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Whoa there, young man

Friday, March 2nd, 2012

Wednesday was a rest day. Following the Time-Crunched Cyclist plan, you have two days a week off the bike. I have changed the plan up a little to move the Monday rest day to Sunday. So, I end up having two interval type workouts close together early in the week and then pick it up again on Thursday. That Wednesday off was just what I needed going into Thursday’s interval session — maybe too much!

The plan for Thursday was 1.5 hours at Endurance Miles pace with 3 x 10 minutes Steady State intervals. I would get 6 or so minutes of recovery between the intervals and then ride out the rest of the period at the Endurance Miles pacing. That is pretty much like my last workout on Tuesday, but this time I got to do it on the road in gloriously warm weather!

What a difference the road makes! That is good and bad. The good part of it is that it is just plain funner. The bad part of it is that it makes it harder to be precise in following the wattage parameters.

This is especially true in Greenville where there are very few spots that are flat. As a matter of fact, it is impossible for me to leave my driveway without having to do some climbing. So, I find myself spinning easy to keep from going over the average while climbing and then spinning like mad to get up the wattage while going downhill.

I ended up not caring and focused on my perceived exertion. I’d see later whether everything averaged out to the plan. My main goal was to make it to the Swamp Rabbit Trail where I knew the terrain would be more manageable. I would start my first 10 minute interval there.

“Joy” is the word I would use to describe how I felt. It had not been a good winter for me on the bike. Lately, I had been doing all my work on a trainer. To be out on the road was so freeing and energizing.

It was probably a good thing I was on the SRT as I began my first interval. It forced me not to go crazy. You have to be careful that you don’t go too fast and you have to be watchful of the other runners, walkers and riders.

Amazingly, on this beautiful day, there weren’t that many people out. Perhaps it was because of the time of day. Anyway, I had no trouble keeping things consistent as I wrapped up that interval at around 260 watts. Once again I was over the designated max average of 226 watts.

After the recovery spin, I started up my second interval. I was nearing Furman about halfway through it. My plan was to get off the trail and go back home on the road using the Paris Mountain climb to finish off my last interval. I had to get off the trail with about 4 minutes left and had to take a detour on a side road in order to finish up the interval without having to sit a the light on Poinsett Highway. I wrapped it up perfectly to finish the interval and sprint through the green light. Inteval 2 = 270 watts.

Now it was time to recover for the final interval on Altamont Road. I determined that I was not going to push it all the way up. I knew that would require me to exceed my wattage for 14 minutes or so. Plus, I didn’t think I could do it.

Knowing that I wasn’t planning to go the whole way, I went a little harder in the being. It isn’t that I thought I was going hard. It didn’t feel that hard, but I glanced down and saw I was bouncing around between 300 and 330 watts. I realized that this pace would be a PR pace last year if I could hold it to the top. I also realized that this year it wouldn’t be.

I’m at least 10 pounds heavier than my weight of last year. 10 pounds is a HUGE difference in the amount of power I would have to put out to reach the top in under 12 minutes — not to mention under 11:30. Still, I was happy that I was holding the wattage beyond the water tower section.

When the 10 minute mark showed on my computer, I was at the end of my stamina. That “Steady State” interval came in at 300 watts. I was very glad to start spinning as easily as I could on the incline. Within a few minutes, I was recovering and reached the bottom of “the wall” at just over 14 minutes. “Hmmm,” I thought to myself. “The last time I climbed this thing, I did it in 15:30 something. I told myself then I would beat that time the next opportunity I had to climb it.” So, I stood and pushed it up the meters to the KOM line.

I looked down and saw 4:57 in the lap time field on the Garmin. Hey, not bad, I came in under 15 minutes. Then my heart rate caught up with me and I just about puked! That 40 seconds or so was the hardest I had pushed since last race season! Still, my heart rate didn’t exceed 181 bpm. So, I know I am far from my potential fitness level.

Coming off the mountain was a blast. I had stopped to talk to a fellow rider at the top. It gave me a chance to calm down before descending. It also meant that as I started down, I was caught by another rider who was moving! I was soft pedaling when he came flying around me. For fun, I accelerated to jump on his wheel.

