2010 is in the bank

Today, the day after Christmas, 2010, I hit 6,000+ miles, combining indoor training and road miles, for the second year in a row. I am not sure if that is good or bad but here are my feelings.

I am faster than I was last year. I think my average watts on a ride is up 10-20 watts or about 8%. That is very significant for me but I still want to be be faster. Robbie said to be fast you need butt time on the bike. He suggested I retire. Unfortunately, the thought of riding full time and not working is not very appealing. This year I had the opportunity to retire but the professional circuit will have to wait until I turn 60+ if ever. As my coach Joe W says a large part of winning is just showing up and I am not quite ready to show up.

Riding is still fun. I have met men and women both faster and slower both younger and older. I enjoy my time with my biking buddies. I feel very close to them. The young ones keep me fresh and the older ones keep me laughing. There is no better Sunday then riding 50 miles in a pace line with people who like to ride.

I am not sure what my goals for 2011 should be. Should I race more TTs, should I try crits, or just focus on the long rides? I don't know; but i really don't think it matters because while I like to win I am not focusing on winning races. Yet the coaches say goals matter so I can keep training and not get burnt-out, and while I know it's time to think about riding and what to accomplish while riding I really hate goal setting.

I have not been able to keep my weight down. My winter goal is 140. I am now 146/7; pass the pie please. Not terrible but the holiday food has been great and the wine has been fantastic. As my buddy Dennis says.."Ah the good life."
Those are my rambling thoughts. I appreciate your patience and readership over the years. I will be blogging less in 2011 and I hope you have a great 2011.

Its Inside Season Again

Campers; It is 8:00am and I am at VQC getting ready for a 3 hour indoor ride. I am strangely happy. This will be a no drop ride. I am in the 8 position. On the back row of 4 the 3 other riders are members of the grumpy old men. Dennis 63, Ted 61, and Mean Gene 65 who can kick my butt. On the front row, in no particular order is Scott, Mark, Heidi and Glenn. I am the 4th or 5th best rider of the group. Scott and Mark and lights years ahead of me. I hope to keep Gene in my sights and Heidi and Glenn are my rabbits.

But strength and position do not matter. I will ride my ride, I hope to average 135-140 watts for the 3 hours, and I know I may lack speed but I have endurance.

3 Beep, 2 Beep, 1 Beep the ride starts. It's the Swiss TT course displayed on 56" LCD computrainer screen at the front of the room. Initially we are tightly bunched together then quickly we hit the first hill and the group separates. Heidi and Glenn start pushing each other, Scott and Mark are ahead and I am following smiling because place, speed, power and ability do not matter. This is an indoor Sunday ride and all that matters is time and average watts. I know I will be the last one on the bike 3 hours later.

3 hours later I am still here riding. My average watts are 141. Everyone else has quit. I am in 2nd place just because I have endurance. I have watched 2 movies, consumed 4 GUs and drank 4 bottles of water. I am done; another Sunday finished. It was fun riding even in a no drop group. It's not California but the benefit is the camaraderie. Thus the inside season has begun. Not a bad beginning.

Back Pain Update

I have been absent from this blog for way to long, so here is an update: about 6 weeks ago I blew-out my back doing a stupid move just before I went on a ride. To add insult to injury I rode hard for two days and that just made the injury worse. Now it's 6 weeks later and I am not 100%.

In an effort to get as much info as possible, and heal as quickly as possible, I asked everyone under the sun what I should do. I consulted with 2 chiropractors, Dr. Larry Kahn and Dr. Osar, Jason Schisler at VQ, and the pain mavens at MYO Pain, Sharon & Mary. Basically they said the road to recovery is long, 8-12 weeks, and that I had injured a disc that strained some muscles or perhaps it was the other way around. No one had a good reason as to why it happened except that these things happen as you age, ach, and I should treat the injury carefully.

Dr. Osar had the best insight saying that as a person ages their discs become more brittle. Also because most people sit at desks and are hunched over their discs get use to being 1 way, hunched. As athletes, we work on flexibility. As we become more flexible we stress body parts that do not want to change their position so injury occurs. He said I need to take care over the next few weeks but that I can ride. However I also need to work on reverse-flexibility by doing reverse stretches, lunges and core strength. (Reverse flex is just doing Cobra, supported lunges and side stretches. These stretches have really helped me heal quickly.)

So where am I today, you ask? After 8 weeks and many sessions with chiropractors and massage therapists, I am still in pain but it is manageable. I no longer take daily doses of Advil and I am riding. When the pain gets too bad I am usually working to hard and I back off. The bad news is that I am still in pain. The worse news is that i lost some muscle mass and aerobic fitness.

