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Training Status??? (IV)

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Training Status??? (IV)

Old 03-20-19, 01:41 PM
  #13126  
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Originally Posted by aaronmcd
Yesterday was deadlift doubles, front squats for form/high reps, and bike sprints.

Today was bench and overhead press while my legs rest up. Tomorrow is gonna be 8 minute threshold intervals if I can find a good 8 minute hill that I can get back down quick enough.

My back is having a hard time catching up to gym+bike work. Trying to get 8+ hours of sleep but 9+ would be better.
Did a back workout at the gym first. 5x10 un-weighted pull ups, 4 sets of dumbbell rows, a bunch of reverse flys and bicep curls, and some wrist curls. My wife has finally been coming regularly and is getting good progress as well, slowly working her way up on lat pull downs until she can do pull ups.
I was sluggish and it was raining and didn't wanna go out on the bike, but the rain stopped, I got some energy, and I went out. The rain started again as soon as I went outside and continued the whole time, but not too hard. Found a good 8 minute hill, hit 260 watts all 4 times, only took 2:15 to get down and turn around. Success!

Tomorrow much needed rest!
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Old 03-20-19, 07:32 PM
  #13127  
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Crazy wind here in Utah right now and I was tired. So I went for a run instead of riding tonight. Some rain rolling through the next couple of days.
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Old 03-21-19, 04:43 PM
  #13128  
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On Monday it was 82 and I let out a triumphant sigh that I had a beaten this god awful cold winter and unplugged my heater for the year.

It was 48 today on my lunch ride.
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Old 03-21-19, 04:49 PM
  #13129  
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Fiesta Island 3x(10' 30on 30off) on the time trial bike. It was the antithesis of Tuesday's hour of power. I made the 30on sharper than usual. Nice day on Fiesta with moderate wind. Rain is coming in this PM.
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Old 03-22-19, 09:41 AM
  #13130  
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Pardon the wrong post in the "new to racing" thing. I guess I'm not totally new. I've done a taste of 4/5 racing and the local race sim ride. I still can learn though.

Story is.......

I went to a different hammer ride last night. There's a B/C, and an A ride. I guess the A ride splits into "crazy fast people" and "normal 3/4/5 racers". Three of us (4/5's, 4/5's without a team) somehow made the "selection". It's a race-sim ride. Some really fast folks, I'm told a mix of one 3 and a couple P/1/2 folks, usually select ahead early at this group ride. I didn't know this. I bridged up or latched on or whatever.

I've heard it over and over to ride with faster people to get better, that was the plan. I didn't feel it helpful to play backdoor for half the ride on the flats because us 4/5 riders lost a guy on the first hill "selection" and the much stronger two teams on the ride were controlling stuff with just the two of us left. Outnumbered, out gunned.

Didn't really feel I belonged as a "tag along" Cat 5 with a bunch of team members with a p/1/2 mix. I could get up front with them and into it if the road went uphill for a bit. Not flats though. And it only went uphill once really.

I got bored enough I half considered blowing up on purpose in the last 3 miles just to do something.

Suck it up and play backdoor OR eff it and drift back and hurt the 3/4/5 folks instead? I don't want to feel like I'm in the way of "their fun" by just being able to hang around. I'd probably do better or have more fun if there was a hill or two more as I'm skinny enough that'd be my chance to lead or do something. Just to be followed/reeled in 30 seconds.

Thoughts on the Cat 5 dragging on the coat-tails of the fast folks? Hang on and suffer and stay out of the way? Try something and blow up? Screw it and mix it up? If you made the selection and they couldn't drop you, you still belong?

Side note: I was a bit perturbed folks weren't calling normal group ride road hazards and stuff. Maybe once or twice I heard or saw a signal. I get it's a "race sim" group ride, but it's still open road and nobody paid an entry fee. I was calling hazards when I saw it. Or, maybe I'm deaf.

I'd certainly gain something from trying to hang with these folks, but got the impression I'd wear out my welcome over time.
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Old 03-22-19, 10:00 AM
  #13131  
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Imo who gives a f*** what (USAC) category you are. I never knew what USAC race categories everyone is at the race rides. If you have the skills to not be dangerous, you should absolutely try and hang/work with/attack the front group. Whatever you feel like that day. Feel like an easy ride? Suck wheel in the chase group. Feel like tortue? Keep attacking the front until you blow up or cause a split. (Sure there are a few dickheads, I remember one particular dickhead at the morning ride I used to do. Yelled at me for passing him on a climb, then he crossed the yellow line to attack. Not much upstairs.)

Calling stuff out is the nice, and maybe safe thing to do, but sometimes stuff gets missed, especially when on the rivet. Try and watch out yourself. It's rare that people call out potholes in a real race.
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Old 03-22-19, 10:15 AM
  #13132  
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I think you're over thinking this way too much and putting way to much emphasis on racing category. How do you know what category everyone is? It's not tattooed on most of us. And how much can one know about someone's ability based solely on their racing category or lack of racing category? And how many teams practice team tactics on a group ride? I've rarely seen it.

