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Time-Crunched Cyclist Plan: the numbers

Tuesday, May 22nd, 2012
The Time-Crunched Cyclist

The Time-Crunched Cyclist Plan

The way I have measured my progress with the Time-Crunched Cylist Plan is to use the Carmichael Training Systems Field Test (CTS Field Test). Over the twelve week period of the training plan, I took the field test three times. Really, you typically should only need to complete it once — before you start the plan. There really is no need to take a test at the end of the plan unless you are a blogger and need something to write about!

I won’t go into a long explanation about the field test. You can read a blow-by-blow account in a previous post. I will point out that this “test” is not one you pass or fail. It is simply to give you a benchmark from which to work as you go through the plan. The below sets of numbers contain the data from each of the CTS Field Tests I completed. I hope you can see from the data that the plan really paid off!

February 12, 2012

This was the first test I took once I finally decided to get back on the bike after nearly two months off. I had only ridden a few hours on the trainer in the days leading up to this. Pretty much, I was at the lowest point of my fitness and motivation. The data clearly shows that! If you can fail a field test, this is one I failed!

To give you some comparison, up to this point my highest FTP results (on a 20 minute FTP test) was 305 watts in 2010. During my “comeback year” I had a high of 275 watts. So, I started the TCCP in a pretty bad frame of mind and just did not feel that the plan was pushing me hard enough.

	        Time	Power	Cadence	Heart Rate
Warmup	        5:00	56	85	99
Fast Pedal	1:01	193	140	132
Easy Spin	1:07	59	92	144
Fast Pedal	2:01	212	139	162
Easy Spin	1:01	59	83	166
Power Interval	1:00	345	102	165
Easy Spin	2:14	82	72	154
Power Interval	1:01	361	97	160
Recovery	4:15	63	73	147
First Effort	8:01	239	95	173 (178)
Recovery	11:01	63	79	139
Second Effort	8:00	251	95	171 (177)
Cooldown	15:11	35	80	125
Temperature	64
Result		251		        178

March 6, 2012

The only way to clear my mind and give me confidence in the plan was for me to trust that the data truly represented my potential. That led me to taking the CTS Field Test a couple weeks after the initial one. As I look back, this was the best decision I made during the training period. I’m sure that the three weeks of training on the plan helped me improve, but I’m convinced that the initial test was just the perfect storm of mental and physical “blah.” With this new data, I really started to feel the workouts and I could feel my body responding.

	        Time	Power	Cadence	Heart Rate
Warmup	        10:00	115	85	113
Fast Pedal	1:00	263	132	144
Easy Spin	1:01	93	88	153
Fast Pedal	2:00	245	125	155
Easy Spin	1:00	88	83	158
Power Interval	1:01	380	87	154
Easy Spin	2:02	92	76	149
Power Interval	1:01	409	95	151
Recovery	4:08	100	74	143
First Effort	8:01	296	95	173 (181)
Recovery	10:01	90	80	135
Second Effort	8:00	290	91	171 (178)
Cooldown	10:41	67	71	121
Temperature	66
Result		296		        181

May 18, 2012

Of course, I couldn’t stand it! I just had to complete the CTS Field Test to see what the numbers would show. So, last Saturday, I set up my trainer (to keep it consistent with the earlier tests) outside on my driveway. With the shade and a fan blowing on me, the temperature wasn’t too much above the earlier attempts. However, I have to admit that being outside improved my psyche.

There were a couple of other things I did differently. 1) I took a little more time warming up. 2) I lowered my Fast Pedal cadence to a more reasonable 125 rpm average.  3) I brought down my Power Interval average wattage to be more in line with what I had been doing in the plan. 4) In the First Effort, I settled into a gear that allowed me to pedal at a higher cadence than I had before.

I didn’t look at the time. I just watched my wattage and average wattage while listening to soundtracks. I knew that two songs would put me close to 8 minutes. I just tried to settle into a zone that would hold my first few minutes wattage average all the way to the end. By the time I neared the end of the second song, I was holding 327 watts.

Switching back to the time, I noticed I only had a minute left. It was getting harder to hold my higher cadence, but when I saw the clock I gritted my teeth and tried to push through to the 8 minute mark. I was more than pleased with the result!

