30 November 2010

training-core | run

Hours
Sleeping
5 Time
of Day
5:15 AM
Body
Weight
  Body
Fat
 
Distance   Power  
Time Walking – 10 min
Running – 20 min
Speed Walking – 4 mph
Running – 8 mph (7:30 min/mile)
Total
Ascent
  Max Speed
Elevation
Gradient
Breakfast 6:45 AM – cereal
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food water
Injuries  
Therapy stretching – hamstrings, quads, calves, pigeon pose
foam roller – 5x each leg
Workout Type  
Weather  
Course
clam knee lifts 3x40 each leg
side leg lifts 3x40 each leg
back extensions 3x30
plank 3 min, 2 min each side
roman chair knee lifts 3x40
treadmill – 2% incline
Results  
Equipment new Brooks road shoes
Clothing  

Another day, another run.

Core was okay, everything felt a little easier than yesterday.

The run was also fine – no pain at all. I think I won't have time to run the next couple of days so here's hoping I can do 25 minutes Friday and then 30 one day this weekend.

29 November 2010

training-core | run

Hours
Sleeping
  Time
of Day
5:15 AM
Body
Weight
  Body
Fat
 
Distance   Power  
Time Total (run/walk) – 30 min
Moving (run) – 15 min
Speed walk – 4 mph (15 min/mile)
run – 8 mph (7:30 min/mile)
Total
Ascent
  Max Speed
Elevation
Gradient
Breakfast 6:45 AM – cereal
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food water
Injuries right knee/IT band
Therapy stretching – hamstring, quads, calves, pigeon pose
foam roller – 5x each leg
Workout Type  
Weather  
Course
clam knee lifts 3x40 each leg
side leg lifts 3x40 each leg
back extensions 3x30
plank 3 min, 2 min each side
roman chair knee lifts 3.40
hip abductor 3x30 each leg – 100 lb
run – treadmill, 2% incline
Results  
Equipment  
Clothing  

Another day and another pain free run!

Ever wish you had a crystal ball and could look just a little bit into the future and tell if you were going too hard or just right or could work a little harder and not injure yourself? Yep, me too.

Core came first today and I'm SO glad I finally got to this... it has been a full week since I did anything for my back/knee and boy does it feel like I took a break. One week off is just too much. Especially when I spend tons of time slouched on the couch with horrible posture watching television during that time.

Everything was okay except the back extensions and knee lifts were pretty tough.

On the treadmill I decided that my indoor runs would be on a 2% incline. Why? Just because I want more benefit than being on the flat I guess... I also don't think that running up hill will be harder on my IT band so why not. It's not a big difference really; it just gives me that little bit of self-affirmation deep down inside that I need right now. :)

Once again I was totally pain free on the treadmill and after getting off and throughout the entire day. Nice. I think warming up for 10 minutes and cooling down for five after can't be hurting either.

I was breathing harder while running today than the past few times but hey, I also went five minutes longer. I'm getting better obviously but am also scared about my first run outdoors. I guess that can wait a few days at least though.

28 November 2010

volunteering at FareStart #2

I had so much fun helping out in the FareStart kitchen back in September that I decided to do it again in November.

As testimony to how popular volunteering at this charity is, I reserved my spot two months in advance and by the time we showed up they were booked through the end of the year. Nice. This time around I didn't go alone and was joined by Dean J, RC R and Jennifer W. Good times.

The chefs wasted no time putting us to work. My first task was...

Sandwich efficiency!
CIMG6737

We're talking 50 sandwiches in record time. One slice of bread, meat, lettuce, tomato, the second slice of bread, condiments, apple, carrot sticks, done.
CIMG6749

In the mean time Jennifer was tasked with chopping tomatoes. Kitchen efficiency seems to be all about large, mechanical devices. Why use a knife to dice the tomatoes when you can just cut them in half, remove the stem and then use a massive, cast metal contraption to pulverize them?

CIMG6743

Jennifer does tomatoes.

Everything here is big. Need to add a pinch of spice? Here is how you do that FareStart style.
CIMG6812

Meanwhile RC was getting his hands dirty (figuratively only – see gloves for proof) with some vegetables.
CIMG6744

That guy has some work ethic! Just check out the fruits (or vegetables in this case) of his labor.
CIMG6745

Of course slicing vegetables is not all RC did. Chef Louis also put him in charge of the salad dressing using what can only be described as some slasher movie prop.

1000 gallons of 1000 island.

This theme was repeated more than once...
CIMG6814

Even just sitting there it looked menacing.
CIMG6831

He got so good he could do it one-handed. FareStart has obviously tapped into some hidden talents here.
CIMG6763

Dean was doing what I started off with last time I was here – slicing bread.
CIMG6754

There were a rash of injuries on this day. Not only did I get blisters from slicing bread again – proving irrefutably that I don't have a single blue collar cell in my body – but Dean and Jennifer cut their fingers.
CIMG6788
Note phenomenally cool, cloth adhesive bandage. These things are the best I have ever used! They stuck like crazy, are flexible and last. Why can't they sell stuff like this in drug stores?

I must have felt pretty indignant from my injury because when Dean tried to document it, I proceeded to give him a load of crap for not knowing how to operate my camera.

