Training advice #1. Make a plan and tell someone else. Have them agree and then call them out. The next thing you know your committed to training. Either you all ride or you get bragging rights. Either way , you win. With that, it was on!
The winter season has begun and what better way to do it then to go for a ride. Call it recon for next year, call it getting a jump on training, call it what ever. Last weekend I found myself riding in a snowstorm with the Kid. "Hard men" we kept saying as we fishtailed down the road in the increasing snow laughing at those who bailed. Images of Paris Roubaix winners, cyclocross champions and the list of hardmen that won them played in my mind...until the wheels slid out from beneath me and I slid down the road contemplating pulling the kid down too.
I hopped back on and decided the best way to stay upright was to take about 60psi out of my tires. I thought tires bled over the course of a week but apparently not as much as I thought. And just as quick the ride was back on. Each snowflake making us feel that 2010 was underway and already on a good track. Hard manning it down the road planning the next adventure ,laughing all the way.
There is a fine line between hard man and crazy man and judging by the looks of the drivers that passed us, we were the latter. Thinking about it now, the crazy laughter probably didn't help.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
tweeked
Like any well planned training plan,the 6to1 training methodology is tweeked from time to time for optimal results. The blog has been silent for the past two weeks as I worked out the specifics moving into the weight training end.
Since this site seems to be all about the numbers or lack there of. Here are the numbers for the last two weeks.
1500to5,3.5to1,1to3
Wanna be strong, pound stakes into the ground. Not one, not two, try 1500. (ok, so this was divided up with 3 hammers so that leaves 500each ) Pound them until you can't feel your arms, then string 5km of tape for a little hand eye coordination.The RWR Anvil cross race has some logistics that can be worked into the 6to1 plan so a few others jumped in for the training camp.
Can't feel your arms or legs? Perfect, now run it hot. That was the formula. It worked so well I didn't feel the hack pin job that went right through my skin until the throttle was shut off after the race. The four letter word that came out of my mouth started with N and ended in ASH.
"What worked once should work again" I figured so the next morning I warmed up for the Provincials by pulling stakes out of the ground and stacking lumber for 3.5hrs before the race. I then ran it hotter than ever and was really cruising. Like a full size SUV hell bent on a speed record, I had it matted in a calculated race to see if the tank was big enough. The tank might have been big enough but there was one problem that didn't get factored in . Someone forgot their gas card and had to go through the ashtrays searching for coin because cash is king at Timmy Ho's. Needless to say, with about two laps to go in the race ,it seemed as if David Suzuki himself had jumped out from a tree Ninja style to cut the gas line to end my full throttle excitement. NO gas,no go.Just a carbon footprint in the ass reminding me that if I am going to run it hot, I better get some offset credits in the form of food.
Since this site seems to be all about the numbers or lack there of. Here are the numbers for the last two weeks.
1500to5,3.5to1,1to3
Wanna be strong, pound stakes into the ground. Not one, not two, try 1500. (ok, so this was divided up with 3 hammers so that leaves 500each ) Pound them until you can't feel your arms, then string 5km of tape for a little hand eye coordination.The RWR Anvil cross race has some logistics that can be worked into the 6to1 plan so a few others jumped in for the training camp.
Can't feel your arms or legs? Perfect, now run it hot. That was the formula. It worked so well I didn't feel the hack pin job that went right through my skin until the throttle was shut off after the race. The four letter word that came out of my mouth started with N and ended in ASH.
"What worked once should work again" I figured so the next morning I warmed up for the Provincials by pulling stakes out of the ground and stacking lumber for 3.5hrs before the race. I then ran it hotter than ever and was really cruising. Like a full size SUV hell bent on a speed record, I had it matted in a calculated race to see if the tank was big enough. The tank might have been big enough but there was one problem that didn't get factored in . Someone forgot their gas card and had to go through the ashtrays searching for coin because cash is king at Timmy Ho's. Needless to say, with about two laps to go in the race ,it seemed as if David Suzuki himself had jumped out from a tree Ninja style to cut the gas line to end my full throttle excitement. NO gas,no go.Just a carbon footprint in the ass reminding me that if I am going to run it hot, I better get some offset credits in the form of food.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Bluring the numbers
I was living the lifestyle of a pro. Jetting around from race to race and living large in nice hotels. Flying out to Edmonton for nationals and then jetting to Toronto for the UCI races.My ratio keeping me going despite frozen fingers and Elk speed intervals in Jasper.
But now the ratio is all out of whack. 'Looked back on my training (applying the word loosely here) since I got back from the nationals and it seems the blog should be called 1.5To1. But, there is a way to blur the numbers. It ain't pretty but it works. Just run it hot. The hotter the better. You will either go well or you will forget that you haven't trained when the oxygen feeding your brain has gone elsewhere to try to keep you on your bike. So that is what I did. So much so that I was sitting in the car afterwards wondering if I actually needed to move the car, needed to change or needed to sleep. The only thing keeping me awake were the tails from the cheap seats that kept me laughing. Misery loves company and is the reason I travel to races with others. The Muppet show balcony seats are a good place to be, especially when the whole cast is there.
