The Cycling Addiction

Brewery to Cagle Road - Tempo Mix

2012-02-18T14:54:00.002-05:00

Garmin Connect Data
Ride With GPS Data
Training Peaks Data
Garmin Summary
Moving Time: 4:15:41 (4:36:32 total)
Distance: 70.6 miles
Avg Moving Speed 16.6 mph

Group: Craig and me

Goal: Get between 250 to 300 TSS with big blocks of L3 and a steady pace.

The Ride: I was planning a solo ride with the goals listed above, but received word that Craig was looking for someone to ride with so he joined me today. We kept a good pace going north and just a little past Red Bud we saw some of the Tundra Time Trial and contestants heading in the opposite direction.

With a quick stop and a bite to eat on Cagle Road we were set for the return. It felt to me that we had to push a little harder on the return because of little bit of headwind. I could see various flags along the side of the road being blown toward our direction so I knew it was true. From the start of the ride and even before the start I knew I was going to struggle with today's effort. I felt a good bit of residual fatigue from some really good training days this week and throughout the ride I was having trouble keeping up with Craig and he is a stronger rider than me anyway. It wasn't an elegant ride for me today, but I am very happy to push and finish meeting my goals.

I knew on Thursday that Saturday's ride was going to be tough for me because on Thursday I trained on the rollers and held my threshold number for 30 minutes and then did another 30 minutes at 90% of FT. My legs and hips were still sore from that effort and by the time we hit some hills near the 60 mile mark they felt like noodles.I also had intervals for several consecutive days leading up to Thursday. I guess that is part of training is that one stays in a somewhat fatigued state. I look at how those who train and race and how they rack up a lot more time and intensity than me. I guess this is all part of the train more so you can train more evolution / adaptation.

Nutrition Intake During and after the Course: ~30 oz. of water with Hammer Perpetuem, BCAA's, Gluatamine (2) Hammer Gels (1) Cliff Bar (1) 20 gram whey protein post ride recovery drink (1) chicken salad sandwich on whole grain toast, 8 oz skim milk.

The Weather: Partly cloudy skies at the start @ 40 degrees, End sunny skies @ 60 degrees, breezy

Bike: LOOK 585 , Garmin 800, Powertap SL+

Overall Power Data:
Entire workout (137 watts):
    Duration:     4:27:25 (4:36:37)
    Work:          2206 kJ
    TSS:           279 (intensity factor 0.792)
    Norm Power:    162
    VI:            1.18
    Distance:     70.671 mi
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    634    137     watts
    Cadence:         7    212    77     rpm
    Speed:           0    34.4    15.9     mph
    Pace             1:45    0:00    3:47     min/mi
    Crank Torque:    0    1786    156     lb-in
    Temperature:     32    60.8    49.3     Fahrenheit

Comet - Tempo

2012-02-12T16:38:00.000-05:00

Garmin Connect Data
Ride with GPS Data
Training Peaks Data
Summary
Moving Time: 1:50:32
Distance: 30 miles
Avg Moving Speed 17.1 mph

Group: Solo

Goal: 30 miles at Tempo (L3)

The Ride:
Very cold and with a constant 10 mph wind from the N to NW so it was a headwind going out. It was a tough day to be out so I was content just to focus on about a 30 mile ride. There were very few people out on the Comet and most of those were runners. I only saw a handful of cyclist and all were going fairly slow speeds.

Besides getting out of the house after several days of indoor training and over two hours training yesterday I was happy to just get outside. The other thing was testing out the camera setting, which was switching down from 1080P down to 720 with 60 fps and see if that would make a difference. I also wanted to see if the Giordana Silverline bib tights would be okay in temperatures in the low 30 degree Fahrenheit range and they were very comfortable.

Nutrition Intake During and after the Course: ~26 oz. of water with BCAA's and Gluatamine (1) 40 gram whey protein post ride recovery drink

The Weather: Start with sunny skies @ 30 degrees with headwind, On the return sunny skies @ 37 degrees with tailwind (Weather Channel feels like 28 degrees)

Bike: LOOK 585, Garmin 800, Powertap SL+, Contour GPS camera

Overall Power Data:
Entire workout (155 watts):
    Duration:     1:50:34
    Work:          1030 kJ
    TSS:           126.2 (intensity factor 0.83)
    Norm Power:    170
    VI:            1.09
    Distance:     30.483 mi
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    663    155     watts
    Cadence:         7    196    73     rpm
    Speed:           0    24.5    16.5     mph
    Pace             2:27    0:00    3:38     min/mi
    Crank Torque:    0    1641    187     lb-in

Rolling Tempo Indoors

2012-02-11T14:19:00.000-05:00

Garmin Connect Data
Training Peaks Data
Summary
Moving Time: 2:18:26 (2:30:02 total)
Distance: 40 miles
Avg Moving Speed 17.6 mph

Goal: 2 x 1 hour intervals at Tempo (L3)

Nutrition Intake During and after the Course: ~42 oz. of water with BCAA's and Gluatamine (1) Honey Stinger (1) Cliff bar (1) chicken salad with crackers toast about 30 minutes following training.

The Weather: the reason for indoor training 20+ mph sustained winds and temperature in the low 30's.

Bike: Cannondale Six13, Garmin 800, Powertap SL+, e-Motion rollers

Overall Power Data:
Entire workout (165 watts):
    Duration:     2:20:30 (2:42:39)
    Work:          1389 kJ
    TSS:           151.2 (intensity factor 0.805)
    Norm Power:    165
    VI:            1
    Distance:     40.592 mi
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    302    165     watts
    Cadence:         9    182    67     rpm
    Speed:           0    21.4    17.6     mph
    Pace             2:48    0:00    3:25     min/mi
    Crank Torque:    0    1005    208     lb-in

Comet - Tempo 2 x 60's

2012-02-05T15:57:00.002-05:00

Garmin Connect Data
Ride with GPS Data
Training Peaks Data
Summary
Moving Time: 1:58:49
Distance: 36 miles
Avg Moving Speed 18.2 mph
Elevation Gain: 1,000 ft

Group: Solo for the most part, but joined in with a guy named Bryan on part of the ride going out.

Goal: 2 x 1 hour intervals at Tempo (L3)

The Ride:
What an awesome day to be out on the bike to do any type of training or riding or just to be outside with sunny skies and about 70 degrees. There were a good number of people enjoying the Silver Comet trail.

Just like last weekend it seemed as if there was a headwind going out and by the testimony of my data in the first hour I would say it was a headwind as the speed was low and the sustained watts are higher going west than on the return. I caught up with a guy by the name of Bryan who is training for a half Ironman. We kept about the same pace for a few miles and chatted a little, but about 40 minutes into the interval I felt the fatigue hit me and Bryan pulled away. We rejoined, but soon after he hit his turning point. Just a few minute later I hit my turning point for the first 60 minutes.

Sure enough the speed was much easier to achieve on the return with the tailwind, but it made it harder to keep the sustained watts. Plus there seemed to be a lot more foot traffic on the return and the intersection stops killed momentum.

Just an absolute great day to be out in February. I just hope we don't pay for this later with a ultra cold spring.

Nutrition Intake During and after the Course: ~35 oz. of water with BCAA's and Gluatamine (1) Hammer gel (1) 40 gram whey protein post ride recovery drink (1) chicken salad sandwich on whole grain toast about 60 minutes following the ride.

The Weather: Sunny skies @ 64 degrees with headwind, On the return sunny skies @ 73 degrees with tailwind

Bike: LOOK 585, Garmin 800, Powertap SL+, Contour GPS camera

Overall Power Data:
Lap 1:
    Duration:     1:00:23
    Work:          632 kJ
    TSS:           87.7 (intensity factor 0.937)
    Norm Power:    192
    VI:            1.1
    Distance:     17.728 mi
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    601    175     watts
    Cadence:         8    186    84     rpm
    Speed:           0    26.6    17.6     mph
    Pace             2:15    0:00    3:24     min/mi
    Crank Torque:    0    1396    181     lb-in

Lap 2:
    Duration:     58:05
    Work:          513 kJ
    TSS:           60.9 (intensity factor 0.793)
    Norm Power:    163
    VI:            1.1
    Distance:     17.785 mi
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    609    147     watts
    Cadence:         8    182    78     rpm
    Speed:           0    32.9    18.4     mph
    Pace             1:50    0:00    3:16     min/mi
    Altitude:        919    1106    1018     ft
    Crank Torque:    0    1320    164     lb-in

Entire workout (159 watts):
    Duration:     2:01:49 (2:03:59)
    Work:          1159 kJ
    TSS:           153.1 (intensity factor 0.87)
    Norm Power:    178
    VI:            1.12
    Distance:     35.96 mi
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    609    159     watts
    Cadence:         8    186    81     rpm
    Speed:           0    32.9    17.8     mph
    Pace             1:50    0:00    3:23     min/mi
    Crank Torque:    0    1396    171     lb-in
    Temperature:     64.4    73.4    68.2     Fahrenheit

Brewery to Red Bud

2012-02-04T15:14:00.000-05:00

Garmin Connect Data
Ride with GPS Data
TrainingPeaks Data
Garmin Summary
Moving Time: 3:38:59 (3:45:17 total)
Distance: 61.3 miles
Avg Moving Speed 16.8 mph

Group: me

Goal: Get in a ride between rain storms

The Ride: Up until 8 a.m. this morning I was expecting to be training inside based on the weather forecast. Late last night the Weather Channel had the morning hours with 60% chance of rain. I saw no emails of people expecting to ride and it was a last second decision of grabbing my gear together and driving up to the brewery. There were only a handful of cyclists in a normally packed brewery parking lot, but I suppose the weather forecast pretty much scared everyone.

I rolled out about 9:19 from the parking lot heading out the BBC 48 and decided I would slip in a few more miles by heading due north to Red Bud. As I rolled along the weather actually started looking better and the sun was starting to peek out between clouds, but with that breeze was starting to pick up as well.

As far as training goes my hips and hamstrings were feeling tight and fatigued from training this week. I kept a fair effort for the first couple of hours, but on the way back I was just too pooped to keep pushing against the wind and was tapering off the effort. By the time I arrived in the parking lot the sun was out and the temperature was feeling great. The quality of training wasn't as good as I might have done indoors, but I am glad that I was able to get out and put some miles on these legs.

Keep pushing toward the goal....

Nutrition Intake During and after the Course: ~30 oz. of water with Hammer Perpetuem, BCAA's, Gluatamine (1) Powerbar Gels (1) 20 gram whey protein post ride recovery drink (1) chicken salad sandwich on whole grain toast, 10 oz skim milk.

The Weather: Dark cloudy skies at the start @ 50 degrees, End sunny skies @ 66 degrees, breezy

Bike: Cannondale six13, Garmin 800, Powertap SL+

Overall Power Data:
Entire workout (137 watts):
    Duration:     3:41:49 (3:45:21)
    Work:          1827 kJ
    TSS:           219.5 (intensity factor 0.771)
    Norm Power:    158
    VI:            1.15
    Distance:     61.279 mi
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    504    137     watts
    Cadence:         9    -    81     rpm
    Speed:           0    33.8    16.6     mph
    Pace             1:47    0:00    3:37     min/mi
    Crank Torque:    0    1083    151     lb-in
    Temperature:     50    66.2    55.9     Fahrenheit

Comet - Tempo ?

2012-01-29T16:51:00.001-05:00

Garmin Connect Data
Ride with GPS Data
Training Peaks Data
Summary
Moving Time: 1:50:38
Distance: 32 miles
Avg Moving Speed 17.3 mph
Elevation Gain: 1,120 ft

Group: Solo going out and joined with a guy named Mike on part of the return.

Goal: 2 x 1 hour intervals at Tempo (L3)

The Ride:
The reason I put Comet - Tempo ? as a title was mainly because going out I felt worn out from the 70 mile ride yesterday and had trouble getting up to speed and power output, but some of that may have been due to heading straight into headwinds. Nevertheless I ended that first hour interval above what I expected with a 0.88 IF (intensity factor). Better than I expected and with the lower average speed there was the evidence that wind certainly did play a role going to the west.

As expected coming back rolling along in the 20+ mph range felt pretty good and it got even better when a guy on a very nice Cannondale Time Trial bike cruised past me. I later found out his name is Mike. Not knowing if he would mind me sitting at his pace I set just off to the right, but not in his draft so that I would continue to work. He continued to pick up the pace and not only was I feeling the fatigue, but I was near my threshold. I kept thinking I cannot continue at this pace, but the legs were willing to output the effort despite the discomfort. Pedestrian traffic was picking up as we were getting near the last miles and there were a few times I had to dig deep with a short sprint because I was cutoff or not able to make it through some small holes in the crowds. No telling what our speeds would have been had there been no other people in the way.

Thanks Mike for letting me hang with you on the return. Great to have met you and that was the best fun I have had in a number of weeks pushing those types of speeds. Good fun and I ended up with a 0.88 IF on the return so all in all a good training day.

Nutrition Intake During and after the Course: ~26 oz. of water with BCAA's and Gluatamine (1) Hammer gel (1) 40 gram whey protein post ride recovery drink (1) chicken salad sandwich on whole grain toast about 60 minutes following the ride.

The Weather: Sunny skies @ 50 degrees with headwind, On the return sunny skies @ 59 degrees with tailwind

Bike: LOOK 585, Garmin 800, Powertap SL+

Overall Power Data:
Interval 1:
    Duration:     1:00:09
    Work:          600 kJ
    TSS:           78.6 (intensity factor 0.889)
    Norm Power:    182
    VI:            1.09
    Distance:     15.895 mi
    Grade:         0.1 % (101 ft)
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    679    166     watts
    Cadence:         7    196    81     rpm
    Speed:           0    23.7    15.9     mph
    Pace             2:32    0:00    3:47     min/mi

Interval 2:
    Duration:     53:21
    Work:          520 kJ
    TSS:           69.9 (intensity factor 0.886)
    Norm Power:    182
    VI:            1.12
    Distance:     16.119 mi
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    658    163     watts
    Cadence:         14    225    82     rpm
    Speed:           0    32.5    18.1     mph
    Pace             1:51    0:00    3:19     min/mi

Entire workout (165 watts):
    Duration:     1:53:32
    Work:          1121 kJ
    TSS:           148.5 (intensity factor 0.888)
    Norm Power:    182
    VI:            1.1
    Distance:     32.022 mi
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    679    165     watts
    Cadence:         7    225    81     rpm
    Speed:           0    32.5    16.9     mph
    Pace             1:51    0:00    3:33     min/mi
    Crank Torque:    0    1613    177     lb-in
    Temperature:     50    59    51.8     Fahrenheit

Brewery to Cagle Road - If / Else Statement

2012-01-28T15:20:00.001-05:00

Garmin Connect Data
Ride with GPS Data
Training Peaks Data
Garmin Summary
Moving Time: 4:08:48 (4:17:03 total)
Distance: 72 miles
Avg Moving Speed 17.5 mph
Elevation Gain: 2,362 ft

Group A (85 mile route): Diane, Neal, Joe, Craig, Gary, Mike and Keith
Group B (70 mile route): me

Goal: Meet the prescribed conditions as best possible. 4 hours total / <300 TSS / 0.8 IF

The Ride: Have you ever used an IF/ELSE statement in programming or in Excel? You know it is a conditional statement to control variables and encourage a certain output - at least that is my crude definition. With only having Friday off from cycling training and with the hope of another week ahead in training I wanted to have control of today's ride variables so that I train just enough, but not so hard that it impacts the days ahead in a negative way. In a crude way I thought about the conditions. I selected my out and back route to control the turning point and it is relatively flat so I can better control a steady tempo.

If: ride time going out is < 2 hours continue forward / Else: turn back

If: ride TSS going out is <150 continue forward / Else: turn back

By having those two conditions and with hope to keep a 0.8 IF I felt this would be a good training effort. It would be enough load and yet not so much that it would interfere with the upcoming days.

I kind of figured one of the results of these conditions would amount to about a 70 mile ride for the total. Since I hit the 2 hour mark before I hit the TSS condition my turning point was just at 35 miles. On the way out and back on hills or anytime I went up into the higher watts I could really feel last weeks training and the fatigue on my legs, but with the goal of a steady (L3) Tempo effort the discomforts of fatigue were random.

I stopped at the Sunoco with about 20 miles to go to remove a thermal base layer. Even though this morning was quite brisk I kind of thought I may have overdressed. I am not sure what was worse. Wearing the base layer or having rolled up in my back jersey pocket. It felt like I was riding with a basketball back there. Oh well....the next thing I know I am done and not feeling all that fatigued. I suppose I should be ready for intervals tomorrow.

.....and to Mr. Chow, I was quite unimpressed with your performance today. You've had better days chasing me. Your form looked very sloppy and your anaerobic power looks a little diminished. I certainly hope you do better next time. Your stumpy little friend down the road did much better getting close to my heel. Better luck next time.

The song playing in my head through most of the ride today was by Stuart Hine and with the beauty of today it was a good song to be constantly on my mind.

O Lord my God! when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the works Thy hand hath made
I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder
Thy power throughout the universe displayed

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!

Nutrition Intake During and after the Course: ~40 oz. of water with Hammer Perpetuem, BCAA's, Gluatamine (1) Cliff bar (2) Hammer Gels (1) 40 gram whey protein post ride recovery drink (1) chicken salad sandwich on whole grain toast, 10 oz skim milk.

The Weather: Sunny skies at the start @ 32 degrees, End sunny skies @ 60 degrees, breezy

Bike: Cannondale six13, Garmin 800, Powertap SL+

Overall Power Data:
Lap 1:
    Duration:     2:03:34
    Work:          1089 kJ
    TSS:           131.5 (intensity factor 0.801)
    Norm Power:    164
    VI:            1.12
    Distance:     35.234 mi
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    431    147     watts
    Cadence:         13    191    79     rpm
    Speed:           0    33.2    17.1     mph
    Pace             1:48    0:00    3:30     min/mi

Lap 2:
    Duration:     2:05:02
    Work:          1027 kJ
    TSS:           120.2 (intensity factor 0.759)
    Norm Power:    156
    VI:            1.14
    Distance:     34.83 mi
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    520    137     watts
    Cadence:         8    246    77     rpm
    Speed:           0    37.9    16.7     mph
    Pace             1:35    0:00    3:35     min/mi

Entire workout (140 watts):
    Duration:     4:17:13
    Work:          2162 kJ
    TSS:           257.3 (intensity factor 0.775)
    Norm Power:    159
    VI:            1.13
    Distance:     72.367 mi
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    520    140     watts
    Cadence:         8    246    78     rpm
    Speed:           0    37.9    16.9     mph
    Pace             1:35    0:00    3:33     min/mi
    Altitude:        635    924    749     ft
    Crank Torque:    0    1383    157     lb-in
    Temperature:     32    62.6    46.1     Fahrenheit

Rolling Indoors

2012-01-21T13:06:00.001-05:00

Garmin Connect Data

TrainingPeaks Data

Goal: 2 x 60 Minute Tempo Efforts on e-Motion rollers

Training Summary:

Duration: 2:16 Moving / 2:37 Total

Distance: 40 miles

Typically I do not blog about my indoor training. How can one express anything that is no more boring than sitting there slugging away for a couple of hours in one spot. I did want to note that training continues despite the weather. This was a moderate (L3) intensity type of training session. I have completed several days of high intensity training so this was an opportunity to log time on the bike and spin roughly 0.8 IF for a couple of hours. One thing I have noted today is the 2 hours on the rollers seems to be more exhausting than my 70 mile ~4 hour effort at near the same intensity level. By the end of the second hour on the rollers I was done and my legs felt done.