Blister

Speaking of big, mechanical devices, this kitchen is loaded! Here are some of my favorites.

The steamer/fryer/cooker thing.
CIMG6773

The crockpot(?). This was fully five feet tall.
CIMG6796

Not sure what this was but damn it was big.
CIMG6797

They do everything big here at FareStart. Not exactly sure what this was for either but Chef Louis said if I keep coming back he might show me.
CIMG6799

In spite of all the injuries, being intimidated by large appliances and tired, sexual innuendo we got our jobs done. Case in point; croutons for everyone.
CIMG6789

We call it enchilada, you call it industrial grade calking.
CIMG6817

Lunch! I think...
CIMG6813

Dinner. I'm pretty positive.
CIMG6820

Part of the thrill of working here is you get to eat your own food. And really, they help you cook up quite the lunch buffet as you can see here.
CIMG6836

As industrial as the kitchen looks in the hands of skilled FareStart chefs it produces some extremely delicious food. Here is what we sat down to for lunch.
CIMG6837

Can you say fresh asparagus, mixed green salad, new potatoes with sautéed mushrooms, various cheeses and a chicken/rice dish? We could.

Thanks to my friends for joining me, to FareStart for allowing this and to the invaluable service they provide.

Here are all the pictures and video.

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27 November 2010

training-Seattle Multisport

Hours
Sleeping
6 Time
of Day
8:00 AM
Body
Weight
  Body
Fat
 
Distance #1 – ?
#2 – 40 km
Power #1 – threshold set at 310
#3 – 228 watts
Time #1 – 55 min
#2 – 1:10:47
Speed Overall
Moving
Total
Ascent
  Max Speed
Elevation
Gradient
Breakfast 6:15 AM – cereal
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food nuun
Injuries  
Therapy  
Workout Type  
Weather  
Course #1 – 55 min interval workout
#2 – 40 km rolling TT
Results  
Equipment Rain Bike
Clothing  

I thought it was going to rain all day today (it did not – not even close) so I scheduled a good, long indoor workout. Oh well, this was pretty quality.

The first effort was a 55 minute interval course. We could adjust our threshold power and the intervals were a percentage of our threshold. I had spoken with Tim a few days ago and discovered that he had entered my weight as 167 pounds! Yikes. I told him I was really 180 and so now with the corrected resistance I was scared to try 330 as my threshold again so opted for a safer number. And it was okay.

My legs felt pretty fair but my crotch did not. It was one of those days when you just can't get comfortable on the bike and I was constantly shifting around and feeling like I was chafing.

By the end of the this first session I was close to calling it a day as I was not sure my crotch was going to last the 1:10 or whatever the second session was going to take bit I decided to give it a go. I'm glad I did.

I never felt stellar for the second session but it was okay and more importantly it was over an hour of quality work. Towards the end my muscles started to tighten up but not too bad.

When I finished I was good and tired!

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26 November 2010

training-Mt Teneriffe

Hours
Sleeping
6 Time
of Day
9:00 AM
Body
Weight
  Body
Fat
 
Distance 12 miles Power  
Time Total – 5 hours
Moving
Speed Overall
Moving
Total
Ascent
  Max Speed
Elevation
Gradient
Breakfast 6:15 AM – cereal
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food Promax bar at the start, PowerBar at the top, water
Injuries  
Therapy  
Workout Type  
Weather upper 30s to low 30s, snow on the ground, some rain for the first hour, lots of wind at the top but calm in the trees
Course Mt Teneriffe
Results  
Equipment Brooks trail running shoes, CamelBak
Clothing cycling socks, wool socks, Under Armor tights, shorts, Craft long sleeve undershirt, Patagonia Capeline top, OR rain coat, OR Gripper gloves, OR rain overmits, SmartWool hat

I have done two (three?) hikes with TNAB before and so I was psyched for a good workout on this the annual Turkey Burner which would be heading up Mt Teneriffe.

I like their style – get up quick, don't wait for anyone (unless it's a safety concern of course), regroup at the top, take a summit photo and then head down together and get some beer and food. And they don't race up, they just hike at a purposeful pace and don't stop much. The point is to hike AND get in a quality workout.

My excitement for the hike was tempered by my shady equipment meaning I did not have the ideal footwear. In fact I might go so far as to say that with my circulation issues my footwear was kinda silly. I was counting on the activity keeping my feet warm and that it would be nice and cold up there so I would not get soaked.

As we pulled into the trailhead it was raining. I guess it was not going to be cold enough. Rats. I've never been a fan of starting a hike in my raincoat but had to today. I also had to start with my overmits to keep my gloves dry and my hands warm.

The first mile or so is walking up a dirt road. It was covered in three to five inches of slush but not a big deal. It got a LOT steeper as soon as we hit the trail. I guess a new trail has been installed in an attempt to level out the grade somewhat but it adds at least one mile to the trip each way and so since these guys are about speed, we took the old trail. The old trail pretty much goes up. And up. And up. Then along a ridge spine (which goes up steeply) and then you scramble through an alpine meadow to the top.

About half way up we came to a waterfall that was mostly frozen. It was beautiful! Sadly, because of the rain I had left my camera in the car thinking it would just get soaked and/or my hands would freeze trying to take pictures. Damn.

The spine was less than 10 feet wide at times and really fun.

