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Subscribeschmalz's log 2009 part 17
Fri, 02/06/2009 - 1:46pm by schmalz
I'm still in Iowa for work, and I'm slowly introducing my brother's family to the strangeness that is the routine of a training (and yes, what I do officially does count as training) cyclist. My younger nieces are 6 and 3, and they are at the age where they have no reservations about speaking their minds or asking any question or more accurately, any series of questions they want to ask. And that's wonderful because I can try and field questions they may have while also trying not to fling myself from my rollers-it adds a whole new degree of difficulty to my training.
And there's so many questions the little ones can choose from, for instance they can inquire about Uncle Dan wearing lady clothes and riding his bike to nowhere? Or maybe they ask why does Uncle Dan eats everything in the refrigerator, including all of our cereal? There's so many things to learn from having a 2 score old grown up pedaling his bike in your laundry room and not going anywhere, not even to the hallway. The meanings of these lessons are escaping me at the moment, but I'm sure a greater meaning will manifest itself soon. Something to do either with the meaning of life or some top tips for removing stubborn stains.
Friday, January 30, 2009
I've been hard at work building a new bike nest out here in my temporary quarters, and the most important component of a proper bike nest is entertainment. Because the real enemy of indoor training is neither fatigue nor pain, it is boredom. That's why I've been greedily swiping electronic equipment from my hosts in order to create my roller oasis-my nieces will simply have to do without the Disney feed for a while, uncle dan has to sweat through his brightly colored man tights.
Weight 154
1:24:50
83 cadence
1007 kj
38.70
310 max
201 ave
135 ave hr
Sunday, February 1, 2009
I came to Iowa with a cold only to find that there was a wave of strep going through the house here. I have been diligently washing my hands and keeping far away from infected individuals, who, despite my shrieking, still feel the need to come near. I felt under the weather yesterday and decided to take myself in to the doctor to have my sore glands and ear ache checked out. He didn't find any nasty bacteria on the quick strep test, but the second test takes 48 hours, so I will play it safe and take some antibiotics prophylactically-and if you think I didn't just write up that whole description just to be able to use the word "prophylactically" at the end-you don't know me at all. Prophylactically! Prophylactically! Hee hee!
Weight 154
1:30:00
1077 Kj
201 ave watts
142 ave HR
85 ave cadence
42.66 miles
Monday, February 2, 2009
It's been about 48 hours since my doctor's visit, and I haven't got a call with a positive test, an indication that there's no strep in my system. I am now free to live my life bacteria-free, and will celebrate by riding round drums made of aluminum with my bicycle in an effort to get nowhere at all. Carpe diem!
In order to be able to withstand my stand of indoor riding; I'm working my way through the X-Men trilogy. It's been two straight days of mutant powers and threats to humanity. I'm as geeky as the next guy; and I did go through a comic book phase, which came before my discoveries of both the ladies (which maddeningly didn't discover me back-thanks, high school) and alcohol. But once these twin genies were sprung from their bottles, comic books didn't stand a chance. From that moment forward, my spare time for comic books evaporated in a haze of intoxicants and hormones. Sorry, Wolverine.
Weight 154
1:30:00
1048 Kj
43.32 miles
85 average cadence
196 average watts
140 HR average
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Today marked my return back to intensity, and goodness I missed it so! I did the stalwart interval of my winter training season, the 20/10. Ah, the 20/10, so wonderfully brief and yet very satisfying at the same time.
Weight 154
1:24:25
1018 Kj
37.91 miles
83 average cadence
203 average watts
139 HR average
20/10
311 Average
171 hr
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Now that I am jumping back into the above ground pool of intensity, I'm going to start wading into the "just as deep end" (those things are only really one depth, and not very helpful in a metaphorical sense), and start down the path of threshold intervals. You're probably at your computer wringing your hands in nervous anxiety while you wail "No, Dan, it's too soon for threshold!" Well, more accurately, you're probably sitting in front of your computer at work quietly hoping that the current financial hailstorm doesn't leave dimples in the hood of the Datsun 280Z that is your career, but I, like most bike racers, live in a world of myopia and delusion; and I prefer to think that people actually care about whether I ride slightly harder for a longer periods of time than I regularly do.
And ride slightly harder I did. I spun my way through 4 two minute intervals at threshold. And I know that doing threshold intervals that are under 4 minutes is like wearing a Saran Wrap parka to the South Pole, but I don't care. I am just slipping back into the above ground pool here, I'll be doing cannonballs off the garage roof later in the season.
Weight 153
1:15:00
908 Kj
35.89 miles
83 average cadence
205 average watts
142 HR average
2 minute intervals
323 Average 167 hr
322 Average 175 hr
324 Average 175 hr
314 Average 176 hr
Thursday, February 5, 2009
There are many pleasant things about being a bike racer: you get to wear white cycling shorts in public parks on rainy days; you get to wear noisy, slippery cleats into muffin shops; you get to look down on everyone else on bikes with smug disdain; and you get to toss white bar tape and white brake hoods on your sweet ride. I think we can all agree that these wonderful perks are what makes being a bike racers so awesome.