Nutrition: ~50 oz water with BCAA's and Glutamine, (1) hammer gel (1) post training tuna salad sandwich on whole grain toast & ~10 oz skim milk

Forward Thinking Training

2012-01-17T07:40:00.002-05:00

It is entertaining that this catch phrase popped up in my mind the other day and has continued to play over and over again to the point I want to try to outline this thought in writing. It is something that many successful athletes have done through history. I can look at the type of training that I did lifting weights and how that helped me win a multitude of competitions and I have also observed these same traits in other successful athletes in a variety of sports that require training.

What are those traits? Here are some of the major traits, but there are still many other good traits.

• Determination
• Disciplined
• Structured
• Consistent
• Progressive

After a quick Google search and by the multitudes of web pages that this is not something that I conjured up on my own as if I could take credit for this catch phrase, but this is something that is highly important to me as I continue to pursue improvement in cycling. I take what I have learned in the many years of training and I apply those same principles to cycling. Sure the training is obviously different, but the principles bulleted above are common.

So what is forward thinking in training to me?

First, it takes determination to push through the discomforts of training or the feeling of lethargy or other life distractions. It is not saying, “With work and other things in life I just don’t have time to train” or “I had a hard day and I believe I will skip training again.” Determination may require setting alarm clock a little earlier. Determination is another way of saying deep desire. Determination flows right into being disciplined so I will move forward in my thoughts.

The key aspect to forward thinking training to me is consistency. I noticed that when my training in lifting evolved over the years consistency played a major role. I had a structured plan that worked very well for me back in the day. The structured allowed for progressive training and had just enough recovery time built in.

How does one put all of this together and especially in the case of improving in cycling?

I am fortunate that I use a power meter to gauge my training and the WKO+ software from TrainingPeaks allows me to analyze my data. It helps me understand how yesterday’s training impacts tomorrow’s training. This is very important to me in forward thinking training. For instance, if I have five consecutive days of training lined up in my structure I need to train at an intensity level that will allow me to train those five days and yet each of those training sessions need to be effective (progressive) as well.

It is my hope that this planning will work out, but if I were invited on a group ride that is unpredictable in miles and intensity that causes a very high stress load that event can disrupt those scheduled training days. This is something I have experienced in the last couple of years as I am starting to get structured in my cycling training. I have been on group rides that were as intense as being in a race with a lot of burned matches and high stress loads. I am not saying those type of rides are not beneficial, but they can be disruptive to the planned training structure and may be disruptive to being consistent because more recovery time is required. This can happen on a solo ride as well. I have done long distance solo rides that racked up 350+ TSS (Training Stress Score) and found that I needed a couple of days rest following and missed the scheduled training days following the big ride. This hurts consistency.

Having the power meter and the software is really helping me dial into consistency with a progressive trend. My thought in becoming more consistent is be better at forward thinking training. It is an observation of how progressive training today will impact tomorrow's training with consistency in training being a key element.

Comet - Tempo

2012-01-15T16:32:00.000-05:00

Garmin Connect Ride Data
Ride with GPS Data
Training Peaks Data
Summary
Moving Time: 2:21:48
Distance: 40.5 miles
Avg Moving Speed 17.8 mph
Elevation Gain: 1,145 ft

Group: Solo

Goal: 2 x 1 hour intervals at Tempo (L3)

The Ride:
Wow!! That felt great!
It was really nice to get out for a tempo type ride after church. For the last number of days were spent training indoors and I was about to crack mentally. I had some really good indoor sessions, but another day of it and I believe I would had a melt down. Being outside in the brisk air sure felt good. The skies were sunny and the Comet seemed to be a good place to do a tempo type ride.

I gave a bit more effort on the first 60 minutes since I hope to leave enough in the legs to continue training the next several days. I am finding that training virtually everyday is not only helping my CTL have a nice ramp rate, but I can tell my conditioning is improving right along with that ramp rate in the software.

One thing about going out to the Comet is the eyes and mind have a lot more to occupy other than looking at the same wall for 2 hours slugging away inside. What was interesting about the Comet on this trip was seeing a number of cycling teams and a few triathletes that looked like they were coming out of hibernation and starting to get some miles on their legs. I did not see any team hammering, but rather just cruising along wearing the same kits and chatting it up. It was also nice to see a variety of others out just doing some general work on fitness and I was fortunate that only a few times I had to really slow down to maneuver around the slower traffic.

Anyway, it was just great to be cycling outside.

Nutrition Intake During and after the Course: ~30 oz. of water with BCAA's and Gluatamine (1) Hammer gel (1) 40 gram whey protein post ride recovery drink (1) chicken salad sandwich about 60 minutes following the ride.

The Weather: Sunny skies at the start @ 46 degrees, End sunny skies @ 55 degrees, breezy

Bike: Cannondale six13, Garmin 800, Powertap SL+

Overall Power Data:
Interval 1:
    Duration:     1:00:05
    Work:          613 kJ
    TSS:           75.7 (intensity factor 0.873)
    Norm Power:    179
    VI:            1.05
    Distance:     17.592 mi
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    469    170     watts
    Cadence:         10    239    84     rpm
    Speed:           0    23.7    17.6     mph
    Pace             2:32    0:00    3:25     min/mi

Interval 2:
    Duration:     1:00:02
    Work:          517 kJ
    TSS:           59.6 (intensity factor 0.772)
    Norm Power:    158
    VI:            1.1
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    665    144     watts
    Cadence:         19    205    79     rpm
    Speed:           0    30.1    18.1     mph
    Pace             1:59    0:00    3:19     min/mi

Entire workout (149 watts):
   Duration:     2:21:50
   Work:         1265 kJ
   TSS:          153.1 (intensity factor 0.806)
   Norm Power:   165
   VI:           1.11
   Distance:     40.48 mi

Ultrasonic Cleaning - Worth It?

2012-01-08T17:12:00.003-05:00

It may be worth a look and a purchase of an Ultrasonic tub if you have more than just bike parts. I tinker around with a lot of mechanical type projects so this was something that I thought I would give a try to clean intricate and hard to reach areas on smaller items. For cycling I am not sure if it is worth the purchase since there are not too many parts that can be placed in the tub. I have read that some guys have cleaned chains, but I have also read that the tub is really good at removing all the dirt and lubricant. This makes is really tough to get the chain lubricated again.

Here is a quick photo review of me cleaning a really nasty cassette that has been in out on several wet rides and is full of grit and dirty oil. This cleaning took about 20 minutes of the tub working, but if I had to clean this it would have been me scrubbing with a tooth brush with a lot more mess.

Purchased from Amazon for roughly $80

Unboxed - It is a simple tub and easy to operate heated or unheated

Nasty Cassette

Simple Green Pro HD is supposed to be easy on all metals

After running a couple times and cleaning the water it looks like one more time is needed.

Cleaned and ready for the next adventure

Brewery to Cagle - This Ain't No Fooling Around

2012-01-07T15:37:00.001-05:00


A Tranquil Scene Along the Way

Garmin Connect Data
Ride with GPS Data
Training Peaks Data

Group: Solo

Goal: Finish the week of training with a 4 hour ride with a good bit of time in Tempo (L3).

The Ride:

This ain't no party, this ain't no disco,
this ain't no fooling around
No time for dancing, or lovey dovey,
I ain't got time for that now

Talking Heads

As it goes for the avid cyclists watching the weather radar and forecast leading up to the much anticipated Saturday ride, we watched. We had hope. We made the drive and the choice to make our trek forward with what looked like skies that were ready to open up and pour down.

I was at the brewery parking lot ready to roll out at 9 this morning. It was a pleasure to see Neal, Diane, Mike, Dick, Don, Craig, Jeff, Jamie, Alan and a bunch of others prepare to roll out. For me I was scrolling down the Garmin 800 looking for my typical route and making sure the power meter was calibrated. I rolled out of the brewery solo and on my way to what I had hoped would be a four hour ride. The route and the time in the saddle was all part of the week's training plan. A tough choice to make as part of me would have liked to roll out with my friends.

Fortunately the temperature was really mild for January. I had on summer gear with a long sleeve base layer and leg warmers. I used shoe covers to keep my feet dry and I am glad that I did. I had my Sugoi ultra lightweight jacket in the back jersey pocket just in case.

As I typically roll along solo there is something that usually pops up in my mind to keep me motivated. Today it was the Talking Heads song, but only the part listed above. This ain't no party! This ain't no disco! This ain't no fooling around! It kept me entertained and I kept thinking of training - it ain't no fooling around. I am steadfast on my continued goal to improve my aerobic conditioning and it continues on through this year. My focus is really not on building anaerobic power at the moment. I just want to get better at endurance cycling and hopefully with a little more speed to boot.

Well, I met my goal for the day. 4 hours on the bike as my first day back on the pavement for 2012 and a touch under 70 miles. I felt pretty good considering I had some really good training time this week indoors and my legs were tired. I could feel it in those last 15 miles. A few little twinges of pain here and there, but not too bad for the start of the season.

And the rain held off until I was finished. It started raining just as I pulled out of the parking lot. What a blessing. Thank You Lord!!

Bike: Cannondale six13, Garmin 800, Powertap SL+

Dirty Backup (Rain) Bike

2012 Torque Test - Garmin 800

2012-01-02T15:51:00.001-05:00

Time to test the equipment and this is my first time checking using the Garmin 800 as the head unit. The end result of the reflects a 5% error, but I must admit I was rather hasty in going through this rough torque test. I believe my Powertap hub is within the acceptable 2% range and will try this test again with more accurate measured weight rather than the loaded bucket measured on a non calibrated scale and take a bit more time performing the test.

Considering using accurate weights and setup for the test the process below using the Garmin 800 (Garmin 500) to perform the test. See the previous test that I performed in 2010 for the Powertap Cervo or for additional photos during a rough torque test.

http://thecyclingaddiction.blogspot.com/2010/05/powertap-torque-test-rough-initial-test.html

Setup Tool

Bike Settings

Bike Profiles

Select Bike

Select ANT+ Power

Select Calibrate

Check Calibration and Zero Torque

Measured Weight Source

Level Crank Arm

Stick used to keep wheel from spinning

Torque displayed in newton meter

Measured Weight: 53.2 lbs

Crank Length: 170

Crank Ring: 34

Measured torque = (weight in lbs) × (crank length in mm) × (1 in/25.4 mm) × (cog teeth/chainring teeth).

Measured Torque for 15 Cog = 157.09

CPU Displayed Torque for 17 Cog = 16.81 newton meter = 148.7811 pound force inch*

5% diffference

* Convert newton meter to pound force inch: (16.81 x 8.85074 = 148.7811)

Measured Torque for 22 Cog = 230.39

CPU Displayed Torque for 22 Cog = 239.76

4% difference

Spreadsheet Tool (Select tab for Powertap Cervo or Garmin 800)

Brewery to Euharlee 60

2011-12-26T15:27:00.002-05:00

Garmin Connect Data
Ride with GPS Data
Training Peaks
Summary
Moving Time: 3:38:00
Distance: 59 miles
Avg Moving Speed 16.2 mph
Elevation Gain: 2,740 ft

Group: Diane, Elizabeth, Rob, Joe and me

Goal: Enjoy the group ride.

The Ride:
Cycling with friends the day after Christmas.

I have to be honest that my attitude when I woke up this morning was really desiring to just lay there, but I know that I would have been really upset for missing the opportunity for this group ride with time off from work. When I stepped out of my truck at 9 am it felt colder than the previous days and once again my motivation took a hit. However, there was no turning back and I rolled out with the small group. I believe we were the only cyclists there.

I was rather surprised how well I held up on this rolling hill course and with this particular small group of strong cyclists. It was probably due to my friends taking it easy on me.

I am very happy to have finished the ride, overcome the negative feeling I had when I woke up and when I felt the cold air. Plus, my legs did quite well considering the rides we have done over the last several days. Another good day of adding to my yearly mileage as the 2011 season nears its end.

Nutrition Intake During and after the Course: ~24 oz. of water with Hammer Perpetuem, BCAA's, Gluatamine (1) Cliff bar (1) 40 gram whey protein post ride recovery drink (1) left over chicken, dressing, biscuit about 60 minutes following the ride.

The Weather: Partly cloudy skies at the start @ 35 degrees, End sunny skies @ 50 degrees, breezy

Bike: Cannondale six13, Garmin 800, Powertap SL+

Overall Power Data:
Entire workout (122 watts):
    Duration:     3:49:47 (4:00:59)
    Work:          1680 kJ
    TSS:           239.6 (intensity factor 0.792)
    Norm Power:    162
    VI:            1.33
    Distance:     58.89 mi
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    514    122     watts
    Cadence:         7    246    81     rpm
    Speed:           0    34.2    15.4     mph
    Pace             1:45    0:00    3:54     min/mi
    Altitude:        634    880    762     ft
    Crank Torque:    0    1267    137     lb-in
    Temperature:     35.6    51.8    44.0     Fahrenheit

Christmas Eve Ride

2011-12-24T15:00:00.001-05:00

Joe, Diane, Craig and Rod

Garmin Connect Data
Ride with GPS Data
Training Peaks Data
Summary
Moving Time: 2:57:48
Distance: 50 miles
Avg Moving Speed 16.8 mph
Elevation Gain: 2,119 ft

Group: Diane, Craig, Rob, Joe and me

Goal: Enjoy the group ride.

The Ride:
Great cycling day with friends this Christmas Eve.
May all my friends, family and those keeping up with my adventures this blog have a very Merry Christmas.

Nutrition Intake During and after the Course: ~24 oz. of water with Hammer Perpetuem, BCAA's, Gluatamine (1) Cliff bar (1) 40 gram egg protein post ride recovery drink (1) tuna sandwich about 60 minutes following the ride.

The Weather: Dark skies at the start @ 38 degrees, End sunny skies @ 48 degrees, breezy

Bike: Cannondale six13, Garmin 800, Powertap SL+

Overall Power Data:
Entire workout (124 watts):
    Duration:     3:06:48
    Work:          1380 kJ
    TSS:           188.9 (intensity factor 0.783)
    Norm Power:    160
    VI:            1.3
    Distance:     49.921 mi
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    581    124     watts
    Cadence:         7    -    85     rpm
    Speed:           0    36.9    16.0     mph
    Pace             1:38    0:00    3:44     min/mi
    Altitude:        665    938    793     ft
    Crank Torque:    0    1292    132     lb-in
    Temperature:     39.2    48.2    42.6     Fahrenheit

Brewery to Craneeater Road

2011-12-23T15:03:00.001-05:00

Garmin Connect Data
Ride with GPS Data
Training Peaks
Summary
Moving Time: 3:40:50
Distance: 60 miles
Avg Moving Speed 16.4 mph
Elevation Gain: 2,644 ft

Group: Diane, Mike R.,Ron, Steve, Elizabeth, Joe, Chick, Alek and me

Goal: Enjoy the group ride.

The Ride: My goal for today was to turn off training mode and turn on group ride mode and to have a good time riding with friends. Well, even when I am training I am having fun, but today the difference was to stick with the group for the duration of the ride and just forget about training data. I had a great time with friends. I had no clue of the route, distance or anything and for me that is huge as I typically get all crazy about having a route and a plan in advance.

Nine of us rolled out under dark breezy skies with the temperature low 40 degree (F), but it really did not feel that bad. Most of us were dressed light layers over summer wear. The pace was variable throughout the ride with moments of conversation to brisk surges. Diane had some new roads for us to try out and I thought they were a nice change. However, and unbeknownst to us, a tornado came through that area last night and we saw the carnage and the community rally at a couple locations to clean up some homes that were demolished by fallen trees. At one point we were diverted from our route by the police because of storm damage.

Even though it was for the most part a casual group ride my data still reflects a good amount of effort and I can remember those moments of pushing the pace or driving hard up a few rollers burning a few matches along the way. Best thing was getting to ride with a group of friends and not really worry about working on sustainable power. It is the hard work in training that makes these types of rides enjoyable.

Great cycling day with friends.
May all my friends, family and those keeping up with my adventures this blog have a very Merry Christmas.

Nutrition Intake During and after the Course: ~36 oz. of water with Hammer Perpetuem, BCAA's, Gluatamine (1) Hammer gel (1) Cliff bar (1) 40 gram egg protein post ride recovery drink (1) post ride chicken and rice about 60 minutes following the ride.

The Weather: Dark skies at the start @ 44 degrees, End sunny skies @ 50 degrees, breezy

Bike: Cannondale six13, Garmin 800, Powertap SL+

Overall Power Data:
Entire workout (122 watts):
    Duration:     3:57:50
    Work:          1740 kJ
    TSS:           272.2 (intensity factor 0.831)
    Norm Power:    170
    VI:            1.39
    Distance:     60.211 mi
    Elevation Gain:        1990 ft
    Elevation Loss:       2005 ft
    Grade:         -0.0 % (-11 ft)
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    722    122     watts
    Cadence:         7    246    81     rpm
    Speed:           0    32.2    15.2     mph
    Pace             1:52    0:00    3:57     min/mi
    Altitude:        639    1025    790     ft
    Crank Torque:    0    1527    135     lb-in
    Temperature:     44.6    53.6    47.9     Fahrenheit

Cagle Alternate - 60 Miles

2011-12-17T14:52:00.000-05:00

Garmin Connect Data
Ride with GPS Data
Summary
Moving Time: 3:22:44
Distance: 60 miles
Avg Moving Speed 17.8 mph
Elevation Gain: 2,142 ft

Sosbee Group: Diane, Mike R.,Craig, Ron, Steve, Mike Q., Joe and me

Goal: Keep a steady pace for the duration and finish with a 0.8 IF for 60 miles.

The Ride: At first light this morning the appearance was dark, dreary and windy. Not something that looked enticing and with the rain yesterday I knew it was going to be one of those mornings that can chill you to the bone. We had eight of us willing to tacking the headwinds as the course was due north toward Cagle Road, but not all of us had intention of going the distance of the prescribed route.

It was one of those days where I just wanted to buckled down and get this done and I heard Mike say the same thing before we rolled out. After a few miles the pace picked up and I suppose I was the guilty one at first. It did not take long to make it to Cash Road and do our first store stop at the Sunoco. Diane and Mike turned about the 23 mile mark and we pushed a few more miles to the 30 mile mark. Joe went on north solo with hope of finishing with 70 miles.

One the return it was me, Craig and Mike swapping turns at the front with a brisk pace, but it seemed like Craig was up in front the majority of the time with some really strong pulls. Next thing I know we are rolling back into the parking lot and the day is done for cycling. A very good day both in effort from everyone and with friendship out on the road. A great day of spinning the cranks.

Nutrition Intake During and after the Course: ~36 oz. of water with Hammer Perpetuem, BCAA's, Gluatamine, egg protein (1) Hammer gel (1) Cliff bar (1) 40 gram egg protein post ride recovery drink (1) post ride meatloaf, crackers and milk about 60 minutes following the ride.