Towards the top the snow got deep. As we started to climb out of the trees the wind had piled up drifts and not having any snow shoes meant I was pretty much floundering in snow that was up to the middle of my thigh. Luckily this section was not so long and within about 15 minutes of hitting the deep stuff we were standing on the top.

It was really blowing up here! We had stopped just as we exited the trees to put on one more layer and I'm glad we did. No one wanted to linger here so we took about two pictures and headed right back down.

At first going down was a blast. Up here it was really cold and the snow was fantastic meaning nice and dry. I was not getting wet at all and could plunge step/jump down the mountain as I would sink in three feet each time I landed – sliding down the slope was not a concern. But as we got back into the woods it was a different story and I suddenly realized why people take trekking poles along on hikes.

I was sliding all over the place and ended up bouncing down the mountain like a pachinko ball using trees to slow my descent. Luckily it worked surprisingly well. I never bit it and arrived at the bottom in one piece.

By this time we had actually take off our raincoats and I had removed my hat and gloves so I guess descending was taking more energy than I thought it would. I sure wish I Had taken my camera... the waterfall and the snow at the summit was spectacular.

On the bright side my right knee was totally fine to day! With all the descending that is a big deal for sure.

Here are all the pictures.

25 November 2010

training-run

Hours
Sleeping
7 Time
of Day
8:45 AM
Body
Weight
  Body
Fat
 
Distance run – 2.7 miles Power  
Time Total – 25 min
Moving
Speed Overall
Moving
Total
Ascent
  Max Speed
Elevation
Gradient
Breakfast 9:30 AM – cereal
10:30 AM – Chai latte
Lunch 2:00 PM – tofu, onions, broccoli, water, hard cider, dark chocolate
Dinner 6:30 PM - kale/squash/cheese bread 'pudding', green salad, Brussels sprouts, 3 glasses wine, water, ice cream, cookies
Workout Food  
Injuries  
Therapy  
Workout Type  
Weather  
Course treadmill – 2% incline, 4 mph (15 min/mile) walking, 8 mph (7:30 min/mile) running
Results  
Equipment new Brooks road shoes
Clothing  

Today I upped my run to 10 big, fat minutes. Nice.

What's even nicer is that the 10 minutes surprised me by how quick it came up. I felt like I was cruising along and suddenly it was time to shut it down. I walked for 10, ran for 10 and then walked for five.

Honestly I am worried about what will happen when I get outside and run on the streets. That is so much harsher than a cushy treadmill and since the next cycling season is rearing its head, how much time will I have to dedicate to running?

don't look for the pain

A couple of weeks ago I was riding with Justin A (my running mentor) when the conversation turned to, you guessed it, running.

At the time I was contemplating my first run after taking seven weeks off to let my right IT band inflammation heal up and I was curious how long/hard I should go on my first outing and then if it went okay, how long/hard my future runs should be. The last thing I want to do is the classic rooky maneuver of feeling like I am healed, doing too much and then setting myself back much farther than if I had just built up slowly.

What Justin said was interesting; I think it went more or less like this.

Athletes tend to look for the pain. If they are healthy they go until it hurts and then try to embrace the discomfort and hold it as long as possible. If they are injured they tend to go until it hurts before they stop.
I'm honestly not sure if I remembered the first part correctly but I am sure about the second part. His point was NOT to look for the pain when you are coming back from an injury. If you go until it hurts, you have already gone too far and your body will need time to heal again as the pain is an indicator that you are causing damage.

Instead he suggested that I run for five minutes. And if it feels fine stop. The next time I run I should try like six or seven minutes and if that feels good stop. You get the idea... Each successive run should only be a little longer than the previous one and none of them should hurt. If it hurts I am doing something wrong or am doing too much or am doing it too hard. Only by progressing slowly and without pain will I build up my body (my right IT band in this case) so that it can handle the stresses I want to subject it to in the future.

Sounds easy, right? And totally makes sense, right? But it is amazingly hard to follow through on.

After seven weeks of no running whatsoever and an MRI on my right knee and four weeks of using a foam roller on my IT bands and four weeks of massage and stretching and two weeks of taking horse pill Naproxen tablets I was finally ready to give it a go.
ASIDE – okay, I guess I lied. Once in those seven weeks I did try to run on a treadmill at my gym. I lasted maybe 10 steps. The impact hurt so much. It was this event which finally caused me to seek professional help.
Nervous? Hell yes I was nervous. I got on our treadmill at home and started walking. By this time walking around on the flats and going up and down stairs was not hurting me at all so I was guardedly optimistic that I could finally try running again. Up until just two weeks ago I could still feel my right knee going down stairs and when I was spinning easy on the bike. Interestingly going hard on the bike did not hurt at all.

After 10 minutes of walking I dialed up the speed and started running.

No pain. Hallelujah.

I kept it up for exactly five minutes and then slowed it down to a walk. Two days later I tried seven and a half minutes and today I did 10 minutes. No pain at all.

Shelley has been so incredibly supportive of me trying to come back and of me sticking to this more cautious and more sane building program. Especially the later. :) Which is good. Left to my own devices I would no doubt try too much and end up on the couch with an ice pack on my leg whining about how much injuries suck.