BUT the good news is; I am riding. If there is a moral to the story it is that stuff happens and when it does get the best care possible, give yourself time to heal and be patient. (These are not my strong points.) So I am on the mend and you can now look for me on the road again I am happy to say.

How Not to End Your Cycling Season

I have had a great cycling season. I rode hard and increased my overall performance by 8 t0 10%. I am ahead of last years total miles and last year was a pr. I was looking forward to the off/cyclocross season when it happened.

I was getting on my bike for a fun submax. I dropped a shoe cover and bent down to pick it up. All of a sudden a white hot bolt of pain shot through my back. I could not stand and I had a hard time catching my breath. Eventually the pain subsided and I was able to get on my bike and complete the ride. However, the pain has been getting worse and today, 3 days later, I can hardly stand. The chiropractor said it was time to take it easy. Actually, after a very careful exam, he said that at my age, yuck yuck, I should be glad I did not blow out a disc.

What is a biker to do? I will do the easy, supposedly rehabbing exercises that were given to me, I will continue to take massive amounts of Advil and take it easy. Not riding is booooooring. I miss riding on beautiful days like today. But my hip has had enough.

So think of me and ride hard. I am here inside watching the Bears.

The Dog Days of Summer

It's towards the end of summer and I am having a hard time staying focused. I have been racing training and sweating all summer and I am feeling mentally fatigued and gimpy legged. The 4Man TT looms mid-Sept and then fall, cyclecross and the indoor season.

My goal for the rest of the summer is to train hard. My problem is focus. By now all the roads look the same and the workouts are bleeding into one large effort. I do not think I am suffering from over-training. I think I am suffering from "the same old thing." So my goal is to breath newness into my rides.

I hereby resolve: To do at least 1 new ride every week. To stop and smell the roses on recovery rides, every ride does not have to be a pound fest, and to smile when I ride. (Ruth says I am looking way to serious.)

There you have it: I will stress less and enjoy more. Have a fun rest of the season. See you at Starbucks sipping a latte.

Why I Ride

I have just spent 7 days of a 14-day vacation riding. I rode in Amalfie, Venice, and Borso del Grappa. I did a ton of climbing and got to prove to myself, once again, that I can ride. I will not be winning many races but I can climb, (not like a mountain goat more like a lumbering bear) and I also remembered that I have enough skills to keep up with faster riders. (Drafting covers nicely for lack of talent.) I rode with friends whose riding ability I respect and whose riding ability I could depend on, which allowed me to ride more assertively. I had a great week of riding. I love to ride. I love espresso. I love seeing new sights.

I am truly sad that I am returning to Evanston and that I am not able to ride in exotic locations all the time. I am also having a truly schizophrenic moment. I have a minor regret that I am not a professional rider. The greatest part of bike camp is being treated like a pro. I know, I know it’s the riding that’s the key. However I am a real competitor. I like to win. Realistic expectations suck.

On the other hand winning is not why I ride. I derive great pleasure watching friends ride away with a win. Yet there is no better high then conquering a mountain, establishing a new personal record, or beating a goal that you thought was unattainable.

Simply, the juice is worth the squeeze. That is why I ride. Look for me in Chicago. I am doing intervals.

See you on the road

JAM’s Rules for Biking in Italy.

1. Italians are used to bikers and as long as you ride predictably you will be safe. Well, mostly safe.

2. Everyone rides in Italy, young old and in-between. Most bikes are clunkers but don’t be fooled, the people riding them can ride fast.

3. Don’t forget: Watch the Road.

a. Rules for a guy: the cute woman you are looking at that is wearing something very revealing, is staring at you because you are about to hit a parked car, a pedestrian, a moped, a bus or some other stationary object.

b. Rules for a woman: the cute shirtless guy with 6-pack abs is looking for you for the same reason.

4. Intersections with traffic flow devices, like yield signs stop lights (you see them in the US a lot) are:

a. Mandatory for cars;

b. Cautionary for mopeds;

c. Optional for bikes; and

d. Invisible to pedestrians.

5. Pedestrians have the right of way except to bicycles then it’s a scrum.

6. Mopeds go wherever and do whatever they want.

7. If you are going 1 way on a street and the cars are all parked against your direction and cars are driving toward you, do not assume that you are going the wrong way on a 1 way street. It seems that in some cases street direction is optional so always be alert.

8. If you are lost and ask for directions make sure you ask some one who waves their arms a lot. That way you can be entertained, as you are not following the conversation.