The next few minutes was like a synchronized descent. Once again that word “joy” starting creeping into my mind. THIS is why I loved riding. Sure, when the road kicked up and I had to push along to stay on the rider’s wheel, I started feeling that sick feeling. However, I stayed on the wheel. The power was there… it is just my stamina hasn’t caught up with it.

I’m ready to go again, but I’ve got to be careful not to over do it. The plan is about building up and if I don’t build up correctly, I’ll hit a plateau a bit lower than the height I could reach. Whoa there, young man!

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Over the top

Wednesday, February 29th, 2012

It has been a few days since a post. That doesn’t mean I haven’t been riding… at least I have been on the trainer. I’m happy to say that I have been consistent with the Time-Crunched Cyclist training plan for the first week of it. I’m very glad I started it!

My field test that would set the benchmark for the program was on February 18. During and after that test, I felt like I was in a big hole. My power numbers were awful. The good news is that rather than discouraging me, it motivated me to get out of the pit.

The way to do that was to start the plan and trust it. I knew the first few sessions were only going to reveal more weakness. I’ve been through this before. I knew not to put too much stock in those first few days.

The plan helped in that regard by easing me into the work that lay ahead. I was doing several hours of what the TCCP calls Endurance Miles. This is about 45 to 73 percent of your best power mark from the field test (FTP). Mixed in with these hours were some Steady State intervals at 86 – 90 percent of FTP.

As I progressed through that first week I went from just staying with the median to bringing the wattage up to the top end of the percentage range. Early on I felt like I was chasing the wattage. I’m not sure how to describe it… I was meeting the power mark, but I didn’t feel I was doing so with command. I was “behind” the power pushing it forward.

EnduranceMiles and 3 x 10 min. Steady State intervals

EnduranceMiles and 3 x 10 min. Steady State intervals

Well, that definitely changed last night. The plan called for me to do 1.5 hours at Endurance Miles pace. Sprinkled in this session would be 3 Steady State intervals at 10 minutes each. I would get 6 minutes of rest between them.

I started out with the plan spinning at just under 100 rpm and around 120 watts. That warmed me up for the first 10 minute interval. I got in a rhythm while watching the conclusion of a movie I had started on an earlier session. I looked down at the computer and found I was creeping up beyond the range. I adjusted the gears to keep the cadence up, but bring the power down a little. I still ended that first interval about 5 watts over the called for average.

After the 6 minute recovery, I was feeling even better than after the initial warm up. I went into the second interval and just focused on the “perceived exertion.” This is when you don’t look at the computer, but ride by “feel.” I was trying to be conservative in my approach, but the few times I glanced down I could tell I was above the called for wattage. I ended that interval 12 watts over my FTP with my heart rate peaking at 169 bpm.

Hmmmm, this just didn’t seem right. Here I was running just under the FTP numbers from my field test. A doubt that had been with me for the whole first week began to creep back into my mind. What if my field test was inaccurate? What if my FTP was actually higher? Could I be stunting my improvement by having the wrong bar at which to aim?

I shifted down the gears for the final 10 minute interval. I was now spinning at a cadence of 85 rpm down from 94 rpm. The movie had ended some time ago. The room was dark (to help keep things cool) with only the light of my Garmin. I fell into that trance that comes from hearing the whirring of the trainer and flashing of my knees as they entered into and disappeared form the frail light of the computer screen.

When I glanced down to the screen on occasion, I was seeing numbers around 250 up to 280 watts. Yes, I was finally starting to feel like I was working. However, past the 5 minute mark I knew I was going to take this same power all the way to the end. Best of all, I didn’t feel like I was chasing the power. I felt like I was over the top of the pedals.

I fought the urge to up the cadence and finished the interval at 273 watts. That put me 20 watts over my FTP. My heart rate did get up to around 177 by the end, but for most of the interval it was around 170 bpm.

Chris Carmichael’s TCCP plan says that the Steady State should have a perceived exertion of 7 (on a 10 point scale) and be at 86 – 90% of the CTS field test average wattage. The intervals are to force “your body to deal with a lot of lactate for a relatively prolonged period of time.”

It has me wondering. My best ever FTP was 305 watts back about two years ago before I broke my neck. I know my body has the capacity to reach that again. However, last year my best testing brought me in at around 285 watts. Could I really have lost nearly 35 watts since last season?