Thanks to everyone that has helped me get over this.
  • Shelley – my wife
  • Neal G – my PT
  • Tucker R – my LMP
  • Justin – the guy I look to for all things running
And here's me actually getting over this and not backsliding.

This is what mountain biking is about.

What is Mountainbiking about? from Filme von Draussen on Vimeo.

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24 November 2010

training-run

My second run since I wasted my IT band! How sweet it is.

I walked for 10 minutes and then ran for one mile! I know, just point me to some ultras already because I am peaking... After I walked for another five minutes.

My first run on Monday was five minutes so I figured I would add two minutes and at a 7:30 pace that basically equals one mile so there you go. On the one hand I feel pretty ridiculous tracking this kind of 'workout' but on the other I need to make sure I don't do too much too soon.

And on they bright side since I could not get to my gym I had to clean up the garage and dust off our treadmill so now it's ready for future use. Who knows, I might just make room for my trainer or rollers next. Yikes!



Hours
Sleeping
6 Time
of Day
6:00 AM
Body
Weight
Body
Fat
Distance 1 mile Power
Time Total – 22 min
Moving
Speed Overall
Moving
Total
Ascent
Max Speed
Elevation
Gradient
Breakfast 7:00 AM - smoothie
Lunch
Dinner
Workout Food
Injuries
Therapy
Workout Type
Weather
Course treadmill, 2% incline
Results
Equipment
Clothing

23 November 2010

training-commute

Hours
Sleeping
6 Time
of Day
 
Body
Weight
  Body
Fat
 
Distance 12 miles Power  
Time Total
Moving
Speed Overall
Moving
Total
Ascent
  Max Speed
Elevation
Gradient
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food  
Injuries  
Therapy  
Workout Type  
Weather In the teens all day! Oh yeah, and snow and ice on the ground. Sun in the afternoon and pretty calm.
Course  
Results  
Equipment Mountain Bike
Clothing  

The UW was closed today but I had work to do so decided that I would ride in since I had an appointment downtown in the afternoon and walking seven miles seemed like a bit of a chore.

Riding in the snow is fun! It's been ages since I have done any of this so the novelty outweighed the inconvenience. I took my mountain bike (for the knobby tires) and since it's currently a single speed I rode really slowly.

On the way in my hands about dropped off they were so cold. :( I think it was because my body was not warmed up and I was just coasting down hills. I did hit the trails above Interlaken and that was cool – great traction and a blast to ride though untouched snow.

Riding to my appointment and then home was fine – traction was not an issue if you were careful. And my hands stayed much warmer.

22 November 2010

The Seattle PI Velocity blog profiles me!

How fun/flattering is this? Very!

http://blog.seattlepi.com/velocity/archives/229318.asp

Thanks to David Longdon for maintaining this blog and for profiling all kinds of riders from the Pacific NW.

training-run

Never in my life did I think I would be this happy about being able to go for a five minute run. How sweet it is. It has been seven solid weeks since I have run even one step.

No pain! None at all. I warmed up by walking on the treadmill for 10 minutes at 4 mph (15 min/mile) and then upped the speed to 8 mph (7:30 min/mile) and went for a jog. And it felt fine. And by 'fine' I mean there really was no pain. Nice.

After throwing a huge party and toasting myself repeatedly and sleeping off the hangover I went downstairs, did some stretching and hit the foam roller for my IT band.

Then I went home and had a huge smile on my face as I watched the snow fall on Capitol Hill. Today is a good day.

Thanks to MY PT Neal G and my LMP Tucker R and Naproxen for getting me this far. I will try hard not to overdo it and build up slowly.



Hours
Sleeping
7 Time
of Day
5:30 AM
Body
Weight
Body
Fat
Distance Power
Time Total – 5 min
Moving
Speed Overall
Moving – 8 mph (7:30 min/mile)
Total
Ascent
Max Speed
Elevation
Gradient
Breakfast 6:30 AM – cereal
Lunch
Dinner
Workout Food water
Injuries right knee./IT band
Therapy stretching, foam roller
Workout Type active recovery
Weather
Course treadmill – 1% incline
Results
Equipment new Brooks road shoes
Clothing

21 November 2010

training-core | indoor exercise class

Hours
Sleeping
7 Time
of Day
8:15 AM
Body
Weight
  Body
Fat
 
Distance   Power  
Time Total – 2 hours
Moving
Speed Overall
Moving
Total
Ascent
  Max Speed
Elevation
Gradient
Breakfast 6:45 AM – cereal
Lunch 11:00 AM – 3 pieces pizza, dark chocolate, water
Dinner 6:00 PM – grain meatloaf, biscuits w/butter, Brussels sprouts, 2 glasses wine
Workout Food water
Injuries  
Therapy  
Workout Type  
Weather  
Course
clam knee lifts 3x40 each leg
side leg lifts 3x40 each leg
back extensions 3x30
plank 3 min, 2 min to each side
roman chair knee lifts 3x40
ab class – crunches, leg lifts, planks
body pump – squats, chest, triceps, biceps, back, lunges
Results  
Equipment  
Clothing  

Just call me a gym rat. Not.

Not wanting to ride in the butt-ass cold and being tired I opted for the 'gymnasium'. First I did my own core routine (30 min), then I dropped in on an ab class (30 min) and finally I participated in a Body Pump class (60 min). Now I am more tired. :)

But not in the way that a long ride tires you out so that's good.

