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

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Now the good news. I found out yesterday there is a 100 mile mountain ride next month. Apparently as tough if not tougher than last June's. Again, it is not a race per se, however, unlike Biwa there is no waiting for others to catch up. It is every man for himself at his own pace. Read, race your guts out!;)
So starting Sunday I shall be ramping up the mileage. TYSONAs part of the peanut gallery rather than the staff, I think I'd shy away from picking another big event so soon. IMO, burnout comes not from the physical aspect of training all the time, but from the mental attempts to psyche oneself up for a string of successive events when emotionally one might be wanting to savor the moment for a bit. I'd look for an event further out that will let the anticipation build more naturally.

Thanks FR, some really sound advice in there. Unfortunately if you read the post before this, I now have another event coming up shortly, so it's noses back to the grindstone. I missed that bit of information, but all I have to say is, "You da Man!!!"

Right first things first. Felt a little fatigued but went to the gym.

I couldn't resist seeing just how long I could hold 275Watts.

Did 3 mins and thought "this is hard today".

After 2 mins rest did 5mins and thought, that wasn't too bad.

I decided on one more go make or break, and I was getting nice and warm by now.

Did 10 minutes with possibly no more than 1 minute left in the tank!

Now the bad news.

1) The ride in Gifu prefecture is on the 5th November (not much time) home to part of the Japanese Alps

2) My young cycling buddy says the course is apparently a "killer" with 6 high passes to negotiate.

3) He has ridden one of the climbs and did his knee in. And he says that is the easiest climb of the 6.

I intend to do it but need advice as to what I should be doing in these last 2 weeks. My feeling is "mileage" is what I need, so although I hate going out on the bike during the week I think I shall have to grin and bear it.

Tomorrow I plan a 87 Km ride in the mountains - ditto on Sunday.

Next week.
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Tuesday VO2Max workout and long spin at 220watts. (gym)
Thurs 110Km on a really tough course.
Friday long spin @ 220W (at least 1.5 hours) (gym)
Sunday 110km as above
Then start tapering - probably just long spins @ 220W until Thurs.
Fri and Sat rest.

RD said Cool, Frenchy said don't do it, and I'm not quite sure what FR said to do except "You da man" :D

So I'm going to take all the advice, i.e. do the event then rest for at least 5 days. Frenchy, I'm really raring to go so unlikely to burnout, but I agree with you in principle, after this ride that will be enough for some time to come.;)

Thought you might like to see some pics from last year.
Seems like the whole bunch has come to a grinding halt, with one guy bringing up his Powerbars at the side of the road.
http://www.geocities.jp/acaturudo/huzi03.jpg

http://www.geocities.jp/acaturudo/huzi06.jpg

http://www.geocities.jp/acaturudo/turd1.jpg

I couldn't resist seeing just how long I could hold 275Watts. Did 3 mins + 5mins + 10 minutes with possibly no more than 1 minute left in the tank!That's pretty good. I think 275 is a good target for you (although I don't like targets).

Now the bad news.

1) The ride in Gifu prefecture is on the 5th November (not much time) home to part of the Japanese Alps
2) My young cycling buddy says the course is apparently a "killer" with 6 high passes to negotiate.
3) He has ridden one of the climbs and did his knee in. And he says that is the easiest climb of the 6.

