Well, it looks like I'm doing it again. Despite backing off on the intensity lately, it seems I'm in a bit of a rut. Yesterday I woke up in a bit of a physical funk. It wasn't too bad, I just didn't feel gungho about training. I felt a bit tired but that could have been due to getting up earlier than usual but I also felt a tingly feeling in my face. I went back to bed for a while but that didn't help. I decided to eat breakfast before training for a change and that cleared it right up. Unfortunately, breakfast didn't do much for my training.
I probably didn't wait long enough after breakfast to start riding, or it could be just the effects of overtraining, but I wasn't making very much energy. I decided to call it a day after nine miles since there was no point in beating that dead horse. Whatever the reason, overtraining is the root cause.
Instead of backing off after my performance test at the end of February I proceeded to push the envelope throughout March. I hoped I could get away with breaking my rules if I was sneaky and nudged the effort up. How many times do I need to learn that lesson? It looks like somewhere around 190 watts on the training days is my limit, probably even less than that ideally. Every effort I did beyond that just dug myself deeper into a hole. I hope I can recover in time to regain my fitness for the Hellyer races on May 31.
As if that wasn't bad enough, the other effect of the excessive stress is a nervous drive to eat sugar-sweetened foods so you can imagine how my diet is going. I'm fatter than ever. It's to the point that I have a hard time producing energy without using sugar as exciter current. When I'm healthy I have no problem producing all of the energy I need from fat and small amounts of bland, complex carbohydrates.
My goal this year was to make it through a whole racing season without quitting cycling again. If I progressed on the path I was on I wouldn't even have made it to the first race. That would be a new low. Even in 2006 I managed to do that, albeit it in an unfit and unhealthy state.
Something I'm noting is that last year by this time I had a century and two 80-mile rides into the Sierras under my belt. Though I purposely opted to avoid those kinds of rides this year, I lack the physical and mental ambition to do them anyway. Last year those rides resulted in performance boosts but this year I get the feeling they would be season-enders. On the bright side though, this year I did have some really good training days (before things went south) that I believe rivalled my best from last year. It could be just a mental thing; a self-created safety mechanism. If so, I need one to avoid the lower-grade damage.
Oh well, time to work from the ground up and hope I can pull it all together in six weeks. I tell you, nature has one sick sense of humor; it gives me this need to drive myself to my physical limits so I can experience a sense of well-being while at the same time making me physically ill-prepared to do so which results in a inhibited sense of well-being. I think Huey Lewis had it right when he sang, "I need a new drug, one that won't make me sick". The real question is, why do I need the drug? I know why but I'll spare you the explanation.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
training 4-9-08
I didn't do a max. aerobic test afterall. It would have done more harm than good. Instead, yesterday I did a moderate level ride averaging 171 watts until the battery went dead (it was used). I tacked on a few additional miles to my regular course.
My battery going dead was a sign. I was getting tired of catering to the power meter data, wondering how much each stop or obstacle was going to affect the bottom line even though I tried not to. The same for the speedo. I've decided to train without any measuring devices. I believe I've been going slightly too hard on both my recovery days and training days. By going without I am much more likely to do what my body needs to do.
Since I've determined that I'm unable to "force" myself into higher power production I've got to change other strategies as well. Mainly, I have to reduce the load on my limited aerobic engine. That means I'm having a close-out sale on bodyweight. Anybody want to buy some fat? I've got plenty of useless muscle too! I've got three months until the big race so it's going to be a mad dash. It's not a big deal though. Like I said before, training on fumes works well as a training governor so that mixes well with my plans to train at a lower intensity.
Another change I'm making is to train in a more free-form fashion. I will stick with the alternating 50/70% plan but I will vary the courses I do. If I want to do a long ride on the average speed-killing American River Bike Trail or go through town, I will do it.
Since I won't have any data to report I'm going put this blog on hiatus.
My battery going dead was a sign. I was getting tired of catering to the power meter data, wondering how much each stop or obstacle was going to affect the bottom line even though I tried not to. The same for the speedo. I've decided to train without any measuring devices. I believe I've been going slightly too hard on both my recovery days and training days. By going without I am much more likely to do what my body needs to do.
