Winter

It’s officially Winter in Seattle in my book… I don’t know what the definition officially is…but when I have to delay my morning ride two days in a row because of Snow and then Ice…that’s a good sign.
Thursday afternoon the snow started…but In Seattle each neighborhood seams to have different weather and precipitation… so once I was halfway home there was no snow. Friday morning I rode to work… at first there was nothing. and then as I got north by about 7miles I ran into snow. The last few miles riding though 2 inch snow were a bit heavy. Not that it really bugs me…but my bike had fenders, and with such a tight fit they were clogging up and really dragging, snow was spraying from the front fender onto my feet. I had thick slush covering my feet, clogged brakes, ice and snow in the drive chain….it was starting to become a bit more that just annoying. Friday evening riding home would be a bit more precarious, the temperature had dropped below freezing….. ice was very possible. I made it home safe though. Saturday We delayed our ride a few hours to avoid snow and ice…no point in risking it this time of year…although we did finally end up riding back home in the dark… it will be nice after Dec 21st when the days get longer again.
Sunday, there was no snow….but our driveway was covered in ice. We didn’t have to ride that far today, so delaying and sleeping a bit extra didn’t require too much arm twisting.
There is still some snow left on the ground a full 3days after the snow storm…so maybe this is what winter is in Seattle

10days

10days of the bike sounded like an eternity… well it wasn’t too bad…and once you got used to having some free time you started to wonder how you fit it in at all.
I went back home to Sweden to visit my family, and to attend my grandfather’s funeral, so understandingly riding wasn’t really on my mind…
Although the trip was for a sad occasion it has some bright spots. It was really nice to connect with the family and relatives, many which I hardly ever get to meet anymore.
On the way home we spent a day in Copenhagen… (my sister now lives there)… it was nice to walk around and have a look at a town I haven’t been in too much since High school. Although Kele dragged me into every kitchen, home decorating, nick-nack store we passed within our line of sight… the only thing we didn’t do was knock on people’s homes to have a look…although I don’t think we were to far from it.
Other then that we drank a bunch of coffee and walked a lot… which was actually nice.
The following day we had a few hours before we had to leave for the airport, so my sister rounded up some bike and we rode though town on some old city bikes. A lot, if not most people who live down town Copenhagen travel by bike…so at all times there were hundreds of commuters riding around… a lot different then around here, were the 99% of the people who ride do it for recreation and not as a transport.
You would see old ladies going to the grocery store, students going to school and everything else in between…and even “good” looking girls in neat clothes that I could never even imagine would get out of their Lexus here in the US…. All the bikes where very practical and have both fenders and lights.
Maybe this would be possible in the US, but people would have to live closer to work and the cities would need more dedicated and separate bike lanes (with there own traffic lights)… before people become comfortable enough to venture out among the cars.

November........

The weekend comes and goes so quick. Kele left Saturday morning to race some track in Vancouver (Canada).. The track they have up there although small and has a very bumpy wooden tack is inside…which is very nice for this part of the country. I’ve been thinking about racing track next summer… but I’m not sure I can spin my legs fast enough. Every time I go the track here in Seattle I’m amazed how fast and slow it seams at the same time. Accelerations are so much slower that on the road…sprints and finishes seams to go slow one rider relative to the other, but the actual speed , and to everyone watching screaming fast. This one gear only thing…. Hm, I don’t know… and in reality it’s not just one gear, there is a whole science in picking the right gear for the race…
Maybe next year…………..
I stayed home and prepared for a wet weekend…
Saturday tuned out to be nice, some wet road but no rain really… We did the usual loop, I ended up with the standard 87miles, not too bad… but I did end up going a bit hard at times. I’ve always justified going hard this time of year as being ok if it only happens once a week or so, and only for a few minuets at a time. And since I wasn’t racing cross this weekend I had a bit more energy to spend… but to tell the truth… it wore me out bad… thank god I got to stop for coffee, an Italian sub and my favorite a cream cheese brownie before I rode the last hour home… This has turned into my regular meal on Saturday at the end of my ride, so much so that I just have to walk into the coffee shop and they know what I want…
Sunday I got to ride 3hours in the rain… well as I was just about getting home the sun came out… oh well that was plenty for this time of the year…no reason to push it yet!!!.

