SBR Utopia ~~~~ Permanently OPEN!! (Page 40)

So a funny thing happened in the month of July, and I had not even realized it was going on - I had my biggest month of training since April of last year, and my biggest month of cycling since July, 2012.  The run volume was down in comparison to a lot of other months, but the frequency was comparable to most months (except those where I was following the BarryP program).  Overall, quite happy with the month, and what really sticks out is that I'm not feelign drilled in to the ground.  I think this is because some of the intensity on the longer rides and runs is dialed back just a bit below what I normally aim for and this is allowing me to recover faster and execute the next workout - at least that's what I'm guessing, or maybe I just have all this saved up energy from sitting around the past 12 months.

Great job on the TT Arend - I always thought PEI was flat...

Everyone thinks that.  We don't have any mountains but there is very little that is actually flat.  Just tons of never ending rollers.

that said, the race I am doing next weekend is pancake flat.  The swim is in the ocean and will likely have more elevation gain from the waves than the run or bike.  

Really great job, Arend! I think I mentioned it last week, but I know I would have had a tough time holding my power so even on an uphill out/down hill back course. Way to stay on top of your pedals.

Fred! obviously a lot of good recommendations already. I was wondering where you swim masters? During the summer I swim at Emory university, but during the school year I swim at Auburn. Emory is good, but the Auburn masters program is through the roof. Obviously Auburn is a swimmer's school, but I was wondering how Penn State's program was? You are currently swimming at the Y, correct?

So, in case anyone was wondering.  Doing I-Pace 1000s about 18 hours after a hard TT is not fun.

When I sheared the bolt off the left elbow pad of my aero bar a few weeks back, my LBS was able to do a temporary fix until I could get replacement parts....the temp fix wasn't perfect, but it was manageable.  Anyways, I got the replacement parts a couple weeks ago, but was too lazy (I'm bad, I know) to actually fix it till yesterday.  Turns out that after pulling off the temporary fix and getting everything ready to install the new parts, I realized that I bought the wrong parts....ugh!

So I did an even more janky temporary fix that I wasn't at all confident in, so I was afraid to ride outside on it....because of that, I was forced to do my long ride on the trainer this morning!  I didn't go as long as I would have outside, but I tried to target a TSS around what I would have done.  But a 2+ hour trainer ride in August was just torture....the weather could have at least cooperated and had a massive downpour or something to make me feel better about it, but no -- it was about the nicest day in a long time.  Cool and fairly dry for Houston -- only 77F and 69% humidity at 11am when I went out for my run.  That almost never happens in the summer....certainly not in August!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!  Any racers?  I have a friend racing IM Boulder tomorrow, so I'll be stalking him....curious if there's anyone else I should be stalking  

How do you know if what category bike racer you are?  Do you look at the Coggan power profile chart?  Nope...you just go on a training ride with a bunch of Cat 3's and see if you can keep up.  LOL...I won't be asking for an upgrade next year.

Nice job Arend! And agree on the terrain. The absence of major climbs does not mean the course is flat! Small rolling has its own characteristic and can do a number on you as well.

So as I was descending this weekend, I remembered this post and that I meant to respond, LOL.  Didn't mean to ignore it

I used to descend on the hoods but it seems the drops are better?   I know a couple of the tricks, keep outside leg straight with down pressure, drop the inside leg and elbow to lean the bike, apex the turn, eyes where I want to go.  Did some practicing on my usual descent yesterday, found that doing this, but in the drops, I didn't need to bleed any speed like I did when on the hoods.  Getting over the wuss factor is hard.

And I'm just worried about a mechanical.  One of our descents is a two parter, with a water stop about 1/3 of the way down.  At that stop looked down and saw the tube protruding through a slit in the front tire.   AS I was removing the wheel to change, it went.  Had it gone 2 minutes earlier, or two minutes later, it would not have been good...  Unfortunately I think of this stuff on the descent, and coupled with the fact that I am not on the podium, descending fast does not see a risk worth taking (although f the front tire goes does it really matter if I am going 20 or 25 or 30 or 35, I guess, it's all "not good")

I had a tube blow at 35 mph once.  It was somewhat worrisome but I was able to keep things upright.

I had a nice 2 hour ride today - nice until some jackwad pulled out of a side road and cut me off at 40 km/hr.  I had to lock up the brakes to keep from riding into the back of his car.  Fortunately his window was rolled down so I was able to (not so) politely tell him what I thought of his driving skills.  

tease.....   Must be Canada or Miami..  and I doubt it's Miami...  I might be interested in Canada 2015.   Don't tell my wife....

or maybe wildflower..

Thought Canada was on the list of IMs considered for a group race not too long ago?

It's a fantastic course.  Lodging is also quite reasonable for an IM location, but yeah, airfare.   I can do this as a long weekend, and i just might do it.  I have two longer dive vacations next year so can't do a destination IM but can do a Thurs - Monday deal

ETA it's probably the Chimay talking, but thinking I really want to do this 2015.  Been trying to figure out what to do for 2015, ultra (50K) etc, but I am really drawn to the IM distance even though (o maybe because) I am not that good at it..... 

No IM for me next year, or any other year n the near future I think - 70.3 will be as far as I go.  Big weekend for me with a 100km ride and 3000 feet of climbing, followed by a 17km run today.  Puny in comparison to most of you, but a solid weekend/week for me.