Since I've determined that I'm unable to "force" myself into higher power production I've got to change other strategies as well. Mainly, I have to reduce the load on my limited aerobic engine. That means I'm having a close-out sale on bodyweight. Anybody want to buy some fat? I've got plenty of useless muscle too! I've got three months until the big race so it's going to be a mad dash. It's not a big deal though. Like I said before, training on fumes works well as a training governor so that mixes well with my plans to train at a lower intensity.
Another change I'm making is to train in a more free-form fashion. I will stick with the alternating 50/70% plan but I will vary the courses I do. If I want to do a long ride on the average speed-killing American River Bike Trail or go through town, I will do it.
Since I won't have any data to report I'm going put this blog on hiatus.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
non-training 4-8-08
I don't feel up to training today so I won't. My body feels fine but I feel a bit subdued. It's nothing I can put my finger on, just a lack of ambition and, I hate to admit, a decline of interest in racing. I'm pretty sure the feeling is transient but if it isn't then it must be the fault of the higher intensity rides I've been doing. I've been keeping a close eye on that, looking for the slightest first signs so I keep from going too far into the hole.
Actually, early in this mini-cycle, as a concession to intensity I was considering taking off the pre-"training" recovery ride like I do for races to maximize recovery. I was going to play it by ear and let my body tell me what it wants to do. It did and the flat tire on my bike seconded the motion. The revision looks like this:
Day
1) rest
2) 50% (34 miles)
3) rest
4) 50% (34 miles)
5) rest
6) 50% (34 miles)
7) rest
8) rest
9) rest
10) 80-100%
If this doesn't work I'll just have to go back to the alternating 50/70% rides. I've had good success with that so I'm pretty sure it will work again.
As a refresher, this is the routine I followed for my 28.28mph unfaired run at Fiesta Island (weighing 200lbs):
1) rest
2) rest
3) rest
4) rest
5) rest
6) rest
7) rest
8) rest
9) rest
10) 90-100% (38 miles)
Here's another routine for the distant (I hope) future:
1) rest
2) rest
3) rest
4) rest
5) rest
6) rest
7) rest
8) rest
9) rest
10) rest
This is the routine I'm going to follow when I'm dead :-). Oh well, I still have my sense of humor (sick as it is). That's a good sign.
Back to my present plan. Since there is such long periods between "training" rides it might be a good idea to increase the duration of those, especially the ones in the 80% effort range, to 2-2.5 hours. My best past fitness was achieved with rides of that length. Anyway, I plan for my next ride to be a 100%, maximum aerobic watt test so it will be somewhat short.
EDIT: while working on my flat tire I notice that standing up from a full squat is a bit hard on my knees. My legs are definitely not at 100%. This does not bode well for my decision to go higher intensity. It seems, as even trying to lift light weights confirm, my body doesn't like exerting more than "x" amount of force. I think that's a sign of old-man's empty-sack disease.
Actually, early in this mini-cycle, as a concession to intensity I was considering taking off the pre-"training" recovery ride like I do for races to maximize recovery. I was going to play it by ear and let my body tell me what it wants to do. It did and the flat tire on my bike seconded the motion. The revision looks like this:
Day
1) rest
2) 50% (34 miles)
3) rest
4) 50% (34 miles)
5) rest
6) 50% (34 miles)
7) rest
8) rest
9) rest
10) 80-100%
If this doesn't work I'll just have to go back to the alternating 50/70% rides. I've had good success with that so I'm pretty sure it will work again.
As a refresher, this is the routine I followed for my 28.28mph unfaired run at Fiesta Island (weighing 200lbs):
1) rest
2) rest
3) rest
4) rest
5) rest
6) rest
7) rest
8) rest
9) rest
10) 90-100% (38 miles)
Here's another routine for the distant (I hope) future:
1) rest
2) rest
3) rest
4) rest
5) rest
6) rest
7) rest
8) rest
9) rest
10) rest
This is the routine I'm going to follow when I'm dead :-). Oh well, I still have my sense of humor (sick as it is). That's a good sign.