This nest week and a half I will be of my bike completely…which actually might be good for me… There are certain things that are much more important then training and racing… I’m going home for a family funeral…My grand father past away last week. It was some hard news to hear.. and being so far away didn’t do anything to help. My grandfather was always a source of motivation…a tough guy, strong and a hard worker… definitely had to work a lot harder and struggle more than I will probably ever realize. He probably had to walk barefoot though the snow uphill to get to work in the woods…14hours a day…
I will miss him.

miss again...

ha ha... missed the rain again..
Last night Kele rode down to the computrainer "factory" at about 4:30... she got dumped on soo bad... She actually called me to bring some extra clothes for her ride back. Expecting the worst I headed out at 5:30 or so... the rain had stopped and I didn't have a drop hit be the entire night......I'm not even sure if it every really rained or if she just was a wimp and every little drip was a huge deal to her... oh well
Same thing this morning..riding to work it was perfect, not until I had actually stopped to go inside did I feel some rain... couldn't have been any better timing... not earlier to get me soaked but just late enough so I would fell lucky and be in a good mood all-day about how perfect I managed to interpret the 3 weather reports I watched on the various TV channels this morning.. I'm just that good.
Now... I'm starting to get a little worried about the ride home tonight... but maybe I should just trust my luck... there is nothing I can do about it anyway...It's not like I'm going to hang around at work ,until the rain moves away.. And getting home a bit wet isn't too bad anyway.
My legs are a bit tires though, just spent the last 2h walking around the 747, 767 and 777 in the factory checking out the various high lift designs. It's amazing how specialized you get riding your bike all the time...any thing else and you get soar... just ask Kele

Weather

Why is it that nice weather always happens during the week while at work?
Right now it looks just perfect outside. This Saturday it was rainy and cold the entire day...It's not just that either... Why is there only daylight during working hours?.. Couldn't we have it dark during the day... I don't need all that sun... this is a perfect time for some rain... Doesn't have to wait until 5pm.. when I'm heading home..
Well I shouldn't complain too much, If I recall, Sunday was nice, very nice.
But today I get to ride in the dark going home, and then get on the trainer in the Garage.. sweet... maybe I should have tried to get out for a ride during lunch...
At least i get to ride, that what i really care about...and riding in the dark has a special feeling all by it self...

Trail riding

Last night we did our now customary computrainer ride at the computrainer "factory"..
I get home from work and have a cup of coffee and some toast to get me though the evening...well I had some cereal and a banana as well,but who's counting.
It had been raining hard all day, but I got very lucky as the rain stopped just in time...and I missed it completely. It's about a 40min ride there...unless in my case where I ended up with a rider right on my wheel. Now this shouldn't make me go any harder, and it wasn't that I was trying to "compete" with this guy on a dark trail with wet leaves, fallen branches and pot holes... no it was something else...
He got right up on me...only a few feet back... it was actually pretty good, his headlight added to mine and helped light up the trail. The problem was that his speed was too much like mine... I guess he didn't want to pass me... since there was no real point if we were going about the same speed...I didn't want to slow down just for him to get around me, but on the other hand I didn't want to be in the way. So I just went hard the entire time... probably a bit harder then I should. ad I felt compelled to keep going this speed... it's like being in a pace line... you don't let a gap open in front of you.. it's your responsibility to keep the pace...
finally as I arrived to my destination I get to pull of (with a good reason)... nice... Of course now I had an 1h workout on the trainer to do...hmm...and then back home... maybe I should have just faked a flat....