On the Second Effort, I intentionally lowered my cadence in a bigger gear. Wow, that one really hurt! I was able to bring the wattage up over 330 watts for a bit, but then it started to drop and I ultimately switched back to the gearing and cadence of the first effort with about two minutes left.

	        Time	Power	Cadence	Heart Rate
Warmup	        15:01	121	97	118
Fast Pedal	1:00	283	125	148
Easy Spin	1:00	126	90	147
Fast Pedal	2:01	270	123	153
Easy Spin	1:01	132	91	156
Power Interval	1:01	312	106	152
Easy Spin	2:01	135	91	143
Power Interval	1:01	315	97	144
Recovery	4:00	142	93	139
First Effort	8:01	327	98	170 (180)
Recovery	10:00	100	80	140
Second Effort	8:03	323	89	170 (178)
Cooldown	5:45	65	67	133
Temperature	73
Result		327		        180

So, there you have it. Depending on how bad off you think I was in the beginning of the twelve week plan, I increased my average wattage from 252 watts or 296 watts to 327 watts. That places my Power-to-Weight ratio to around 4.3. That puts me solidly in the Category 3 field (and hanging with the 1/2 racers for a bit) which is consistent with my past performance.

Ultimately, the sterile numbers don’t really matter. What really matters is that I am now back on my bike holding my own with the guys. Thanks, Chris Carmichael, for the Time-Crunched Cyclist Plan.

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Be brave and take a rest day

Wednesday, April 25th, 2012

Today I’m off the bike. The schedule I have set for the Time-Crunched Cyclist Plan has me typically doing a workout Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The original plan is different with workouts scheduled for Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. This is something I’ve had to do to fit into my lifestyle.

I imagine there are some disadvantages to not placing the rest days in the spots designated by Chris Carmichael. The two days he typically has set back-to-back are now split in my schedule. That cuts into any buildup he is trying to make. However, I don’t believe it has really hurt me.

Looking back and evaluating my performance with the plan, I’m pretty satisfied. I’ve met or exceeded every workout condition up to this point. The schedule has had to be adjusted from time-to-time, but all the workouts have been completed — until last night.

Sometimes you just have to let the wind win

I remember Jim Cunningham telling me that you have to listen to your body. Sure, there are plenty of times when you think to yourself, “I really don’t want to go ride today.” Even as you say it you know it is just because you are feeling lazy. If you just go start the workout, you find that you are just fine and end up enjoying the ride.

There are other times when you know your body is just tired and if you push it, you could end up with a setback. That is how I felt yesterday as I rolled the bike out for the workout. There was a little warning light blinking in the back of my mind.

I had already decided not to go to Donaldson Center. The wind was atrocious and I was still hacking a bit from the ride Monday evening. That tickling sensation in my bronchial tubes had bugged me all day.

Now I was supposed to go out and complete six 2-minute power intervals. Mounting the bike, I headed out to do the work. However, even the as I was warming up I could feel the air coming into my lungs and exposing the irritated tubes. I decided to forgo anything that would bring about heavy breathing.

It turns out it is what I needed. I felt pretty much like crud for the first 45 minutes or so (that could have partly been due to the fact that I was riding into the wind), but my body finally seemed to come around. By the time I neared home, I was starting to question whether I should go ahead and extend my ride and get in the intervals.

No. I closed things down after an hour and a half. My lungs thanked me. My hope is that tomorrow night my legs will thank me when I race in my first event of the year.

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The victory goes to the efficient

Monday, April 23rd, 2012

Competitive cyclists spend a lot of time working to become stronger. There is a lot of talk about wattage and capacity. We work really hard to build the engine to get more speed… but often horsepower isn’t enough.

I got a good illustration of this over the weekend. I was able to compare two different rides with surprisingly different results. It showed that strength can get trumped by efficiency.

As I’ve mentioned, I have been enjoying playing around with Strava. Each time I get done with a ride, I’ll upload the activity and see what new segments I’ve found and how I’ve performed in them. I’ll admit that there are times when I’ve been out expressly looking to “win” a segment!

