SBR Utopia ~~~~ Permanently OPEN!! (Page 15)

Getting back into the swing of things.  20 min T pace run yesterday and 4000 in the pool this morning.  I tweaked my knee a bit while working on Tab's bike yesterday so I'm skipping my run today.

Who is racing this weekend??  

Hope the knee issue works itself out quickly!

Taking this weekend off of racing....I'm in full-on taper mode now.  But I'm much less of a basket case this time around than I was for SG.  I have a couple hour ride and an hour run on the schedule for this weekend....think a friend and I are going to hit some "trails" on Sunday (they're flat, non-technical trails, but full of wildlife).

I'm beginning my "taper" for next weekend's race up Haleakala.  By taper...I'm still riding but nothing super long, but replacing it with some pretty hard efforts.  The legs actually feel pretty good right now.  My weight...not so much.  Whatever though...I'm looking forward to it.

Anyone following the recent news on wheels.  Zipp just released a new version of 404's called the Firestrike.  Wider, new dimpling pattern, improved (textured) brake track, and a nice $3600 price tag to boot.  Williams Cycling also released some wind tunnel results on their new wheels which have the new wide profile that the major companies are using now and it tested very similar to the Zipp Firecrests...at less than half the cost ($1200 for a set of carbon clinchers), or 1/3 the cost of the new Firestrikes.

On both accounts, it's great to see innovation on the higher end (I like the idea of an improved carbon braking surface) as well as the smaller companies being able to produce products very similar at a much lower cost (like FLO).

Gah, I vividly remember entering the park gates and looking up and seeing how much left I had to climb......   after climbing to 8000 feet from sea level... and knowing the hard part was just coming.  Relentless, no shade.... Still the best ride of my life, though I can't imagine actually racing it.

Arend - nice run (watch the knee, though!)

James - CRUSH it!

Jay - nice find on the 800!  I really like mine (even after breaking its face with my helmet)

Nicole and Jason - I hope you hold the taper madness at bay!

Wheels - I've said it before, but I went with used.  ~$2,200 for a pair of 404's, an 808 front and a 900 disc.  Had previously bought an 808 rear for ~$800 new but 2 years old in the shop (had been a pair that someone only bought the front).  All tubies, but for less than a new pair of the whizbangers, I have a full quiver of wheels that I love.  Over a year on them now and no problems (would never know they were used).

Had a fast day yesterday (well, until I got in the pool - lol!).  Felt great to open up the legs on both the bike and the run, but I was on empty by the time I got to the pool.  Going to try to ride today and maybe run tomorrow night when we get to Austin (3 day trip, which always messes up my bike and swim plans).

Matt

Originally posted by BrotherTri

Originally posted by axteraa

Getting back into the swing of things.  20 min T pace run yesterday and 4000 in the pool this morning.  I tweaked my knee a bit while working on Tab's bike yesterday so I'm skipping my run today.

Who is racing this weekend??  

Me, me, me, me........I am racing!!!Btw nice training Arend........but haha I am racing.....can you tell I am excited?And looks like perfect weather.

Go get it James!

Good luck James and go crush it!

The high price of the new Zipps is interesting.  They either aren't feeling the effects of the new lower priced wheels and the market can support both or they are sticking their heads in the sand and just hoping that increasing the price will keep their revenues flowing.

I've been thinking of getting some new wheels for Tab and I.  Considering something like the FLO 30 that would be usable for both training and road racing.  Since they sell just the rims now, I could get a PT laced into one fairly easily.  Still considering options though.  I'm going to get a pretty decent overtime check for my time in France and may get out of cheapo mode  (but not the new Zipps for sure!). 

Have a great race, James!  We'll be stalking you

I bought an older disc because I wanted the aluminum brake track.  The one I found, a shop was unloading on eBay (never used) Zipp 900 w/ powertap hub for $1700.  I got lucky and no one bid against me.  Buying Zipps at retail price is for the impatient, IMO.

I'm still sticking with the aluminum brake tracks too. Not sure I trust the cf to hold up as well over time for the reasons mentioned earlier and still have doubts about its consistency in performance, especially in wet weather. I really don't like it when equipment isn't predictable. Some may ask how often that really happens, but 3/4 events last year were in the rain and the last had some threatening. Two were entirely in downpours. That price is insane for the wheels too. No way for that much. Pushed past what it costs for some good frames and approaching some other really good ones. Wonder if that's an opening price for them, lowering later on?

Did get some decent workouts in today, even though both rides were on the trainer. Managed 314 for ISLAGIATT, the 2 hr one. Was going to go out for an easy late-day ride on some of the paths nearby, but a t-storm came through nearly dropping a tornado on us. Spinning clouds reported, sirens went off, and it just looked bad enough that I stayed downstairs being ready to hole up. Haven't had that feeling since I was a kid.

29:10 swim for James!  4th in AG.

And a 2:36:58 bike split bringing him up to 3rd in AG!  Keep it up -- killing it!

Good work James.   Looking forward to the report.

I had a great weekend of workouts but I am just really over electronics.   My PM has been acting up.  It will calibrate fine, then start the ride and there is no power.  Download the file and I get something like a 45,000 watt average.   I was able to confirm that it's the PT and not the garmin as my friend's garmin calibrated the same (772).   Then HR wasn't working on the brick.  Then HR didn't work AT ALL on today's long run.  And the pace was listing as X per 100 yards, rather than per 1 mile, so I had to guess at training paces.   Then I get home and the new laptop with all the software downloaded doesn't recognize any devices.   Sometimes I think I'd just prefer to do without all of it.    But I am a data geek in the end.....