Quote that I liked. Not sure where I found it or who said it.
Those who try to do something and fail are infinitely better than those who try nothing and succeed.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
General Training Thoughts
From experience, I have learned that I can do lots of hard training rides with little to no recovery rides or recovery time, which then leads to overtraining.
I have also learned that in response to the overtraining scenario I can do lots of easy long training rides with too much and recovery time, which then leads to undertraining.
Therefore, this time I am using what I learned from my failed training regimes and combining that with my one and only time that I trained for a marathon. I will break up the training into four-week segments. Increasing the training intensity for the first three training weeks and then use the fourth recovery week to pull back and recover.
In each of the training weeks, I am still incorporating either recovery rides and/or just time off the bike, so to minimize overtraining.
For the first two training weeks, I will be doing one to two 2-3 hour rides on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (these will include lots of intervals) with a day off or recovery ride on Monday and Friday. Saturday and Sunday will be 4-6 hour training rides.
The third training week will be less intense during the week, but the end of the week will be 3 consecutive days of long rides. These rides will begin at 6 hours for the first training segment and increase by 3 hours per ride per segment leading up to three consecutive 18-hour training rides next spring.
The recovery week will be just that, and if I have done the three training weeks properly, all I will want to do is recovery and/or easy rides and get ready for the next training segment.
Because I am using the CompuTrainer, I am able to set a constant resistance (wattage) for my rides. As the weeks progress I am also increasing this resistance, so for my intervals and shorter training rides I am increasing the resistance. For the long rides, I am not only increasing the time of the long rides, but will also increase the resistance.
Of course, all of this is subject to change and probably will.
I have also learned that in response to the overtraining scenario I can do lots of easy long training rides with too much and recovery time, which then leads to undertraining.
Therefore, this time I am using what I learned from my failed training regimes and combining that with my one and only time that I trained for a marathon. I will break up the training into four-week segments. Increasing the training intensity for the first three training weeks and then use the fourth recovery week to pull back and recover.
In each of the training weeks, I am still incorporating either recovery rides and/or just time off the bike, so to minimize overtraining.
For the first two training weeks, I will be doing one to two 2-3 hour rides on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (these will include lots of intervals) with a day off or recovery ride on Monday and Friday. Saturday and Sunday will be 4-6 hour training rides.
The third training week will be less intense during the week, but the end of the week will be 3 consecutive days of long rides. These rides will begin at 6 hours for the first training segment and increase by 3 hours per ride per segment leading up to three consecutive 18-hour training rides next spring.
The recovery week will be just that, and if I have done the three training weeks properly, all I will want to do is recovery and/or easy rides and get ready for the next training segment.
Because I am using the CompuTrainer, I am able to set a constant resistance (wattage) for my rides. As the weeks progress I am also increasing this resistance, so for my intervals and shorter training rides I am increasing the resistance. For the long rides, I am not only increasing the time of the long rides, but will also increase the resistance.
Of course, all of this is subject to change and probably will.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Getting the back back into shape
Well, I have been having some lower back pain, not when cycling, but when I stand for extended periods. Also noticing that I was no longer centered on my saddle when riding.
So I went to a chiropractor. Not a big fan of them, but they do have their place.
Well they took x-rays of my back and neck. The results were surprising. My lower back is curving to the right and lowering my right hip (explains why I am not centered on my saddle) and my neck is curving to the left to compensate. Little to no disk degeneration yet, but something that needs to be taken care of.
I am on a four times a week program to get this straightened out (pun intended). The program includes adjustments (still get the willies when I hear the cracks), stretching and exercise.
We'll see what the outcome from all this will be.
So I went to a chiropractor. Not a big fan of them, but they do have their place.
Well they took x-rays of my back and neck. The results were surprising. My lower back is curving to the right and lowering my right hip (explains why I am not centered on my saddle) and my neck is curving to the left to compensate. Little to no disk degeneration yet, but something that needs to be taken care of.
I am on a four times a week program to get this straightened out (pun intended). The program includes adjustments (still get the willies when I hear the cracks), stretching and exercise.
We'll see what the outcome from all this will be.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Training Plan
Well, the training plan is coming together. I have set out a six month training plan; of course it will be modified and tweaked as the months go by. I have, in the past, not been disciplined enough to either create a plan or to stick to one. I hope that I have learned from my past mistakes.
My overall goals are to increase my sustained power on the bike, a weakness of mine, no pun intended, and obviously increase my ability to ride for endless hours.
The plan is a hodgepodge of things that I have picked up from others and learned myself over the years.
Besides the physical training, from observing the RAW/RAAM riders this year, the mental training may be as important as the physical training.
My overall goals are to increase my sustained power on the bike, a weakness of mine, no pun intended, and obviously increase my ability to ride for endless hours.
The plan is a hodgepodge of things that I have picked up from others and learned myself over the years.
Besides the physical training, from observing the RAW/RAAM riders this year, the mental training may be as important as the physical training.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Well I Did It
Well, for better or worse, I did it. I registered for RAW (Race Across the West). Had been thinking about doing it since the inagueral year, but 1000 miles on a bike? Ride a bike from Oceanside CA to Taos NM in 90 hours or less? It was just crazy enough to be considered!
In 2009, I was part of Mike Wilson's crew for RAW. It was a great experience. I learned a lot, met some great people, but after the race, I did not have THE ANSWER . . . Hell yes, sign me up for next year or why would anyone even think of doing that? Well, like many things in life, there was no obvious answer.
Then RAAM announced that the race was being shortened to 860 miles. Now that was more manageable!?! It was the push that got me off the fence. I had my answer . . . Hell yes, sign me up for next year!!!!
In 2009, I was part of Mike Wilson's crew for RAW. It was a great experience. I learned a lot, met some great people, but after the race, I did not have THE ANSWER . . . Hell yes, sign me up for next year or why would anyone even think of doing that? Well, like many things in life, there was no obvious answer.
Then RAAM announced that the race was being shortened to 860 miles. Now that was more manageable!?! It was the push that got me off the fence. I had my answer . . . Hell yes, sign me up for next year!!!!
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