revchuck 

Screwed up this morning and did 7x1' VO2 max intervals instead of the six that were called for. I didn't notice until I got back and looked at the files. I kept the intervals at 135-140%. Suckers hurt.

I looked at those percentages and they didn't seem right. Just checked in Training and Racing with a Power Meter and sure enough, they're in the middle of Z6. NBD.

I'm less than enthused with the training zones used by CTS. In that system, everything from about 110% of FTP up is considered the same. I can ride a lot longer at 110% than I can at 140%. Sheesh.

LAJ

My life is consumed by 4:30 am weight sessions on Tues/Thurs, but I at least get to sleep in on Sat and Sun before the weights. 6x10 squats and 3x10 deads have been the name of the game, but devilish stuff is on the horizon now. Of course, I get to come home to the trainer on those weeknights and do some lovely 125%+ low cadence action, and the Saturday stuff is longer and harder. Sunday is usually capped off by a Z2-3, 4.5 hour endurance ride, where my mood tends to lean towards wondering if Mrs. LAJ can find me if I call for a ride home. At the end of the day, I've been able to keep my time in Z1 on those endurance rides to under 5%, so something is working. This is generally the highlight to these rides. The cultural center can't be missed, as it is chock full of just plain good stuff. It alternates between the Conoco station and the Shell station.

Stuff has gotten really real, and being in the same zip code as this guy at the end of a race, is a goal of mine.

Hermes

@LAJ Weights at 4:30 AM sounds just nasty.

Moving to SD, the terrain is flatter and it is much easier to limit the amount of z1 in a ride.

We did the same ride Saturday and Sunday along the coast - 2 hours of tempo. We try to keep the power up and out of z1/z2. Sunday was a typical December SoCal day at the beach.

LAJ

I'm jealous, @Hermes. Looks gorgeous.

Nailed it on the flats, and that's why I head to the plains. The wind blowing over the snow makes for a crisp ride, but it is what it is.

I whine about the endurance rides, but when it's a trainer weekend like last weekend was, I get to do a couple hours of tempo, with 12" standing Z6 bursts every three minutes. Not sure which is worse. Coach took pity on me, so he allowed me to go 4x30', with 5' in between.

happybday29475

You are a man on a mission. Good on ya'; go get'em. (Tell me what I can do to help! lol, as if!)

I haven't yet determined my 2017 mission.

LAJ

Thank you, @rapwithtom. John knows how defeated I was at the end of the season, and is driving the locomotive that he says will take me to that place good place again. It's hard, it accelerated, and it's imperative that I let him know when I'm ready to come unglued. Instead of being pissed at the guys in the 50+1,2,3, and thinking they can be a bit jerkish, I would rather just start picking them off one by one. I only have a year, then I have some new people to pick on that are closer to my age. I have come to realize that old people on bikes are not to be trifled with.

Heathpack 

Welcome back, @LAJ! Sounds like you're enjoying your training.

Oh man @Hermes! I miss sunshine already. Cloudy and rainy today. Bleak with the trees stripped of leaves. Mr H says to me, "this weather is foreboding" which I hear as "this weather is for boating". Lol, which made no sense.

We and our enormous pile of stuff arrived JFK in snow flurries last evening. The TSA opened the bike box but everything was repacked perfectly. The dog was silent as a church mouse on the plane.

Mr. H slept in with my bike still disassembled. WTF. I did not have a bike until 2pm. By then it was lunch time, so I had to wait 2 more hours to digest before I could hop on the trainer. Turns out 2 hours is not quite long enough for Chinese takeout. Stomachache on the trainer.

The trainer we bought for me to use here is el cheapo and it weirdly does not provide even resistance. More noticeable at lower power output but it's still a little odd to ride.

Today's gameplan was pretty loose- just ride the bike. Depending on how I felt, I knew which interval series to maybe pick a workout from. I decided to give 30 min of over/under intervals a whirl. No problem.

Mom had the last of her pre-surg stuff today- went well. Hospital intervals tomorrow, no bike.

Hey @sarals and @valygrl and any other women out there- saw a link to these today in one of those "Best Christmas Gifts for Girl Roadies" articles. I want em: https://svelte.co.uk/collections/wom...ant=4267434116

sarals 

Oh my goodness!!! Those are PRETTY arm warmers!! I want em, too!!

