Tour of The Catskills

Well, its come and gone kinda an anti climax. It was a very tough event, but I was well prepared and did well (though my placement may not reflect it). I actually chased the pack down on day two after getting dropped on the first KOM, and for anyone that hasn't had the opprotunity to try and chase down the group for several miles its an experience.

The climbs were long and steady, some close to 7+ miles in length and with varing degrees of gradient from 4% up 19-20%. My results would have been a bit better had it not been for a few things out of my control like the detour due to a traffic accident and me getting stuck at a traffic light for nearly 3 minutes watching as the pack faded away. But overall it was a great experience, and an excellent moral booster to see my progress. I may do one more race this year or a charity metric century at the very least.

As for training, I am slowed down actually off the bike or anything else for at least a full week. Then its into a transition time to start some weight training and begin getting stronger and working on my weaknesses and limiters for next year. Its going to be interesting to say the least

gun

Final shake down

Went out today for an hour, my goal was one to two hours but I felt great so I shut it down and went home. Did a few efforts but mainly stayed in my Z1 HR. One thing I did notice is that on a steep short climb I got my hr up to 179 and it came back down to 122 pretty quick I was very happy with that, and I have done this hill before its like 24% grade but only about 100-150 yards in length, I definitely felt stronger on it. Did a few short sprints starting out shifting up then an all out 10 second effort. Still need to work on my sprint, have gotten better on my jump (starting with either leg), but the all out effort I still feel a bit off the mark but that will come with time.

Still working on recovery, actually getting a half session massage today not sure if I am going to go for the neuro musc/ myofacial release or deep tissue will talk to the therapist and she what she thinks she is good. That is one thing I wish I could do more often, will have to try and work that into my next years race budget.

Things went well, of course there are things I found that I need to work on but that is good. Now I just need to race smart and give it all I have.

Gunna be a good time.

Harv

Tour of the Catskills in three days

My biggest race of the year is only three days away. Many things are going through my head, typical things like will I do well, did I do enough to do well, and much more. I am at this point before a race trying to focus on the task at hand and make sure I have all my gear in good working order (I do this well in advance don't want to change set ups on the bike to close to the race), and that I am prepared.
This race is a bit different being that its multi day, and so now I need to make sure I have spare equipment. I don't have an extra bike but I do have an extra wheel set, two extra cassette's, extra brake cables, handle bars and shifters, rear derailleur, and extra saddle, and other odds and ends. Now I did not go out and buy new stuff this is all off of my bike I wrecked (wouldn't be buying a dura-ace derailleur for a spare), but its pretty cool to have back ups kinda makes me feel like I am really in it.
At my level I am everything, trainer, mechanic, and motivator. My wife she is also a motivator for me and she is my support vehicle (not allowed to drive the course) in that she goes to the feeds zones for me and cheers me on.
Well, my bike is tuned wheels are trued, gear is packed and ready to go.

Physically, I am as prepared as I am going to get. I am in my taper to race day doing short intensity work outs (decreasing volume), and doing everything to ensure I recover for a good peak on race day. I feel I have done a good job, probably not all I could do but all I could do with the time I am willing to give. I actually during my main training weeks was able to increase my volume from 6-8 hours on the bike a week to 15-20 hrs on the bike as well as my off the bike work. I did not have to make to many sacrifices to achieve this mainly just did not work much overtime at work and road early in the morning while the family slept.

I am going for it all this race, I am going to try and not leave anything on the road each of the three days, use the techniques I have learned like sag climbing, and just go for it in general with out burning to many matches to fast. Its going to be a lot of fun, and a great race experience.

gun

Less than two weeks to go..

Its actually a week and a day till the prolouge of my stage race and man am I excited, but also a bit nervous. Not in a bad way, just hoping I really bring it all and use up everything and leave nothing on the table. By this I dont mean kill myself and not finish well, I mean race smart and use my matches wisely, but if I have to burn them all I want to make sure its a forest fire...

I am basically in recovery right now, I am doing a seven day modual from cyclo club called "get faster in 7days" then I will go into my taper. But really its part of my taper cause I have increased intensity while decreasing volume, and really am trying to make sure I put as much effort into my recovering as I do into my training.

