http://www.bikeride.com/training/default.asp Brent Soderberg's Cycling Training and Ride Log en-us http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=275Tues, 20 May 2008 18:27:14 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=274Fri, 16 May 2008 9:46:20 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=273Thurs, 15 May 2008 22:17:19 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=272Wed, 20 Feb 2008 0:13:14 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=271Sun, 17 Feb 2008 19:37:55 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=270Sat, 2 Feb 2008 21:02:51 ET
Once we dropped back down 20 near Holcomb Farm, the sun was out, but there was still a lot of water on the roads mixed with a lot of dirt and sand. I'm glad I had full fenders. It reminded me of a typical Seattle winter ride today.

I felt pretty good on the hills. I used to be last up all the hills, but I'm feeling like I can keep up with the faster guys.

Avg HR 128, Max 181]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=269Thurs, 31 Jan 2008 12:58:26 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=268Sat, 26 Jan 2008 13:49:44 ET
I nice pace. About 10 people on the ride. A couple of guys rode out from West Hartford.

He did a coule of hills, and I did pretty well. It is hard to tell how hard other people are going this time of year, but on the last climb, I was right up front with Wayne who is normally one of the best cimbers on the club. I still want to lose 15 to 20 lbs, but for now, I can tell the winter training is makng a difference.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=267Fri, 25 Jan 2008 11:50:52 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=265Wed, 23 Jan 2008 11:13:11 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=266Wed, 23 Jan 2008 11:01:55 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=264Sat, 19 Jan 2008 17:44:42 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=263Fri, 18 Jan 2008 8:28:57 ET
Down to 201 lbs this morning (29 lbs lost since October 1). Just about to break out of the Clydesdale division! I hit a plateau for a couple of weeks, but I now seem to be going in the right direction again. It would be great to get to 195 before the end of January. 185 by the end of February, and my goal of 175 by mid April before Battenkill Roubaix.

My project at work is on schedule, so this week wasn't as stressful as I thought it would be.

]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=262Thurs, 17 Jan 2008 21:26:09 ET
This is a pretty hard workout. by the time I got to 120 rpm I hit a 179 heart rate. A good workout for adapting to a fast pedal stroke.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=261Wed, 16 Jan 2008 13:32:23 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=260Tues, 15 Jan 2008 11:10:20 ET
My weight is up a little, so I need to get back to being a little more strict with what I am eating in order to get to my gaol weight. My body fat percentage is down though, so that is heading in the right direction.
]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=259Mon, 14 Jan 2008 11:44:07 ET
Avg 146 HR, Max 171 HR

I took my cyclocross bike with newly mounted Planet Bike Cascadia fenders. The bike has the wider Specialized cross tires with smooth tread on the center.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=258Fri, 11 Jan 2008 8:29:43 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=257Thurs, 10 Jan 2008 21:54:52 ET
I watched the 2nd half of the Lance Armstrong 7 Tour sampler DVD. I had a little bit of knee pain, but nothing too serious.

I'd really like to get a power meter to get a better measure of my progress, but that might have to wait until next year.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=256Wed, 9 Jan 2008 23:45:45 ET
10 minute warm up

2 x 8 min power intervals (60 rpm in large gear)

then threshold steady state changing rpms every 2 minutes.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=255Tues, 8 Jan 2008 22:44:48 ET
I rode my single speed bike again, so coming back on Bushy hill road I really had to crank over the pedals to get up the hill in my 48x15 gear.

After the ride we ate at Plan B in Simsbury. It was a pretty nice place. They have what looks like really good hamburgers, but being on my health food kick, I got a cob salad, and substituted cubumbers for the bacon and chees, and i got lemon vinagrette dressing on the side instead of ranch.

I am feeling great on the bike. I hope I can continue to lose weight. 28 lbs and counting since October. I fell off the wagon a bit and had some birthday cake a chocolate ice cream for River's birthday. That is the first time I have had ice cream in a few months.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=253Tues, 8 Jan 2008 9:22:08 ET
I'm hitting a busy time at work in the next couple of months, so I need to stay on top of my to-do lists, and build in time for training and rest.