9. If you use a Garmin or other GPS device:

a. Make sure you know how to up-load maps before you leave the US. Do some dry runs to ensure you have the skill down pat.

b. Always, always double check the rout to make sure the GPS has not put you on a highway or other place you should not be. (In Italy bikes can go a lot of places where bikes can’t go in the US but that does not mean you want to be there.)

c. If at all feasible check out the routs by car first.

10. Biking in Italy is fun, many people ride, find a group and see if you can tag along. I have found being an American can be both helpful and indifferent to a peloton but as long as I can keep up the group is happy to have me.

Riding Venice to Stra.

Today’s ride was supposed to be a ride in the country. I could have done the 2009 Giro TT course on Lido again but I did not want the same boring circuit. Instead I chose to brave the local highways for a ride in the country. I woke early, slathered up with sun block, prepared my fluids, downloaded the rout to the Garmin and then started the long walk to the start. Bikes are not allowed on Venice streets because the streets are narrow and crowded. Venice streets are hectic and I can imagine that a bike would just complicate the matter. My wife and I are staying in the Ghetto so the walk is about 15mn to the only road. I tried to take my bike on a vaperato, the local water-bus, but I quickly learned that bikes are also banned from vaperatos.

The walk went quickly because I left early and the tourists were not out yet. Impressively the locals were going about their daily chores. I passed a small outdoor fish market and a green grocer. I could smell the anchovies and the other fish as they were being displayed for passing shoppers. I quickly passed the market and made my way to the train station where the road began.

Venice is on an island. It was strategically built on an island to help the inhabitants avoid the invading Goths and make it hard for tourists to escape. The road out is a 2k causeway that buses, trucks, mopeds, cars and bikes all share. When I reached the causeway I fired-up the GPS and prepared to leave. But I discovered that the download did not work. So I had to reprogram the stupid thing. AHHHHHHH what a pain. After 10mn the ride was laid in and off I went.

Riding a bike on a highway in Italy is a very different experience from riding on a busy street in the US. An Italian car is much smaller then a US car so there is plenty of room but the ride is still scary. Once I started I could not stop because there was no turnaround point; so I just pressed on. Since I was not able to prescreen the ride I was at the Garmin’s mercy. At the first turn the Garmin tried to put me on, what looked like a highway, so I changed the route; this put the Garmin in various phases of apoplexy. I pressed on with the new road made several wrong turns and finally found a way I deemed safe. The entire time I was looking for a safe ride the Garmin was freaking. (It turned out that if I followed the Garmin I would have had a safe fast ride but who knew?)

I finally found a nice ridable road. The cars, trucks and mopeds buzzed by but there was plenty of room and I felt safe. After 20ks I passed a local market. I pulled off and took a look. The market was very different from the French markets I saw last year. The goods were mostly clothing and the like. There were 2 cheese trucks and a caravan selling fish. All in all it was a nice local market and a fun diversion.

The market was about half way and I decided to turnaround in order to do some serious sightseeing in the afternoon. The ride was fast. It’s nice when everything is mostly flat. I was able to ride at a mid to high submax and enjoy myself. I did miss company and it was hard riding solo for 2 long hours but the countryside was pretty and there was the occasional biker going the other way.

The return went smoothly. I did get lost once or twice sending the Garmin into more convulsions but after extensive therapy it is doing better. The return ride on the causeway was still a nail biter and I was having some tension headaches on the ride. The traffic respected a cyclist but the ride was not fun.

Bottom line, I liked the countryside but riding to and from Venice is best left to races and not the casual ride. Next up are the Dolomites with my VQ buddies. 4 days of great riding preplanned routs. I can’t wait.

Unexpected Bike Camp Benefits

I have been back from bike camp for a month. As I mentioned in earlier posts I had a soso camp. However the effects of the camp have stayed with me and have really helped my cycling. Here is what I have noticed.

I am pedaling at a much higher cadence. Before camp I was at a solid 85-90 cadence. Now I pedal at 90-100. In fact if I can not maintain that cadence I shift into a bigger gear so i can keep my cadence up. The higher cadence allows me to work my aerobic system not the muscular system. It is easier to recover from fatigue caused by aerobic work then by fatigue caused by overworking your muscles.

I have more stamina. Nothing improves stamina like time on the bike. Riding 330 miles in 6 days is definitely butt time on the bike.

My group skills have greatly improved. I came to bike racing and riding much too late to be a real factor in a bike race. However RV says the key to winning is the X factor. The X factor is position placement, knowing how to draft and general bike skills. Bike Camp helped me hone my X factor skills. I can definitely draft better and being small I can hide in a group. I am much harder to drop now.

I am faster. I have been slowly getting faster over my years with VQ. I know I am faster because the same routes that I trained on last year are too short now, I am running out of road. Its a good feeling to know I can maintain speed and keep up with the peloton.

I am really happy with my progress and I have come to accept that I will never be a pro, I am just too old (dam) and I am charged which helps me enjoy the suffering.

So look for me on the road, I will be suffering to get better as I am riding faster.

Santa Rosa Wrap-up

Bike camp ended last night with the traditional awards ceremony and some fun facts. There were 60 cyclists at camp including campers and coaches. We burned a total of 789,887 kjs; which is the equivalent of the calories in 1,400 Big Macs or 313 gallons of chocolate milk. I rode 334 miles, burned 9056kjs, climbed 15,000’+ (5,000’ the last day), the steepest grade was 26%, all over 21 hours of ride time. My fastest speed was 42mph, I was a little scared because the bike began to shimy, and my slowest speed was 3mph, a 26% grade is really steep. I saw some amazing scenery and had an awesome time.

Bike camp is all about exploring your limits and then moving beyond them. I found my limit on Wednesday. I was feeling cold and miserable. Then Amelia, a biker friend, reminded me to use my inner strength. I was jump started by my mantra; “I can do it.” I just repeated those words over and over and the miles and the fatigue melted away. I am not going to win many races but I am a competitor and I will always be in the mix.

Yesterday, as we were sprinting towards home, I had burned my last match and was spit out the back of the peloton. The lead group was about 500’ ahead when I noticed they were slowing their pace. I had a few minutes to rest so I powered up my turbo diesel and made a charge for the peloton. I was feeling good and gaining ground. I swept up other riders and we began to work together to bridge-up to the lead riders. When other riders would not pull I went to the front. We caught the lead group 1 mile from the finish. I then joined in the final sprint and was 3^rd.

The race was a great end to a fantastic camp. I had good days and bad days. I also learned a ton about limits and goal setting. Camp is always a growth experience. I can’t wait to go next year.

Santa Rosa Day 6

Today was Epic Ride Day of camp. The plan was to ride to Bodega Bay over two huge climbs, ride along the coast then return over another a 3^rd epic climb. I was really feeling good today and I was looking forward to today’s ride.

Before we rolled out there was a photo-op with RV. Here was the plan. We had a police escort out of town, as we were riding each rider rode up to RV and a photographer in a car took our picture. It took us 6.5 miles and we were only able to get pictures with 2/3 of the campers.

Today was my best day. I had plenty of power and endurance. The climbs were long and hard. Each climb was several miles long and there were sections were the inclines were over 25%. We have a saying in our group, a 4% grade is the new flat. I did a total of 5000’ of climbing and used 2000kjs. I think this is a personal best.

Camp was a blast. I pushed myself and established a new level of pain and endurance and after all, that is what camp is all about.

PS. Here is an article in the local paper about Bike Camp. Just copy and paste the link.

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20100423/ARTICLES/100429733/1334/news?Title=Welcome-to-bike-camp

Santa Rosa Day 3 & 4

The word for the day is more rain. Yesterday was supposed to be the climbing day but because the forecast called for rain and hale RV decided make the day a recovery day so we did a submax loop of 36 miles around the Santa Rosa area. When we left it was sunny and warm, with no rain clouds in sight. At the 31-mile mark we could see the rain coming. I was pulling the group and the word from the coaches was ride on. We were riding at 18+mph and before I knew it we were in the rain.

During inclement weather it is always best to be the lead rider. That lesson was reinforced when it began to hale. We were 5 miles from home and the coaches said press on. I pulled at an even pace as little ice balls began to pelt me. As it haled I learned an important ancillary rule. It is best to be the lead rider in a rainstorm AND not be on the non-windward side during a hale storm. Unfortunately I was on the windward side and was receiving the brunt of the storm. My co-leader was also being pelted, just not as much. Because we did not stop riding during all the weather we rode through the hale quickly. Fortunately there were no injuries and we rode back to the hotel in sunshine; go figure.

Day 4 was the new climbing day on Pine Flat, a ride made famous by Levi Leipheimer. Daybreak brought grey ominous skies, however, the forecast said only a moderate chance of rain. Because it was cold everyone was wearing all his or her cold weather gear. Dressed for bad weather we rolled out and headed for the climb. Soon after the start there was a loud ban and a screeching noise. Boogie, a rider in our group yelled “mechanical” and the group pulled over. Boogie always has the best or if not the most expensive gear. Upon inspection we discovered that a derailleur wheel, a little wheel that allows the chain to move around the gears exploded. The wheel was carbon fiber, a very strong material, however it can not be over flexed or it will fail catastrophically. Unfortunately Boogie was done for the day and into the sag he went.

