Crank it out

Hey boys and girls,

So while this past weekend didn't go as planned race-wise, it turned out to be a really awesome weekend for training rides. I got out for 60+ mile rides on both Saturday and Sunday. Sunday was a nice hard ride- I rode out to Rockland State park via River Road and 9 W. The weather was Fantastic. It was perfect arm warmer and wind vest weather.

I can't tell you how happy I am to not be chained to a trainer any more.

By getting out this weekend I was also able to gauge my fitness. The heart rate zone training that I've been following has definitely made a different. I chug along in the Low 20's on the flats in my endurance zone, and my heart rate is lower going up the climbs.

The workouts have been getting more intense. earlier in the training season it was a bunch of endurance work. Building the aerobic base. Now we've shifted our attention to threshold intervals- resulting in horrible workouts such as the one I have to do tomorrow:

85 Min Sub/Sup Threshold Workout: Warm up: 10:00 Min Endurance interval/ 5:00 Min Sup Threshold (max effort) interval/ 10:00 Min Endurance interval. 3 x 10:00 Min Sub/Sup Threshold intervals done 5:00 min Sup Threshold/5:00 Min Sub Threshold with >95 Cadence. Take 5:00 Min Endurance Recovery at >95 Cadence after each. Finish with 15:00 Min Endurance Riding at >95 Cadence.

For the record, 5 minute max efforts followed by 5 minute sub threshold efforts hurt my soul. It's a tough workout but I think it'll pay off. gotta teach the body how to tolerate and flush out Lactic acid- raise the threshold!

I've been using the program that came with my Polar S520 to track all my metrics this year. I used to use an excel spreadsheet, but now that I've figured out how to upload my HR data, I'm never going back. The program is called "Polar Precision Performance." I'm able to track any metric I could ever want to follow, and can also put out custom reports mixing any of them. the interface is also fully customizable. check it:



(click on the photo for a bigger size)

That background pic is from the Chainbiter cross race i went to this last fall in CT. sweet!
Here's what the HR charts look like- this is from the last Threshold workout I did:



This is the input for the day's workout- it logs mileage, avg speed, time, and how much time was spend in your specific HR zones (also fully customizable). It's a great training tool and perfect for huge dorkfaces such as yours truly.



I've been riding hard this week. Having to get up at 4:30 am to get your ride in is grueling, especially when it's followed by a 12 hr work day. Such is the life of an aspiring yuppie bike racer, I guess...

Things to look forward to:

-Team kits are in! we pick them up on Friday! Weeee! Hell, that's the only reason I joined this team!!! (half joking!)

-Going to watch the Grant's tomb Criterium put on by Columbia University. Rooting our cat 4 teammates that are participating. Following that, we're going on our first team ride decked our in out fancy new kits (from Hincapie sportswear- hollah!)

-Sunday is going to be a special treat. Our team is doing the Legendary Gimbel's Ride in Westchester, and Saul Raisin is joining us! if you're not familiar with Saul, go HERE. He is a 23 year old pro, riding with the Credit Agricole team. He was in a horrible accident a year ago, fell into a coma, broke multiple bones, and had to re-learn to eat, walk, and bike. He's made a remarkable comeback and is set to race his ass off once again. Apparently on his last power test he was able to hold 400 watts for 30 minutes. Insane. I may just die on this ride, but it should be a great learning experience. It's a ride that quickly turns into a sort of race simulation, with team tactics coming into play. It basically turns into a big dick-swinging competition. I'll be find on the flats; I'm just hoping to survive the hills. Either way I'll be looking SO Pro in my new team kit!

-Chad and I are building our teammate/friend Cassie a bike from the ground up. we've found an awesome frame and we're going to built her a sweet racing machine to replace the hunk o' junk OCR 3 she's been riding. I'll document the whole thing for you kids, including where I found sweet deals on components.

-I think I'll win an award for most color-coordinated bike racer- my bike (saddle, frame, tires, bar tape), helmet and shoes all match my team kit. So pro! my stocky ass might be getting dropped, but I'll look good doing it!

I'm such a tool.

Time for bed, pain awaits me in the AM.