This sinus thing has really put me down but, today I was feeling about 85% so I decided to start the training plan that will take me up to two weeks before my first long road race this year. I felt it was an appropriate training plan mainly because my climbing fitness is my biggest weakness. Last year, I saw that I could keep up a pretty fast past for 15 miles (finished a training crit at just over 26mph average), as well as I did a 5hr 50 minute century with a few nice climbs.
Today started off with a Zone 1 30min warm up, which I did some breathing work and two 150rpm 20 second spins just to get my hr up. I tend to take awhile to get my hr up if I dont push a few hard efforts at least in a half hour warm up. Then came the Body weight work my favorit (in a sadist sort of way) hindu squats got up to my new level of 175, I did stop once at 120 and then again to steady my self at 160 but I am happy with it my form was good and I felt it. Though in retrospect if I would have known that the Cyclo-Core Functional Resistance work out was going to start out with squats with dumbells. All in all for coming off a week of being sick, I felt good and felt strong, I was worried about pushing it and having an adverse affect but I did read and I know that sometimes we don't give our bodies enough credit when it comes to making gains and go to easy.
I have a 15km crit (training race) that I am doing on Sunday, need to get use to bumping elbows and holding my line again in a pack. I feel great my nutrition is in line and where I feel it should be, my left knee still has some flexibility issues but doing the pigeon stretch today I actually got my left side to touch the floor for most of the stretch and boy did it feel great. Well, off to refuel (drinking my recoverite as I type), and spend time with my son who was doing his versions of the stretches with me (he is sick too).
Harvey
Gunnadropya
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
The Blahs
Well, now its a full blown case of the flu and I feel like blah, I am thinking of getting on the trainer and just spinning to get my legs moving and so I can stretch a bit. But, that is if I can not blow my nose for a few minutes :). Its funny how the mind works though. I have not been able to work out for a few days and man I feel like my fitness is going to go to pot in a few days or a week. I think that is what tends to lead to over training or over preping for race or event. I know I feel like if I training hard I am good but if I dont train I will lose it all over night. But, that is not true and though I may be a little stale getting back to it all in all the rest may just be what my body needs.
Harv
Harv
Monday, March 2, 2009
Life is training....
Its funny how life is (IMHO) the best of all training for mental toughness and adaptation. I had a pretty cool program set up with the in season plan modified to my needs. Well, one thing after another came up and I have not even been able to get started let alone get on track. Well, I was fustrated as heck and a bit down about it. I have a moster race coming in 6 weeks or so and I am not even started in a training program to get ready. Life just happens so I adapted. First, needed to get my girls room done so that when the new baby comes (a few weeks) we are ready. Got that together with a contractor then yesterday I came down with something and feel like crap, so I dont want to push it and make my immune system to weak and spend time training with little or reverse results. Well, I look at all the training in the club and all that I am learning and realize I can adapt and over come (I'm not a marine:) ) So, I have devised a new plan (4week climb, 1 week active recovery, 1 week peak, then 1 race week) and I know if I have to I can even adjust that. Oh, did I mention that it snowed today too.... :)
gun
gun
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Put off again but oh well such is life....
Was to do my second day of my training plan but ended up first coming down with something so I figure instead of knocking my immune system down with a hard work out I will just rest, but I had to do some home renovations to get ready for drywall in my girls room. Well, just have to take it all in stride.
Gun
Gun
Friday, February 27, 2009
Fustration with technology but have to keep it in perspective...
Well, couldnt afford a power meter as of yet so I am working with HR, I did a Hr test today (Cyclo Spin Class #5) well my average for top of Z4 is 173bpm. I am starting a training plan this was the first day of it. I got my new meter (trek incite ACH) and to be honest I dont like it much. Its not so much the meter, it does what its designed to do but it lacks highest hr as well as average and you have to scroll through the screens to get from cadence to HR. I was going to get a garmin and I will eventually but for now will just make due.
I do see that I need to realize that this is just a tool not the gospel so to speak. And if I dont realize this it will hinder my training I think and make me to fustrated and that is a bad thing for anyone trying to make gains.
Only 6 weeks left till the Battenkill Roubaix and I want to be ready for it, my goal is to finish in the front half of the race (my goal is to alway do the best I can and win) that will be the best finish in a regular race, and man is it a tough course from what I have seen and heard.
My nutrition is going well, I have learned some really good eating habits and stick to them also allowing myself an indulgance from time to time. I am down to 193 pounds and really am not trying to lose weight,which I know I will as the season progresses. Well, look out Battenkill NY, I am coming and there is no stopping me....
Harvey
Gunnadropya
I do see that I need to realize that this is just a tool not the gospel so to speak. And if I dont realize this it will hinder my training I think and make me to fustrated and that is a bad thing for anyone trying to make gains.
Only 6 weeks left till the Battenkill Roubaix and I want to be ready for it, my goal is to finish in the front half of the race (my goal is to alway do the best I can and win) that will be the best finish in a regular race, and man is it a tough course from what I have seen and heard.
My nutrition is going well, I have learned some really good eating habits and stick to them also allowing myself an indulgance from time to time. I am down to 193 pounds and really am not trying to lose weight,which I know I will as the season progresses. Well, look out Battenkill NY, I am coming and there is no stopping me....
