3.5hr mountain ride to old camp last evening
5hr road ride first thing this morning
= Time to rest!
- live, work and race to your full potential
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Training Days
Back in the routine of training again... After a week off the bike I jumped right back into things this past week and went to work getting my base built up again. Went 3 days in a row with 3 hour rides after work. A 3 hour ride at endurance pace is normally not that significant of an effort for me, but doing it after work, after some time off the bike, made for a pretty good training block. My legs felt great but I definitely needed to eat more than I normally would on that kind of effort. The energy stores have already come around back to normal since the start of the week though.
For me there seems to be a few keys to riding well in the afternoon after a long day at work: Getting enough sleep the night before is pretty obvious.
The next is getting some sort of actual rest at lunch so the after lunch sleepiness doesn't linger all the way into the 5pm ride time. This is the one I don't do a very good job of even though I know from experience that even laying down for only 10min with my eyes closed makes me feel a lot better through the afternoon.
The last key is getting the afternoon snack right. For a couple hour ride it needs to be a few hundred calories, including fat, protein & a majority of carbs. I actually do best with 2 snacks - one a couple hours after lunch and another about 45min before I ride. The second snack leaves my blood sugar in a better place starting the ride compared to going through the entire afternoon with only one snack. Finally a little caffeine also helps a lot.
After making it through the work week pretty well I was lucky enough to have a really chill weekend. Even after a couple tough rides I'm feeling pretty rested. Even though the Tour of CA was right in my backyard, I decided to stay home, get in a better quality ride, get some things done around the house, and finish the day less worn out. Sometimes it's best to say no, even to some good things.
Sat: 7 Sisters I don't have a GPS file but saw this one for the same route on Strava - by Manny Prado
Sun: Cooks - Harding - Santiago Peak - Holy Jim - back to Cooks
pedaled the road section too (no shuttle)
For me there seems to be a few keys to riding well in the afternoon after a long day at work: Getting enough sleep the night before is pretty obvious.
The next is getting some sort of actual rest at lunch so the after lunch sleepiness doesn't linger all the way into the 5pm ride time. This is the one I don't do a very good job of even though I know from experience that even laying down for only 10min with my eyes closed makes me feel a lot better through the afternoon.
The last key is getting the afternoon snack right. For a couple hour ride it needs to be a few hundred calories, including fat, protein & a majority of carbs. I actually do best with 2 snacks - one a couple hours after lunch and another about 45min before I ride. The second snack leaves my blood sugar in a better place starting the ride compared to going through the entire afternoon with only one snack. Finally a little caffeine also helps a lot.
After making it through the work week pretty well I was lucky enough to have a really chill weekend. Even after a couple tough rides I'm feeling pretty rested. Even though the Tour of CA was right in my backyard, I decided to stay home, get in a better quality ride, get some things done around the house, and finish the day less worn out. Sometimes it's best to say no, even to some good things.
Sat: 7 Sisters I don't have a GPS file but saw this one for the same route on Strava - by Manny Prado
Sun: Cooks - Harding - Santiago Peak - Holy Jim - back to Cooks
pedaled the road section too (no shuttle)
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Time Away
It's been a good week off the bike! Last Saturday after riding the L'Etape (ride on the Mt Baldy stage of the upcoming Tour of CA) I started my off week cold turkey. Sunday and Monday I went through the expected funk, hungry and tired most of the time, both days. I've come around pretty good since then with some really productive days and even a little bit of rest. Recovery is definitely the biggest challenge with working full time and competing seriously at an endurance sport. Being a busy body by nature doesn't make things any easier...
The second part of this week has also been a good chance for me to start thinking about the second half of the racing season. For the first time in a few years, I went through the spring not knowing exactly what goals I would go after in the summer and fall. I've been praying consistently for some direction and really want to make sure I'm staying on the path that God has planned for me. I have both a really good job, and really great racing opportunities in front of me, and there just isn't time or energy to do everything I would like to. I know God has a plan for me though, if I am just patient and persistent enough in waiting for the vision to be fulfilled. Hab 2:3...
Today I finally have a weekend day without riding and I'm loving it. It's not very often that I have a day without work OR training. It's also Beth's birthday so we get to head out to a nice dinner with some friends. Thankful!
The second part of this week has also been a good chance for me to start thinking about the second half of the racing season. For the first time in a few years, I went through the spring not knowing exactly what goals I would go after in the summer and fall. I've been praying consistently for some direction and really want to make sure I'm staying on the path that God has planned for me. I have both a really good job, and really great racing opportunities in front of me, and there just isn't time or energy to do everything I would like to. I know God has a plan for me though, if I am just patient and persistent enough in waiting for the vision to be fulfilled. Hab 2:3...
Today I finally have a weekend day without riding and I'm loving it. It's not very often that I have a day without work OR training. It's also Beth's birthday so we get to head out to a nice dinner with some friends. Thankful!
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Friday, May 6, 2011
L'etape - Tour of California Stage to Mt Baldy
Why not decide to ride this tomorrow with 2,000 other crazies!? Same route as stage 7 of the Tour of California in 2 weeks...
Luckily I'll be rolling with some other SoCal mountain bikers to make the most out of what looks like a really tough ride! 11,000ft plus in climbing!
http://www.letapeducalifornia.com/
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Mellow Johnny ProXCT
I love going back to Texas to race! The weather is usually challenging, but I really enjoy the technical courses.
Going into Mellow Johnny's I thought it may be my last National Series race, possibly for good. My work and riding balance has been more challenging and stressful on me this year, and my Bonelli / Fontana / Sea Otter results weren't worth what I was putting myself through to get them. I wasn't ready to quit, I know I have a lot of great racing still in me. But I really needed to break away from being a slave to my results, and find a better daily balance. And things changed some in the last couple of weeks. After a mediocre Sea Otter I did my best (and am still working) to focus on having joy and experiencing God on all of my training rides, and everyday, rather than only having joy if my performance is good. I then went to Tx to enjoy the experience, visit family, and put in one great effort before a couple weeks rest. I came away with 10th, matching my best ever National result!! And this time was by far the closest I have ever come to a podium finish - which was only 54 seconds ahead... With that how can I be done with the nationals?
Results on Cyclingnews
Going into Mellow Johnny's I thought it may be my last National Series race, possibly for good. My work and riding balance has been more challenging and stressful on me this year, and my Bonelli / Fontana / Sea Otter results weren't worth what I was putting myself through to get them. I wasn't ready to quit, I know I have a lot of great racing still in me. But I really needed to break away from being a slave to my results, and find a better daily balance. And things changed some in the last couple of weeks. After a mediocre Sea Otter I did my best (and am still working) to focus on having joy and experiencing God on all of my training rides, and everyday, rather than only having joy if my performance is good. I then went to Tx to enjoy the experience, visit family, and put in one great effort before a couple weeks rest. I came away with 10th, matching my best ever National result!! And this time was by far the closest I have ever come to a podium finish - which was only 54 seconds ahead... With that how can I be done with the nationals?
Results on Cyclingnews
Talking with Dee after the race!
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