kaburns1214 Mentor Group 2011 Part 2 - CLOSED (Page 33)

So now I'm a carpetbagger?  Really? ;-)  I expect you to be there in 2012 either racing or volunteering.

I know it probably won't, but I also don't want to take a risk.  I can acclimate to heat but I can't find another bike course that suits me as well as IMTX.

LOL.  I'll be there volunteering for sure if I can't find a way into the thing.  I've ridden 2/3ish of the course.  It's gonna be fast.  Hills aren't that challenging, but just enough to keep the lesser riders at bay.  And it's pretty shaded.  A good bit is through a state park/forrest.  Having driven through your part of CT it is pretty similar if not a bit flatter.

Everything said was true about missing the cut off etc, but I feel like it was the wrong forum to do it. Being a back of the pack finisher I am just grateful to cross the line.

It's funny, I moderate on a lifting/fitness board and we almost never close or delete threads.  I saw nothing in there that was attacking or personal, just someone who got their feelings hurt.  She put herself out there expecting a big pat on the back and got owned instead. 

I dont think she got "owned" either.  Why is honesty bad?  this is part and parcel of the trophy generation thing.  She didnt finish the race, that;s okay.  we all DNF.  it SUCKS, it makes you try harder the next time. 

Anyway, time for beer and cottage cheese, then hard intervals in the morning. life got in the way of afternoon training.

Eh, "owned" as much as anyone on this board does I guess.

Beer and cottage cheese huh?  Interesting combo, not really appetizing, but interesting none the less.

I dont so much have trouble staying asleep (except in the morning when the housemates damn cat miow's) but i do have a lot of trouble getting to sleep in the first place. So this might not help in your case but you just never know! I use a guided meditation CD with breathing exercises on it as i lie in bed, 10-15mins long is all they are and i find it really helps to relax the mind (i'm an over-thinker!).  If i dont use this method i can easily lie awake for hours trying to get to sleep.

Morning everyone.  Heading to pool for a 4000 yard swim and then a recovery run tonight.

Still raining here.  At least the weekend looks good.

weekend is looking better and better every minute!!

Good morning, everyone! 

Long tempo work on trainer later this morning.  3 of my 4 kids are sick (1 home from school), so this ought to be a really fun day

Ok, so I know some of you are great cyclists.  The sport is new to me.  Yeah, I can ride a bike, but I want to improve my technique (and go faster for longer periods of time).  I have put in a decent chunk of time on the trainer this winter, and I get outside when I can.  I'm hopeful the weather will turn soon, and more of my rides will be on the roads.  What can I do to improve my skills?  Any words of wisdom?  If 75% of my rides are on the trainer, then how do I make the most of that time?  I ride lots of hills outside, so I got that covered....apparently force is a limiter for me on the bike. 

I have the same questions about improving my bike.  It's my strongest of the three, but I'd still like to improve.  I think if you are doing quality workouts on the trainer, it can be more beneficial than riding outside sometimes.  I struggle with quality workouts outside.  If I do a Spinerval or Sufferfest workout, or even a tough spin class (we have some great instructors around here) I feel like I get a better workout in the sense of working for the entire 60 to 90 minutes.  Outside however, the terrain around here is hilly and rolling, so I may work hard on the uphills, but then get the huge break on the downhills.  I end my long outdoor rides with a huge percentage of my time in Z1 or below.  I know, I should push the downhills, but the gearing I have does not allow me to.  I spin out on most downhills so all I can really do is coast or spin easy to keep my legs moving.

Which brings up another question.  Any advice on gearing - I currently have a compact crank and 12/25 cassette.  I like the compact for around here so don't think I'd want to change that.  But I've thought about getting an 11/? to have more gearing for downhills.  But then I will have to give up something in the middle right?  I also sometimes would like an easier gear than a 25.  Not often, but at times it would be nice.  For Wisconsin I don't know what to do.  On the IM thread it seems compact & 12/25 is pretty typical of what others have or will be using.