Its going to be a great time no matter what happens but I still want to kick butt....

gun

C Race today

Well the race went to crap the first lap but not due to fitness. I did feel a bit tired but that is to be expected, with my not tapering to this race (a C race I would rate it). Myself and two team mates were up front setting the pace, I was feeling good, I was moving through the peleton with ease, and did not even faulter on the small climbs that this course had, but then on the long climb I was taking my turn at the front, and my chain came off on the steeper part of it, I got it back on with out stopping but dropped back a bit before I did. I held on to the back third till it came off again before we finished the climb and ended up off the back some. My one team mate and I (who flatted) worked for a bit but were unable to reel the group back in. He abandoned but I stayed in for another lap, first to get in some miles but to also see what happened, my speed was picking up about 2/10ths a mph every lap so I figured I would stay in for a bit and just hammer it. Hey the only difference from being off the front and the back are position it actually takes the same kind of work to be by yourself in either position,(I would rather be off the front anytime) no one to draft off of or work with so I hung in. The total race was 60 miles I did 47 in just over 2hrs 20 minutes. I am happy with that and I learned a few things, first I still get too excited and want to go and run for it. I need to learn to sit in more, but hey I have fun doing it....My one teamate got 6th and the other worked his butt off for him so it was a good day. Two weeks and I am by myself in NY for the tour of the catskills I will be more rested for that.
gun

2/3rds done of my stage race prep

Just finished my stretching after my day 3 of the triple up and the last day of Go Long Climb Strong. This is my second week in a row of the program Josh help me set up for the stage race, and my 3 week of go long in about a month and a half. I am looking back and I feel way stronger than the first the prior times (I know this is the reason to do it :) ), Hey wait that means I now have to work harder to get further results more suffering lol and I love it. Really if you think about it (I read this before not my original thought) everyone of any ability suffers its just how much suffering you want, are willing to take, and can handle. I don't think it really feels any different you just (as you progress) have more capacity to work (i.e. more hill repeats with less fatigue) and hopefully recover faster (with out being a doper).

I have a 60 mile road race this Sunday, its not real hilly the one hill it does have is not over 5% grade and a few punchy climbs this will make for some interesting racing. I may even try an attack, bridge some gaps, and well you know kick some butt and win an event. Another thing I have gotten from this training is that I was always way under gearing myself on climbs and not spin just turning the pedals over in the flats, by this I mean I was just cruising along at way under what I could. Places I ride where I use to go at about 15 mph I go along at 18-25 mph with not a whole lot more effort. The technique training has been invaluable, made me much more efficient.

Well, this sums up my 2/3rds (basically) of my training for the stage race. I go into a week of get faster, then taper into my race which is three weekends from now.

Gun

Be flexable and reap the rewards.

I set out today for day two of my triple up for "Go Long Climb Strong", I had my route planned. 15 minutes into my warm up I came to a section of the road(back road) they were re-surfacing it with tar and chip. I was going to bo back and do a different route but the trucks with the chip were coming that way on and I could not ride on the new road it wasnt even possible. So I continued on. Well, then I got a flat. Fixed the flat and on my way. I decide to take a different route after this section of road. It was actually the reverse of the route I did yesterday for over reaching. I knew it had two decent and one steep short one. I did not want to get anareobic so I figured I would just spin a small gear and hope for the best. Well, the first climb is short but a little steep, I was above where I wanted to be for the work out today but not for long, so all was well at this point.I had a fairly flat section so I did a 12 min chunk at the sweet spot, then came the first long climb (2miles) about 200 yards into the climb it gets steep and my HR was over 180 this is not where I wanted to be so what to do! Not much I could do I was already commited I started doing some rhythmic breathing and found my HR starting to drop even with the same effort. It went from 184 down to 174 then down 170 at about the 3/4 climb mark, but my RPE was at what I would call about a 8 not bad this is about where I wanted to be. The top of the climb mellows a bit so I shifted to a little harder gear to roll over the top and still my HR (with the rhythmic breathing) did not elevate but 2 bpm and I felt my RPE (rate of preceived exertion for those that dont know) actually dropped a bit so I shifted yet again. I found myself on the last 1/4 mile of the climb at about 17 mph probably about a 4% grade. Not much past that maybe 5 minutes of recovery, I have another climb not quite as long but starts out steep. I did this breathing pattern again and my HR and exertion level was well in the area I wanted it to be. So I decided to drop the hammer, I did the climb (faster than every before with less effort) at the top I get onto a rolling 8 miles or so I got into the drops and let the hammer drop all the way to the end, which the end by the way is a 2 1/2 mile 12% down grade (50+mph) wooooohoooo what an end to the work out. Then I was able to spin home do Zen Fix the back flexability, cyclo breath and myfacial release. Lesson I learned, a curve ball is only hard to hit if you take your eye off the ball and let it be hard to hit. If you focus and be open and flexable you can take this sort of situation and turn it into one hell of a work out and moral booster. gun