One of these segments is the Chick Springs TT. I had seen the distance listed as a segment near my home, but it never showed up on my completed list. Then I realized this was because I would typically turn off from the road just before the finish in order to make my way home.

So, I decided to go out and see what I could do. I made the first attempt on the segment after finishing a workout that included some power and steady state intervals. By the time I finished and was heading home, I had time to recover and was feeling pretty good as I approached the start.

I nailed it down and took off. I thought I was flying… maybe I was. A glance at my computer showed I was putting out 700+ watts. I knew I couldn’t keep that up for two plus minutes. I eased up a little, but did try to keep my wattage up. However, as I neared the finish the wattage began to wain and I was having to work really hard to maintain some speed.

The end result was I averaged over 430 watts for the segment with an average speed of 30 mph. However, that was only good for 10th place on the segment. Oh my goodness, that was going to be tough. 11 seconds might not sound like much, until you are sucking for oxygen. If I was that far back after all that work…

My first effort on April 19, 2012

Well, Saturday I went back out for another workout. It was a tough one! This time I had no designs on a KOM on the Chick Springs TT. However, I did find my way down the segment as I was making my way toward downtown Greenville.

I came onto the segment realizing that if I tried to push it I would blow up. My intent was to get a better feel for the setup of the road. I’ve ridden it many times, but not for the purpose of getting speed, but just to get home. This time, I figured I would pay attention to the grade and turns for future reference.

Staying tucked as best I could, I tried to maintain a steady wattage working the downhill sections to my advantage. The finish would be coming up and I didn’t want to have the same falloff of speed over those final meters. Coming up behind two cars on the road forced me to let up even more.

My second effort on April 21, 2012

As you can see in the above chart, this resulted in me actually increasing my wattage at the end of the ride. Still, I hadn’t seen this chart while out on the road. I discounted the attempt as a learning experience and didn’t think any more of it until I got home and looked at the Strava results.

I was one second off of a KOM! Even though I averaged about 45 watts less for the segment, I had a faster time with an average speed of 32.5 mph. It just proves that putting out a lot of wattage doesn’t mean you are fast.

What makes you fast is the efficient application of the wattage. On my first attempt, I was putting out a lot of that wattage on the downhill section of the segment. This meant that when I needed the strength for the upward grade, I didn’t have as much left. On the second attempt by design and happenstance I held back. The final few meters made all the difference.

Now, I’m not saying that power can’t beat efficiency. There are plenty of people out there that have the power to overcome my most efficient attempts. I am saying that when two riders of similar ability cover a distance, the most efficient rider is almost always going to win.

This is also true — even more so — when racing in a group. Knowing how to use the road and riders around you can allow you to get a good finish without using an excessive amount of energy. There are riders out there that don’t have the same amount of sustainable wattage as other racers, but they know how to be there at the end and have enough wattage to take the sprint.

There may be some natural ability to do this, but mostly it comes from an ability to learn from others and from the experiences we have in the group. So, while you are training for power, don’t forget to train your ability to place yourself in the group, read the wind and terrain, and manage your cadence.

Power is always good. Efficient use of that power is always better.

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It’s okay to fail

Thursday, April 19th, 2012

My family loves to get together and watch Mythbusters. It is an educational experience for my children — not only because of the science involved, but also because of the lessons of persistence and patience. One statement from the show that I will quote is “Failure is always an option.”

Jamie and Adam say this because they know there is much to be learned from failure. Failure isn’t something to discount and throw to the side. It is an opportunity to learn what didn’t work. It is a true measure of your systems and processes. Failures are very often nothing more than links along the logic chain to success.

One thing I didn’t mention about my ride on Tuesday was that I utterly failed at an attempt. I wrote in yesterday’s blog how that I had made some mistakes in my gearing that caused me to not get my optimum time in a segment. In an attempt to make up for this, I tried to do the effort again in a different gear.

The result reminded me of some workouts that Jim Cunningham used to give me. He would tell me to go out and do repeats and “ride to failure.” Basically, what that means is you set a particular wattage you want to hold for an entire effort. Let’s say… 400 watts for 2 minutes. Rather than riding a set number of intervals, you keep repeating the intervals until you simply can’t hold the 400 watts anymore.

