Race pics, comentary to follow:
Pre-Race, calm before the storm
My teamate putting the hurt on.
Sprinting for the line
Many thanks to my photographer Lynn!
Monday, February 23, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Great Scott! .......The Hounds are Upon Us!
How the hell did road race season get here so soon? I can only hope that some of the other Cat 5 losers (like me) have had as much fun as I have had this winter. I keep reminding myself of how long this season will be and not to get too caught up in the now of Feb., considering that I also want to do a good cross season. Saturday, all of the fruit or lack thereof will be brought to bear with the Spring Series. I have to say that I am not very ready, as I was still trying to cough up whatever is still in my lungs last night, and there is a lot of it. Tonight’s show will be Tour de Living Room brought to you by pain and suffering. Herself and I are going to be doing beyond threshold intervals…
Workout: 10 min. spin + 5 min step up + 45 min. intervals + 5 min. cool down.
Interval: Twenty second all out max with two min. rest
Let the structured workouts begin……….
Workout: 10 min. spin + 5 min step up + 45 min. intervals + 5 min. cool down.
Interval: Twenty second all out max with two min. rest
Let the structured workouts begin……….
Monday, February 9, 2009
An open post:
In the throes:
So for further clarification, I have pulled the oh so sweet Reynolds DV46C’s off of the Look and replaced them with Shimano’s cheapest (or almost cheapest) set of wheels. This is heartbreaking for me to say the least, although I know that I should just get over it. This bike just looks so bad ass with those wheels on it. Don't you think?
But I know that in the long run I need to run the crap wheels as it will have the two fold benefit of saving the good and true wheels for race day and making my legs work a bit harder to turn the heavier wheels whilst training. They do ride fine though and I look like less of a wanker riding around town. I should count myself lucky to have the dilemma of which bike to put which wheels on, worrying about gear choices and such. Hey, I’m a gear junkie and I have the credit card bills to prove it.
On Love and Labour:
Many of the people that I have told about my recent lack of training have given me that “You’re screwed - you are screwing up” look when I say that I have been “working on the garage”. So let’s clarify- By working I mean that I have completely demolished an interior and an exterior wall of the garage, re-framed them, tied everything together structurally, drilled and screwed into concrete, and framed in for a garage door, which is now in. Talk about hard work! I now have a bike shop with a garage bay!!!
I also ordered the Ultimate Pro Classic bike stand, truing stand attachment, and all the trimmings for my shop………. So very PRO.
On Training:
Yes I have also been sick, but as far as training goes I have really gone my own way. Given the extreme length of our racing season and the burned out state that I have frequently gotten into, I have not been piling on the miles but have been trying to improve my muscular power by doing shorter (2 hour) rides involving a higher degree of power and gaining extra weight that I plan on using as a buffer to burn through as the season progresses.
On Haters:
I changed the style up…….. So let the haters hate and I’ll let the deliciousness pile up! Word.
So for further clarification, I have pulled the oh so sweet Reynolds DV46C’s off of the Look and replaced them with Shimano’s cheapest (or almost cheapest) set of wheels. This is heartbreaking for me to say the least, although I know that I should just get over it. This bike just looks so bad ass with those wheels on it. Don't you think?
But I know that in the long run I need to run the crap wheels as it will have the two fold benefit of saving the good and true wheels for race day and making my legs work a bit harder to turn the heavier wheels whilst training. They do ride fine though and I look like less of a wanker riding around town. I should count myself lucky to have the dilemma of which bike to put which wheels on, worrying about gear choices and such. Hey, I’m a gear junkie and I have the credit card bills to prove it.
On Love and Labour:
Many of the people that I have told about my recent lack of training have given me that “You’re screwed - you are screwing up” look when I say that I have been “working on the garage”. So let’s clarify- By working I mean that I have completely demolished an interior and an exterior wall of the garage, re-framed them, tied everything together structurally, drilled and screwed into concrete, and framed in for a garage door, which is now in. Talk about hard work! I now have a bike shop with a garage bay!!!
I also ordered the Ultimate Pro Classic bike stand, truing stand attachment, and all the trimmings for my shop………. So very PRO.
On Training:
Yes I have also been sick, but as far as training goes I have really gone my own way. Given the extreme length of our racing season and the burned out state that I have frequently gotten into, I have not been piling on the miles but have been trying to improve my muscular power by doing shorter (2 hour) rides involving a higher degree of power and gaining extra weight that I plan on using as a buffer to burn through as the season progresses.
On Haters:
I changed the style up…….. So let the haters hate and I’ll let the deliciousness pile up! Word.
The Long Climb Back-
Yesterday I did my first ride in weeks that I would consider “hard”. Herself and I did the weekend right! On Sat. I rode an hour or so solo before we met up at the park to loosen up the legs for Sun. I still felt pretty bad and a bit feverish Sat. night so I made sure that I got my herbs before bedtime. I did manage to get the Look sorted for the crap wheels (sniff) and the BMC’s cassette changed in time for Sundays ride. Lynn has been suffering with an 11-23 and I swapped it out for a 12-25. Between the gear set change and her burgeoning fitness Ol’ Paris never stood a chance as Lynn managed to do the entire “climbing route” in style and with class to spare.
-A big Kick Ass!