Back to your question - have you tried any Spinervals or Sufferfest?  I really like them because if I didn't have something to follow along to I would never push myself hard enough.

The short answer is ride more harder. The long answer is mix interval sessions with your long endurance rides. A typical week for me will look like this:

Tuesday: easy recovery ride with some efforts

Wednesday: Crit racing, includes lots of hard threshold 5-10 min intervals, and HR spikes

Thursday recovery with active spinups and short harder durations

Saturday: long endurance based ride 2 hours plus, lotsa hills some hard efforts

when i first started this past winter, i was doing all intervals on the trainer, 1 day on 1 day off, a typical night was spinervals tempo/tt or sprint sessions, followed up by the technique/high speed leg drill easy effort version

the next session would be a ladder type set at a particular RPE or 20 min interval just below threshold, kinda like 1-3-9 min interval at 755/85%/95%. The shorter intervals max RPE workouts train your body to recover more quickly, while the longer stuff gets you some endurance and trains your body to exert itself for longer periods of time.

Keep in mind that most of my winter training was very bike specific, as i race bikes more than i do Tri's, especially in the late w inter spring months.

Keep in mind that nothing replaces Time in the saddle.

Does it usually snow this late by you??  i would be sooper depressed.

update on my goals for the month:

goals were 500 mile bike  75 mile run and 25k in the pool, i am on pace or have scheduled to have

490 bike, 100 mile run and 15k in the pool, almost there, body feels good, not too terribly tired, i will make sure i get the 500 bike even if i have to sit on the trainer for a half hour to get it.

how is everyone else doing??

I thought your bike goal was to bike as many miles as me . . . So far . . .

With the bike, like anything else, consistency is the key.  I take a alightly different approach than Rudy does on riding (if you'll notice, Rudy has no recovery rides, and I think those play a big role in gaining bike fitness).

I generally bike 5 times per week. 

Tuesday is a speed/force day (if force is your limiter BSTs may be a good training tool for you)

Thursday is a tempo day (usually a 2 hour ride with 2 x 20" at my Z2 / Friel Z3)

Friday is a recovery ride (90 minutes at my ZR / Friel Z1)

Saturday is long (5+ hours at My Z1/Z2 / Friels Z2/Z3)

Sunday is recovery with some Tabata intervals mixed in.

What you need to remember is that if you so all hard work all the time your body doesn't have a chance to adapt and get stronger (you get stronger while you're resting rather than when you're training).  When I do recovery rides (like recovery runs) they're SUPER easy -- in the 14 mph range.  You really want to make sure that you take you easy days easy so tha your hard days can be REALLY hard.

i call aunt...you will beat me...badly....i can admit when i am overmatched, my ego is not that big.

Rudy focues on bike racing an Kelly is trying to KQ and races long course/IMs.  Long Course tri is MUCH more bike focused. 

My view is that whether you ride 3x (minumum) or 6x week, the workouts should include: a long ride (preferrably with hills) of at least a few mile more than the distance you intend to ride in a race (aerobic/muscular endurance and confidence); an interval ride (increase power) and tempo ride (establish pacing/HR).  Recovery can be doing nothing, or, as kelly said, an easy ride.  I like doign a "recovery ride" the evening after a long run session.  My legs always feel way better monday if i do a 30 minute spin sunday night.

Rudy gave some good workouts for the trainer.  I find it hard to go strictly by HR on the trainer.  After speaking with Rudy i've been going by gearing and speed (essentially as a proxy for power) since i do not have a power meter. 

I strongly disagree that trainer rides are as good as outside.  The effect of gravity and wind cannot be replicated. If your races are hilly you need to ride hills.

Do you have a power profile document for your trainer?

I've been looking for one for my Cycleops fluid but I figure that another fluid trainer should be similar in resistance.

Us too (no snow here, but cooler than normal). Well, we did get a dusting a couple of weeks ago. 

But here it is May 18th and I still haven't turned on my swamp cooler and no idea when I'll need to. Maybe next week?