Saturday was just one of those days that should have been a great day to ride. The weather wasn't horrible and there was a good group heading out for around 48 miles or so. The plan was for a no-drop ride at a decent pace. This was my idea as a way to start prepping for the more serious rides to come this spring. Yes, it should have been a great day but in the end it was just ok.
Let the story begin.
Since we were starting from Cafe Noto, Pat asked me if I wanted to meet early for a pre-ride coffee - his treat! I arrive at 7:30 just as Pat is riding up. A few minutes later we are drinking coffee and just chatting. Then others start to arrive and before we are even on the bikes the trash talking begins. You know, questions like "who's wearing the most layers when they should be wearing a skirt?" This is going to be fun.
At 8:00 the 9 of us head out and I know I am in trouble 10 minutes into the ride. I have 2 things working against me. First, my stomach is jacked up and I begin to fight the urge to hurl. Second, and perhaps more importantly, my legs feel like lead. I just don't have any pop and I am struggling to hang on from the beginning. Oh well, I tell myself to suck it up and keep riding.
This continues for the entire ride. I don't feel bad enough to turn back but I have trouble keeping up all day. Carmen is also not feeling well so we hang out together in the back. Finally, towards the end of the ride I managed to get on front and take one very decent pull. Then some of the group decide to haul ass back taking 30-second pulls. I simply sat up and watched them ride away. They are actually drinking coffee before I make it back.
In thinking about the ride I tried to analyze what went wrong. I have learned from Coach Tim that sometimes you are going to have bad days. Some days you simply cannot muster enough mojo to ride well. But this didn't feel like one of those days. And I can't blame my stomach for no power in the legs. So what the hell happened?
In thinking it over, I realized a few of my rides recently have not been stellar. As I turn all this over in my mind, why on a 23 mile in the rain on the Vegas (BTW - special shout out to Doppler radar for telling the closest rain was 200 miles away), it hits me. There are 3 significant mistakes that I making on these rides. It all deals with me thinking it is the off-season and riding like it's not.
Thanks to the holidays, and a lack of will power, I have gained between 10 - 12 pounds. That is not unusual and it will be gone soon enough. But it is enough extra weight to mess up my power-to-weight ratio. The additional weight simply means it takes more energy for every pedal stoke.
I also discovered I am not eating. I typically don't eat on my gentle off-season rides but the rides I have been on lately are challenging. So some of my late ride drops are really due to bonking. This should be an easy fix.
Finally, I am not in a good routine right now. I run a little during the week but no riding. Nothing on the road and nothing on the trainer. Then I go flog myself on the weekend and wonder why I am tiring towards the end. Of course, mentally I am still in the same shape as I was after my Colorado trip last July.
As you can see, it was not Saturday's ride that was important. It was what I learned from it. Now I know what I need to do to get the mojo back. The most important thing is to regain my perspective. I shouldn't be riding as well right now as I do during the season so I need to get over it.
Next week I will start hitting the trainer for speed drills, hill repeats, etc. Until then I will enjoy a few last off-season rides.
Ciao!
Monday, December 29, 2008
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Happy Holidays!!!
I hope that everyone found the cool stuff they were hoping for under the Christmas tree this morning! Santa and his elves (and UPS) have been very busy bringing presents to the good, and not so good, little cyclists and triathletes around the world.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
New holiday tradition
Over the years, Sherry and I have developed a tradition of going to a local mall for lunch on Christmas Eve. The purpose? To simply watch the craziness of last minute shoppers. You see, it can be quite entertaining as long as you are not the one shopping. And yes, I am aware this is a little twisted. I mean, who goes out searching for joy in other peoples' frustration. Well, I guess I do.
The plan was always the same. We would settle in for lunch or coffee someplace where we had a good vantage point and watch the madness. We would sip coffee, chat and laugh as we watched people pass us, in many cases multiple times, as they ran from one store to the next and back again. However, over the last few years it just hasn't been the same.
So this year we decided it was time to try something new. We went to Union Square in San Francisco for a mini one night vacation on the last weekend before Christmas. It did not disappoint. Union Square bills itself as San Francisco's Most Famous Shopping District. And I would say that judging by the crowds, they are right. There were literally thousands of people in the Square.
We found a great overnight package at the St. Francis Hotel, which is on Union Square. As we arrived, pedestrian traffic was so heavy that only one car at a time could make right turns with a green light. The St. Francis was so busy that cars checking in backed up onto Geary St and then onto Powell St creating the kind of gridlock you can only see in large cities. When we finally turned onto Geary Street, the garage was less then 100 yards away. It still took us over 30-minutes to get there. The SFPD actually started ticketing cars for obstructing traffic just after we pulled into the garage. Oh well, we were looking for craziness and we apparently found it.
