Hi All! How have you been? It's been work, train, and rest, pretty much in that order. The new job at Walz Caps has been wonderful! Sitting at a desk, researching on the PC, emailing and talking to people about cycling all day. A far cry from running a restaurant and washing dishes! I think being off my feet most of the day has really helped improve my performance on the bike significantly. An added bonus!
On the training front, things have been going great. A return to structured training has been exactly what I needed. Don't get me wrong, off-season is nice, but I prefer to have a routine. The usual schedule looks something like this...
* Monday: Rest
* Tuesday: 2x20 sweet spot intervals
* Wednesday: 60-min endurance
* Thursday: 2x20 sweet spot intervals
* Friday: 30-min recovery & core workout
* Saturday: 4-5 hrs open
* Sunday: hill repeats
* 3 week blocks followed by a rest week.
Of course I allow myself some flexibility on this schedule to keep things fresh.
I titled this entry "figuring it out". Why you ask? Well, this morning in the shower (where all my great thoughts take place), I realized that the reason I've been experiencing difficulty figuring my season and it's goals out, has been because I've been struggling with the thought that in order to be a true "racer" in cycling, I needed to compete in all the usual events. Boulevard, San Luis Rey, etc. I have enjoyed those races in the past, but every year I competed in them, I enjoyed them less and less. Why?
I've come to the realization that I just don't like big pack races anymore. After racing the Death Valley Stage Race my views really became conflicted when it came to racing. I absolutely loved that event! Hands down the best race I've ever competed in. Not because I won, but because it was perfect in every sense. The terrain, the people, the vibe...everything. I prefer small, but highly competitive packs.
Another reason for my lack of enthusiasm in these events is they're basically one-day classics. The big, strong power riders definitely have an advantage. Skinny little climbers like me suffer badly. It's stage races I prefer. I love the strategy one must employ to do well in them. It's not an all-out balls to the wall speed fest as classics are and should be.
So, needless to say, I'm at peace now, I know what it is I'm going to train for, and the type of training that involves. My season won't be full of races just for racing's sake, but rather specific events that I will attempt to peak for every time, and with some luck, will do well in. I'm pretty sure I used this inspirational slogan last year, but failed to follow through, but..."All roads lead to the Everest Challenge!"
That's it for now. I hope you're all having a great New Year so far, and I'm hopeful as we all are, that 2012 will be an improvement over 2011. Until next time...
Hi everyone! I hope you all had a great Christmas, I know I did. A four day weekend that consisted of good food, great company, and 12 hours of good solid training.
On a ride up to Oceanside Harbor yesterday, our group stopped at the Nautical Bean for some coffee, and the discussion led to next season's goals. It was great to be with a group that has very similar goals as myself (stage races with big climbs). At this point here's what I've come up with...
* All three King of the Mountain series events.
* Both Death Valley Stage Races.
* The Mt. Whitney Stage Race.
* Try and make all four Santiago Canyon TT's.
* The Peninsula Cliff Climb TT (if they're holding it?).
* The Everest Challenge.
That's twelve events on the year. Not a lot, but they're good solid events that suite my strengths. And if I don't count or do the Peninsula Cliff Climb, then my first race isn't until the 17th of March, so that leaves plenty of time to really get some good, solid training in.
That's it for now, sorry nothing to exciting to report, but stay tuned, the big mountain days are a comin'! Until next time...
Hi everyone! Well for the last three weeks I've been pouring on the intensity in regards to the training. Intensity consisting of 2x20's, VO2's, hill repeats, etc, all the fun stuff that I believe separates the competitive cyclist from the recreational rider. Yes, the 6:30am interval workouts on the trainer four days a week aren't necessarily fun, but the benefits you reap from them (flying on the weekend rides), are well worth it!
It's not the workouts I've been struggling with lately, it's once again the lack of a definitive goal going in to the 2012 season. I know, and I've said this before, that I want to compete in the Everest Challenge next season. This coming season I'm more committed to that goal then ever before (and please hold me to it if you see me begin to back away!). It's what's before the EC that's giving me problems.
Do I compete in all the local RR's (San Luis Rey, Punchbowl, Vlees Huis), or enter bigger climbing events (Breathless Agony, Mulhullond Challenge, etc)? One thing I learned this season is that if I wait until the last second to decide, I tended to not enter at all. Back in 08' & 09', I pulled the trigger on registering as soon as registration opened, and I found myself feeling committed at that point, and sure enough, I went and raced. Enough of that blabber!
Well Christmas is almost upon us, and so is a well-deserved four day weekend! I haven't tackled Palomar in quite some time, but I'm feeling that itch, and I may need to scratch it!
I hope all is well, and that you all have a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!
Hi Everyone! How have you been? Well life on this end certainly hasn't slowed down any, but I thought it was time to get back to posting every now and then.