Heathpack 

Haha, I actually really like 4 of the arm warmers- pink floral, blue floral, botanical, and blue geo. Heck, I even like the pink geo.

I also dig this jersey: Womens dasch thermoactive jersey

Don't. Need. More. Jerseys.

And what's it with me and floral prints all of a sudden?? These socks are great: Roses (Black) Edition ? sako7socks

REALLY don't need more socks.

sarals 

There is nothing wrong with being into floral prints. So there!

Hermes

@Heathpack And you have to wear socks. Boy, bike slaves are not what they used to be.

Heathpack 

Lol, today I was mentioning to him that:
1. I would have preferred that the bike point *out* of the garage rather than into it
2. Really he should have come out to check on me while I was riding, what if there was a problem with the bike?

He replied:
1. I see your point
2. I did. Your head was down & you didn't see me

We prefer the term "cabana boy" to "slave" BTW. So much pleasanter connotations.

Duly noted on the socks. I have convinced myself that three pairs of new arm warmers is indeed reasonable as well.

And in reference to your Kevin-Spacey-at-Starbucks comment in the other thread, Starbucks completely screwed up my order today and I wound up with two grande caramel brűlée lattes instead of one venti cinnamon hazelnut latte with less-than-usual syrup. Omg those things are undrinkably sweet. No idea how anyone can drink them. Peets is so much better than Starbucks.

Sleepy now. On account of not being able to drink my coffee drink.

Hermes

Back in the gym last night for upper body work. I am totally digging the new gym. It is not quite as plush or expensive as Equinox (my former gym) but the employees, owners, clients, location and equipment are great. Plus there is always a lot of energy without it feeling crowded.

A trainer showed me a different way to loosen my IT bands on the foam roller. The technique is to get on the roller (one that is very firm) with ones weight on the IT band. Instead of rolling, one finds a sore spot and then curls the leg. This causes the IT band to release. However, it is extremely painful. Just putting weight on the IT band at a point of tension is painful but contracting the hamstring is brutal.

However, my IT bands are much better and that sometimes annoying outside the knee pain is gone.

This technique is similar to Active Release Technique that is practiced by some chiropractors and physical therapist.

echappist

holy **** 21 quids for a pair of socks?

revchuck 

I've got four pair of winter socks that retail for that (actually $22). Of course, they're Specialized and I work at a Specialized shop so that's not what I paid, but it's not outside normal.

LAJ

Mrs. LAJ has stopped buying me socks, and bike-wear. Once the team deal happens, it's hard to justify buying more after just spending umpteen hundreds on team gear. That's actually a blessing, as I have a-lot-of-socks.

Heathpack 

Not quid. Dollars.

And the flowers are so pretty...

LAJ

Starbucks must be ordered as a "skinny", otherwise it will crack your teeth with all the sugar installed in those things.

I hope Mom Heathpack is doing well.

revchuck 

An hour at recovery pace today. I waited until after lunch to give the rain a chance to clear out so I wouldn't have to do it on the trainer. It was windy so I ended up staying barely within recovery range, IF was .49. The Garmin said it was 73 degrees out, 12 days before Christmas...sheesh.

Heathpack 

My bestest warmest pair of socks are these:

Richard Sachs Wool Cyclocross Sock - Natural ? The Athletic

I got them for Christmas last year so in theory I don't know what they cost. But I actually ordered them to save Mr H the hassle, so I know. $25.

They are my bestest warmest most-beloved pair of cycling socks. In the winter. Too warm for the summer.

Favorite summer socks:

Neon Pink

A comparative bargain.

Heathpack 

Mom Heathpack has now been in surgery for 5.5 hours. Still waiting. They say everything is fine but that's a very long anesthesia time for a person her age.

Hermes

All will be fine. Sending positive thoughts your moms way.

Heathpack 

Thanks. It's just a gnarly surgery, it will take as long as it takes. But there's a saying in surgery: "time is trauma". You really want to get in & out as quickly as possible.

In the meantime, I shop for socks. Without being able to buy anything, on account of being on a public wifi.

These would really go with everything:

EKG

Hermes

Check out Defeet. https://defeet.com Over the years, we have purchased many pair for cycling and Defeet sponsors many cycling teams and provides discounts.

And they have the artist's series. https://defeet.com/page.asp?p_key=9F...AF09D1D59063F5

Heathpack 

DeFeet International