Power Time

It's that time of year where I hunker down and grind it out indoors on my trainer. I started the dreaded training block of doing power intervals. While the workouts are short they are very intense. It took me a while to get used to them a year ago, but now I find them to be kinda fun and rewarding. Sure, I could be out with my buddies shredding some sweet single track right now, but it's important for me to stay focused, especially as winter sets in.

My Tarmac SL4 is way more comfortable for these workouts than my trusty old IF. Right now my PowerTap G3 is sitting in the closet, gathering dust. I've got a new cassette on order, which I'll swap to my current wheel set, then use my old cassette on the G3 build. For now using my heart rate is enough to get by.

Too Tired

This morning I wasn't able to get in my weekly ride in the Marin Headlands. I was up late last night after picking up my wife at the airport, later stressing about work, making for an uneasy nights rest. I woke up with the intent of hopping on the trainer for a bit, but I just couldn't get out of bed. I did bike to work and back, but just didn't have the motivation or energy to ride. Maybe it's the change in weather, or maybe I'm riding too much. I'm listening to my body and taking it easy for a bit.

Intervals

Doing intervals have become second nature to me. I did some steady state intervals for an hour, and felt pretty good afterwards. My power meter is still out of commission, but I can solidly rely on my heart rate monitor to tell me to push harder or back off. The most important thing for me to get through these is to have a great soundtrack to listen to, usually something high tempo and not too aggressive. DJ sets are perfect, especially if I haven't heard the mix yet. There's usually a surprising turn here and there to keep me focused and happy while I sit and stare out the window. I look forward to sharing more of my workout music.

Quick Transition

I'm feeling really sore from my race yesterday. I really gave it my all, and my upper body especially feels run down. Today I have my usual rest day, and tomorrow I start back up with my intervals, which is going to be hard to do considering the weather is so nice in San Francisco at the moment. I could do this workout outside, but I wouldn't have the same focus as training indoors. My power-meter is still out of commission, but I've been happy using just my heart rate monitor. I'm actually looking forward to settling into steady-state intervals as I see the most fitness gains, next to doing straight up power intervals, which are my least favorite things to do in the world.

Tamarancho Dirt Classic

I signed up for the Tamarancho Dirt Classic coming up this weekend. It's just 30 minutes north of the city, and I've never ridden the trails! Luckily the course is three laps of a seven mile course. I may even check it out Friday or Saturday just to make sure I'm not in over my head. This is quite possibly the last race of the season for me before I settle back into the long training miles of winter. No cyclocross season for me, although very tempting.

To prep my body this weekend I did some indoor intervals this evening, and will probably do another set on Thursday before winding down on Friday and Saturday. Much like marathon nationals I'll be pushing hard, but not too hard.

Dialing In

I did another quick steady state session after work today. The picture above is of my old indoor setup. I'm now using my Tarmac SL4 for stationary training sessions. I have a PowerTap wheel built up, but it's hasn't been working properly. I think I either need to replace the battery or send the servo head unit in for repair/replacement. I can't use it anyway because I'm running a 10-speed SRAM cassette. I'm thinking about rebuilding it to match the wheel set on my SL4.

Having had a full year of professional and consistent training with Carmichael Training Systems I've grown accustomed to seeing my riding stats, relating the numbers I produce to how I feel, and where I can improve. I've been able to get away from using my power meter and rely solely on my heart rate monitor and perceived exertion.

The Dreaded Trainer

It's that time of year again, where I come to terms with less daylight, forcing me to either ride early in the morning, during the day, which isn't really an option anymore, or at home in the evenings after work. Enter the stationary trainer sessions, consisting of intervals in every painful way. I did some steady state intervals, but they weren't as bad as I remembered.

It's been a while since I was on my CycleOps fluid trainer. It's a quick and great way to get in some focused training before a big race. I've got the Marathon Nationals in Bend, OR this weekend, and wanted to make sure I was dialed in physically. I'm hoping my fitness stayed high since Leadville. I've put in a lot of consistent hours over the past few weeks, but I'm wondering if my sessions were intense or long enough.

Signs of Overtraining?

Today was the first time in a long time where I woke up and didn't feel like going for a ride. I couldn't motivate myself to do anything, really. Maybe the weeks of post Leadville; work, commuting and endlessly training are catching up to me. My body was definitely telling me something, or maybe it was the cocktail and glass of wine from a late diner last night. Who knows. I did nap a bit, watched a movie and caught the tail end of stage 6 of the Pro Cycling Challenge this afternoon, which gave me the nudge I needed to go for an afternoon spin.

I definitely need to change my training block towards something else. I've been going pretty hard the past month, straying away from my training plan just a tad. With one more big race to top off the season followed by a couple local races I've got a lot to work towards.

Keepin' it Easy

It's strange to not put in many miles during the week, like something is missing in my life. I have been commuting to and from work, but those are just short stints. I have been eating really well, making sure I'm stretching and getting enough sleep. I'm hoping to get in some good easy rides this weekend.

