Hermes

This activity one may have to be younger to do. Although I could learn to do the steps, my neck and back would never make it. I would have to be hospitalized after the dance. Thankfully, racing male cyclists do not have to lift female cyclists off the ground and spin around.


IMO, you need the Travis Smith brain lecture. Ones brain is one of the impediments to holding racers back. And you claim yours is reptilian. He may have to modify the lecture to suit your needs.

Speaking of Travis and women racing...I was with Travis on Tuesday and he said that they plan on having team events at Worlds for age groups every 10 years. UCI will not allow 5 year increments for teams. Furthermore, he said that they will hold the 10 year increments, including a 65+ assuming enough racers sign up. My recommendation is to get the word out to women to send Travis an email of their plans to participate in the world championships. Of course that can be subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances.

Interestingly, my wife's comment with respect to age categories for team events and track racing in general was that it may be better to race the 35+ team events since the women tend to be slower. So be careful what you ask for.

This is a video of my wife participating in a VSC Roger Motor game. She pulls off with 2 to go and I asked her why. She said that she lost count and thought there was an additional 10 laps. It is harder to hear Roger say the laps when on the bike going fast than you will hear in the video.

Also, note that guy who was in front of her backed off the motor and dropped to the pole lane creating a large gap with 4 laps to go. She closed that gap at 33 mph. One is supposed to accelerate and pull the line toward the motor and then swing up and not create a large gap. My wife is on the motor when the video starts and a couple of guys are doing Madison practice off the back. She was in 90 gear inches.

One of the hardest things to do is get on the line when it goes past. Note when she pulls off and then gets back on. She makes it look trivial and it is NOT.

IBOHUNT

Not sure of the law about shipping the stuff but I'd suspect that it would be bad if I got caught. Twitchy enough when I have it in the vehicle.

Remember, it's only when you light the fire that it becomes illegal

Hermes

Clearly, we have to show up at IBO's house for some clear to keep him out of trouble. Deer steak and clear and I am all in.

Racer Ex 

You boys have fun.




Putting my AZ trip on hold. 200 miles of chain control between here and Vegas.

echappist

he lives nowhere near Deliverance-ville

we once did a bike race in the middle of effing nowhere, PA, with quite a few ramshackle houses along the way. It was misting that day, and we actually needed to make a turn onto an even smaller road. Started humming this tune right when we made the turn

revchuck 

Tour de Tuna? I grew up around there.

echappist

Yep, that general area. It's a collegiate event in Black Moshannon State Park and is hosted by Penn State cycling. It features some of the hardest climbs used in road racing in the north east.

One of the descents is downright scary

LAJ

@Heathpack, positive thought for you and the Doglet.

IBOHUNT

We'll do a pre-festivity 10,000' century just for [MENTION=208276]revchuck[/MENTION]

revchuck 

Sounds like a plan.

revchuck 

Yesterday was a 1:15 endurance pace ride with 5x30" fast pedal intervals. Today was a two hour fasted ride; the ride part was okay but my stomach was growling the whole time. Tomorrow is supposed to be 1:30 with 5x2' Z6 intervals. The forecast is 40% chance of rain with temps in the high 30s and wind chill in the high 20s. It may turn into my second trainer workout this year - warmup, intervals, cooldown and off the bike. That'll be the last intensity I'll do for a while. Recovery Saturday, 2-3 hour endurance pace ride Sunday afternoon (morning temps will be in the teens with wind chill). Next week will be gym, recovery, a couple of endurance pace rides and a trip to VA for a family funeral.

I spoke with my coach this afternoon and the next couple of builds will be based around longer threshold intervals, building towards my Tucson trip. My next goal event is Rouge-Roubaix the second weekend in March - still undecided about doing the fondo or the race proper.

sarals 

You guys are beginning to concern me...

sarals 

Yep, reptilian. You'd think I'd be a velociraptor or something

That was a terrific video. For me it's a matter of healing up completely and getting my body used to the cadence. Then I have to get stronger. MEA is an incredible, one in a million athlete. She can totally destroy me in a time trial, and she has, and I'm quite certain I'll not approach her level on the track.