But sometimes if you want to race bikes, you have to do some unpleasant things. This means doing intervals, and especially unpleasant are longer intervals, those going past the duration of about 2 minutes or so. Today I had the unpleasant task of completing the third panel of my triptych of intensity, the dreaded 20 minute "kinda hard" intervals. The first 5 minutes of these intervals are not so bad, but once you get past the 10 minute mark, things get uncomfortable, not awful mind you, as these are kinda hard intervals, they are just uncomfortable. But discomfort is discomfort, and I personally prefer comfort over the sensation of being without comfort.
Weight 155
1:29:59
1104 Kj
43.91 miles
88 average cadence
205 average watts
143 HR average
20 minute intervals
255 Average 159 hr
240 Average 160 hr
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back to the fart topic please
log onto nyTRIlocity for warm, fuzzy feelings, kitten lovers, stuff like that. this is the rough and tumble world of club racing, pal
Isn't CP30 R2D2's friend? Kind of an effete snob from what I remember, even for a robot. Oh, and another thing, how come everybody in space (even robots) speaks with a British accent?
If you want power, better get on with the Chewbacca training...
Is that one of your vertebrae?
holy shit, it was actually NICE out yesterday ... didn't you people get to blow off some steam outside? shouldn't there be less of the vitriol today? or did everyone get out there and realize that winter had not been kind to your CP30's, etc.?
you sound like a Goar Forker to me. not a very funny one, either
forget about Goar forking, that is just totally nuts
oh shit. typo. you're = your. I'm an idiot.
First of all there is NO SUCH THING as Cat 6. What Cat 6 are you referring to? I don't see a section for Cat 6 in Coggan's Power Profile. Therefore, it must not exist, and you are simply wrong. I only read things literally as well, so your comment is flawed.
If you're max limit of Cat. put-downs is "6" then that clearly places you as a "4". If you had said ... "go blow a goat, you Cat 5 wanker" ... then maybe I would have pegged you as a "3". The general rule is ANGRY LITERALIST's CAT = VICTIM's CAT - 2.
Also, have you physically tried to blow a goat? It is really tough and smelly. I blew some goats back in 2003 when I was a Cat 9 rider and needed some good luck (it was the Year of the Goat and there is an ancient Chinese proverb ... etc.)
Have you watched the Colbert report?
if you are going to spoon a goat, forking might just be the right thing to do, depending of the situation. set your power levels for later in the season... just sayin'
Goar's are a goat/boar hybrid — and no fun to spoon.
Is that an Iowa thing?
Just goat spooning then?
no goat blowing necessary if he was just joking
Pretty sure that was a joke there.
Hey 9:06 who the F asked you? go blow a goat, you cat 6 wanker.
Oh oh oh man. You're making me so nervous! Dan, you're blowing my mind. This isn't something I read in the "book" that I bought with my power meter. Please, stop shaking things up. This doesn't compute. I need to reboot.
In the winter I go by heart rate in intervals to set my wattage numbers for my efforts later in the season.
And my heart rate hardly ever drifts when I'm drinking a Schlitz on my bike.
Sarcasm would've been: "I love freezing my @ss off in the March races... 'cause it's so pro to race without knee warmers in the cold. I'm going to enjoy the frostbite when the temp drops like 90 degrees at twilight."
Dan why the double entendre of training with power AND heart rate? It could be way hot in your brothers laundry room, causing your heart rate to be a little high, or maybe you had an extra Schlitz last night, etc, etc. IF you want to get faster don't you have to focus on raising your FTP via structured intervals above your previous FTP?
no, it was sarcasm. hyperbole: you are the stupidest person alive (exaggeration, but no irony). sarcasm: you are the smartest person alive, i totally agree with you, the race being scheduled for twilight will definitely lead to it being cancelled (see, possibly an element of exaggeration with the superlative, but the irony is the defining charateristic). let's get it right.
why wouldn't this site get advertisers?
i don't know if you've noticed, but every comment box on the internet is full of fucking morons. the site itself produces quality content, and gets plenty of traffic, i'm sure.
I can't believe I'd ever say this, but Toni is spot on.
Anyone else see the bike/motorcycle accident on 9w today where 9w meets the north end of River Road? Looked ugly. About 1:00 p.m.
This site actually gets advertisers ...
Hi poster 8:54, it's 10:38.
Exaggeration for dramatic effect is hyperbole... not sarcasm.
You were being hyperbolic.
That doesn't change the fact that you won't be racing 'cause of the cold.
Are you even racing P/1/2?
hi, poster 10:38, this is poster 8:54. yes, i know the temperature doesn't drop 30-40 degrees between late afternoon and twilight. i do not actually expect to get frostbite just because the race is in the kinda-dark. i was employing an ironic rhetorical style known as sarcasm in my earlier post.
I hate these people that just write lame rips on this site.
Guys,
If you don't want to do the race bc it is too cold, then don't do the race. You have freewill.
If you want to have a race earlier in the day, organize one and put one on
If you want to be a lameass, do nothing but rip on people on this site.
I did the twilight race last year in shorts and short sleeves, as did lots of people. It was about 60 degrees.