At the same time, I know that I am not in as good shape. I know that I am going to have to build up to the higher wattage and I don’t want to be overdoing it here in the beginning. How do I know if I’m “underdoing” or overdoing it?

My gut tells me I should be using 270 watts as my FTP. This is another one of those instances when having a coach is helpful. Thankfully, I know a very good one! I’m having him take a look at my data and hopefully, I’ll have a little more confidence in the foundation of my training. If I can do that, then I have a lot of confidence that the TCCP will help me be a better rider this year while keeping my stress level under control.

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How did you know it was me?

Thursday, February 23rd, 2012

I was given the book The Time-Crunched Cyclist by a friend who already had a copy. It sat on my shelf for about half a year. I knew it was there and I even planned on reading it as I made plans for the 2012 cycling season. I finally picked it up when the guilt of putting it off finally got to me.

By the time I finished the first chapter I knew that the book was for me. That chapter describes to whom the book was written. Maybe it was even broader than I was perceiving, but the parts that stuck out to me fit me to a tee. “Wow, how did he know me like that?”

He described the cyclist who has found that life is squeezing the bicycle out. The idea of just taking off for hours at a time to train simply isn’t possible. However, at the same time that cyclist doesn’t want to just soft pedal around. There is still a desire to participate and be in the mix of things.

“Who, me?” Yes. Me. So I continued reading with interest. Perhaps if Chris Carmichael understood my plight so well then perhaps his solution is one that will work for me.

At the same time, he doesn’t over-promise. He isn’t saying that I will be racing at the same level I was a year ago. This is primarily a plan that puts you in the competition. It isn’t going to put you in front of the competition.

That is the tradeoff. That is the balance that it offers. If you have your sights on being the big-dog or to return to your glory days, this isn’t the book or the plan for you. This is a plan for those riders who enjoy competition mixed in with their cycling, but who find that to go “all-in” would not be fair to their families and other responsibilities of life.

That is me. Is it you?

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Munching the crunch

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012

Sometimes nothing is more motivating than getting up in the morning to find your pants are a bit tight around the waist. During February I spent more time on the trainer than in December and January, but it still was pretty much for the purpose of helping my legs remember what it is like to spin. Finally, last week I started to ratchet it up… though probably 12 weeks too late.

In January I started weighing in again each morning as I used to do while seriously training. I watched as the weight kept climbing. Last week I almost hit 180 pounds. That would be 12 to 15 pounds above my “fighting weight.” It definitely showed as I was feeling uncomfortable during the day with the waist band of my pants putting pressure on my stomach. I was starting to get that blob feeling.

When I did climb back on the trainer to spin with purpose, I thought I would croak. It was as though I had a bowling ball hanging down from my waist as I bent forward over the handle bars. It didn’t take much to have me gasping. I was embarrassed with myself.

The Time-Crunched CyclistSo, I went back to the book the Time-Crunched Cyclist by Chris Carmichael. I knew my focus this year would not be what it has in the past. I didn’t want to waste Jim Cunningham’s time dealing with a half-heartened client. Some time ago I decided to use this book as my training plan for 2012. It sounded like a good plan for my schedule and it would also give me something new to blog about.

However, it really wasn’t excitement about the new season that got me to approach the book with a bit more seriousness. It was my own health. I realize that whether I race again or not, I need to train. I don’t want to be 180 pounds with my pants cutting into my belly! I don’t want to feel lethargic come mid-day. I want to feel healthy like I was just a few months ago.

Already I have stabilized on the weight front. Without changing my eating habits, I have lowered the daily weigh in mark by about two pounds. I’m feeling more energetic during the day and my digestive system is improving.

Best of all, after starting Saturday on the renewed focus toward building up my power, I had my first good night on the trainer last night. It actually felt good to push through my three steady state intervals. Granted, the intervals were at a much lower wattage than a year ago, but it is a step in the right direction.

In my next post, I’ll start going into the details of the Time-Crunched Cyclist plan. Let’s just pretend I’m going to do an extended book report slash science project. Hopefully, we’ll all learn something.

Here are a couple things I have learned already. 1) One good reason for a coach — if for no other — is for the accountability. It is good to have an outside force holding you to your schedule. 2) Another good reason for a coach is that while an “off the shelf” plan is doable, it is very easy to second-guess your decisions and wonder if you are correctly assessing your data.

So, here is my plan. I will share my experience with you as I train using this method. You help me by keeping me accountable. I’m also open for advice — but don’t be offended if I don’t follow all of it. If I took every suggestion, I would end up with a Frankenstein workout plan!

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Ouch, my knees!

Wednesday, February 1st, 2012

Played basketball again on Tuesday night. Monday night I put in an hour on the trainer with a couple of harder efforts. All day Tuesday my legs had that happy but tired feeling that comes after a good workout on the bike. That all changed after the torture of the hardwood!

Jumper's Knee

Yep, that is exactly what hurts

My knees still had a tinge of aching from the last week, but I hoped the new basketball shoes I got would make them handle things better. It seems that I have a case of “jumper’s knee.” Right off the bat I knew the stiffness in my knees was going to give me issues. I just couldn’t uncoil smoothly for an outside shot. During warm-up I was missing badly!

The same thing was happening when I attempted to drive. There was very little elevation – at least it felt that way. I just hoped that things would come around in the game.

Ah, when we started playing I ended up guarding a guy who had an incredibly fast step. I figured he was in his early 20s’. It was all I could do to keep him from driving on me. Then each time I would close him out, he would step back and elevate for an outside shot. I’d have my hand in his face, but turn around to see the ball swishing through the net.

One time I was trying to take away his right hand and he did a crossover dribble and moved left. I tried to slide to my right to shut it down, but he was so fast that I lost my balance and ended up sitting on my butt!

The outside shooting woes continued. I finally started getting some baskets by posting up low, putting back some rebounds and slashing to the basket. However, it was just one of those nights and the other guys I played with seemed to have the same issues. We ended up getting creamed every game during the hour I played.

If I were to go by perceived effort, I would say an hour of basketball leaves me feeling about like a 30 minute crit. It is all the bursts of energy that get to you. At least the way I have to play (due to my lack of ability) has me constantly moving to create space. There is very little standing waiting for a pass. By the end of the evening, I was bending over grabbing my shorts.

I don’t know how all of this is going to translate over to the bicycle. The jury is still out whether or not this will be helping me physically. I do know that it makes me have a new appreciation for the bicycle and even the trainer!

The pounding my body takes – I’ve already mentioned my knees, but there was also the elbow to my face which caused my tooth to cut open the inside of my lip – has me rolling out of bed the next morning feeling like a truck hit me. Now in my third week of playing things have improved for most of my muscles, but my knees really do hurt.

Today I’ll get back on the trainer. It will not be so much for a workout as it will be to recover from basketball! Spinning helps warm up the muscles without the impact of all that lateral movement. At least it doesn’t increase the pain in my knees.

At the same time, this experience is showing me that I can’t depend solely on the bicycle for my health. The bike is awesome for the heart and lungs. My legs are stronger – for the most part – than ever. However, there just are parts of my body that the bicycle can’t affect. So, here is hoping that I can play through the pain to the other side.

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The cross training experiment continues

Wednesday, January 25th, 2012

In an earlier post I mentioned that something I am doing differently this year is trying to do more cross training. Now that I am doing it, I realize all the more why athletes need it. I just hope I can survive it!

For me an important part of cross training is that it needs to be something I enjoy. It has to be something I enjoy more than riding my trainer. Where I have gone wrong in the past is doing cross training that I don’t enjoy more than the trainer — say, running for instance.

What I arrived at was basketball. Here is a sport that I used to love playing. I would spend hours on our dirt driveway shooting baskets. As I grew a little taller I would put a concrete block in a strategic spot and dunk. Unfortunately, that is one part of the game I never got. I never graduated from the ability to dunk a volleyball.

I played high school and was “the man” on my team. In college I enjoyed pick up games and intramural league. As a matter of fact, basketball was one of the reasons I spent the last three years of college digging out of a giant GPA hole!

It was actually a football injury that ultimately moved me away from basketball and toward cycling. In high school I was a wide receiver and sometimes an option tailback. In one game while running out of the backfield, I made an abrupt change of direction while planting my left knee. The cleats got hung up in the centipede grass and my left knee twisted. Immediately it swelled up like a melon.

I recovered from that for the most part, but during college I could be walking up a flight of stairs and pivot left at the top and there would go my knee. The same would sometimes happen as I played basketball. I just never knew when it would.