Harvey
Gunnadropya
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Stalled
Well, I am trying to figure out the best training plan for me right now, but I am not sure the best approach. I kinda figure that I just have to do something and learn what works best for me. I do on occasion over think things, but I just hate to waste my effort. The rub is by floundering around I am actually wasting effort, so time to get something down and start it out and adjust as needed.
My goals for the last few months has been weight loss, learning new nurtritional lifestyle, and building my core strength. Well, my new goal is more of a performance oriented goal. First, I have four more races till I will upgrade from a Cat5 to 4, last year I was just feeling racing out to see if first I still loved to ride after I raced (which I did, did not want to lose the enjoyment of riding) as well as learning how to ride in a pack and all those type of things, and as much as I always have wanted to win it was not my main focus. Now, I want to be more competitive and that is how I want to focus on my training.
The weakness I need work on the most (or that I think that will help me the most) is being at threshold longer and then not just dropping off after a hard effort, and being able to recover after a hard effort but not drop off so much that I am dropping off the back so far I can not get back up. For instance, when I climb (I am aware of it now and do work on it) I would get to the top of a climb in a race and just wouldnt push on I would slow down so much I would never catch back on. Now, I was about 30+ pounds heavier and less fit last year so that will be a big improvement, as well when I train now I intentionally do a jump and try to keep up the pace after a climb. So, this is what I consider my main training focus. A few other focuses are bike handling skills (cornering, descending, and pace line work), know when to be up front or when to sit in and bide my time, and just how to pace myself to keep in the race.
Well, this is the beginning of a new chapter for me and I will keep up on my gains and my set backs and hope to get some good imput.
Harvey
gunnadropya
My goals for the last few months has been weight loss, learning new nurtritional lifestyle, and building my core strength. Well, my new goal is more of a performance oriented goal. First, I have four more races till I will upgrade from a Cat5 to 4, last year I was just feeling racing out to see if first I still loved to ride after I raced (which I did, did not want to lose the enjoyment of riding) as well as learning how to ride in a pack and all those type of things, and as much as I always have wanted to win it was not my main focus. Now, I want to be more competitive and that is how I want to focus on my training.
The weakness I need work on the most (or that I think that will help me the most) is being at threshold longer and then not just dropping off after a hard effort, and being able to recover after a hard effort but not drop off so much that I am dropping off the back so far I can not get back up. For instance, when I climb (I am aware of it now and do work on it) I would get to the top of a climb in a race and just wouldnt push on I would slow down so much I would never catch back on. Now, I was about 30+ pounds heavier and less fit last year so that will be a big improvement, as well when I train now I intentionally do a jump and try to keep up the pace after a climb. So, this is what I consider my main training focus. A few other focuses are bike handling skills (cornering, descending, and pace line work), know when to be up front or when to sit in and bide my time, and just how to pace myself to keep in the race.
Well, this is the beginning of a new chapter for me and I will keep up on my gains and my set backs and hope to get some good imput.
Harvey
gunnadropya
Monday, February 16, 2009
In limbo (well sorta)
Well, things are still going great I am eating better than I have as long as I can remember, and with very little effort. I still have not put much down on paper (as far as nutrition) but I want to learn to eat well with out having to be locked to a piece of paper for what to eat. I have taken all I am learning from Cyclo-Fuel, and putting it to practice.
I am at present in a Maintenance/Performance eating phase, meaning that though I am working out hard my work outs are not so hard that I have to be in a strictly performance phase. It started out about 50/50 now I am at about 30/70 (maintenance/performance) phase. My workouts are getting more intense but I am still making sure my injuries (well parts of me that are injured) are really ready for hardcore training.
I had kicked around going to no red meat, and though in about a month I have had read meat maybe 5 times but I am still eating turkey, fish, and chicken. I have found lots of meat alternatives such as TVP,TSP, veggie cheese, soy products (that I actually like) . I think that is the biggest help in eating better is to find things you like as much as the things you are replacing and keeping it simple.
Well, my weight is still coming off some I am intentionally trying to stay around 195 for a little while. I want to ramp my weight down not just drop it all, thats when I think it comes back the easiest. But, my metabolism is still in high gear and once I start putting in more miles and HIT workouts it will go into overdrive. It is going to be an interesting race season...
Gun
Harvey
I am at present in a Maintenance/Performance eating phase, meaning that though I am working out hard my work outs are not so hard that I have to be in a strictly performance phase. It started out about 50/50 now I am at about 30/70 (maintenance/performance) phase. My workouts are getting more intense but I am still making sure my injuries (well parts of me that are injured) are really ready for hardcore training.
I had kicked around going to no red meat, and though in about a month I have had read meat maybe 5 times but I am still eating turkey, fish, and chicken. I have found lots of meat alternatives such as TVP,TSP, veggie cheese, soy products (that I actually like) . I think that is the biggest help in eating better is to find things you like as much as the things you are replacing and keeping it simple.
Well, my weight is still coming off some I am intentionally trying to stay around 195 for a little while. I want to ramp my weight down not just drop it all, thats when I think it comes back the easiest. But, my metabolism is still in high gear and once I start putting in more miles and HIT workouts it will go into overdrive. It is going to be an interesting race season...
Gun
Harvey
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