It is an interesting feeling. Repeats have a way of keeping your heart rate down because you exert and then recover. While you get some cardiovascular recovery, you legs continue to grow more tired. The result is you can go into an effort and not feel that used up with your lungs and heart, but your legs just won’t turn over with enough force to reach your goal.

That happened to me Tuesday. I had completed 6 repeats on Nature Trail at over 340 watts up to 500 watts. I then attacked with an all out effort up Piney Mountain Road at over 440 watts. However, in all of this time my average heart rate didn’t go very high.

Now I was lining up for another attempt on Piney Mountain. I was going to attempt to big ring it up the short hill. As before, I got a head start on Altamont Road when the light at State Park went green. I made it to the gate of Montebello (George Hincapie’s neighborhood) and then suddenly it felt like someone was holding a huge rubber band attached to the back of my bike.

My brain was telling me that I was riding hard. My legs were telling me I was riding hard. My computer was telling me I wasn’t. I tried to give it more juice and then it all hit me! Suddenly my heart rate increased, my legs went to jello and I was sucking in oxygen as fast as I could.

Failure.

I wasn’t going to make it to the top in any sort of a good time. The only way I was going to get more speed was to recover. I shifted down and spun my way to the top a full minute slower than my initial attempt.

Rather than considering the attempt a waste, I realized I learned some things: 1) I have a better gauge of my “matches” — how many efforts can I string together before I don’t have another effective effort to give, 2) I took my leg muscles to the end of their ability to produce significant wattage — meaning the workout was fully realize and I should come back stronger after my rest day, and 3) I’ve experienced the feeling of “failure” again — how much farther can I take it the next time before failure.

Now, I’m not advocating that someone go out there and “ride to failure” during every workout. However, there is some advantage to doing so on occasion to help build your muscles and gain the knowledge of your body’s reaction. You certainly don’t want to go out there and “train to fail” — get your body in the habit, so to speak. Just don’t be afraid to train to the point of failure.

Failure is always an option. Best to learn to deal with it when you train than in the midst of a competition.

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watts = (kg*9.8*e/t)+(kg*9.8*e/t)*r

Monday, April 2nd, 2012

watts = (kg*9.8*e/t)+(kg*9.8*e/t)*r

This is the formula to help me find my goal for Paris Mountain success. It isn’t perfect, but it gives me a pretty good idea of how many watts I need to average while climbing the 2 miles and change to the top of Altamont Road. I’ve been playing around with it and have started landing some consistent results between what my power meter records and what the physics tell me should happen.

Math Equations

Math and cycling does mix!

Saturday, I weighed in at around 195. No, I don’t weigh that much. That is Me + Clothing + Water bottles + Saddle bag + Bicycle. All 195 pounds of me headed down the road toward Paris Mountain. The plan for the day called for a couple of repeats up Altamont Road. Granted, I was going to be exceeding the time of 12 minutes the plan called for, but I wanted to go all the way to the top.

watts = (89*9.8*e/t)+(89*9.8*e/t)*r

The first part of my equation was in place. 195 pounds is equivalent to about 89 kilograms (88.63636 to be exact). Of course, gravity doesn’t change. So, the second part of the equation was in place a long time before I was ever born… 9.8. Each time you climb the mountain you feel its effects. It is always working against you to keep you from getting that time you want.

watts = (89*9.8*241/t)+(89*9.8*241/t)*r

Another constant was waiting for me as I turned right onto the well traveled road. I knew that I would be climbing 790 feet — or 241 meters — over the next 2 miles. Oddly, the distance doesn’t really factor into the equation. The distance can also vary from as short as 1.9 to 2.2 depending on how you take the turns to the top. Typically, the distance I cover is around 2.1 miles. Regardless, I was going to be climbing 790 feet.

It was now time to introduce the largest variable into the mix… time. Time working within the equation would make all the difference in the result. It was up to me to make it happen.

Because I didn’t push on my way to the mountain, I was feeling pretty good. I started the climb in a little harder gear than normal. My goal was to climb at a pace that would keep the pedals turning over and try to maintain my momentum to keep from getting bogged down.

