August 31, 2004
Random Blogger Link
Sure, most of the blogs these days are political, and then there are tons of teenagers with absolutely nothing to say. A large percentage of the blogs are in languages I don't even recognize, some blogs are just links, some are family vacation blogs. I tend to like the ones that are specialized, like architecture or gardening, and there a few that are very clever and creative, beyond category.
Random Blogger Link. Randomly surfing through the tons of weblogs online these days, I was surprised to see how many of them are food blogs. People taking photos of their meals and dining experiences. I have to admit some of them are pretty amazing looking, particularly the Asian ones.
Last night Bev made a very simple, but delicious dinner. It was baked chicken thighs w/rosemary from our yard, fresh green beens and new potatoes from Harry's. Ruth showed up with several slices of a layered chocolate cheesecake she had made - and I proceeded to have seconds of everything! I probably should have taken a photo for this blog.
August 30, 2004
Moving On
Music Biz: Yesterday Mack & I had a gig at the grand opening event of Rich's Macy's in Douglasville, Georgia. Talk about slightly bizarre, we were setup in the women's dress department just across from the jewelry. I felt like I was in one of those weird mockumentary-type movies... OK whatever, this agent always pays well and usually books us in very sophisticated situations and he apologized this morning.
Entertainment: Doom 3 has been on my computer for a little over a week now and I am really impressed with this game! I even dug around and found the original Doom, released in 1993, and reinstalled it just to revisit the game that created an entire genre, the first-person shooter.
Fitness & Health: Cutting out the coffee seems to be a good thing. It's an addiction and I'll eventually get over it.
Enjoyed a good road ride yesterday, and today I started my workout with a fairly easy 1.5 mile run up Waldrop Road. Next I got on the bike and motored around the 35-mile Blackjack loop and included 2x20-minute intervals just below anaerobic threshold. It was a hard workout, but I felt pretty decent afterward.
Previously I was focused on the GA TT championship, but it wasn't meant to be this year, so now I aim at the next targets; 2004 cyclocross and the 2005 road season. I don't know why I am driven to drag this old carcass around the race course again, I just know that putz-ing around with a group of cyclo-tourists doesn't provide enough stimulation and as long as I feel this way I will continue to train to race - I don't care if they start clocking me with a calendar!
August 28, 2004
The Car Was Packed
The car was packed and everything was ready for the GA state Time Trial Championships this morning. The email came last night with my place in the starting order, I was last to start in my 50+ age group - a place reserved for the defending champion and/or favorite to win.
I felt prepared, but some recent twinges of that old chest pain had turned into several days of all-out suffering. I had tapered off the workouts this past week, doubled-up on my medicine, ate and drank ever so carefully, and gotten extra sleep each night, but there was no relief. I woke up just before the alarm went off this morning and after several checks of my pulse, I had serious doubts about racing today.
The car is unpacked now and the TT bike is put away, hopefully not forever. It's a perfect day to be outside in Georgia, maybe I'll take the dogs for a walk.
August 24, 2004
Save the TT Wheels
I took off on the TT bike and rolled over the Cedars TT course for a run-through with the competition equipment. Just as I got to the start line it started to rain, but the sky was mostly still blue so I decided to just go ahead with the time trial. Just a little over two minutes into what felt like a great effort, the front tire went flat. This is not unusual because when the rain first starts the debris in the road often sticks to the tires. A shard of glass had worked it's way through the tire casing.
Brother Dean happened to be nearby and came to my rescue and saved the day. That would have been a long walk home barefoot and shouldering a bike.
At home I repaired the tri-spoke then set it aside and took the disc wheel off the TT bike as well. It's just too big a gamble to practice with those expensive competition wheels. I put on my trusty Ksyrium wheels, strapped on the saddle bag (containing tools and spares) and headed back over to finish the workout.
Tuesday, August 24, 2004 3:30 PM
Distance 3.0 miles
| Duration 0:06:55.7
Average Heart Rate 164 bpm Average Speed 26.02 mph |
Past 9-Weeks - Time in HR Zones
[click to enlarge]
August 22, 2004
CoyBoy Ride and Overview
Ride Route: There sure were a lot of cyclists out riding around the area this morning and I'm glad to see it. Doug, Matt & I met at Sunny Hill for the "5-hills Loop", a nice little 2-hour ride on some good rolling roads through NE Gwinnett and briefly into Hall and Barrow counties - roughly north toward Flowery Branch, east to Braselton, south to Auburn and west back home.
