It's killing me but..........

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For the data hounds, attached is my weekly TSS the last 11 weeks. Can't wait to get back to ~1200 point weeks. What a bore these last couple of weeks have been.:D

I did it...




















Read all 47 pages of this thread. Man what a beast.


Jon

For the data hounds, attached is my weekly TSS the last 11 weeks. Can't wait to get back to ~1200 point weeks. What a bore these last couple of weeks have been.:D
Hey RD what's your CTL at right now?

RD wrote:

I'll file a report (with pictures). Actually, I'm thrilled that I will be riding in my alma mater's colors. I have two degrees from Harvard University and, while the school doesn't offer a cycling jersey with their logo, they have a racing club and I managed to get one of their jerseys sent to me by express mail. My club here in LV is a recreational cycling club and technically (because it is not a USCF club) I can't wear the club jersey. But, the Harvard club is a USCF club and I can wear theirs. Last year I had to wear a generic jersey, so I'm thrilled this year to be wearing the Harvard colors.Geeez RD, the last thing I would want to wear is my alma mater's colours!

Mind you, my university (Durham) is only rated 3rd in the UK after Oxford and Cambridge. Not quite Harvard old chap.:rolleyes: And what's more, I only have 1 degree (Japanese) and with my brain god knows how I ever graduated.:(

Now back to your obesity problem, which I believe is prevalent in the US at the mo - as well the UK and the rest of Europe, and also fast becoming a concern over here in the east with China leading the way.
Fear not, help is at hand; read my "Lance" thread - the guys in there will help you!:D

JV posted:


I did it... Read all 47 pages of this thread. Man what a beast.


Jon
Congratulations Jon, you're obviously an endurance athlete. Only 2 other people have read through all 47 pages - RD and my mother, and I'm not sure about RD.:D

Whoawhoa wrote:

Hey RD, what's your CTL at right now?now

I'm not sure, but I would guess at 3 cheesecakes, a frapachino and 3 pints of Budd!;)

Geeez RD, the last thing I would want to wear is my alma mater's colours!Well, I can't wear my recreational club's jersey (not a USCF club). I don't want to wear some pro jersey that I have nothing to do with. It came down to a jersey of some of the equipment I ride (Merlin, Campy, CycleOps) or one of my alma maters. I suppose I could re-join my old club in Boston, but in the end I chose to ride Harvard's colors. It doesn't hurt that my original mentor, John Allis, is one of the team's coaches.

Now back to your obesity problem, which I believe is prevalent in the US at the mo - as well the UK and the rest of Europe, and also fast becoming a concern over here in the east with China leading the way.Frankly, I'm really irritated with myself about this. I'm a pretty disciplined person and I can't understand why I can't just drop my weight at will. What's with this eating thing? It isn't even that much fun. Plus, it costs money. I need to see one of those sports shrinks who teach you to visualize success or something.:D

Well, I can't wear my recreational club's jersey (not a USCF club). I don't want to wear some pro jersey that I have nothing to do with. It came down to a jersey of some of the equipment I ride (Merlin, Campy, CycleOps) or one of my alma maters. I suppose I could re-join my old club in Boston, but in the end I chose to ride Harvard's colors. It doesn't hurt that my original mentor, John Allis, is one of the team's coaches.

Frankly, I'm really irritated with myself about this. I'm a pretty disciplined person and I can't understand why I can't just drop my weight at will. What's with this eating thing? It isn't even that much fun. Plus, it costs money. I need to see one of those sports shrinks who teach you to visualize success or something.:D
I am genuinely surprised to see a chink in your armour. I guess we all have our Achilles' heel eh.;)

Tyson wrote:

If you're interested Curlew the link below is the hot spring where we usually go in the mountains. The photos don't do the scenery justice though. The mountains appear much nearer in reality.Wow! What an incredible place. Tyson, do you ride there? I can see you in that tub. But if you ride there, you must feel like Odysseus did on Calypso's island. How do you ever tear yourself away from all of that and get back on the bike?

"They never won the heart inside me, never."
Odysseus referring to the enchantments of Calypso and Circe
and Tyson referring to the enchantments found at his mountain rest stops.


Tyson wrote:

Now that's not fair Curlew. The ride you're talking about was 2 guys on a normal Sunday ride together. Who wants to hear about that?Yeah, and RD's ride on 9/16 is just another "normal Saturday ride." You are right though. The June Century ride report where you surged with all of that new power and then got swallowed and chewed up by a black hole of a tunnel.....that WAS an amazing ride report.

OK. I'm looking forward so much to your BIWA II report that I too am finally past that sketchy account you gave us of that shining moment on showdown hill when all of that time on the trainer paid off BIG and you blew past that lighter, younger riding partner of yours.

