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Power Training

I am starting to get used to my PowerTap, even if I am not 100% sure on how to use all the computer functions. Yesterday I did a power test which will determine the key power ranges I should be training in. I started out with a 20 minute warm-up. I then did 3x60 100+ cadence sets and then did a 5 min recovery. From there I did 5 minutes at maximum effort. This was hard, as you have to ensure that you are pushing yourself the full time. Everytime I felt I was starting to ease off I would jump out of my saddle and stomp on the pedals. I got a 10 minute reprive then I was off into the 20 minute time trial. This is an extended duration set that should indicate my power average over an hour. I ended the workout with a cool down.

As I was heading home I was able to catch Coach Kris at Bruegger's as he recovered from his morning swim. We chatted about the workout and then I was off to shower and head to work.

I do not have the results back, but I will post them when I get a chance.

Opus III

I raced Opus last night. The format has changed a bit. There is now a Cat 4 race with 12 laps, 4 sprints. I like the format as the field is smaller and the pace a bit higher. The tactics in the race are more advanced as well. Several of the teams were going for breaks while others blocked and kept the pace down. I was happy that I did not get dropped nor did I crash, though there were a few close calls.

I rode with my powertap (it is finally working) and averaged 196 watts and maxed out at 766 watts. It is cool to see how your power changes over the course of the race. I could see quite visibly the drop in power after each sprint lap.

During the race, my hope was to conserve as much energy as possible and try to compete in the 3rd and 4th sprints. I did that, but had a poor line in the 3rd sprint and several riders had peeled off the front, so many were not revving it up that hard. The 4th sprint, I had made the front group, but the group while going fast, was not really working that hard. As we rounded the corner to the final sprint, a guy was trying to get by on my inside. I was right up against the curb and had no where to go. The guy was pissed, but whatever. He came around and sprinted from there. I tried to hold the wheel, but really faded at the end.

So the race was a good workout. Afterwards I felt like shit, so I know I pushed myself. I stayed with the pack and was able to move through the peloton fairly easily. Hopefull I can ride next week as well.

Last 10 days of Training...

Not a whole lot of activity. About 10 days ago I came down with a nasty head cold and have had trouble shaking it. I did an Opus Crit and then got sick, ran that following Friday and made things worse. I got better for Wednesday ride, and then rode again on Saturday. Not a lot of fitness building time.

Last Wednesday I had a nice ride. It was windy out and I was on my own due to missing the start of the group ride. I was all set, then had to take a phone call as everyone rode off. I did a modified route by heading out 15 to 19 combining the end of the short course and the long course to make up about 22 miles.

On Saturday I went out with Kris and Neil for a 2.5 hour ride. The weather totally sucked. It was raining, cold and windy. The ride out to Stillwater was windy and wet. I started to crack about the mid point of the ride. We took a coffee break and then headed back to the cars. The hills out of Stillwater were steep and once again I realized I did not have the fitness of last year. I suffered on and luckily Kris and Neil waited up for me. It felt great to get out for that kind of ride. It had been a while since I felt like that and I was quiet happy about it. It was also the first ride with the Power Tap. I did not get a whole lot out of it as I do not know how to train with it yet. The bummer is that I broke the computer harness already due to how I wired it up. I did not leave enough slack. Oh well.

Hitting the Trails

The last two times I have been out for a run, I have hit the trails of French Park. I like trail running for a few reasons. First it is more interesting than just pounding the pavement. Second it is actually more peaceful as there are no cars or bikes whizzing by you. Third, you have to concentrate more as your footing is never assured. Finally, the hills are a great way to test your fitness. In the past days I have had more of a chance to workout than normal. I have had a good mix of riding and running and am starting to see some strength and even endurance return. I like my rides to work as they at least guarantee a short workout. I plan on extending my ride home today to get a few more miles in. When I ran the trails last night I felt stronger even though I did a two hour ride the day before. Tomorrow is the first Opus Crit and I hope to make it there. I don't have too many aspirations, but my goal would be to earn at least a point in one of the three sprints.

2-hour Ride

Yesterday I went out and ran at French Park. The trails were in good condition and I had forgotten how steep some of the hills are. After 40 minutes my legs were shot. I am definitely not in great shape, but I am making progress.