Home: Located very near Crowes Lake and the birth place of both the Alcovy and Apalachee rivers. For those of you with GPS devices, you can find my house at these coordinates:
Lat: 34.044477 34:02:40.117N
Lon: -083.976209 83:58:34.352W
Competition: Because we have always done it in the past, Matt attacked the climbs and sprinted for the county lines. But he found that I am currently nowhere near the fitness level I had been for the past decade. Matt's fitness level is pretty good right now and Doug's is better than ever.
Rehabilitation Overview: Having just returned to training only 9 weeks ago following a 6-month period of illness and injury, both the physical and psychological journey back has barely just begun. The fact that my condition is not curable might mean never returning to my former level of fitness.
In retrospect I can see the stages of denial, anger, depression and finally acceptance and reorganization. Being the client, coach and therapist is challenging but I'll just try to focus on the steady process of goal-setting and achievements and hope for the best.
To view Doug and Dan's HRM data from today's ride click on the link below.
Dougs HRM data
Dan's HRM data
August 21, 2004
Interrupted TT Tests
Pumped up the tires and put the pedals on the TT bike, blew the dust off the saddle, and rolled out of the garage for a test run. After a brief spin over to the Cedars TT course I took off for what I planned to be the warm-up effort. The effort started OK but when I got to the turnaround a minivan was approaching from behind so I slowed way down so she could pass, the minivan slowed down, I slowed down even more, the minivan slowed more (What the...!?). I turned around and hammered back to the finish line for an elapsed time of 0:07:04.
Feeling warmed up now I was going to go for the real deal. I countdown and start, but was distracted and started in the wrong gear (small ring), I didn't realize it and correct it until about 40 seconds into it. After the turnaround my chain wouldn't drop into the 11-tooth cog so the overall result was disappointing (7:09). I had planned to do at least three efforts but instead decided to go home and adjust the drive-train and return another time.
Saturday, August 21, 2004 3:30 PM
Distance 3.0 miles
| TEST 1 - Duration 0:07:04*
Average Heart Rate 157 bpm Average Speed 25.47 mph *traffic at turnaround | TEST 2 - Duration 0:07:09*
Average Heart Rate 159 bpm Average Speed 25.17 mph *shifting problem |
August 17, 2004
Training w/Race Simulations
Todays ride started from my house with Cathy Boland and we headed over to Doug's, from there the three of us headed to Appalachee Farms to hook up with Rachel's new roommate's brother, James Campbell.
We cruised around the Mt Moriah - Doc Hughes loop and did the Sunny Hill sprint with the "attack zone" starting right after we crossed back over I-85 and turned off of Gravel Springs Road. James tried his best to get rid of me before the sprint but it just didn't happen. His time trial bike was a disadvantage in the actual sprint but he's a strong guy and a great fighter - great fun.
We took him over to the 3-mile Cedars TT course, where his bike would now be to his advantage. I started 30 seconds before him and told him to catch me. He finished in about 0:07:27 which I think is great. My results, listed below, were par for the course. The wind favored the out and slowed us on the way back, but it all comes out about the same in an out-and-back course.
Tuesday, August 17, 2004 12:30 PM
Distance 3.0 miles
| Duration 0:07:08
Average Heart Rate 164 bpm Average Speed 25.23 mph |
Empty Nest Syndrome
Rachel moved into her dorm room in Athens, GA yesterday. It's only an hour away from home and we'll still see her often, but this event signals the beginning of a new phase in our lives.
You've nursed, nagged and nurtured this kid for nearly two decades, and now your last or only child is gone away to college. You're a parent, and that plays a large part in how you define yourself. How ready are you for an empty nest?Empty Nest Syndrome? Isn't that a myth? I am not planning to fly the coop or anything, but a new phase in life is cool. Maybe we can convert the extra room into an office, gym, studio or something. Hmmm... there is a passport waiting to be used - of course I'll check in on my little chickadees -- maybe from a cell phone as I sail down the Nile.
My children are strong, smart and independent, and I couldn't be more proud. These girls really did a fine job of raising me. I will worry not.
August 15, 2004
Getting To Know One's Self
That's what happens when you pedal a bicycle over Hogpen Gap. You learn things about yourself. Cyclist may talk about the distance, the elevation, the atmosphere (which is drastically different at the top), the painfully inadequate gearing on the steep parts of the climb or the speed of the death-defying descent. The numbers and descriptions cannot begin to truly portray the experience.