1st trainer workout

So last night was the first trainer workout of the season...
First I had to ride the 1h home from work in pouring rain...then we both got on the trainers..after some coffee (and left over Halloween candy) of course. It really wasn't that bad... we kept it short and sweep with some specific drills such as one legged pedaling and high cadence... and you know what, it was over before you realized it... oh if they only all were like that..

this morning I rode back up to work... it was actually very nice.. no rain, and the later it got the lighter it got to... so much better then the other way around during the evening rides.

Cross race

So this weekend We (my wife and I) both did a cross race. It's only the second of the season for me and Kele's first. Now why would you put your self through something like that. It's hard, fast, technical and it hurts...a lot. There are great potentials for both injury and humiliation... and did I mention that it's really hard. The reason I always come back to is the fact that racing is supposed to be fun..ans cross although all the above is fun (maybe not as you struggle up the loose gravel climb desperately trying to figure which brake is rubbing or why both tires seams to intermittently go flat when no one else is looking)…but it is. It also reminds you how hard you can and have to work. Road racing can sometimes lull you into thinking that you are supper strong and the best rider out there, when in fact you just were lucky to attack or counter at the right second and get in the break of the front. In road racing you sometimes can get away with doing nothing the entire race, just sprint in the end, placing and getting a big head because you beat all these riders…. Well this does not happen in cross… if you want to do good you gave to work hard the entire time…really work hard.
Now hopefully technique has something to do with it, or else I’m one of the weakest riders out there.
Since it was my first race in the series I lined up at the back, (no prior points).
As the race started in the usual panic I took it slightly easier… I didn’t feel the same desperation apparently to elbow my way up the first climb…I’ll just pick them of one by one I thought. During the initial scramble onto the gravel climb I felt somebody’s front wheel on my back… a few second later I hear a big crash behind me..opps…well it wasn’t my fault and I was just lucky I didn’t go down as well. The race was a bit longer then anticipated, usually theses last about an hour, this was looking like 1 :15 or so.. The problem was I started ok, I did actually pass a riders or two a lap for the first few… at points during the initial laps I could see good riders right in front of me… well at 30min my forward progress was halted, at 45min and after a minor tumble in the deep leaves I was going backwards, at 55 min I was looking for mechanicals that would explain my progress… at 60.. I was trying to figure out what happened to my legs and did I really need them ..because they sure weren’t doing much for me… this is when I started to tell my self that this is fun and builds character… it would be too easy to quite or slow down… no…just keep going and go as fast as you can…everybody else is hurting just as bad, they are just going faster today…not next time….
Right as my character was getting stronger (at the top end of the course) 1:10h into the race I hear a pssssssss psssss and just like that my back tire goes flat and my race is over. I made it eight laps and all I had left was slightly more then one… I’m just about as far away as possible from the pit …
I’m a bit disappointed… but at least I didn’t flat leading the race…that would have been so much worse…
Kele by the way also flatted on her last lap… (in third)… but was close enough that she made down to the finish still in 5th…

Last Stage Race

Well it didn't rain this year.... and I guess I can't complain about the heat.... The first stage went Ok, the TT was lengthened from 10 to 15 miles on Friday...sweet... i went as hard as I could, the only problem is that it's too slow........ well I just proved to my self exactly how fast I am... 14th....... stage 2 was a criterium... new course, and by far the easiest ever...Completely flat and very smooth pavement, only two corners, that you could pedal through. I attacked on the first lap, it was just going to slow and I wanted to get it started. Mid race I bridged up to a 3man break, it was now represented by the four biggest teams....this has surly got to work... somehow it came back two laps later........ ended up back trying to lead our sprinter out for the finish... put in a good 3/4 lap pull at 30mph until about 1/2 lap to go, and then had to struggle to get back on the back not to lose any time... our sprinter got cut of in the last corner by two riders cutting the inside...just missed top 10 after being on the eventual winners wheel up until then....