We get checked into a great third story room overlooking the corner of Powell and Geary streets. The crowds are immense. So we anxiously unpack and hit the streets. Once we were one with the crowd the magic started. It was a beautiful winter's night in the City and we decided to go to our favorite coffee house which is on the Square itself, Emporio Rulli. I was going to have an espresso and Sherry wanted hot chocolate.
As I stood in line, Sherry had actually found us a table, I saw a sign for Venetian hot chocolate. So when it was my turn to order I had to inquire. I only needed to hear the words "intense chocolate" and "cream" when I immediately ordered 2 small cups. Then she asked what I believe is one of the silliest questions ever. "Do you want whip cream on those?" In my mind my response was something like "f-ing eh!" But in reality, my response was more like "Oh yes please. That would be lovely." We were lucky enough to get a table next to the ice rink were we sipped our Venetian hot chocolate, with whip cream, and watched people go around in circles.
After spending quite a bit of time in a gallery talking about the works of Marc Chagall, it was time for dinner. We ate at Cafe de la Presse, a French bistro near the Square. It was a magnificent meal in all aspects. I was even able to pick up a L'Equipe, which is a sports newspaper from France. On the way back to the St Francis we did some shopping to walk off dinner and finally called it a night.
On Sunday I slept in with Sherry (since there wasn't a ride I was trying to get to) and we spent a leisurely morning drinking coffee and reading. Sherry was quietly reading her book in bed while I was trying to work my way though L'Equipe. Afterwards it was more shopping. As it was still early and starting to rain there were not nearly as many people.
Finally, we decided it was time to head home. So we packed, checked out and headed for the Golden Gate Bridge. Just as we pull out of the garage it started to rain quite hard. It seems our timing was perfect.
Being on Union Square the weekend before Christmas was the perfect way to enjoy the seasonal holiday madness. And since we enjoy spending a couple of nights a year in The City we are already talking about doing this again next year.
Until then, I hope eveyone is having a great holiday season.
Ciao!
The plan was always the same. We would settle in for lunch or coffee someplace where we had a good vantage point and watch the madness. We would sip coffee, chat and laugh as we watched people pass us, in many cases multiple times, as they ran from one store to the next and back again. However, over the last few years it just hasn't been the same.
So this year we decided it was time to try something new. We went to Union Square in San Francisco for a mini one night vacation on the last weekend before Christmas. It did not disappoint. Union Square bills itself as San Francisco's Most Famous Shopping District. And I would say that judging by the crowds, they are right. There were literally thousands of people in the Square.
We found a great overnight package at the St. Francis Hotel, which is on Union Square. As we arrived, pedestrian traffic was so heavy that only one car at a time could make right turns with a green light. The St. Francis was so busy that cars checking in backed up onto Geary St and then onto Powell St creating the kind of gridlock you can only see in large cities. When we finally turned onto Geary Street, the garage was less then 100 yards away. It still took us over 30-minutes to get there. The SFPD actually started ticketing cars for obstructing traffic just after we pulled into the garage. Oh well, we were looking for craziness and we apparently found it.We get checked into a great third story room overlooking the corner of Powell and Geary streets. The crowds are immense. So we anxiously unpack and hit the streets. Once we were one with the crowd the magic started. It was a beautiful winter's night in the City and we decided to go to our favorite coffee house which is on the Square itself, Emporio Rulli. I was going to have an espresso and Sherry wanted hot chocolate.
As I stood in line, Sherry had actually found us a table, I saw a sign for Venetian hot chocolate. So when it was my turn to order I had to inquire. I only needed to hear the words "intense chocolate" and "cream" when I immediately ordered 2 small cups. Then she asked what I believe is one of the silliest questions ever. "Do you want whip cream on those?" In my mind my response was something like "f-ing eh!" But in reality, my response was more like "Oh yes please. That would be lovely." We were lucky enough to get a table next to the ice rink were we sipped our Venetian hot chocolate, with whip cream, and watched people go around in circles.
After spending quite a bit of time in a gallery talking about the works of Marc Chagall, it was time for dinner. We ate at Cafe de la Presse, a French bistro near the Square. It was a magnificent meal in all aspects. I was even able to pick up a L'Equipe, which is a sports newspaper from France. On the way back to the St Francis we did some shopping to walk off dinner and finally called it a night.
On Sunday I slept in with Sherry (since there wasn't a ride I was trying to get to) and we spent a leisurely morning drinking coffee and reading. Sherry was quietly reading her book in bed while I was trying to work my way though L'Equipe. Afterwards it was more shopping. As it was still early and starting to rain there were not nearly as many people.
Finally, we decided it was time to head home. So we packed, checked out and headed for the Golden Gate Bridge. Just as we pull out of the garage it started to rain quite hard. It seems our timing was perfect.
Being on Union Square the weekend before Christmas was the perfect way to enjoy the seasonal holiday madness. And since we enjoy spending a couple of nights a year in The City we are already talking about doing this again next year.
Until then, I hope eveyone is having a great holiday season.
Ciao!
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Found - 1 Mojo
I feel like I have been writing a lot about a lack of motivation to get out and train. Last weekend it seems that I turned a corner while riding with some big guns on Pedro's training camp ride. I mentioned in my last blog that I felt the motivation starting to return. I happy to save it has returned with vigor. So now, I feel like I finally refound my mojo.
My strong motivational feelings were actually strengthened when I wrote about the ride in Monday's blog. So what would happen next. After a Monday rest day (my norm) would I run on Tuesday or slip back into my non-motivational ways. Well, on Tuesday morning it was 30 degrees, wet, and foggy. My reaction to these conditions was a 3.5 mile run. On Wednesday and Thursday I endured freezing temperatures of 24 and 27 degrees respectively during my morning runs. And, I was enjoying every minute of it. I was beginning to feel like I was back.
The final act was Saturday's ride. A total of 11 of us braved an 8:00 a.m. start time and 27 degree weather to ride the hills of west Sonoma County. There were four of us, Pedro, Sarah, Pat and myself, that left at 7:15 and rode to our starting point which was West County Revolution. I knew it had the potential to be a dicey ride as we rode around frozen puddles of ice on the bike path. But we made it just fine, met with the rest of our group and we were off.
The first part of the ride was pretty uneventful. It was just cold. However it was sunny, the sky was a gorgeous blue and everything had a bright and crisp look and feel. And for some reason, the cold never bothered me that day. I tell you - as long as the sun is shining I seem to be fine with whatever the temperature gauge has to offer.
As we started up the day's biggest climb, Graton Road, I decided this would be my one moment of intensity on this ride. So I grabbed Pat's wheel and held on. I stayed with him about two thirds of the way up before dropping back. I was tired and out of breath at the top but hey the rest of the ride was flat so I would be fine (more on this later).
Then it was through Occidental and out to Monte Rio on Bohemian Highway. This a favorite road among our group. But Saturday was different. Not only was there ice on the road but there was also loose gravel to help cars deal with ice. There is nothing like hearing ice crunch under your 770c x 23 cycling tires to help keep you focused on the road ahead. After a quick coffee at Gold Coast Coffee & Bakery, it is back on the bikes for the ride home.
The ride back should have been uneventful except that we did have, well events. First there was a minor crash. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured and there was no major bike damage. Everyone was able to continue on with the ride and even start joking about it about 2 miles later. The second was changing the route back.
You see, we were going to take a relatively flat route back but it did have a lot of traffic. So we opted for a more scenic route with less traffic. And by more scenic I mean more hills. On the first hill I felt every pedal stroke from my push earlier on Graton. On the second and final hill on Green Valley Road I decided to really go for it and attempt to take the hill in the middle ring. I have never even contemplated middle-ringing this climb. On Saturday, not only did I think about it but I succeeded. Must be more of that new found mojo.
So there you have it. A grand total of 3 runs and one serious bike ride. Hell, I even thought seriously about doing a few core workouts and some strength training. I will still take it easy since it is the off season but I finally feel it's time to start getting ready for 2009.
Ciao!
My strong motivational feelings were actually strengthened when I wrote about the ride in Monday's blog. So what would happen next. After a Monday rest day (my norm) would I run on Tuesday or slip back into my non-motivational ways. Well, on Tuesday morning it was 30 degrees, wet, and foggy. My reaction to these conditions was a 3.5 mile run. On Wednesday and Thursday I endured freezing temperatures of 24 and 27 degrees respectively during my morning runs. And, I was enjoying every minute of it. I was beginning to feel like I was back.
The final act was Saturday's ride. A total of 11 of us braved an 8:00 a.m. start time and 27 degree weather to ride the hills of west Sonoma County. There were four of us, Pedro, Sarah, Pat and myself, that left at 7:15 and rode to our starting point which was West County Revolution. I knew it had the potential to be a dicey ride as we rode around frozen puddles of ice on the bike path. But we made it just fine, met with the rest of our group and we were off.