This is how Doug and I started our day. Having ridden the route from Helen, GA over Hogpen to Jacks (Brasstown Bald) and Unicoi Gaps more than a few times, I rode with experience and confidence on my side. However Doug was exploring and discovering the boundaries of his physical and mental limits.
Strength and skills are important on this ride but maybe not as important as determination and concentration. A lapse of concentration may lead to a struggle to maintain or regain pace on a climb which already has a rider on the brink of blowing-up. Doug crossed that line twice on the first climb and was forced to dismount for several moments of recovery. A lapse of concentration during a 40+ mph descent can lead to misjudging a turn and send a rider into the oncoming lane or worse. And there is the possibility of hitting a small rock just the wrong way (you can't possibly see all of them on a high-speed descent) resulting in a flat tire and a hard to control bike.
Sure there were a few incidents on our ride this morning, but overall it's great to be cycling in the North Georgia Mountains and getting to know one's self better.
August 13, 2004
Threshold Round Two
On the stock road bike, wearing a flappy jersey, carrying 2 large water bottles and a saddle bag I went back to the Cedars TT course. Although improving my elapsed time is not the objective here and now, I thought I might shave a second or two off Monday's time. That did not happen as a steady 10-12 mph wind from the NW was blowing across the road making the conditions tougher than before. No matter, the point is to start spending some time near lactate threshold, repeating this workout improves the ability to clear lactic acid and develop power from the anaerobic system.
Friday, August 13, 2004 12:30 PM
Distance 3.0 miles
| TEST 1 - Duration 0:07:09
Average Heart Rate 160 bpm Average Speed 25.17 mph Turnaround Split 0:04:08 | TEST 2 - Duration 0:07:14
Average Heart Rate 158 bpm Average Speed 24.88 mph Turnaround Split 0:04:14 |
August 10, 2004
Doug's First Time Trial
Prompted by Dean's surprising results at last evening's TT test, Doug rode out to Cedars Road this afternoon to see how he stacked up. It's sort of like our own neighborhood version of the rivalry between the Texan and the big German.
Here's the results according to my calculations.
Tuesday, August 10, 2004 2:30 PM
Distance 3.0 miles
<------ Doug's Data ------>
| Duration 0:07:58
Average Heart Rate 155 bpm Average Speed 22.59 mph Average Cadence 68 rpm |
August 09, 2004
Field Test 08/09/04 (updated)
Dean & I met over on Cedars Road to preform a field test for estimating AT (anaerobic threshold) on the bicycle. Members of the Frazier Cycling Partners have marked a 3-mile out-and-back course, which they use on most Wednesday evenings, and that's perfect for us to use as a benchmark. The course is almost straight but not flat, gaining over 100 feet in altitude out to the turnaround.
Since speed was not our objective, we rode stock road bikes without any aero equipment (i.e. sans TT bike, aerobars, disc wheel, tri-spoke, skinsuit, prologue helmet, shoe covers, etc). After a good warm up we each did the course solo, as fast as possible, starting from a dead stop with a foot down. Research has shown that the highest sustainable average heart rate for that distance is going to be very close to one's current AT, usually within a couple beats of what a laboratory test would determine.
My results were not unexpected but far from where my fitness level was at this time last year. I did the test twice and each time it took 4 minutes to get up to the turnaround and a little over 3 minutes to get back to the start/finish line. Dean's time was about 00:08:15 but he was delayed by traffic at the turnaround so it might have been about 8-10 seconds faster.
Monday, August 9, 2004 6:30 PM
Distance 3.0 miles
<------ Dan's Data ------>
| TEST 1 - Duration 0:07:09
Average Heart Rate 162 bpm Average Speed 25.17 mph | TEST 2 - Duration 0:07:12
Average Heart Rate 158 bpm Average Speed 25.0 mph |
<------ Dean's Data ------>
| Duration 0:08:15
Average Heart Rate 161 bpm Average Speed 22.0 mph Average Cadence 85 rpm |
August 08, 2004
Riding With GTC
This morning Doug and I loaded the bikes onto my car and went to accompany some of the Gwinnett Touring Club members for ride around the Auburn-Academy Church route. I suppose about 17 or so showed up; Bob Kuhn, Carlos Rivera, Marshall Millard, Tracy Saine, Cathy Connell, Mark & Julie Stewart, David & Bonnie Alley (on a tandem), Wojtek Wysocki, Rob (on Litespeed Vortex), Branden (youngster in T-mobile kit), and two guys and a gal whom I didn't know or get the chance to meet.
