Mike's Bike Blog

This week I put together my training plan for the year using Traing Peaks Annual Training Plan Wizard. I penciled in a few of the races I know about along with a few event rides that I plan to enter as well. I started my training in the foundation stages as I want to build a solid base to build off of later in the year. This will help me as I progress through the year with speed work and give me the endurance to go 200 miles in a day. Right now it's a mix of lifting weights and riding. The riding is a little less than what I've been accustomed to so it's a little hard to take a step back as I've been wanting to get on and hammer it. All in due time though, this Saturday will be hammer time in the Copperas Cove race.

There was a little doubt as to my participation in the race come Saturday. It so happens that Jack and Ethan have their Cub Scout Pine Wood Derby that same day. Luckily Jennifer will take the boys to their race while I go to my race.

The rides this week were pretty good. Lauri and me did a lunch ride that left our office at Far West/MoPac down to Mellow Johnny's. This is good as we have a client right down there so now I know if/when I need to ride down there that it can be done. I also rode Volente loop on Saturday. It was suppose to be a hard effort, the wind that morning made sure of that. Once again I got a flat. I think that makes the 5th consecutive time that I've gotten a flat. They are almost all in the same spot, I'm beginning to think that one of the home owners there is discarding broken glass or nails to discourage bikes of pedal and motor powered. Although I haven't seen anybody else running into flat issues, it might just be me.

Sunday I went to the Austin Road Riders Sunday ride up Parmer. I really like riding with this crew. Chuck chimed in on the email list that this was going to be a training ride for him and let us know that we didn't have to keep his pace that everybody should ride how they want and to ignore him. Right from the start heading into the wind it was on. I found myself and Scott in somewhat of a break, Scott was a bit ahead of me, I knew the City Limit sign was coming up, I thought it was a ways further than what it was so he easily one that one as I didn't even contest it. Note to self, the Leander City Limit Sign is green. The Cedar Park City Limit Sign is white. The pace started so fast as we were averaging 22 - 24 mph the group split up fairly quickly. We waited at Hwy 29 and 3405. At 3405 Scott went back to see if he could see the rest of the group but at the pace we were laying down they weren't going to be coming along anytime soon. Scott decided to wait for the others while Chuck, Bruce, Andy and myself made the turn onto Indian Springs. The 4 of us regrouped again at Andice Road (RR 2238). At this point it was getting late in the day, everybody had on long sleeves, jacket, full finger gloves and tights. I on the other hand just had on a short sleeve jersey and bibs. I wasn't cold yet, but at the start everyone was saying how it was going to get cooler as the sun set.  I didn't want to get caught out in the cold, I really wanted to get a move on. I decided I wanted to see if I could ride the 17 miles back at/near thereshold. As I turned back down Parmer I started ramping up to 24+ mph. Andy and I rode together till about 3405 and then I was on my own. I didn't let up at all, my goal was to not get caught, to see how long off the front I could stay. I had hoped I could keep them off me all the way to the City Limit sign coming back in. For most of the time I was 24 to 29 mph, there's some big hills that I wasn't able to maintain that speed up of course so in the end my average speed back in for my solo effort came out to 21 mph (also factoring in slowing down for the stop lights). This was the longest sustained threshold attempt I've made. It would have been even greater if I could have captured the data with my power meter. However, as the ride started the hub wouldn't wake up so I was unable to record the ride with it, I only had my Garmin. It turns out the batteries in the hub died. I replaced them when I got home. Really bummed though that I didn't get the data, I guess I'll have to do it again.

That was a brief look at last week. This week should be another good week leading up to the race on Saturday.