July end of the month mileage

Another 1000 mile month as Furnace Creek 508 gets closer. October is just a couple of months away

New 5 Min Numbers

I was feeling pretty good last night during my commute--amazing what two days off the bike will do for your recovery. During my 69 mile commute I sometimes take a detour and climb a 1.5 mile 6% hill named Newport Coast Dr. Last night I wanted to see if my 5 min number had improved since my last "field test" over a month ago.




HERE IS A SCREEN SHOT FROM TRAINING PEAKS

I weighed 150lbs or 68 kg

my NORMALIZED POWER was 340


340/68 = 5 w/kg

Not bad for an amateur. According to the Coggan power profile chart it is in the grey area between Cat 3 and Cat 2.






source

Guess who is TrainingPeaks' featured athlete?

Training Peaks the Ultimate Training & Nutrition Software, thought I would make a good profile for their blog. CHECK IT OUT.

Fantasy bike sweepstakes

NYTRO MULTISPORTS HAS A FANTASTIC SWEEPSTAKES GOING ON RIGHT NOW. A NEW CERVELO S3 WITH SRAM RED OR A P4 WITH SRAM RED CAN BE YOURS. THERE IS NO CATCH! HEY PEOPLE THESE ARE $7,000 BIKES!!!! JUST REGISTER TO WIN HERE!!

Weekend of climbing

On Saturday I did 13,400 feet of gain in 114 miles. The hardest part of the ride had over 12,500 feet of gain in 80 miles. The heat and time in the saddle made the Baldy Road climb very difficult. I was struggling to maintain my speed above 5 mph on the last 2 miles of Baldy Rd.



On the bright side I PR'd the little GMR climb. It is a 5 mile climb in the 6% range. My time was 28:13 Normalized Power of 263 (3.87 w/kg). I'm really proud of that even though pros climb at over 6 w/kg. BUT, I'm not a pro and that's good enough for me.



Here is a screen shot from Training Peaks software on my PR.

On Sunday I did a shorter route than I had planned. I didn't recover well enough from Saturday's efforts. I wanted to stay close to the car so I only did 57 miles with 7,300 feet of climbing.

Test Ride 2010 Cannondale Super Six

I will be test riding the 2010 Cannondale Super Six this weekend. Stay tuned....

Tagged! Urg!

I don't know how I ended up on this "social network". But I want out!!! I was getting killed with notices so I took a look at the options. I can't believe the default had all of the options below selected "for my convenience". They start off ok but then the notices verge on the ridiculous. Like I care that I get Bonus Gold, Superpokes me, or gets a new pet. This is a very annoying "social network".

Rant over!!



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Nutrition

People often ask what I use for nutrition on my long training rides and events. The answer I always give is "well it depends..."

Nutrition is a very personal subject and requires a lot of experimentation out on the open road in various conditions. Those conditions should include heat, cold, hilly, flat terrain, high altitude or sea level. It should be a good representation of your typical race conditions. You need to experiment with different intensity levels and different durations. For example, something that taste good at hour one may not taste so great at hour five of your bike leg in an Ironman or an Ultra event. I have found that different intensity levels require different nutrition protocols. For me I like and perform better with less solid foods at higher intensities. The longer the duration my intensity is more moderate and I supplement my liquid nutrition with solid foods. For me the breakpoint at which I seek more solid foods is somewhere over 200 miles.

You should experiment and may I suggest that you document how you felt on your ride--if you are serious about your training and want to follow your progression. You should have a training diary/journal where you log, at a minimum, your nutrition, climatic conditions, duration and intensity (perceived or actual from a power meter) of your ride. Here are things that work for me.

I really like Sportquest products. I have a product sponsorship from them but I chose them out of the many nutrition suppliers available. Carbo-Pro powder is very easy on your stomach. It is pure carbohydrates but without SUGAR. Carbo-Pro is a Maltodextrin. It does not contain electrolytes, fat or protein. You supplement your electrolytes through the use of Vantage VO2 capsules.