The first part of the ride was pretty uneventful. It was just cold. However it was sunny, the sky was a gorgeous blue and everything had a bright and crisp look and feel. And for some reason, the cold never bothered me that day. I tell you - as long as the sun is shining I seem to be fine with whatever the temperature gauge has to offer.
As we started up the day's biggest climb, Graton Road, I decided this would be my one moment of intensity on this ride. So I grabbed Pat's wheel and held on. I stayed with him about two thirds of the way up before dropping back. I was tired and out of breath at the top but hey the rest of the ride was flat so I would be fine (more on this later).
Then it was through Occidental and out to Monte Rio on Bohemian Highway. This a favorite road among our group. But Saturday was different. Not only was there ice on the road but there was also loose gravel to help cars deal with ice. There is nothing like hearing ice crunch under your 770c x 23 cycling tires to help keep you focused on the road ahead. After a quick coffee at Gold Coast Coffee & Bakery, it is back on the bikes for the ride home.
The ride back should have been uneventful except that we did have, well events. First there was a minor crash. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured and there was no major bike damage. Everyone was able to continue on with the ride and even start joking about it about 2 miles later. The second was changing the route back.
You see, we were going to take a relatively flat route back but it did have a lot of traffic. So we opted for a more scenic route with less traffic. And by more scenic I mean more hills. On the first hill I felt every pedal stroke from my push earlier on Graton. On the second and final hill on Green Valley Road I decided to really go for it and attempt to take the hill in the middle ring. I have never even contemplated middle-ringing this climb. On Saturday, not only did I think about it but I succeeded. Must be more of that new found mojo.
So there you have it. A grand total of 3 runs and one serious bike ride. Hell, I even thought seriously about doing a few core workouts and some strength training. I will still take it easy since it is the off season but I finally feel it's time to start getting ready for 2009.
Ciao!
Monday, December 15, 2008
Finding motivation in being dropped
**Special Thanks** All photos shown are from Veronika Lenzi and the full set can be found here. Ronnie - thanks for all of the support!
Ok, so it's been a while since I wrote something. This time it hasn't been a time issue, I just have not been inspired to write. I actually started a posting on hibernation versus motivation but every time I tried to write it I fell asleep. (I know, big collective groan for going after the obvious joke there.) There really has been a serious lack of motivation on my behalf to do much of anything.
I've decided that for me it's not a cold thing. I actually like winter, a lot, and I don't mind the cold. Something about being out in all of Mother Nature's elements makes me feel completely alive. No, for me it's always been a daylight thing. I would love winter even more if it were not for the short days. That's why I tend to hibernate during the week and go full out on weekends.
So how do I find the motivation to be better during the week? There are 2 answers really. First, I realized that after next weekend the days will start getting longer. The second is riding friends and fellow cyclists. Enter Pedro's training camp.
I learned about Pedro's training camp from my newest cycling friend Jeff who really seems to have the inside scoop on what's happening in Sonoma County. Unfortunately, that weekend was crazy busy with work. Still, my schedule did allow me to start the training camp ride on Saturday. Now if you read Pedro's description this is supposed to be a training ride. Or as he put it, "no December champions!"
I ride over to the start at around 9:50. Sarah is already there, Jeff rides up shortly after and finally Jim arrives to join us. At the designated 10:00 start time there are 60+ riders swarming around Peets just itching to hit the road. Pedro stands to make a few announcements but I only heard one of them. It was when he said "yesterday was a little too fast so all of you Cat 1's and Cat 2's need to take it easy up the climbs". This is going to be fun.
Then we're off. We start out taking things nice and easy down a bike path to avoid cars and lights. Finally we are out of town and on the open road. A peloton of 60 dressed in every color imaginable. The pace is great. No one is putting the hammer down so I am just riding along and talking with my fellow riders.
Eventually, we hit the only hill I have time to climb, Harrison Grade. You gotta love a road with Grade in it's name. It's 1.5 miles with pitches of 14% in places. Now remember, if we listened to Pedro, we are supposed to be taking it easy. And the big guns did take it easy. They just have a different definition of easy.
As we start the climb, I am near the front. My goal, stay with the lead group to the top. So up we go. The other riders immediately start to pass me as if they were riding downtown to get coffee. My heart rate is climbing even faster! About a third of the way up, I am no longer being passed but I am starting to dangle of the back of the group. I just keep telling myself to hold on to the wheel in front of me.
