tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7930339405031460412012-02-07T11:16:56.808-06:00Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.comBlogger5731100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-51461800916175662412012-01-16T20:31:00.000-06:002012-01-17T16:17:02.631-06:00

The beginning of a season is all about restarting the engine. Training is like a drug. Consistant dosage turns into tolerance. Only tolerance and resulting dosage increase is a good thing. Overdose is bad of course. I've done nothing special for recovery. No massage, no foam rolling, no Biofreeze. I'm accumulating enough fatigue that it's time to start paying attention to recovery. Not

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-76978710758875846672012-01-14T19:57:00.001-06:002012-01-17T16:17:48.463-06:00

Another day of mild temperatures and clear weather. Ideal for a run around Walnut Creek. Ever get the feeling you're being watched on the trails? Perhaps you are... I saw a fox a few minutes after this. Maybe this doe was being watched, too. We've had some recent rain. This... is a site unseen at WCP in quite some time... I'm not sure I've ever seen a wet spot out there? Not long after

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-7054808927718305242012-01-11T20:53:00.002-06:002012-01-11T20:55:23.214-06:00

My rides are growing more meditative. Therapy from a tough couple of days. With a setting like this... ... one cannot help but feel better. The only problem are the bugs. With warm temperature, no winds the gnats are out in swarms. So thick I can't take my sunglasses off. I set the headlight to jogger-retina-burning setting. Can't breathe through the mouth either. Since the training goal is

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-8652173563407175562012-01-05T20:42:00.000-06:002012-01-05T20:42:59.073-06:00

A perfect 74°F day today. Some broken clouds above. But nothing to keep one off the bike... Up the road until well after dark. The work isn't intense, but it is steady. A carefully chosen route and laps at a newly de-tree'd Froot Loop help keep the pedals turning with minimal interruption. Do I look happy? Oh Yeah!

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-7028044577644287442012-01-04T22:30:00.002-06:002012-01-04T22:30:28.359-06:00

Out the door and on the bike immediately after work. I was undressing as I walked in the door. Fantastic weather. Mild temperatures. Mild wind. For January ...I cannot complain about a thing. And things look good through Monday. Two hours of endurance riding, leaving the body and spirits feeling good.

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-63508176925450275132012-01-03T23:12:00.000-06:002012-01-04T16:15:13.974-06:00

A rare site. Me on a trainer. I hate cycling in doors. Rollers are better than a trainer. Usually. But I'm trying to take a more meditative approach to riding the aluminum road to nowhere. Tonight I just wanted to be mindless on the saddle. Mindless and rollers equals a launch across the room. So the stationary trainer is the weapon of choice tonight. Ninety minutes of L2/3 steady state

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-90580846849171211042012-01-02T15:20:00.000-06:002012-01-04T16:14:49.536-06:00

Week 1 of the 2012 season went well. Time and CTL goals met. Even managed to lose a few pounds ahead of schedule. The riding conditions have been pretty darn good. New Year's Eve ride was absolute perfection as far as weather conditions went. My routing went a bit astray. Luckily my riding partner and wife Jane has cyclocross skills.... It's all aerobic base mileage at this point. Not hard

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-51980539100263796572011-12-29T18:26:00.000-06:002011-12-29T18:26:13.450-06:00

A steady endurance pace ride is the order for today. I do five minutes of alternating 15-second fast cadence spins, and 15-seconds of easy pedaling. Easy gear. It's just to get the muscle memory rebooted. It's surprising how these open up the body. Especially the hip joint and flexors. The colors this year have been spectacular... ... not sure if it's due to the drought, or timing of the rain

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-47960923323169753612011-12-27T20:25:00.000-06:002011-12-27T20:25:07.989-06:00

First performance test is in the bag. You know it really is a maximal effort when you rush to hover over the toilet after each battery; just in case. I've done some not-so-nice things to my body over the last few months. The headlines... the body fat %-age is up. A lot. The functional power is down. A lot. The maximal burst power is down. A lot. I could go on. Quantifying regret isn't the

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-77320651177480484232011-12-21T21:23:00.000-06:002011-12-21T21:23:13.963-06:00

Monday was to be test day. Body had different ideas. Stuffy nose and a fever put things on hold. Despite the fever, and even chill shivers I cooked some chicken soup... ... because healing doesn't come from a can.

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-40002412582408546542011-12-18T16:18:00.003-06:002011-12-18T16:22:34.804-06:00

What a year!

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-25573145929868409762011-12-06T11:18:00.001-06:002011-12-07T09:47:42.992-06:00

Changing seasons. Four consecutive days of cold, drizzly, and windy weather hearld winter's arrival. This fall has been an exceptional time. Large changes to my personal life and my professional career. Chaos, stress, and fatigue perculated too deeply into life. Time on the bike has suffered. My stubborn focus on cycling has been somewhat puzzling. I've failed to race much this year. Yet I

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-69346122447261613792011-11-20T11:15:00.001-06:002011-11-20T11:50:54.365-06:00

No better way to recharge the soul than a set of Rebirth ... ... followed by a couple of days on the trail. Fall colors are coming out. Looks like Thanksgiving out here! Thankful today I've stuck with mountain biking. It hasn't always been easy. There have been falls. And spills. Leaning trail skills has been a constant focus. But the dividends pay often. There is a peacefulness, a

