday Coffee Crew

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The weather forecast called for 25 mph gusts and it was accurate.  As the pack made its way around the former Marine air base the pack was shred first by the pace at the front and second by the cross winds.  The funny thing is I knew it was coming but didn’t have the power to stay with the front section.  In a crosswind there is nowhere to hide except riding alongside another rider.  Problem is that on city streets the bike lane is only wide enough for two riders and really the only way to keep a pack of riders together in crosswind conditions  is to spread the width of the road in an echelon formation.

I did what I could to stay on but I was popped by the lead riders.  I was then picked up by the trailing pack and worked in with them to finish the ride.

 

Screen shots from Training Peaks WKO 3.0

 

I have posted side by side the last two Thursday Coffee Crew rides.  The one on the left is 110410 and the one on the right is from 111110 (today).  You can see from the two summaries above how these two rides differ.  Last week’s ride I thought was hard but the numbers from this week are much higher.

1.  Notice how much higher the peak power numbers are for all categories under 2 minutes on the left chart 110410.

2.  Now notice how much higher everything is for all peak power numbers for categories more 5 minutes is on the chart on the right 111110.

3.  Also notice Normalized Power is 213 vs 202 between this Thursday and last Thursday, respectively.  Much more work on today’s ride.

4.  Also notice how the kj are higher, 1326 kjs,  for today’s ride and 1240 kjs, for last week even though today’s ride was 4 fewer miles and seven fewer minutes.

5.  The IF (Intensity Factor) was 77% for today’s ride 73% for last week’s ride.  It’s interesting to have such a disparity since the first 15 minutes of the ride were REALLY easy.  There was a lot of bunching up as no one individual or team wanted to take control and set the pace at the front of the pack.  And yet the IF was 4% higher today than last week.

It was a hard “group ride” for me today.

Thank you for reading my blog.  Please pass it on to one of your friends.

2011 Season Training Begins…

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I believe I have provided myself adequate transition time between my 2010 season and the 2011 season.  But a short recap might be appropriate if you are new to my blog. So let’s just cover from September until today.

September 25-26 Everest Challenge 2 Day USCF stage race.  29,000 feet of climbing

October 2-3 Furnace Creek 508 — 508 mile 35,000 feet of climbing

Rest (one 50 mile 5,000 feet gain ride)

October 30 Saturday Fall Death Valley Double Century– 200 miles 9,000 feet of gain- Unofficially placing 3rd time of 11:39

October 31 Sunday Dante’s View – 25 mile climb and 5,600 feet of gain.

I ended my season with about 1000 miles — 84,000 feet climbing of race intensity — quality effort.

I then took a rest day (Monday), a massage day (Tuesday) and started my 2011 training season on Wednesday November 3rd.  The next three graphs are from Wednesday, Thursday and Friday training rides.  My legs felt really stiff but as the week wore on I felt better and better.

WEDNESDAY

The pace was harder than the usual Wednesday pace. I could hear everyone complaining that pace was too fast.  I found that comforting because I thought I was the one struggling but so was everyone else.  It is considered an endurance ride bookended by two harder rides on Tuesday and Thursday.  I did my best to stay on and only got dropped on one hill.  I was sitting second wheel behind the rider setting the faster than normal pace.  I then maintained the same tempo when it was my turn to set the pace on Bake (an uphill section).  I got dropped on Glenn Ranch.  I recovered and closed the gap on the downhill towards the bike path.  I rejoined the group as we climbed Santiago Canyon.  I also helped two other riders stay in the pack when they were getting gapped.  That always makes me feel stronger mentally. I forget about my pain and help them and I actually ride better.  I was surprised that my legs reacted as well as they did considering I had done a 200 miler and a hard 25 mile climb just days prior.

THURSDAY COFFEE CREW

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The Coffee Crew rides are designed to be faster more race pace.  Being  November I expected a slower mellower pace.  However, it was still pretty fast.  I was in the group just fine until we climbed Ridgeline.  I was holding over 400 watts to stay on and got dropped on the false flat before the second pitch up.  I rejoined the group struggled on Newport Coast (from Bonita Canyon) and got dropped there.  My legs were still feeling heavy.  I should be ok by next week and get dropped for the right reasons. In other words, WHEN I get dropped I’ll know it’s from “just not having what it takes” as opposed to sore and heavy legs.

FRIDAY

The Friday ride  is a mix of mellow, endurance, tempo and race simulation. It is very similar to the Saturday Food Park ride.  It’s mellow through the Back Bay, Endurance on the surface streets, then Tempo through Tesla and Church Hill, Tempo through Laguna Canyon and then race simulation from Laguna (main beach) to Newport Coast for a sprint at Newport Coast and PCH.  I felt fine and followed all the right wheels throughout the ride.  I made only one “mistake”.  On the final set-up for the sprint I was 5th wheel behind a bigger rider.  My mistake was not 5th wheel but the rider I was behind.  Just seconds before the sprint began he popped and that left a gap between me and third wheel.  It is very hard to close that gap at 30 mph in such a short time to get in the rider’s draft, recover and go again when the sprint actually takes place.   Now being an Ultra Cyclist I didn’t expect to fair well in the sprint but I wanted to give it my best.  One thing I remember from my 2008 season (when I was doing Crits) — I have a very good sense for pace changes, what wheels to follow and where to line up in the train– but I don’t have the sprint power in my legs.  It may be I just need to work on power production this off-season and I might perform better in sprints.  We all know I have plenty of endurance base right?  :p By the way, this is off-season for these guys during the season I wouldn’t be able to hang on AT ALL.

This weekend I am resting. Saturday and Sunday I am spending time with my son.  Monday is almost always a rest day as well.  I begin training again on Tuesday with a short spin and a massage.  Then back at it on Wednesday.

I might try a USCF stage race this year.  I feel I get better during consecutive days of training.  Of racing consecutive days would be totally different but I’d like to try it.  Every year I go through this phase where I don’t know what I will focus my racing on in the following season.  So for now the big picture is doubles, climbing centuries and riding faster and faster centuries. I reserve the right to opt for one more 508 (no one has ever finished 6 consecutive SOLOS)  I’m right at 69 kgs.

One goal this winter is to get to a steady weight of 68 kilos.  I would like to start the season (Jan 200km) at just slightly under 68 kg.  Let’s see how things develop this year.

All for now …please refer your cycling friends to my blog.

Thank you for reading my blog!

Recovery and Massage

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After two hard days of riding, , Saturday and Sunday, my legs were in desperate need of rest.  On Saturday, I placed 3rd at the 2010 Fall Death Valley Double Century . On Sunday, I did a 25 mile climb up to Dante’s View with surges and sprints.  On Monday, I took a rest day.  I was a wreck on Monday.  My legs ached so bad.  My neck and shoulders were fine as was my undercarriage but walking and getting in an out of my car was a chore.

 

Today I treated myself to a massage from Jena Hinschberger from Chiro Rehab in Newport Beach.  I feel sooo much better today after her massage.  I met with her one other time as I recovering from the Furnace Creek 508 .  I feel like a million bucks!! I highly recommend her services!! Jena may be reached at 949-939-2853.  Tell her I sent you.