The Weather: Dark skies at the start @ 37 degrees, End sunny skies @ 48 degrees, sustained 8+ mph headwinds on the way out and decent tailwind on the return.

Bike: Cannondale six13, Garmin 800, Powertap SL+

Overall Power Data:
Entire workout (146 watts):
    Duration:     3:28:01 (3:36:08)
    Work:          1816 kJ
    TSS:           252.5 (intensity factor 0.854)
    Norm Power:    175
    VI:            1.2
    Distance:     59.982 mi
    Elevation Gain:        1578 ft
    Elevation Loss:       1589 ft
    Grade:         -0.0 % (-9 ft)
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    591    146     watts
    Cadence:         7    -    82     rpm
    Speed:           0    31.4    17.3     mph
    Pace             1:55    0:00    3:28     min/mi
    Altitude:        649    936    754     ft
    Crank Torque:    0    1279    157     lb-in
    Temperature:     37.4    48.2    40.8     Fahrenheit

Time For 20's

2011-12-10T09:28:00.001-05:00

With December's calendar stacked up with social gatherings (many of them mandatory to attend) training time is taking a hit, but with the effectiveness of training at 20+ minute intervals at greater than 91% of FTP I can rest a little easier that my training stress load will not drop completely.

Actually I am quite happy of how my training went this week using the 20 minute intervals on a very limited time frame. Today (Saturday) I was not able to do my long endurance ride and I will have only an hour to train tomorrow morning.

The last blog entry was the 70 mile ride that took a lot out of me with the sustained headwinds on the return, but here is how the week has gone so far. Please note that I am classified as a recreational cyclists so my power output numbers are still low, but that is why we train. I desire to be improved for next year.

Monday - trained legs at the gym
Tuesday - 60 minutes total (2 x 20 minute intervals @ > 95% FTP)
Wednesday - 60 minutes total (2 x 20 minute intervals @ > 95% FTP) Training Peaks Upload
Thursday - 60 minutes total (2 x 20 minute intervals @ > 95% FTP) Training Peaks Upload
Friday - Time off from cycling training
Saturday - 60 minutes total (2 x 20 minute intervals @ > 92% FTP) Training Peaks Upload
Sunday - 60 minutes total (2 x 20 minute intervals @ > 92% FTP) Training Peaks Upload

It looks like much of December will be like this, but to be honest I really like doing these short intense efforts. My hope is to keep my CTL from dropping below 70 through the cold months.

Sosbee Bike Park - Cagle Road

2011-12-03T16:17:00.003-05:00

Garmin Connect Data
Ride with GPS Data
Summary
Moving Time: 4:20:42
Distance: 70 miles
Avg Moving Speed 16.2 mph
Elevation Gain: 2,379 ft

Sosbee Group 1 (70 mile route): Jesse (me)
Sosbee Group 2 (65 mile route): Diane, Jamie, Bill, Chuck, Peter, Craig, Ron, Chick and Richard
Sosbee Group 3: Edgar

Goal: Keep a steady pace for the duration and finish with a 0.8 IF for 70 miles.

The Ride: We received news that the brewery was having their employee Christmas party and asked for cyclists to park elsewhere so a few of us used the Sosbee Bike Park on Simpson Road. It was my first time parking at this location and I am grateful for the property owners so I dropped a few bucks in the donation box.

My friends headed left and I went right out of the parking area, but we both had similar routes that went due north and then returned. Mine was an out and back, meaning I used the exact same path going north and south, but we all experienced the same brutal sustained headwinds on the return. That was the first time in a long time where I was actually ready to get the ride finished, but the only relief I would get was to keep pushing against the wind and finish. Battling that wind absolutely took everything out of me and there was literally no relief until I pulled into the parking area. Even though the wind beat me and my friends down today we will be ready for the next battle.

We train for endurance and we are tested with various attributes that challenge our forward movement. Today we were tested by the weather as the wind gave us plenty of resistance in the fight to get back to our cars. Even if it we were not always noble in the battle, we finished and to me that is victory for today. Tonight we rest up for tomorrow hopefully there will be another battle for some of us wage again.

I saw Edgar on my return and his plan was to get in 80 miles as he is training for an epic ride in Puerto Rico in January.

Nutrition Intake During and after the Course: ~36 oz. of water with Maltodextrin, BCAA's, Gluatamine (1) Cliff bar (1) 40 gram Whey protein post ride recovery drink (1) post ride tuna salad, toast, about 60 minutes following the ride.

The Weather: Sunny sky @ 37 degrees, End @ 62 degrees, sustained 10+ mph headwinds on the return.

Bike: Cannondale six13, Garmin 800, Powertap SL+

Overall Power Data:
Entire workout (141 watts):
    Duration:     4:22:18 (4:26:56)
    Work:          2224 kJ
    TSS:           260.5 (intensity factor 0.773)
    Norm Power:    158
    VI:            1.12
    Distance:     70.397 mi
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    547    141     watts
    Speed:           0    32.1    16.1     mph
    Pace             1:52    0:00    3:43     min/mi
    Altitude:        626    979    734     ft
    Crank Torque:    0    1231    161     lb-in

Interval 1: (slight tailwind)
    Duration:     1:57:18 (2:00:52)
    Work:          1086 kJ
    TSS:           132.5 (intensity factor 0.825)
    Norm Power:    169
    VI:            1.1
    Distance:     35.169 mi
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    547    154     watts
    Speed:           0    32.1    18.0     mph
    Pace             1:52    0:00    3:20     min/mi
    Crank Torque:    0    986    173     lb-in

Interval 2: (sustained headwind)
    Duration:     2:24:56 (2:26:00)
    Work:          1138 kJ
    TSS:           125.6 (intensity factor 0.721)
    Norm Power:    148
    VI:            1.13
    Distance:     35.221 mi
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    455    131     watts
    Speed:           0    31.1    14.6     mph
    Pace             1:56    0:00    4:06     min/mi
    Altitude:        626    886    722     ft
    Crank Torque:    0    1231    151     lb-in

Cycling Near Seminole State Park

2011-11-27T20:28:00.001-05:00

I had the opportunity to cycle the roads near Seminole State Park in southwest Georgia over the Thanksgiving holiday. I was very fortunate to be able to share the holiday with family and also get out to burn off a few calories on some very flat straight roads, but what a joy it was to get out and explore some of these rural roads in south Georgia. The temperatures were pleasant enough to wear summer gear, but with the open fields and some stiff wind it was an effort to hold speed at times. I cannot imagine how hot it must be to cycle these roads in the summer, but fall, winter and spring must be really sweet.

It did not take long to feel at ease with the roads and the drivers that I encountered were very friendly. When passing they gave me plenty of room. Perhaps flat roads are not everyone's sweet place to ride, but to me it is much like training indoors, but much more mentally stimulating. Certainly with the flat roads and winds at times there is plenty of opportunity to train at level for sustained periods of time.

Park Entrance

Lake Seminole within Seminole State Park

Highway 39

Highway 285

Harvested Cotton at Highway 39


Highway 39

Three Notch Road

Lake Seminole at Ray Landing

Giordana Silverline Bib Tights with Pad

2011-11-19T16:07:00.000-05:00

During the season changes one of the hardest decisions is what to wear. It doesn't matter if it is a new rider or a veteran of many years I can hear several comments or questions about the weather and about what a person intends to wear on the ride. When you have a day that starts in the 30's and warms up into the 50's or higher you certainly want to have layers on that can be removed as the body's core temperature and the day's temperature rises. The more years I ride the more refined my technical gear becomes. My gear bag during the fall and spring is full of options based on weather conditions. However, I felt as if I needed another addition with some mid weight bib tights. Something between wearing shorts with leg warmers and the Pearl Izumi Amfib bib tights that are for really cold days with cold winds. The Amfib tights are a thicker material with a wind front that to be honest seem to be restrictive to me, but again very good for very cold days.

With a lot of options for bib tights out there I did some web research and still could not decide so I rolled the dice and selected the Giordana Silverline Bib Tights with Pad. I wanted something that felt less restrictive and had a pad so that I did not have to double up and wear bib shorts underneath. I had the perfect weather to do my test as these bib tights are rated for weather in the 40's and 50's degree Fahrenheit and today's ride started in the low 40's. One of the general rules to selecting clothing for colder weather is to start the ride feeling cold because it will not take long before the body's core warms up and there is potential to get over heated and sweat heavily. I generally follow this rule and start my rides with the feeling of being uncomfortably cold. Sometimes to the point where I am almost shivering. A good many of my veteran friends prefer to dress warmer. Selecting clothing is a personal preference and what I can say as a review may be meaningless to the next person.

What I had hoped about the Giordana Bibs would be a mid weight material. The material is Super Roubaix, which is a light fleece-backed Lycra and it felt to me like it lightly hugged my legs and yet was not restrictive. They actually felt less restrictive than my favorite Desoto bib shorts combined with leg warmers. These particular line of bibs does not have a wind protection front and at these temperatures I want the cool air to slightly penetrate the fabric and cool my legs. During the ride with a cool winds in low 40 degree F temperature the amount of air that was able to pass through the fabric was almost perfect to me.

At times during the ride where a quick out of the saddle sprint up a hill there was no sensation of feeling restricted by the material like I have experienced with other bib tights. The pad that is used in this line is the OmniForm MC-3-O.F., which I have no idea what all that means other than does it work for me or not. The pad is thinner than my preferred "400 Mile" pad in my favorite Desoto shorts. I must have a more sensitive undercarriage than most because I cannot seem to adapt to the rigors of longer distance cycling and minimal pads. However, the pad held up okay for me on today's 60 mile course. I am not sure if it would be sufficient for me on a century, but I typically keep my miles shorter in the colder months anyway. Overall the fit and feel is excellent in the weather range between the 40'

Conclusion: I give these bib tights very high marks. Out of a 5 star high I would give them 4.75.

Giordana Silverline Bib Tights
OmniForm MC-3-O.F. pad (can be ordered without a pad)
Super Roubaix
Ankle zippers
Reflective highlights
Recommended for 40's and 50's degree Fahrenheit range (I could go into the 30's with these)

Lastly I purchased these bib tights from Classic Cycling in Harrisburg, North Carolina. This was my first order from this online reseller. I selected "free shipping" method and was not sure they would arrive in time for a review this weekend so I sent an email and the response was fast and friendly. The package was already underway and arrived on time. They have a nice selection of high quality cycling apparel and gear with good prices.

Modified Rose Pedal - 50

2011-11-19T15:03:00.000-05:00

Ride With GPS Data
Garmin Connect Data
Summary
Moving Time: 3:39:53
Distance: 60 miles
Avg Moving Speed 16.6 mph
Elevation Gain: 2,972 ft

Group: Kit, Keith, Mike, Gary, Edgar and me

Goal: Enjoy a conversation paced ride with friends and spin a few miles.

The Ride: Thanks to Gary for creating a modified version of the marked 48 mile Rose Pedal route that had a couple new roads to try out. I started at 8 a.m. to get in a few extra miles and then joined the guys starting from Creekview High School for the 50 mile course at 9 a.m.. Even though the skies were looking dark grey and it had the appearance of a cold winter day the weather really wasn't that bad while we were moving. Once stopped and the cool wind blowing it felt a bit colder.

My preference is typically a flat type road that I can get into a steady pace and train. Rolling hills are typically the opposite for me as I struggle to get into a steady groove, but the rolling hills of the Rose Pedal route seem pleasurable to me. The rolling terrain also does not fit my typical style of training where I am supposed to hold near threshold type of power output for sustained periods, but again the rolling terrain is a nice test of the legs once in a while just to make sure they can deal with the quick out of the saddle efforts on some of the short steeper hills.

The best part of the day is riding with this group of guys. The pace was fairly calm. Calm enough to throw a few jabs of teasing back and forth, which happened to be Mike's day as we joked about him being our ride leader. But I think each of us received a jab at some point during the ride. Dark skies and cool wind, but still a great day to be out with friends on the bikes.

Nutrition Intake During and after the Course: ~26 oz. of water with Hammer Perpetuem, BCAA's, Gluatamine (1) Cliff bar (1) 40 gram Whey protein post ride recovery drink (1) post ride tuna salad, toast, pita chips about 60 minutes following the ride.

The Weather: Heavy overcast sky @ 45 degrees, End @ 50 degrees, breezy conditions.

Bike: Cannondale six13, Garmin 800, Powertap SL+

Overall Power Data:
Entire workout (132 watts):
    Duration:     3:43:02 (4:04:22)
    Work:          1769 kJ
    TSS:           266.8 (intensity factor 0.848)
    Norm Power:    174
    VI:            1.32
    Distance:     60.869 mi
    Elevation Gain:        2360 ft
    Elevation Loss:       2346 ft
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    780    132     watts
    Speed:           0    36.8    16.4     mph
    Pace             1:38    0:00    3:40     min/mi
    Altitude:        1012    1292    1188     ft
    Crank Torque:    0    1588    143     lb-in

Why do I have this image posted on this blog entry? We had two cars that not only appeared to be very close to us, but one actually looked to intentionally veer toward us while passing. Perhaps the general public does not realize that this is a new law. Perhaps there has not been enough public notice.

Brewery to Craneeater Road

2011-11-12T16:00:00.003-05:00

Ride with GPS Data
Garmin Connect Data
Summary
Moving Time: 4:22:05
Distance: 70 miles
Avg Moving Speed 16.2 mph
Elevation Gain: 2,800 ft

Group: Too many to count or attempt to jot down names.

Goal: Keep a steady pace if possible

The Ride: Sometimes you just don't know until you go. Go out and see how the legs will do that is and I found out at some point that it was going to be a tough day for me. But I will get to that later.

My intuition was to go out on a solo ride and then at the last moment I changed to ride with Diane and friends on a route that she had planned. Thanks Diane for once again rallying the troops to a ride.The word must have spread quickly because this was probably the biggest group I have seen roll out in weeks and it was great to see some people like Jeff, Margaret, Nancy, Kit and some others that I have not seen in a while.

The group ride was starting at 9 a.m. so I went out 8 a.m. and did about 12 miles, returned to change to some lighter clothes and then rolled out with the group. Those first solo miles were brutal as I have not quite acclimated to the colder temperatures. A quick look at my phone it reported 27 degrees F. Just about everything felt uncomfortably cold except the air was stinging the exposed skin on my face. The last few miles I began to warm up enough to shed a few layers before the group ride.

I struggled to get into a groove while in the group. If I went off the front it seemed to cause a chase and mixed in the group I was feathering my brakes and coasting a lot. I knew that I needed to get in a position to get some steady time putting some constant torque on the pedals so I dropped off the back to ride solo. Plus it did not take long to figure out that my legs were fatigued from training this past week. Hindsight, I should have done less miles today or just taken the day off to rest, however, it was nice to get out on the bike regardless.

The big group that rolled out of the brewery split into about half early in the ride and I was with the front half some of the miles. It looked like they had a comfortable pace going. Since I was either off the back or at times out in front of the group I cannot testify as to how the ride went for them. It looked like they had a great time.

All I can think about now is taking a nap. Perhaps that is what I will do now.
I hope you had a great ride or training today and this week. Until the next one.......

Nutrition Intake During and after the Course: ~26 oz. of water with Hammer Perpetuem, BCAA's, Gluatamine (1) Cliff bar (1) 40 gram Whey protein post ride recovery drink (1) post ride chicken club sandwich on toast about 30 minutes following the ride.

The Weather: Sunny Start @ 27 degrees, End @ 60 degrees, calm air at the start with breezy conditions later in the ride.

Bike: LOOK 585, Garmin 800, Powertap SL+

Overall Power Data:
Entire workout (124 watts):
    Duration:     4:26:42 (4:52:55)
    Work:          1989 kJ
    TSS:           249.8 (intensity factor 0.75)
    Norm Power:    154
    VI:            1.24
    Distance:     70.919 mi
    Elevation Gain:        2073 ft
    Elevation Loss:       2072 ft
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    742    124     watts
    Cadence:         7    231    82     rpm
    Speed:           0    36    16.0     mph
    Pace             1:40    0:00    3:45     min/mi
    Altitude:        646    1019    808     ft
    Crank Torque:    0    1088    135     lb-in

Comet - Tempo

2011-11-06T17:00:00.000-05:00

Ride with GPS Data
Garmin Connect Data
Goal: Tempo Effort for 2 x 60 minutes.

Ride Notes: I was not sure what to expect after having a near 300 TSS yesterday and how that would impact today's effort. Much to my surprise the first 60 minute interval went so well with a 0.9 IF that I gave my legs a break on the second interval and just enjoyed cruising back to the parking lot at a little easier pace.

It is pretty neat to begin figuring out how much load I can put on this body. Training is supposed to be progressive in nature. I think it was cycling coach, Ric Stern that used to always say, "you are either training or detraining." I want to push this body to the edge and when it adapts I am going to push it a bit more. I have to admit sometimes I push it a little too far and I need an extra day of rest, but I would rather flirt with that line than to go too easy. I have a long way to go and for now I doubt I could hold the wheel of a mediocre Cat 5, but maybe someday. Maybe someday!

Nutrition: ~26 oz water, BCAA's, Glutamine, (1) Hammer gel

Weather: Sunny 62, slight breeze

Training Summary:
Total Distance: 36 Miles
Total Moving Time: 2:01:38
Total Avg. Moving Speed: 17.9
Total TSS: 143.8 (0.82 IF)

Interval Power Summary
Interval 1:    Duration:     1:00:07
    Work:          623 kJ
    TSS:           82 (intensity factor 0.909)
    Norm Power:    186
    VI:            1.08
    Distance:     17.847 mi
    Elevation Gain:        327 ft
    Elevation Loss:       208 ft
    Grade:         0.1 % (129 ft)
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    590    173     watts
    Cadence:         7    -    83     rpm
    Speed:           0    25    17.8     mph
    Pace             2:24    0:00    3:22     min/mi
    Altitude:        494    649    584     ft
    Crank Torque:    0    1680    181     lb-in

Interval 2:    Duration:     1:02:46
    Work:          499 kJ
    TSS:           55.6 (intensity factor 0.729)
    Norm Power:    149
    VI:            1.13
    Distance:     17.933 mi
    Elevation Gain:        183 ft
    Elevation Loss:       372 ft
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    585    133     watts
    Cadence:         9    -    81     rpm
    Speed:           0    29.5    17.1     mph
    Pace             2:02    0:00    3:30     min/mi
    Altitude:        451    651    540     ft
    Crank Torque:    0    1629    145     lb-in

Brewery to Cagle Road - Steady Pace

2011-11-05T15:46:00.000-04:00

Ride with GPS Data
Garmin Connect Data
Summary
Moving Time: 4:52:28
Distance: 80 miles
Avg Moving Speed 16.5 mph
Elevation Gain: 3,000 ft

Group (headed toward Fort Mt.): Me :-)
Group (headed toward Horn Mt.): Gary, Mike Q., Neal, Keith, Jamie, Chuck Peter, Diane, Mike R., Craig, Joe, Elizabeth, Edgar and a few more I believe.

