aaronmcd

What?? Next week is Christmas! More free time for most people, why would you make it rest week?

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Descending in rainy, windy conditions in the dark is fun. Only got to do it once but it was epic!

Jandro 

Rapha's festive500 starts next week.

Back to #base for me. 3rd year in a row.

aaronmcd

You keep track, or go back and count?

I have no idea how many consecutive days I ride. I ride every day. Except occasionally there is something causing me to not ride, such as an out of town meet for my gymnasts.

Edit:
Looking back, first ride on bike, 11/3
Missed 11/9 to 11/11 due to a camp/hike trip.
Missed 12/6 because? Probably carpool due to rainy recovery day.

mollusk

I went out intending 3 hours of Z2 base, but ended up with 2 hours 45 minutes of Z2+. It was too nice a day to ride slowly (sunshine and temps in the low 70's F).

Just a hair under 13 hours so far this week with Saturday and Sunday to go. The rumor is that Sunday's team ride will be a wheel suck fest as Veloboy drags us around for 5 hours. I don't think that he posts here anymore, but he is a local Cat 1 taking time off from academics (between MS and PhD) to follow pro aspirations. The worst part is that he is so small that there is almost no draft behind him.

aaronmcd

So he basically he'll ride OTF and everyone else will chase really close the whole time?

Ygduf

I just add up the days whenever I wonder "how many days has it been?"

mollusk

Yeah. LOL.

waterrockets 

Free time is going to spent with the family, not continuing to be away from them like I am during the week. Got a big to-do list, gonna go camping, see some movies, etc., etc. There will be pedaling, just less of it.

rideaz

I recently got the black foam roller (we had the softer blue one before). Holy quads and IT bands! I had tears in my eyes the first time I used it.
Thanks for reminding me to get it out the closet and use it!

mike868y

Great day on the bike. Beautiful weather, great roads, solid legs. 3.5 hours.

TMonk

Yeah I'm a big sissy so I'm just going with the blue one.

Ygduf

rode to a teammate's restaurant, he made me an espresso and lent me a kit for racing on 1/1.

from there, to my other teammate's place to pick up my tire order.

From there to my home, to empty my now-full backpack.

Lastly, back to work. 2 more hours until 2 weeks vacation.

https://app.strava.com/activities/101129856

gsteinb

mollusk

Good rest week if you are traveling.

As for me it will be third week in my third base block. It is shaping up for 20 hours, 20 hours, and at least 20 hours for the three weeks.

Then I get a rest week. I need at least 3 days off the bike per doctor's orders. It has been 5 years since I last had a PSA and riding a bike can give false positives. After three days I get my blood drawn and the usual tests including PSA.

Also a head's up for anyone getting insurance with a medical exam requiring an EKG. Make sure to jump around a lot just before having it done. If your pulse is less than 60 bpm you will get an "abnormal" from your insurance company and have a lot of explaining to do. Ask me how I know. ;^)

rideaz

Awesome! Same here. Planning on some good quality family time, until my kids beg me to get back on my bike and leave them alone haha!

Ygduf

Did you get the black one? I can't even ******' use it. I have to warm up on my regular foam roller, and by the time I'm ready for the black knobby roller of extraordinary pain, I'm basically done.

aaronmcd

Just checked my heart rate: 63
Is that high/bad for a cyclist? I often hear about heart rates in the 30s and 40s!

Ygduf

don't compare HRs; it's not worth the time or air breathed while you're doing it. they're not comparable between people, and within 1 person they will vary greatly based on many factors (fatigue, water, caffeine, body position, etc...)

gsteinb

lol. No, I don't have it. I have a black foam one, and some store brand red roller of death.

Harun

I had one of those soft foam ones. It wore out in about 6 months of using it every day. Looked into getting one that would last longer. Turns out the ones that cost $40+ are just foam covered pvc pipes. So I did the economical thing and went to the hardware store to buy a 3ft pvc pipe for $10. Cut it in half and now I have two, so I can leave one at home and have one for traveling too. Sure it's way more painful but it works a lost faster.

Here's what my old 'roller' looks like next to my new one. I use it as a couch/floor cushion now:

Ygduf

I am afraid to use the black rumble roller for various reasons, not the least of which is that our floors are made of a softer wood.

rideaz

Holy crap! Every muscle in my legs just tightened looking at that picture. Good for you! That's hardcore!

Harun

I'm thinking of doing an imperial 500 next week. I'm free all week, with no traveling (besides a day visit for x-mas across the GGB), weather's supposed to be nice and dry - I don't really have any excuses. I've gotten pretty close to hitting that weekly distance before, and despite the colder shorter days it'll be possible with some warmers/gloves/lights.

revchuck 

There's a difference between comparing resting HR in a fasted state and HR during daily activity and/or exercise. Fudgy's right about HR during activity, but I think fasted resting HR can be generally compared, otherwise mollusk and I wouldn't get funny looks when we visit a doctor or a hospital. My resting HR is in the low 40s, and for a 62 year old, that literally sets off alarms on medical monitors. However, my RHR is about the same as other guys my age who are active runners/cyclists.

furiousferret

Mine has been low as 38 and currently in the mid 40's. Its a good indicator of health, but not performance.