In fact, that friend of yours gets a lot of respect from me. He really did a neat thing getting you fired up to go after him. In turn, you've helped him by motivating him to lose some weight and you've helped us by drawing RD and others into a conversation that has helped a number of us train smarter. We too are chasing friends who are younger and lighter!

Maybe all of us who have been helped by the conversation on this thread should thank this younger, lighter friend of yours for helping set all of this in motion. Together we could probably get him quite a few overlapping memberships in a cake of the month club!:D

*snip*

Maybe all of us who have been helped by the conversation on this thread should thank this younger, lighter friend of yours for helping set all of this in motion. Together we could probably get him quite a few overlapping memberships in a cake of the month club!:D
Hear, hear! :D

RD, I had already PMd you on this, but hey, I feel like reiterating it - on behalf of all who've read and benefited from this thread, go and give 'em hell. :D

Best of luck,

Rob

Hear, hear! :D

RD, I had already PMd you on this, but hey, I feel like reiterating it - on behalf of all who've read and benefited from this thread, go and give 'em hell. :D

Best of luck,

RobThanks Rob,

Well, I'm as ready as I can be. I detrained a lot from Jan to mid-May while I was working hard on a major project, but I've worked hard since mid-May to get my fitness back and I feel as though I'm approaching 100%. I haven't really gone all out for a month, but every time I have needed to dig deep it's been there. I know the course and rode it just a couple of weeks ago. So, other than having the new, 13.9 lb Scott road bike that I'm salivating for, I'm ready. But, I have to say that I hate this tapering stuff. I'm not really happy unless I'm getting >1000 TSS points/week. Thank goodness I only taper for a few races a year. And, I'll guarantee you one thing. After this race, I'm going to figure out how to get my weight where I want it whatever it takes. If I have to, I'll take all the food out of my house and buy one day's worth of meals at a time. Now, that's extreme.:D

I'll post a race report after the ride on Saturday. This race is pretty well known and may attract some of the best from SoCal, so it could be interesting.

Well, that was the week that was.

Sorry if I have nothing really outstanding to report, however, I think it was my best week ever and I feel I've entered a new phase of training.

If I could sum it up I would say:

FORGET YOUR HR - GIVE YOUR TICKER HELL AND IGNORE YOUR LEGS PLEADING, PLEADING FOR MERCY. AND REMEMBER THIS IS FROM A 64 YEAR OLD!;)

Anyone younger should have no problem taking this advice on board.

Well after 87km last Sunday and achieving exactly the same time to within 30 secs as the week before (surprising because I set off in the dark so had to cool it for the first 35 minutes - but somehow made up the time) I took the day off Monday, and then began a week in which I was determined to set new levels.

Tuesday went to the gym and as coincidence would have it RD, your statement a few days before came true.


There eventually comes this cool moment when you reach the duration that used to be your maximum duration at a given power, but you just push through it (disbelievingly) and keep going. That moment is magical.:D
Suddenly 250Watts became easy, so kept going for 30 minutes then had to leap of the bike to get a drink (no drinks allowed on the trainers) - leapt back on again and did another 10 minutes. Nothing fantastic I know but it was a first for me. Finished off with a warm down for 15 mins @ 220Watts

Incidentally RD, I intend to stay with 250W intervals until after the Lake Biwa ride, then get down to some serious intervals!:D

The problem I've had up until this week was that there was no clear demarcation between L4, L5, and L6. So I figured as I'm doing L4s at 250Watts, 280Watts would be a good figure to aim for in the VO2Max workout.

Did 2x5 @ 280W
1x4 @ 280W (legs ground to a halt)

Then instead of lowering the wattage for the final interval I did,

1x3 @ 280W.

3 minutes in total short of a complete VO2Max workout I know, but shall soon remedy that.;)

Thursday was a rest day, so went to the gym and cruised at 220Watts for 40mins. Then to finish the hour did 170-200 watts at a cadence of 120 - 140.

Today Friday was AWC day. As I disappointingly only did 6x2 @ 300W last week, I thought about doing 310W. But as there was still residual fatigue in the old legs, opted for 6x2 @ 305Watts.

The first one or two as usual were excruciatingly hard, but then I relaxed into them. A young guy getting onto the next trainer as I was about to do my 6th rep helped me through that one. However, I thought I can't just show him once how it's done, so did another.

That is 7x2minutes @ 305Watts on a day when I started off tired. I'm happy with the week.;)

P.S. 2 things surprised me today. I never check my HR before I start the workout, but today just relaxed for a couple of minutes and then checked - it was 52 and I'd ridden to the gym on my shopping bike.

