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A week in review…

Nutrition (weight loss) Power training (increasing power) and long rides (endurance) are all parts of the weekly training program for the next few weeks.  Some of it I like, some of it I dread, but in combination, I think it is all making a difference.  Tomorrow is my weigh in and today I will do my power test to see if I can add 4 watts to my power and hopefully see 2 pounds off my weight tomorrow.

Having to travel this week will throw a wrench in the specific training plan, but I should be able to work around it (running instead of riding, weights instead of TRX) there seems to be no end to the ways in which you can torture yourself with or without a bike.  Nutrition seems to be easier when I travel, though portion size is an issue in our American Eat-at-the-trough/plate the size of a boat/feed the whole family-per order for $12.99 idiotic behavior.  The good news is that it is cold enough that I can eat half of what I am given, put the rest in the car for later and keep the portion size more realistic.

Thankfully, it is 5 weeks to the Barry Roubaix and any set backs that happen now can be overcome.  I have been fighting something (flu maybe) and I am convinced that taking echinacea every day is keeping this at bay, but I am still fatigued…getting old may be what I am feeling, but I would rather blame fending off the flu than denying my age.

Winter’s end is just around the corner.  Finish Strong.

Jack.

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Thursday 2 by 20’s

Woke up Thursday morning and it felt like my legs were beat all night long with a baseball bat.  Although Advil PM helps me sleep through the aches and pains of a good day’s effort, I am certainly groggy when my alarm goes off.  I was thinking, TRX is definitely going to be a game changer…if I survive.

Packed my road bike and complement of trainer, water bottles and bike clothes into my car and headed off to catch up with a half dozen guys who I have been riding with every Tuesday and Thursday night in the off season for the last 4 years.  Without these masochists and a leader who lives in the hurt locker, I would be a puddle of goo when the first race occurs each year.

We warmed up nicely and then defined our workouts based on our abilities as measured by our power meters.  This device has kept me from becoming my historically delusional self.  Just because you don’t get dropped when everyone is on a trainer, does not mean you can keep up with them on the road…the power meter creates the mathematical equivalent of the difference between a Cat 4 and a Cat 2…just look at your watts.

20 minutes at a medium plus effort can be taxing, even if it feels relatively easy in the first 5 or 10 minutes, toward the end of the effort, I am always wishing it were over.  2 twenty minute efforts are a good wake up call when facing a 2 hour race in just over 6 weeks.  I finished my 2 by 20’s and kept my watts right about where I was hoping…the TRX put pain in my calves and quads..again, hoping that the next few weeks will change my prospects in the upcoming cycling season.

Go WSI/Team Active Racing

Jack

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Barry-Roubaix

No one ever wants to follow Jack’s eloquently stated race reports, but here it goes: firstly, my wife is incredibly curious as to how Jack has any recollection of the pain of childbirth. Secondly, the lost 12 lbs. are not lost: I found them!

The race itself was as expected. Rough and tough due to a lack of riding over the winter months. The uphills were horrid but I pedaled through it, keeping in mind the words of Dory from Nemo “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming…”

My race time was 2:31, and I did not even check to see what place I was in. I was a winner for finishing, right? At one particular corner I was greeted enthusiatically with a duck call (that was a first in my racing expriences) and later got to meet and find out the identity of the mystery duck caller. Apparently he can only be a good luck charm for one person at a time and today wasn’t my day.

There was a great Team Active/WSI showing. And a big thanks to Jack for bringing the rehydration beverages for post race.

Charles

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Barry Roubaix “Killer Gravel Road Race”

I felt the race went very well for me. In my wave there were about 200 – 300 bikers all sprinting together at crazy fast speeds with water bottles and brackets falling all over the place. I was able to catch teammate Derrick and suck is wheel for about 60 seconds then he realized that 26MPH was to slow and took off like a banshee and left me in dust. After that first 5 mile sprint I settled into my groove and pedaled and pedaled. I then ran into a large group of riders in the 23 mile race right at the Shaw rd. hike, and was basically forced to walk/run with my bike up the hill and around the corner. Then back on for the descent passing many inexperienced cycle crossers trying to navigate loose sand a mud while going down. Then back on the pavement for what seemed like an eternity for the 5 mile or so sprint back to the finish line. Hooked up with teammate Neil a little bit during this sprint, but his cross bike and his engines where no match for me and he pulled away from me just before the entrance to the park. I ended up with a time of 2 hours and 12 minutes with a 16.2 MPH/AVG and took 53rd out of 92 riders in the men’s 30 – 34 36 mile race. This fell just outside of my personal goal by 4 minutes of being in the top 50% of my class.

Like Jack my father (age 60) is also my personnel motivator and is the biggest reason I do this kind of stuff. He basically schooled me pretty good in this race and finshed 22nd in the Fat Bike category with a time of 2 hours and 34 minutes. Way to go Dad!

Can’t wait for next year’s race!
David Goff