If the group ride has some organized structure - such as a rotating paceline - then follow the structure. Otherwise, participate however you'd like so long as you are being a safe group rider.
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Old 03-22-19, 10:49 AM
  #13133  
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I just want to make sure I'm doing the right thing and not screwing anything up. I can keep a line, hold a wheel, take a hole safely, corner at speed, etc....

I was told about who the folks were afterwards. I wasn't assuming folks are one thing or another. I've done a couple races and this seemed well beyond what I'd done.

There wasn't a protocol I could gather other than get your team or yourself to the ending city limit sprint first. People did rotate the right direction and act as the back door if you weren't pulling when there wasn't an attack or something. I could have sworn I was getting guttered on purpose a few times (echelon properly, and the echelon moves you to the centerline or the shoulder). Whatever. I wasn't going to do that to someone on a sim-ride, so that's on me.

I can't do that on a sim ride knowing the course isn't closed behind us and cars are closing and end up pushing someone out into a possibly passing car. In a race there isn't a car trying to pass you on the left while someone is shoved over to the middle.

Whatever. I guess I'll just act safely and do what I'm going to do if I go back and not worry about it.
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Old 03-22-19, 11:06 AM
  #13134  
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Again, I still think you are over thinking this, and ascribing too much of what you see in a pro-peloton to your local rides.

IME, most group rides work one of three ways:
1. Straight double file.
2. Rotating paceline on the front - maybe double paceline on the back for those not interested in rotating
3. Mass going down the street - sometimes two wide, sometimes more - these tend to be the real race-like hammer rides.

I have not seen a group ride do any actual echeloning since I was in Texas, where we had zero trees and a 15 mph wind was the base standard. It wasn't considered windy until we got to 25-30 mph winds. (These are not East Coast Watts exaggerations. We road through wind farms.)
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Old 03-22-19, 11:50 AM
  #13135  
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@topflightpro pretty much summed it up. Since there is an A / B ride its probably all out and if you do something dumb they'll call it out. Cyclists love 2 things, their bikes and yelling at other things on the road.

It get the bored thing, just try to do something out there....go on a break, etc.
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Old 03-22-19, 11:52 AM
  #13136  
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I guess so. I'll just decide what I want for that day and then put up or shut up and keep myself and others reasonably safe.

We seemed to be all over at times. Then in a line at times. It was more of #3 most of the time. I think we kept it straight and tight for a few miles on the longest straight. Not sure it means anything to you, but it said my VI score for the ride was a 1.2. That seems on the "ragged" side of things to me.

I guess now I know what I'd be getting myself into, so I just need to choose and not whine.

Good workout at least. I got in about as much VO2 or power interval time as I would in a trainer workout, but with all the tempo and SS work in between.
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Old 03-22-19, 01:30 PM
  #13137  
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Originally Posted by aaronmcd
Tomorrow much needed rest!
Got the rest. Slept 11 hours, rode to work at ~6 mph yesterday.

Today was leg day & more threshold work. Squats are finally feeling semi-normal. Going deep helps.
5 sets of 175x10 back squats, then touch and go, 4" defecit deadlifts, overhand grip, 3 sets of 250x8. Grip is the limiting factor here, but keeping overhand grip for these anyway. They are still pretty hard.
Fueled up at the gym, was riding an hour later. 5x8' @265 w/ 2' rest. Power starting to come back.
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Old 03-22-19, 03:40 PM
  #13138  
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2-ish hours on the FG this morning. Explored some farm roads, some paved, some not. Forgot to take an allergy pill before leaving and by the time I got back I had such a bad sinus headache that I thought I was going to be sick. Worst allergy season ever.
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Old 03-22-19, 06:09 PM
  #13139  
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@ burnthesheep

race rides are just like races. Play to your strength, winner wins; everyone else chats about the war stories afterwards. I remember being in your position a few years ago. It's all intimidating "racing" against the guys in other categories that you've only watched at the local crits (etc). They're just people too! I learned a lot about myself as a rider (and a person) doing Mercer island hot laps and the Rocket ride back home when I was a 4/5. 90% of the time I was just hanging on for dear life but getting to see how everyone else moves was a big deal to me. The first time I was able to take a pull and get back on meant a lot and I still remember the first time I was able to attack the group and not get blown off the back. Look up "imposter sydrome." We all suffer from it in one way or another, but the truth is no one really knows what the **** they're doing and we're all faking it to a degree.

