Of Mice and Marathons

AM: 120'+ on the trainer.

Dirty Mitten Racing League Stage 3

I was hoping for a better day, but I missed the jump on the start after the neutral rollout. I should have been less concerned about going off the front as I lost a lot of valuable time. My overall numbers were pretty good, but it didn't matter because I chased most of the race. I need to be more aggressive and just go for it. So many lessons still to learn. This course did not favor heavier riders, but nothing I could do about that today. 72:02 @ 283 watts @ 171 BPM. 23' up/30' down.

There was a 20' @ 303 and a 30' power @ 297, so really not too far off what I did in the time trial. That upper ceiling around 310-330 watts just kills me, but I can ride at 88-89% of my FTP for a decently long time. I need to train it a bit more, but I think it is way too early for that, so I will just continue to work on my aerobic base and tempo work and get after it a bit more 8-10 weeks out from barry Roubaix.

AM: 90' on the trainer. 215W. HR 131.

AM: 95' on the trainer. 

60' Tempo @ 268 Watts @ 150 BPM 

Got up early, warmed up 15, did the workout, cooled down 20. I felt good but tried not to press and keep it in the zone. HR average looked very good. 

PM: 8 miles, averaged 9:57. HR 129.

Recovery in the dark, cold. Was pretty nice, but very late. I started at just after 7.

AM: 60' on the trainer. 229W. HR 132.

AM: 120' on the trainer. 217W. HR 128. 

PM: 60' on the trainer. 225W. HR 129.

We got a bit of snow and the boys' school was canceled. I was up early, got the message, canceled classes while pedaling, and Megan got up with them. We all ended up all staying home and it worked out quite well. I had a few students drop by for optional Zoom conferences, which worked out well. 

I didn't feel like running on the treadmill or outside in the snow and gusting wind.

AM: 3 hours on the trainer. 221W. HR 131.

Did an early group ride and rounded it off to 3 hours. Elimination races tomorrow morning for the Dirty Mitten Racing League. 

AM: ~120' on the trainer. 

Dirty Mitten Racing League Race 4 Elimination Race

Warmed up 30'. I knew that I wasn't going to make the cut in the a race, but I wanted to get in a good workout. 14:27 @ 283W. HR 159. Spun the legs for a few minutes and changed pens and got ready for the B race. Did quite well in this race, actually taking 2nd place and almost nipped first at the line. 13:15 @ 301W. HR 166. The B race the next round was pretty loaded, so I just want to make the cut, which was like 22 and down or something. I waited too long and everyone took off and I missed the cut. 9:34 @ 301W. HR 168. Spun the legs a bit a little and joined the C race, which has some strong people at that point. Tried to just go as hard as I could and try to stay with whoever was in front of me: 13:03 @ 322W. HR 171.

Cooled down for a bit to get around 2 hours. 

AM: ~120' on the trainer.

Dirty Mitten Racing League Winter is Coming V Race 5

I knew this race had a decent amount of climbing. It was two laps of one of the Scotland courses. I had a decent race. I got a better jump after the neutral start, but probably could have more aggressively gone out yet again. Worked on getting by all of the C riders for most of the race and worked with some of my teammates. One of them got away in the final minutes. I was decently pleased with my power output, which I was keeping an eye on and trying to see if I could start bumping up toward the 300 watt mark for the hour. I didn't quite get there, but I set power PRs for 30 minutes and 1 hour, which was decent and I was fairly happy with. 

30' @ 300; 1 hour @ 291 (both with a HR of 167)

~75' or just under. 285W. 165 BPM

AM: 90' on the trainer. 208W. HR 125.

AM: 90' on the trainer. 226W. HR 134.

Did some of the sprints to work on my top end power. 

PM: 8 miles in the dark and cold. Felt good though. Averaged 9:16. HR 131.

AM: 8 miles, averaged 8:56. HR 138. 

PM: 60' on the trainer. 229W. HR 142. 

Did some of the sprints and set a 30-second power PR. 

AM: 1 mile on the treadmill, averaged 10:35. HR 119. 

Charlie was vomiting at school, so I went to pick him up. I did some strength stuff while he rested on the couch. He ended up being fine. 