Today I headed out with a bunch of Gear West Tri-club members on a ride. They were heading out for a 4 - 5 hour ride and I was going to tag along for the first hour and then turn back. On the way out the wind was at our backs, pushing us along at an easy pace of about 20 - 22. I sat back for most of the first hour, but as we turned into the wind I moved to the front and pulled. What I did not realize is that I kept popping off the front. It was not my intent as I wanted to keep it easy today. One other guy came with me, and eventually we held up and kept the pace down.

Unfortunately as we travelled West, my hour was up and I had to turn around and head back. For the most part the return ride was o.k. The wind really picked up and push back on me pretty hard. Finally in the last 5 - 6 miles I cracked. I eased up and rolled back to my car. All in all it was a great ride, but I am definitely still getting my legs back.

G's first Burley Ride

Two days ago I took G out in the Burley for a run. She did o.k. for about 1/2 the run and then got fussy. I think she may have been a bit uncomfortable in the seat, as I have to play with the position for her. Then yesterday, I took her out on a bike ride. G was not so happy about that. The bumpiness of the sidewalk I think kept jolting her and making her nervous and unhappy. When I was able to find some smooth sidewalk and keep a very steady pace, she was o.k. and played with some toys. However every time I hit a bump she cried out in vain. We went out for about a 9 mile ride and she had to endure the Burley for about 30 minutes. As I was coming down the trails, everyone in front of me could hear me coming becuase G was announcing her displeasure in loud cries of agony. It certainly made me feel like a shitty father... I hope I can get her to enjoy the Burley as I would love to be able to take her out and around town.

First Wed. Night Ride

This past Wed. was the first group ride of the season. The club has really grown. When I first showed up a few years ago I think there were about 4 or 5 riders. This year we had about 20 on our first ride. It was pretty cool. I hung with the core group this ride. There were a few guys that went with the hammer group, but I just don't have it in my legs yet. My knee felt better, but started to get a bit stiffa and sore by the end of the ride. We hammered for a bit, I pulled down 15 and really enjoyed it. Kris took me on the hill, but hopefull I will get some form back later in the season.

Back on track?

After an extended absence (2 weeks) from working out due to a move, being sick, and plain life I have finally gotten back out there. Last Saturday I went out to meet the 'fast' guys for a 2 hour bike ride. Last year I would suffer, but could keep up no problem. This year, I got dropped after 12 miles. I then suffered the remaining 24 miles back to my car in the cold and wind. What I realized is that I was just happy to be out there. The bummer is that a few weeks ago during our move I dropped a 100 pound t.v. on my right knee. Yes, I know that sounds strange, but it is true. The t.v. fell onto the top of my knee scraping my lower thigh. It hurt like hell, but I was able to walk on it pretty quickly and within a day it felt fine. However, last Saturday was the first day I had excercised on it. After about an hour of riding, the knee really started to hurt. By the end of the ride I had trouble putting pressure on it. I took Sunday and Monday off and it felt sore to the touch and when I kneeled down for extended periods. Today I got out on the bike and did a short run. The knee was still sore, but felt better. By the end of the run though it started to feel tender again. I am thinking about riding again tomorrow, but plan to take it easy.

Off the road again...

I fell off the road again, so to speak. I had a few good days of workouts and then G got sick, I got sick, P got sick, and we moved out of our house the past couple of days. So, there have been no workouts since last Monday. This whole concept of consistency must be over rated as I just can't seem to get into any groove.

This coming week will be busy as I have a trip to CT for a few days. My boss is in town the first part of the week, and we close on our old house on Friday. The good news is that we don't have to spend every weekend packing up the old house any more. This should leave some time for working out.

Since I have pretty much come to the conclusion that this year I will not be able to repeat my performances of last year, I have not even bothered to sign-up for any of the usual races. I am on the docket for one triathlon and I hope to be able to race in the spring bike races, but I don't have any expectation of doing well, but hope to have fun. It is strange to see notes in my email box for this race or that race and to just delete them. However with the strain on my workout time, I just don't find it worth while to spend the money to commit to something that will not be that enjoyable if I can't really train for it.

Two good workouts...