I intend to do it but need advice as to what I should be doing in these last 2 weeks.Sounds like a tough ride but not impossible given your recent training. It's really all about wearing the right clothes on the day of the ride and managing your intensity of effort, hydration and nutrition on the ride. It's not climbs per se that make rides hard, it's how we manage power on the climbs. I had this exact conversation with a buddy recently during a ride. I made the point that a hill is not difficult at, say, 150W. We were approaching a hill of ~8% and he said, "But you can't climb this hill at 150W." I said, "Sure you can, just ride alongside me to the top." I then climbed the hill at exactly 150W. We were going only ~5mph compared with our usual 11-12mph, but we weren't even close to going so slowly that we couldn't control our bikes. About halfway up, he said, "You're right. I never would have believed it, but 150W is no more difficult climbing than it is on the flat." This remains true up to the point that bike speed gets too slow for good balance and control (e.g., >10%). At that point, you have no choice but to climb at higher power (e.g., off the saddle). Fortunately, most climbs >10% are not very long because such roads are a problem for heavy vehicles as well (both ascending and descending). The clothing problem presented by major climbs is the temperature change. Temp drops at the rate of ~10 degrees C per 1K meters. So, you want a very lightweight jacket of some sort that you can put on, especially for the descents. They have some that will stuff in your jersey pocket, so that's just a matter of being prepared. You might also want two pairs of gloves, one for the warmer temps and one with full fingers for the descents.

As to preparing your body for the ride, I agree that mileage is more important than intensity in the next two weeks. I also don't think you need a long taper. If I were making this ride, I would ride my normal rides right up until ~2 days before the ride. The last 2 days would be at 50%/0% volume respectively. I think you'll do fine. If you had a PM to manage your power during the ride, I'd say it will be a piece of cake. Without a PM, you run greater risk of going out too hard but if you guard against that, I think you'll be fine.:D

RD said Cool, Frenchy said don't do it, and I'm not quite sure what FR said to do except "You da man" :D
That be encouragement from the hood. :D

That be encouragement from the hood. :DWait, I thought they try to 'stick it to da man' in the 'hood. :confused:

So, if Tyson's 'da man'..... :eek: :D

Wait, I thought they try to 'stick it to da man' in the 'hood. :confused:

So, if Tyson's 'da man'..... :eek: :DJust as long as he's not a scrub http://members.tripod.com/mara_juarez/slang.htm.

Hi Tyson - great pictures - which one are you? http://cyclingforums.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

So first you felt a bit tired but are now anticipating an event next month? I imagine you'll make it work just fine. Plus, you were gifted a spring goal it seems! http://cyclingforums.com/images/smilies/cool.gif

Hi Tyson - great pictures - which one are you? http://cyclingforums.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

So first you felt a bit tired but are now anticipating an event next month? I imagine you'll make it work just fine. Plus, you were gifted a spring goal it seems! http://cyclingforums.com/images/smilies/cool.gifI cannot figure out how this keeps happening.:confused: I'll pick a number purely for purposes of illustration in a post (with a little bit of thought so as to be somewhat realistic) and suddenly it becomes a goal. I really have to watch this guy, he latches onto goals like my friend's dog, Fosdick, latched onto the scent of a squirrel. Once Fosdick had picked up a squirrel's scent, he was in the woods until he found the squirrel. We quickly figured out we may as well go home and he'd find his way home when he had found his target. But, we never found dead squirrels. I think he was happy to just find the squirrel, not eat it.:D

I cannot figure out how this keeps happening.:confused: I'll pick a number purely for purposes of illustration in a post (with a little bit of thought so as to be somewhat realistic) and suddenly it becomes a goal. I really have to watch this guy, he latches onto goals like my friend's dog, Fosdick, latched onto the scent of a squirrel. Once Fosdick had picked up a squirrel's scent, he was in the woods until he found the squirrel. We quickly figured out we may as well go home and he'd find his way home when he had found his target. But, we never found dead squirrels. I think he was happy to just find the squirrel, not eat it.:D
Well RD, I'm not the type of person to put words (or squirrels!) in Fosdick's, um Tyson's, mouth - but he does seem to thrive on you dropping numbers. Maybe you need to be deliberately unrealistic or vague (say it all 3rd person perhaps!)

Or it might be that this really does benefit him, even if you don't care for the same kind of 'goal-setting'. Either way, I think the squirrels in Japan are safe...for the moment anyway.... ;)

I'll pick a number purely for purposes of illustration in a post (with a little bit of thought so as to be somewhat realistic) and suddenly it becomes a goal.
Cool, can I try it? So, if I were to say, ahem...... 280w...... that'd suddenly become Tyson's new goal? Neat! Or do you also have to throw in a magic phrase like.... I bet nobody could get up to 280w by the end of next month?

