Tuesday, March 24, 2009

The "New" Club

The 7 Day training plans have now given me the freedom to do what I've been doing for the last couple of years. I have been faithfully writing out each week of the Intermediate Training plan down and only getting 1/3rd done. So this week I wrote out the 1/3rd of the workouts, with a few indoor options as its still March and cold.

This is good. Tonight with cold weather 1°C with a strong head wind 27 km/hr ave. going out, 45 km/hr ave. coming home. I got in my two 15 minute zone 4 intervals. whew... I'm ready for summer, warmth, and a lot less clothing!

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Neuro "break-outs"

Last year I did not always use the Neuro workouts, I thought a good hard workout is way more important. UNTIL my dad was up visiting when I have the Texas Bar-B-Q (Second weekend in September, right before cross), and I have to watch the smoker all day long, so I had a Neuro/Cyclo-CLIMB day. Well, was he impressed about the whole Neuro workout, I did the Warm-up, Climb, then 3 sets of 8' ZEN and then SPEED 4, and finally finihsed with the Gauntlet.

Well, dad was impressed, he is a M.D. and reads a lot, and he read a study done on people who have done "ballancing" tasks during their life and how much mentaly healthier they were, and the had exersize recomendations (not as exahustive) to do. He could not say enough good words about that workout routine.

That said, today when it was cold out, rather than bundiling up and just riding, or doing Spin class #7, I did my week 1 of Build Neuro workout, and used my rollers for the cycling section to make me that much smoother and "more in touch". Good ride, and I can stand out of the saddle on the rollers now for 40"!

Friday, March 20, 2009

First Day of Spring

A fellow Blogger on my follow links Ride Blessed is a bit of a science geek, and she admits it, I love her post as I have an engineering degree and it's right up my alley. But also having a Master in Divinity I've been working on a theological blog on why I ride. In the end all that aside, I've also got three dogs. I came home today from work and they were WIDE EYED AND TOO BUSY TAILED! I took them out for a Long walk! tonight they are laying around the house tired, I love being tired on Saturday nights, when I can just lay down to bed and SLEEP through the night because I'm tired from riding like a mad man in the morning.

Monday, March 16, 2009

End of Fat-Loss

Well, I'm rebooted and considering if I weigh myself through out the day my weight fluctuates by almost 6 lbs. I'm guessing I've lost 3-4 pounds of the unwanted stuff. This a.m. after coffee, water, and a recovery stretch 178.6 lbs
By following the Hammer Nutrition riding protocol I would weigh in at 177-8 lbs ready to race. Which is VERY good given I've got 5 weeks before P2A, which is an A-Race.

On to real work...

Monday, March 9, 2009

Fat Loss Boot Camp Day 1

It seems the disk is full over at Cyclo-Club, too many people trying to get into the best shape possible, Graeme's becoming the new "Jack O'Lane"

For my Fat-Loss week I chose to do the Cyclo-SPIN 5 to try and test my LT/Zone 4. The first time I thought it was just a Zone 4 workout, this time I went back and did the testing again.

With such a short warm up my first round is just the warm up, the second one was "OK" I thought my LT was around 171-2. on the second run, never felt like I was going to get in trouble, nor did I ever feel I was pushing that hard, I was 1 minute behind Graeme on the second round and two bpm below him. My uncertainty is either:
1.) I'm so used to thrashing my body I don't feel trashed out,
2.) my LT is higher than I think and I should try to "pop" during the test...

So to date I don't know if I'm doing this class right or wrong.

Day one done on the Fat Loss Bootcamp.... Frustrated.

Sunday, March 8, 2009

A change is a coming


I just made my first "formal" training plan for the new season.

This week is going to be a Fat Loss week. I went to the boot camp Advanced and its "kicked up a notch" from the Cyclo-FUEL plan. Food still the same. I should have expected this when Graeme said the Spin #5 would make a great day 1 workout, and since I did not understand that it was to be the upper end of z4 not a z4 "training" class I haven't gotten a good maker yet. Tomorrow morning, first thing after doggies been fed. The labs will behave I hope Miss Mai (Elli-Maihem) will. See above when she got in the garden last summer. Back to training... This will lead up to the Following week beginning Build.

All that in anticipation of the Paris to Ancaster which is more than a month away. I have set my goal very high in lew of last falls success in Cross (san broken bones), and I'm feeling what Cyclindad felt this morning already. I was 109th with the wrong gearing and a slow start, I had to run the whole of the final hill (not good it is ridable, especially with the new 11-32 cassette I have. and slow running for me). My goal is to get into the top 50 that's 10 minutes off of last years time, no mistakes, no mechanicals, and a better mindset than what I have today...

Saturday, March 7, 2009

You CAN NOT do a recovery ride with the "Guys"

Second day outside riding. Yesterday Greg and I went in the afternoon, sun cool but still nice. When I ride with him, he's just happy to be on the bike, kindred spirit there. So I was able to pace myself up the rollers rather than pound them. He's going to be a force to recon with this summer, he was smoooooth going up the hills.

Today was the first coffee shop ride with the "Brantford Boys." Ah... Ed N. I know better, but I started out keeping up and then told my self, NO NO NO, the Paris to Ancaster is far more important than being up front "where I belong" so I dropped two zones and flew off the back, and did quite nice. The irony is a was not much more than a minute behind the guys back to the coffee shop.

Now in November, I got a pair of Ironclad Cold Condition Gloves from Cyclo-Club and Josh. Yester day it was +14°C and the gloves were good, and comfortable. Today it was +3°C and I have come to the conclusion that an Origon Winter is a lot warmer than a Southern Ontario Spring. My hands were sore, I was cursing, they hurt so bad (they still hurt). Now in the fall at +3°C they would be great, but the grounds still frozen and ice is still in the woods so the wind is cold plus it was wet out there today.

Monday, March 2, 2009

Time for Recovery

On Saturday I finished a pounding on the rollers, I managed to stand out of the saddle for the first time ever! Last week was my last pounding week of the official "off-Season".

Saturday night I did the full Spa treatment to get all the garbage out of my legs, and boy I was amazed how good my legs felt afterward. Sunday I did Kates ZEN-30' Recovery Yoga. Today I plan to do Cyclo-ZEN Fix the Back Flexibility. Any time on the bike/trainer/rollers will be a z1-z2 easy spin!

This weekend is supposed to be +9°C! Which means a nice ride outside. Next week my desire is to to the Fat-Loss boot camp, to drop just a bit, and get ready for a build session and the first two races of the year. I think I'm going to start racing some road again this year (after 20 year absence from it).