As I reached the top of the water tower section I noticed I was sitting at around 3:30. That was good… or maybe it was bad. It was good because I normally come across that section about 15 seconds slower. It could be bad because that might mean I was pushing a little too hard too early.

Still, I kept feeling strong as I reached the false flat just before the halfway point. Nice! I reached the halfway point at about 5:45. I knew now that even if I finished the second half in my normal time, I would beat my more recent attempts.

I kept trying to keep my momentum, but I did have to shift to easier gears at points. I also lost track of time. At the section where I normally start faltering — about two-thirds up — I felt pretty good about my time. Still, I didn’t know how to judge if I was slipping back or keeping the good time. The base of the wall would be my answer.

I reached it in under 12 minutes. Now it was time to give it all I had up the wall. It is amazing how much time you can lose laboring up the steep grade. You have to save a little something for this section or it will crush you.

watts = (89*9.8*241/763)+(89*9.8*241/763)*r

12 minutes and 43 seconds was the time showing on my Garmin. That translates to 763 seconds — the measurement I needed to complete the equation. By the way, it was my best time of the year so far.

So, why don’t I have the watts listed? Well, take a look at that little “r”. It stands for resistance. It isn’t just gravity working against you. There are various forms of resistance keeping you from fighting just against the pull of the earth. Wind is one factor. Road surface is another. I also throw in there the variations of my power meter. It could be as much as 5 percent off of the actual physics involved.

I have arrived at “r” by doing repeated climbs and comparing the power meter wattage with the formula. Typically, you should add 10% to the formula. However, I found that all other variables being known, 10% was a little too low. At least on Paris Mountain I found 15% to 18% to consistently return an equation wattage comparable to what my power meter gives me.

323 watts = (89*9.8*241/763)+(89*9.8*241/763)*.17

Here is where the math can drive you crazy! You can start playing around with the variables to get an idea as to what type of wattage you need to put out in order to get a certain time. I’ve always dreamed of making the climb in 11:15. Just insert the time 675 seconds into the equation and you get a return of 366 watts. Can I hold 366 watts for that long?

You can also start playing around with other variables. For instance, what happens if I drop 5 pounds? Ah, 356 watts gets me to the top within my goal. Interestingly enough, I was about 5 pounds lighter when I made my personal best of 11:24. At that time, I averaged 352 watts to the top.

Of course, all the math goes out the window when you start the climb. The road is not a simple steady incline. You can’t just get on a track and hold a certain consistent average. Sometimes you are laboring to get the pedals to turn over while producing 450 watts. At other times you are spinning away looking for more gearing and down around 250 watts.

The math doesn’t help unless you have proper technique and fitness. However, this what makes it fun! You can always work to improve both of those and then you get to see the results of your labor in that one little result: watts = (kg*9.8*e/t)+(kg*9.8*e/t)*r.

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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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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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Just ride your bike

Thursday, July 21st, 2011

Sometimes I can get a little melodramatic. I think it is something that comes with a good imagination. It can actually be helpful when it comes to writing, but isn’t always best for living in reality.

I imagine myself being an above average racer. It isn’t that I think I’ll be up there challenging for a bunch of wins. However, I do visualize myself being a mover in breaks and a consistent top-ten finisher.

More than that, it has been my desire to “fit in” — be accepted as a player in the peloton. It really isn’t that hard to look the part. Finding my way onto the POA Cycling Team certainly didn’t detract from the perception.

The reality has been something different. After a breakout year in 2010 when it looked like I could be a force to be reckoned with, everything changed. I found myself being a non-factor in most races. I was unable to do anything significant to help advance my team. There were times when I even made mistakes that hurt my team. As for personal success, that has been quite a ways in the past.

On top of that, in 2009 I had gotten a reputation for not being able to keep my wheels on the ground. Most of that was undeserved since I was typically a victim. However, my horrendous crash in 2010 seemed to cement it.

This year I was getting quite proud of myself. I had not crashed and have been able with bike handling to avoid a number of mishaps around me. While I haven’t had the finishes that I hoped for, I at least have avoided finishing on the ground! Maybe with a clean season, I could put the reputation behind me.

