The training thread: How was yours? (today/yesterday/etc)

foo on patrol · Postby **foo on patrol** » Fri Jun 01, 2012 5:33 pm

toolonglegs wrote:You wouldn't want to know my climbing technique then Foo ... it ain't pretty!.
Back on the bike today for a very gentle 40kms at 30av...NEARLY went out with the club tonight ( well I still have 30 minutes to change my mind ) but decided to wait till tomorrow... seems I got off a lot lighter than the rest of the family for once!.

Yeah I know, whatever works best for you TLL, doesn't have to be pretty.

Foo

foo on patrol · Postby **foo on patrol** » Fri Jun 01, 2012 5:35 pm

I know all too well there Pawpaw but a few years ago mate.

Foo

toolonglegs · Postby **toolonglegs** » Fri Jun 01, 2012 9:25 pm

Tried to keep a 30km average on my ride today...bloody phone wouldn't stop ringing!.
Needed more fluids, water fountain to the rescue, took too long to get food in but just staved off a hunger flat, 4 beauty wasp stings on my already huge thighs!, 10 minutes off best time on fav local climb ... arrived home to email confirmation that team is in for the Route de Saône-et-Loire stage race in 2 weeks time ... good times!.

ni78ck · Postby **ni78ck** » Sat Jun 02, 2012 10:41 am

10 minutes off TTL, thats huge!!!

i rode out to church point today, roads were wet so im not sure there were too many pbs!
i did try smash it up one hill to improve my strava ranking

toolonglegs · Postby **toolonglegs** » Sat Jun 02, 2012 2:59 pm

I don't usually climb it the direct route as I sometimes don't want to know my times ( the strava curse, everything is a segment! ) so I add in a smaller col or two on the way up... But was pretty happy to do it in 51 minutes... (15 km's at 5.7 % av, the average is killed by a 1 km downhill section after 4kms and a 1.5km false flat just before the final killer 2k's... It is usually 39/28 for me but I was using the 25 and lower a fair bit yesterday

)... Got to keep the kgs falling!!!.
But the wasp stings near the end killed!... Especially the one on the knee

.

foo on patrol · Postby **foo on patrol** » Sat Jun 02, 2012 3:26 pm

toolonglegs wrote:But the wasp stings near the end killed!... Especially the one on the knee .

Lucky for you TLL, if it was me, then they would have killed me!

I'm allergic to them and bees.

Foo

toolonglegs · Postby **toolonglegs** » Sat Jun 02, 2012 3:44 pm

You'd have to be on the ball here then... I get them fairly often... Much more so when I wear a helmet. Bugs can get pretty bad here in swamp land... Opening your mouth is often not a good idea!.

Parrott · Postby **Parrott** » Sat Jun 02, 2012 4:03 pm

foo on patrol wrote:
toolonglegs wrote:But the wasp stings near the end killed!... Especially the one on the knee .
Lucky for you TLL, if it was me, then they would have killed me! I'm allergic to them and bees.

Foo

Have you investigated an epipen?

Just asking to be helpful, they can be life saving.

foo on patrol · Postby **foo on patrol** » Sat Jun 02, 2012 4:10 pm

I have not gone down that path yet but I do carry Claratyne with me and when stung, I shovel 3 or 4 tablets into me and hope for the best. I did have the Ambulance called once but was lucky.

Foo

shann · Postby **shann** » Sat Jun 02, 2012 4:38 pm

Did not exactly cover myself in glory this morning on my ride, but since I really, really, didn't want to go, I guess I can at least be pleased with my willpower. It was a bit cold this morning, about 13 degrees - I'm in awe of you guys in cold climates who go out and ride in single-digit temperatures!

I have noticed a pleasing new development, I sometimes hit 30km/hr now, and not on the downhills! I'm also more consistent, and able to sustain a reasonably good pace for a longer time. Slowly but surely, progress is being made ...

toolonglegs · Postby **toolonglegs** » Sat Jun 02, 2012 5:02 pm

Gradual is good

.
I started riding again 13 months ago after one year completely off with injury. I thought I could get back to a good level in that time, but while I am happy with where I am now I now realize that it will take two years to get to where I want to be. Ok being in my 40's makes these things a bit tougher

... But you can only push yourself so much in a certain time.

foo on patrol · Postby **foo on patrol** » Sat Jun 02, 2012 5:49 pm

General rule of thumb is......4yrs if you are just starting out and 2yrs if you have had to take a break of 1/2 years to be able to attain a high
level of fitness TLL.

I gave myself 2yrs of training before I could/would start racing again but alas, that ain't going to happen now for sometime.

Foo

toolonglegs · Postby **toolonglegs** » Sat Jun 02, 2012 5:57 pm

Yeah I think you are about right... the big thing for me is losing the weight again (plus a bit more)

.
Hopefully next March I will line up for the first race of the season in Cat2 feeling like a burglar

.

toolonglegs · Postby **toolonglegs** » Mon Jun 04, 2012 9:40 pm

Damn I wish I had lost some more weight!... today's test was freaking hard but I think I still have more in me ... now where is analytical with 10kgs less

.
Todays test... http://app.strava.com/rides/10068579#177912534
Last weeks... http://app.strava.com/rides/9299282#168257148
11 more days to this http://www.routedesaoneetloire.fr/Route ... venue.html and there are about 160 in the Cat 1 / 2 peloton

... but only about 40 as Cat 2's ... looking forward to 3 days of serious suffering

.