What if I add "I double-dog-super-Fosdick dare you..." at the end? Does that make him go for 285w instead? Ooops, I just said 285w.... :D

Woof,woof, Fosdick's dog reporting in.:D You guys are cracking me up in here, and what's all this zebra talk suddenly?

Before I hit the road this morning, I have some good news; the 100 miler isn't a 100 miler, it is actually only a paltry 137KM (85 miles) Now where did I put my picnic basket? ;)

As always RD, very good advice. You omitted to say, but I remember you saying previously, drafting uphill saves only 8% but drafting on the flat saves a good deal more. Sounds like I'll be saving a lot of 8%s this time. I think as long as I don't go into the woods to find squirrels too often, I shall be OK.
And RD, don't worry about me pacing myself. I think all my competition running in the old days is seeing me in good stead vis-a-vis cycling.

Sorry Frenchy, I can only handle 1 target at a time so 275W it is (long before next Spring :cool: )

Yesterday went to my daughters school for some event and met "The Smoker's" wife. She said, "My husband was really impressed with your riding around L.Biwa" (compared with last year I assume). Little things like that make it all worthwhile, especially when you're approaching 65.

I don't know if it's poss, but next year I want him to have a face like this after the ride.:( :( :( :(

Well, I can't sit here chewing the fat all day there's work to be done - now where did I leave my bike?:D

Yesterday went to my daughters school for some event and met "The Smoker's" wife. She said, "My husband was really impressed with your riding around L.Biwa" (compared with last year I assume). Little things like that make it all worthwhileAbsolutely! Just last week a really powerful local rider/racer who rarely rides with us joined our club ride (probably because it included one of the longest climbs around here). I got away off the front on the climb early and stayed away almost to the top. I glanced behind me a couple of times and there was a guy in a red jersey ~100 yards back. I couldn't make out who it was. I tried to give it more gas and keep him there but he kept slowly reeling me in every mile or two. Just before the crest he came up beside me and said, "You're hard to catch." Trust me, coming from this guy, that made my day.:D

Absolutely! Just last week a really powerful local rider/racer who rarely rides with us joined our club ride (probably because it included one of the longest climbs around here). I got away off the front on the climb early and stayed away almost to the top. I glanced behind me a couple of times and there was a guy in a red jersey ~100 yards back. I couldn't make out who it was. I tried to give it more gas and keep him there but he kept slowly reeling me in every mile or two. Just before the crest he came up beside me and said, "You're hard to catch." Trust me, coming from this guy, that made my day.:D
RD, you must stop letting air out of peoples tyres when they're not looking.:D

Seriously though, that was awesome. Something tells me I'm going to have my hands full on Mt. Charleston next year.;)

RD, you must stop letting air out of peoples tyres when they're not looking.:D
Brilliant! :D Sooooo this explains why I had 4 flats last week....

Seriously though, that was awesome. Something tells me I'm going to have my hands full on Mt. Charleston next year.;)
Oh wow, you are coming to America next year? :)

Oh wow, you are coming to America next year? :)He's coming for one reason and one reason only -- to try to beat me to the top of Mt. Charleston.:D

He's coming for one reason and one reason only -- to try to beat me to the top of Mt. Charleston.:D
Having traveled to Asia and been on 14+ hour flights, it best be one heck of a ride!

Sooooo, what's the opening line/odds by the way??? And do you take advance bets? :)

He's coming for one reason and one reason only -- to try to beat me to the top of Mt. Charleston.:DI hope you don't pull a Tonya Harding / Nancy Kerigan (sp?) on him :D

Tyson, make sure you have someone watching your back!!!

He's coming for one reason and one reason only -- to try to beat me to the top of Mt. Charleston.:D
Showdown Hill (again).

Tyson or any one else over 40 I have an aversion to working out on consecutive days at 91% of FTP 2x20 have you had any problems and how many days in a row do you do this?

Thanks