Then Saturday happened. Do you know how embarrassing it is to just fall over on your bike about three feet from the start line? That, my friend, is what you call a “rookie mistake.” It was a definite punch to my ego and my melodramatic tendencies kicked in.

I slunk back to my car that Saturday hoping that I wouldn’t see any of my team mates. I told myself that the next time I showed up for a race – whenever that might be – I would participate in my Low Cadence kit instead of the POA colors. It would be my way of doing penance for bringing disrepute on the team.

It was then it hit me that I definitely was not having fun racing anymore. The reason why was because I was racing for the expectations of my imagination rather than grabbing a hold of the moment and enjoying it. Bottom line is that I have been making my success or failure WAY too important for a weekend warrior.

I’ve determined that I am going out tonight with a different mindset.  I’m not going to go there pushing myself to live up to my imagined perception of myself. My goal is to go out there and let the race come to me. I’m not going to ride to avoid mistakes. I’m going to ride to participate.

If that approach lives up to expectations, then great. If it doesn’t, then – hey – I am who I am. Somehow, I have the funny feeling that if I ride that way, I’ll have greater success than I would otherwise.

Perceptions be hanged. Just ride your bike.

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Just enough to get me home

Saturday, February 12th, 2011

It is Saturday afternoon and I’m sitting sipping a coffee in my compression tights. It is a definite change from where I was several hours ago. It was a hard ride on the Upstate Winter Bicycle League, but now I’m feeling pretty comfortable.

Climbing out of bed this morning, I could feel the stiffness in my hip. The temperature outside was in the 20s. I knew that going out in the cold with this hip could be a bad move. The cold seems to make everything worse.

I sent a message to my coach letting him know that I might not do the ride. I thought I might wait until the afternoon when the temperature was supposed to reach the upper 40s. I’d let him know what I ended up doing.

By 9:30 the thermometer showed 34 degrees. I knew that by 10:30 the temperatures were supposed to edge into the low 40s. Besides, 3 hours on the bike goes by so much faster when you are in a group. I decided to dress warmly and give it a go.

As soon as I walked out the door, I knew I made the right decision. It was quite warm. Even after getting on the bike and starting down the road with the wind tugging at my clothes, I felt comfortable — not really warm, but cool.

We rolled out and it came to me that not only did I make the right decision to do the UWBL, but I was also feeling pretty good. Today was a “let the meter run” day, so I didn’t have to worry about any workouts or intervals. I was supposed to make it as much like a race as I could.

I like these rides because it is a chance for someone like me – a lower Category 3 racer – to go out there with the big dogs and see what it is like to ride with them. While I wouldn’t do this in a race, I figure that if you have the opportunity, then stick your nose in there and learn something.

It is safe to sit in the pack and feel good about yourself as you finish at the back of the sprint. What did you learn? Do you get the experience of knowing what it feels like to push yourself to the edge? Why not go out there and put theory into practice. Sure, you might fail, but that is often how you learn.

We moved into the first attack zone of the day. This one would last about 10 minutes. Steve Sperry went off the front immediately. I knew we were trying to get my teammate Rodney to the finish line first. Steve was taking control of the race so our team could set the pace.

A rider started to attempt to bridge up to him. I covered this rider and followed him toward Sperry. We were at the tip of the spear of the field. As we passed Sperry, I launched a counter from the wheel in front of me. My goal was to pick up where Steve left off and control the front of the field.

Entire effort from first attack zone

I attacked at about 1000 watts and then settled down to 400 watts, then 350 watts, and then looked back. The entire field was right on my wheel! I backed down to 250 watts and finally pulled over to let the field pass. I had pegged my heart rate and now I was just hanging on.

My teammates then moved into line and the final sprint was on. All I could do was watch them launch from about two riders ahead of me. I couldn’t help — and didn’t need to. Rodney won the sprint.

Later, I explained to Rodney what I did and why I did it. He told me that the problem was I attacked from the wheel of the lead rider. Everyone could see what I was doing and they just increased their own cadence and allowed me to pull them along. On the positive side, it kept the pace up and discouraged an early attack by another team, but overall it didn’t accomplish much.