After Boogie moped into the sag we restarted the ride. 5 miles later another rider called out, “mechanical”, due to a flat. The flat was quickly changed because each sag car carries several replacement wheels. The mechanic hopped out grabbed a wheel made the switch and off we went in less then a minute.

Because we were running a little late the coaches began to push the group. Our speed inched higher even though we were heading into a 12mph wind. Riders took short pulls at the front to save their energy for the big race up Pine Flats.

I need to spend some time now explaining how I am feeling. To date, I have ridden 210 miles, in 13 hours and burned 5,200kjs (kilojoules; an energy measure). I had 2 massages and I have been eating like a starved bike rider. I came to camp 2 or 3 pounds heavier then in previous camps, life has been good, and I have lost some power because I have been working on core strength. When all these factors are added together it equals 1 tired camper. My hammies are singing and feel like they are slightly pulled, my quads feel gimpy and I do not have that explosive power that I usually have and there are 2 more days of riding!

Now back to the ride. We slowly ride towards the climb. There are several smaller climbs of about 500 feet that are hard but not killer. I take my time and as usual I am the last guy to crest the hill because I am conserving power. However it has begun to rain making the climbs slippery and the descents treacherous. The group slows down on the descents but we are cold and miserable. A certain amount of cold while working out is good, it allows you to work harder, however, the cold and rain was making everyone shiver, which is not good, because your body takes away power and works on keeping itself warm.

Finally we reached the climb site. It had stopped raining but the summit was fogged over and more rain was coming. At the base of the climb the VQ staff met and canceled the race saying it is too dangerous. Damn now we are cold and ready to ride but have nowhere to go.

We are told to turnaround and return to the hotel. Because the group has so much energy we start to race. Everyone is ready to ride so the ride turns into a speed fest. The fast riders move to the front and off we go. Rick, a funny semi-coach starts giving play by play as we speed along at 20 to 25mph. Its really funny, we are racing and Rick is yelling commentary. I am pulling my self inside out just to keep up and trying not to laugh because that is sucking up my power.

As we are racing it is passed up through the peloton that if you want you can do an additional 30 miles. I am tired and I know there is a big day tomorrow so I decline. But many of the riders do the extra loop with 2000’ more feet of climbing. I head back to the hotel for a shower and to soak in the hot tub.

Tomorrow is the big race day. I am not as pumped but I am getting my enthusiasm back. Tonight Max Testa, the famous cycling doctor, talked to us about riding, power output and heath. So off to bed I go, knowing that if I ride today I will live longer and be healthier. Tomorrow will be fun.

Bike Camp Day 5: The Big Climb

Today we did the Pine Flat ride. The climb we did at VQ camp last year was Mt. Fig. As you can see from the picture Mt. Fig is a much steeper and longer climb. However it is easier to ride to Mt. Fig. Also the mountain stages of camp are always a race stage. This stage was no different.

Today started as a beautiful morning but a tad cold; a welcome change from the previous days inclement weather. However I was feeling miserable because I was stiff from the cumulative days of riding. I was not looking forward to today’s race. Because I was so grumpy I decided to attend an active stretching class taught by Gardie Jackson, an accomplished national athlete. Gardie had us do lots of hip openers and legs openers plus traditional yoga poses. After 45mn of active stretching I felt fantastic. My muscles had opened up and I was ready to rock and roll.

I now eagerly dressed for the race that was leaving at leave at 9am. I like to get to all rides ½ hour before roll time to give me an opportunity to check my bike, take 2 or 3 nervous pees, and sign in. Because I did yoga I was running late so I rushed to the ride. Fortunately getting ready has become routine so I did not forget anything.

Our ride leader Bob H assembled us early and off we went. Today’s ride to Pine Flat was smooth and fun. It was a beautiful ride through vineyards on Chalk Hill road. We passed the Chalk Hill winery, known for chardonnays, Silver Oak, know for Cabs and a lot of boutique producers. I enjoyed every minute of it. Yesterdays ride in the rain and wind was unbearable. (I learned early today that the winds were 20mph not 12, no wonder I was spent.)

Everyone arrived at the base of the climb about the same time. RV gave us our instructions, which were fairly simple. Ride up as fast as you can and scream your average watts out to the scorekeeper as you cross the finish line. The main goal of the ride was to get the highest average watts possible. Also, if you finished the ride in less than 50mn you could do the optional ride up the entire mountain.