One more

One more stage race of the season...
Racing has been done for a few weeks now, but one last race remaining this weekend.
This last 2day stage race is always complicated..... there hasn't been any racing and therefore no
motivation to go hard for weeks...and then this... Nobody I know trains for it, but we all still want to do good. This means it will be painful, especially the 15mile TT.
I've done this race now for the last 5years, since I started this road race thing... so even if
it means a 6h drive on friday afternoon/night and then the same coming back Sunday after the road race.....it's worth it...well thats what I tell my self.
The first two years I did it the weather was perfect, and despite the last 2years of rain...I always think of it as being nice.... if it rains again this year I might have to update my view.

Last year all I had to do was finish in the pack for the crit and I would have been 8th on GC... well the rain changed that and I got dropped with 2 laps to go.... (maybe if I had trained for it...)..

The season isn't quite over after this weekend... on tuseday I fly to Bermuda for a series of short races... more on that later.

Season end getting close

Well a bunch of racing these last few weeks...but now the end is in sight.
A few weeks ago, people were tired of racing, But now once the reality hits, that what is ahead is trainer ides and rain...maybe a few more races would be nice.
So in a effort to squeeze some more out of the season I even did a up hill TT on Saturday....Now I don't consider myself very good at these, or liking them...so why.
I've done this one the last 4 years..and it's always nice to have benchmark to look at, and hopefully it gets better.
On Sunday I got 2 crits in, with the ride there and back it was over 105miles...now that is getting your monies worth.... threre is one more crit this weekend, and then a stage race in two weeks...that is it until march.... unless I do cross.........hmm,,,maybe I should.

Thursday night

So it's Thursday night again...time for the local crit...a 70mile excursion during the working day..
21miles to get there, usually in a mad ruch (running late after work)..racing hard for an hour and then limping home with darkness setting.
It's one of the weeks highlights I guess, one day when it;s easy to get a long ride in...
It's just a bit too close and hard before the weekends races...but it's hard to resist...even if you swear by you r mothers grave not to attack or chase anything down too early..(never works),,,the race course is just hard enough that there is nowhere to hide...oh well...
this is why I train I guess........time to go...or I'll have to TT down there again.

August racing

Well it's summer and hot, crit season....
Last night it was 93'F when I left for my ride down to the weeknight crit....
It went ok I guess, got some points in through out the race, but got swalloed right at the end..
This weekend all I have is a crit, seams like it's been a while since I nice good long road race...
I'm stating to get the miles back up, after beeing away for work a few weeks, I'm trying to rebuild my base for the late season...and maybe a few cross races if I feel like it.

racing

Well, it's race season...for real that is...
last weekend wasn't a great sucess. The TT went terrible...finished 38th...the wind was changing as a weather front was moving through....thats the only excuse I have...except that I'm slow...but That can't be true.
The RR was cancelled after 30miles into the 95mile race...lightning and thunder was striking nearby as we crested the 2mile climb. The official did the right thing and stopped the race...bur it still felt wrong...all that driving for a TT and Crit..... And I was feeling so good during the RR...
well...next week I guess.....

rain

oh yeah... 3 1/2 h in pouring rain...thats racing...
only the real races show up and finish something like that...thats why I like that kind of racing...quiting never ever even enters my mind....no way.
Once you quit a race once...you will quit again and again and sone you will pull out for any small excuse.

other then that it went ok... My legs were really sore from the previuous week of training. I make an consious decision though to stay in the front...this skill is just as important as climbing or sprinting and once you feel good....you have the skills to be where you need to be.

Rain

The weather has been so good the last few weeks, so it's hard getting out after work to train in the rain.
The winter/rain bike has been put away, well at least metaphorically... and it needs a new drive chain.
So I guess it's the race bike with a clip on fender... it works pretty good I guess...at least for a while..... Well it's time to head home.... sprints today. Just a few so to not wear out the legs for this weekend.

back on track

Well it's back on the trainer..I finally think I'm over my cold...
Going to do some Lt work tonight...well see how it goes seeing i'm fatigued from this weekend still...and after today probably not much more hard this week...this weeknd I have 2 races, both over 80miles.

Work is going ok...just need more time to rest... thats the life we choose though...can't have everything.

