YeaWhatever's cycling thread

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Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 1:41 pm

Wednesday, April 9
The ride home up the hill was better than most simply because the wind was not a factor this time. It was coming from the North, creating a crosswind. Crosswinds are not great but they do not slow you down nearly as much as a head wind.

The Weather

Temp: 48 deg. F
Wind: NNE 5-10 mph

The Numbers
Total Distance: 10.25 mi
Total Time: 35:01
Avg Pace: 3:25 min
Avg Speed: 17.6 mph
Max Speed: 27.5 mph
Total Calories: 654 cal
Avg Heart Rate: 153 bpm
Max Heart Rate: 167 bpm
Total Ascent: 500 ft
Total Descent: 326 ft

Today, it's supposed to be raining all day. I will lift weights, swim, and use the trainer.

Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 4:37 pm

Howdy everyone - just a quick update (been offline for awhile)...

First of all - Many Thanks to Connie and YW for your suggestions! Will keep them in mind for later on when I expand my biking routine! This just started as a means for simple exercise and a cheaper alternative to get back and forth to/from work; but, I am gaining enthusiasm for taking this venture to higher levels even though I'm a looong way from endurance racing like YW!

Secondly - I found a gel-type slip-on saddle pad for the time being - it's not a great solution but it has helped somewhat in reducing the pressure on my bony rear-end. Very Happy

I'm now biking three to four times a week (depending on weather) to work and back - I haven't measured the distance, or have any meaningful computed stats handy, but I've already reduced the time from door-to-door from 25 mins to 20 mins (which has been my first little celebratory victory) as I am becoming accustomed to terrain, traffic, the bike's gearing ratios and my own physical capabilities.

However, I am enjoying it - even when I feel lazy and have to psyche myself up to do it - once I get out on the bike, I feel good! And, I keep challenging myself to stay on pace or do better even though I'm trying not to overdo it - preventing an injury that would derail my efforts!

Thanks again for the inspiration and the encouragement! I look forward to posting better results as I gain better conditioning and endurance! Very Happy

Cheers!

Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 8:55 pm

Just finished another lunch-time workout.

30 minutes of leg weights
Leg press - 200 pounds - 20 reps
Leg press - 212.5 - 20 reps
Leg press - 225 pounds - 20 reps
Leg press - 237.5 pounds - 20 reps
Leg press - 250 pounds - 15 reps
Leg press - 262.5 pounds - 10 reps
Leg press - 275 pounds - 8 reps
Leg press - 287.5 pounds - 4 reps + 8 reps @ 225 + 5 reps @ 175
Leg press - 287.5 pounds - 4 reps + 4 reps @ 225 + 3 reps @ 175

30 Minutes of Stationary bike
5 min - low resistance @ 110+ rpm
25 min - max resistance @ 55+ rpm out of the saddle
5 min - low resistance @ 110+ rpm

Resting heart rate prior to workout: 59 bpm
Maximum heart rate during workout: 178 bpm
Resting heart rate 20 minutes after workout: 59 bpm

Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 3:09 pm

Sunday, April 13, 2008

A very windy ride today on my hilly route. Gusts up to 35 mph from the North East.

The Numbers
Total Distance: 82.20 miles
Total Time: 04:42:52
Avg. Pace: 3:27 min
Avg. Speed: 17.4 mph
Max Speed: 31.5 mph
Total Calories: 5082 cal
Avg. Heart Rate: 149 bpm
Max. Heart Rate: 170 bpm
Total Ascent: 3542 ft

Monday, April 14, 2008

Ride to work with head winds from the East.

The Numbers
Total Distance: 10.83 miles
Total Time: 00:38:31
Avg. Pace: 3:33 min
Avg. Speed: 16.9 mph
Max Speed: 29.8 mph
Total Calories: 587 cal
Avg. Heart Rate: 136 bpm
Max. Heart Rate: 162 bpm
Total Ascent: 3542 ft
Total Descent: 402 ft
Total Descent: 492 ft

Monday, April 14, 2008

Extended ride home. Winds from the South East.