Goal: Keep a steady pace if possible and try to end with about 300 TSS and 0.8 IF

The Ride: It was a tough struggle for me to decide to go on a solo training ride and especially when my start time and location lined up with my group of friends. Part of me really wanted to hang with them and I followed them the first couple of miles until our routes parted ways. I do hope they had a great time. From that turn forward it is sort of hard to do much on color commentary about my ride. I will just note a few things.

I suppose the most unsettling thing about going solo this morning was how dense the fog was and how long it remained with me on the route. I had on my vibrant yellow Sugoi Helium jacket with a red flashing light on the saddle, but I know that cars are not expecting cyclists to be out on these rural roads in this condition. Fortunately I am here to write this so everything went okay. It was nice that I only saw a handful of cars on the way up and most of them were going the other direction. One sheriff passed me so I supposed I had his approval. Other than that I really enjoyed the route. I do this route quite often, but it does not get old to me and I really enjoy Cagle Road for some reason.

Performance and training wise my goal was not necessarily to go out and hammer an eighty mile route today. I just wanted to pedal at a steady state and end with something reasonable so I can train tomorrow. Also to minimize any coasting, drafting was not an option and basically just make my legs feel virtually every mile. Out of the 5 hours on the road I had about ten minutes stopped and most of that was unfortunately waiting for the restroom at the gas station / turning point and a couple of very brief stops along the road.

I ended just under my intended goal, but that is okay. It is close enough and if I had gone much harder I would have gone over and that would make the intervals tomorrow suffer. I have my wife's blessing to go out tomorrow after church for the 2 x 60 minute intervals. I hope the legs can recover quickly because tomorrow afternoon is hammer time.

Nutrition Intake During and after the Course: ~40 oz. of water with Hammer Perpetuem, BCAA's, Gluatamine (1) Cliff bar (1) Hammer Gel (1) 30 gram Whey protein post ride recovery drink (1) post ride Tuna sandwich on whole grain toast about an hour following the ride.

The Weather: Very heavy fog to sun much later, Start @ 39 degrees, End @ 57 degrees, calm air at the start in the fog with breezy conditions later in the ride.

Bike: LOOK 585, Garmin 800, Powertap SL+

Overall Power Data:
Entire workout (138 watts):
    Duration:     4:58:29 (5:08:03)
    Work:          2471 kJ
    TSS:           295.9 (intensity factor 0.772)
    Norm Power:    158
    VI:            1.15
    Distance:     80.414 mi
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    581    138     watts
    Speed:           0    32.1    16.2     mph
    Pace             1:52    0:00    3:43     min/mi
    Altitude:        640    905    746     ft
    Crank Torque:    0    1690    152     lb-in

2011 3 State Fall Colors Ride

2011-10-29T17:27:00.005-04:00

Ride with GPS Data
Garmin Connect Data
Summary
Moving Time: 5:27:59
Distance: 63 miles
Avg Moving Speed 14.5 mph
Elevation Gain: 5,682 ft

Group: Gary, Mike, Ron, Neal, Glenn, Keith, Alan, Jamie, Peter, Craig, Don, Bill, Joe, Elizabeth and me
Goal: Enjoy riding with friends on this annual group ride at a fairly casual pace

The Ride: Each year a group ventures to north Georgia to do a recreational type ride starting from Mineral Bluff, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and back to get a view from the bike with the leaves changing color. I have not attended since 2008 and almost wondered if today would happen with a storm front moving through last evening and stiff winds in the morning as Gary drove Mike and me up to the ride. Thanks to Gary for getting the ride notice out and sticking with the plan despite how the weather appeared and it did not seem to scare off too many since we had 15 cyclists show up. Great to see a number of people that I have not seen for weeks and months for some. Glad to have Alan join us today.

The ride, the route and the people made this a memorable day. The ride did not disappoint for the color of leaves. I am not sure if we hit the absolute peak, but there were several spots that had the group slowing and taking it all in. The route has it's fair share of challenges with one hill after another and a few of them quite steep. The people? Well to me the gang that I am privileged to ride with are a great group of strong cyclists. For the most part we stayed together and at times had some spirited moments. It was a joy to share this day with this group. It was also a longer day away from home than our usual local rides and a bit slower, but well worth the trip and worth taking our time meandering through those back country roads.

Nutrition Intake During and after the Course: ~40 oz. of water with Hammer Perpetuem, BCAA's, Gluatamine (2) Cliff bar (1) 30 gram Whey protein post ride recovery drink

The Weather: Sunny, Start @ 39 degrees, End @ 60 degrees, breezy to gusty wind at times

Bike: LOOK 585, Garmin 800, Powertap SL+, Contour GPS camera

Overall Power Data:
Entire workout (127 watts):
    Duration:     4:28:12 (5:28:06)
    Work:          2047 kJ
    TSS:           325.1 (intensity factor 0.854)
    Norm Power:    175
    VI:            1.38
    Distance:     62.626 mi
    Elevation Gain:        4954 ft
    Elevation Loss:       4956 ft
    Grade:         -0.0 % (-9 ft)
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    712    127     watts
    Cadence:         8    239    80     rpm
    Speed:           0    48.7    14.0     mph
    Pace             1:14    0:00    4:17     min/mi
    Altitude:        1459    2146    1702     ft
    Crank Torque:    0    1323    145     lb-in
    Temperature:     35.6    62.6    46.7     Fahrenheit

Comet - Tempo

2011-10-23T17:04:00.001-04:00

Ride with GPS Data
Garmin Connect Data
Goal: Tempo Effort for 2 x 60 minutes.

Ride Notes: Very nice to be out on the bike and for various reasons, mainly tired from yesterday's ride, I did not hold my zones all that well. I saw Paula and David zip past me going the other way and they had big smiles. That is what biking can do for ya!! Big smiles even when training doesn't quite go the way I would have like it still brings big smiles. Perhaps my wife may not agree, but I think cycling is a good addiction.

Nutrition: ~30 oz water, BCAA's, Glutamine, (1) LaraBar

Weather: Sunny 70, slight breeze

Training Summary:
Total Distance: 40.6 Miles
Total Moving Time: 2:16:37
Total Avg. Moving Speed: 17.9
Total TSS: 142 (0.78 IF)

Interval Power Summary
Interval 1:
    Duration:     1:06:58
    Work:          647 kJ
    TSS:           76.9 (intensity factor 0.833)
    Norm Power:    171
    VI:            1.06
    Distance:     19.988 mi
    Elevation Gain:        394 ft
    Elevation Loss:       247 ft
    Grade:         0.1 % (138 ft)
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    451    161     watts
    Cadence:         19    225    79     rpm
    Speed:           0    24    17.9     mph
    Pace             2:30    0:00    3:21     min/mi
    Altitude:        864    1073    971     ft
    Crank Torque:    0    1459    178     lb-in
    Temperature:     60.8    68    64.2     Fahrenheit

Interval 2:
    Duration:     1:05:14
    Work:          558 kJ
    TSS:           60.8 (intensity factor 0.748)
    Norm Power:    153
    VI:            1.08
    Distance:     19.466 mi
    Elevation Gain:        211 ft
    Elevation Loss:       392 ft
    Grade:         -0.2 % (-185 ft)
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    355    143     watts
    Cadence:         7    225    79     rpm
    Speed:           0    27.3    17.9     mph
    Pace             2:12    0:00    3:21     min/mi
    Altitude:        820    1073    936     ft
    Crank Torque:    0    1171    160     lb-in
    Temperature:     62.6    75.2    65.0     Fahrenheit

Week Totals
Time Training: 9:14:43
Distance: 154 miles
TSS: 622
Kj: 4729

Brewery to Salacoa with Johnson Mountain Road

2011-10-22T16:11:00.000-04:00

Ride with GPS
Garmin Connect
Summary
Moving Time: 3:46:13
Distance: 60.8 miles
Avg Moving Speed 16.1 mph
Elevation Gain: 3,287 ft

Group: Gary, Mike Q., Mike K., Keith, Jack, Edgar and me
Goal: Enjoy riding with friends

The Ride: Very nice to roll out with the guys on what was supposed to be more of a winter conversation group ride, but as things go with seven guys there were a few moments of chasing, sprinting small rollers and other shenanigans. Very enjoyable horse play on the bike and we pretty much held together as a group until the last few miles.

I was eager to see how responsive my legs would be doing the couple mile climb up Johnson Mountain since I have been training mostly flat roads lately. I really did not try to hammer up with the guys and just went my own pace. Everything felt okay and with the shorter hill sprints those felt okay as well. From my perspective it appeared that everyone had a solid ride. After a week of good training, today was a nice break and a fun day out on the bike with friends. I hope there is something left in my legs for tomorrow's intervals.

As a side note the area around Johnson Mountain Road looks so different now with many of the trees gone from the tornadoes.

Nutrition Intake During and after the Course: ~45 oz. of water with Hammer Perpetuem, BCAA's, Gluatamine (2) Cliff bar (1) 40 gram Whey protein post ride recovery drink

The Weather: Sunny, Start @ 39 degrees, End @ 67 degrees, very mild wind later in the ride

Bike: LOOK 585, Garmin 800, Powertap SL+

Overall Power Data:
Entire workout (124 watts):
    Duration:     3:54:52 (4:12:12)
    Work:          1745 kJ
    TSS:           265.5 (intensity factor 0.825)
    Norm Power:    169
    VI:            1.36
    Distance:     60.756 mi
    Elevation Gain:        2669 ft
    Elevation Loss:       2677 ft
    Grade:         0.0 % (2 ft)
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    757    124     watts
    Cadence:         7    246    82     rpm
    Speed:           0    40.9    15.5     mph
    Pace             1:28    0:00    3:52     min/mi
    Altitude:        691    1282    890     ft
    Crank Torque:    0    1298    135     lb-in
    Temperature:     39.2    68    52.6     Fahrenheit

Comet - Tempo

2011-10-09T16:44:00.002-04:00

Ride with GPS Data
Garmin Connect Data
Goal: Tempo Effort for 2 x 60 minutes.

Ride Notes: Before I left the house I had almost talked myself into training indoors. The skies were dark and dreary looking and the tree tops were bending over from heavy gusts of wind. It looked as if the skies could break open at any moment with rain, but I loaded up my gear and rolled the dice. Between feeling very tired from yesterday's ride and thinking about having to battle the winds again I was not that excited.

Yesterday, and all week for that matter, I struggled in performance, but today oddly was quite different. What I thought was going to be a dreary performance to go along with the looks of the skies turned out to be an excellent day on the bike. I started from the zero marker and immediately had two guys on my wheel as we weaved our way around the slower foot traffic. I picked up the pace more and they were with me still. I thought maybe I should back off some because the pace may be too intense for the fatigue I was feeling so I signaled and they came around me.

Less than a minute and they were out of my sight, but I noticed the pace I was holding was above my normal for Sunday and it felt good. A few minutes later I spot those two guys in front of me and the next thing I am mixed in with them again. The three of us held between 22 to 27 mph until about Hiram (15 mile marker) and I dropped off again, but still ended the 20 mile, 1 hour interval at 19.2 mph for an average. Not too bad considering how tired I felt and how many intersections plus traffic killed our momentum at times.

Coming back was a different story. I used up most of what I had tagging along with the two guys and did not have much left for the return. I ended the second 60 minute interval with a 17.9 mph average. I was very happy how the day turned out and very surprised to boot.

Nutrition: ~30 oz water, BCAA's, Glutamine, (1) Honey Stinger waffle

Weather: Partly cloudy 70, Stiff winds but did not seem bothered by it for the most part

Training Summary:
Total Distance: 40.4 Miles
Total Moving Time: 2:13:32
Total Avg. Moving Speed: 18.2
Total TSS: 153.4 (0.83 IF)

Interval Power Summary
Interval 1:
    Duration:     1:02:30
    Work:          629 kJ
    TSS:           83.7 (intensity factor 0.9)
    Norm Power:    184
    VI:            1.1
    Distance:     19.984 mi
    Elevation Gain:        434 ft
    Elevation Loss:       242 ft
    Grade:         0.2 % (188 ft)
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    622    168     watts
    Cadence:         11    231    85     rpm
    Speed:           0    29.8    19.2     mph
    Pace             2:01    0:00    3:08     min/mi
    Altitude:        748    1009    867     ft
    Crank Torque:    0    1681    176     lb-in
    Temperature:     64.4    71.6    66.0     Fahrenheit

Interval 2:
    Duration:     1:04:35
    Work:          566 kJ
    TSS:           63.7 (intensity factor 0.77)
    Norm Power:    158
    VI:            1.08
    Distance:     19.257 mi
    Elevation Gain:        224 ft
    Elevation Loss:       336 ft
    Grade:         -0.1 % (-120 ft)
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    463    146     watts
    Cadence:         14    239    80     rpm
    Speed:           0    29.2    17.9     mph
    Pace             2:03    0:00    3:21     min/mi
    Altitude:        838    1019    919     ft
    Crank Torque:    0    1337    162     lb-in
    Temperature:     66.2    71.6    68.3     Fahrenheit

Week Totals
Time: 9:12:04
Distance: 154 miles
TSS: 593
Kj: 4705

Brewery to Salacoa - Plus

2011-10-08T15:09:00.001-04:00

Ride with GPS Data
Garmin Connect Data
Summary
Moving Time: 4:09:47
Distance: 67 miles
Avg Moving Speed 16.1 mph
Elevation Gain: 3,222 ft

Group:   Jamie, Chuck, Diane, Edgar, Tim, Peter, Gary, Rod and me
Goal: Enjoy riding with friends

The Ride: What a great surprise to see Peter back with us today. I wasn't expecting his return from a recent shoulder surgery for a few more weeks, but it was great to see him back with us. From what I could tell he did not look like he lost much fitness. Welcome back Peter!!

It was also great to roll out with the 8 cyclists this morning. We had a few stops along the way, but as usual the pace on Salacoa Valley was brisk. I was somewhere in between a group up front and a group behind. At the store stop I was hoping to get in more miles so I took off solo ahead of the group so I am not sure how the rest of the ride was for the gang. Except for dealing with another day of wind the weather felt perfect and it was good to be out on the bike. I did not hit the training goals I had for today, but that is okay. It was just nice to be out and enjoy the day before the weather changes.

Nutrition Intake During and after the Course: ~26 oz. of water with Hammer Perpetuem, BCAA's, Gluatamine ~15 oz. water with BCAA's, Gluatamine (1) Cliff bar (2) Hammer gel(1) 40 gram Whey protein post ride recovery drink

The Weather: Sunny, Start @ 57 degrees, End @ 82 degrees, 10- 15 mph winds from the east

Bike: LOOK 585, Garmin 800, Powertap SL+

Overall Power Data:
Entire workout (124 watts):
   Duration:     4:15:21 (4:30:22)
   Work:         1891 kJ
   TSS:          248.4 (intensity factor 0.766)
   Norm Power:   157
   VI:           1.27
   Distance:     67.042 mi
   Elevation Gain:       2451 ft
   Elevation Loss:     2459 ft
   Grade:        -0.0 % (-1 ft)
       Min   Max   Avg
   Power:          0   712   124    watts
   Cadence:        7   231   80    rpm
   Speed:          0   38.2   15.8    mph
   Pace            1:34   0:00   3:48    min/mi
   Altitude:       691   1205   867    ft
   Crank Torque:   0   1543   139    lb-in
   Temperature:    57.2   82.4   68.2    Fahrenheit

Comet - Tempo

2011-10-02T16:27:00.000-04:00

Ride With GPS Data
Garmin Connect Data
Goal: Tempo Effort for 2 x 60 minutes.

Ride Notes:Felt pretty good considering how much the 80 mile yesterday took out of me.

Nutrition: ~35 oz water, BCAA's, Glutamine, (1) Honey Stinger waffle

Weather: Partly cloudy 66, Stiff wind but seemed protected at by the trees

Training Summary:
Total Distance: 40.32 Miles
Total Moving Time: 2:20:21
Total Avg. Moving Speed: 17.2
Total TSS: 133.8 (0.75 IF)

Interval Power Summary
Interval 1:
    Duration:     1:13:16 (1:21:45)
    Work:          632 kJ
    TSS:           73.7 (intensity factor 0.779)
    Norm Power:    160
    VI:            1.11
    Distance:     20.211 mi
    Elevation Gain:        400 ft
    Elevation Loss:       291 ft
    Grade:         0.1 % (110 ft)
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    556    144     watts
    Cadence:         8    239    80     rpm
    Speed:           0    24.4    16.6     mph
    Pace             2:28    0:00    3:37     min/mi
    Altitude:        795    984    883     ft
    Crank Torque:    0    1765    160     lb-in

Interval 2:
    Duration:     1:03:41
    Work:          520 kJ
    TSS:           56.7 (intensity factor 0.731)
    Norm Power:    150
    VI:            1.1
    Distance:     18.799 mi
    Elevation Gain:        240 ft
    Elevation Loss:       314 ft
    Grade:         -0.1 % (-80 ft)
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    736    136     watts
    Cadence:         18    231    79     rpm
    Speed:           0    29.8    17.7     mph
    Pace             2:01    0:00    3:23     min/mi
    Altitude:        847    993    907     ft
    Crank Torque:    0    1577    153     lb-in

Week Totals
Time: 9:15:30
Distance: 160 miles
TSS: 612
Kj: 4785

Brewery to Cagle Road - Impressed, Impressed

2011-10-01T16:01:00.000-04:00

Ride with GPS Data
Garmin Connect Data
Summary
Moving Time: 4:39:47
Distance: 81.8 miles
Avg Moving Speed 17.5 mph
Elevation Gain: 3,166 ft

Group:   Jamie, Chuck, Diane, Mike, Tim, Bill, Craig, Michael, Alan and me
Goal: Enjoy riding with friends

The Ride: Generally speaking I am very fortunate to have a good number of impressive cycling friends and though it seems that some days I end up with a different mix of those friends I am impressed by all of them.

This week I was impressed when I received an email from Diane stating an interest in my 80 mile route because I knew there was a prediction of heavy winds coming from the north and it was going to be a cool start. Sure enough 10 of us rolled out this brisk feeling morning with the winds seeming to be stiff and sustained, but no one backed away or griped about having to push against those winds for 40 solid miles. Another thing that impressed me was the speed the group was going against the winds. Most everyone took good turns at the front and I know my times up there it was some really good training time pushing and pushing against that wind. Impressed with the group!

We did a store stop at the Marathon and our 40th mile with just about everyone looking forward to the potential tailwind on the return south. For a few of those miles we were getting hammered by the cross winds. I felt as if my bike was heavily tilted to the right to compensate for the wind. It was almost like leaning my shoulder against a wall a couple of times.

By this point I needed to go ahead of the group and try to make it on home so I set out on a fairly solid pace and even though the tailwind was helping I was still maintaining a solid effort and putting some torque on the cranks. Alan and Craig caught up with me. Impressed! The three of us had a decent rotation and kept up the sustained effort until the Sunoco gas station where Alan and Craig peeled off to get their bottles refilled. I pushed on without stopping and again kept a decent pace in solo mode.