PawPaw · Postby **PawPaw** » Mon Jun 04, 2012 10:28 pm

Lots of bugs going around Brisbane at the moment.
I was a bit off by the end of last week. Decided to race Sat at the last moment. Didn't feel really strong, so decided not to contest the sprint. The track was wet and the pace a bit off. Would have been good to work together for a break, but no one seemed interested. I led a few laps, had a break, then the pace dropped woefullly, so got back on the front for 2.5 laps to hurt the sprinters, but blew up myself. Couldn't get back on the pack after it passed, so retired around 30 minutes in. There was an A grade crash with 4 guys brought down a few minutes later, and everyone in C grade had to sit up for a few laps. So I'd have caught them if I'd stayed out.

Anyway, Sat arvo a mate and I had both wanted to try different crank lengths for months, and we suddenly realized we had what each other wanted, so swapped them over. Sun it rained so we didn't do our normal pack ride. But when the rain cleared we went down the Nundah Dome and did some paceline and out of saddle sprint stuff. very interesting. I got his 170 and he got my 175mm Ultegra compact chainset. I've always felt the 175 was a little long for me. I previously had a 172.5. Anyway, the 170 is certainly allowing me to get more aero, as I don't have to lift my knees as high. But I'd say I am unable to generate the same torque. The circles seem just a tad too small. Anyway, the real test will be our regular hills - Gateway Bridge, Clear Mtn, Coot-tha backside.

My mate feels he's definitely not going back to 170, and I am sensing we'll probably both end up on 172.5s.

ni78ck · Postby **ni78ck** » Tue Jun 05, 2012 1:15 pm

moverley rd loops today, i went with the big boys today and to my surprise i never got dropped

toolonglegs · Postby **toolonglegs** » Wed Jun 06, 2012 4:58 pm

Unreal form at the moment

... 3 more hard days including Sunday race then 4 days taper ... 3 day stage race then going to back it off for a while

...think I need it!.

toolonglegs · Postby **toolonglegs** » Fri Jun 08, 2012 3:44 am

What no one training

... I am still suffering from sore heels and feet!!!... Bloody annoying but pretty sure it is from riding tucked up so much lately.
Today did one of my favorite rolling terrain segments super fast... So bloody fast that rolling at sometimes close to 70 kmph on the flat with the head down was rather dangerous ... Hit a dead fox at full speed, luckily not its skull!.
Strava gave me a 5 min power of 710w ... Blah haha ... I would be in the Olympic team with that !!!.
Still got to get my position right... It feels good when my chin is down... Only problem is I can't see!!!

.

PawPaw · Postby **PawPaw** » Fri Jun 08, 2012 4:07 am

You hit an ex-fox at 70kph! Struth.

Yeah the chin down and not being able to see thing is a bugger. I'm thinking about attaching a mirror to my bars angled so I can look down at it and see what's ahead.

TLL, regarding your position on the bike, when you are seated and in the drops, are your bars pretty much centred between your eyes and front axle, or can you see your axle out front?

Re training, remember it's dark here early now. I did criterium track training last night. The paceline fell apart because it was dark, very windy, and a couple of guys some of us didn't know weren't the most stable. Me and some others went off and did our own thing, riding along, at 35 talking BS and avoiding the junior triathletes who seem to be multiplying like rabbits. I then did 10 laps with 150 metre sprints to the finish out of the saddle, trying to improve form and confidence OOS. Have wound my pedals up tight so as not to pull out. I'm rocking the bike with more relaxed arms and keeping my body more stable. Any tips for better OOS sprinting TLL?

toolonglegs · Postby **toolonglegs** » Fri Jun 08, 2012 4:37 am

Was probably about 55 when I hit the fox... was on my TT bike so it isn't quite as stable, certainly gave me a fright!.... there was a fair bit of wind assist

.
I will have a look at my position on my road bike tomorrow... I ride all day long in the drops, my stem is slammed ( without taking the bearing cap off that is supposed to stay there )...I need to get a negative stem on there now, I have a big saddle to bar drop already but riding on the hoods just isn't very aero... hammies haven't quite caught up with the back it seems

.
I have done very little sprinting drills in the last year... especially as been in the lower category has ruled me out of winning at the moment in most races... I am not much of a sprinter in pure wattage ( think 1350w maximum! )... but I can hold pretty close to 1000w for 30 secs and 700 and something for a minute... so I do all right in the fast finishes... just can't accelerate at all!... plus I am bloody big so I don't get knocked off my line

.

PawPaw · Postby **PawPaw** » Fri Jun 08, 2012 4:50 am

that's impressive wattage TLL. you really would be most awesome if 10kg lighter

how many spacers have you got sitting on top of your slamo, or did you suck it up and do a hacksaw job?

edit:
I am training to do this

toolonglegs · Postby **toolonglegs** » Fri Jun 08, 2012 5:03 am

I would like to be 10 kgs lighter but easier said than done!... even at 10 kgs lighter I would still have crap power to weight ratios in a sprint but I would get up hills a bit quicker

.
Only one 2.5mm spacer on top of my stem... but my frame has a huge sized head tube and then they make you run that big spacer on top of it...will grab a -5% stem over the weekend.

PawPaw · Postby **PawPaw** » Fri Jun 08, 2012 5:10 am

toolonglegs wrote:..will grab a -5% stem over the weekend.

there goes your back......again

toolonglegs · Postby **toolonglegs** » Fri Jun 08, 2012 5:12 am

philip · Postby **philip** » Fri Jun 08, 2012 8:30 am

first ride back after a week off with a cold.. damn I hate colds, I seem to get about 1 per year. Probably does me some good to be off the bike for a week though, I don't normally schedule in any rest periods.

I'm not sure -5 will make all that much difference TLL unless you're using a very long stem - go -17! I have a slammed -17 degree 130mm stem (long arms!)