The doctor said I needed to build up the muscle around my knee. I did some gym work in an attempt to improve the stability of that region. I still had a fear that my knee would go out at any time.

Once out of college I got married, started a job and basically stopped playing basketball all together. That is what brought me to the bicycle. Not exercising left me very unhealthy. I knew that cycling was a way to exercise with low impact on my knees. The rest is the history of this blog!

Now I’m looking for something to shake things up and basketball certainly fits the bill of being something I enjoy more than the trainer! Plus, I’m less than a mile away from some awesome facilities. Last night was my second night of pickup. I saw dramatic improvements in my game. Giving up the outside shot, I decided to do more slashing toward the basket. That combined with picking up some trash points from offensive rebounds had me scoring pretty well.

The body has taken the toll though! We moved to full court and I was doing a bit more running. Plus, I’m wearing my Mizuno running shoes which offer zero lateral ankle support. I never sprained my ankle, but I could definitely feel my ankle muscle straining.

My knees also took a bit of a beating. As we were finishing the final game, I could feel a tightness in the tendons just below my knee caps. By the time I went to bed, it hurt to bend as I lowered myself to sit on the edge of the bed. This morning it was even worse when I got up. I’m pretty sure some actual basketball shoes would solve some of these issues.

At the same time, some of the other muscles that were screaming at me after my first game night were much more happy. My t band was pretty much what it is now days. I basically live with that pain — it is the new normal. However, my hamstrings and upper body were not complaining.

This is good. All the years riding my bike have given me the stamina to run with the youngins’. Running with the guys on the court is giving me a break from the monotony of the trainer while also strengthening those muscles that the bicycle doesn’t affect. It makes me enjoy the time on the trainer more if for no other reason than because it helps take away the aches and pains!

This morning is a commute morning to work. I’m sure the fixie is going to give those knees a workout. Still, I’ll enjoy it all the more because of last night. Now to to get some shoes!

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Back to the lair

Friday, January 20th, 2012

I call my basement office the “Low Cadence Lair” (what it looked like back in 2009). Over the last several years, I would like to know how many miles I’ve ridden down there! I’m certain the whirring of the trainer has been heard for dozens of hours. Well, the sound returned last night for the first time in many months.

13 minutes in to the first trainer ride of the winter

13 minutes in to the first trainer ride of the winter

As I was groaning about to roll out of bed Thursday morning, the beautiful redhead whispered in my ear, “You need to exercise today.” Rather than hitting her with a pillow, I agreed. It wasn’t just for the physical benefits of it, but for the stress release as well. I determined I was going to get on the trainer that evening.

After a bit of delay due to the fact I couldn’t find the skewer for my trainer, I got the bike set up and climbed on board. I had the same feelings that I have at times when I’m about to set out on a ride that I know is going to be a long one… this wasn’t just the start of a trainer ride. It was the start of the new season!

I had a dread of 1) the boredom of an hour being spent going nowhere, and 2) the realization that this would reveal just how out of tune I am. To battle the first issue I started a  movie on my iPad. I figured I could avoid number 2 by spinning easy this first time and just letting my legs get back in the motion.

Wow! The basketball business was hurting! One thing this all has revealed is how desperately I need to cross train. My non-cycling muscles had all kinds of aches and pains going on. It was even affecting my stroke on my left side. Some tendon on the backside of my knee was tight and caused me to pedal blocks and swing my heel out with each revolution.

Those negative thoughts began to seep in… “I’m getting old.” “Most of the guys have been out doing long base mile rides. I’m so far behind, I don’t know if it is worth it.” “Do I really want to go through this again?”

The voices in my head got so loud that I even turned off the movie. I wasn’t paying much attention to it. I just silently spun for a moment being lulled into a trance by the rhythm of the spinning wheel. By this point I was starting to warm up and the pain and stiffness was leaving.

I raised my head and looked around the room. Right in front of me were jerseys covering the wall. Each one of them told a story… Assaults on Mount Mitchell, Challenge to Conquer Cancer rides, podium finish in the state criterium championship, and numerous charity events. There was that Greenville Spinners jersey from my first ever win.

All those memories started pushing against the negative thoughts. It has been a good ride over the last five years or so. Whatever the future holds, the bicycle has been good to me.

