Well, riding continues to be at a minimum but all is well. I am doing some stretching everyday and using the At the Desk Energizer workout. This weekend was busy with chores at home. I had hoped to get out yesterday with one of our dogs in the buggy on the back of the bike, but alas, I ran out of time.
I did have a very nice time last evening with our Bobbies Holiday party (www.luvbobbies.com). It is nice to try to recognize everyone not in lycra! I am sometimes not so successful, then I just envision them in a helmet and it usually comes to me! I am looking forward to my next CompuTrainer session tomorrow so I will give another update soon. In the meantime, safe riding and enjoy the holidays. I plan to ride across town to the family gathering so I will assuage my eating guilt that way! What creative ways does anyone else have to work off those turkey pounds?
Monday, November 24, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
Get out of my head!!!
Tuesday I went for my first Computrainer class and I was pleased. For a baseline we did a 40 minute time trial. I have done one test on a computrainer and have my own Power Tap so I was not too overwhelmed by the info. There were 8 of us in class, 4 gents and 4 ladies. We warmed up and were off. I thought I started out a little too hard and was at 170 watts by 10 minutes. I gradually improved that to 175 watts at 30 minutes. The coach was really encouraging at my trend upward and said "You can get another 10 watts by the end". Here comes the part I would like to end- the voice in my head responded with "Yeah right, I will be happy with 5 more".
Negative self talk. I am working on a lot of self improvement but these nasty little gremlins pop up out of nowhere. Now, I would like to point out that at about 25 minutes or so I had started to feel pretty good, like I had really warmed up and was ready. But I still got that crap in my head. I did dig deep and worked hard to keep my watts as high as I could. The coach was great and I just concentrated on my wattage and doing what I could. I finished with 184 watts average for the 40 minutes and was very happy.
OK, for some of you guys out there that is nothing and don't even think of looking at the pros (Taylor Phinney just recorded a peak wattage of over 2000 watts in wind tunnel testing but he comes from gifted parents on both sides!). In fact two guys were over 200 watts average in this class. And I am competitive as most of us are- and I came in third! Which meant I did beat 2 of the gents. OK, OK, not really important, but what does matter is that I feel relatively untrained right now but this wattage is higher than the first time I ever did testing. So, I fully expect that my wattage will go up higher than it did before!
I am going to have to juggle my schedule for this in the next few weeks but I will let you know how things go.
Negative self talk. I am working on a lot of self improvement but these nasty little gremlins pop up out of nowhere. Now, I would like to point out that at about 25 minutes or so I had started to feel pretty good, like I had really warmed up and was ready. But I still got that crap in my head. I did dig deep and worked hard to keep my watts as high as I could. The coach was great and I just concentrated on my wattage and doing what I could. I finished with 184 watts average for the 40 minutes and was very happy.
OK, for some of you guys out there that is nothing and don't even think of looking at the pros (Taylor Phinney just recorded a peak wattage of over 2000 watts in wind tunnel testing but he comes from gifted parents on both sides!). In fact two guys were over 200 watts average in this class. And I am competitive as most of us are- and I came in third! Which meant I did beat 2 of the gents. OK, OK, not really important, but what does matter is that I feel relatively untrained right now but this wattage is higher than the first time I ever did testing. So, I fully expect that my wattage will go up higher than it did before!
I am going to have to juggle my schedule for this in the next few weeks but I will let you know how things go.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Just the tailwind
OK, I almost joined the ranks of the rest of the country by commuting this morning at 42 degrees! So, I overdressed and was sweating on the way to work. And everytime I think I am doing really well and having a great ride, I realized it was just the tailwind ;-). Until tonight when I turn around to go directly into the north wind. Life is like that isn't it?
Monday, November 3, 2008
Rain makes every ride epic
OK, sorry, life has gotten in the way as I was out of town for over a week. Here is an update from Saturday 11/2.
Awesome ride yesterday- I got up stinking early to meet a group riding up to do a Century. OK, I was not going to do the century but wound up with almost that by riding to and from the event. It was a perfect morning, cool but not chilly, slight winds from the north, and a great looking large group of ladies all in pink (www.luvbobbies.com). We rode up to Sanford and joined the Boys and Girls ride. Great time with some new roads and old ones. My now significantly smaller group peeled off and headed back to home and cars. A few miles down the road it opened up and rained. Of course, this is Florida so it was not too cold, just enough to get good and wet and soak the shoes and the bike (no I was not on the brevet bike with fenders!). There is nothing like riding in the rain to make it feel like it was an adventure.
A couple of days later I left for a personal development seminar and was out of town for over a week. I rode to work on the day we left to eliminate dealing with 2 cars - I just love that, win/win all the way around, I got to ride and saved the logistics of otherwise having a car there or someone to drive me to work. The seminar had some really long days- the first was from 7:30am at registration until past midnight. I was able to fit in a morning of the Fix the back strength and stretch as well as a quick 8 minute power routine one morning.
One of the speakers was a woman named Valerie Waugaman probably best known as Siren on American Gladiators. She was really awesome, had great info, took us through a short exercise routine as well that left my legs sore the next day (unaccustomed movements!), and best of all, had suggestions for "the world is your gym". Along the lines of Graeme's workouts that do not require lots of equipment or machines. She just used simple suggestions for use at the airport or at the grocery store, or standing in line. It was great.
So, I am finally back in town, having to forgo another local century (The Horrible Hundred) with catch up at home and with the family. However, I plan on commuting this week to work and on Tuesday I start my new 6 week program of power training with Vision Quest Coaching at LBS David's World Cycle. It should be tough but great. Updates should be more regular, but I have to go fix a faucet right now!
Awesome ride yesterday- I got up stinking early to meet a group riding up to do a Century. OK, I was not going to do the century but wound up with almost that by riding to and from the event. It was a perfect morning, cool but not chilly, slight winds from the north, and a great looking large group of ladies all in pink (www.luvbobbies.com). We rode up to Sanford and joined the Boys and Girls ride. Great time with some new roads and old ones. My now significantly smaller group peeled off and headed back to home and cars. A few miles down the road it opened up and rained. Of course, this is Florida so it was not too cold, just enough to get good and wet and soak the shoes and the bike (no I was not on the brevet bike with fenders!). There is nothing like riding in the rain to make it feel like it was an adventure.
A couple of days later I left for a personal development seminar and was out of town for over a week. I rode to work on the day we left to eliminate dealing with 2 cars - I just love that, win/win all the way around, I got to ride and saved the logistics of otherwise having a car there or someone to drive me to work. The seminar had some really long days- the first was from 7:30am at registration until past midnight. I was able to fit in a morning of the Fix the back strength and stretch as well as a quick 8 minute power routine one morning.
One of the speakers was a woman named Valerie Waugaman probably best known as Siren on American Gladiators. She was really awesome, had great info, took us through a short exercise routine as well that left my legs sore the next day (unaccustomed movements!), and best of all, had suggestions for "the world is your gym". Along the lines of Graeme's workouts that do not require lots of equipment or machines. She just used simple suggestions for use at the airport or at the grocery store, or standing in line. It was great.
So, I am finally back in town, having to forgo another local century (The Horrible Hundred) with catch up at home and with the family. However, I plan on commuting this week to work and on Tuesday I start my new 6 week program of power training with Vision Quest Coaching at LBS David's World Cycle. It should be tough but great. Updates should be more regular, but I have to go fix a faucet right now!
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