But now the ratio is all out of whack. 'Looked back on my training (applying the word loosely here) since I got back from the nationals and it seems the blog should be called 1.5To1. But, there is a way to blur the numbers. It ain't pretty but it works. Just run it hot. The hotter the better. You will either go well or you will forget that you haven't trained when the oxygen feeding your brain has gone elsewhere to try to keep you on your bike. So that is what I did. So much so that I was sitting in the car afterwards wondering if I actually needed to move the car, needed to change or needed to sleep. The only thing keeping me awake were the tails from the cheap seats that kept me laughing. Misery loves company and is the reason I travel to races with others. The Muppet show balcony seats are a good place to be, especially when the whole cast is there.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Naturals and the mere mortals
The crazy thing about having blog is you have to update it. Finding the time and the right words are the challenge. You can post a lot of air and log a lot of junk words or you can hit with the right mix of words and storyline. Filling time or filling space you sometimes write because you think you have to with no aim or purpose.Finding a balance between wanting to update vs. needing to update. Holding the ropes on thoughts and ideas that go nowhere or gathering energy to say something entertaining, meaningful or worth reading.There are those who blog naturally. Like a painter on canvas, the words sell just by adding a name to a work. The rest of us work hard at it, stumbling on words and tripping on thoughts. Every now and then something clicks in those awkward sentences and a masterpiece is touched upon. The naturals inspiring the mere mortals to be something greater.
The funny thing about racing is you have train. Finding the time and the right focus are the challenge. You can ride a lot of hours and post a lot of junk miles or you can ...Reading into this,I hope you see where I am going with this.
My blog mirroring my training,or vise-versa, I hope I wrote the right words.
The funny thing about racing is you have train. Finding the time and the right focus are the challenge. You can ride a lot of hours and post a lot of junk miles or you can ...Reading into this,I hope you see where I am going with this.
My blog mirroring my training,or vise-versa, I hope I wrote the right words.
Monday, October 5, 2009
The Holy Grail
6 hours riding, 1 hr racing.
6 hrs driving, 1 hr racing.
Looking back at last week's stats, the numbers add up without even trying.
Spending 6hrs in a car for a 1hr race may seem foolish to the average person but to me it seems right. Right because regardless of a hit or miss on the day, the smiles unravel with every mile that is logged. The sore legs and sour races all have away of disappearing when the colourful replays on the way home turn coal into diamonds. The tiniest flashes of brilliance out on the course , how ever small, all fuel the desire to be better, to push further and to go faster when you know you've done your best.
I have raced a lot. I can't even count the number of DNF's or wins. Heck, I have forgotten more races than others have started but with the races has come the wisdom that racing is not about chasing the holy grail or some untouchable goal. It means resting up and turning yourself inside out to get the most out of it you can.
Last week I was not entirely happy with my race. Simply because I knew I didn't get the most out of myself. I am a bike racer not a bike rider.Last week's ride didn't sit well because deep down I knew I didn't race. This past weekend I was determined to race. I dug deep and drilled it and came out happy.
While you may not be able to make a race horse out of a donkey, every donkey gets it's day as long as it chooses to race.
6 hrs driving, 1 hr racing.
Looking back at last week's stats, the numbers add up without even trying.
Spending 6hrs in a car for a 1hr race may seem foolish to the average person but to me it seems right. Right because regardless of a hit or miss on the day, the smiles unravel with every mile that is logged. The sore legs and sour races all have away of disappearing when the colourful replays on the way home turn coal into diamonds. The tiniest flashes of brilliance out on the course , how ever small, all fuel the desire to be better, to push further and to go faster when you know you've done your best.
I have raced a lot. I can't even count the number of DNF's or wins. Heck, I have forgotten more races than others have started but with the races has come the wisdom that racing is not about chasing the holy grail or some untouchable goal. It means resting up and turning yourself inside out to get the most out of it you can.
Last week I was not entirely happy with my race. Simply because I knew I didn't get the most out of myself. I am a bike racer not a bike rider.Last week's ride didn't sit well because deep down I knew I didn't race. This past weekend I was determined to race. I dug deep and drilled it and came out happy.
While you may not be able to make a race horse out of a donkey, every donkey gets it's day as long as it chooses to race.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Donkeys and diesel
First race of the season. Would've, should've, perhaps could've...but I didn't.Mind of matter but matter won. Knew I should try to get a good start but then there is glory to be found in coming up through the field isn't there? Well that is what I was trying to tell myself when all I could see is a snaking sea of colour with no head 2min in to the race . I actually was believing it for awhile while I was passing people until I realized diesel fuel doesn't mix with high octane and I sputtered around the course like a lame donkey for the rest of the race. The only thing saving my speed was technique and choice of lines...most of the time.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Cross roads
Looks like I will be stinkin' it up at Nationals. Booked a ticket. To train , I have decided to go with the trusty 6/1 ratio again. Now all I have to do is find 6 hrs to pain...I mean train. Shit, I souldn't have started the blog ... might cut into the ratio.
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