At the next corner we reach the steepest pitch. I tell myself to dig deep. I just start to drop when I accelerate and get back with the group. I am still with the group but while they are chatting and easily spinning their way to the top, I am practicing how to gasp for air quietly. At about two thirds of the way up, the pitch levels out just a bit before the final push. This is where I was dropped. I did manage to to keep them in sight to the top. In the end, I am guessing I climbed Harrison Grade at least 3 minutes faster then ever before. This is where the motivation started.
A group of us with some time constraints settled into a leisurely ride back with Sarah, Jim and I enjoying a post ride coffee and chat. All-in-all it was a great day. Riding with a few hammerheads on a regular basis is bound to make me a better rider. I like the ideal of riding with large groups and taking the opportunity to push myself. Thinking about this fanned the motivational flames a little more.
In Sarahs' blog, she talks about how this ride reaffirmed her love of cycling. And that's where I am today. Once again remembering why I ride. And while I plan on fewer miles next year that doesn't mean I can't make them count. So my basic goal for 2009 will simply be to become stronger and faster on the bike.
If Jeff continues to tell me about great rides like the ones Pedro just put together, I will also have a lot of fun in the process.
Ciao!
Ok, so it's been a while since I wrote something. This time it hasn't been a time issue, I just have not been inspired to write. I actually started a posting on hibernation versus motivation but every time I tried to write it I fell asleep. (I know, big collective groan for going after the obvious joke there.) There really has been a serious lack of motivation on my behalf to do much of anything.
I've decided that for me it's not a cold thing. I actually like winter, a lot, and I don't mind the cold. Something about being out in all of Mother Nature's elements makes me feel completely alive. No, for me it's always been a daylight thing. I would love winter even more if it were not for the short days. That's why I tend to hibernate during the week and go full out on weekends.
So how do I find the motivation to be better during the week? There are 2 answers really. First, I realized that after next weekend the days will start getting longer. The second is riding friends and fellow cyclists. Enter Pedro's training camp.
I learned about Pedro's training camp from my newest cycling friend Jeff who really seems to have the inside scoop on what's happening in Sonoma County. Unfortunately, that weekend was crazy busy with work. Still, my schedule did allow me to start the training camp ride on Saturday. Now if you read Pedro's description this is supposed to be a training ride. Or as he put it, "no December champions!"I ride over to the start at around 9:50. Sarah is already there, Jeff rides up shortly after and finally Jim arrives to join us. At the designated 10:00 start time there are 60+ riders swarming around Peets just itching to hit the road. Pedro stands to make a few announcements but I only heard one of them. It was when he said "yesterday was a little too fast so all of you Cat 1's and Cat 2's need to take it easy up the climbs". This is going to be fun.
Then we're off. We start out taking things nice and easy down a bike path to avoid cars and lights. Finally we are out of town and on the open road. A peloton of 60 dressed in every color imaginable. The pace is great. No one is putting the hammer down so I am just riding along and talking with my fellow riders.Eventually, we hit the only hill I have time to climb, Harrison Grade. You gotta love a road with Grade in it's name. It's 1.5 miles with pitches of 14% in places. Now remember, if we listened to Pedro, we are supposed to be taking it easy. And the big guns did take it easy. They just have a different definition of easy.
As we start the climb, I am near the front. My goal, stay with the lead group to the top. So up we go. The other riders immediately start to pass me as if they were riding downtown to get coffee. My heart rate is climbing even faster! About a third of the way up, I am no longer being passed but I am starting to dangle of the back of the group. I just keep telling myself to hold on to the wheel in front of me.
At the next corner we reach the steepest pitch. I tell myself to dig deep. I just start to drop when I accelerate and get back with the group. I am still with the group but while they are chatting and easily spinning their way to the top, I am practicing how to gasp for air quietly. At about two thirds of the way up, the pitch levels out just a bit before the final push. This is where I was dropped. I did manage to to keep them in sight to the top. In the end, I am guessing I climbed Harrison Grade at least 3 minutes faster then ever before. This is where the motivation started.
A group of us with some time constraints settled into a leisurely ride back with Sarah, Jim and I enjoying a post ride coffee and chat. All-in-all it was a great day. Riding with a few hammerheads on a regular basis is bound to make me a better rider. I like the ideal of riding with large groups and taking the opportunity to push myself. Thinking about this fanned the motivational flames a little more.In Sarahs' blog, she talks about how this ride reaffirmed her love of cycling. And that's where I am today. Once again remembering why I ride. And while I plan on fewer miles next year that doesn't mean I can't make them count. So my basic goal for 2009 will simply be to become stronger and faster on the bike.
If Jeff continues to tell me about great rides like the ones Pedro just put together, I will also have a lot of fun in the process.
Ciao!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