ASIDE – turns out Body Pump is a very structured, specific kind of workout. You can get certified to teach it and the moves are, I'm guessing, the same no mater where you take this kind of class.

having only done core exercises for the last year or so I am always surprised at how weak my abs are. No six-pack here. But it's all good as my back has been slowly getting better. The back extensions were again super tough. Holy cow.

My right knee/IT band did not bother me at all but that's probably because these classes were not about jumping around – practically zero impact. And it's one reason I chose to do this today.

20 November 2010

training-ride

Hours
Sleeping
7 Time
of Day
9:00 AM
Body
Weight
  Body
Fat
 
Distance 49 miles Power  
Time Total – 3:06
Moving
Speed Overall
Moving
Total
Ascent
  Max Speed
Elevation
Gradient
Breakfast 6:30 AM - smoothie
Lunch 12:45 PM – large bottle w/3 scoops Sustained Energy (my left over bottle from the ride), 2 pieces pizza
Dinner 6:00 PM – sandwich, chips salsa, 2 beers
8:00 PM – dark chocolate
Workout Food large bottle w/3 scoops Perpetuem
Injuries Right knee/IT band felt great!
Therapy  
Workout Type team ride
Weather 40, mostly sunny, windy, dry
Course  
Results  
Equipment Rain Bike
Clothing Sugoi shoe covers, leg warmers, Roubaix weight knickers, Craft long sleeve undershirt, long sleeve jersey, wind vest, OR Gripper gloves, cap

Another excellent fall day! And except for the fact that my legs were the opposite of fresh it was a good time. In attendance today were Greg K, Aaron S, Tim F, Neal G, Ryan G and a new guy who's name I have forgotten. :(

Rolling down Lake WA Blvd was fine but then as soon as we hit Rainier Aaron (on his carbon race bike with no fenders) cranked up the pace and I almost got dropped. Ryan (also on his carbon race bike) was right with him and it was really frustrating how hard it was to hang on. By the time we got to Renton I was feeling a little bit better but not good by any means.

Climbing up from the lake Aaron and Ryan were chatting away and everyone except for me decided to let them go. I was very nearly maxed out all the way up to May Valley and would have been shelled if they had shut up and pedaled even a tiny bit harder. Thankfully for me they had lots of training stuff and power numbers to discuss.

Riding along May Valley I noticed something. Even though I was wasted and not feeling so hot I was able to hang in and take short pulls. Tim, this other guy and Neal would get tailed off, pull too long and struggle to get back on. At one point Neal pulled for way too long – and into a slight rise – and was promptly dropped. Thank goodness we had to wait for the light at Hwy 900. But it was not just Neal, both Tim and this new guy would pull too long or let the entire group ride by and then have to sprint to get back on,etc., etc. Always wasting energy. And Tim was riding a HUGE gear. Yikes.

Just as we hit Issaquah-Hobart we stopped to fix a flat so the entire bunch regrouped. And I was lucky that the pace was sane up Newport or I would not have been there at the end. Whew.

ASIDE – the pace was not even that hard today! I was just on a heavy bike and tired.

As we crossed the I-90 floating bridge the wind was strong! There were big waves on the north side and we were getting moved around on the bike path. Kinda cool when you are fresh, kinda frustrating when you are beat. And because it was a pure cross wind you could be right behind someone and get zero shelter. It was one of those days where you lean into the wind, it lets up for an instant and you almost fall into the railing.

It felt good to arrive at my garage.

19 November 2010

training-core | commute

Hours
Sleeping
6 Body
Weight
  Body
Fat
 
Pulse
(waking)
  Pulse
(rising)
  Difference  
Time
of Day
gym – 5:15 AM Distance 12 miles Power  
Time
(total)
  Time
(moving)
  Time
(stopped)
 
Speed
(overall)
  Speed
(moving)
  Speed
(max)
 
Total
Ascent
  Max
Elevation
  Gradient  
Breakfast 6:15 AM - smoothie
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food water
Injuries  
Therapy foam roller – 5x each leg
stretches – pigeon, hamstring, quad, calk
massage
Workout Type  
Weather very low 40s, mostly dry, light wind
Course
clam knee lifts 3x40 each leg
side leg lifts 3x40 each leg
back extensions 3x30
plank 3 min, 2 min to each side
roman chair knee lifts 3x40
hip abductor 3x30 – 100 lb
Results  
Equipment Town Bike
Clothing  

Core! Yes! It sure has been a while... (read: Monday).

Everything felt fine except for the back extensions, they were tough. And my commute home was tough – the legs were tired. I climbed Capitol Hill very s l o w l y.

Got another massage from my LMP today, good stuff. Also incredibly uncomfortable stuff! for some reason everything was tight as a bow string today – my IT bands, quads, hamstrings, back (upper and lower), everything. Suck. Not sure what is going on there.

