training more.

Didn't really feel like getting on the trainer...Waited until last minute, pretty much. Then, when I got on the trainer, I wanted nothing more than to get off of it.

But, I did it. 17 miler on computrainer.

12/25/06 finished in 47:06 avg 244 watts 91 avg rpm
12/23/07 finished in 46:59 avg 245 watts 100 avg rpm
12/26/07 thought I could do better. finished in 45:25 avg 256 watts 90 rpm
today. 12/26/08 one year later. finished in 45:00 avg 269 watts 92 rpm.

Seems like I keep getting better. I'll take it. Most I had on me was 800 something feet. Least I had on me was -100' or so. Usually between 100 and 400'. Enough. Didn't kill myself. Lowest peak watts out of all of them. (528 vs 576 rd 1 and 619 rd 2 and 575 rd 3).

Works for me. Notes improvement.

UPDATE!

My team is amazing. I have mentioned that before, but I need to just reiterate that I really like this group of people. They have always been very supportive and just fun to be around.

AND, when I had my SECOND surgery of the year, they went behind my back and made some sweet "cancer free" bracelets and had them available by donation to help cover my bills.

THAT is amazing. I never asked for it, and I never would. I can't thank them enough for that, and it's a very amazing thing that was done for me (and my family).

Update 2! The Fix. It's still amazing. Got my results back on Thursday (after Hagerty dug me into the table during the massage. PAIN!) and then proceeded to get WORKED in the class that evening. I just couldn't hit my numbers. Could have been the DEEP massage. Could have just been a fluke. We'll see. Today's class went MUCH better. I was able to reach all of my numbers. Although today WAS an easier class (not as long of intervals with more recovery). Anyone that wants an interesting cycle class that is more personalized that a Spinervals dvd should come on down. It's awesome. (that means you too, Margaret). Good folks and hard work. New classes start up after the new year. Tuesday Thursday and Sunday. I'll post up more details when I have them. but don't be afraid to just drop in. There'll be room. And we'd all love to see you.

More news. Carbon wheels from Taiwan and High Five. 20mm, 38mm, 50mm, 58mm and 85mm. Pretty good weights. Tubular. CX Ray spokes. 24 rear 20 front. Shimano OR Campy freehubs. With skewers and carbon brake pads. $675 shipped. FOR BOTH. Get on it. Super Deal.

Similar deals on frames/forks. Inquire with questions.

Power Test @ The Fix.

Gotta say. REALLY fond of Larry over at The Fix. Sophie, too. They're taking a lot of confusion out of what I'm doing and they're making it more fun. If I could make every one of you racers out there come out for one of these things, I'd bet you'd like it. Ask Delaney. (It was nice to see you the other day, by the way) They're a blast. The atmosphere is fun, and the peoples are good. Can't lose.

Come by. 6:30pm on Thursdays for an hour. $20
9:00am on Sunday for 1.5 hours. $25.
worth it.

BUT, I did my power test over there last night. It went well. I wanted to AVG between 300 and 310. I think I did that and then some. 30 minute TT. All out. Take the AVG of the last 20 minutes. No idea what my actual results are yet. I'd assume I find out at Thursdays class. I'd do it again, though. I like those solid hard long efforts. Sounds like I should get a TT bike. That'd be awesome.

I'm very psyched on all of this. I could never do all of this without direction.

Cold snowy mountain ride, and The Fix class...

Saturday was a pretty uneventful day for me. BUT, I did ride to the store, and then later in the afternoon, Margaret asked if I felt like going mountain biking. I gave her a look like, "are you serious?"

we went. It was 14 degrees, and Lebanon had about 3" of snow on the trail. It was super slippery and a little dicey. I had fun. I got very cold. Margaret also got very cold, but I don't think she had fun. We got ONE short lap done. It took about an hour fifteen. SLOWWW! lot's o' hike a bike. Lot's of foot downs. Didn't end up on the ground though. DID have to grab onto a tree, which sent my bike going on down the trail sans rider at one point to avoid falling. Good times it was.

Then today, I had plans of doing my 30 minute TT effort to determine threshold wattage after class, BUT, mountain biking yesterday, and the efforts of the class today left me pretty worked. I'm not sure where it is exactly, but I'd say that 315 watts is over my lactic threshold. We'll see. Finding out tuesday. We rescheduled it for then. But I do know that I can sustain 350 watts for 1 minute @120rpm. I don't know if I will disclose full results as openly as on this blog. Gotta keep all those other cat 4's on their toes in about 5 months! Cat 3's watch out!

Introspective!

Beanie Sigel and Freeway did a song together (well, more than one...)


Freeways part in the song. (part of his part...)

My aunt's house, one of the places that I stopped
See she just died, she got cancer from smokin and drinkin
The same shit that I'm drinkin and smokin
I can't lie, wish life would just open its handcuffs
and let me go, I feel like I'm doin a bit
I can't slide, so what I'm a rapper?
I can't escape the wrath of the law if I crash up my whip
or get, blast in the jaw


That seems like a nice thought...Beanie has a couple good lines, too...but he ruins it with sexual orientation remarks...I can't get into that...Well, that an a lot of other things that most rap has to say... still get into listening to it, though...

No excuses.

See that title? "No excuses"? Know what that is? THAT, is my motto for the 2009 racing season. NO excuses. I had too many this year. Surgeries, job changes, personal life issues...I don't want it anymore.

Next year, I won't excuse myself from poor performance. Workin' with the coach, gonna work on riding better/smarter. More and better pre-race prep, not getting so antsy at the front of the race. Just being better and more focused. I want this. Time to earn it.

Next season starts very soon. Let's get to it.

Jingle Cross

Hello! Iowa was fun! lot's of hanging out, surprising amounts of vegan food.

I raced for shit. My season, it's over. Rest time. Back at it in a few weeks. Yearly power test at father in laws house over Christmas will tell me where I am in relation to last year. That'll be good to know. Just waitin' until then. Unless Larry has other plans for me.

Day one? I did two laps, couldn't get my head into it, and dropped out after wrestling with the back of the race for two laps. My chain fell off as I was passing Paul Schoenig over the barriers. The course turned, I went straight. Day Over. I don't really see the point in racing if I'm not having fun, especially when the season is one day from over. I don't know if it would have helped my overall fitness, and really, I just didn't want to race that day.

Day two. Better. Started 2nd row, because I raced as Fil. I "lost" my jersey, and therefore my number. TC saved the day. (Long sleeve jerseys are WAY better than SS jersey/armwarmers in the cold!) Turns out Spencer had my jersey. So, everything worked out. Anyhow, It had snowed about an inch overnight, and by the time my race was lined up, it was definitely a mud pile. that inch of snow turned into an inch of mud in the best lines. The downhill was awesome. The uphills/off cambers sucked! I raced my old teammate Cale (who I go back and forth with, apparently. He got me in Madison, I got him at WI states, he got me on sunday) and that was fun. The downhill scared me, so I went down on my top tube with both legs out in case I fell. A blast!

I finished in 27th out of 48(finishers..) and I only fell once. and I had a blast. It was the perfect way to end the season, and now I welcome the break.

Thanks to everyone that cheered, and it was awesome to see so many familiar faces that I haven't seen in a while!

If you'd like to see pictures of the carnage, Jared has it documented the best I've seen so far. It's amazing!