The Numbers
To the 20 mile loop
Total Distance: 12.81 miles
Total Time: 00:41:52
Avg. Pace: 3:16 min
Avg. Speed: 18.4 mph
Max Speed: 30.6 mph
Total Calories: 930 cal
Avg. Heart Rate: 136 bpm
Max. Heart Rate: 162 bpm
Total Ascent: 795 ft
Total Descent: 679 ft

On the 20 mile loop
Total Distance: 19.99 miles
Total Time: 01:06:21
Avg. Pace: 3:19 min
Avg. Speed: 18.1 mph
Max Speed: 28.5 mph
Total Calories: 1241 cal
Avg. Heart Rate: 142 bpm
Max. Heart Rate: 165 bpm
Total Ascent: 452 ft
Total Descent: 421 ft

The short ride home
Total Distance: 3.12 miles
Total Time: 00:11:56
Avg. Pace: 3:50 min
Avg. Speed: 15.6 mph
Max Speed: 22.2 mph
Total Calories: 167 cal
Avg. Heart Rate: 132 bpm
Max. Heart Rate: 156 bpm
Total Ascent: 127 ft
Total Descent: 112 ft

Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2008 2:16 pm

Wednesday, April 16
The ride to work was quick today with a slight tail wind. The predicted wind on the way home is bad news though. There are supposed to be 25-30 mph head winds up the 11 mile hill with gusts up to 40 mph. It's going to be a slow ride home.

The Weather

Temp: 48 deg. F
Wind: SSW 5-10 mph

The Numbers
Total Distance: 10.84 mi
Total Time: 32:32
Avg Pace: 3:00 min
Avg Speed: 20.0 mph
Max Speed: 31.5 mph
Total Calories: 650 cal
Avg Heart Rate: 153 bpm
Max Heart Rate: 178 bpm
Total Ascent: 392 ft
Total Descent: 468 ft

Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 3:51 pm

Wednesday, April 16
The extended ride home was sick and sadistic. The SW winds were in excess of 30 mph. There were gusts up to 45 mph that nearly blew the bike out from under me. Unreal. Heading home and out towards my extended route, I was forced into the headwind. There were times I was only going 7 mph. I can easily run that fast.

The ride SW was taking so long, that I had to cut the route short so I could get home while there was still enough light. Once I turned around and had the wind to my back, I flew back at speeds over 40 mph. I topped out at 43 mph. Going that fast on a bike is really weird. You tend to hang onto the handlebars a bit tighter.

The Weather

Temp: 75 deg. F
Wind: SW 30-40 mph

The Numbers
Total Distance: 37.93 mi
Total Time: 2:21:35
Avg Pace: 3:43 min
Avg Speed: 16.1 mph
Max Speed: 43.5 mph
Total Calories: 2180 cal
Avg Heart Rate: 144 bpm
Max Heart Rate: 167 bpm
Total Ascent: 1700 ft
Total Descent: 1793 ft

Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2008 1:36 pm

Thursday, April 17... Lunch time
Instead of riding on the trainer, I did a full hour of seated leg press, hamstring curls, and quad extentions. Could barely walk up the stairs after this. Good workout.

Thursday, April 17... Evening
Decided at the last minute to do a quick ride. Rode a mile and a half to a fairly flat, smooth bit of road and then started timing. The point of this ride was to get my average heart rate WAY up there compared to my other rides. I need to do more rides like this. They build power and muscular endurance (as opposed to basic enduance... yes, there is a difference).

The Weather

Temp: 55 deg. F
Wind: NE 10-15 mph

The Numbers
Total Distance: 14.63 mi
Total Time: 0:43:10
Avg Pace: 2:57 min
Avg Speed: 20.3 mph
Max Speed: 34.2 mph
Total Calories: 913 cal
Avg Heart Rate: 159 bpm About 10 higher than normal but should have been much better
Max Heart Rate: 170 bpm Should have been higher
Total Ascent: 285 ft
Total Descent: 288 ft

Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 2:39 pm

Sunday, April 20
Today was my long ride. Once again, I had my professional triathlete training partner. We went 102 hilly, fast miles.

The weather could not have been any better. It was mostly sunny with NO WIND. It's about damn time too. I have been really tired of the windy conditions lately. The temperature was perfect too. The max temp during the ride was about 65 degrees.

