A quick training hour ride. My training plan called for an one and one half effort night, which I got in before dark. The weather was clear, warm and dry so I took the Lightspeed out to play.

The Racing Season has Started!

Joanne and I raced the Jack Frost Time Trial in near sunny and warm (for February) weather. Joanne’s start time slipped to 10:40 so she was done way before I started.

My starting time was 12:01 pm. I warmed up properly and then headed off to the port-a-potty for a pre-race visit. It was busy and I waited five minutes but it did not come available. So, I rode off to the starting line and was there the requested five minutes before my starting time. Right at 12:01 I was off racing to catch the fellow who started 30 seconds in front of me. I could immediately see I would be able to catch him and I did just after the second turn. However, that was my only rabbit; I could not see any one in front of me.

That is until I got passed like I was standing still. I tried to latch onto white kit with yellow shoe covers, but he slowly pulled away from me. As such, I had only myself to race until the turn around. As I approached it, I saw three riders who had just made the u-turn and so I knew I would have some rabbits to catch on the way back. And I did. I catch two of them, but the third I never saw again.

I worked very, very hard and finished in 32:46, 18 seconds slower than last year. I was 20th of 37 folks in my class. Joanne won her class in 36:50!

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Next week is the Jack Front Time Trial so today I did a Time Trial Practice ride. After warming up, I rode at TT pace for five minutes and then easy for five minutes. After that, I did five intervals that ended with practicing a 180° turn with the acceleration afterward.

I have not ridden the time trial bike since last summer. Leaving the house, it surprised me just how twitchy that bike is! But, I soon adjusted and by the end of the ride I was very comfortable riding hard on it.

I am very glad I did this practice ride as I feel much more confident. I am going to have fun!

Another Sweet Spot interval night. I really tried hard to keep my power output within the ‘Sweet Spot’ range, and I was almost successful. Tonight, my average power output during the intervals was below 200 watts. I also manged to do four intervals, one more than last week.

Entire Session

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Woke up this morning feeling better. Taking yesterday off was a good idea.

I know this is February, but I am ready for Winter to be over and Spring to begin. I want to see Daffodils! I was hoping for some sun on today’s ride, and I did see my shadow – but only for a few minutes. Most of the time it was cloudy and there were some wet roads I had to ride.

I headed north from home and crossed the Wheatland Ferry into Yamhill county. I rode north to the Grand Island junction where I turned toward the island. Once on the island, I did the loop clockwise. The found the road surface narrow, rough and covered with rotting leaves in places. The unpaved section was very rough with large water filled pot holes. This loop will be the route for the Heiser Farms Grand Island Road Race in a couple of weeks. This should be a fun and challenging course. No, I will not race it.

Leaving Grand Island, I continued north to the small town of Dayton and stopped at the Block House Cafe. Before I could sit down, I had to grap a towel and walk outside to wipe the road grit off my back side. I should have ridden the rain bike instead of the fenderless LiteSpeed. I enjoyed a small latte while the locals kept and eye on me.

Leaving the cafe, I needed a bit more miles/time of the bike so I headed toward Amity, but I never made it. Along the way I decided to ride Walnut Hill also known as Valley View. This is short 0.9 mile climb that averages 8.1% and climbs 500 feet. I intended to climb at and easy pace, but none the less, I set Stave personal record. I really must hit this hill hard some day.

I returned home via the Wheatland Ferry and got in the planned three hours.

After my ride, I went to the gym to do a “make up” workout. I walked on the treadmill and then did my strength routine. It was hard and I was a bit tired after my three hour ride, but I got it done and felt pretty good afterwards.

Being sick sucks.

Woke up this morning feeling weak and tired. I was going to ride, I really was. I laid out the cycling cloths and when I went to fill my water bottles, I knew riding was just not going to happen. Went back to bed and slept til noon.

I am planning on racing the Jack Frost Time Trial at the end of this month, so my Coach John Hughes scheduled an “Intensity” workout. I took full advantage of it. John wanted me to ride at an intensity of 181 to 199 watts. I should have, but I did not. My three intervals average 246 watts.

Again, I must learn how to restrain myself.