But here is where I was stunned an amazed because about 6 to 8 miles from the end I look back and see a cyclist coming. I just thought it was another solo rider, but then I looked again and then looked again. I had to do a triple take because it was Alan coming up on me. I was so impressed that he did a store stop and still caught up with me. He said he had to work hard to catch me, but believe me I was not really slacking around. Alan is 69 years old and probably one of the most amazing cyclist I know and get to ride with on occasion. The two of us continued to push those final miles just about all the way to the end and then we turned around and headed back out to let our legs cool off and spin easy. I am very impressed with how Alan was able to catch up to me. I was also impressed how Bill, now in his 70's, did on our ride today. It wasn't long before the rest of the group rolled in. Mike, Diane, Jamie and Chuck stretching out the miles each week and increasing their speed and endurance. Plus we had a couple new visitors riding with us today. Craig also did a good bit of time pulling in the wind and was there with me and Alan at the finish.

Nutrition Intake During and after the Course: ~48 oz. of water with Hammer Perpetuem, BCAA's, Gluatamine ~10 oz. water with BCAA's, Gluatamine (1) Cliff bar (2) Honey Stinger gel(1) 40 gram Whey protein post ride recovery drink , grilled chicken sandwich post ride meal (about 1 hour after the ride)

The Weather: Sunny, Start @ 50 degrees, End @ 63 degrees, 10- 15 mph winds from the north

Bike: LOOK 585, Garmin 800, Powertap SL+

Overall Power Data:
Entire workout (134 watts):
    Duration:     4:44:10 (5:04:40)
    Work:          2293 kJ
    TSS:           312.1 (intensity factor 0.812)
    Norm Power:    167
    VI:            1.24
    Distance:     81.812 mi
    Elevation Gain:        2255 ft
    Elevation Loss:       2240 ft
    Grade:         0.0 % (21 ft)
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    688    134     watts
    Cadence:         7    246    84     rpm
    Speed:           0    35.1    17.3     mph
    Pace             1:43    0:00    3:28     min/mi
    Altitude:        657    923    767     ft
    Crank Torque:    0    1398    145     lb-in

Brewery to Cagle Road

2011-09-24T15:53:00.001-04:00

Photo on Cagle Road courtesy of Gary

Jesse Edgar

Gary

Ride with GPS Data
Garmin Connect Ride Data
Summary
Moving Time: 4:32:51
Distance: 79.8 miles
Avg Moving Speed 17.5 mph
Elevation Gain: 2,769 ft

Group:   Gary, Edgar and me
Goal: Enjoy riding with friends

The Ride: An awesome end to a rough start. Well it started rough because, though I woke up at 4 am, I was goofing around on the computer and lost track of time. Thankfully Gary and Edgar waited on my arrival at the brewery, but I felt all out of sorts and mentally had to pull it together because we were planning on an eighty mile ride.

I am not sure what time we actually rolled out. There was enough visibility to ride safely, but still a fair amount of fog that at least kept it cool until about 9:30. About 10 the sun was out and the rest of ride had perfect weather.

With just the three of we all had our share of training time and even when I was drafting behind Gary or Edgar I still felt like they were making me work hard to keep up. It did not seem long before we were at our turning point to come back and the ride back seemed rather fast as well even though we were approaching the five hour mark.It seems true that time flies when you are having fun. It was a great ride with just the three of us. Great day for a number of reasons.

Nutrition Intake During and after the Course: ~52 oz. of water with Hammer Perpetuem, BCAA's, Gluatamine ~26 oz. water with BCAA's, Gluatamine (1) Cliff bar (1) Honey Stinger Waffle (1) 40 gram Whey protein post ride recovery drink .

The Weather: Heavy fog to Sunny, Start @ 54 degrees, End @ 77 degrees, slight breeze.

Bike: LOOK 585, Garmin 800, Powertap SL+

Overall Power Data:
Entire workout (130 watts):
   Duration:     4:37:36 (5:13:43)
   Work:         2165 kJ
   TSS:          299.1 (intensity factor 0.804)
   Norm Power:   165
   VI:           1.27
   Distance:     79.791 mi
   Elevation Gain:       2026 ft
   Elevation Loss:     2049 ft
   Grade:        -0.0 % (-21 ft)
       Min   Max   Avg
   Power:          0   774   130    watts
   Cadence:        9   246   83    rpm
   Speed:          0   32.4   17.3    mph
   Pace            1:51   0:00   3:28    min/mi
   Altitude:       661   909   757    ft
   Crank Torque:   0   1752   141    lb-in
   Temperature:    53.6   86   66.9    Fahrenheit

Comet - Tempo

2011-09-18T16:55:00.000-04:00

Ride with GPS Data
Garmin Connect Data
Goal: Tempo Effort for 2 x 60 minutes.

Ride Notes: Not a bad effort considering the amount of people out on the path and the amount of times I had to slow down or stop.

Nutrition: 48 oz water, BCAA's, Glutamine, (1) Honey Stinger

Weather: Partly cloudy 77, mild wind speed with some head wind and some tail wind

Training Summary:
Total Distance: 40.58 Miles
Total Moving Time: 2:19:04
Total Avg. Moving Speed: 17.5
Total TSS: 145.5 (0.79 IF)

Interval Power Summary
Interval 1:
    Duration:     1:08:23
    Work:          650 kJ
    TSS:           82.3 (intensity factor 0.853)
    Norm Power:    175
    VI:            1.1
    Distance:     20.286 mi
    Elevation Gain:        398 ft
    Elevation Loss:       293 ft
    Grade:         0.1 % (102 ft)
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    630    159     watts
    Cadence:         15    218    77     rpm
    Speed:           0    26.6    17.8     mph
    Pace             2:15    0:00    3:22     min/mi
    Altitude:        852    1031    947     ft
    Crank Torque:    0    1441    180     lb-in
    Temperature:     64.4    71.6    68.0     Fahrenheit

Interval 2:
    Duration:     1:05:04 (1:11:12)
    Work:          530 kJ
    TSS:           56.7 (intensity factor 0.723)
    Norm Power:    148
    VI:            1.09
    Distance:     18.582 mi
    Elevation Gain:        236 ft
    Elevation Loss:       291 ft
    Grade:         -0.1 % (-62 ft)
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    424    136     watts
    Cadence:         17    191    75     rpm
    Speed:           0    28.1    17.2     mph
    Pace             2:08    0:00    3:29     min/mi
    Altitude:        906    1051    982     ft
    Crank Torque:    0    907    159     lb-in
    Temperature:     68    77    71.6     Fahrenheit

Week Totals
Time: 9:09:26
Distance: 144 miles
TSS: 624
Kj: 4786

Rose Pedal Metric - Cycling With Friends

2011-09-17T15:17:00.002-04:00

Ride with GPS Data
Garmin Connect Data
Summary
Moving Time: 3:37:21
Distance: 61.5 miles
Avg Moving Speed 17.0 mph
Elevation Gain: 3,120 ft

Group:   Jamie, Chuck, Diane, Jack, Edgar and me
Goal: Enjoy riding with friends

The Ride: Typically we would have been out on the annual BBC (Beautiful Backroads Century), but instead a few of us were content to miss the massive crowd and have a little quiet time out on the rural roads of north Cherokee County. I typically do not like rolling hill courses and was not that excited about the route, but I did look forward to riding with friends and I have to say that I am glad I joined this small group instead of picking something solo. I am not sure what else I can say except this was an excellent day to be out with this group.

Edgar and Jack provided plenty of spirited pace and times of cutting up, but at the same time the ride did not seem that rushed to me. At times I felt like I was getting in some solid training moments, but at other times I was able to chat with Diane, Jamie and Chuck. Everyone had their moments of kicking up the pace, but nothing overly stressful. The friendship I have with this group helps smooth out the discomfort of the rolling hills.

The start was a little cool and it is odd to see people wearing jackets, arm warmers and base layers when the temperature was near triple digits just a couple weeks ago. The season is definitely changing, but hopefully we will get a few weeks of this type of weather to enjoy the transition and cooler days before it turns cold.

Nutrition Intake During and after the Course: ~26 oz. of water with Hammer Perpetuem, BCAA's, Gluatamine ~20 oz. water with BCAA's, Gluatamine (1) Hammer gel (1) Honey Stinger Waffle (1) 40 gram Whey protein post ride recovery drink .

The Weather: Partly cloudy, Start @ 55 degrees, End @ 75 degrees, slight breeze.

Bike: LOOK 585, Garmin 800, Powertap SL+, Contour GPS camera

Overall Power Data:
Entire workout (134 watts):
    Duration:     3:43:20 (3:53:44)
    Work:          1790 kJ
    TSS:           265.9 (intensity factor 0.846)
    Norm Power:    173
    VI:            1.3
    Distance:     61.49 mi
    Elevation Gain:        2533 ft
    Elevation Loss:       2516 ft
    Grade:         0.0 % (15 ft)
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    619    134     watts
    Cadence:         7    206    78     rpm
    Speed:           0    39.8    16.5     mph
    Pace             1:31    0:00    3:38     min/mi
    Altitude:        1006    1307    1189     ft
    Crank Torque:    0    1542    152     lb-in
    Temperature:     55.4    75.2    63.6     Fahrenheit

Brewery to Cagle Road

2011-09-10T14:56:00.001-04:00

Garmin Connect Data
Ride With GPS Data
Summary
Moving Time: 4:03:21
Distance: 69.31 miles
Avg Moving Speed 17.1 mph
Elevation Gain: 2,329 ft

Solo:
Goal: L3 +/- with long block of effort

The Ride: By a feeling of instinct sometimes a choice has to be made and my instinct this morning was to stick with my favorite route instead of joining my friends on their routes. But as I went along I really believe I made the best choice for me. I had some really good training this week and not only were my legs a little fatigued, but I kind of tweaked my right quadriceps while training Thursday evening. That made me a bit skittish for doing a hilly route so I went with my gut feeling to stay with my favorite flatter course. I experienced some considerable discomfort through my right hip and leg at random times throughout the ride, but nothing too great that it ruined the day. Plus I just felt too tired to try to hang with the group if the pace was brisk.

The starting temperature was at 51 degrees F and coming from two months of upper 90 degree days that felt a little chilly. I started with just short sleeves and shorts because I knew both me and the temperature would warm up quickly.

It is kind of neat to go out on a solo ride with no music and no one to keep you company and yet have a really enjoyable ride. Biggest thing for me since my brain does not like to keep quite is to stay focused on the task at hand which is keeping at a solid pace and/or keep my wattage up. This is something I am learning to do on these solo rides is stay focused for a greater amount of time. Once my minds starts drifting the speed and power start dropping. This is true also for my weekday indoor training.

This was also my first ride with the Garmin Edge 800. I received it yesterday afternoon so I still need to get accustomed to navigating around the different screens and I need to get those various screen displays set up how I would like to view them, but overall I do like it. The Garmin 705 sure has been a very solid device through all seasons and even hard down pours and it has helped me find my way home more than once. I can only hope this 800 will be just as solid over the years.

Nutrition Intake During and after the Course: ~40 oz. of water with Hammer Perpetuem, BCAA's, Gluatamine (2) Hammer gel (1) Cliff Bar (3) Endurolytes (1) small bottle of Powerade (1) 40 gram Whey protein post ride recovery drink .

The Weather: Sunny, Start @ 51 degrees, End @ 91 degrees, slight breeze on the return.

Bike: LOOK 585, Garmin 800, Powertap SL+

Overall Power Data:
Entire workout (131 watts):
    Duration:     4:10:28 (4:28:21)
    Work:          1970 kJ
    TSS:           236.8 (intensity factor 0.755)
    Norm Power:    155
    VI:            1.18
    Distance:     69.291 mi
    Elevation Gain:        1709 ft
    Elevation Loss:       1732 ft
    Grade:         -0.0 % (-18 ft)
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    537    131     watts
    Cadence:         8    225    76     rpm
    Speed:           0    31.1    16.7     mph
    Pace             1:56    0:00    3:35     min/mi
    Altitude:        668    935    768     ft
    Crank Torque:    0    1763    152     lb-in
    Temperature:     50    91.4    66.6     Fahrenheit

Fall Into Place

2011-09-07T13:07:00.003-04:00

As we approach the fall months and the cooler weather starts to move in, I am thinking ahead to my indoor training sessions, but then again I train indoors for the most part year round.

It was not too long ago that someone wrote to me with the thought that I only ride or train on the weekend, which is the way it appears if I am only known by a brief view of this blog. I typically only write about my outdoor training and recreational rides, but most of what I do that I call my meat and potatoes of training occurs during the weekday.

Since 2008 I started becoming interested in improving as a cyclist and mainly that came about from joining up with a great group of cycling friends that are above my level. In order for me to keep up and enjoy riding with them for the duration I needed to really improve. I was fortunate to have received some really solid advice concerning training principles and how they impact the metabolic adaptations or in other simple words how to improve my aerobic conditioning and endurance. In order to fine tune training it was explained how valuable training with a power meter can be and being that I am a former competitive weight lifter it suited me to follow training data and set goals accordingly.

The three biggest items are (briefly explained):

Consistency
Submaximal Work
Sustained Duration

Consistency - this was one of the best attributes in my former competitive activity. I believe if there was any attribute that helped me to win the most was training consistently over many years. I rarely took a break and when I did it was a scheduled break. On occasions I did have injuries, but even then I trained around the injury until it was healed.

Submaximal Work - I was told of the benefit of training at 90 - 91% of my functional threshold. This type of training may go back to Lydiard, who believed in training just under one's threshold for intervals would help accelerate aerobic conditioning better than doing traditional LSD (Long Slow Distance) type of training. That type of training takes massive amounts of volume and required time. Most of us working class folk do not have that ample amount of time.

Sustained Duration - I was told to work in blocks greater than 15 minutes and actually better than 20 minute blocks of time in order to push endurance and aerobic conditioning.

So here is how my training appears through a typical week when work or life does not interfere.
This is only my cycling training. I am not listing my weight lifting schedule, which Monday through Friday year round.

Monday - Off
Tuesday - 3 x 20 min. @ 91 to 95% FT
Wednesday - 1 x 60 min. @ 90% FT
Thursday - 3 x 20 min. @ 91 to 95% FT
Friday - Off
Saturday - 3.5 to 7 hour rides (warmer months), 3 to 4 hour rides (cold months)
Sunday - 2 x 60 min. intervals @ 80% FT

I go to two church services on Sunday and sometimes I go to family gatherings as well. So I don't always get to train on Sunday.

Well there it is in a nutshell. It is not a great schedule, but I am a working class kind of guy with a wife and household chores so that is about the best I can do. It may not take me to race level conditioning, but since I am not racing my only hope is that I can improve enough that I will not get dropped on a lively local group ride.

References:
Arthur Lydiard's Athletic Training
The Road Cyclist's Guide to Training by Power by Charles Howe

Comet - Tempo Training

2011-08-28T16:51:00.000-04:00

RidewithGPS Data
Garmin Connect Data
Goal: Tempo Effort for 2 x 60 minutes.

Ride Notes: A bit sore around mile 3, but my legs opened up for a pretty good effort. Sustained wind, but it was difficult to tell which direction it was coming from. I think it was hitting me from the side, but it kind of felt like a headwind going out. I was somewhat fatigued on the return. This training session was almost a duplicate of my last visit to the Comet. Just another day to burn some calories and spin the cranks.

Nutrition: 48 oz water, BCAA's, Glutamine, (1) Hammer gel

Weather: Partly cloudy 91, mild wind speed with some head wind and some tail wind

Training Summary:
Total Distance: 34.05 Miles
Total Moving Time: 1:58:21
Total Avg. Moving Speed: 17.3
Total TSS: 111 (0.75 IF)

Interval 1:
    Duration:     1:00:02
    Work:          525 kJ
    TSS:           59.9 (intensity factor 0.777)
    Norm Power:    159
    VI:            1.09
    Distance:     17.003 mi
    Elevation Gain:        388 ft
    Elevation Loss:       269 ft
    Grade:         0.1 % (125 ft)
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    496    146     watts
    Cadence:         30    212    76     rpm
    Speed:           0    23.9    17.0     mph
    Pace             2:30    0:00    3:32     min/mi
    Altitude:        865    1080    980     ft
    Crank Torque:    0    808    168     lb-in
Interval 2:
    Duration:     57:33 (1:00:40)
    Work:          456 kJ
    TSS:           50.4 (intensity factor 0.725)
    Norm Power:    149
    VI:            1.12
    Distance:     16.988 mi
    Elevation Gain:        199 ft
    Elevation Loss:       360 ft
    Grade:         -0.2 % (-159 ft)
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    545    132     watts
    Cadence:         30    239    75     rpm
    Speed:           0    29.5    17.7     mph
    Pace             2:02    0:00    3:23     min/mi
    Altitude:        819    1017    921     ft
    Crank Torque:    0    676    155     lb-in

Totals This Week
Distance: 152 miles
Training Time: 8:40:42
TSS: 522
kJ: 4164

Brewery to Cagle Road - 80

2011-08-27T14:51:00.000-04:00

RidewithGPS Data
Garmin Connect Data
Summary
Moving Time: 4:34:19
Distance: 80.56 miles
Avg Moving Speed 17.6 mph
Elevation Gain: 3,575 ft

Group: Jamie, Chuck, Gary, Mike and me

Goal: L3 +/- with long block of effort

The Ride: Well that was an encouraging ride and I think not just for me but for some of the other group members as well. It was not so much about shooting for personal best numbers, but for me having a few weeks of coming out of a training and riding slump this ride felt good. It is the perception of how the ride went that matters the most for me today. I needed an encouraging ride. And of course we had a rather flat course with a nice tail wind coming back. But overall I think everyone today had good strong turns at the front. And going out we had sustained head winds, but that did not seem to cause any frustration to the pace going north toward Fort Mountain. Based on some comments following the ride it seemed that everyone had a good time and felt good about their performance.

With only five of us we had long turns at the front and Gary was looking like a pro up there doing even longer pulls with a very solid pace both going up against headwinds and coming back. It was nice to have Jamie and Chuck join us and for Chuck to stretch out a few more miles today. Both seemed to be riding at a solid pace with us. They turned back on Cagle Road and had a 71 mile total for the day. Great job and I am very happy you joined me today on this training ride.

At one point while trying to hang on Gary's wheel at 27 mph for a fairly long stretch and he seemed to be getting faster, I looked down and I was out of gears on my 50/11 combination and just about my highest cadence. Fortunately I was able to hang on in the draft. Same for Mike on his turns at the front and at one point I was almost dropped as he had a nice pace up there.We stopped at the gas station to refill the bottles and someone said easy pace in the last 20 miles, but the pace seemed to be mostly in the 20's with the 3 of us down in the drops and trying to hang on Gary's pace. It was like Mike said about the tailwind, "sure we had a tailwind, but you still have to pedal the bike" and we seemed to keep the crank sets constantly rotating at good speed.

To be honest I did not think I would have anyone interested in riding with me today. The course is an out and back and nearly flat for our area. The scenery is okay and it gets better as you approach the mountain. I had a plan to ride at a certain pace with constant pedaling for a Tempo style of training ride. It did not sound interesting as I put out the email, but I am very grateful that I had four of my friends join me today.

I think it turned out to be a great day and an encouraging day on the bike for all of us.

