Hi Everyone!
Nothing too exciting to report, but I can say this last week in the saddle was much needed, and really helped motivate, invigorate, and gave me moments to reflect and help remind me of why I began pedaling in the first place.
I've been training in 3-week blocks for the eleven weeks; 3-weeks of intensity training (ie...intervals, endurance, VO2, etc), followed by 1-week of rest (ie...recovery spins, endurance, open weekend rides). This last week was a rest week, and it dawned on me that not only are rest weeks time to rest, recover, and reap the benefits of the previous 3-weeks of hard training, but they're an opportunity to enjoy riding for riding's sake. Take in the scenery, breath in the air, remember why we ride.
The week was the usual time spent on the trainer, easy spins, core workouts, an endurance ride, followed by the weekend of open "free-style" rides, meaning no plan, ride wherever with whomever. Saturday was 2-hours on the bike, Mt. Soledad, with the SDBC team. I've always said, and it still stands, that the SDBC team are some of the nicest riders in the sport. A great group of riders, who I can say without a doubt, will be a force to reckon with this season.
Yesterday was 4-1/2 hours spent with some fairly new faces, riding down the coast south to La Jolla, roaming around Mt. Soledad, a nice break in downtown La Jolla, and making our way back home. I had a really great time, how could I not? Great company, beautiful scenery, and weather that even us local San Diegans were in awe of.
This week...back to the grind of training, but maybe with a switch up. I'm considering either racing Boulevard this Saturday, or the Fiesta Time Trail Sunday, if the TT, to at last establish my FTP, and really have an accurate base to train by.
I hope all is well with you, until next time...
Hi All!
Well another week down on another 3-week training block. Everything is right on track, the legs feel good, the power numbers are good, and my motivation is staying strong. Here's this last weeks program...
* Monday: Rest
* Tuesday: 2x20's
* Wednesday: 60-min endurance
* Thursday: 2x20's
* Friday: 30-min recovery spin - core workout
* Saturday: 4.45hrs on the road
* Sunday: Hill Repeats 5x San Elijo Rd. - 1x Double Peak Park
This last Saturday was one of those days on the bike that was just pure fun. Most every ride is fun, a portion of it anyway. Some rides more then others, and some rides honestly just feel like work. Saturday everything just clicked.
The original plan was to drive out to Pine Valley to meet a friend and ride the Laguna Mtn area. The forecast for the day was nice enough, but out in the high mountains you never know. About 7am, I received a call from my friend who was already in Pine Valley informing me that the weather was a bit "sketchy". Well needless to say, we both agreed that it wouldn't be the best idea for me to make the long drive. Much appreciated call!
Instead, I ended up meeting up with a couple of friends here in San Marcos for a planned ride up to San Clemente and back, a good 100-miler. We never quite made it to San Clemente, but instead turned around 3/4's the way through Camp Pendleton, and worked our way down the 101 to Solana Beach. Along the way we were picked up by the remnants of the Swamis Ride, and proceeded to blast our way down the coast. We stopped at Java Depot for a much needed coffee, and then made our way in to Rancho Santa Fe, Escondido, and back to San Marcos. All in all, 84-miles, 18mph avg, 3200kj's. Solid! The ride was just a bit of everything, and the best part, the legs felt great!
One more week of hard training, then a rest week. I'm looking forward to that! I hope all is well, until next time...
Hi All!
Here's my tentative race schedule for 2012 so far...
* 3/17: Santiago Canyon TT
* 4/8: Vless Huis Ronde RR
* 4/28: Devil's Punchbowl RR
* 5/5: Breathless Agony
* 6/2: Masters State RR Championships
* 6/3: Elite State RR Championships
* 8/25-26: Mt. Whitney SR
* 9/22-23: The Everest Challenge SR
You probably noticed that there are some regular one-day RR's in there. I've decided that if I do skip all of those, I'm not going to be racing very much again, so I'll use those as good, high-intensity training that I otherwise would not be able to duplicate on any training ride. I specifically picked Vless Huis, Punchbowl, and States, because the courses are fairly safe.
I do plan on racing as many of the Santiago Canyon TT's as possible, (there's typically 4 a year), but they've only listed the March race so far. Boulevard is approaching February 4th, but after competing in that race for the last five years, and even though it was the first event I ever competed in, as of now I plan on skipping it. The back half of the course is always a bit sketchy, and I don't want to chance any risk of crashing out and setting my training back for the "A" races on my calendar.
That's it for now, I hope all is well. Until next time...
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...