RV sounded the horn and of we went. The total race was about 7.5 miles. The first part of the climb was an easy 4% grade, then there were some slight down hill and then the grade pitched up again. The steepest part of the climb was 14%. Because there were places to recover from hard efforts, the slight down hills, the race did not seem that hard. However because there slight down hills it was hard to keep your power high.

My ride time was 48:20. My average power was just below my tested power. Interestingly my average HR was 164 and my average speed was 9.6mph. Looking at these numbers I am wondering if I could have gone harder? I don’t really know. I rode as hard as I thought I could. I think the real answer is that it does not matter. My perceived effort for the ride was a 9. I had a great time. That’s what bike camp is all about.

After the race I was tired so I chose to descend vs. doing another 40mn hard climb. The descent was steep. One camper gripped his breaks so hard he heated up his rims which caused the air in his front tire expand to the point where it explode. Fortunately he was fine.

The ride home was great fun. Everyone felt good and some of the riders even tried to organize singing in the pace line. But as everyone knows there is no singing in biking. Tomorrow is the last day and we have been promised an epic ride. OY

A final note: While returning to the hotel we passed a rider who looked a lot like Levi Leipheimer. Well, everyone looks like Levi when they are wearing spandex. Tonight was the camp dinner at a local restaurant. The owner, a former pro racer, had a ton of great bike paraphernalia sprinkled around the restaurant. Just as dinner arrived Levi showed up and talked for a few minutes. It was a great conclusion to a great day.

Bike Camp Day 2

I am often asked what is bike camp about? The answer is simple; bike camp is about helping a camper reach their personal goals that he or she thought were out of reach.

Today was such a day. Yesterday I rode a little too hard, I was dehydrated and I did not follow my riding plan. Today I vowed to take it easy on the climbs and conserve energy. By the 3^rd climb I was suffering. The group was climbing fast and I was sliding back. I had a ton of negative thoughts. I was turned inside out on a supposedly submax day. Then I reached deep inside myself and began to recite my mantra, “I can do this, I can do this, I can ride with these guys.” As I was going up the next hill, “rotation, hydration, rotation, hydration.” I kept on sliding back but the group did not drop me and I was able to ride with my friends. At one point we averaged 20+mph for a long period and I kept up. Yes, I was suffering, but I was keeping up and I was also building confidence.

So what is bike camp about? Convincing myself I can ride and that all the hard work I put in during the winter is paying off. I learned the same lesson from Michele a friend who is being treated for breast cancer. Her mantra is, one-day at a time and then anything is possible.

Now for the numbers: 70 miles, 4:23 ride time, 2500 ft of climbing and 1765kjs used. Plus, as an added bonus, I rode in redwood forests and had an awesome group. Basically, today was another great day of great riding.

Tomorrow is the climbing day if the weather holds. I now have the confidence even if I do not have the power. See you guys at the top.

The first day of camp is always filled with anticipation and a restless night. Because I am still on Chi time I got up at 5am and checked facebook. Then after I dawdled for a while I got up and laid out my clothes for today. Lots of little decisions: do I bring the long gloves, what kind of socks (wool or regular), how heavy a cap? Finally its 6am and I can think about breakfast.

Unfortunately there is no coffee at 6am. A scouting party went out and just reported that nothing is open. Ahhhhh no coffee for a few more agonizing hours. (I have a wicked coffee withdrawal headache.)

The schedule is breakfast, safety briefing and then suit up. I have been assigned to the C group with a lot of my friends. Today’s ride should be a rerun of a Sunday ride.

The sun is rising and I smell coffee. More later:

I just returned from the ride. VQ broke us up into a total of 7 groups. I was in the group that left at 9:35, it basically was a group of guys whose power to weight ratio was about 3:1, and as I mentioned earlier the group was filled with guys I usually ride with on Sundays.

The ride was supposed to be a warm-up ride of a 5-7 difficulty. There were some good climbs and some fast descents. I thought the ride was a 7.5 to an 8. The group was well matched and fast. I stayed in the back as planned and tried to keep my average watts low. A few times I was climbing too hard and had to back off. In fact on the second hard climb I let the group move ahead and I just climbed at a constant rate. My strategy worked well because I had some nice power at the end of the ride while others were fading.

Now for the numbers; I climbed about 2000+ feet, I rode 60 miles and my average speed was 16.5mph. That might seem slow but the 5 climbs really slowed me down.