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-41738562214250503132011-11-16T19:20:00.001-06:002011-11-16T20:30:45.384-06:00

It's that time of year. While the weather has turned favorable, the days are getting shorter and shorter with each passing day. These seasonable days are precious in our area. Soon it will be winter. Cold. Rainy. Dark. But for now... the dwindling days present great riding opportunity. Today it's a race. A race to beat the sun before it sinks below the horizon. It has a head start. Here it is

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-58291838106146134492011-11-06T18:12:00.000-06:002011-11-07T09:04:09.361-06:00

I love my XTR Trail (M988) brakes. They are true one-finger brakes. Great power AND modulation. Now... Shimano's hoses... I have no use for. My original hoses leaked. I replaced them with stock Shimano hoses. They leaked too. Same failure mode, as well. I could warranty these through Shimano. But... Since I'd rather ride my bike, than work on my bike, I cut my losses and went a different

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-50777564317418637152011-11-03T23:18:00.002-05:002011-11-03T23:26:23.219-05:00

Just cold enough for long sleeves and leg warmers today. Felt great! Indeed fall is here. Days are getting shorter. The goal for the next couple of weeks is squeeze in as much riding as possible. Soon sadness and darkness of winter will be upon us. And albino training will begin. Ick. For now... its spend as much time outside as possible having fun. It's the most important time of the year!

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-8675189905489488942011-11-02T23:11:00.000-05:002011-11-02T23:11:30.941-05:00

Twenty-ish pain free miles. I talked over my bum issue with my fitting 'consultant'. The puzzler has been that a saddle so comfortable on the road bike was unbareable on the MTB. She pointed out, that with the more upright position, I probably needed a wider saddle. Here's what the sit bones look like. As one can see, they clearly get wider as you move back. The more upright the pelvis the

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-90825576007431827262011-10-30T18:53:00.001-05:002011-10-30T18:57:44.626-05:00

Tomorrow's ride isn't a given. But it should be do-able on some very tired legs. I did shuffle the rest day, though, to align the back-to-back rides over the weekend. I did some saddle experimentation on the Highball. To do it. I laid out a short lap route. This would allow me to dump the Highball if any pain developed and swap over to the rhoadie bike. The route... ... bring a variety of

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-14653539441694495842011-10-25T22:30:00.000-05:002011-10-25T22:32:53.742-05:00

Couple of days off the rump. I'm recycling my seven-day "shock" plan. Tonight, like last week... 30 miles of self-paced riding. All was good, except for mosquites which are the worst since Hurricane Ike. Every person I saw outside was swatting. Joggers have developed this odd sort of arm swing coupled with swatting mosquites off their bodies. One 'speed walker' on the Height's running path had it

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-62425845045701360082011-10-22T14:04:00.000-05:002011-10-22T14:04:12.558-05:00

Today dawns with legs that feel good. Excited and hopeful for a long ride today. Target is 60.miles, self-paced. I set out, and instantly I'm reminded of yesterday's ride. My butt hurts. Bad. It's not chaffed. No saddle sores. But it feels bruised. Turrible. I was a bit worried yesterday I was setting myself up for some real pain as my butt ached on the ride. I hoped it would 'heal' quickly. It

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-57456043632012314412011-10-21T18:42:00.000-05:002011-10-22T13:44:59.653-05:00

Day two of shocking the body. I hop on the HighBall today. This isn't a long ride. Only a 20.mile goal. Today I pack the DSLR camera. Wanted to check out how it packs on the bike and to take some photos. I take the MKT trail all the way to downtown. After some wandering I find how to get on the opposite side of the bayou across from UHD. There is an old pump station here. I stop for some

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-16196542955617077262011-10-20T22:13:00.000-05:002011-10-21T10:14:01.483-05:00

Being back on the bike feels good. First day went acceptably well. I really like Prolog bar tape. But their bar plugs suck. They catch on everything and tend to come dislodged. Here's a tip. As you are riding and you notice the bar plug is loose... do not reach down and smack it with the heel of your hand to drive it home. ; )

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-65273292869401026732011-10-19T23:46:00.000-05:002011-10-20T16:03:37.861-05:00

With almost a month of little riding, and no structured training... my motor needs jumpstarting. Seven days, seven rides. Designed to shock the system back into life. Stage 1: 30.miles Stage 2: 20.miles Stage 3: 60.miles Stage 4: 60.miles Stage 5: Rest day Stage 6: 60 miles Stage 7: 40 miles Re-evaluate where I'm at when done. Not a tremendous amount of miles. But starting from slackerd

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-16263272984820584042011-10-11T19:34:00.000-05:002011-10-11T19:34:04.874-05:00

It's not nice to laugh at other's pain... ... I can't stop watching this. And laughing every time..