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18 November 2010

training-ride | commute | Seattle Multisport

Hours
Sleeping
  Body
Weight
  Body
Fat
 
Pulse
(waking)
  Pulse
(rising)
  Difference  
Time
of Day
ride - 6:00 AM
trainer – 6:00 PM
Distance commute – 10 miles Power trainer - threshold set to 330 watts
Time
(total)
ride - 1:45
trainer – 60 min
Time
(moving)
  Time
(stopped)
 
Speed
(overall)
  Speed
(moving)
  Speed
(max)
 
Total
Ascent
  Max
Elevation
  Gradient  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food ride - half a large bottle w/3 scoops Sustained Energy
trainer - nuun
Injuries  
Therapy  
Workout Type  
Weather mid 40s, dry, calm
Course ride – Dawg, Seward park, Beacon Hill, home
trainer - 2x20
Results  
Equipment ride/trainer - Rain Bike
commute - Town Bike
Clothing ride – knit shoe covers, leg warmers, Roubaix weight knickers, Craft long sleeve undershirt, long sleeve jersey, OR Gripper gloves, cap, wind vest

The ride was easy today – just cruising along with one incline at a very manageable pace. Today it was RC R, Greg K and Ryan D. "Take me to easy town." is what Ryan said so that is what we did. I was just glad to be out for a bit with friends on another dry day.

At Seattle Multisport we did a real 2x20 workout. You set your threshold, warm up for five minutes which includes three short spikes and then settle into your first interval which ramps up from about 88% of your threshold to about 92% of your threshold with a tiny spike at the end. then you spin for five minutes and repeat the interval and finally you cool down for five.

Two weeks ago I had managed to complete both intervals with my threshold set at 320 watts and last week we did a power test which indicated I should set my threshold at 330 so that was what I did today. Ouch.

The first interval was okay... I finished it fine and although it was an effort I was never in distress. Eight minutes into the second interval my motivation turned off like a light switch. Yes it was harder and yes my breathing was more labored but I could have completed it I'm guessing if my head was in the right place. Not tonight.

I quit pedaling for a few seconds and stood up to stretch; then I tried to get back to it. That last about two minutes when I quit again. And again after another two minutes. Yikes. tonight was just not my night. Thank goodness I managed to ride out the last four minutes with no more interruptions.

Greg contends it was because I had ridden Tuesday, did stairs yesterday, blah, blah, blah. Sure, I was not fresh but sheesh, I just did not have any focus during that second interval. If I did it would have been okay.

Oh well. Most of the workout was very quality. :)

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The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia

Holy Hillbilly Batman.

To a sheltered, middle-class, living-on-the-fashion-island-that-is-Capitol-Hill, working-in-IT, white guy like me there is a BIG slice of the American cultural pie that I just don't have a clue about much less get to taste. Last night I got just a little sample when I watched The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia.

I can tell you this; stereotypes exist for a reason and if there is ANY hillbilly stereotype that you can imagine, the Whites emphatically demonstrate where it came from.

Here is the NY Times review.
Here is the IMDb listing.

It seems like every member of the (unfortunately much too large) White family is either a drug addict, a hardened criminal, has missing teeth, has no sense of social responsibility, is ignorant about birth control, lives for the moment with no thought of consequences, has been in trouble with the law or all of the above. Oh yeah, and just doesn't give a good goddamn what anyone else thinks.

Here are some of things that blew my mind.

  • They actually say, "al-kee-hall".
  • They also say "worser and worser".
  • They joke about stupid they are or how stupid a thing that they did is AND THEN THEY GO AHEAD AND DO IT AGAIN. And laugh about it.
  • Mom and son deal drugs and get wasted together.
  • A boy gives his aunt a tattoo and comes ever so close to misspelling the words THREE TIMES IN A ROW.
  • Hours after giving birth a Mom snorts some crushed pills.
  • Mom, daughter and friend head into a bar and proudly proclaim they won't come out until they are shit faced.

There are simply to many priceless moments to list. I was laughing out loud in bed watching this while Shelley was trying to read. It's so incredibly outrageous and since any misery they suffer is entirely self-imposed that you just can't feel much pity.

The Whites are like a machine. You can see the children being raised to replace the elders and all the same (lack of) values are being instilled and solidified at an incredibly early age.

Totally nuts.

If you subscribe to Netflix you can stream it for free. I recommend that you do this.

17 November 2010

training-stairs

Hours
Sleeping
  Body
Weight
  Body
Fat
 
Pulse
(waking)
  Pulse
(rising)
  Difference  
Time
of Day
6:00 AM Distance 13 flights Power  
Time
(total)
57 min Time
(moving)
  Time
(stopped)
 
Speed
(overall)
  Speed
(moving)
  Speed
(max)
 
Total
Ascent
  Max
Elevation
  Gradient  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food nuun
Injuries  
Therapy  
Workout Type  
Weather mid 40s, damp ground, dry sky, calm
Course Howe Street stairs
Results  
Equipment new Brooks road shoes
Clothing shorts, long sleeve active t, short sleeve active t

During my hiatus from racing I still rode my bike. In fact for various reasons (I had just gotten divorced and felt like needed to do whatever the hell I wanted for a change) I rode it quite a bit at first. It did taper off some as I began to realize there was more to life than just my bicycle – like girls; but I did not really push myself too much during those years. Really pushing myself seems to require external pressure. Like a friend.

I have tried doing these stairs alone in the past and it rarely ends up being a productive workout... Thanks to my good buddy Ryan D this was a productive workout.