Back to my present plan. Since there is such long periods between "training" rides it might be a good idea to increase the duration of those, especially the ones in the 80% effort range, to 2-2.5 hours. My best past fitness was achieved with rides of that length. Anyway, I plan for my next ride to be a 100%, maximum aerobic watt test so it will be somewhat short.
EDIT: while working on my flat tire I notice that standing up from a full squat is a bit hard on my knees. My legs are definitely not at 100%. This does not bode well for my decision to go higher intensity. It seems, as even trying to lift light weights confirm, my body doesn't like exerting more than "x" amount of force. I think that's a sign of old-man's empty-sack disease.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Friday, April 4, 2008
training 4-4-08
Recovery ride on the road. 125 watt average with a 19.5mph average speed (it was windy). The same PRE yielded 8 less watts. I suspect that's because the higher intensity of my last training ride took longer to come down from. It's either that or I'm going to pay the price down the road for breaking my 70%-intensity rule. The next couple of rides will give me a good idea which it is.
As I tread deeper into the high-intensity zone I think the recovery time between training rides will increase exponentially. I know a 70% effort requires four days and a 100% effort requires two months, or maybe a little less. Once I know what 100% is watt-wise I can determine what 80, 85, 90, and 95% is and figure and plot the necessary rest for each intensity level.
I've been thinking about the possibilty of making the run up to Oregon for the Wasco race but I just can't drum up the enthusiam for it. I don't know, maybe I'm wising up or maybe I'm just getting old and lazy. I'd like to think I've learned a lesson after last year.
My bike is now better suited for road racing. Had I known I was going to be racing in the HPRA again I would have left it the way it was. It was definitely much sleeker originally. Oh well, at least now I can use it for everyday purposes.
As I tread deeper into the high-intensity zone I think the recovery time between training rides will increase exponentially. I know a 70% effort requires four days and a 100% effort requires two months, or maybe a little less. Once I know what 100% is watt-wise I can determine what 80, 85, 90, and 95% is and figure and plot the necessary rest for each intensity level.
I've been thinking about the possibilty of making the run up to Oregon for the Wasco race but I just can't drum up the enthusiam for it. I don't know, maybe I'm wising up or maybe I'm just getting old and lazy. I'd like to think I've learned a lesson after last year.
My bike is now better suited for road racing. Had I known I was going to be racing in the HPRA again I would have left it the way it was. It was definitely much sleeker originally. Oh well, at least now I can use it for everyday purposes.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
training 4-2-08
Recovery ride with a 133 watt average at 20.6mph. I set the watt readout to "max" so I would have no idea how many watts I was putting out and pedaled at the intensity that felt right for recovery. I will do this from now on for all rides that aren't "training" or tests.
The Kreuzotter calculator says that 133 watts yields a speed of 20.2 on a tailfaired lowracer with someone of my ample proportions riding it. It also says I need to put out 313 watts to go 30mph. Apparently my bike has less drag than the Kreuzotter model. If that holds true for speeds in the 30mph range then less watts will be needed; add my disk and trispoke, even less.
That's my goal for Northbrook. If I can average 30mph in a race I can walk away from this sport/hobby with no regrets. I don't intend on stopping anytime soon if my health holds up. I'm looking forward to hitting 30's when I'm sixty years-old. Oh yeah, my other goal for Northbrook is to beat Sean Costin in head-to-head competition when he's in top form.
The Kreuzotter calculator says that 133 watts yields a speed of 20.2 on a tailfaired lowracer with someone of my ample proportions riding it. It also says I need to put out 313 watts to go 30mph. Apparently my bike has less drag than the Kreuzotter model. If that holds true for speeds in the 30mph range then less watts will be needed; add my disk and trispoke, even less.
That's my goal for Northbrook. If I can average 30mph in a race I can walk away from this sport/hobby with no regrets. I don't intend on stopping anytime soon if my health holds up. I'm looking forward to hitting 30's when I'm sixty years-old. Oh yeah, my other goal for Northbrook is to beat Sean Costin in head-to-head competition when he's in top form.
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