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-79093483059621027982011-10-06T22:05:00.000-05:002011-10-07T00:26:33.742-05:00

A long, but un-hurried ride on the trail in the dark. Nothing special. Just glad to be on the bike. Here is why it pays to have good lights... That white speck in the middle... is a huge spider busily setting up shop along the trail right before a root drop. Saw him just in time. A swipe with a branch and I was on my way. Lupine lights are the beez kneez. And no ride would be complete

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-35914472522438983552011-10-05T21:56:00.000-05:002011-10-06T09:59:20.647-05:00

Unplanned. Unscheduled. Unwanted. Thirteen day layoff.  Uggh. Today... back on the saddle for a wandering ride. Three hours. No goals. I just wanted to be on my bike. And it felt gooood. A couple of things became clear today. The better your fitness the faster you lose the peak, and stress is like a fitness eraser. I've spent longer periods away from the bike. But I lost more fitness than

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-63782214151453757222011-09-28T21:59:00.002-05:002011-09-28T22:01:44.576-05:00

One must wonder why a person does this to themselves. Hours of toil. Efforts so hard they approach self immolation. Physical stress that not only tires, but physically alters my heartrate long after the bout. But even that doesn't compare to the mental stress of mainining intensity and concentration for such long periods. After a full day... it leaves me totally spent. Exhausted. Wasted.

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-74056209810948479142011-09-21T21:34:00.002-05:002011-09-21T21:37:28.342-05:00

About an hour of tempo, with five (5x) 5'minute intervals at 100-120%FTP are on the docket for tonight. Designed to work the lungs as well as the legs. I roll out with a veeery easy warmup. Easy to neglect a good warmup. But I find that as fatigue accumulates, it takes longer to warm up. Oddly, if I cut the warm up short, it actually takes longer before I feel good. Fifteen minutes of high

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-11148386392893637572011-09-20T23:03:00.002-05:002011-09-20T23:03:45.930-05:00

Plan: 2:hours endurance pace. I roll out to do my "In the loop, loop". It's roughly the West End Bicycles shop ride route with some modificaiton. It's a nice day. The ride is completely unremarkable. Other than I forgot my front light. River Oaks is daaark at night. Just causes me to take a bit more care. And absolutely do not depend on cross traffic stopping. Careful nutrition has paid off.

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-22399202839468930562011-09-13T23:20:00.000-05:002011-09-13T23:20:20.708-05:00

Today's plan: 4x 7'min at 110-120%FTP with 3-5'min between. Triple digits today. Heat index is 105°F as I roll out. Twenty+ knot wind as well. It helps with the heat some. As I ride to the Froot Loop I'm feeling weaker than expected. Maybe not unexpected. It's the heat, right? As I get closer... it's clear it's not the heat. I'm in a full blown BONK! Weak. Lightheaded. Nauseous. Shakey.

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-32629918075132168162011-09-11T11:29:00.001-05:002011-09-12T09:45:21.373-05:00

Three hours on trail at endurance to tempo pace. Simple plan that turned more complex. Some background. I recently developed a loud skreeeeetch on the front brake along with a loss of braking power. I swapped the brake pads front-to-back and the noise transferred with it. My suspicion was that somewhere along the way I contaminated the pads. Then this thread showed up with reports of leaking

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-22840264955514322042011-09-09T20:56:00.000-05:002011-09-09T20:56:54.781-05:00

POD. Approx 1:hour ride not exceeding reocvery power level. Keep cadence high today. Light, but fast pedal stroks. Concentrate on keeping cadence greater than 90RPM. With tight and somewhat sore legs from yesterday's ride, going for another ride today seems counterintuitive. But following up a hard ride with an easy ride really speeds the recovery, releases the soreness, and helps flexibiliity.

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-25831187837001988882011-09-08T21:30:00.000-05:002011-09-08T21:30:29.997-05:00

Today... the plan is a 2:hour Tempo paced ride. I'm feeling pretty frisky today. I think I'll pin it to the top of the Tempo power range. As the ride proceeds... indeed I'm keeping this ride pinned. I constantly nibble at the bottom of the threshold zone. The legs feel greeeeeeat. The lungs are clear, and the heart rate seems pretty normal (not sky high like yesterday). Today's ride is under

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-65884025709433619162011-09-07T21:57:00.000-05:002011-09-08T10:52:48.689-05:00

I lost my computer. Left it in my suitcase. Sitting on the street. Where I placed it while I loaded my bike in the rack. I drove off without putting it in the truck. Also in suitcase... my thumbdrive with all of my training data. Four years worth. Because of the likelihood of losing a thumbdrive... I *did* keep a back up of the information on it. On the laptop. That was in the suitcase. So...

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-91335532493206985192011-08-30T21:36:00.001-05:002011-08-30T21:37:30.408-05:00

Oh enough! This summer has been epic. We're breaking records from the summer of 1980. Though I was young... I remember that summer. I played outside constantly. But returned inside each day at lunch to watch the weather with Rob Robin on KPLC. to see if we'd broken a record. I remember him talking about the extensive drought in Texas, which seem so far away. This summer was the exact same weather

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-767271747436334712011-08-28T23:58:00.007-05:002011-08-29T18:29:10.250-05:00

Sunday's plan is a 2-3:hour tempo ride out at WCP. I got some solid rest in on Saturday and an ready to go as I roll out. Things are great on trail... Whether at night or by day, smiles are everywhere if you look closely... It's unbearably hot. I can fell the heat of the air filling my lungs. No cooling even in the shade. I cut things off just shy of my time goal. The thermometer tells all.