Back to Work

After a long day of driving and flying I'm finally back home in foggy San Francisco. I'll be off the bike for a few days to help speed the recovery process. Right now my thighs are completely wasted as well as the majority of the muscles in my back and arms. I'll probably do some easy spinning just to pump out all the bad lactic acid built up in my body. Monday is a work day, but I doubt I'll be all that productive. I'm very excited to share my trip with everyone at work, who've all been very supportive.

Resting Up

This week I'm trying to take it easy in preparation for the Leadville qualifier in Lake Tahoe coming up over the weekend. Monday was another dreary foggy day, and I had planned on going for a ride with my wife to help her break in our new bikes. The fog turned into drizzle, so we opted to stay indoors. I helped her get set up with clip-less pedals as well as a few upgrades I had kicking around. I should be focused on staying well hydrated, properly rested and energy stores topped off, which can be hard with a full-time job and stuff to get done.

Day Off

Last week was an intense block of riding. I logged in close to 15 hours in the saddle, the most since January of this year. I covered 230 miles and over 20,000' of climbing, more than double than January. So, I could use a break, to say the least. I'm gearing up for a Leadville Qualifier in Lake Tahoe next weekend, so I want to make sure I'm well rested and properly trained this week.

Recovery Day

It's Monday, meaning I shouldn't be on a bike at all, however one must get to work somehow. I've been going really hard the past few weeks, still recovering from hard efforts and multiple injuries. Nothing too serious, just a bit of road rash that needs to scab over (gross, I know). I also need to catch up on my sleep, which is just as important as the amount of hours I put in on the saddle. I'm still on track for a good Leadville race. I'm teetering on feeling confident about finishing under nine hours. Since I missed the qualifier out in New York I'm doing the one in Lake Tahoe instead. It's a month away, and it'll be a perfect event to test my altitude lungs.

Back on the Trainer, Again

Today was my first day back on my CycleOps trainer. I haven't been using it in over a month. Rightly so since I just moved out to one of the best cycling cities in the country. There have been no shortages of good roads and trails to ride. However, there's nothing quite like the disciplined nature of doing intervals, watching your average wattage go up and down, keeping your heart rate zone in check, and seeing how long I can keep a high cadence. Yep, I'm fully wired to my bike. Most of the time it's painful and boring, but the amount of fitness I get in return is worth it to me, especially it being my first Leadville year. I'm also optimizing my week prior to my race this weekend in Sonoma, CA. I want to go in with the best fitness I've got as well as being well hydrated and well rested. My goal is to maintain a sense of balance between having fun out on the trails while seeing my fitness improve.

Road to Leadville

Here's an update with where I am in my training for the Leadville Trail 100.

Since moving to San Francisco I feel like I've fallen off the strict workout schedule set by my trainer at Carmichael Training Systems. It's hard to tell if my fitness is improving or declining. I've been under a lot more stress with the move and new job, even though I've managed to find time to put in some good miles and hours during the week.

One of the key ingredients to gaining fitness is to allow your body to recover after each effort. Lately I feel like I've been riding recreationally, which there's nothing wrong with that, but my focus is just somewhere else, mainly my job. I get up a lot earlier than I'm used to, and work pretty hard during the day, not to mention commuting to and from work. So by the end of the day I'm completely wiped out. I keep telling myself things will get back to normal, but that normal is so different now.

At the very least some buddies I ride with have ridden Leadville and have passed along some good advice. The Marin Headlands are a perfect place to train, despite being at sea level. I remember my first time riding up those hills thinking OMG. Now I don't even think about it. At least it's a sign I'm trained mentally in regards climbing.

Neighboring Mountain

One of the more distinct features of the San Francisco's skyline is the huge radio tower that sits up on Mt Sutro. Our apartment sits at the base of this hill, and on Sunday I decided to climb up it. What a hill! It's only blocks away from me and it goes up for nearly a 1,000 ft. in less than a mile, perfect for climbing repeats.

More Power

So I'm back to doing power intervals. Not my favorite thing in the world, but I do see quick results after a few workouts. It's also interesting to see actual wattage versus just measuring my efforts based on heart rate. Now with my PowerTap G3 and Garmin Edge 500 I have some serious tools to better training.

With spring just around the corner, and my first block of races looming overhead, power intervals are the perfect way to prep my season. The downside is that I have to do them indoors for consistent efforts and results, which is hard because the sun is shining more often than not.

Recovering

Still feeling a little weak from last week. I had a cold, got over it quickly, and put in some major hours in my legs. I probably jumped back into training too quickly, but I was in the mood to go mountain biking, which I hadn't done much of this past month. Starting my week up with some good workouts in hopes of get my power back.

Cycling Rules

Everything stated in the cycling rules above make sense except for the minimum wheel size. What if I really love to ride my BMX or foldable bike? I've ridden Henry Hudson Drive enough times to know how strange some of these rules seem to be. Anyways, I'm just glad to not be sick anymore. I've been off the bike for two whole days *gasp which feels like a long time to me. I did some short tempo intervals to ease myself back into pace the other day, and I'm glad to have my strength back. Cycling rules.