Perhaps where I have gotten off course is trying to be something I’m not. In my mind, I’ve always seen myself at the front. I’ve wanted to be one of the “fast men”. Early on, I was. However, as you move up it takes more and more commitment to stay at the front. It is a commitment that I now realize I can’t invest.

You know, that might sound like a negative thought. However, it is freeing. I’ve got a lot of great memories of success to hold onto. I’ve also got a lot of great opportunities and memories to make off the bike.

I looked down at the meter and saw my hour was nearly up. My legs were feeling pretty good (though that one push for a few seconds at around 750 watts reminded me I’ve got work to do before spring). Best of all, my mind was feeling pretty good.

Me and the bike are going to have a more mature relationship this year. I’m looking forward to it.

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Not the first time

Wednesday, January 18th, 2012

Yes, I know that it has been a long time since there has been a post here at Lowcadence.com. If you are a blogger, you probably know the guilt I’ve been feeling about that. Looking back, I realize that there have been other times when I’ve gone a month or so without a post. I’ve always come back, and most likely will again.

What I have I been up to? Nothing. Absolutely.  Nothing. Since October, I can count on one hand the number of times I have gone on a ride over 30 minutes. There have been the occasional commutes to work (like this morning), but for the most part the bikes have stayed in the basement.

The thought of a long ride in the cold is not appealing to me. The idea of an hour or so sweating on the trainer going nowhere is also uninspiring. The realization that I am way off my fitness level gnaws at the back of my mind. I know what it is going to take to get back and the motivation to do it just isn’t there.

I’ve tried running as a way to cross train. However, the hip pain that continues to be with me seems to be exacerbated by pavement pounding. Besides… see the first sentence of the paragraph above.

Last night I went and played basketball for the first time in… Well, I can’t remember the last time I played a pickup game. It has been years.

I enjoyed it. I woke up this morning feeling like I had raced a crit, but the actual participation was enjoyable. If it wasn’t for my defense and rebounding, I think I would have gotten laughed off the court, but you can’t expect to hit many shots when you haven’t played in years.

One thing that surprised me was the fitness that still seemed to be hanging around. Not having a big body and no outside shot, I have to move a lot to get a position to rebound or score. I managed to play for an hour and it wasn’t until near the end that I started to wain.

At the same time, I’ve been catching up a bit with the Tour Down Under. Other than the crashes, I’ve found the racing to be motivational. It reminds me that warmer weather is coming. I’m going to want to be on my bike when it does. Now is the time I need to start getting ready.

I think I’ll keep playing basketball, but also set up my trainer. I don’t know what this season holds, but I do know that I am going to want to be on my bike. To enjoy the spring and summer, I have to stay with it during the winter.

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A little rest does a body good!

Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011

Yesterday I visited my friend Dr. David Mruz at Eastside Chiropractic. He has been a huge help to me over the past two seasons. His support has gone far beyond just keeping my body straightened out! This visit was one of my better ones.

When I got back from the Ride for Mike, I called him up and requested a visit. I was all messed up. Thing is, I had been pretty messed up for several months and we had been working to manage the issues I was facing.

Thank you, Eastside Chiropractic!

Thank you, Eastside Chiropractic!

Not long ago he would have me lay on my back and hold my arms straight up. He would tell me to put my hands back-to-back and lock my elbows. Then he would take my arms and try to pull them apart while I resisted him. I couldn’t do it. Hardly any pressure at all would have one of my arms giving way.

The same thing would happen with my right leg. When he tested my ability to resist my leg would give. When he would have me extend the leg in comparison with the left leg there was a noticeable difference.

He could give me some immediate relief and improve my range of motion, but it seemed I was always going back to the weakness. Dr. Mruz would advise patience and rest. However, during the season I kept pushing through trying to get back to my previous abilities.

Then it was time to train for Ride for Mike. Jim Cunningham, my coach, had me start doing more tempo training. Up to this point I had been training for the frenetic pace of criterium racing with its high wattage, sprint type accelerations. Typically, this would have me turning a bigger ring at higher revolutions.

Now I was holding a very steady tempo no greater than 260 watts  in a medium sized ring at my t-cadence — about 85 to 95 rpm. I was beginning to feel improvement in my right leg and hip even before starting on the Ride for Mike. I was amazed how I had absolutely no pain in my hip upon finishing the 220 mile event!