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-64990834207735241772011-08-25T20:45:00.002-05:002011-08-26T08:52:54.201-05:00

Plan: 2:hour trail ride, tempo or better pace. Pin it for some short sprints. What happened: Early, I did the missed interval ride from yesterday. Indoors. On the rollers. I really appreciate the intensity one gets from the rollers. And the cool environment. The heat has been epic. Yesterday we broke the record for most days over 100&degF. Previous record was 1980, and we've got almost an

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-54162836917005466112011-08-24T23:22:00.002-05:002011-08-24T23:31:55.766-05:00

Plan: Early session of 7'min intervals at 110%FTP. Afternoon tempo ride on the trail. What happened: Early ride didn't happen. Work emergency. The afternoon ride is... errr. delayed. Nearby thunderstorm make the go/nogo decision tough. I watch the radar. The storm is intense. But isolated. And looks like it will pass just to the west of my route. Screw it... I'm goin'. I'll deal with whatever

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-54581592848990084942011-08-22T09:24:00.002-05:002011-08-23T09:25:13.596-05:00

Plan: Nothing. Just some QT with the foam roller.

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-47715360878929805462011-08-21T23:01:00.000-05:002011-08-23T09:25:54.865-05:00

Plan: Ride 2-3:hours. On trail. Tempo pace. Emphasis on technique. Result: Walnut Bend was the trail of choice today. Before I begin... prepare for heat. Essential cold for a hot day. Good shade out here, tho... Bone dry. Luckily there is enough natural lime in the soil here to keep the dirt from turning into powder... The creekbed. I take a brake to fill bottles and my stomach.

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-72279925065015735302011-08-20T22:02:00.003-05:002011-08-20T22:05:53.596-05:00

Our understanding of how something as (seemingly) simple as a bicycle, is actually quite poor...

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-25356570774302725462011-08-19T22:33:00.021-05:002011-08-20T23:08:00.518-05:00

Plan: Another split ride today. Early session is short intense intervals. 5'min x 110%FP, 3'min recovery. Later session is trail ride at a medium pace about 90'minutes. Result: I jump on the rollers to avoid the major heat of the day for the first session. The nice thing about rollers, is the ability to keep the pace absolutely consistant. Even nicer is doing it in the living room when it's

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-76019659965817246022011-08-17T20:57:00.001-05:002011-08-18T09:00:22.123-05:00

Plan: Do a variety of exercises for hips, abdominals and lower back muscles. Result: Done. Good benefits for bike handling and injury prevention.

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-72080129320511790962011-08-16T22:18:00.001-05:002011-08-16T22:18:51.180-05:00

Plan: Two rides today. A session of four five-minute long intervals at 110%FTP early in the day. In the afternoon a tempo paced trail ride. Result: It was 102&deg today. Simply no way to do any intensity in this heat. So... it's the aluminum highway... The second ride was in the afternoon, on trail. During a "cooler" part of the day. It was only 96&deg. Luckily much of the trail is under tree

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-60777112856914125622011-08-11T11:15:00.000-05:002011-08-11T11:15:38.763-05:00

That's all I've got until the first fall race. Fall in seven weeks? One can only hope. The races: 10/2Huntsville Classic, Huntsville TX 10/16Piney Hills Classic, Ruston LA 11/13The Tyler Race, Tyler TX The next seven weeks will be pretty intense. My goal is to come away from the fall season satisfied that I've pushed my body, improved my skills, and honed my racecraft in some significant ways

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-73837879035691852822011-08-08T18:45:00.002-05:002011-08-08T23:35:28.237-05:00

Jane had a great race! I took a lot of pictures.

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-54070070629782438412011-08-06T21:26:00.002-05:002011-08-06T21:32:38.492-05:00

Day starts out with a futile ride around Boulder. I get lost. While I could probably quickly relocate my destination, I enjoy a ramble around the city. I ride through the downtown area, the historic district (really nice), and out to Colorado University area. All nice and very different parts of town. I finally arrive at my destination, a camera shop, only to find it is closed. Fun exploring

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-30878064329835756272011-08-05T17:11:00.005-05:002011-08-06T21:42:02.717-05:00

In Boulder Colorado supporting my lady for Ironman 70.3 Boulder. No self-respecting mountain biker would visit Colorado and not spend some time on the bike. My goal was to get out and ride some terrain that I don't get to in Texas, and perhaps expand my abilities on that terrain. Boulder isn't known for it's singletrack. Poking around I discovered most of the singletrack is a good drive away.

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-26329449601096617842011-07-31T20:21:00.003-05:002011-08-01T09:27:22.563-05:00

Plan: With an oncoming trip to Colorado, and a wheelset that came close to essploding... my mission today is to shake them down by beating the snot out of them. As I roll from the house I look for every curb, bump, road joint, root I can hit. Result: Luckily Mem Park's famous routs provide ample opportunity as long as you don't mind a few face slappers! Unfortunately I smack one a little too

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-51413648392669656812011-07-26T13:04:00.002-05:002011-07-27T10:09:00.358-05:00

I like bike wheels. I really am fascinated by them. They are so simple. Spokes with a simple thread. A rim. A hub. The technology's been around and mostly unchanged for well over a century. There is nothing mechanically complex aboot them. Yet at the same time... wheels can be complex to build. The wheel must be true. Not only side-to-side but it mustn't hop. And the tension in the spokes should

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-46960483419676823802011-07-24T23:55:00.001-05:002011-07-25T01:21:38.258-05:00

Plan: After this week... just get some saddle time. On dirt. Result: Mission accomplished. I wake with a massive headache. But after this week, I'm gettin' some dirt! Hop on the HighBall and spin out to the Austin Greenbelt. Spot this out at Zilker Park along the way. I have fond memories of pedaling around this thing around from the Terlingua race a couple of years ago. I'll leave it at that