The weather was fine and the roads and traffic conditions were nearly ideal. Nary a mechanical mishap among us and even a few good old-fashioned county line sprints thrown in for fun.
Doug's HRM data
[click to enlarge]
Dan's HRM data
[click to enlarge]
Training Overview: Today completed a second mesocycle of the Base phase, and next week will begin the first of at least two mesocycles of the Build phase. This is where durations are maintained (~10-12 hrs/wk) while intensity begins to increase. Let the pain begin.
[click to enlarge]
August 07, 2004
Favorite Quote of the Day
"If the Phone Doesn't Ring, It's Me" - Jimmy Buffet
A Glance Back
Training Review: 1250 miles cycled since resuming training on June 20th. Morning resting heart = 38 bpm. Only about 6 weeks left this summer and I've just about completed my base phase. I suppose that's on schedule for the cyclocross season. Next week is the 2004 Masters National Championships in Park City Utah, but no racing for me this season -- I was at Nats one year ago when my friend and employer, Guy Luck, was robbed and murdered while leaving his restaurant.
Health Review: While I don't ever expect to be pain-free again, I have been able to keep the condition mostly under control. Fortunately the music biz has been steady, and the website and coaching biz has provided some income. Without the kind of insurance most folks enjoy, I have amassed some serious medical bills. Although I don't know what the total owed is yet I have been able to make some payments.
August 02, 2004
Life is a Balance
The effects of training and practice are temporary. You cannot put fitness and form in the bank. If inactive, you will lose it much faster than it took to get it. My entire persona is influenced by this knowledge, I have to constantly train and practice for the sake of my mental and emotional well-being.
So, I train and practice nearly every day to preserve what I have attained as well as to secure what is yet to be. There can be no let up. If I don't train and practice, I will eventually lose everything I've worked for -- and my future too.
Of course goals need to realistically take lifestyle and priorities into account. Sure it would be great to win races against guys half your age or fit into the jeans you wore in high school or be able to express freely through music and art, but what do you have to give up to get there: family, friends, income, insurance, retirement, good food, reliable vehicle? Life is a balance, and priorities will fluctuate, and it's alright as long as you remain committed and honest.
People start looking for shortcuts when they lose respect for their goals (i.e. fast foods, lottery, diet pills, insurance scams, and worse). If you don't care enough about the goal to do the work to achieve it, you should find a goal that you're more passionate about.
August 01, 2004
No Stopping
The ride on the menu for this Sunday morning was the old "Blackjack Loop", which now features some smooth new asphalt on both Blackjack and Ridge Roads. Doug and I were maintaining a fairly hard pace and we made it over the first two hard climbs, Mt. Moriah & Flowery Branch Road, without a problem, but he threw his chain on Tuggle Road which has a long fast descent followed by a sharp steep climb. It's what I call the "Grand Slam" of gear shifts from the biggest possible gear to the smallest, even the pros blow it sometimes. No problem, we quickly got back into the rhythm and motored on.
As we approached the long climb up Blackjack I noticed our average speed was about 20 mph and that this was a fantastic ride for Doug. The long climb was into a headwind and hurt more than usual, but the turn onto Ridge Road now gave us the tailwind and new surface, so we sailed... maybe too much. Doug took a hard pull at the front and then blew-up losing everything and more that was gained from the effort.
Finally, with the end less than a half-mile away we attacked the climb up Sunny Hill Road. Still far ahead of a previous best time I figured it was "mission accomplished". Before reaching the top of the climb I looked over my shoulder and was shocked to see Doug off the bike walking up the hill with his helmet in his hand! I quickly looked him over for blood or broken bones but he appeared fine. I found out later that he stood up to attack the steep section when his cleat suddenly popped out of the pedal and scared the daylights out of him. Anyway, I made him remount and finish what had been the strongest ride I've ever seen him do. I told him to look at his clock because it was a record breaking effort. He said he had looked at it and thought the thing must have stopped or something.
All in all, it was a fine display of Doug's improving fitness and strength. Sure, we still need to refine a few skills but for goodness sakes, no stopping!
[Dan's HRM data]
[Doug's HRM data]