Nutrition Intake During and after the Course: ~26 oz. of water with Hammer Perpetuem, ~52 oz water (1) Hammer gel (1) Hammer Perpetuem Solid (1) Cliff Bar (6) Endurolytes (1) small bottle of Powerade (1) 40 gram Whey protein post ride recovery drink .

The Weather: Sunny, Start @ 71 degrees, End @ 90 degrees (rain and lighting for a few miles) sustained wind coming from the north and from hurricane Irene at 10 mph and 19 mph gusts.

Bike: LOOK 585, Garmin 705, Powertap SL+

Overall Power Data:
Entire workout (117 watts):
    Duration:     4:38:13 (5:12:02)
    Work:          1949 kJ
    TSS:           257.5 (intensity factor 0.746)
    Norm Power:    153
    VI:            1.31
    Distance:     80.51 mi
    Elevation Gain:        2451 ft
    Elevation Loss:       2434 ft
    Grade:         0.0 % (23 ft)
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    556    117     watts
    Cadence:         30    231    83     rpm
    Speed:           0    34    17.4     mph
    Pace             1:46    0:00    3:27     min/mi
    Altitude:        670    928    777     ft
    Crank Torque:    0    785    125     lb-in

Birthday Ride

2011-08-20T14:32:00.001-04:00

RidewithGPS Data
Garmin Connect Data
Ride Summary (totals):
Distance: 66 mi

Group: Jamie, Chuck and me

The Ride: For my birthday ride Jamie and Chuck joined me for a 7 am start out of the brewery. Unfortunately Chuck's tire had an issue within the first mile so Jamie and I continued at conversation pace for the duration, which I really enjoyed.

I am still getting used to using the Garmin 705 for my power data and forgot at one point to hit the start button after a store stop. I lost 10 miles worth of data....argh!

Thanks Jamie and Chuck for riding with me today.

Nutrition Intake During the Course: ~26 oz.of water with Perpetuem, BCAA and Glutamine, 26 oz. water with BCAA and Glutamine (1) Cliff Bar. (1) 30 grams of whey protein post ride recovery

The Weather: Sunny Start @ 70 degrees, Sunny End @ 90 degrees

Bike: LOOK 585, Garmin 705, Powertap SL+, Contour GPS camera

Overall Power Data: (Data is missing 10 miles of the ride)
Entire workout (112 watts):
    Duration:     3:42:07 (4:25:01)
    Work:          1491 kJ
    TSS:           191.3 (intensity factor 0.72)
    Norm Power:    148
    VI:            1.32
    Distance:     56.791 mi (Actually 67 Miles)
    Elevation Gain:        1881 ft
    Elevation Loss:       1844 ft
    Grade:         0.0 % (36 ft)
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    578    112     watts
    Cadence:         30    246    82     rpm
    Speed:           0    37.6    15.3     mph
    Pace             1:36    0:00    3:55     min/mi
    Altitude:        655    946    799     ft
    Crank Torque:    0    1029    122     lb-in

Comet - Tempo Training

2011-08-14T17:02:00.002-04:00

RidewithGPS Data
Garmin Connect Data
Goal: Tempo Effort for 2 x 60 minutes.

Ride Notes: A bit sore around mile 4, but my legs opened up for a pretty good effort in the remaining miles. I had to slow down on a few occasions for foot traffic and stopped once for a guy walking his bike and gave him my extra tube. play it forward

Nutrition: 48 oz water, BCAA's, Glutamine, (1) Hammer gel

Weather: Partly cloudy 91, mild wind speed with some head wind and some tail wind

Training Summary:
Total Distance: 35.61 Miles
Total Moving Time: 2:06:28
Total Avg. Moving Speed: 16.9
Total TSS: 119 (0.74 IF)

Interval 1:
    Duration:     1:02:10
    Work:          574 kJ
    TSS:           66.5 (intensity factor 0.801)
    Norm Power:    164
    VI:            1.07
    Distance:     16.846 mi
    Elevation Gain:        281 ft
    Elevation Loss:       219 ft
    Grade:         0.1 % (67 ft)
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    422    154     watts
    Cadence:         30    196    77     rpm
    Speed:           0    22.4    16.3     mph
    Pace             2:40    0:00    3:41     min/mi
    Altitude:        968    1090    1017     ft
    Crank Torque:    0    659    173     lb-in

Interval 2:
    Duration:     1:01:30
    Work:          482 kJ
    TSS:           48.3 (intensity factor 0.686)
    Norm Power:    141
    VI:            1.08
    Distance:     17.709 mi
    Elevation Gain:        188 ft
    Elevation Loss:       307 ft
    Grade:         -0.1 % (-115 ft)
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    442    131     watts
    Cadence:         32    218    76     rpm
    Speed:           0    23.9    17.3     mph
    Pace             2:30    0:00    3:28     min/mi
    Altitude:        906    1044    988     ft
    Crank Torque:    0    602    150     lb-in

Totals This Week
Distance: 131 miles
Training Time: 9:59:54
TSS: 545
kJ: 4767

2011 Chattooga Metric

2011-08-13T17:50:00.003-04:00

RidewithGPS Data
Garmin Connect Ride Data
Garmin Ride Summary (totals):
Distance: 63.12 mi
Moving Time: 03:48:02
Avg Moving Speed: 16.6 mph
Max Speed: 34.4 mph

Group:
Started with 7: Diane, Elizabeth, Laurie, Joe, Don (Chick), 2 of Don's friends.
Finished with 4: Paula, Paula, Katie, Felicia
Talked with John (from Chattanooga)

Goal: Survive the century (Did the metric route instead)

The Event: The Chattooga Century event helps fund athletics for Chattooga High School and even though it is an event organized by mostly non-cyclist I have to say they do one of the best cycling events around. The high school is used for the base facility with restrooms and showers. The early morning sign in was fast and all those who helped during the event were so helpful and friendly. This event is on my recommended list of events for participation in North Georgia.

The last time I did this event was around 2007 and I remembered enjoying the route and as I remembered it was really enjoyable. I was hoping to do the century this year, but ended up turning on the metric turnoff. The metric routes has nice rolling hills and a few flatter sections.

They had plenty of volunteers, workers at the sag stops, plenty of sag vehicles cruising the course, well painted markings that were clear to see and color coded for mileage, turn off signs that were easy to see, enough portable potty's to support the amount of riders and decently stocked sag stops.

Thanks to all the volunteers for this event on such a hot day. You did a great job!!

Thanks to Diane for being the driver for me and Elizabeth.

The Ride: I think I woke up close to 4 this morning to get ready to meet Diane and Elizabeth for the 1 1/2 hour drive up to Summerville. We had a quick sign in and then 8 of us rolled out for the century route, but it did not take long for me to realize that I was not going to be with the group for very long. We seemed to be in the low to mid 20's not long after we were on the road and on some rolling terrain my heart rate was thumping and my legs were stinging. I was pegging well over my threshold, but it was not necessarily the pace of the group as it was my legs just did not have the zip in them today.

At mile 11 I dropped of the back of the group and then realized it would be foolish for me to attempt the century feeling this way and sitting here now I am very grateful for that choice. My legs continued to struggle the remaining miles on the metric, but somewhere along the way I was fortunate to find 4 new friends that allowed me sit at the back of their small group. It was nice to have someone to help me stay focused on a decent pace and they maintained a solid pace all the way to the finish. I did not contribute much of anything because it seemed these women had a nice rotation system going and to be honest I did not feel like I had it in me physically today to contribute much help without being disruptive and slowing them down. I am grateful for their company along the route and following the route with some conversation under the post ride meal tents.

Thank you Paula, Paula, Katie and Felicia (spelling?) for allowing me to hangout with you.
I enjoyed meeting John from the Chattanooga Bike Club. Great to meet you and your group today and thanks for the compliments on my blog. I am grateful you looked for me on this ride and I am grateful to have talked with you.

Although it is a little frustrating that my legs were not in a cooperative mood (performance wise) today it was still a very blessed day all around. I got to share a good bit of conversation time with Diane and Elizabeth during the commute, I got to meet 4 fantastic cycling women from Atlanta, I got to meet a new friend and cycling enthusiast from Chattanooga. I got to enjoy a great route and meet a great staff of volunteers and I got to ride my bike.

Nutrition Intake During the Course: ~26 oz.of water with Perpetuem, BCAA and Glutamine, 52 oz. water from refills (1) Hammer gel (1) Cliff Bar. (1) small cup of Coke

Post Ride: 4 small slices of pizza, 30 grams of whey protein, 1 Diet Coke, 3 bottles of water

The Weather: Partly cloudy Start @ 70 degrees, Sunny End @ 90 degrees but it felt way hotter

Bike: LOOK 585, Garmin 705, Powertap SL+, Contour GPS camera

Overall Power Data:
Entire workout (119 watts):
    Duration:     4:10:11
    Work:          1741 kJ
    TSS:           225.8 (intensity factor 0.747)
    Norm Power:    153
    VI:            1.29
    Distance:     63.124 mi
    Elevation Gain:        1920 ft
    Elevation Loss:       1947 ft
    Grade:         -0.0 % (-29 ft)
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    593    119     watts
    Cadence:         30    -    83     rpm
    Speed:           0    34.7    15.1     mph
    Pace             1:44    0:00    3:58     min/mi
    Altitude:        561    841    685     ft
    Crank Torque:    0    1000    127     lb-in

Comet - Easy Spin

2011-08-07T16:56:00.000-04:00

RidgewithGPS Data
Garmin Connect Data

Goal: Spin easy for 120 minutes. My legs were too sore and fatigued from yesterday so I backed off the intensity.

Nutrition: 26 oz water

Weather: Partly cloudy 91, low wind speed (feels very hot - lot of fluid loss)

Training Summary:
Total Distance: 29.29 Miles
Total Moving Time: 1:48:49
Total Avg. Moving Speed: 16.1
Total TSS: 90.5 (0.7 IF)

Interval 1:
    Duration:     57:40
    Work:          434 kJ
    TSS:           43.6 (intensity factor 0.676)
    Norm Power:    139
    VI:            1.1
    Distance:     14.68 mi
    Elevation Gain:        358 ft
    Elevation Loss:       149 ft
    Grade:         0.3 % (204 ft)
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    623    125     watts
    Cadence:         30    225    82     rpm
    Speed:           0    21.6    15.3     mph
    Pace             2:46    0:00    3:56     min/mi
    Altitude:        821    1067    980     ft
    Crank Torque:    0    940    135     lb-in

Interval 2:
    Duration:     47:08 (52:10)
    Work:          379 kJ
    TSS:           43.1 (intensity factor 0.741)
    Norm Power:    152
    VI:            1.13
    Distance:     13.066 mi
    Elevation Gain:        138 ft
    Elevation Loss:       227 ft
    Grade:         -0.1 % (-93 ft)
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    527    134     watts
    Cadence:         30    225    81     rpm
    Speed:           0    25.3    16.6     mph
    Pace             2:22    0:00    3:37     min/mi
    Altitude:        934    1039    987     ft
    Crank Torque:    0    648    143     lb-in

New Powertap SL+ Wheel From Wheelbuilder

2011-08-06T16:08:00.000-04:00

I am not a good blog reviewer like DC Rainmaker, but I do want to throw out some good remarks at the times I have a good bike purchase experience and with the purchase of a new wheel upgrade from the folks at Wheelbuilder.com I only have good things to say.

First, I was looking to use the same rim as I currently have because it has proven to be a solid training wheel and I did not not want to purchase a new front wheel to match. The folks at wheelbuilder had the rim and spoke selection to match, but what I found that I like the most as I called or emailed other wheel builders is that they were the most responsive to either emails or calls. There were some other things that I found enticing, but I think I will simply finish this short review of the company with bullet items.

Competitive Prices - I was really enticed when they had the SL+ briefly discounted almost as low as the Pro model.
Wheel Materials - They have a nice supply of good wheel brands and spokes to choose from
Responsive - I mentioned this because to me it made them standout over other builders that have similar pricing and materials.
Fast Shipping - Probably still applies to "Responsive", but they had my order processed and sent via FedEx that afternoon. My wheel was custom materials, but perhaps they had one in stock or they are just that quick at building wheels. Regardless I got my wheel shipped regular ground service across the states and had it before the weekend.
Quality - I did my first full ride today. The wheel is true and the Powertap SL+ is working well with my Garmin 705. Good enough for me.
Web Site - Good website and easy to browse, but I ended up purchasing via the phone since I was on the phone asking questions. It was the cordial behavior and willingness to answer questions that helped me go ahead and process my order while on the phone rather than the through the website. So I cannot really comment on ordering online.
Service - I hope I do not need this, but they can do a full service on a Powertap hub. Based on my past experience with Saris Cycling Group I am glad to hear that Wheelbuilder can do a complete service.

I wanted a fairly "bomb proof" training wheel and I believe I have one. Of course my old wheel with near the same materials has held up well so I figured this was going to be good.

Wheel Materials:
Kinlin XR-300 (28 hole, 2X lacing)
DT Swiss Competition Spokes
Powertap SL+

Overall I can give the folks at Wheelbuilder a positive thought for a positive experience.

Brewery to Cagle Road - Lighting Fast

2011-08-06T15:12:00.002-04:00

RidewithGPS Data
Garmin Connect Data
Solo:
Goal: L3 +/-

The Ride: Lighting Fast? Nope is was not me that is lighting fast. It was actual lighting that came the closest to me in all my years of earthly existence - 3 times!! The worst was when me and 3 other cyclists took shelter at a fire station on Cash Road. I was standing just inside the big roll up doors when just behind my back a large flash of light a deep boom in just a millisecond that just about made my heart stop. Someone said, "That was really close to your back!" Oh well....good times. Odd thing was there were no other rumbles of thunder in the background or other flashes across the sky. Just the 3 that came really close to me. I thought maybe it was my time. :-) The rain was refreshing at least.

Since I was riding solo today there is not much to say other than it is a difficult decision to not ride with my cycling buddies, but it was something I felt all week that I had to do. The route suited my goals since it was relatively flat, which causes one to apply consistent torque to the pedals to keep going forward. The other thing about solo today was no drafting and really the only stop was seeking shelter at the fire station. I did stop at the gas station to get another bottle of water, but that was about it. I ate while on the bike and tried to keep moving forward.

Certainly today was tough in another aspect from having the week before off for a little traveling and working overtime before the mini vacation. It left me with a huge drop in my CTL and though I was trying to get back in the groove this week with training my legs just did not feel like participating today. Another reason that I probably would have not done well in a spirited group ride today.

Oh well it was good to get back on the bike and start getting back in the groove.

Nutrition Intake During and after the Course: ~26 oz. of water with Hammer Perpetuem, ~52 oz water (1) Hammer gel (1) Cliff Bars (6) Endurolytes (1) 40 gram Whey protein post ride recovery drink .

The Weather: Sunny, Start @ 71 degrees, End @ 89 degrees (rain and lighting for a few miles)
Bike: LOOK 585, Garmin 705, Powertap SL+

Overall Power Data:
Entire workout (106 watts):
    Duration:     5:17:52 (5:37:52)
    Work:          2025 kJ
    TSS:           227.8 (intensity factor 0.657)
    Norm Power:    135
    VI:            1.27
    Distance:     77.045 mi
    Elevation Gain:        2314 ft
    Elevation Loss:       2294 ft
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    619    106     watts
    Cadence:         30    231    79     rpm
    Speed:           0    30.9    14.5     mph
    Pace             1:57    0:00    4:08     min/mi
    Altitude:        622    920    759     ft
    Crank Torque:    0    679    119     lb-in

2011-07-31T17:13:00.000-04:00

Goal: 2 x 60 minute intervals sustained in levels 3.

Nutrition Intake During and after the Course: ~52 oz.of water w/ BCAA's, Glutamine, 30 gram Protein drink post ride recovery

The Ride: This was my first real ride since having several days off to enjoy some time away with Cindi on our anniversary in North Carolina. I did spin light a couple of days since we had a YMCA at our hotel and it was free to use, but I have not registered any time in WKO+ since last Saturday.

Today I wanted ride at a calmer pace as a reintroduction back into training and starting this week I am looking forward to working on my body weight and begin to ramp up my indoor effort. I am not quite sure what I will do this coming weekend, but it seems that I need to be somewhat conservative and not try a 100 mile ride.

While riding today I felt fat and sluggish in some ways, but in other ways I felt pretty good. I also felt a bit of nausea, but I am not sure if that is due to my diet being off the past number of days or because of the intense heat. Regardless I am looking forward to a long block of training taking me into the fall and today was the first step in that block.

The Weather: 94 degrees, sunny, Very hot and only a few people out today on the path.

Bike: LOOK 585, PT Hub, Garmin 705

Power Summary: (Based on Coogan's Levels)
Level   Minutes       TSS
      1      2.31      0.53
      2     30.55     18.90
      3     95.66    101.02
      4      0.00      0.00
      5      0.00      0.00
      6      0.00      0.00
      7      0.00      0.00
Power Data:
Interval 1:    Duration:     1:00:04 (1:01:00)
    Work:          556 kJ
    TSS:           65 (intensity factor 0.818)
    Norm Power:    168
    VI:            1.07
    Distance:     17.743 mi
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    479    156     watts
    Speed:           0    23.8    17.7     mph
    Pace             2:31    0:00    3:23     min/mi
    Hub Torque:     0    27    6     lb-in
    Crank Torque:    0    775    183     lb-in

Interval 2:    Duration:     1:00:55 (1:01:34)
    Work:          469 kJ
    TSS:           47.9 (intensity factor 0.697)
    Norm Power:    143
    VI:            1.1
    Distance:     18.542 mi
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    431    130     watts
    Speed:           0    25.8    18.3     mph
    Pace             2:20    0:00    3:17     min/mi
    Hub Torque:     0    19    5     lb-in
    Crank Torque:    0    617    154     lb-in

Brewery To Fort Mountain - 102

2011-07-23T18:10:00.001-04:00

RidewithGPS Ride Data
Garmin Connect Ride Data
Ride Summary (totals):
Distance: 102 mi
Moving Time: 06:20:25
Avg Moving Speed: 16.1 mph
Max Speed: 38.5 mph

Group: Neal, Nancy, Keith, Mike and me

Goal: L3 +/-

The Ride: No doubt some of us need some mental help or at least there were a number of people thinking that we are crazy for doing a 100 plus mile route in near triple digit heat. I am grateful that we did, but then again I had a rare good day on the bike. For some reason I did not rack up my usual training time during the week and that left me feeling a little fresher than my typical state for the Saturday group ride. I did have a saddle sore and some tender knees earlier in the week, but today fortunately it was almost as good as what my friend Gary would say, "a no chain day." Or it was due to Keith doing long pulls in the first half of the ride. I kept thinking, "take us north Keith, take us north."

And north we went as we rolled out of the brewery parking lot just around 7 am with the 5 of us set to see if we could endure this course and the heat combined. My goal starting out was to keep a solid pace to "beat the heat" and both me and Keith were keeping the pace above 18. Some of the roads going up were near Silver Comet flat and the pace line of 5 was smooth as butter. We had quite of few stops along the way, but not really a big deal with this type of heat it was good to stop and refill often. Being that it was an out and back route the store we selected were more than sufficient.