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-39993571688794296422011-07-22T14:38:00.003-05:002011-07-22T14:52:14.540-05:00

I'm absolutely convinced there is a relationship between excess calories and/or poor nutrition and depression. I'm not sure what research says. I'd reckon it difficult to control which one precedes the other. Does the depression stem from the calories or does the excess calroies come from the depression. However my experiece this week leads me to think the food leads the way. Because of work,

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-25636248650240514552011-07-19T22:55:00.005-05:002011-07-21T00:50:06.352-05:00

Plan: 4x 9'minute intervals at 95-105% FTP with 5'min recovery between. On the recovery, unclip and pedal lightly with high cadence with one leg until fatigue and swap. Result: Nothing. I got screwed into an afterwork dinner, that I neither planned nor agreed to attend. I hate eating out in swanky places. My preference is simple, yet high quality food. Not what this place offered. As I look

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-38179468996389517112011-07-18T20:55:00.000-05:002011-07-19T02:10:18.006-05:00

A day away from the saddle. Needed. My hamstrings are painfully tight. My right knee is stiff and tender. My hip mobility has taken a dive. My left glute is a bit tweaked. And my feet are sore. We cyclists are a whiny lot. 45'minutes with a foam roller, a rope for stretching, and a furtive application of Biofreeze does a lot of good. Capping it off with a good night's sleep...

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-45418353229225901612011-07-17T23:28:00.003-05:002011-07-18T01:12:09.903-05:00

Plan: 3:hours. Endurance pace. 65-85% of threshold power. Crank it up over any hills, but keep the average in the Level 3 power zone. Result:Worked this ride in by starting late (cooler temps) and finishing in the dark. The pace was choppy, as always when riding urban streets. Legs are feeling the upped power targets. It's taking a little longer each time to recover between rides. Rest day

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-22440576927698210312011-07-16T23:46:00.004-05:002011-07-18T01:54:27.448-05:00

Woke up to rain today. Local trails doused. Add the unrecovered legs from yesterday's ride... it's a good day for some much needed bike maintenance. The basics. Wash. Lube. Adjust. First the wife-in-training's bike. Then my bike. I also re-cabled my bike. Gone are the Gore RideOn cables. Adios. Replaced with standard DuraAce cables. The RideOn 'sealed' system just adds tons of drag. And

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-26829999307044066002011-07-15T20:19:00.005-05:002011-07-18T00:35:47.008-05:00

Plan: 2x 22'minute intervals 85-100% of threshold power (FTP) with a 5'min respite between. Result: I mistakenly rode 24'minute intervals. HA! That's next weeks plan. So, I got a little bonus work. This ride was scheduled for yesterday. That rained out. Doing some serious recovery tonight. so I can perform the 3:hour endurance ride scheduled for tomorrow...

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-58028713908020425472011-07-13T15:05:00.001-05:002011-07-15T15:06:16.199-05:00

I was stricken with something over the weekend. Not sure what? I slept almost 12 hours overnight Friday. And although I did some riding on Sunday, I was remarkable weak. No kick whatsoever. And struggling with hills that should cause no bother. I have no idea what that was all about. By Tuesday... I was OK, but still a bit off. Today's ride felt normal This is the second week of the new cycle.

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-22294394283577006852011-06-30T18:55:00.005-05:002011-07-01T09:51:40.361-05:00

The HighBall got it's dirt christening recently. I think the corners of my mouth touched my ears as I rode! I was speechless. Without speech. The bike is amazing on trail. It all makes me ponder why I waited so long? It's hard to imagine being happier with a bike. I'm far from doing this bike justice with my fitness. But the confidence inspriing handling... makes all of my fitness

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-5353177263284384302011-06-30T13:58:00.001-05:002011-06-30T15:01:29.978-05:00

River Oaks makes a great training ground this time of year. Lots of tree to provide shade. Double bonus are the numerous estates with sprinklers running in the evening. No one has chased me off their lawn. Yet. A decent week of training. End of a 12-week build bloc, that has seen mixed results. I've made some good fitness gains, just not as much as I'd anticipated. But I can still go into the

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-74404808040247113322011-06-26T23:12:00.001-05:002011-06-27T10:27:27.773-05:00

I've been working on bike, cars, ???, since my childhood. After a while, you develop a preeettty good feel for how tight nuts, bolts, and screws should be. However, with the advent of carbon fiber, and titanium bolts... I relied on a torque wrench for many fasteners on by bike. About a week ago, while tightening the faceplate on the HighBall's stem, I noticed the torque seemed really, really

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-66514416263518107872011-06-19T10:25:00.018-05:002011-06-20T00:32:40.220-05:00

My parnter Jane and I set out with a plan duplicate to last week's long ride. A different route, much more rural... but same plan that was perfectly balanced last week. It's a morning start. Not too hot. The first hour called for 20"sec jump sprints every third minute. These didn't feel great. But I got through them. And I acutally felt stronger as the first hour goes on. About the one hour mark

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-1503743700640542422011-06-16T09:16:00.001-05:002011-06-16T09:16:00.228-05:00