The Weather

Temp: 65 deg. F
Wind: calm

The Numbers
Total Distance: 102.12 mi
Total Time: 5:28:32
Avg Pace: 3:13 min
Avg Speed: 18.6 mph
Max Speed: 35.3 mph
Total Calories: 6493 cal
Avg Heart Rate: 151 bpm
Max Heart Rate: 174 bpm
Total Ascent: 4670 ft
Total Descent: 4692 ft

Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 4:09 pm

Monday, April 21
I am still a bit tired from yesterday's hilly century ride. I took it easy on the way to work today.

The Weather

Temp: 45 deg. F
Wind: calm

The Numbers
Total Distance: 10.82 mi
Total Time: 0:36:04
Avg Pace: 3:20 min
Avg Speed: 18.0 mph
Max Speed: 30.6 mph
Total Calories: 606 cal
Avg Heart Rate: 134 bpm
Max Heart Rate: 157 bpm
Total Ascent: 352 ft
Total Descent: 477 ft

Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 1:17 pm

Monday, April 21 - After work
I had to work a bit later today so I had to cut my ride a bit short. I could only go 30 miles this time.

The Weather

Temp: 65 deg. F
Wind: NNE 5-10 mph

The Numbers
Up the 11 mile hill
Total Distance: 10.25 mi
Total Time: 0:33:30
Avg Pace: 3:16 min
Avg Speed: 18.4 mph
Max Speed: 27.3 mph
Total Calories: 698 cal
Avg Heart Rate: 148 bpm
Max Heart Rate: 170 bpm
Total Ascent: 1093 ft
Total Descent: 879 ft

Flat workout area
Total Distance: 18.02 mi
Total Time: 0:55:15
Avg Pace: 3:04 min
Avg Speed: 19.6 mph
Max Speed: 31.4 mph
Total Calories: 1210 cal
Avg Heart Rate: 152 bpm
Max Heart Rate: 163 bpm
Total Ascent: 586 ft
Total Descent: 517 ft

Cool down
Total Distance: 1.37 mi
Total Time: 0:04:39
Avg Pace: 3:23 min
Avg Speed: 17.7 mph
Max Speed: 24.4 mph
Total Calories: 73 cal
Avg Heart Rate: 141 bpm
Max Heart Rate: 156 bpm
Total Ascent: 56 ft
Total Descent: 114 ft

Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 1:41 pm

Wednesday, April 23 - The ride to work
A slow ride today. My asthma was bothering me the whole way so I just slowed it down a bit and tried to relax. I will take my long ride after work and really push it then.

The Weather

Temp: 57 deg. F
Wind: NNE 5-15 mph (head wind)

The Numbers
Total Distance: 10.96 mi
Total Time: 0:38:11
Avg Pace: 3:29 min
Avg Speed: 17.2 mph
Max Speed: 33.2 mph
Total Calories: 609 cal
Avg Heart Rate: 140 bpm
Max Heart Rate: 163 bpm
Total Ascent: 374 ft
Total Descent: 559 ft

Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2008 1:08 pm

Wednesday, April 23 - The ride after work
Feeling better than I did this morning. This was a fast, hilly ride. The trek up the 10 mile hill was my fastest ever, averaging over 19 mph.

After I made it out near my home, I added an additional 30 miles of hill repeats.

The Weather

Temp: 65 deg. F
Wind: NNE 5-15 mph

The Numbers
Up the hill to home
Total Distance: 9.80 mi
Total Time: 0:30:35
Avg Pace: 3:07 min
Avg Speed: 19.2 mph
Max Speed: 29.8 mph
Total Calories: 679 cal
Avg Heart Rate: 160 bpm
Max Heart Rate: 172 bpm
Total Ascent: 743 ft
Total Descent: 405 ft

Extended ride
Total Distance: 28.05 mi
Total Time: 1:30:26
Avg Pace: 3:13 min
Avg Speed: 18.6 mph
Max Speed: 36.4 mph
Total Calories: 1836 cal
Avg Heart Rate: 163 bpm
Max Heart Rate: 175 bpm
Total Ascent: 1444 ft
Total Descent: 1479 ft

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Feb 2005 Posts: 2301

You should come to Colorado and train. You could ride Trail Ridge Road from Estes Park to Grand Lake every day. You'd dust EVERYONE in your low-land race if you trained at this altitude. Smile

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trail_Ridge_Road

Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 3:57 pm

Damn. That looks rough. I wish that I could train there. Sadly, RL demands that I have a full time job. Where I live, there is some hilly terrain here and there but nothing like that.