Did a re-introduction workout. I have been reading a lot about off-season weightlifting. I need to do more strength and mobility stuff, especially as I near 40. I imagine it will help tremendously with my running, which seems to be so up and down I don't know where it is going. 

Static split squats (10 x each side); body weight squat (x10); shoulder plank taps (x15ish); glute hamstring march (10 x each); glute bridges on the medicine ball (x10); weight bench leg raises; 

I did some light hip stretching between; 5 pullups and 15 pushups

AM: 120'+ on the trainer. 253W. HR 151.

1:45 Tempo @ ~262 watts. HR Mid-150s.

Got up earlyish though not as early as I have been. Got in a very solid longer tempo workout. I used the pacer groups for most of it and then gapped them and just kept my own pace toward the end as I was feeling good. 

I signed up for a half marathon in early March. I have gone back and forth with training and racing plans for running and figured I just needed something on the schedule. This give me about 12 weeks. I will be doing more traditional workouts that I used to do, I think. I will get a sense of my fitness and move into some faster stuff for May, spend the summer working on speed and theshold and try to do a proper buildup to Beach to Beacon in August, and then maybe take a crack at something respectable for a fall half. I am not sure I want to do a marathon, though I think the time for running a fast one is closing. It is just too much with my cycling and when I want to run a marathon it is usually the end of cycling season and the two do not go together well as far as recovery. As far as fitness complimentariness I am sure it doesn't get much better. I need to plan my training blocks and do so around seasonal racing rather than just fussing with trying to figure it out new each year. 

PM: 73' on the trainer. 211. HR 134. 

Reconned a bit of the course for tomorrow's Dirty Mitten Racing League finale. Going to be interesting as it is quite hilly. 

AM: ~120' on the trainer. 

Dirty Mitten Racing League S6

Had a decent race. Still need to be way more aggressive out of the gate because I am not able to count how many people are ahead of me. We organized a sprint at certain times to try to get a breakaway and then team time trial, but it never really worked out. It was still fun having a bunch of us yellow jerseys going to the front. Exchanged jabs with a smallish group through the middle of the race. Got a gap on the group and several second on a guy who was off the back (someone I know who isn't generally in these races) and I figured I had lost him and I would work to see if I could chip people off the back. At this point I pressed a little, but I should have pressed harder, but I was worried about the last long climb. The guy off the back latched back on and then passed me on the long climb and was gone. That's what happens when you try to race a guy who weighs 72 kilos.

Overall, a good effort. I tied or slightly beat my all-time one-hour power, which was one of the goals I had for the day (291 watts). 74' @ 284 watts @ 170 BPM. Warm up and cool down to get in 2 hours total. 

AM: 8 miles on the treadmill, averaged 9:17. HR 140. 

Spent most of the day grading and getting ready to submit grades. Finally did at 1:30AM. It has been a few years since I have been up that late submitting grades, but over the last few years there is a lot of work I have graded based on completion, so I guess I looked at things more closely than I have been. 

I wanted to get on the trainer in the afternoon, but I am not sure why I thought that I was going to have time. I was listening to final projects during dinner. 

Lunch/PM: 8 miles, averaged 8:46. HR 143.

Trying to get some treadmill data for winter workouts. I feel faster outside at a lower HR. 

Started slow and then did a minutes progression, trying to get some effort and HR readings: 5' each @ 5.8, 6.0, 6.2, 6.5; 10' each @ 6.7, 7.0, 7.2, 7.4, 7.6; 5' @ 6.5

PM: 

AM: 8 miles, averaged 8:37. HR 140.

PM: 60' on the trainer. 225. HR 129.

Redid my training yet again. Toying with the idea of a marathon. I turn 40 in a month. I haven't run a marathon in almost a decade and time just doesn't make sense anymore. This will change, but I think a May marathon would be good. Plenty of time, but no so much time that it feels like I am perpetually building. I need more specific and immediately goals I think. Bike stuff is mostly in place, but running just hasn't been there. I think because I have been afraid of comitting and getting in shape is really hard. Just need to go for it I think. 

AM: 8 miles, averaged 8:42. HR 135. 

Damp and chilly. Can't seem to find my tights, but I ordered another pair for the first time since I think 2011. 

PM: