More Testing Last Night

So it was time for that regular LT test again last night. So far this season has been just base training and with only having really done a bunch of Long Steady Distance Training and some sub-threshold stuff, I was not expecting a big bump in my numbers. So I was pleasantly surprised when my LT HR was still about 178 and the wattage was up at 355, perhaps even more impressive though was that the last 10 minutes of the test was 371 watts average. Good things to see this early in the season. The Build Phase of Training starts soon, so more intervals and pain, but I am looking forward to it. Our First race is just over a week away. The Camp Hilbert #1 will be a blast. Bike Factory Racing is going to be there in style. So far we have about 7 riders attending, so it will make for a good time.

This race is falling early in the training year, so it is hard to say I am expecting a great result, but still hoping to do well, and I will be giving it my all.

see ya on the trails,

Shawn

Sunday was apparently the Bike Factory Racing base training ride. The word for the ride was "stick-y" or "mechanical." Shawn managed to break a chain and snap off a front dérailleur in the first 30minutes of the ride. Luckily, he's strong enough to push the middle ring on about anything, so, we trudged on. The singletrack had deep leaves (i mean DEEP. At one point the wheels of the bikes weren't visible due to leaves being 3ft or more deep) and lots of debris from a recent storm. Lots of downed trees caused dismounts. We cleared some of them while waiting for others to catch up. The trail conditions caused their share of mechanicals too. I managed to rip a value stem off while climbing over a tree, causing a flat change. Michele tweaked a hanger and had shifting issues for the rest of the ride. Shawn snapped his chain a few more times, and dropped it innumerable times. Ted on his SS probably faired the best with no dérailleur to pack full of leaves. The rest of us stopped periodicially to remove debris from the drive train.

The rock gardens were riding really nice. Keep your speed up and you could float over almost everything (until the fallen tree took you off the bike, anyhow). Perhaps the worst part of the ride was the 1mile on gravel road.. it was just warm enough to have melted the road earlier in the day, so we got covered in mud in a hurry. However, it had cooled off enough to be snowing at that point..making for stuff flying your face from above and below. However, once that was over, the miles on the pavement flew by and we were back at the car in no time.

When the day was done, we had 6:20 away from the car, with only about 4.5 hours of ride time. The debris and mechanicals slowed us a lot, but we all were feeling great and enthusiastic, so we all had a blast.

James managed to underestimate the chilliness of the mountain.. but luckily shawn was carrying an entire wardrobe in his backpack and we all were quite toasty, even while being sweaty and cruizing 20mph on the road.

Can't wait for the next installment. Can anyone say "Elliot's" for next weekend?

January ends

The sad, rainy, gloomy, snow-crusted, mud globbulous month of January ends in 58 hours and 30 minutes. This usually excites me. And it should excite you too, whoever you are. But really, the bike was good to me this time through what is, without a doubt, the worst month of the year. Some bike-worthiness to document:

A few long and one epic dirt road ride that didn't fizzle out in pain and misery like most January epics do for me.

Built a hillbilly ladder stunt out on the local goods that is doomed to structural implosion, but so far has only lost a slat or two.

Raced a couple mid-week night crits on sloppy private singletrack that didn't result in dismemberment or death.

Took off to Sedona, AZ with my girlfriend for some R&R, upgraded to fiancee status on a big hike over pb&j's and oak creek microbrews, and then rallied a loop the next day on a rental haro X-1 to rival any I've ever put together out there.

And you know what? It's only looking up from here.

Pantani would be proud. Somewhere, I think he IS proud. And he's looking down on you, tubby, and he's wondering what you're going to lay down for him in sacrifice on 2/14. If you think that's got anything to do with Valentine's day, you are sadly mistaken. Did Pantani need a sappy card and some roses to go out and stomp Lance's scrawny American derriere up Ventoux? No. Did Pantani insist on lovey-dovey kisses and a bottle of red wine before he'd climb Galibier? No, but he would drink the wine anyway. Did Pantani chase his whole life through a smelly, drug infested, broken bone-riddled peloton only to succomb to depression and cocaine and booze and assorted other pills on a day that we, here in America on our rotund derriers, like to think of as our day of love?

Yes.

Come do him proud. The 2/14 Pantani ride. Details to follow. Up, up, up.

Great Weather

Went out and rode big today. Did 90 miles with 6000 feet of climbing on the road bike. My friend and sponsor Ashley joined me for a portion of the ride today. She was strong on the climbs and that made me work for the first 2 hours while she rode. After dropping her off at her car I went and completed my ride. Roads were really wet out near Brown's Cove, and I am not sure why as we have not had a lot of rain recently. Tomorrow is a recovery day and then Thursday is hill climb repeats. Look for me to complain after those.

Would the real trail dog please stand up?

After a long day on the trail, Tucker likes to stretch his legs and upload his data. He let's Shawn share some floor space too.

Season Starts Now

Go Time!!
The 2008 Season started this week, at least training wise. Transition is officially over and yesterday was LT Testing. 20 minutes all out on the trainer to produce a magical power number......the elusive number that I will chase for the coming weeks training sessions, only to try and one up next LT test.
That magic LT number for now 340 watts and a HR of 178, a fair amount off of my power high from last year, but right where things should be this time of year. The important thing, I have recovered from the previous season and am ready to start the next.
The Winter Training Series is going well, attendance has been very consistent for a few people, and not for others. Hopefully after New Years we will see an increase in the number of attendees. Recruitment for our MS Bike Tour Team is on as well, so anyone interested in joining us, please let me know.

-Shawn

Tuesday Night Trainer Sessions

This week marked the official start of the Winter Training Series. A pseudo-event/ major happening that I am putting on as part of my membership with the Charlottesville Racing Club. The first event was a Trainer Session at C'ville Bike and Tri held last night. Eric Fletcher put on a great one. He put us through a series of sub threshold intervals with a few surges thrown in, all in the name of lactate clearance. The turn out was great with a few under a dozen showing. Boris (?) rocked it on a fixey and rollers the whole time.....hardcore. At one point during a high spin session, I thought he was gonna start hovering, or at least melting tires........wow.

Tonight will be the second event in the series, a casual group ride on our family farm. It is presently snowing, with about a 1/2 inch on the trails, so things are really just getting good for some first rate snow riding. This is the type of riding that really sticks in your mind for the rest of the year. When you toe the line come early spring, and the doubts start to hit your mind, all you gotta do is think back to the work you did over the winter: those days on the trainer touching up your LT, and those long cold days of snow drifting down in front of your lights as you plow through hour three of riding........and when you can think back to that, you know you are ready for the season.....and deserve to win. Remember, the guy who is gonna beat you this coming year, is out there training right now..........so go ride.

-Shawn