Having been off the bike for a week now, I am finding that the little quirks I have had are starting to iron out. Yes, when I first went to Dr. Mruz after the ride my neck was a mess! However, my legs (which had caused me problems all season) were doing much better.

Then yesterday I was pleasantly surprised that I had made great progress in the last week. I had only one area of weakness when the good doc tested me. It was great to hear him say, “Good” when he finished testing my right leg. I didn’t even need to hear it… I knew.

There is nothing wrong with a little rest. I’m finding my body is reacting well to the time off the bike. I’m also able to catch up on some off the bike stuff that has been put on hold. Getting some of that sorted out is also going to help me mentally.

The time will soon come when I’ll mount up again, but I’m not going to do it until my body gives me the signal.

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I fought the wind and the wind won

Sunday, October 16th, 2011

Saturday I decided to do a dry run toward Saluda. Instead of going out with a particular wattage in mind, I planned to focus on keeping my speed over 18 mph while riding as easily as I could.  Everything went great… until I started home.

On the way out I had two things going for me: 1) the wind was at my back, and 2) the route drops in elevation over 400 feet between Greenville and Saluda. This meant with a medium effort, I was able to maintain an average speed of 18.7 mph.

400 ft. drop in elevation over 57 miles

400 ft. drop in elevation over 57 miles

You’ll notice at the beginning and ending of the ride there are some noticeable dips. That is the terrain between my home and Augusta Street. In my attempt to keep my speed up before reaching Augusta, I had to put out some wattage. I was about an hour into the ride before I reached 18 mph.

That won’t be the case next Monday. Augusta Street runs along a shallow ridge. On the actual day, I’ll have a lot less climbing and should be able to reach the 18 mph average without as much work.

As I think about Saturday and plan for Monday, I realize that I am going to need to slow it down even more. 18.7 mph is still too high of an average. I’ve got to stay by my plan and I can’t push it. As much as my emotions want me to build a time buffer, my experience tells me I have got to conserve energy in these first four hours if I want to survive the final four.

On the way down I rejoiced in the tailwind. However, I knew that I would have to go back. A feeling of dread started to creep into my mind. Looking around I could see the trees waving wildly and flags standing out straight straining against the cords holding them to the poles. This was not going to be fun.

Still, I could tell I was feeling pretty strong after the first three hours. I decided to give it a try to maintain my 18 mph average back to home. Of course, the two things working for me on the way out would be conspiring against me on the way back.

At first I was feeling even more confident because I was managing speeds of 19 to 21 mph. Of course, I was in a more protected area at that point. That all came to an end about an hour in to the return.

I reached a point where the road kicked up in the midst of a large pasture. The wind was howling toward me. At the bottom of the hill I kicked into an uphill. I was going about 22 mph at that point. I maintained that speed for a bit until suddenly I was hit by a wall of air. The speed dropped immediately to 19.3 mph.

That was my experience for most of the return ride. It was a constant battle against the wind. As I fought, I kept watching my average speed drop. Still, I didn’t give up and kept pushing.

How can I explain riding into a stiff headwind? The closest experience I can relate it to is riding about 70 miles an hour on the Interstate in an old model convertible. You can take it for a bit, but then it starts to wear you out.

Yes, it isn’t just the effort of pedaling into the wind that wears you down. It is the constant buffeting as the wind swirls around you. It is the sound of the accelerated wind deafening you. It is the chapping of the salt against your cheeks and various other joints as the wind dries out your sweat.

For me it is also the way the wind makes my nose run profusely. It is almost as though my body stops sweating and decides to get rid of extra fluid by running it out my nose! It isn’t that my nose is congested. The water just pours right out.

Finally, at 5 hours in I gave up. I had dropped to 18 mph and I was feeling like a prize fighter against the ropes with my competition throwing lefts and rights. I remember distinctly the buffet of wind that nearly stopped me in my tracks.

It was time to pedal soft and live another day. I ended the day with a 17.3 mph average. I also learned a lot that will be helpful to me when I go out for real in about 7 days.

Here is the good news. As I look at the extended forecast, I see the winds consistently coming out of the west. I realize that things can change, but the winds also should be low.

Here is hoping my enemy stays home.

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