Swbkrun mentor group - Closed (Page 56)

No racing for me quite yet, but since it was 22F on my run this morning not too sad about it!

I picked up TRX and BOSU training over the winter and love it.  I'm not usually a class person, but the instructor is a total butt kicker.  I can tell that it has helped my biking since I barely biked and am hanging on to something closer to my FTP that in prior years.  Will only do it 2x per week once the season is in full bloom, but I hope it continues to help me be stronger and less prone to injury as the volume increases.

Sam--do you train with power?

As far as I know there are four ways be faster on the bike

1) Push a bigger gear

2) Spin the pedals faster in the same gear

3) Reduce weight

4) Improve aero / reduce drag

1 and 2 can be done through specific training techniques - my trainer time this year with Spinervals has been more focused on increasing my cadence a bit which I think is going to help my speed this year. For example - my go to gear has usually been 52-17 at 80rpm.  With that the math gives me 19.0 mph. (Sheldon Brown's Calculator)  If I increase my cadence to 90rpm the math goes to 21.4 mph and at 100 rpm it is 23.8 mph  To get the same result as 100 rpm from pushing a harder gear I would need to drop down to 52-13 - second from the smallest.  For me that leads to faster leg fatigue and a harder run as I am blowing out my quads mashing that gear.  I can increase my ability to push bigger gears by intervals and also through strength training - both of which I am doing - but not as much as working on faster spinning...

3 - Be lighter as a man/machine combo.  That continues to be a challenge for me... Its not the weight of the bike or wheels, etc for me - I like food... I mean I really like food...  weight is not as big a deal on the flats, but it really makes itself know when the road turns up a bit.... then it becomes an opportunity to work on leg strength...  (on the flip side - I excel at downhill )

4 - Riding in aero will gain you up to a couple of mph at normal pacing - I have struggled with riding aero but losing weight helps me not feel so smooshed up in my upper body so that I can breath better.  I also made some adjustments to my aero bars to allow a bit wider arm distance for comfort - my aero position may not look like those folks on the IM videos, but reducing your front profile any is going to help.  Other ways to reduce drag and friction are almost limited only by our imagination but tires and wheelsets seem to be the direction that most folks gravitate towards....

No racing for me...  although I am up in the air about doing a 30-35 mile recreational ride called Tour of Dallas this Saturday with my buddy is who had/has brain cancer (surgery removed the tumor and he is doing chemo and radiation now). If i don't then I will go out for 40ish mile group ride and then out for some mtn biking afterwards....

As far as strength training goes - my goal is to do one each week, a second one would be nice but it is the first workout to get dumped from the plan if life interferes with my weekly training...  I try to keep the cardio going through the workout by starting each set on the minute and hustling between exercises - i.e. short rest duration.  I even throw in three different supersets.  I go with a full body circuit style workout  - lighter weights, more reps (12-15 per set), 3 sets per exercise.  The whole shaboodle including a 10 min elliptical warm up takes about 45 minutes.  For the specific exercises (I am due to change them around soon) - I stick to the tried and true  - squats, bench, leg press, rows/situp superset, pulldowns, machine crunches, leg extension/push-up superset, deadlift, and then biceps curls/military press superset to finish....  (the curls are probably not necessary from a functional stand point, but I want to look good for my wife ) 

From this little addition of weight training, I feel stronger when running and, surprisingly, when swimming I feel like there is more power to my stroke.  I am sure it is helping my leg strength for cycling as well, but I don't "feel" that as much as the help in the other two disciplines....

~Andy

As an aside...

I get to ride with Chris Lieto at the end of the month. He's coming up to do a Info session, and for 50 of us, a ride.

I WILL drop him like a bad habit.

I didn't realize you still biked.

Ha ha ha.. that is funny. Please report back how upset he is when you leave him in the dust.

....and.....

pics or it didn't happen!!!

CONGRATS TO SUZY!!!!  

Results are *finally* posted........and she's first in her AG at the Oakland Marathon.

I think I should get credit, I must be good luck.

Kim also rocked it, with a 6th in our age group, and I was right on her heels with a 14th.  Hey, 191 old ladies finished that half!!

Nice job by all you ladies!!!

We really are awesome, aren't we? 

Having those spring chicken 45 year olds roll up, really helps this soon to be 50 year old.

Congrats on them finding your time.....

CONGRATS

TO THE

THREE FABULOSO LADIES!!!

Biking and swimming are really irrelevant at the end of the day. It's all about the run.

Congrats youngster!!

WTF?  This is my 10 year high school reunion photo!

No racing here, last weekend of big sessions, 3hr 15 run and 6hr plus long ride....

those are the best kind of races!!!!!

Holy Cow - that is awesome.  What kind of cool prize do you get for 1st AG?  Did they already hand them out? 

And not too shabby Kim and Linda.

Love the reunion pics too.  :-)

David,

Can you say big and hard a couple more times?  Please? 

I see that you have always been a hottie!   

Yeah, right!!  Thanks for pumping up the oldest lady in the group!