But I'm trying!

I'm not quite up to motor sessions at Hellyer. Hopefully when the weather improves in a couple of months I'll have healed enough and gotten savvy enough on the track to make use of them. I'd love to be able to hang on to a line circulating like the Roger's Sessions do at VSC.

I discovered pretty early on that you have to pay careful attention to getting back on the line after you pull off, yes. Ride up to just shy of the stayers line, don't slow down too much, and be moving down track towards the back before the last rider comes through. You are exactly right, [MENTION=71001]Hermes[/MENTION], it's a lot harder than it looks to get back on! I've burned precious matches late in the warmup, when the pace is up, chasing back on because I was slow on the uptake.

In the video I put up, what were those guys doing in the early laps, dropping to the pole lane and taking a flying lap? Is that customary in the Roger's Sessions?

sarals 

Today. JRA/Base at low pace. No sprints, no significant climbs, only one attack. My legs loaded painfully with lactic with anything like a sustained effort. Cardio! It'll come back, but heavens does it hurt!

Hermes

In the Roger's session on Tuesday and Thursday, he runs two interval session before the motor game. There are numerous cyclists that do the intervals but not the motor game. Roger's instructions is that the motor game is about using a lower gear and learning to hide in the pace line.

Of course, that does not stop racers from gearing up so that they can survive the entire 40 laps.

The first 20 laps are typically easier and the guys going off the front are trying to take laps on the motor in the pole lane. After 20 laps, he starts to increase the speed of the motor each lap so taking a lap become harder.

Comparing Hellyer to VSC, Hellyer is very anal about who can get on the motor. Hellyer only allows a motor at the advanced sessions. I wanted to have a motor at the intermediate session and it was no.

Anyone who shows up at a Roger's session can participate in the motor game so it is more of a self selection process.

Heathpack 

[MENTION=71001]Hermes[/MENTION], that video is pretty cool.

I think it's interesting in TTs too, how the fastest women are often 50+. I'm pretty sure I remember when I looked at all results for SoCal State TT that I would have won if I'd raced in a younger age group. (Not saying much, some of the younger women were just slow.)

Maybe TT or track somehow appeal to more mature personalities somehow and the fast younger women are off racing crits? Or maybe women tend to drop out of cycling during childbearing/rearing ages and TT/track are easier to train for when they come back to it- TT you can train for 'whenever' and track is inherently organized on a set schedule. Or maybe these types of efforts suit masters women's physiology somehow.

Interesting. I wonder why this is the case with women's fields.

Hermes

[MENTION=351576]Heathpack[/MENTION] Thanks for the kudos for videography. I do not know the reasons for women's speed versus age. There are some really fast young women in all disciplines. What seems to be the interesting factor is the longevity of the speed. Plus time trials take a long time to perfect. I am not throwing other racing under the bus as easy just that TTs require power, technique, concentration, isolation and lots of practice that many times requires a very high level of self motivation. Contrast that to a crit where one with reasonable fitness can sit in a race and finish with the pack. If one shows up less prepared for a TT, it shows up in placement and time.

Those women who have the TT talent and work on power and technique for years are rewarded and the fitness seems to hang around and not degrade over time. And I think fitness as we age is a mental thing. One has to believe that something is possible.

Also, if a women is a successful crit racer, she may or may not make the transition to time trials or be willing to put in the time to develop the requisite fitness.

Also, in the video, my wife made that motor game look easy. However, she has been racing and training at VSC for 7 years. She has been at least 200 times behind the motor with Roger plus Hellyer. She is totally comfortable much like the young woman in the tango video. That level of accomplishment takes years.

That is another reason why I like the track so much. It has a very large execution and experience component and it is track specific. The more one practices at VSC, the better one gets.

Hence, as women get older, they get better at the track. If they were extremely talented going in, then the experience start to play to their advantage.

At the pro level, we have Amber and Kristen. Both women are in the 40s and winning world championships and olympic gold medals. What will they be like in their 50s if they keep at it. At some point the youth will win out but IMO, they have several years left.

happybday29475

And just like that you're a skier. How was it?

