Entheo
Posts:317
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| 07/26/2013 05:12 PM |
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| funny story -- this season i've been struggling to get my ave MPH up to where it's traditionally been... out on training rides feeling like i'm busting my arse, that feeling of constantly riding into a headwind on a hot tar road. then it occurred to me that the Strada K training tires i put on in the spring might be a little heavier than my usual Conti GP 4Ks... yeah, like 5 ounces of extra rolling resistance per tire, duh! put on a set of new conti's and now i at least feel like i'm not pulling a burley. |
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jacques_anquetil
Posts:245
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| 07/27/2013 08:40 PM |
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talk about a reality check. this past Wednesday, our usual gang of master riders head out but this time with two 15 y/o cadet boys with us. they proceed to put the boots to us. not lightly but totally and unmercifully. utter hubris to think that this 44 y/o could even think of trying to stay on these young kids' wheels. they're just on an upward trajectory. us, just trying to limit our losses until that last final taper towards death. but it is fun to watch their sheer joy and exuberance of being on the bike.
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longslowdistance
Posts:2881
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| 07/27/2013 10:05 PM |
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| Ride for Joy! Whatever that may be for you SHOULD change as you mature. |
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Hoshie
Posts:134
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| 07/29/2013 01:19 AM |
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I think you should stay away from cyclocross.
Enjoy the ride! |
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vtguy
Posts:298
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| 07/29/2013 11:43 AM |
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| +1 Hoshie -- 45-minutes of anaerobic hell. |
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Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
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| 07/29/2013 01:13 PM |
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Signed up for my frist tri race of the year last week. Race was yesterday and the weather sucked all weekend. Never broke 70* and the temps at the start were ~55*.
Throughout Sat, my motivation was waning....swimming and then hitting the bike 9soaking wet) in those temps was not something I was looking forward to. I'll admit that this thread crossed my mind and I questioned whether I still wanna do this schitt.
I hit the water and all the efforts I have been putting into my swim for the last month kicked in.....had my best tri swim ever (avg. 1:40 / 100m....not a fish by any stretch by a damn sight better than my normal 2:00 / 100m). Got on the bike and avg. ~23 mph for almost 15 miles, which was my goal pace. Run went better than expected and I beat my goal pace by 30" / mile (ran 8:00 miles).
Net-net: Motivation back in place!! SNot certain where I netted out for the race overall, but given my relative lack of training since the end of April, I was pretty happy with my results, especially since I am still not in great race shape.
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| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
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79pmooney
Posts:3180
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| 07/29/2013 02:26 PM |
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I thought about this thread as I rode yesterday, my first big climbing day in a while. Never went hard. Used my gears with no shame. (53-42-28 x 12-23.) Did the easy 1000' over the Chelems into Newberg south of Portland and stopped at my favorite coffee shop. Spent far longer than I planned chatting with a couple on a beautiful Co-Motion. Rode up to the planned high point, Bald Peak State Park, inquired the time and realized I'd better head straight home and was not so secretly glad I didn't have to climb Blooming Fern Hill Road!
And for all that not very hard climbing? I felt hammered after. I guess I should give myself a break. I've only been off the trainer barely over a month since I crashed. I just looked at the course profiles for September's Cycle Oregon and it is pretty easy this year. Longest day is 76 miles (with an 80 mile rest day option) and the biggest climbing day is 4300'. Not a big deal (unless the wind shows up!)
This year my motivation is VERY different from last year. This week is when I started my weekly rides of essentially what I did yesterday, but always riding fixed, climbing on a 42-20 then a 19. I don't have the passion to even think about those gears this year!
Ben |
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 07/29/2013 02:48 PM |
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| CK - the coolish temps may be a bit of a demotivator but they're actually good for performing. Two weeks ago, I had to delay my usual training ride to mid-afternoon heat. 10 pedal strokes into the climb I was already sweating like a hog in a sauna and surrounded by the usual horseflies. You know it's gonna be a long 12.5k. This week, same deal in the early morning cool, night and day difference. |
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vtguy
Posts:298
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| 07/29/2013 03:14 PM |
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| Well done, CK. I was shivering just reading about your swim. |
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Dale
Posts:1767
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| 07/29/2013 09:48 PM |
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| What is this swimming you speak of? |
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Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
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| 07/29/2013 11:37 PM |
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It is the prelude required to me racing my bike.
Float, Hammer, Jog.
;-)
Side note - finished 20th overall (20 / 266) and 4th in my age group. Missed 3rd by 2 secs and second by 24. The guy who pipped me by 2 secs sprinted past me 100m from the line. Aaaarrrrgggghhh!! I coulda found 24 secs on the bike, too.....
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| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
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eurochien
Posts:163
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| 07/29/2013 11:48 PM |
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As we all know there are suffering scales. Since I've joined the tri dark side, I only have one speed and when I join a roadie group (which I do twice weekly) I am finding that punching it to close gaps in cross winds or attacking have become extremely hard for me. I was never a sprinter and don't like to get my ass off the saddle (with the exception of climbing) so when the going gets tough in the pack I'm more willing to let them go rather than killing myself to stay on some distant wheel while completely anaerobic, relying on "experience" (at least that's how I rationalize it) to let someone get around and get on the pack's caboose because I can't dig this deep anymore. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. And when it doesn't I tt the rest of the way and even though I suffer too, I'm more in my "zone", albeit 3 mph slower than the pack.
CK good job. I did the "highest tri in the world" (Rocky Mountain Triathlon in Silverthorne, CO) this past week-end with conditions similar to yours and I had the indignity of suffering some kind of panic attack during the first 200 m of the swim (open water in a cold, dark mountain pond). I recovered but it was weird. |
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Dale
Posts:1767
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| 07/30/2013 12:17 AM |
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| I'm not skilled enough to be bad at three things, I can only manage singular ineptitude |
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CERV
Posts:151
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| 07/30/2013 12:21 AM |
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Posted By Hoshie S on 07/29/2013 01:19 AM
I think you should stay away from cyclocross.
Enjoy the ride!
No way. I'm looking forward to Cx this year.  |
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Pin0Q0
Posts:229
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| 07/30/2013 05:56 AM |
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| +1 Dale |
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