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).

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