Another weekend

Another weekend are two more races.... Two races in two days...Each one more then 3hours....it's pretty hard for this early in the season. Saturdays road race was fast, lap two(of six) dropped plenty riders of the back...I hung in there and made some attacks late in the race...Soloed (mostly involuntary) of the front for a mile or so starting the last lap...why is it That my attacks don't bring anybody else with me, to share the load...I was countering an attack by a teammate and suddenly I was of the front by myself...I went at it for a few minutes....but it was coming back for a field sprint...so I sat up and received as much as possible....It was panic...No team took responsibility of leading it out, maybe they couldn't....But it got scary and tight, wheels touching, swearing and speed...Not a good mix... I eked out a 10th,,,not what I had hopped for but at least I was alive and considering such a dangerous finish with 80guys all going for it...not too bad. Actually what was dangerous was the photographer leaning out that I hit going 30..right after the line .man I jammed my shoulder and neck pretty hard... My team mate took 4thm and with a 3ed last week he is in second overall going into the last one next week. Sunday I was still pretty tired,,,, but hey everybody else should be to, right. it was 3 1/2 hours of pain...intermixed with agony...lap 2 of 10 the field split in the side wind, only two guys from my team made it, me and one other guy.... the rest of the race we were so outnumbered it wasn't even funny.... we took 10th and 11th....I was so exhausted... Well the plan is that two days of hard racing will make me stronger, if I rest...which now is really important... I'm just about over my cold...so it that goes away I should be ready to go... I hope.

Race season has started....
4th, and an 8th to my name so far...
The road race were I was most active and felt the best, and where I should have placed I finished in the pack behind a last lap break away of 10 riders.... though constant attacking we got a rider in it...should have been me....but that’s what team work is all about...some times it just doesn’t work out the way you expect and that’s ok... we took 3ed which is pretty good.
What was actually better was the fact that we were in every break... so there was no way we could have missed it...we rode really aggressive... especially considering some of my team mates early season form isn't quite up to par.
After the race though I wasn't feeling good...I was starting to get a cold earlier that week...just about avoided it I thought. but the effort brought it back.... I woke up Sunday feeling bad...but still did the TT, (not smart)...so this week I've been nursing a cold. I can feel myself getting over it but still have a runny nose and stuffed up head etc...

two road races this weekend...a good way to get used to stage races..you have to be able to race even when you are tired....be smart and make the efforts count.

So race season has started...well just about..
I raced Saturday on a small training race...Thought I'd better get it in before the rain comes next week.
The real racing starts Saturday with a road race and Sunday with a TT.
I just finished putting the TT bike together last night...Cutting it kind of close...I'm going to
ride it tonight for a while and see how it feels.

Last week I was doing Vo2 interval's, now I'm back doing LT stuff at 300W...so It shouldn't be too bad....
Tomorrow I will be trying to do some climbing below my LT..it's always hard to know how hard
to go on a climb...Especially in the dark when you can't see your HR monitor...oh well

ahhhh... riding in the cold again...but it so beats the rain.
33-38' on my ride to work this morning..should be nice heading home though.
I had tired legs this morning...after riding home I'll do some core workout and call it quits...
I have a hard evening planned tomorrow...well I will try and make it reasonable hard..and not race and do "MY" thing...it's just too easy to get carried away.

Training in the Rain...

Well actually is was nice last night...I just think I needed rain to give me an excuse not to train...
I did a hill workout using vary big gears...ow,, my legs hurt...by the end I was in my 39-25 and barley moving...

This week we have a mini training camp...rain is in the schedule...how fun..
I need to get a new mud flap on my rain bike...it fell of the other week and I was hoping to get by
without one this season, but the other day I got so much grieve from my team mates... wimps...

Moving

Moving.