Friday I was able to bail on work a bit early and get a run in. I was out in Woodbury and was able to create a new running route. You can check it out at Favoriterun.com. I ran for an hour, nice and easy. The weather was great, the sidewalks were a bit sloppy with snow. It was also a hilly route. Not the kind of hills that are short and steep, but longer hills with solid grades. Now keep in mind, I live in MN, so a hill is relative to me. At the end of the run I felt o.k. I could definitely feel the miles in my legs and I wish that was not the case, but heck I am getting my workouts in.

On Saturday, we packed most of the day, but I was able to get an hour on the bike trainer. I started out with a 20 minute warm-up and then went into a 5x90 strong aerobic set with 30 seconds off. I took a few minutes rest and then went into a 2x10 minute set. I backed off the gearing a bit so I could hold a good cadence. I then cooled down until the hour was up. Considering the run the day before, I was happy with the effort.

I was hoping to get a swim in on Sunday, but with packing and other obligations that did not happen. Instead I had a beer with dinner and made some Linguine with Clam sauce!

So in total I was able to get in a about 4 hours this past week. Not bad, but not my goal of getting to 5 hours. We will see what this coming week brings.

Life gets in the way again...

So the past two days I have not had a chance to workout at all. On top of it all, my dinner's have been crap. On Wed. night we decided to see what a Taco Bell Grande meal would be like... Why we thought we could eat 4 burritos, 3 crunchy tacos, and 3 soft tacos is beyond me. But 10 items for $7.00 was just too tempting to pass up. Then last night, we were running around doing house stuff. We did not get done until 8:30 PM. With no desire to cook dinner, my in-laws over and starving too, Lean Chin's was the choice for food. Since I was so hungry, I think I ate 50% of the food we purchased. That left me feeling ill for the rest of the night and even into the morning. I am hoping to get a strong run in today.

Progress...

So far this week I am 2 for 3 workouts. I had a great bike on Monday and good swim on Tuesday. Wednesday got away from me and on Thursday I am concerned... I may have to do a bike instead of a swim. We have had some crappy weather here this week with a lot of snow and I would love to go for a run, but refuse to hit the treadmill. This is a time I wish I had snow shoes or x-country ski's.

March 13th - Training Plan

Monday: 30 - 60 minute bike ez
Tuesday: Swim
Wed: 45 minute run
Thursday: Swim
Friday: Off
Saturday: 60 minute bike
Sunday: 45 minute run
Total: 5 hours

This is a loftly plan considering my ability to workout at all over the past few months. But I have to find a way to get consistency in my workouts.

Updated Race Plan

My training has gone to shit. The daily demands of family, work, and building a new house (including selling our old house and moving) have taken a huge chunk out of my time to train.

I have been horribly torn on how to deal with this. I find myself struggling to stay motivated to get out and train knowing that my performance will most likely be much lower than last year. Currently I am struggling to maintain more than 2 or 3 workouts a week of between 30 - 50 minutes. I have had three decent workouts over the past four days, hopefully I can turn it into something more.

I have lowered my expectations for the year. I only have one goal, complete a 1/2 Ironman to make up for my DNF at last year's Square Lake. Outside of that any racing I do is more for gauging my current fitness or simply forcing me to have a hard workout. Below is my revised schedule.

Triathlons
Heart of the Lakes - July
Pigman 1/2 Ironman - August**
** only real goal

Bike Racing
As many of them as I can do
Opus Crits - April - May (every Tuesday)
TNT Series
Durand Road Race - April (late)
Ken Woods Memorial Road Race - April (late)
Loon State Road Race (May)
Tour of 10,000 Lakes (maybe if I can pull a team together)
State Road Race Championship (late June)
Hopkings Rasberry Crit - early July

Preliminary 2006 Race Schedule

2006 Races

Long Distance
Liberty 1/2 Ironman - 6/10/2006
Pigman 1/2 Ironman - 8/20/2006

Short-course
Manitou Sprint
Heart of the Lakes

Cycling
Opus Crits - April - May (every Tuesday)
TNT Series
Durand Road Race - April (late)
Ken Woods Memorial Road Race - April (late)
Loon State Road Race (May)
Tour of 10,000 Lakes (maybe if I can pull a team together)
State Road Race Championship (late June)
Hopkings Rasberry Crit - early July