We walked three flights and then alternated running with walking for seven more and then walked the last three. Nice. Our runners were the fastest yet this fall. About eight or so flights in we met some of Ryan's friends and on our last runner they were cheering him on and turned it into a race! :( Ryan won. And he had to pass me to do it. Good work.

My knee? No troubles. Loving that.

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16 November 2010

training-ride

Hours
Sleeping
  Body
Weight
  Body
Fat
 
Pulse
(waking)
  Pulse
(rising)
  Difference  
Time
of Day
5:30 AM Distance   Power  
Time
(total)
2:00 Time
(moving)
  Time
(stopped)
 
Speed
(overall)
  Speed
(moving)
  Speed
(max)
 
Total
Ascent
  Max
Elevation
  Gradient  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food large bottle w/3 scoops Sustained Energy
Injuries  
Therapy  
Workout Type  
Weather low 40s, dry at first, rain towards the very end, calm
Course 3xAlder, 4xMadrona, 2xCapitol Hill
Results  
Equipment Rain Bike
Clothing knit shoe covers, leg warmers, Roubaix weight knickers, Craft long sleeve undershirt, long sleeve jersey, wind vest, OR Gripper gloves, cap

Today it was Ryan D, Justin A, Greg K and Tim F. We rode the hills at endurance pace meaning no accelerations and we were able talk pretty much the entire time.

I felt a bit like an idiot for heading out this early but hey, if you have a job and you want to train then I guess you need to do this or hit the indoor scene and pretty much hate the indoor scene unless I have company. Even then I still dislike it.

Everyone was in a fantastic mood! That pretty much made up for the fact that my alarm had gone off at 4:30 AM.

We are going ALL the way to the top of each climb. On Alder the summit is obvious but on Madrona we had a couple of blocks past Union and going up Capitol Hill we ride all the way to the water tower in Volunteer park. Always in search of that little bit of extra...

15 November 2010

training-core

Hours
Sleeping
6 Body
Weight
7:00 AM - 181 Body
Fat
8
Pulse
(waking)
  Pulse
(rising)
  Difference  
Time
of Day
5:15 AM Distance   Power  
Time
(total)
  Time
(moving)
  Time
(stopped)
 
Speed
(overall)
  Speed
(moving)
  Speed
(max)
 
Total
Ascent
  Max
Elevation
  Gradient  
Breakfast 6:30 AM – cereal
9:30 AM – almonds
10:30 AM – 2 handfuls of shredded wheat
Lunch 11:30 AM – mashed potatoes, mushrooms, gravy, water
Dinner  
Workout Food water
Injuries right knee/IT band
Therapy foam roller – 10x each leg
pigeon stretch, quad stretch, hamstring stretch, calf stretch
Workout Type  
Weather  
Course
clam knee lifts 3x40 each leg
side leg lifts 3x40 each leg
back extensions 3x30
plank 3 min, 2 min each side
roman chair knee lifts 3x40
Results  
Equipment  
Clothing  

Core felt better today. The back extensions were really tough for some reason but the plank was significantly easier... strange how the body works sometimes.

I finally did some concerted stretching. Seems that is yet another thing I should incorporate into my ever-growing daily (or at least weekly) routine.

14 November 2010

training-ride

Hours
Sleeping
5 Body
Weight
  Body
Fat
 
Pulse
(waking)
  Pulse
(rising)
  Difference  
Time
of Day
8:15 AM Distance 60 miles Power  
Time
(total)
4 hours Time
(moving)
  Time
(stopped)
 
Speed
(overall)
  Speed
(moving)
  Speed
(max)
 
Total
Ascent
  Max
Elevation
  Gradient  
Breakfast 6:30 AM – cereal
Lunch 1:00 PM – green salad, Stonewall's Jerquee, olives, 2 tortillas w/peanut butter, water
Dinner 5:30 PM – mashed potatoes, mushrooms, gravy, green salad, glass of wine, water
Workout Food large bottle w/3 scoops Perpetuem, large bottle w/3 scoops Sustained Energy
Injuries my right knee/IT band felt great today – no issues
Therapy  
Workout Type  
Weather mid 40s, wet ground, mostly dry sky, calm
Course  
Results  
Equipment Road Bike
Clothing Sugoi shoe covers, knee warmers, bib shorts, Craft long sleeve undershirt, short sleeve jersey, arm warmers, OR Gripper gloves, cap, wind vest

Went riding with Greg and Suzie K, Bill S, Neal G and Gabe T; great group. I thought it was going to be colder than it was and did not really need my heavy gloves... better to be warm than to freeze though.

I have been shopping fancy wheels of late and today got the chance to take some Mad Fiber hoops for a spin. One word: outrageous. Since the hubs did not accept disk brake rotors I had to suffer my race bike.

1) These wheels are light.
2) It was SO much fun to be on my light bike (with light wheels) again.
3) These wheels are incredibly light.

There is a price to pay for being on your fancy ride this time of year in Seattle of course, and that was I could not fit a front fender on my race bike so my shins got a major dirt tan. And of course my abbreviated rear fender did not endear anyone that was on my wheel. Shame on me.

And of course light wheels aren't everything. On the last rise of the ride I led into it and then gave it about 90 percent thinking I would easily be the first to the top but no. Greg came by with authority on his heavy-ass rain bike with heavy-ass tires. Just goes to show that if you are stronger you go faster.