Iced out....I still remember the hopeful emails from the race organizers as they held onto the last straws of hope that somehow the race would happen. I may be incorrect, but I think the final 'no go' email came at like 1:00 AM.
Bring the racing...
The difference between the high and the low of the day is usually less than 30-40 degrees. The change doesn't happen in 2 hours.
Does it have to be 72 and sunny for you to race?
well using that logic, who would want to do the spring series when it's 20 degrees and raining?
seriously, between late afternoon and twilight, the temperature drops like 30-40 degrees. frostbite for everyone on-hand is not only likely, it's virtually certain.
it was warm at last years (GT Crit) and there was stiff competition for March. You've been out training in the weather why not race? Oh...maybe you haven't been training and you're using frostbite as a lame excuse...
it was warm at last years (GT Crit) and there was stiff competition for March. You've been out training in the weather why not race? Oh...maybe you haven't been training and you're using frostbite as a lame excuse...
calm down
alex, who the fuck would want to do a twilight crit in march? enjoy frostbite!
fyi,
you will need very high watts/kg/mL O2/CH4 grasshoppers...
;)
David
I wouldn't say my threshold is 322, those are quick intervals, my threshold would be much less. My 2x20s are around 240-250 because I'm targeting a tempo HR - around 160-170.
If your threshold is around 322 (as you mention in your 2' interval section) then why are your 2x20' always around only 240 to around 255?
ONE WEEK UNTIL REGISTRATION OPENS!
https://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=7695
- A Bremer and CU Cycling
but if you got the $2500 I'd swing for a new SR'BM meter
Collins can feel it
Wafting in the air tonight
Don’t smell twice, bacon.
http://baconhaikus.wordpress.com/2009/02/03/bacon-haikus-vol-1-no-51/
Its official...NYVC.com has sunk to new lows. Only more jokes about CJ and bacon will reveal that we have not seen the bottom yet.
-A Pob
The iFart can't hold a candle to the PowerFart Pro. Remember, the iFart only measures Aromatic Stench Strength (AsS) while in motion. The PowerFart Pro combines real-time AsS calculations in a static or fluid environment.
Are you sullying my log with your talk of gassiness?
You guys are wasting your money -- the iFart is like .99 cens at Taco Bell
Come on people! Don't fart into your seat, shoot it out the back! That's valuable thrust!
The new CycleOps PowerFart Pro comes complete with integrated seat/seatpost pressure meter.
training peaks says i am international pro level farts/kg
could we get some farts per kilogram #s pls
bone zone intervals
i'd like to see PM numbers on people's mattresses
if i put a power meter on my kid's big wheel to measure his progress, would that be overboard?
The PM companies are licking their chops. They've figured out a way to let everyone race against themselves and pay $1000+ plus so they can go home content with their 20th place "yeah but I threw down 330 watts in the break" finish.
Seriously, a company should come up with a $100 PM that is accurate within 20 watts and just shows zones... no specific watts. That would be nearly as effective for training.
Greater accuracy is just an issue when you're trying to beat your own best, or comparing yourself to someone. SRM and Saris are laughing all the way to the bank. Perceived effort is very accurate, but it is hard to remember how you're feeling at 10 second intervals for 5 hours and calculate TSS. The iBike was actually a good idea, but they should have dumbed it down and made it smaller ... turned it into the simpleton's power meter. Polar and iBike didn't get the memo: PMs are an ego building tool!! So +-1% accuracy is extremely important.
The proof is in the pudding. Are you or your team winning races? That is the real "power" meter.
did the psychic cleanse your aura? did she replace your chakra with a more weight weenie version that'll improve gw bridge crossing time?
isn't heart rate a lagging and somwwhat unreliable indicator to use for training zones? i mean, my heart rate and blood pressure would both go through the roof last year whenever i could hear your creaky cannondale in the pack, but i wasn't necessarily improving my fitness. more of a panicky feeling, reaally. i want results this year, Schmalz!
My threshold interval goal was my heartrate, not the wattage. My threshold HR is 175bpm, which has been discovered through a blood test, a conconi test and a seance test with a psychic.
Was your 322-324 threshold goal derived from any kind of testing, or did you just start out with your numbers from last year?
I just interviewed Allen Lim, and he goes into great detail about training by feel (he believes in it, but not in the way we usually think about it). Should be up next week. Good stuff.
True, but great riders are talented. I, on the other hand, have come to know my body's "feel" very well, like when I "feel" slow or I "feel" an impending collapse coming or when I "feel" like curling into a ball and whimpering.
train by feel. Just sayin...
some are very specific about their power training, I, on the other hand, am not very specific at all. I tend to go a little more by feel.
what is your max wattage on those on the rollers
i thought that this power based training thing was more specific than that. not a criticism, just asking a question. sitting at my cubicle pretending to be productive.
Wheat? In Iowa? Surely you jest!
how is the winter wheat looking?
He stocked groceries at the Hy-Vee.
isn't kurt warner from iowa?
To start to think about riding hard, but not too hard
what is the objective of the 2 minute low 300w intervals?
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