Yesterday I did my first ride in weeks that I would consider “hard”. Herself and I did the weekend right! On Sat. I rode an hour or so solo before we met up at the park to loosen up the legs for Sun. I still felt pretty bad and a bit feverish Sat. night so I made sure that I got my herbs before bedtime. I did manage to get the Look sorted for the crap wheels (sniff) and the BMC’s cassette changed in time for Sundays ride. Lynn has been suffering with an 11-23 and I swapped it out for a 12-25. Between the gear set change and her burgeoning fitness Ol’ Paris never stood a chance as Lynn managed to do the entire “climbing route” in style and with class to spare.
-A big Kick Ass!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Getting Back
First ride back:
I told Her(self) that this is why she should keep a training log. I was suffering like a dog for no reason (except that “I had been sick”). We went to the park to do some laps, all bundled up, and boy did I feel like a pile of dirty dish rags. Round and around we go and then next thing you know, She is towing my sorry ass around like nobody’s business. Just like I told her a while back, there would come a time when the stars would align and she would stick it too me……..
-And she did!
Revenge of the Nerds:
Lo how the mighty have fallen. I guess that I am getting better as I was able to give a little bit of the business to Herself in night two of the “Living Room Grand Prix”. I setup the trainers in the living room, put my homemade bootleg DVD of euro trash cross on the tele, complete with Flemish commentary, and my Bike Rock soundtrack on the stereo.
-And a good time was had by all.
I told Her(self) that this is why she should keep a training log. I was suffering like a dog for no reason (except that “I had been sick”). We went to the park to do some laps, all bundled up, and boy did I feel like a pile of dirty dish rags. Round and around we go and then next thing you know, She is towing my sorry ass around like nobody’s business. Just like I told her a while back, there would come a time when the stars would align and she would stick it too me……..
-And she did!
Revenge of the Nerds:
Lo how the mighty have fallen. I guess that I am getting better as I was able to give a little bit of the business to Herself in night two of the “Living Room Grand Prix”. I setup the trainers in the living room, put my homemade bootleg DVD of euro trash cross on the tele, complete with Flemish commentary, and my Bike Rock soundtrack on the stereo.
-And a good time was had by all.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Where have all the good times gone
So we are well into the “New Year” and where has my training gone……..In the crapper is where it has gone. For all of my posturing last season about how I was going to get a leg up on this season, I feel like I have done all of nil to prepare for it. Forget about all of the two hour night rides, I still feel like a looser for not doing the tons of base and wicked fast group rides that it seems everyone else is doing. I will have to say that my guitar playing showed some improvement though, at least for a short while.
So what have I accomplished? I demolished and rebuilt a few walls and framed in for a garage door on herself’s garage in anticipation of “the move”. Speaking of which I have been informed that if I don’t make some kind of announcement I may get flogged so here goes.
I am engaged to be married to my darling and betrothed'!!! …aka Herself, aka Slave Driver, Boss Lady, et. al……(Sorry Stu but I could not help but steal that one…….Imitation and flattery and all that jazz)
Back on topic: So after my brief stint as a carpenter I came down with the flu…Joy!
And I have been surly and sedentary ever since. But with the spring series and my eminent public humiliation on the horizon, the time is now to get off my drunken ass and “Get to it” as Aunt Bee would say.
See yah
So what have I accomplished? I demolished and rebuilt a few walls and framed in for a garage door on herself’s garage in anticipation of “the move”. Speaking of which I have been informed that if I don’t make some kind of announcement I may get flogged so here goes.
I am engaged to be married to my darling and betrothed'!!! …aka Herself, aka Slave Driver, Boss Lady, et. al……(Sorry Stu but I could not help but steal that one…….Imitation and flattery and all that jazz)
Back on topic: So after my brief stint as a carpenter I came down with the flu…Joy!
And I have been surly and sedentary ever since. But with the spring series and my eminent public humiliation on the horizon, the time is now to get off my drunken ass and “Get to it” as Aunt Bee would say.
See yah
Friday, January 2, 2009
Happy New.................yeah yeah...........Whatever.
Just kidding. I'm happy about bringing in the new year and exited about what awesome(ness) it holds. I took Herself up what I like to refer to as the "Climbing route" of Paris Mountain on the first day of the new year. After the first "rise" I was debating the merits of doing the full monty as it were, but then thought , eff it. Nothing like a little suffering (or alot) to start the new year off right.....Right? So up we go and all was well but dropping down the other side was a bear to say the least. The temperature was dropping and we were dropping down the hill for 10 minutes, getting chilled like shrimp on ice, never to recover. I seems like often times when coming back into town after coming down the mountain and following the roads along the river, it just gets colder and colder. We did make it home though, just at dark and no worse for wear, after some hot food, hot chocolate and hot showers. Ahhhhhhhhhh..............
Just kidding. I'm happy about bringing in the new year and exited about what awesome(ness) it holds. I took Herself up what I like to refer to as the "Climbing route" of Paris Mountain on the first day of the new year. After the first "rise" I was debating the merits of doing the full monty as it were, but then thought , eff it. Nothing like a little suffering (or alot) to start the new year off right.....Right? So up we go and all was well but dropping down the other side was a bear to say the least. The temperature was dropping and we were dropping down the hill for 10 minutes, getting chilled like shrimp on ice, never to recover. I seems like often times when coming back into town after coming down the mountain and following the roads along the river, it just gets colder and colder. We did make it home though, just at dark and no worse for wear, after some hot food, hot chocolate and hot showers. Ahhhhhhhhhh..............
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