Aside from that hiccough I was having a fantastic time. It was not that cold so in spite of me getting spackled all day long I was extremely comfortable. And I had enough food too. I did get a nose bleed about half way in... probably due to the wine I drank last night and being somewhat dehydrated and blowing my nose all the time. This happened to me a few times last year – you'd think I would learn to drink water.

On the way we saw the First Rate Mortgage gang or at least a good portion of it including Robin G, Mick W and Martha W. Everyone we passed remarked about my wheels. :)

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Mad Fiber wheels

Back in the day I used to race on wheels with 36 straight gauge spokes (laced 3x of course) and 700x28 Specialized touring II tires. Hahahahaha... Those days are LONG gone.

Today I'm on some tubular Zipp 404s that are getting mighty long in the tooth (I can't keep them true or round) so it's a shopping I go.

After doing some browsing/reading/research, I decided that the wheels from Mad Fiber 1) looked cool as hell, 2) were light as hell and 3) were hella strong. With this perfect trifecta and seeming to recall that a friend of mine was involved with the company I gave him a shout and faster than you can say, "demo program" I'm being offered a set to take out for a spin. Complete with some Tufo tubulars already glued on. Nice.

roadwheels

On paper these wheels are fantastic, so good it makes a skeptic like me wonder if it's all really possible. Here are some numbers I dug up.

  Weight Depth MSRP Warranty
Mad Fiber 1085 g 60/66 mm $2,599.00 4 years
Zipp 404 1278 g 58 mm $2,300.00 2 years
Edge 65 (DT 190) 1221 g 65 mm $3,043.95 2 years
Edge 65 (DT 240) 1447 g 65 mm $2,515.95 2 years
Reynolds 66/46 1422 g 46/66 mm $2,450.00 2 years

If you throw out the ridiculously expensive Edge with the light weight DT hub, the cost seems pretty on par with everything else.

So why are these wheels so great?

  • The Mad Fiber wheels are lighter. Not only are they lighter, they did not cut corners to make this so. It's easy to build a wheel with a microscopic hub and equally tiny bearings to meet some number goal but what do you get? Crap, that's what. The hub flexes and the bearings wear out. Mad Fiber uses proven White Industries hubs and goes so far as to use the MTB hub guts which have oversized chromoly axles and oversized bearings. Both of which will ensure that you get less flex and more life.
  • The mad Fiber wheels are deeper and thus more aero in a head wind than all the others except for the Edge front wheel.
  • The Mad Fiber wheels have a lower moment of inertia. In case it is not obvious, if the hub weights more AND the wheel weighs less, this rim has got to be wicked light. That means faster acceleration so quicker sprints and easier climbing.
  • Strength tests are not standardized but the Mad Fiber wheels seem incredibly strong. No rider weight limit speaks volumes. Especially in this era of CYA and minimalist (read: fragile) designs.
  • 4 year warranty. Need I say more? For most people that's about the useful life of fancy wheels so knowing you are not going to get thrown under the bus after one or two is pretty sweet.
  • Aerodynamics. Even though you need to take most any aerodynamic study with a huge grain of salt, the Mad Fiber wheels seem to excel in cross winds which is almost always the case in real world riding conditions.
  • Maintenance. With no traditional spokes and nipples you never need to true your wheels. Ever. In fact, the only way these things can get knocked out of true is by breaking.

But enough of that, I'm not getting paid to blow up Mad Fiber, I just want good wheels. So I put them on my Road Bike, pumped the tires up to about 105-110 psi and headed out. It was cool, the ground was wet and I rode them almost four hours.

After the shock of not being on my piggish Rain Bike wore off I tried to see how these wheels really felt. I have never ridden Tufo tires before (I use Vittoria) so comparing apples to apples is not always super easy. But I can say this.

  • I did a couple of out-of-the-saddle accelerations, one of which was pretty long, and they felt rock solid. There was no undue flex or vague feeling. For reference, I weight about 180 lb.
  • We rode over lots of pebbly pavement today and in true rental car mindset I hit several cracks and holes on purpose. Not a problem. Even with tires that I suspect are less supple than Vittorias, these wheels were very comfy.
  • I could ride with no hands no problem. Except the first time when I got reminded myself that I was on a sub-30 lb. bike and on crazy light wheels and that any input would result in a direction change.
  • The cork brake pads that come with the wheels worked exceptionally well in the wet. So good I never thought about the conditions at all.

It makes HUGE sense that the price for a pair of Mad Fiber wheels includes quick release skewers, valve extenders and cork brake pads. How logical is that? Very, it was a rhetorical question. And if you do the math, it adds about $150 (they come with Titanium skewers) to the cost of all the other wheels.

As if it couldn't get any better, with no spoke holes water can't get into your rim. "Water...?!" That's right, I live in the NW and it's been known to rain here during the occasional race. And with no spoke holes you also can't accidentally spluge excess glue into your rim thus keeping your light wheels light when you add tires..

I want some.

Here are the wheels on my bike after my ride.
CIMG6861

Here are some more real-world close-ups for your enjoyment.

CIMG6862

CIMG6863

CIMG6864

Note (among other things) the super cool quick release skewer!
CIMG6865

CIMG6866

CIMG6867

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