SBR Utopia - OPEN (Page 185)

Good luck.  Pat Jason on the butt as you go past him.  lol

Jason and Melissa -- hope you both have great races!  I'll be internet stalking you all day long....and can't wait to read the RR's after!

Good luck racers!

I am heading off for a 3 day camping trip and a small part in an Xterra relay on Sunday (the swim). I decided not to race the Oly as it is $170 for late entry (and I never really got around to training for it) so I shall take my road bike and ride out onto the course to cheer friends on.

I'll only be home for a few days then we are off to Scotland & England for 4 weeks. Yipeee!

Wow!  Are you taking your bike so you can crush some international QOMs as well?  

Arend...alas, the Madone must stay home but I will be borrowing my uncle's old steel bike (with downshifter) like last time. I looked and saw lots of Strava segments around the small town where I grew up...but it might be kind of difficult on that bike! Strava is very useful in helping find routes to ride. The biggest challenge (in addition to the hills) will be the weather! At least I know that riding the Madone will feel great when I return!

I found Marc's question about flat riding to be interesting, as that is the kind of riding that I have historically been very good at, but terrible on a rolling course. A huge part of it is mental of course, but from a physiological standpoint if rom what I can tell it also stemmed from having a relatively well developed aerobic engine but at the same time being somewhat under-powered (that is the way I am spec'd out anyway). Typically folks that are better on the rolling stuff than the incessant flats have a power profile that is out of whack (comparatively) with their aerobic fitness. The good thing is that while these things are each natural strengths that are somewhat opposed to each other, each one can be trained. That is why I have been spending so much time in the mountains the last few years - because I suck at climbing so much. I have learned to apply my natural strengths to climbing and love long sustained ascents, but the short, sharp, surgy attacks can still destroy me. I have gotten much better at riding a fairly good Vi both up and down, and that has paid off in spades over long hauls.

Jason and Melissa - very excited to follow you both along on Saturday. We are riding around Lake Tahoe (and then some) on Sunday so I will be laying low just a bit on Saturday and I expect you two to keep me wildly entertained. Please don't let me down.. We came out with some friends to ride just for the fun of it and I really didn't pay too much attention to what we were actually doing, but I thought it would be a climbier ride than it actually seems to be. I finally took a little time today to look at the course profile, and it looks like it only has about 4000 feet of climbing over 100 or so miles. That pretty much qualifies as flat around the parts we normally ride, but seeing as the base elevation is about 3000 feet above the tops of our biggest climbs I am betting it might be a little more difficult for us low-landers than it initially appears. From the looks of it there are two little cat 4 climbs and a bunch of little 5s, but it mostly hugs the lake shore. Should be spectacular. And with the temps pushing the mid-90s at home this week I am loving 35 degree mornings and 65 degree days. Although I am sure my skin will probably start cracking off by tomorrow since there is absolutely no humidity to speak of.

x2!!

Can't wait for the RR.  

I think you both beat the heck out of me for venue this weekend, unless you want to switch with me and run the Holliston Lions' Triathlon and I'll head out West?!?!  

Hope you both CRUSH the course!

Matt

5' FTP test this a.m.    Ugh.  It's just five minutes, how hard could it be?

Numbers are what they are, but I would have thought that I improved my FTP in the last 6 months more than the measly 3w coach gave me.......

I love test week!

Are you using the CT for your tests now or the PT?

I know at the end of the day it's just a reference number, and a highly variable and uncertain one at that.  But we're still data geeks after all, no??   

20' went up 15, 5' went up 8.

I had a yoga instructor once say "don't rush to perfect a pose, because I am just going to give you a more difficult one."    I don't want it over estimated (as I know the 20' test can do) and then not be accurate for long course races.

ETA - when i put the numbers and my wieght into Jorge's online calculator it gives me a number about 14w higher than what Shane did.  But with the weight loss I am closer to 3.5 w/kg (altho probably overestimated). I know there was a discussion about getting to 4.0.  I cannot even fathom that number

Still the CT, although I am using it in 3D mode, which works like the PT (i.e., the watts show what you are pedalling, rather than setting the watts ahead of time).  I found a way to mount the PT on the bars tho, and one day I am going to run them side by side.  I may also start doing more intervals in 3D mode prepping for IM

In other news, have a 5 hour ride tomorrow, first real long ride in prep for IM C.  Then 1:45 run and 1:15 swim Sunday....   Gonna be tired.

Tomorrow I am also going to Ero Sports for a new bike fit tomorrow.  Guy that just had Leanda Cave in for a fit last week, Julie Dibens before that and a bunch of other pros.  Position is pretty comfortable now, some toe numbness after long rides.  Interesting to see what he suggests.

That should definitely estimate an FTP increase of more than 3w.  From what I remember, the flatter the slope (meaning a bigger increase in 20' vs 5') then the more the FTP estimate goes up.  

Based on what you posted in your log, Golden Cheetah says your FTP is 294w.

Really?  Your a strange pup indeed

I was trying to talk myself into it.

Yeah, I would have thought it'd be more too. Any typos in the info to/from the coach?