Entire Workout

First Interval

Second Interval

Thrid Interval

Sweet Spot Intervals

My coach John Hughes has me do “Sweet Spot” intervals once a week. These intervals are at a effort are intended to increase sustained power and should be done between Zone 3 Tempo and Zone 4 Sub threshold. Today, I rode a bit harder than I should have and I managed to do only three intervals instead of five.

I must learn how to restrain myself!

Ride Statistics

First Interval

Second Interval

Third Interval

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Finally getting over my illness. No more meds, no more stuffy nose and no more body aches. Plus, the weather has improved. Gone are the sub-freezing temps and fog. Today was to be mostly sunny and approaching 50 degrees. Time to ride the bike.

I broke out the Colnago CT2 for todays ride. It has been a long while since that bike got out to play and it really had fun today. My training plan called for an easy two hour ride so I hooked up with the Salem Bicycle Club. We headed east and I hung back with the slower group. But then the quicker group, including my wife, got a stop light ahead of me so I picked up the pace to bridge up to them. For ten minutes I threw out the window the “easy” portion of the training ride and brought up my average heart rate to 144 bpm and average power to 197 watts. Once I caught them, I backed off for the rest of the day.

We turned to the south on Howell Prairie Road and then rode into the fog, It was thick and did not look like it was going to burn off anytime soon. We climbed up the hill to above Maclay and the fog persisted. I continued on to Shaw and saw that it was time for me to return. I left the group and headed back down the hill to Salem and then to home.

What, attend a time trial clinic? Yes I did and I am happy to say that it was very beneficial!

Last year, I saw this clinic being offered and passed it by. I did not regret my decision but when it came up this year, I decided to go. I have several reasons why I attended this year. I wanted to test ride my time trial bike, I was interested in what I may learn at the clinic and my training scheduled called for an easy 1 1/2 hour ride.

When it comes to my bicycles, I can’t leave well enough alone. On my time trial bike, I changed out the clip on time trial bars and I purchased a used PowerTap wheel. I pulled the Suntace SLS aerobars off the TT bike even though they are very light. Instead, I installed a set of Profile Design T2 Plus. While they are about 150 grams heavier, they are more aggressively shaped and much more adjustable. They allow me to get into a more aero position on the bike. Secondly, I purchased a PowerTap hub and had it laced to a Velocity rim. I plan on keeping this wheel on the TT bike for the entire time trial season. Going the the time trial clinic would give me a chance to try out the new equipment.

When I began time trialing, I did some research on the web and I had a fitting on the TT bike, but I never had the chance to learn from a person knowledgeable about the discipline. Sure, my friends were very helpful, but this clnic gives me a chance to seek out some professional advice. The clinic was hosted by David Hart of Wenzel Coaching. I signed up, paid my twenty five dollars and showed up on a rainy Saturday morning. David covered the basic points of time trialing including what and when to eat before the race, how to properly warm up before the race, how to line up and start the race, how to race – cornering, the turn around and finishing, and how to cool down after the race. I found the clinic to be much more useful than I thought it would be.

I learned two tips I will share. The first is to watch how the holder holds the riders just in front of you at the start. This will allow you to learn when the holder releases the bike and do you receive any small push or not. The second tip is to carry a 1/4 full water bottle mounted on the seat tube with you, not for during the race but for just after the race when you are cooling down returning to your car.

We then rode the Jack Frost Time Trial Course. Since I have previously raced the Jack Frost TT I know the course but this is where I got to test out the new equipment on the TT bike. I PowerTap wheel rolled very nicely but the Profile Aero Bars will take some getting use to. The are much lower causing me to be much lower on the bike. David checked my positioning and liked it so I need not to tinker with saddle and or aero bars.

The ride itself was wet and cold. About five miles into it, I flatted in the rear. I changed the tube and was on my way, but now behind the group and alone. I caught them at the turn around where they were practicing, but I choose not to because of the wetness on the road. As I came in, I brake and my rear wheel almost skidded out from under me. The return was also in the rain, but no more flats.

In the end, I am glad that I attended and I am looking forward to the Jack Frost at the end of February.