By the time we finished talking, we were headed into the second zone. This one is a bit longer and anything could happen in the next fourteen minutes. Because Rodney and I were talking, we got caught starting at the rear of the field. Still, I could see one rider go away and then saw my teammate Thomas Smith start out after him. The field slowed and let them go.

Thomas is amazing. Not only did he bridge up to the other rider, he went around him and then rode him off his wheel. Then he was out there alone. He was out there alone for a long time!

I started to work my way through the field keeping in mind the advice Rodney had given me earlier. As we got closer and closer to Thomas, I tried to work my way closer and closer to the front — but not too close. I was going to try something.

We caught him with about a mile to go to the finish. When he came back into the fold, there was a lull as the field waited to see which of the “big dogs” would make a move. Once again, the key for us was Rodney. Thomas had controlled the pace for a long time, maybe now I could buy Rodney a few more minutes not having to instigate anything.

The attack and subsequent implosion

I attacked down the left side of the field. Once again, I launched at 1000+ watts. This time I looked back and saw a huge gap back to the field! I had no delusions that I would win the sprint, but I did hope I could hold a pace that would make the other riders have to work to get up to me before the finish — giving Rodney a free ride.

Unfortunately, while I learned the lesson of how to attack from the field, I didn’t have the stamina to back it up. Later, Boyd Johnson rode up to me and chuckled, “We watched your legs just implode on each other.” I laughed right along with him. Sure, I wish I could have helped Rodney more, but the only way to find out what I could do was to try.

The field did go blowing past me. I watched some of the Category 3 riders I’ll be racing against this year go past. My first thought was, “Man, those guys are hanging in there and passing me! I’m toast this season!” Then I reminded myself, “This isn’t a race. The job today is to learn something and just leave enough in the tank to get yourself home.”

I am not naive enough to think my move had anything to do with it. The outcome probably would have been the same regardless. Rodney won the sprint. At least I felt as though I did TRY to do something to help my team.

There was one other attack that I won’t go into here. Let’s just say that at one point early in the attack zone I was surrounded by Globalbike riders — good ones. I was just trying to disrupt their four-man train. The earlier efforts just took it out of me and when my teammate Hank showed up to help, I couldn’t hold on anymore.

THAT is why I love racing my bike. Every time you go out there are new lessons to learn and experiences to put in the bank. You get a chance to push yourself to the edge and learn how far you’ve come — or how far you have to go.

It’s all good, as long as you leave just enough to get you home.

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Where exactly am I?

Tuesday, February 8th, 2011

Today I checked in on my training program to see what I’ll need to do when I get home from work tonight. The good news is that I only have to put in an hour because I will be attending a concert with my daughter for most of the evening. Still, it is an hour with a punch!

It is called a “2 x 13 at threshold.” Once I’m warmed up I am supposed to do a 5 minute blowout at FTP. Then I ride easy for about 10 minutes.

Then the real work begins. I ride one interval of 13 minutes at 98 – 103% of FTP. Once I recover for 8 minutes with easy spinning, I do it all over again. Finally, I cool down for the remainder of the time.

Here is my problem. I don’t exactly know what my FTP is right now. Last year I was up over 300 watts. Just taking a look at my output during training rides, I would say that I am around 250 watts. That would mean I would need to hold 245 to 258 watts for those 13 minutes.

That seems pretty doable. However, I could be all wrong. Last year my lowest FTP test result was 275 watts. I’d be interested in seeing how I would hold 270 to 283 watts for 13 minutes. I guess I’ll just have to give it a try and find out.

You begin to see the importance of knowing what your Functional Threshold Power is during any point of your training. The problem is, I haven’t had a test yet this training season. Now it is almost too late. I’ve got to get ready for February 19th and my first race of the season.

The closer I get the more I regret my off season doldrums. I just know that 45 minutes into the race I’ll be wishing I had that fitness. I just have to remind myself that it is the Spring TRAINING Series. This early racing combined with a renewed commitment to training will get me back where I want to be — just a little later than I wish.

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