Life has changed so much since my last post in March, that I really don't know where to begin. I'll keep it short. I started a new job back in September...I am now the Wholesale/New Business Manager at Walz Caps. We're a cycling cap maker who specializes in making what we believe are the finest 100% handmade in California caps on the market today. They really are some nice caps, and the only cycling cap I've ever worn that actually fit well since we offer two sizes. Check us at www.walzcaps.com.
My company, Qwik Wrapz (www.qwikwrapz.com), is still going, although at a snails pace. I've learned in this process, that things move pretty slow when beginning a business. This hasn't been the worst thing, since a large part of my focus lately has been learning the ropes at the new job. The QW site is up, and I do have S/M to sell, so if you need one, click away! On to the training front...
In all of this, I haven't stopped riding the bike. I have to admit, I haven't competed since the Palomar Challenge in July! Four events total for the year. Pretty sad! I did just renew my license for next season, and have been working on my base miles, and will begin introducing ore intensity later this month. I've also been thinking about just exactly what next seasons goals are going to be. I do know this...The Everest Challenge will be my main goal next season. The biggest event of the year. Everything I do, whether a race or training, is all a lead-up to the EC.
I do have more to say, but to be honest, just don't feel like typing that much right now. I hope all is well. Until next time...
Hi Everyone! How's it going? Busy as ever here. In fact, so busy that I've decided to take some time away from posting on this blog. Don't worry, I don't intend to completely abandon it, it's just that my life is getting extremely hectic lately, but in a good way. I can't remember if I've ever mentioned here before, but I started a new business a few months ago, and as with any new business, it's been consuming a lot of my time. It's been a challenge to find time to work my day job, train, go to school, and try and get this business up and running!
So needless to say, something's gotta give, and although this blog doesn't consume a lot of my time, it is something that takes some thought. I promise I will get back to it sometime in the future, I'm not quite sure when, but I will. In the meantime you can follow what I'm up to via shorter posts on Facebook and Twitter, and also please check out my business's website! It's a really cool product, that I'm sure will change the way people change in public! The name of my company is Qwik Wrapz.
As usual, I hope all is well, until next time my friends...
Hi Everyone! I apologize for the lack of a recent post, but life has just been going, going, going, and I'm just pushin' on! Even through all the craziness, I'm still sticking firm to my training regime. Tackling the FTP's every Tuesday, hill repeats, VO2 bursts, and good, long road rides on the weekends. My form has been good, too good as a matter of fact! I'm beginning to get a little worried that I might be peaking waaay too early.
My next race isn't until April 9th, so I've decided to back it down a notch, and try and save some of this good stuff in the legs. Wish I had more to say, and I'm sure I will soon. Until next time...
Hello Everyone! How's life treating you? Great, I hope! Just sitting here at the ol' PC, having returned from a nice 2-1/2 hour Sunday morning spin out to the coast. What a beautiful weekend of weather we had here in San Diego. Those of us who are fortunate enough to call this area home are truly blessed to do so.
This week was a really solid one in terms of training, even though I was without bike for two days. Yes, as I was literally pulling out of the driveway Wednesday for a 3-hour endurance ride, might rear derailleur cable snapped. Game over! I sent a text to the mechanic who has been working on my bike lately, and went back inside to watch some TV until I heard back from him. I'm not one who is good a sitting around very long, especially in front of the TV, so rather then waste some valuable training time, I decided to change clothes and head over to the gym. I loaded up the bike in the back of the car, and told myself I'm going to play a game, and spin hard on the stationary bike until I receive the text from the mechanic, and then head to Cardiff to drop off the bike. Well...
2 hours 10 minutes, and 2000 calories later, still no text! I was soaked to the bone with sweat! I mean I was literally soaked! I was leaving a puddle on the ground where I was stretching, and had to mop the floor underneath the stationary bike when I was finished. Thursday, more of the same. A little over a hard hour on the stationary bike, this was all following a good, hard 2-1/2 hour workout of hill repeats on San Elijo Tuesday!
Friday the mechanic was able to get my bike in and replace both front & rear cables while I went to lunch with my Mom in Encinitas. Saturday was brutal! I decided to take on Palomar Mountain for the first time this year. I rolled from the house, made my way through Escondido, up Lake Wohlford Road, down Valley Center Road, then up South Grade Road to the summit. My legs were feeling really good! I told myself I wasn't going to push it that hard up Palomar since this was my first run of the year. I still managed to reach the summit in 75-minutes, just 6-minutes off my best time! Not bad! Well, if the legs are feeling this good, why not keep going?
Off to Cole Grade Road I went. Up Cole Grade, and in to Valley Center, and finally, 88-miles, and 5-1/2 hours later, I reached home. I have a theory when it comes to training, that if your legs are feeling good, and you don't have any races in the near future, don't waste them by going easy, push them all the way! Take full advantage of the feeling.
Today, exactly half the distance, and a little over 2-1/2 hours. I wasn't feeling as strong as yesterday, so I opted to give the legs a little break. Next up, possibly the Santiago Canyon TT this Saturday, March 12th. I say possibly, because I'm not totally committed to going, and the event is same-day registration, so we'll see. Hope all is well, until next time...