I also learned some very important lessons. I climbed too hard on the first hills and used way too much energy. I caught myself on the later hills and backed off a notch. I climbed the first hills at 110%-125% of LT power. On the later hills I climbed at 95%. I also forgot to take my salt supplements during the ride. It was a very comfortable 65 here, but I still lost 3 pounds, which means I lost 3 pounds of water and salt. Tomorrow I plan to drink 1 bottle an hour and take 2 salt tablets at every break. These changes should help me ride more efficiently.

My overall impression was that the ride was enjoyable and the scenery was amazing. I rode well and kept up. I was definitely tired at the end and I am wondering how 5 more days will affect my system. Tomorrow is 70 miles and the next day is a climbing marathon. But that is bike camp, a place where you push yourself to new highs and establish new peaks. I am anxious and excited about tomorrow, however now it is time to nap and then get a massage. Stay tuned for day 2.

Bike Camp is Here

Saturday I leave for bike camp. I am busy getting my riding gear together and making sure I have all my nutrition and other goodies packed. But nothing says riding season is here, more then the official "Shaving of the Legs" ceremony.

This year in attendance was President Obama, who shaved the official 1st hair, ex Gov Blagojevich, he was plugging his new book, Cobert, who can never ignore an invitation to plug himself at any occasion no matter how obscure, and of course my wife and children. In the background you could hear the loving sounds of, "mom, dad is doing it again, Make him stop!" Her reply, "I can't; it's just one of those things. Try not to cry."

So off to bike camp I go. Stayed tuned for more exciting coverage.

Aging Up

Those of you with kids engaged in organized sports are familiar with the term "aging-up." Aging-up means as the competitor gets older he/she competes in an older appropriate age bracket. The sport I am most familiar with is AYSO soccer. AYSO groups kids in 2 year age categories starting with U5, preschool through U19, high school. As the kids get older they play in older categories.

Age brackets are not only for kids. When adults compete they race in one of several masters brackets (I have discovered that masters level is just a cleaver way of describing an older adult; marketing strikes again.) Specifically in cycling there are age and skill categories. The age brackets are every 5 to 10 years starting with 20+. The skill brackets are listed as Cat 1-5 with 1 being the most competitive. During the 4 man Time Trial I had the opportunity to compete in the open category, anyone can race there are no limits, a skill category like Cat 4/5 or an age category, 50-59. Part of the luck/skill in competing is choosing the correct group to compete in. Last year we would have medaled in the 50+ group but were ineligible because 1 team member dropped out due to injury and was replaced with a 32 year old. We came in 6th in the open category. Still not too shabby.

I had no idea that aging up is still a big issue even at the masters level. Sunday I was riding with the usual suspects. We began talking about the recent indoor Time Trial at VQ and I mentioned that 1 of the stronger older riders Geneo won the 65+ group. One of the other riders, Bob H who is an excellent rider and can ride with any A group, commented that he just turned 60. We knew that he was 60+ because we saw that he had won that group.

Then it hit me, Bob H just aged out of my category and 1 huge obstacle to my success had been removed. Wow, I felt really lucky to know that I was no longer competing against Bob, a superior cyclist. However the other riders in the 60+ group were bummed because they now had to ride against Bob. But there is a silver lining. Kevin L said "wait a minute this is great news. Our 4 man TT team has just become unbeatable, we are going to dump the slowest guy and use Bob!"

There it is again, the blessing and curse of aging-up. Who knew that aging-up would continue to dog me through my life. As Art Linkletter kinda said "Aging is not for sissies."

Update on Illness Fitness and Consistency

A quick update. I rode outside last Friday and had a great ride. I did 2 hours with my buddy Dennis. The goal was a 5x5s at 100% to 110% of LT. I was able to ride above my LT with ease, in fact the entire ride was done at tempo/zone 3 or greater. (For you non VQers that is riding at 3/4 max heart rate for the entire ride.)

I also went to the muscle doc who said, "man you have a small butt." My reply "Yaaaaaaah; eye roll." He said I was looking better and was more balanced but I needed to get more glutes into the action and less paraformis.

So the life of the amateur cyclist continues; more squats, more dead bug exercises, less paraformis and plenty of bike time. But I am feeling better and seeing some results. Its great to be on the upswing.

Illness Fitness and Consistency

Thankfully winter is almost over. January and February were brutal months because of the weather, I was sick and my Uncle passed, which made me the patriarch of the family. All those events took a toll on my consistency and my desire to workout.