Anyways.. Lifted this morning and got light headed and worried deadlifting. Might be time to back off the weight a little bit again. Had an appointment then I went out for ~1:30 hr mtb ride in the rain and mud. Trails are not in good shape and I probably shouldn't have been out, but I've got a race/ride with @TMonk to get ready for!
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Old 03-22-19, 07:30 PM
  #13140  
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Last weekend was spent road riding in the Paso Robles area. Crazy beautiful right now in California- lush and green, with actual waterfalls and streams. Not to mention the suprbloom. It was awesome.

Also finally nailed a TT trainer workout that didn’t look that hard on paper but somehow defeated me for three weeks in a row. Nice to finally get it done.

Good thing too, super frustrating work week. We got a new MRI at work and the applications engineer who is supposed to get us up and running was all over the place. No doubt super intelligent on the MR physics level. But first things first, we need to learn how to push the buttons and make pictures. Not go off on physics tangents every 20 minutes that are over our heads anyway. Whatever. The weekend’s here again, albeit abbreviated since I had to work Friday to try (unsuccessfully) to uncluster the MR situation.

Skipped my workout out this morning (sorry coach), mountain bike ride tomorrow and undecided on Sunday between road vs mountain. Unstructured riding before dealing with work again.

Gearing up for a cycling vacation in a few weeks- 8 days split between Carmel and Santa Cruz, mountain bike and road. I have too many rides on my list and need to pare it down a little. I’m planning on getting home from Carmel on Sat and racing Fiesta the next day. So I can’t gorge completely on cycling, will need to get some rest in too.

Also I got a timeshare trade into Maui next March. So I’m thinking after these short TTs that I’m gearing up for in June, I’ll start to get into distance and climbing again, with the idea of making a run at Haleakala next year.

Even though work is frustrating, somehow I’m in a good place mentally. Big huge headache at work but seem to mostly be able to let it go once I’m home. Well 80% let it go anyway- which is pretty good for me.









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Old 03-23-19, 08:20 AM
  #13141  
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Wow, great pictures @Heathpack! Make sure you ride north from Carmel and hit up 17 mi. drive/Pebble Beach towards PG! So awesome up there. Also good luck at the next FITT! I've yet to volunteer for 1 Fiesta as they've overlapped with race days for me. Will be doing CBR on Sunday, cat 3/4 then P/1/2/3. I need to find a way to get in those volunteer hours soon...

I'm about to head out for a shakedown ride of the race bike, some controlled efforts on Fiesta before and after the first segment of the "Chili's" weekend group ride. Looking forward to the San Dimas Stage Race next weekend, then a visit from @Ttoc6 the following weekend, where we'll have a blast in the luau-themed San Diego Mountain Biking Assoc. "Archipelago" ride - 50 miles of (mostly) trail between San Elijo Hills and Green Flash Brewing. Fun!
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Old 03-23-19, 04:25 PM
  #13142  
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Little over 3 hours dancing around a rainstorm. My power meter on my gravel bike is reading low. Comparing my effort to friends and the internal gauge I've got. Its 20-30watts off. Going to have to figure out how to calibrate it better
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Old 03-23-19, 07:07 PM
  #13143  
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@TMonk, maybe on the Pebble Beach ride. We’re in Carmel the second half of the trip & I’ll only get in two rides there, will try to recover from vacation a little before Fiesta. One ride will be Cachauga-Carmel Valley Loop. I’m hoping the second will be Robinson Canyon but if my legs are toasted for climbing, I’ll do Monterrey to Carmel via Pebble Beach (or vice versa, depending on wind direction) because it’s flat.

Today I did a 57 miles/4500 ft road ride, in a fair bit of wind. Wow, felt pretty tired about halfway through, I just haven’t been doing long rides of late.

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Old 03-24-19, 12:21 PM
  #13144  
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Starting a rest week this week. I need it. My legs are pretty trashed. Still, I kind of hate rest weeks. I find they end up hurting more than build weeks. Not really sure why.
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Old 03-24-19, 02:16 PM
  #13145  
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Pouring rain and cold here. So I went tothe gym this morning and got a good little run in afterwards.
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Old 03-24-19, 05:50 PM
  #13146  
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I planned on 4 hours with 60 minutes z4.

Instead I did 5.5 hours with 60 minutes z4.
285 TSS hurts on 30 CTL lol. Went 85 TSS over target. Hopefully a rest day and hella sleep is enough.

Oh and yesterday did 5 sets of 175x10 bench press. My bench has officially caught up with my squat. Whoever said cycling uses the glutes was a liar.

Last edited by aaronmcd; 03-24-19 at 06:56 PM.
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Old 03-24-19, 08:56 PM
  #13147  
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Originally Posted by aaronmcd
Oh and yesterday did 5 sets of 175x10 bench press. My bench has officially caught up with my squat. Whoever said cycling uses the glutes was a liar.
Aint that the truth. Could barely walk for about a weak after a heavy squat set gone wrong. Sitting hurt like a son of a and I felt like a 50 year old man. Deload and I'm catching back up.