As we closed in on the halfway point and the base of Fort Mountain climb we decided that Mike and I would turn as we saw the first person descending, which we expected would be Keith. Sure enough as Mike and I stopped at a pull off area in the shade we see Keith coming quickly. Now it was our turn to join in on the fun descent and this is a fun descent.

Only problem we have now that the descent is done is 50 mile ride back with the sun in a full beat down on our carcasses. This is when it became a little tougher. What seemed like a lot of shade earlier in the ride out was now gone for the most part. We kept a fairly solid pace until we arrived at the store in Cash to wait for Neal. Keith and I decided to hang around and Mike went with Nancy since she had an afternoon event to attend. After Neal insisted, Keith and me went back together for the remaining 20 miles. I received a call that Neal came in safely. We all endured it. It wasn't pretty, but we did it.

It was tough in some ways, but I did enjoy the ride.

Nutrition Intake During and after the Course: ~52 oz. of water with Hammer Perpetuem, ~52 oz water (1) Hammer gel (1 1/2) Cliff Bars (1) Perpetuem Solid (1) 40 gram Whey protein post ride recovery drink .

The Weather: Sunny, Start @ 71 degrees, End @ 96 degrees
Bike: LOOK 585, Garmin 705, Powertap wired, Contour GPS camera

Power Summary: (Based on Coggan's Levels)
Summary Table of Minutes of Duration in Each Training Zone
Level   Minutes       TSS
      1      8.82      1.82
      2    176.71     94.78
      3    186.98    212.51
      4      0.00      0.00
      5      0.00      0.00
      6      0.00      0.00
      7      2.10      2.88

Overall Power Data:
Entire workout (116 watts):
    Duration:     6:20:25 (7:45:20)
    Work:          2610 kJ
    TSS:           325.8 (intensity factor 0.729)
    Norm Power:    150
    VI:            1.29
    Distance:     102.011 mi
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    533    116     watts
    Speed:           0    38.5    16.1     mph
    Pace             1:34    0:00    3:44     min/mi
    Hub Torque:     0    46    6     lb-in
    Crank Torque:    0    668    137     lb-in

Comet - Tempo

2011-07-17T16:41:00.001-04:00

Ride with GPS Data
Garmin Connect Data
Distance: 40.48 mi
Moving Time: 02:12:52
Avg Speed: 18.3 mph
Max Speed: 27.8 mph

Goal: 2 x 60 minute intervals sustained in levels 3.

Nutrition Intake During and after the Course: ~52 oz.of water w/ BCAA's, Glutamine (1) Hammer gel (1) 30 gram Protein drink post ride recovery

The Ride: I struggled in my cycling training all last week and was generally too sore to hit those L4 intervals like I needed to do and then yesterday was a tough ride. It was not so much riding in the rain, but my legs continued to struggle with the feeling of fatigue. There was a couple of times I thought I was going to get dropped and the group was not even pushing hard.

Doing my intervals today I expected about the same type of performance, but my legs felt much better and more open to sit in a nice tempo pace. The day was not near as hot feeling and that certainly helped. The path was not too busy going out and I was able to sit at a nice steady pace and only needed to slow down at the intersections. Coming back it was a little tougher to keep the pace because of concern for families and small children so I calmed my pace at those points and lost time and speed, but no big deal. Near the bike store a guy passed me on a TT bike and I went with him. We were keeping a pace from 24 to 28 mph, but again the foot traffic picked up so I was content to slow down, cool off and be safe around the kids.

It was one of those days that I really wanted to keep going and put on some more miles, but I realize that training has a goal and just pedaling out "junk miles" does nothing except add more fatigue without really a benefit to progress. The training today had a prescribed plan of 2 x 60 minute intervals at Level 3. At the turning point I stuck with the plan and headed back. In the Power Summary below I did exactly what I needed to do for today.

The Weather: 83 degrees, sunny, Very nice compared to the past week of heat.

Bike: LOOK 585, PT Hub, Garmin 705

Power Summary: (Based on Coogan's Levels)
Level   Minutes       TSS
      1      0.50      0.04
      2      7.52      5.08
      3    122.37    134.95
      4      0.00      0.00
      5      0.00      0.00
      6      0.00      0.00
      7      1.49      2.08

Power Data:
Interval 1:
    Duration:     1:04:35
    Work:          613 kJ
    TSS:           72.4 (intensity factor 0.821)
    Norm Power:    168
    VI:            1.06
    Distance:     20.107 mi
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    452    159     watts
    Speed:           0    24.7    18.7     mph
    Pace             2:26    0:00    3:13     min/mi
    Hub Torque:     0    25    6     lb-in
    Crank Torque:    0    848    181     lb-in

Interval 2:
    Duration:     1:03:48 (1:04:18)
    Work:          565 kJ
    TSS:           65.9 (intensity factor 0.798)
    Norm Power:    164
    VI:            1.09
    Distance:     19.505 mi
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    620    150     watts
    Speed:           0    28.7    18.3     mph
    Pace             2:05    0:00    3:16     min/mi
    Hub Torque:     0    28    5     lb-in
    Crank Torque:    0    733    171     lb-in

Creekview - Rain Ride

2011-07-16T15:02:00.002-04:00

Ride Summary (totals):
Distance: 55 mi
Moving Time: 03:23:15
Avg Moving Speed: 16.4 mph
Currently my computer will not acknowledge my Garmin 705. This data came from Neal.
I am having a bad electronics day. May have been the rain.

Group: Glenn, Neal, Joe, Elizabeth, Nancy, Claire, Keith, Elaine, Diane, Alan, and me
Goal: L3 +/- Not sure of the results because my power meter was not working today

The Ride: We had eleven of us ready to roll out this morning from Creekview High School with a very slight drizzling rain. I was very grateful that Joe had created a new route in this area since we were basically sticking to the marked Rose Pedal route in weeks past. As we rolled along a little more the rain became a little more intense, but from what I could tell looking through the rain beads on my glasses the roads looked really nice. There were a number of downhill sections with some twists that look like they would be really fun on dry pavement. Today I was content to roll at the back of the group and be a little cautious with the wet pavement.

Close to mile 22 and near the crossing for Hwy. 20 we took an opportunity at the store for Alan to look at a mechanical issue with Nancy's bike and Keith flatted. We saw several other groups out cycling in the rain while we were at the store. From that point Nancy, Diane, Alan, Claire and Elaine decided to head back to the cars and the rest of us decided to go forward and get a few more miles.

It wasn't long after we parted that the rain was easing up, but the rooster tails of water from the bike tires made it feel as if the rain was still coming. Somewhere along those roads I began to feel the fatigue in my legs from training this past week and the extra work I did last week especially. I am very glad the group was rolling an easier pace today.

Even though the rain and mechanical issue broke up the group it was still nice being out with my cycling friends. Thanks again Joe for putting together a nice route and I think I can speak for several when I say we look forward to returning to try this again on dry pavement.

Nutrition Intake During and after the Course: ~15 oz. of water with Hammer Perpetuem, ~10 oz water with glutamine & BCAA (1) Cliff Bars (1) 30 gram Whey protein post ride recovery drink .

The Weather: drizzling start, rained a little harder and then started clearing toward the end.

Bike: LOOK 585, Garmin 705, Powertap wired

Overall Power Data:
I am guessing a 0.8 IF
WKO estimates a 216 TSS for today
Not sure of the results because my power meter was not working today

Comet - Tempo

2011-07-10T17:07:00.000-04:00

RidewithGPS Data
Garmin Connect Data
Distance: 40.50 mi
Moving Time: 02:17:52
Avg Speed: 17.7 mph
Max Speed: 24.4 mph

Goal: 2 x 60 minute intervals sustained in levels 3.

Nutrition Intake During and after the Course: ~52 oz.of water w/ BCAA's, Glutamine (1) Hammer gel
The Ride: Not a bad effort considering I had a lot of miles and training time this week. The heat and fluid loss was intense today. Fortunately the path has a lot of tree canopy.
The Weather: 90 degrees, sunny, Very hot and humid

Bike: LOOK 585, PT Hub, Garmin 705

Power Summary: (Based on Coogan's Levels)
Level   Minutes       TSS
      1      2.25      0.50
      2     37.25     23.70
      3     97.08    101.61
      4      0.00      0.00
      5      0.00      0.00
      6      0.00      0.00
      7      0.29      0.61

Power Data:
Interval 1:
    Duration:     1:07:47 (1:07:57)
    Work:          591 kJ
    TSS:           66.4 (intensity factor 0.774)
    Norm Power:    159
    VI:            1.08
    Distance:     20.228 mi
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    474    147     watts
    Speed:           0    24.7    17.9     mph
    Pace             2:26    0:00    3:21     min/mi
    Hub Torque:     0    26    5     lb-in
    Crank Torque:    0    811    167     lb-in

Interval 2:
    Duration:     1:08:07 (1:09:47)
    Work:          543 kJ
    TSS:           57.6 (intensity factor 0.724)
    Norm Power:    148
    VI:            1.1
    Distance:     19.936 mi
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    367    135     watts
    Speed:           0    23    17.6     mph
    Pace             2:37    0:00    3:25     min/mi
    Hub Torque:     0    36    5     lb-in
    Crank Torque:    0    591    161     lb-in

Brewery to Salacoa Valley 65 Miles

2011-07-09T14:19:00.000-04:00

RidgewithGPS Data
Garmin Connect Ride Data
Ride Summary (totals):
Distance: 65.4 mi
Moving Time: 03:57:49
Avg Moving Speed: 16.5 mph
Max Speed: 34.7 mph

Group: Kit, Neal, Scott, Courtney, Joe, Elizabeth, Laurie, Jamie, Nancy, Claire, Gary, Keith, Edgar, Mike, Alan, me and four visitors.

Goal: L3 +/-

The Ride: I am not sure how to describe this ride. It was another attempt of holding a ride for Peter, who will be off the bike for a few weeks, but he was not able to make. However, what I thought would be our normal group turned out to be 21 cyclists. I knew with this many riders and damp roads there could be some issues so I was hoping that we all would be extra cautious. One of the visitors flatted close to mile 12 and that is when the group started to break apart. From that point forward it seemed to have small clusters here and there. I wasn't about to be a control freak and keep us all together. That is just too stressful. It was time to sit back and let it play out. I just try to get out the email to the group and after that chore I just want to ride my bike. I do not want to be a group ride leader. Too stressful and takes the fun out of the day.

I was content to just start holding more of my own pace, but the route I created had some nice sized rollers and with the amount of fatigue that I had from training this week my legs were not near as lively. The heat and humidity was also bad. When we stopped at the store stop my clothes were absolutely soaked and it appeared that everyone was in the same condition.

Again I am not sure what to say about today's ride other than I got to ride my bike and at times with various friends. I was with Jamie, Keith, Mike and Edgar for a while. I finished the ride with Elizabeth and Joe and that was a pleasure to be able to ride in with them. It appeared that everyone finally made it in and that is the most important part.

Nutrition Intake During and after the Course: ~52 oz. of water with Hammer Perpetuem, ~26 oz water (1) Hammer gel (1) Cliff Bars (1) Perpetuem Solid (1) 40 gram Whey protein post ride recovery drink .

The Weather: Cloudy, Start @ 35 degrees, End @ 88 degrees, High humidity

Bike: LOOK 585, Garmin 705, Powertap wired

Power Summary: (Based on Coggan's Levels)
Summary Table of Minutes of Duration in Each Training Zone
Level   Minutes       TSS
      1      3.99      0.69
      2     80.51     46.16
      3    101.77    123.62
      4     40.15     45.08
      5      0.00      0.00
      6      1.60      5.85
      7      9.22     27.50
Overall Power Data:
Entire workout (117 watts):
    Duration:     3:59:43 (4:32:04)
    Work:          1672 kJ
    TSS:           249.4 (intensity factor 0.799)
    Norm Power:    164
    VI:            1.39
    Distance:     65.629 mi
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    717    117     watts
    Speed:           0    35.5    16.4     mph
    Pace             1:41    0:00    3:39     min/mi
    Hub Torque:     0    43    6     lb-in
    Crank Torque:    0    646    131     lb-in

July 4th Ride

2011-07-04T16:36:00.000-04:00

Ready To Roll Out

Gary Wearing the Colors

Strolling Along With An Easy Pace

RidewithGPS Data
Garmin Connect Data

Ride Summary (totals):

Distance: 61.4 mi

Elevation Gain 3,230 ft

Moving Time: 03:42:34

Avg Moving Speed: 16.6 mph

Max Speed: 39.6 mph

Group: Gary, Keith, Jamie, Nancy, Kit, Glenn, Neal and me

Goal: Enjoy riding with friends

Route Description: Rose Pedal Metric Route, Rolling hills

The Ride: What a great ride this turned out to be with just a few of us meeting this holiday morning to roll out on the Rose Pedal Metric route. It was supposed to be a "conversation paced" ride and it really turned out to be just that. It was very enjoyable that we all started together, rolled along together and finished together. We did have some moments when our speed picked up a bit, but those were low wattage roads where the speed is higher and effort fairly low. Overall the entire ride just felt a little less stressed than some of our normal hammerfest.

A huge thanks to men and women in our military that are serving this country to keep our freedom. A huge thanks to those who paid the ultimate price and sacrifice.

Nutrition Intake During and after the Course: ~26 oz.of water with Perpetuem, Glutamine, BCAA / ~22 oz water (1) Hammer gel (1) Hammer Perpetuem Solid (1) Cliff Bar (1) 40 gram Whey protein post ride recovery drink . 3 Endurolytes before the ride.

The Weather: Sunny start @ 78 degrees, sunny end @ 90 degrees, calm air or so it seemed

Bike: LOOK 585, Garmin 705, Powertap wired

Power Summary: (Based on Coggan's Levels)

Summary Table of Minutes of Duration in Each Training Zone

Level Minutes TSS

      1     26.21      9.23
      2     76.59     40.21
      3    113.06    146.91
      4      0.00      0.00
      5      0.00      0.00
      6      0.44      1.13
      7      8.23     28.53

Overall Power Data
Entire workout (108 watts):
    Duration:     3:46:39 (4:07:12)
    Work:          1456 kJ
    TSS:           226.4 (intensity factor 0.783)
    Norm Power:    161
    VI:            1.49
    Distance:     61.854 mi
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    751    108     watts
    Speed:           0    40.3    16.4     mph
    Pace             1:29    0:00    3:40     min/mi
    Hub Torque:     0    40    5     lb-in
    Crank Torque:    0    950    121     lb-in

Brewery to Adairsville to Kingston

2011-07-02T13:19:00.001-04:00

RidewithGPS Data
Garmin Connect Data

Ride Summary (totals):

Distance: 59.7 mi

Elevation Gain 2,918 ft

Moving Time: 03:28:36

Avg Moving Speed: 17.2 mph

Max Speed: 36.8 mph

Group: Gary, Keith, Jamie, Nancy, Edgar, Jack, Diane R, Mike R., Neal, Alan, me and some of Diane's friends visiting.

Goal: Enjoy riding with friends

Route Description: Rolling hills

The Ride: This was supposed to be a ride for Peter, but unfortunately he was not able to make it. More than 13 of us rolled out along with Gayle, Karl and some others heading in a different direction. It was a nice pace as we rolled on for a warm up and once we hit Trimble Hollow Road things got a bit more exciting. After that fun I was ready to tone it back a bit for the day.

I wish I had it on video of a Golden Retriever miss timed his charge at me. He hit the brake and could hear his nails as he almost slid into me. He pulled his head back hard so not to hit me, but the expression on that dog's face was priceless. Glad he did not T-bone me because he was hefty enough to take me and Mike down.

Diane, Mike and friends split from us at the store stop in Adairsville leaving us with nine to continue on toward Boyd Mountain, which wasn't too bad of a climb today. We did another good pace on Westside Road and then I really was content to slow it down. I told Jamie I was dropping off the back and Neal came with me or at least he was already there off the back. The two of us shared the remaining mile as I got to ask about his recent trip to France and climbing the classics like Ventoux. I am not sure if I had in my legs to try keeping up with the group on the remaining miles, but I was more content slowing down a little and enjoying being out on the bike. I had already trained hard enough during the week so there was no pressure to hammer.

By the sounds of it at the parking lot is sounded like the pace became a bit more spirited. Sounds like Jack and some others were having a great day and keeping a strong pace.

Nutrition Intake During and after the Course: ~26 oz.of water with Hammer Heed, Maltodextrin, Glutamine, BCAA / ~12 oz water (1) Hammer gel (1) Hammer Perpetuem Solid (1) Cliff Bar (1) 40 gram Whey protein post ride recovery drink . 4 Endurolytes before the ride.

The Weather: Sunny start @ 68 degrees, sunny end @ 89 degrees, calm air or so it seemed

Bike: LOOK 585, Garmin 705, Powertap wired

Power Summary: (Based on Coggan's Levels)

Summary Table of Minutes of Duration in Each Training Zone

Level Minutes TSS

      1      8.88      1.73
      2     52.37     32.65
      3     51.62     64.14
      4     79.49     80.49
      5      4.96      9.54
      6      4.58     13.75
      7      9.20     39.13

Overall Power Data
Entire workout (122 watts):
    Duration:     3:32:55 (3:50:00)
    Work:          1541 kJ
    TSS:           241.7 (intensity factor 0.834)
    Norm Power:    171
    VI:            1.4
    Distance:     60.289 mi
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    745    122     watts
    Speed:           0    37.2    17.0     mph
    Pace             1:37    0:00    3:32     min/mi
    Hub Torque:     0    34    6     lb-in
    Crank Torque:    0    723    133     lb-in

Comet - Tempo

2011-06-26T16:43:00.000-04:00

RidewithGPS Data
Garmin Connect Ride Data

Goal: 2 x 60 minute intervals sustained in levels 3 and 4.

Ride: Not a very good effort, but it counts for something I guess. I needed more training time for this week. Keep it motion.

Nutrition Intake During and after the Course: ~40 oz.of water, (1) Hammer gel

The Weather: 92 degrees, sunny,

Bike: LOOK 585, PT Hub, Garmin 705

Power Summary: (Based on Coggan's Levels)
Level   Minutes       TSS
      1      1.01      0.11
      2     40.15     29.08
      3     80.81     82.96
      4      0.00      0.00
      5      0.00      0.00
      6      0.00      0.00
      7      0.00      0.00

Power Data:
Hour 1
Interval 0:
    Duration:     1:01:12 (1:01:21)
    Work:          551 kJ
    TSS:           61.7 (intensity factor 0.792)
    Norm Power:    162
    VI:            1.07
    Distance:     17.822 mi
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    404    152     watts
    Speed:           0    23.9    17.5     mph
    Pace             2:30    0:00    3:26     min/mi
    Hub Torque:     0    23    6     lb-in
    Crank Torque:    0    617    170     lb-in

Hour 2
Interval 1:
    Duration:     1:00:55 (1:03:38)
    Work:          468 kJ
    TSS:           47.5 (intensity factor 0.694)
    Norm Power:    142
    VI:            1.1
    Distance:     18.2 mi
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    475    130     watts
    Speed:           0    23.8    17.9     mph
    Pace             2:31    0:00    3:21     min/mi
    Hub Torque:     0    30    5     lb-in
    Crank Torque:    0    751    145     lb-in

Week End Summary:
9 hours 20 minutes of training
552 (TSS)
4528 (kJ)

Hickory Flat - 56 Mile Route

2011-06-25T13:09:00.002-04:00

RidewithGPS Data

Garmin Connect Ride Data

Ride Summary (totals):

Distance: 55.6 mi

Elevation Gain 3,738 ft

Moving Time: 03:11:19

Avg Moving Speed: 17.4 mph

Max Speed: 39.8 mph

Group: Gary, Mike, Keith, Jamie, Nancy, Edgar, Jack and me / Cristi and Debbie starting with us.

