training 2-9-13

Folsom Canal, 33.5 miles. QuestXS (foothole covers, hood w/shield). N-31.7, S-29.0, N-32.5, S-29.4.

training 2-7-13

Folsom Canal, 32.5 miles. Trike (170mm cranks). 1) 220w, 2) 220w, 3) 233w, 4) 225w. Rain.

training 2-6-13

Folsom Canal, 33.5 miles. QuestXS (foothole covers, hood w/shield). N-25.9, S-27.2, N-28.1, S-29.5. Easy day. I received an alert from Velomobile.nl that I may have a faulty flange that is bonded to the shell and attaches to the drive-side of the swingarm. I disassembled the parts and from what I can tell it looks okay but am waiting to hear from them after receiving the pictures I sent them. Anyway, when I removed the L-bracket that is an intermediary between the swingarm and shell flange I noticed that the hole where the swingarm bolt goes through is slotted. Over one side of the slot there is an "x" where the bolt was installed originally. When I put everything back together I positioned the bracket in it's original position but by looking at the rear wheel (what little I could see of it) this didn't seem right to me. What looked right was mounting the bolt on the other side of the slot so that's what I did. Maybe "x" meant "not here". Anyway, it may be my imagination but it seems to run smoother. I've always had this nagging feeling that there is some extra resistance that isn't supposed to be there but I couldn't put my finger on it. I don't feel that anymore. Maybe it is my imagination but what is not is that my drivetrain used to snap, crackle and pop every time I took off from a start in low gear. It doesn't do that anymore.

training 2-5-13

Folsom Canal, 32.5 miles. Trike (170mm cranks). 1) 273w, 2) 239w, 3)283w, 4) 240w. I thought I'd be lucky to average 200 watts today after the level of riding I did the past three days. On the first run I had the wind at my back and decided to roll with the flow. I ended the run at around 300 watts just to see if it was something I could hold during a TT. It looks like I can. I backed off for the second run but still was surprised I was doing 240-ish watts. Again, on the third run I had no intention of pushing it but with the wind at my back I just went with what felt natural. It was easier than the first run. For some reason riding with the wind (and hopefully streamliners) is conducive to power output for me. Perhaps it's the smoothness of the pedal stroke thanks to the aerodynamic flywheel effect. Anyway, I can't complain about today's session. I probably should force myself to back off for a while. Things are going a bit too good and I don't want to go to the well too often. My work capacity on a day-to-day basis is off the charts compared to my history.

training 2-4-13

Folsom Canal, 33.5 miles. QuestXS (foothole covers, hood w/shield). N-31.0, S-30.5, N-32.8, S-30.7. Two days ago I placed a 1/2" piece of camp mat behind my hips and moved the bottom bracket forward and then bonded it in place. As I left for today's ride I immediately felt like I couldn't breathe fully and felt a bit claustrophobic. WTH? Eventually, though, I settled in and established some breathing room. I noticed, too, that my reach to the pedals was farther forward than normal. It turns out that I have more power in this position. I ended up with higher speeds and less effort (and breathing issues) than two days ago with what should have been beat up legs. I didn't even use my top gear today. Part of the breathing issue, I'm sure, has to do with the fact that I'm growing and taking up more space. I felt it yesterday on the trike when my legs could barely fit between the handlebars. I'm closing in on 200lbs (by design). Ever since I switched back to daily training I've also been doing weight training for my upper body, six days per week. Nothing big but it's a lot more than the almost nothing I had been doing. As long as I'm getting faster, grow on. I can always lower the seat angle a bit to make more space. Just as I started my fourth run on the trail my heart started palpitating. I was going to try and ride it out but my legs went instantly anaerobic so I had to stop until my heart stopped doing double-time. I hope that never happens during a race. It happened during warm-ups once last year at the Putah Creek TT.

training 2-3-13

Folsom Canal, 32.5 miles. Trike (170mm cranks). The batteries went dead in the hub of my Powertap (I hope) so I don't have any data. I'm sure I was over 200 watts for the ride, though. The Zox isn't going to work out as a viable race bike. With the idler spaced away from the frame it was destroying my knees and moving the idler in all the way made for too much crossover to hit the 11-t cog. I could go with a 12-t small and a 5-speed but I don't have a big enough chainring to make it work. Oh well, it made me finally get off my ass and modify my carbon bike to make it a RWD version of my FWD that I liked so much. It'll be better, though, with no idler interference and a 700c rear which will accept my Powertap wheel. I re-modified the frame and now I have to work on the seat and rear brake mount.

training 2-2-13

Folsom Canal, 33.5 miles. QuestXS (foothole covers, hood w/shield). N-31.2, S-30.1, N-31.3, S-31.5. On the first run I was suffocating. Because my shoulders are up against the access hole flange I couldn't raise my shoulders to open my lungs fully. What an awful feeling that is. I started the second run easy as I didn't want to cause myself further distress but eventually my speed built up. I decided to shift to eighth gear instead of seventh and my breathing ability improved (or there was less demand) and my top cruising speed went higher than the first pass. On the fourth pass I used ninth gear and things improved even more. Still, I think I'm going to have to slide forward in the seat about 1/2", moving the BB forward accordingly. After I left the trail I managed to throw the chain both off the chainring and the cassette so I had to untape one of the foothole covers and remove the derailleur cover. At times like these I sure miss the simplicity of simpler machines. Once I got underway I noticed that the pedals seemed farther away. As soon as I pushed on the pedals the bottom bracket assembly came apart. The band clamps I was using slipped off the BB assembly so I ended up with a variable length boom. Rather than stop again I rode the remaining five miles home using my hamstrings to maintain proper distance. I'm glad I felt good enough to push it today. It exposed two flaws. I knew I'd eventually have to come up with a more permanent solution for the BB and now I'll be able to add some more height as well since I'm forced to work on it.