I got in a couple of hours of turns this morning at our local hill. ~24" of freshie, the best skiing I've had in a while. It was a bit cold, though, hovering somewhere around zero.

Heathpack 

[MENTION=71001]Hermes[/MENTION], that was what struck me about the video. Sure it was about putting out some power but also clearly timing, technique, experience/practice. It's a beautiful thing to see something executed well.

Same feeling when I was at VSC for a fitting and the US Women were having team pursuit practice. It was just so cool looking to watch. Made you think, "hey, I want to do that". Bikes are awesome in the way they move.

Who knows about the TT thing? For me, it's just something I can obviously do and work on for years without needing to worry too much about who else is coming. Last TT was really well-paced splits and a win. But I was way more jazzed about the pacing side of things, because that's the kind of stuff that you've gotta learn (and makes a difference). Vs a win in the local TT? Really that's the forgettable part in the grand scheme.

IBOHUNT

Yesterday was no ru**i*g. a 6x6@90% with 2 rbi after work. Tried to keep the cadence around 105 during the work phase

revchuck 

1:35 at endurance pace with 5x2' Z6 intervals that barely made it into Z6. I just couldn't find my groove. A 15 mph wind that gusted higher didn't help, especially in a paper company pine forest with intermittent clearcuts, so I'd go from shelter to wind to shelter during the intervals. Thankfully the rain held off. Temp was 32, don't know what the wind chill was exactly but it was somewhere in the 20s.

Hard freeze tonight, good chance of black ice tomorrow. Recovery ride scheduled, will be done on the trainer.

Hermes

Gym workout last night jumping, lifting, upper body, core work and stretching and rolling. Plus 180 seconds of rejuvenation at the cellular level of cryotherapy down to -105 degrees C.

Interestingly, my box jump was really easy. Typically, I use 18 inches but the goal is to actually jump 18 inches of vertical and then land softly on the box versus jump up 6 inches and raise my knees to my chest for the remaining 12 inches.

For example, I watched a guy box jumping 40 inches. However, his actual jump height that he raised his center of gravity was maybe 14 inches. He got the remainder via flexibility in lifting his knees to his chest.

I am not criticizing his jump compared to mine just pointing out that it is a different exercise working muscles differently. I suspect for cycling, we want both vertical height and lift our legs. However, if one lands with knees at the chest, ones back will be in a less powerful position to absorb the landing. That is why I prefer to jump high and land with my legs slightly bent and then further absorb the impact by bending my knees more. YMMV.

Racer Ex 

They were closed yesterday because of the storm. Going to head up in a few and see what it's like. 17 degree here and at the top of the mountain. Another big storm coming in starting tomorrow AM.

Heathpack 

Feeling 75% better this morning after that one dose of antibiotics + 24 hours' simmering time. Miracle drugs, those ab's.

Doctor will call with bloodwork but was cool about the sinus thing. It's getting better? Yes. Your surgery is in two weeks? Yes. Ok, it will be fine, just don't do the surgery if you're sick. Sweet!

Today was supposed to be bleak & rainy but it's beautiful. Sunny & 60 degrees. I was supposed to do a recovery ride yesterday & then be off the bike today. I rested yesterday, so I figured I could justify a wee recovery level ride today. Enjoyed it but it's not too fun to ride with schmoo in your sinuses. And riding in the drops is not pretty from a sinus drainage perspective. I have 1.5 days to get over that I figure. Currently drinking hot tea. That's gotta help. (I'm sure it doesn't but you've gotta feel like you have some kind of control over stuff.

Session with fitter tomorrow. Mostly helmet talk & the new Garmin mount & what's this I hear about new aero pedals???

sarals 

Heading up to Fremont for the Early Bird Mentor Training. I am quite humbled to be asked to this! The weather, ahhhh. It's very windy, although the predicted epic rain storm won't start until this evening. It rained quite hard last night, here, anyway. Fremont should be okay. My fitness is a bit off right now, but I'm looking forward to this mentor training.
[MENTION=71001]Hermes[/MENTION], I hope to be riding on the track for the next bunch of years. We'll see if I ever get any good at it. Right on about Hellyer. They're pretty restrictive about a lot of things, it seems.