I was able to (almost, got worried and had to set weight down for 2 reps!) finish a bench press set with one plate for the first time this morning. Been doing 4x6 with last set as AMRAP. For every rep over 6, add 5lbs to the next time you do that lift. Taken me since September to get here, but it's nice to see progress in something I'm weak at. Pretty sure if I had a spot I'd've been able to really get it done, but bench press is high risk for me.

I worked on my power cleans this morning too. That feels like a lift that should help my cycling like crazy. Explosive, leg based and works up quite the cardio if you do higher numbers sets (I like sets of eight).
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Old 03-24-19, 09:28 PM
  #13148  
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Originally Posted by Ttoc6
Aint that the truth. Could barely walk for about a weak after a heavy squat set gone wrong. Sitting hurt like a son of a and I felt like a 50 year old man. Deload and I'm catching back up.

I was able to (almost, got worried and had to set weight down for 2 reps!) finish a bench press set with one plate for the first time this morning. Been doing 4x6 with last set as AMRAP. For every rep over 6, add 5lbs to the next time you do that lift. Taken me since September to get here, but it's nice to see progress in something I'm weak at. Pretty sure if I had a spot I'd've been able to really get it done, but bench press is high risk for me.

I worked on my power cleans this morning too. That feels like a lift that should help my cycling like crazy. Explosive, leg based and works up quite the cardio if you do higher numbers sets (I like sets of eight).
Do you not have a power rack with safeties?

I'd like to learn cleans/jerk/snatch, but I really have no clue what I'd be doing. I'd probably need a coach, never even watched weightlifting in the olympics. Actually just learned what they are in the past few months from googling lifting stuff.
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Old 03-25-19, 07:05 AM
  #13149  
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Texas RAAM Challenge - Abandoned

Looked for a "Race Results" thread, no joy so I'm posting here since I posted the training here.

The race started in Castroville, TX, west of San Antonio at 0600, in the dark. Lights fore and aft were required. A couple of folks went off the front at the start and the rest of us fell into a reasonable pace for the start of a hard 214 miles. It was my first time in a paceline in the dark with lights, hit a few holes I normally would've avoided but okay otherwise. As an aside, it was obvious I was riding with folks who do the vast majority of their training solo, all of our paceline skills were...rusty.

We were at race pace in about ten minutes. I had no idea how fast that was since I had the backlight on my Garmin at its shortest duration to save the battery. My nutrition plan was a big slug of Infinit Go Far at 15-minute intervals and that went out the window immediately for the same reason, plus the road was fairly gnarly and I didn't want to hit a hole with only one hand on the bars. We finally rolled through a town with street lights 56 minutes into the ride and everyone tried to catch up on their nutrition. Pace was ~22 mph in town, probably slower in the dark in the sticks.

It was overcast, so it went from black to dark grey to grey as the sun came up. The roads were still bad but I could see, so I put my Rouge-Roubaix experience to good use when it came my turn to pull and accelerated, actually causing a selection for the first time. By the time we got to decent pavement at about 30 miles in, the 12-15 person paceline was down to four. We worked well together. I was comfortable. It was the strongest I've felt since Lotoja. Then at about the 55 mile point, I felt a twinge on the outside of my right knee. I figured it'd go away, but instead it got more insistent. I did my pull and a couple of times my knee just straightened out on its own during the downstroke while pedaling. I pulled off and hooked back onto the end of the paceline and it kept getting worse. We hadn't hit the hard climbing yet - that started at the 90 mile point - and I knew that just wasn't going to happen. My knee hurt less when I backed off on the effort, so I drifted off the back. The first rest stop was at 60.6 miles, I decided to make it that far and abandon. I stopped at 58 miles to check the cue sheet to make sure there weren't any turns between there and the rest stop, and when I clipped back in and started to pedal, the pain made me cuss loudly. To add insult to injury, I flatted less than a mile from the rest stop. Then I had to one-legged pedal up a short climb from a river bed.

I'm frustrated that I had to quit, but know that it was the right decision. It still sucks, though. I'm going back next year just to complete the circle.
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Old 03-25-19, 07:06 AM
  #13150  
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Originally Posted by aaronmcd
I planned on 4 hours with 60 minutes z4.

Instead I did 5.5 hours with 60 minutes z4.
285 TSS hurts on 30 CTL lol. Went 85 TSS over target. Hopefully a rest day and hella sleep is enough.

Oh and yesterday did 5 sets of 175x10 bench press. My bench has officially caught up with my squat. Whoever said cycling uses the glutes was a liar.
That ride sounds tough!!!! I did 220TSS with 45min z4 or above in 4hrs of lots of climbing - similar to your effort, but not nearly as intense. My CTL is in the 50s, so not stratospheric, and that ride killed me. I collapsed into bed at 9pm and just basically passed out.
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