I’ve missed a few days…panic at work and getting everything ready at home to move this weekend…..
Luckily it’s my rest week.. (how much rest I’m getting is another story though)
Did a workout on the computrainer on Tuesday…
I tried a new workout. involving Lactate Balance point…or what ever….basically you need a device to check you blood lactate which I’ll probably do at some point…but once you know this you ride a power level just below…too not fatigue your muscles and gradually increase the effort over the next few weeks…..increasing your lactate tolerance …. Why not…can’t hurt me right?...
Anyway I had rested completely on Monday so I felt really good. legs were not as heavy as usual and it went pretty good. The last hill I tried to peg the watts at 350 just for fun…which is my goal for this year to maintain for a about 15min repeated effort… well I might not be quite ready fro that yet… but without the 40min of hard effort that I just did…maybe not an completely unrealistic goal…..

I’m planning on getting back on the trainer tonight…just the standard trainer and doing 2x20min LT work again…but we get the keys to our new place at 5:30pm… so well see how much gets done…
The weekend is shoot anyway…don’t have any riding planned…I whish but I have to move I guess

Outside…..
Last nights training went pretty good…no problem… I think that even after only two of these LT intervals
I’m feeling a lot more comfortable…you body gets used to the effort/pain level.

I rode the 21 miles to work this morning in 27’F weather…but it was actually pretty nice…ok so my toes got cold and I got a flat….I put these liners in my tire to try and avoid flats and they end up cutting the tire…great…
Anyho…it wasn’t a bad ride..the sun was coming up and the shy was blue, no rain…so how can that be bad.

I just wish I could sleep in a day…but tomorrow I have to get and go early if I want the real long ride..+ by the afternoon there are talking about rain/snow….

Work is getting busy…I like it but I just wish I could do less….I got the talk today that overtime is fully ok…!!!...oh yeah what they meant was “You need to work overtime”.
But right now I’m ready to go home…soon….the advantage of riding home is that when you get there you already have the days training done….. but that on the other hand leaves more time like packing and getting ready for the move next weekend…ahhh.the working bikers life…

At least it’s Friday.

Hunker down

Training is still going on… last night thou I got to the gym and I’d forgot my shorts at home…haven’t had much luck lately with my planned training. It might have worked out for the best though…my legs were still sore from the leg press on Monday. I went home and got on the trainer for 1.5 h. Every 5min I did a 20 sec seated sprint…man was that hard… this time of year your legs are not used to that….has it really been that long since cross season?
Today it’s back on the trainer and another 2x20min lactate threshold intervals…. Then on Friday I’m finally getting back outside…it’s amazing how quick you miss the wind in your face (even though its around freezing). On Fridays I usually ride up to work, 21mile one way trip… not too bad.. and enough to make it worth while.

Weekend is coming up and I have a 7h ride planned for Saturday…with lunch in the middle somewhere…as long as it doesn’t snow and rain it shouldn’t be to bad…last Saturday I did 6h..so this will be a slight step up before next weeks rest week….ahhh sounds good right now.

Well last night didn't go quite as planned...The computrainer failed on me...must have blown a fuse oe something....well used the standard trainer and went with HR instead...
Not the most fun workout, especially doing ot for the first time this year...it was a struggle.
I managed to get though it ok...and it was actually nice not having to peg a Watt number, it took some pressure of...no big brother.

My legs were sore and hurt more then they should have...

back to the gym today and then a trainer ride afterwards...but the only scheduled events today are 4 short full power bursts...how bad can that be...we'll find out I guess.

More equipment purchases going on for next season... it all adds up pretty quick...
I finally ordered 3 stems for my TT bike...so I can switch back and forth until I find the right one.....

I think I now have everything I need for next year…except those damm tubs that keep blowing

lactate training...already?

Another fun day planned on the trainer...two hours with 2x20min lactate threshold training..
it might be to early and too hard for this kind of training...that’s the general consensus though.
This year I'm on a new "plan", it consists of power traning..and to slowly build up your
power at threshold...so although the "lactate" sounds bad it's all parts of a build up.
Today’s goal isn't too bad...maintain 295-300W for the 20min efforts...I’ve done higher before
so this shouldn't be too bad...a good steeping stone (I hope).

New blog