By the way, it is raining here today. I will not be riding outside today and last night I spent the evening swimming and weightlifting.

Posted: Sat Apr 26, 2008 4:13 pm

Hey YW, my hat is off to you. As you say, working out in a gym or on a stationary bike is just so boring. You are to be commended for doing it anyway. It's great to have a goal to work toward.

Because of the boredom factor, the only exercise I can stand is walking. I walk around town whenever I have an errand, and I have hiked to the top of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park a few times. My next goal, which may be suicidally insane, is to hike to the top of Mount Whitney. The elevation at the top is about 14,000 ft, or 4,300 m. If exhaustion doesn't get me, altitude sickness might.

Best of luck to you, YW. I'll be rooting for you in your bicycling exploits.

Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 8:43 pm

It's been a while since I have updated this thread. It was getting a bit busy at work and my time has been somewhat limited so posting my workouts has not been top priority.

Basically, I am now logging about 200 miles per week. That is not bad but it needs to be around 250 and then once the kids are home from school, it will need to jump to 300.

My overall average speeds have been slowly increasing as my hill climbing continues to get better.

And the best news of all is that I now have a corporate sponsor for the race. <a href="http://www.johnsoncontrols.com/publish/us/en.html" target="_blank">Johnson Controls</a>, a company devoted to sustaining the world's resources, has generously offered their help. This is a huge deal to me because my youngest daughter has autism and I sometimes wonder whether I should be spending money on things other than her care.

Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 9:27 pm

@canajun- You are quite welcome. Keep riding.
@YW- Great to hear about your sponsor. Johnson Controls is a very forward looking company. I used to deal with their products in the truckloads/day. Now that you have a sponsor will you be getting a new kit? Bike/extra wheels/tires/pro lights/Jersey/expenses? I bought a used sponsored Olympic bike a few years ago. Its amazing but much too brutal for my behind so I ride a Madone a la Lance. Its heavier but much smoother. Keeping your body in great shape is exactly what your children need. Raising kids is an ultramarathon event.

Posted: Sun May 18, 2008 2:30 am

Congrats on your sponsor and please keep us up to date. Very Happy

And................. autism babies is only given to special people. Wink

Posted: Mon May 19, 2008 7:10 am

YW, that's awesome. Congrats on getting that sponsor.

Posted: Mon May 19, 2008 12:44 pm

CONGRATS YW, sister and her hubby both work work for johnson control in milwaukee, very good company (except for their wal-wart neverstart batterys

Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 1:45 pm

I was finishing up a 100+ mile ride the other day and 30 miles from home, the shifter to my rear gears breaks. It needed to be replaced. I brought the bike into my favorite mechanic and he warned me that my front and rear bearings were not going to make it much longer. The wheels were pretty bad too. So I replaced just about everything on the bike.

What a differnce that all made. Everything works so much better now. One month away from the race, I will replace my cogs and chain. By the time the race starts, I should just about have a totally new bike.

There are 17 weeks to go until my big race. In that time, I will log an additional 5,000+ miles. I am currently doing about 300 per week, weather providing. Average speeds continue to rise and my weight has been totally stable for months now. So far, so good. All is going well.

Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 3:44 pm

Three hundred miles a week? That's amazing. No wonder you have to change everything on your bike. Do a set of tires last a month? Now that you have a sponsor, did you spring for a Record derailer or stick with the Dura Ace? I like to inspect and lube my jockey bearings every tire change. They are the fastest spinning parts on a bike. I spring for new ones about every five thousand miles. I tried ceramic jockey bearings about 20 years ago for an old bike and now find that sealed ceramic wheel bearings are the way to go. Don't forget to inspect and lube your bottom bracket. Its a pain because of the requirement for special tools, but someone has to do it.

Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 4:16 pm

My tires are doing fine. I am using Gatorskins. I have had these for nearly 6 months now and they are a little worn but, overall, are still in very good shape. They are the best tires that I have ever owned.

Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 4:30 pm

Congrats on the sponsor YW!

Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 6:21 pm

Took my first ride today on my bike with all of the new stuff on it. It feels like a totally different bike. It even sounds totally different. How? There is no sound at all! That is a very good thing. That means that there is no unreasonable friction caused by anything. The only thing you hear now, is the rubber on the road.

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