After the first interval today I checked the rate at which my HR dropped.
From 156bpm to below 120 in under 20 seconds! This really astounded me. Definitely think the old body is undergoing rapid change.:D TYSON

Suddenly 250Watts became easy, so kept going for 30 minutes then had to leap of the bike to get a drink (no drinks allowed on the trainers) - leapt back on again and did another 10 minutes. Nothing fantastic I know but it was a first for me. Finished off with a warm down for 15 mins @ 220WattsCool.:cool: I sort of knew this day was coming, but I'm sure it was frustrating when you were making no apparent progress. I emphasize apparent because I think progress often follows more of a stairstep pattern than a smooth curve.

Incidentally RD, I intend to stay with 250W intervals until after the Lake Biwa ride, then get down to some serious intervals!:D Good plan. I assure you that you are making progress at 250W.

The problem I've had up until this week was that there was no clear demarcation between L4, L5, and L6. So I figured as I'm doing L4s at 250Watts, 280Watts would be a good figure to aim for in the VO2Max workout.I have thought for some time that you have a relatively flat MP/duration curve. BTW, there's nothing wrong with a flat MP/duration curve.

Did 2x5 @ 280W
1x4 @ 280W (legs ground to a halt)
1x3 @ 280WPretty good VO2MAX workout.

7x2minutes @ 305Watts on a day when I started off tired. I'm happy with the week.;)And you should be. Good week.:D

After the first interval today I checked the rate at which my HR dropped. From 156bpm to below 120 in under 20 seconds! This really astounded me. Definitely think the old body is undergoing rapid change.:D That is one of the more bona fide uses of the HRM, to measure the rate of decline following a high-intensity effort to a resting HR.

Great week. You're peaking at just the right time for your big ride.:D

Yeah, and RD's ride on 9/16 is just another "normal Saturday ride."The plot thickens, curlew. Here's today's weather forecast: "Sunny and windy. High 89F. Winds SW at 25 to 35 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph." The winds are supposed to continue high into tonight and abate tomorrow. If they remain high, it's going to make for one interesting tactical race. 7% and 40mph crosswinds? Attacks on the lee side of the road? Leave the children at home, boys, this is going to get wild.:D

So, other than having the new, 13.9 lb Scott road bike that I'm salivating for, I'm ready.
Is that the new Addict R1 you are talking about here? I thought those will be available next February. Fairly nice bike, but I don't like compact frames. Plus, I can probably have my LBS build me a dream bike with the same components on a Fondriest Top Carbon TF1 frame, for about the same heap of cash. Too bad I cannot justify spending that kind of money on a new bike right now... :(

RD wrote:

The plot thickens, curlew. Here's today's weather forecast: "Sunny and windy. High 89F. Winds SW at 25 to 35 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph."

I want some of that! There are those lulls between the gusts when you can hear the next blast while it's still far away, milling around in some side canyon below you. You wait and wait wondering if this one is going to find you and then it slams into you. Contact! Reality!

Out of all the things we could do and the places we could be, I try to do things and be in the places that are going to give me a good story. RD, you are going to get an amazing story out of this ride Saturday!

Is that the new Addict R1 you are talking about here? I thought those will be available next February.Yes, that's the one. And I think you're right about the availability date. Actually, I expect to be able to ride it and all the other hot bikes at Interbike in a couple of weeks. I'll be like a kid in a candy store trying out the latest road and TT frames.:D

Yes, that's the one. And I think you're right about the availability date. Actually, I expect to be able to ride it and all the other hot bikes at Interbike in a couple of weeks. I'll be like a kid in a candy store trying out the latest road and TT frames.:D
Are you buying a new bike to ride better or look better? :D

Are you buying a new bike to ride better or look better? :DFor a hill climb, if it's at the legal limit and stiff I could care less what it looks like. It could be baby blue with polka dots and if it's light enough I'll ride it.:D

Are you buying a new bike to ride better or look better? :DWell, it's less than 11 hrs to the start gun and it's still howling outside. Looks like it's going to be interesting.

Well, it's less than 11 hrs to the start gun and it's still howling outside. Looks like it's going to be interesting.Go for it Daddyo! Show them there's life in the old dog yet.;)

If you feel like slacking off at anytime, remember that Curlew, Tyson et al. are watching and waiting - grit your teeth and stomp on those pedals.:D

Go for it Daddyo! Show them there's life in the old dog yet.;)

If you feel like slacking off at anytime, remember that Curlew, Tyson et al. are watching and waiting - grit your teeth and stomp on those pedals.:DWe are indeed - ride hard - best wishes