New camera. Proper DSLR. Took some shots at the Weekly World Championship. A few highlights... Still learning the camera. Made a few mistakes with the hardware, that were result of operator error. That said the Nikon 80-200 2.8/D lens ideal for shooting cycling. My panning skills are rusty. Looking forward to more shooting. The rest of the 'keepers' are [HERE]. Man I tossed

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-60933951184550940142011-06-15T22:43:00.000-05:002011-06-15T23:46:48.361-05:00

Like most… my training time is scarce. On the face of things, long low-intensity rides seem to be poor use of valuable training time. One has to put in hard efforts to become a stronger rider, right? Not exactly. My season’s training plan started quite simple: two bouts of threshold-intensity intervals during the week, starting with 40’minutes of total time in Level 4 effort building to 90’

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-59437905721795124952011-06-13T16:27:00.002-05:002011-06-14T16:33:06.915-05:00

Not too hard. Not too soft. Saturday's ride paces out just right. A deep warmup, then 40'min of 10"sec out of the saddle sprints every third minute, followed by 40'min at easy pace, then for the last 40'min every 4th minute, dump the gears, and do a low cadence P-U-S-H burst while seated. With warmup and cool down... it's about a three hour ride. Good week of training. Let's see if I can

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-49320910062192759022011-06-10T11:59:00.001-05:002011-06-10T12:00:53.486-05:00

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-47942660656288419202011-06-09T21:37:00.000-05:002011-06-09T21:37:56.307-05:00

Last night's light ride was followed with a set of Crosstraining. I really don't like crosstraining. It's hard. Which is an indication that I need to do it. The plan included lunges. I try to keep these sessions easy on the legs, but I did a couple of sets anyway. Resulting in legs that are a touch sore as I start my threshold bout for today. Having a valid reason not to ride is a dangerous

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-53670687248560678672011-06-09T09:19:00.000-05:002011-06-09T09:19:00.146-05:00

Inadvertenlty disabled. Fixed. I think. Can someone try it out for me?

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-63261911470907561022011-06-08T22:28:00.002-05:002011-06-09T09:17:26.239-05:00

A cold winter. An early spring, that stayed mild longer than usual. Now the heat has arrived with vigor. Five record highs over the last week. Working around it. But wondering what August is going to be like... Tried a new on-bike snack. Fruit pack, that I think is marketed as baby food? I donno. Saw what looked like a giant Gu packet while grocery shopping. It's just pureed fruit... Look!

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-60524709685332065202011-06-06T21:53:00.003-05:002011-06-06T22:28:58.178-05:00

A mix of spices and olive oil. Garlic, pepper, crushed red pepper, salt, whatever you like. Carefully lift up the skin on a chicken breast and place the spices. Put the skin back. Ok, even if you don't eat the skin, atleast cook with it! Plated with some cilantro+lime rice and steamed asparagus dashed with thyme. Some tasty bread, too. Good eve in the kitchen, in prep for a good week

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-3058324826267133212011-06-02T21:10:00.002-05:002011-06-03T09:58:48.465-05:00

Tonight's plan: three (3x) 20'minute intervals right at threshold. The difficulty: I shelled my legs last night! I was certainly feeling the fatigue on the first work interval. But I made it. Completing it... I had my reward pickle... Most refreshing on-the-bike snack ever! I started the last interval with trepedation. I didn't plan to even finish it, but go into it as long as I could. About

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-45108933597499478062011-06-02T18:29:00.001-05:002011-06-02T18:31:27.527-05:00

The Highball build is done. I got the *correct* front derailler mounted... Started out with a top swing, which didn't work. Mounted the saddle... Then I bled the brakes. I was a little worried about how this would go. Shimano sent a tiny bottle of mineral oil. Surely this wouldn't be enough? Bleeding isn't hard. But it was messy because of a poorly timed opening of the brake bleeder port.

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-79905448287560402082011-06-01T09:50:00.001-05:002011-06-01T12:51:43.178-05:00

Tonight's meal is one of the best things I've ever cooked. Starts out with cubed pork butt... Browned in bit of oil... Brown a chopped onion and an appropriate amount of garlic... I cannot reveal how much garlic. National security. Then cube up some apples... Drop in the apples, some stock, some herbs. I used parsley, sage, rosemary and a pinch of fennel seed... Simmer for an hour.

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-12330571147093189542011-05-30T22:32:00.002-05:002011-06-01T01:59:44.538-05:00

Some progress over the weekend. No rush. Won't get the front derailler and saddle until Tuesday... Ergon GE1 grips... Hoses and cable housings trimmed for length. I like short cables... After much wrestling I managed to mount a pair of RaRa's... Almost done!

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-34120092862796934872011-05-27T12:02:00.005-05:002011-05-29T12:12:40.503-05:00

Frame in house. Started out the build this past week. The frame... Frame on the scale, includes CK headset... XTR Trail brakes... The business end of brakes... XTR 2x10 crankset... 10s Derailleur... Few more things to hang on the frame. Should be riding by end of the next week!