The biggest drain on my riding resources was a persistent cold. The damn thing would not go away no matter what I did. I could workout but I had only 80% power or less during the exercises. (What a drag.) I tried mega doses of vitamin C, rest, steam, massages, drinking a ton of water and anything else people suggested. What worked was time. It took 6 weeks but the cold finally ended. I felt I was somewhat lucky because I did not have the hacking cough that many people had but dragging my butt around for 6 weeks was way too long.

I was also not able to consistently ride because my Uncle Buddy died. I visited him in Dallas when he was in hospice and then I attended the funeral. He was the oldest male of the family and now that moniker falls to me. It was sad to see Uncle Buddy in hospice, especially when I remembered the fun times we had together. However I am glad we had some time together.

The net result of the winter was that my fitness decreased. I know my fitness decreased because I could not finish the 40mn supermax test. At the 20mn mark I was having a hard time keeping my watts up. At the 30mn mark my legs gave out. That has never happened before. I just could not go on, my legs were toast. This was very discouraging especially because I work so hard. When I am most discouraged I feel that never has anyone worked so hard and made so little gains.

Since all of the trials and tribulations of winter it has taken me another 4 weeks of consistent work to regain form. Thankfully I am feeling better and I am riding with more confidence. Also my fitness has returned. The doctor said my vitals were great, HR 45, PB 106/60. Not too bad for an old guy.

So what is the moral of this winter tail of woe. Consistency is the key. That's it, no more to say. I'm back on the bike and back on the road. Bike Camp here I come.

Transversus Abdominis

In my quest to become the fastest 50+ rider around, ok ok, at least keep on improving, I have met several walls. They are, in no particular order, slow cadence, inconsistency of time on the bike, I do have a life outside of cycling, weight, and weak abs, aka the tranvsrse abdoninis (tva). One more problem I have is that my lung function is at 75%. I have some asthma and my lung capacity has been an issue especially during peak asthma times.

I have written before that I am working on the tva with HJ. My HJ workouts consist of breathing exercises and strengthening exercises. Here are my results. It took me about a month and during 1 very hard recent workout I was able to access my tva and get more power and more strength. Unfortunately, I can not engage my tva regularly and I have to continue to unlearn my old habits but I am seeing progress and success. In fact I am really pumped by the little steps I am taking and I am discovering I have more breathing capacity and more core stability.

Recently my breathing exercises came into play during a very hard Tuesday VQ workout. I was doing a LT set when I noticed my heart rate was at LT or just above. (For me that is 173.) I tried my breathing exercises and I was able to reduce my HR by 4-5 beats. That was amazing. Secondly and I was able to increase my power and cadence after my HR was reduced. Another Amazing.

So here are my conclusions. This stuff really works. I did expect the exercises to help but part of me was somewhat skeptical. So I have totally bought into the program and I am breathing more deeply and feel stronger on my right side. However, I have not been able to access my tva on a regular basis. Also, this may sound weird, I can't imagine why I developed such bad posture and breathing habits to begin with and it seems that breathing properly would have been the good stuff to learn when I was younger.

On the practical side, riding has morphed into a more age appropriate goal: learn to breath more deeply, get a stronger tva so it takes the strain off my back. Now if you need me catch me in the gym doing my tva exercises and staying young.

January Blahs

Today is January 18th, not quite the middle of the winter, and I have the bike riding, grey winter day, legs are tired, I have no motivation, winter blahs. I have been warned about winter creeping up and giving me an atomic wedgie feeling from my coaches and cycling friends. There is not much to do to combat the blahs. I am sitting in front of a sudo-sun lamp, it simulates sunshine, however there is no beach and no Corona, yet I can hear the gentle swishing of the dogs tail, typing the blog. My brain says that I must ride with conviction even though my body says there are lead weights tied to to my legs.

I have been combating the blahs by riding with friends at VQ which, has become my second home. I realize friends will distract me. The distraction is welcome and acts as a tonic which lifts my spirits and puts new meaning into my workouts. Yesterday I had just ridden 2 hours inside and was scheduled for 3 hours when I decided to quit. But instead of stopping I moved my bike to guys I like to ride with and the next 45mn went fast plus I was able to increase my power by 10%. Now that's a tonic I wish I could bottle.

My next accommodation is easing up for a week. I have been working out consistently and putting additional stress on my legs by doing crunches and core workouts. I think the sum total of all the workouts have taken a toll so I will ease up by reducing the intensity of my workouts by 10%.

Well tomorrow, Tuesday, is a hard day so I am resting up and doing some serious blah fighting. I hope you have the blahs under control so when you see me you can give me a dose of sunshine and brighten my day. See you at the gym.