Goal: Enjoy riding with friends

Route Description: Rolling hills

The Ride: It felt rather cool as we rolled out of the Hickory Flat Publix parking lot at 7:30 this morning. The sky was still blanketed with dark clouds and ten us headed north toward the Rose Pedal route. Gary did the honors this week by creating the route and sending out the emails and the ones that showed up for this ride were content to be here instead of the usual or even doing the Cartersville Century ride today. I suppose we were all rather worn out by the heat and the distance of last weekend's 100 mile course and ready for a shorter more tranquil pace. Well, at least I was.

Just as we were about to cross Hwy. 20 a large group of guys were behind us and started to pass us just on the other side of the highway, but one of their tire's blew with a loud noise and then a short moment of chaos as guys scattered to avoid a pile up. Our group was all mixed in with these guys, but fortunately we came through and continued to pedal our way forward.

It was a good thing that the group was going fairly easy with the pace because my legs were worn out from training this week and every time we hit another hill I thought I was going to get dropped, but fortunately was able to hang on.

Next thing I know the ride is over. Wow!! After doing 80 to 100 mile rides almost every weekend a short 55 to 60 mile route (~3 hour ride) seems to be done so fast. I am content though and my body needed a break today. I think I may have enough in the legs to get in some training tomorrow.

Always a pleasure to be riding with my friends and I am looking forward to our next adventure out on the road.

Nutrition Intake During and after the Course: ~26 oz.of water with Hammer Heed, Maltodextrin, Glutamine, BCAA / ~12 oz water (1) Hammer gel (1) Hammer Perpetuem Solid (1) 40 gram Whey protein post ride recovery drink . 4 Endurolytes before the ride.

The Weather: Cloudy start @ 66 degrees, sunny end @ 80 degrees, calm air or so it seemed

Bike: LOOK 585, Garmin 705, Powertap wired

Power Summary: (Based on Coggan's Levels)

Summary Table of Minutes of Duration in Each Training Zone

Level Minutes TSS

      1      6.97      1.14
      2     47.54     27.87
      3     94.40    118.54
      4     33.89     38.78
      5      0.00      0.00
      6      1.62      4.12
      7      9.14     32.66

Overall Power Data
Entire workout (121 watts):
   Duration:     3:15:58 (3:42:58)
   Work:         1410 kJ
   TSS:          223.1 (intensity factor 0.837)
   Norm Power:   172
   VI:           1.41
   Distance:     55.955 mi
       Min   Max   Avg
   Power:          0   659   121    watts
   Speed:          0   39.8   17.1    mph
   Pace            1:30   0:00   3:30    min/mi
   Hub Torque:     0   34   5    lb-in
   Crank Torque:   0   782   129    lb-in

Jackson County Brevet Event - 100 Mile Route

2011-06-18T18:02:00.005-04:00

RidewithGPS Data
Garmin Connect Data
Garmin Ride Summary (totals):
Distance: 102.32 mi
Moving Time: 06:07:05 (Many of us slowed down significantly as group members were cramping. Me included later in the ride.)
Avg Moving Speed: 16.7 mph
Max Speed: 39.7 mph

Group: Gary, Mike, Keith, Diane, Jamie, Nancy, Joe, Elizabeth, other club friends and probably over a thousand more were out on the roads with us today.

Goal: Rack up some decent time in L3

The Event: This is the 2nd year for the Jackson County Brevet fund raising ride for Aplastic Anemia and for the awareness of this life-threatening disease. The event was held at a large church with plenty of parking, indoor restrooms, a cafeteria room for the post ride meal. There were a few tents setup outside and I believe a live band playing post ride. They were putting up the equipment by the time many of the century riders were rolling in.

They had plenty of volunteers, workers at the sag stops, a number of policeman at key road crossings in the first 15 miles for the start of the event, painted markings, enough portable potty's to support the amount of riders and decently stocked sag stops. They had sag vehicles out on the course and mechanics at the sag stops.

Thanks to all the volunteers for this event on such a hot day. You did a great job!!

Thanks to Gary for being the driver for me and Mike. He drove super early in the morning and after a very exhausting ride.

The Ride: This was an event that I was not really entertaining, but there were a few lures. My friends going and I always enjoy riding with my cycling buddies. My club, NARC, was paying for our entry. The cause, Aplastic Anemia, which I never heard of, but it turns out that one of my coworker's wife was diagnosed with the disease.

Rolling out from the church there was some confusion. A number of cyclists were going right and some were going left and many of us were at the entrance just wondering what was going on. Fortunately I had the route in my GPS so I knew the direction. From there it was a slow process of heading out around the many slower riders and Diane did a great job leading us forward, warning the slower riders and keeping our pace steady.

The first sag stop thinned out the crowd pretty good, but that is where we lost a number of our group as Gary, Mike, Keith and me headed out. We did great holding a solid pace with Keith sitting pulling for long stretches and the rest of us also taking turns. I remember at mile 45 hitting a substantial hill that dropped me down to a 10 mph pace and from that point forward it seemed like one hill after another and some long sections of mild uphill road gradient. We found Nancy around mile 53 tending to some cramps and added her to our group of 4 guys. Later met up with Diane, Jamie and others at one of the sag stops. I was with Diane, Jamie and Courtney for a number of miles. At another sag stop we seemed to regroup again, but from this point forward it all kind of went blank for me as I just hoped to finish.

Here and there we enjoyed our time cycling together and watching out for each that had times of cramping or nausea. I wish I could tell more of my time with each group member, but after a while I went mentally numb and was just hoping to get to the end. I suppose there were a number of thinking the same.

The positive is like Keith said, "at least I get to ride with my friends." We made it through and another century for 2011 is in the books. My first time for the Jackson County Brevet completed. Most importantly, I hope the event raised a good bit of funds for the cause. Those who have this illness need hope that improved treatment will come from greater awareness.I hope and pray it will.

Sorry for the poor grammar and writing style, but I am worn out.......

Nutrition Intake During and after the Course: ~52 oz.of water with Hammer Heed, BCAA and Glutamine, 104+ oz. Gatorade from refills (2) Hammer gel (1) Cliff Bars, also bananas and orange slices at the sag stop, post ride meal a couple slices of pizza, but did not feel like eating.

The Weather: Cloudy Start @ 7 degrees, Sunny End @ 88 degrees but it felt way hotter than that, steady headwind later in the day

Bike: LOOK 585, Garmin 705, Powertap wired, Contour GPS camera

Power Summary: (Based on Coggan's Levels)
Summary Table of Minutes of Duration in Each Training Zone
Level   Minutes       TSS
      1      9.43      1.92
      2    137.93     84.94
      3    124.05    140.77
      4     81.04     92.02
      5      1.81      2.99
      6      3.72     11.41
      7      8.80     33.21

Overall Power Data:
Entire workout (113 watts):
    Duration:     6:11:12 (7:03:34)
    Work:          2488 kJ
    TSS:           349.2 (intensity factor 0.761)
    Norm Power:    156
    VI:            1.38
    Distance:     102.706 mi
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    850    113     watts
    Speed:           0    40.7    16.6     mph
    Pace             1:28    0:00    3:37     min/mi
    Hub Torque:     0    43    5     lb-in
    Crank Torque:    0    717    122     lb-in

Brewery to Carters Lake

2011-06-11T15:47:00.005-04:00

RidewithGPS Data

Garmin Connect Ride Data

Ride Summary (totals):

Distance: 92.15mi

Elevation Gain 3,738 ft

Moving Time: 05:14:24

Avg Moving Speed: 17.5 mph

Max Speed: 35.7 mph

Group: Gary, Mike, Neal, Keith, Tim and me

Neal - Leading the Group

Gary - Photographer and cycling extraordinaire


The Group working well together

Goal: Enjoy riding with friends

Route Description: Small rolling hills, some highway miles and flatter sections

The Ride: Great day with the guys on a 92 mile route from the brewery heading north to Carters Lake and returning a different way. This route was prompted by Neal, who will be heading to France in a few days to enjoy a bit of a cycling adventure and tourism with his wife and some more of our cycling friends. They have trained hard since this winter doing a lot of climbing and miles and now the time has come to go enjoy climbing Mt. Ventoux and some other great climbs. Neal contacts me on Thursday wanting to know if I had a flat route with around 80 miles so I came up with one that was fairly flat and was about 87 miles.

The six of us rolled out at 7 this morning and I was sweating before we even got a mile, but fortunately we had a lot of shady areas on the first bit and the pace picked up quickly. I was the one of the first to initiate the brisk pace because I realized it was going to get hot fast. It wasn't long before the rest of the guys were rolling a good speed and each of us took our turns in the front. I feel like we all worked together today. We had a few brief moments of conversation pace, but for the most part I felt like we were rolling fairly steady.

At mile 61 I had a mistake in my route, which was generated on the computer map. The road was a dead end to a landfill and though I got a little bit of tease from it, the guys went pretty easy on my mistake. Perhaps they enjoyed the road as much as I did. It was new and interesting and added a few more miles. There were other moments when Keith picked up the pace on a couple of highway sections. I looked down at the computer and was hovering around 27 mph in his draft for a number of miles. Said he did not like the heavy traffic, but we enjoyed his turn at the front pulling us at a good pace.

I think around mile 75 I started feeling a bit fatigued. We were not bunched up like earlier and not working as a group. I am not sure about the rest of the guys, but at that point I was tired, my feet were burning, the sun baring down on us and I was ready to finish. It seemed like the other guys were feeling about the same as the conversations were limited. Everyone seemed focused on getting to the end. Well, the good news we all made it safely and I think we all had a great day on the bike.

Nutrition Intake During and after the Course: ~52 oz.of water with Hammer Heed, Maltodextrin, Glutamine, 52 oz fluid refill (Swampy, I did refill)(1) Hammer gel (1) Cliff Bar (1) Boost drink (1) 40 gram Whey protein post ride recovery drink . Probably around 8+ Endurolytes before and during the ride.

The Weather: Sunny start @ 77 degrees, sunny end @ 94 degrees, calm air or so it seemed

Bike: LOOK 585, Garmin 705, Powertap wired

Power Summary: (Based on Coggan's Levels)

Summary Table of Minutes of Duration in Each Training Zone

Level Minutes TSS

      1      4.37      0.61
      2    141.33     86.02
      3    149.48    180.61
      4      9.87     11.97
      5      0.00      0.00
      6      1.03      2.71
      7      7.71     23.96

Overall Power Data
Entire workout (117 watts):
    Duration:     5:17:08 (5:55:43)
    Work:          2199 kJ
    TSS:           305.8 (intensity factor 0.77)
    Norm Power:    158
    VI:            1.35
    Distance:     92.425 mi
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    667    117     watts
    Speed:           0    35.9    17.5     mph
    Pace             1:40    0:00    3:26     min/mi
    Hub Torque:     0    51    5     lb-in
    Crank Torque:    0    937    127     lb-in

Mike - They don't call him Quick for nothing

Tim - normally too fast to get photos of him


Keith - looking calm here, but ripping it up later

Me (Jesse) - bulky and looking quite opposite of aerodynamic

Comet - Tempo

2011-06-05T18:13:00.000-04:00

RidewithGPS Data
Garmin Connect Data
Distance: 40.58 mi
Moving Time: 02:17:26
Avg Speed: 17.7 mph
Max Speed: 25.8 mph

Goal: 2 x 60 minute intervals sustained in levels 3 and 4.

Ride: My hope, as listed in the goal, was to hammer out two sixty minute intervals with sustaining my power at levels 3 and 4, but yesterday's ride took more out of me than I thought. So it was nice to just keep a steady pace for a couple of hours, but not much better than what many would call "junk miles."

I stopped at one of the buildings along the path to refill my water bottle and ended up meeting and talking with John for a little while. We both noticed our 585 LOOK bikes and from there got to talking about some of the rides and routes around the area. As I started back I thought my legs would be stiff from resting too long, but was able to hold a good pace going back.

I think my conditioning has dropped a little and it has according to my training data. I suppose I need to kick it in gear again despite the hot weather.

Nutrition Intake During and after the Course: ~52 oz.of water, (1) Hammer gel

The Weather: 93 degrees, sunny,

Bike: LOOK 585, PT Hub, Garmin 705

Power Summary: (Based on Coogan's Levels)
Level   Minutes       TSS
      1      1.30      0.24
      2     39.56     24.95
      3     96.94     99.90
      4      0.00      0.00
      5      0.00      0.00
      6      0.00      0.00
      7      0.00      0.00

Power Data:
Interval 1:
    Duration:     1:07:55
    Work:          607 kJ
    TSS:           67.3 (intensity factor 0.775)
    Norm Power:    159
    VI:            1.06
    Distance:     20.198 mi
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    342    149     watts
    Speed:           0    25.5    17.8     mph
    Pace             2:21    0:00    3:22     min/mi
    Hub Torque:     0    20    6     lb-in
    Crank Torque:    0    604    175     lb-in

Interval 2:
    Duration:     1:06:30 (1:26:33)
    Work:          523 kJ
    TSS:           54.6 (intensity factor 0.711)
    Norm Power:    146
    VI:            1.1
    Distance:     19.997 mi
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    492    133     watts
    Speed:           0    24.7    18.0     mph
    Pace             2:26    0:00    3:19     min/mi
    Hub Torque:     0    21    5     lb-in
    Crank Torque:    0    597    159     lb-in

Entire workout (138 watts):
    Duration:     2:19:58 (2:45:03)
    Work:          1143 kJ
    TSS:           123.6 (intensity factor 0.742)
    Norm Power:    152
    VI:            1.1
    Distance:     40.847 mi
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    492    138     watts
    Speed:           0    25.5    17.5     mph
    Pace             2:21    0:00    3:26     min/mi
    Hub Torque:     0    21    5     lb-in
    Crank Torque:    0    604    164     lb-in

Brewery to Calhoun to Fairmont

2011-06-04T12:35:00.000-04:00

RidewithGPS Data
Garmin Connect Data

Ride Summary (totals):

Distance: 57.64 mi

Elevation Gain 2,797 ft

Moving Time: 03:22:19

Avg Moving Speed: 17.2 mph

Max Speed: 35.2 mph

Group: Gary, Tim and me

Goal: Enjoy riding with friends

Route Description: Small rolling hills and flatter sections

The Ride: With BRAG starting and some off training in the gaps we just had three of us starting from the brewery at 7. We wanted to get out before it turned really hot and it worked out well for us. I would say that today was more of a conversation paced type of ride with a few spots here and there where we put in some effort. Based on my training data upload I am fairly content because of the amount of time in levels 3 and 4.

We had a good day on the bike except for a broken spoke, but even that was fortunate to happen near the end.

Nutrition Intake During and after the Course: ~26 oz.of water with Hammer Heed, Maltodextrin, Glutamine, 22 oz of Powerade (1/2) Cliff Bar (1) 40 gram Whey protein post ride recovery drink .

The Weather: Sunny start @ 77 degrees, sunny end @ 88 degrees, calm air

Bike: LOOK 585, Garmin 705, Powertap wired

Power Summary: (Based on Coogan's Levels)

Summary Table of Minutes of Duration in Each Training Zone

Level Minutes TSS

      1      5.59      1.14
      2     60.65     36.45
      3    105.57    132.88
      4     18.77     19.11
      5      0.00      0.00
      6      1.43      3.27
      7     10.23     36.23

Overall Power Data
Entire workout (125 watts):
   Duration:     3:23:58 (3:46:41)
   Work:         1521 kJ
   TSS:          229.7 (intensity factor 0.83)
   Norm Power:   170
   VI:           1.36
   Pw:HR:         n/a
   Pa:HR:         n/a
   Distance:     57.962 mi
       Min   Max   Avg
   Power:          0   614   125    watts
   Cadence:        29   209   77    rpm
   Speed:          0   35.4   17.0    mph
   Pace            1:42   0:00   3:31    min/mi
   Hub Torque:     0   37   5    lb-in
   Crank Torque:   0   915   140    lb-in

2011 Memorial Day Ride

2011-05-30T13:47:00.002-04:00

RidewithGPS Data

Garmin Connect Ride Data

Ride Summary (totals):

Distance: 60.15 mi

Elevation Gain 2,923 ft

Moving Time: 03:30:24

Avg Moving Speed: 17.1 mph

Max Speed: 36.4 mph

Group: Jamie, Diane, Nancy, Alan, Tim, Joe, Edgar and me

Goal: Enjoy riding with friends

Route Description: A mix of large to small rolling hills and flatter sections with one short climb

The Ride: I remember a few years ago NARC would have larger groups roll out for the holiday rides, but this year not so much and even then many of our normal group were spread out doing other rides, but I am very glad with the 7 friends that showed up to ride with me at the brewery. It was a nice number and as Jamie stated at the end of the ride we all finished together.

We know that the more show up the more the ride becomes a race, but with just eight of us we had our moments of riding at conversation pace, stop or slow pedal for some mechanical issues and at times we had a nice brisk pace. My data showing time at level below indicates we had a variety of intensities throughout the ride, but to me still very pleasurable. We had just the right amount of miles with challenging terrain for the day as well and toward the end the temperature was approaching the 90 degree mark so it was a timely ending without anyone overheating.

Diane, Jamie and other doing BRAG, I hope you all have a great time cycling. We will miss you the next couple of weeks and we are dreading how strong you will be when you return. :-)

To the gang today.....you are a blessing to me to be able to share time and miles with you.

Nutrition Intake During and after the Course: ~52 oz.of water with Hammer Heed, Maltodextrin, Glutamine (1) Cliff Bars (1) 40 gram Whey protein post ride recovery drink .

The Weather: Sunny start @ 70 degrees, sunny end @ 88 degrees, calm air

Bike: LOOK 585, Garmin 705, Powertap wired, Contour GPS camera

Power Summary: (Based on Coogan's Levels)

Summary Table of Minutes of Duration in Each Training Zone

Level Minutes TSS

      1      8.00      1.93
      2     61.57     37.51
      3     95.13    121.49
      4     31.37     32.84
      5      3.63      8.13
      6      3.15     10.62
      7      7.64     22.67

Overall Power Data:

Entire workout (126 watts):
    Duration:     3:32:01 (3:50:10)
    Work:          1588 kJ
    TSS:           235.2 (intensity factor 0.823)
    Norm Power:    169
    VI:            1.34
    Distance:     60.389 mi
        Min    Max    Avg
    Power:           0    633    126     watts
    Speed:           0    36.2    17.1     mph
    Pace             1:39    0:00    3:31     min/mi
    Hub Torque:     0    34    6     lb-in
    Crank Torque:    0    685    137     lb-in