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-21157562570219093592011-05-27T11:05:00.000-05:002011-05-27T11:05:25.569-05:00

Looking over my training log today. The month of May was diasterous. Not enough saddle time. Too much food. A lot of distractions. I've lost an alarming amount of training load. And gained an alarming amount of weight. The fall season is not far away. And I'd like to do the new bike justice... It's a binary option. Turn up to fall with poor fitness, or rebuild the base over the summer. That

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-19465550237587860472011-05-19T21:08:00.002-05:002011-05-20T09:14:34.174-05:00

After ordering a new frameset on 14/Feb... I'm about to take delivery. But it's not the frame I ordered. That builder apparently can not even come close to filling their orders. And in fact, stopped taking orders for 2011 in MARCH. I've stubbornly hung on. Waiting. Because I feel the ordered bike is perfect for me. Test riding it was enlightening and elating. But even if it is perfect... it does

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-63750016642883471202011-05-16T15:54:00.001-05:002011-05-16T15:56:35.620-05:00

May was an expensive month in terms of weight gain. Between Jazzfest, crawfish boils, spring travels, and recovery week, I added a few 'non helpful' pounds to my body mass. It's probably best that I no longer reside in Louisiana. Back to training... Proper nutrition features big on my summer program. My fitness is progressing well, but I'm carrying more weight than I'd like it to. Need to control

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-80919392743407434912011-05-11T12:58:00.002-05:002011-05-13T12:59:55.641-05:00

Some recovery to avoid sickness paired with a weekend in New Orleans for JazzFest derailed my training. There is nothing conducive to training about New Orleans. But it was good fun. Good food. Good music. And a needed break. Lots of sleep deprivation. Though I slept more this year than most. Saw everyone I wanted to see with the exception of Karl Denson (I'm jinxed) and Black Joe Lewis (sold

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-32155303573464444722011-05-04T10:33:00.002-05:002011-05-04T10:34:25.819-05:00

Last post I mentioned my heart rate deflection. This has consistantly been an indicator of oncoming illness. Due for a recovery week, I started it two days early and took the weekend off. This was good. I didn't feel very well Saturday. Not sick. But not normal. No fever. But no energy either. Let's describe it as semi-sick. It passed rather quickly. Thankful I heeded the warning sign. I believe

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-83170686217146037402011-04-28T22:49:00.002-05:002011-04-28T22:52:48.601-05:00

These two graphs should have the same shape. When they don't... it usually means I'm about to get sick. Heart rate zones on the left. Power zones on the right. I'm due for a rest week next week. Hopefully the HR:Power disconnect is fatigue. I have a working theory about that... but let's see if things play out before I publish it.

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-79998970635925530262011-04-17T21:54:00.001-05:002011-04-19T14:40:12.716-05:00

Wednesday early morning fail, along with a Thursday missed workout, things were looking kinda bleak. But some salvage work brought the week back. Friday I attempted Wednesday's ride. And I completed it properly this time without the struggles of my early morning adventure. A relief. There was some worry I just wasn't up to form. Happily all is well. Sunday brought absolutely perfect weather!

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-67212009553521019892011-04-15T10:12:00.012-05:002011-04-15T10:18:43.273-05:00

New saddle. I picked it up at a serious discount, with eyes to put it on the still non-existant new mountain-bike. Like a kid with on Christmas morning... I had to give it a whirl. Mounted on the froufrou bike... I've been on a Specialized Toupe on the rhodie bike for almost five years. Spesh has slightly changed the Toupe. I have an older one and a newer one. It's now flatter than it used to

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-12026776077476771382011-04-12T11:53:00.005-05:002011-04-14T22:52:49.781-05:00

I'm not a morning person. Never have been. But... riding in the morning would mesh into my schedule this week. Why not give it a shot. I awake feeling okay. Early bed made this part easy. I gobble some homemade oatmeal bars for a quick nutrition boost. Dear doG it's an early start... Onto the bike and into the warmup. The legs feel like bricks. Dead. Flaccid. This should abate once I start my

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-55505416290537740052011-04-05T23:09:00.001-05:002011-04-05T23:17:25.738-05:00

Today starts a 12-week build cycle. It's more like three 4-week cycles. Each cycle adds a little step up of power. Then duration gets progressively added at the stepped up level over the 4-week period. The next cycle adds a little more power, then develops the duration. Tonight was the first night at the new power target. Selecting the target was a bit arbitrary. It's about right, though.

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-15862325636159603292011-03-24T22:10:00.001-05:002011-03-24T23:34:23.708-05:00

Paying the price for a couple of training errors. Error #1... inadequate sleep. In total I've gotten enough, but it's been broken into shorter sessions rather than a solid night-long slumber. Error #2... not enough water. I was thirsty all weekend. Travels, dry weather, and lots of time outdoors. Not a lot of water, though. Error #3... not enough food. The result... tuesday's ride showed an

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-41061831997598445262011-03-10T10:30:00.002-06:002011-03-10T10:30:56.680-06:00

As one could possibly tell from yesterday's rant... there's a supply issue with the new mountain bike. Not going to get it in time for the spring season. Considered a few options. Riding the old bike, that I'm frustrated to tears with. I could tootle through at a leisurely pace for spring races on it. If I'm not going to put in my best effort... why race? Spent an entire day being lost. Without

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-21918964849805564622011-03-09T13:43:00.002-06:002011-03-09T22:36:10.494-06:00

It just shouldn't be this difficult. Buying a bike ranks up there with having a rectal exam. It is actually worse than buying a car. Bike manufacturers and shops do themselves no favors. Some of my pet peeves... Shops have no stock. If you want a high end bike, you almost have to guess what you want. No one keeps any stock. "I can order that for you" say the local shops. But what if you it

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-15552717783414114142011-03-07T13:53:00.002-06:002011-03-07T13:53:08.443-06:00