Here is an important distinction from the many products containing electrolytes. You now have the flexibility of moderating the electrolytes required for the conditions. You may increase your electrolytes without increasing your fluid intake which may lead to bloating and subsequently poor performance. I personally use Motor Tabs tablets for my no hassle electrolytes and to add a little flavor. Each tablet contains 250mg of Sodium and 75mg of Potassium and 65 calories. So here is my mix-- TWO SCOOPS OF CARBO-PRO POWDER AND ONE MOTOR TAB TABLET. 290 calories 250 mg of Sodium and 75 mg of Potassium.

You will often see me using Carbo Pro 1200 which is a liquid concentrate in a 16oz bottle. Each bottle is 1200 calories. CP1200 has Sodium and Potassium which I have found even in 100F (see last weekend's post) is enough to stave away cramping. the flavor is very light considering the concentrated formula.



These are just three products I use from a full range of nutrition products that Sportquest offers. The Motor Tabs tablets offer a convenient and portable way to supplement your electrolytes. I would say if you still haven't found your favorite or "secret potion" give Sportquest Carbo Pro powder a try. It is the easiest product on the stomach that I have found. If you start Carbo Pro you have a solid foundation from which to build on. You will discover that you can perform at your best from the beginning to the end of your training or racing event without stomach upset or GI issues.

If you have any questions please drop me a line directly.

oops found another one for Little GMR

Found another one where I am 28 seconds faster on Little GMR. So I think my goal is to beat 29 minutes at first and then work from there.

Could be my Little GMR PR?

I need to look at my older files but I think this is my PR on little GMR.






HERE IS A SCREEN SHOT FROM TRAINING PEAKS.

Notice I put a powerband between 240-260 watts. My goal was to climb at 3.5 w/kg I did well in keeping at my goal with an actual of 3.6 w/kg.

A weekend of climbing in the San Gabriel Mountains

I spent Saturday and Sunday climbing in the San Gabriel Mountains. It was great to be out in the mountains again. The climbing was intense. I feel fatigued and sore but "it's good pain".

Sunday concluded a five day training block which included commuting with various intervals and back to back climbing "centuries" (Sunday's was a little shy).

Wed pm 65 miles
Thurs am 30 miles pm 65 miles
Friday am 30 miles recovery
Saturday 100 miles with 11,280 feet of gain
Sunday 85 miles with 10,600 feet of gain

for a total of 375 miles and 26,380 feet of gain.

CLICK HERE FOR A WRITE UP ON THE TWO "CENTURIES"

WHEW! I AM READY FOR A REST DAY.




^^ SATURDAY 100 MILES 11,280 FEET OF GAIN




^^ SATURDAY DETAIL OF FIRST 67 MILES WITH 10,000 FEET OF GAIN



^^ SUNDAY 85 MILES WITH 10,600 FEET OF GAIN

Time...

In the last two weeks my 4 1/2 year old son has been asking for me to play Time when we are in the car. Often he will suggest "AGAIN!". LOL! I think maybe he likes the alarm clocks at the beginning but I also catch him mouthing the words. I decided to look them up and study the lyrics and interpret them for me. It is interesting what they meant to me. For years I have heard this song but never really listened. Take a look now at the lyrics and see if they have any special meaning for you.


Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
You fritter and waste the hours in an off hand way
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home
town
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way

Tired of lying in the sunshine staying home
to watch the rain
You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today
And then one day you find ten years have got behind you
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun

And you run and you run to catch up with the sun, but its sinking
And racing around to come up behind you again
The sun is the same in the relative way, but youre older
Shorter of breath and one day closer to death

Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time
Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines
Hanging on in quiet desperation is the english way
The time is gone, the song is over, thought Id something more to say

Home, home again
I like to be here when I can
And when I come home cold and tired
Its good to warm my bones beside the fire
Far away across the field
The tolling of the iron bell
Calls the faithful to their knees
To hear the softly spoken magic spells.

Lyrics by Pink Floyd ((Mason, Waters, Wright, Gilmour)

Grand Tour Ride Report

I posted my Grand Tour Ride Report on my website.

On another note it's time for MONTH END NUMBERS.