Good saddle time this past week. Long threshold intervals on Friday were very tough, but knocked out. As I neared home I realize what I thought was CO2 carts rattling in my seatbag, was actually my saddle coming loose from the seat post. Luckily it didn't fall off. Potential for very painful accident. Luckily it all stayed together and got me home. Nothing broken on the saddle nor post. Checked

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-45689086249602369832011-03-03T07:17:00.007-06:002011-03-03T07:17:00.351-06:00

Nearing the end of my base bloc. The training fatigue is accumulating rapidly. For power geeks... last week was +12pts CTL. This week similar. More than I'd normally plan or recommend. But it's all threshold-zone and below. So the body tolerates it pretty well. Couldn't do these types of gains if the intensity were higher. The training is working. Every ride I'm spending more time at or

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-3893554195575786292011-02-28T09:11:00.003-06:002011-02-28T21:45:27.956-06:00

On an out-and-back ride, the magnitude of anomalously easy the ride outbound portion seems, will become twice the magnitude of anamalously hard the inbound portion seems.A windy Sunday endurance ride along Parmer Ln in Austin put me in the weeds for a bit. It was dreary and misting. Solid overcast. Low ceiling. I roll out noticing a significant wind. Remind myself... take it easy! All is fine.

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-19387546852768693832011-02-24T22:29:00.004-06:002011-02-24T22:32:50.069-06:00

Planned on some threshold intervals at the Froot Loop. Wasn't to be. Closed for the rodeo clowns. As I rode back, I passed by the departing 6:30 WE ride. Why not? I jumped on. The ride was a bit more pedestrian than I was looking for. But some very nice folks! And fun to ride in a group. I really like pack riding. I ended up with less intensity, but more duration. Matched my TSS goals almost

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-45095811508834677592011-02-22T13:39:00.000-06:002011-02-22T13:39:19.000-06:00

This season's plan was built with a sharply progressive increase in workload. January's setback put me behind. Missing several weeks meant starting over at Week 1. Remember what those teachers told you? Cramming doesn't work. True for training, too. After spending most of January sick, the temptation to cram is strong. I haven't crammed. But I've added just a bit more workload over the last few

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-21258643434091334292011-02-20T00:59:00.000-06:002011-02-20T00:59:02.170-06:00

Today I'm capping off a solid week of training. A lengthy endurance ride to set the fitness gains of the week. Welcome to my office. My goal is 2-1/2 to 3 hours, endurance pace, but some intensity in self- selected spots adding up to an hour of accumulated time at or above threshold. The route is an in-town loop, because I don't feel like spending any time in the car today. Out the door, jump

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-52287240378729251622011-02-18T07:02:00.002-06:002011-02-18T07:02:00.295-06:00

With temperatures in the 70°s... today's ride was a joy. Two 30'minute threshold intervals to test the legs with. I roll out a bit uneasy. My legs are sore. Previous day's strength training was a tad too aggressive. There really is no alternative. The weather is too beautiful. I'm riding. It's just a question of whether I can do my planned intervals, or will I need to back off into L2 territory.

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-22478719867270445142011-02-15T23:30:00.011-06:002011-02-16T09:49:41.714-06:00

A poor carpenter blames his tools. I've always been hesitant to. But I can also recognize the limitations of my tools. Saturday I reached that point. I've been reading Twist of a Wrist II I'll have a lot more to say about the book in a few weeks... but for now, without going into too much detail... the book delves into the mental and physical interface of going fast on a two-wheeled machine.

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-65478364097036541972011-02-11T15:27:00.000-06:002011-02-11T15:27:00.762-06:00

Rollers were my best cycling purchase last year. They are getting a lot of use with more freezing weather. The indoor and bundled up training fades the tan lines. Fellow blogger Matt calls it 'albino training'. Being fair skinned already, I'm on my way to the land of the pale. This weekend I'm choosing the next bike. It is time to move away from the Stumpjumper. It has and continues to be a

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-42789607802565460612011-02-09T09:53:00.002-06:002011-02-09T09:54:58.718-06:00

Continuing cold put me on the aluminium road again. Threshold intervals are the plan. This turns into the best ride I've had in weeks. My heartrate, perceived exertion, power levels were all in agreement. My HR was more than 10 beats per minute lower than the same effort last week. And instead of consistantly climbing through the effort, it leveled off and stabilized as I'd expect to see.

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-83653182047727122162011-02-07T20:58:00.000-06:002011-02-07T20:58:16.513-06:00

Planned to race the Texas Super Six on Saturday. My plan was simply to use the time as training. Six hours is what the training plan calls for, so why not do it at a race? But my recent training hasn't been up to my planned level. Ready for six hours? Probably not. Strike One. We've also had record cold and an ice storm on Friday. Would the weather clear? How cold would Saturday be? Yes... I'm

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793033940503146041.post-70706774664747986552011-02-01T14:28:00.001-06:002011-02-02T14:38:26.710-06:00

Hard to believe it, but the effects of my flu are still lingering. Though, I'm starting to blame detraining more than actual lingering illness. Things are improving. Tonight's ride plan was very similar to Jan 25's. Same wattage target, but longer work intervals. Again tonight, it was harder than expected. But two things stick out from the data. First, I was able to reach my expected wattage.

Mc.Davenoreply@blogger.com0