I put new pedals (Crank Brothers Quattro) on my bike, and I got new Sidi cycling shoes. I like the pedals. They are very easy to clip into. I'm planning to convert my other bikes to these pedals too.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=252Tues, 8 Jan 2008 15:57:53 ET
There were a few hills that I had to really crank up. Good for building power.

HR: 131 avg, 176 Max

I think I'm going bowling tonight.
]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=251Fri, 4 Jan 2008 10:22:18 ET
1 hour on the trainer. 2 x 10 minute muscle tension intervals. Basically this is just riding in your larges gear at 55-60 RPM. Then you do a couple of stead state intervals based on Heart Rate.

I made a doctors appointment to get checked out before the start of the cycling season. It will be intertesting to see my cholesterol levels after going nearly vegitarian, and cutting out dairy products for the past 3 months.

I hit a new low of 203 lbs this morning. 27 lbs lost so far since October.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=250Thurs, 3 Jan 2008 10:08:49 ET
I hit a new low weight of 205 today since I started dieting. 25 lbs lost so far since October. 25 lbs to go by April! The last couple of days I have made an effort to not eat any late night snacks.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=249Thurs, 3 Jan 2008 10:11:01 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=248Tues, 1 Jan 2008 19:57:03 ET
I got on the trainer while my daughter was watching the Sponge Bob Square Pants movie.

I did a 10 minute warm up. 2 x 10 minutes in my biggest gear (50x12) at 60 rpm with 5 min recovery, then did 12 minutes of alternating cadence but keeping my HR at about 160.

avg 139 max 169 hr. avg cadence 75 max 117. 876 calories.

1 hour total on bike. Pushing the big gear is a lot easier than it was 2 months ago. I may need to put on a bigger chainring soon :-)

My weight seems to have hit a plateau, but I think that id due to cheating a little too much during the holidays. Now that New Years Day is here I need to focus on cutting out the fat in my diet so I can burn it off.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=246Mon, 31 Dec 2007 11:44:20 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=245Sun, 30 Dec 2007 22:20:54 ET
I got back just before it got dark.

I feeling a lot stronger, and noticing the difference on the hills. I raised my saddle on the single speed.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=243Fri, 28 Dec 2007 11:14:12 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=244Fri, 28 Dec 2007 16:01:04 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=242Wed, 26 Dec 2007 20:39:34 ET
I'm feeling stronger on the trainer. I'm able to push bigger gears. The CTS climbing video is one of my favorites. My HRM said I burned 882 calories in an hour.

I did the Polar Fit Test yesterday and my number was 47. That number should go up as I lose weight as it is suposed to reflect V02 Max.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=241Tues, 25 Dec 2007 21:54:31 ET
I got some new Sidi shoes for Christmas, and some wool cycling socks. I ordered some new pedals and wheels too since Performance was having an extra 20% off today. I should be pretty set for next cycling season with equipment. I'll probably need a few new pairs of shorts, and a team jersey in size L if I keep losing weight.

Next week I need to get serious again and cut out the high calorie foods and watch how much I eat. My goal is to get on the bike 5 days a week in from now until January 30. I need to lose 10 lbs per month in January and February to reach my goal weight for the start of the cycling season, then to lose another 10 lbs by mid summer.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=240Mon, 24 Dec 2007 13:23:01 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=239Sun, 23 Dec 2007 20:34:50 ET
I signed up for the Battenkill Roubaix on April 19th, so my goal is to drop at least another 20 lbs by then. That would put me at a weight that I raced at as a Cat 1/2, so I would be a little more confident that I could do o.k. if I could drop the excess lbs. Plus, now I have a better understanding of nutrition and training methods than I did when I was younger.

I'd like to do at least 4 or 5 road races in the spring, then a couple of long rides in the summer. I'll be in Seattle in July, so I may do the Seattle to Portland (200 miles) since I will be there when it is going on. I'd like to do the D2R2 again this year, but I plan to be in a lot better shape, and a lot lighter weight. I struggled last year, but if I weight 40 lbs less, I will have a much easier time. Another 200k or 300k brevet would be great as well. Maybe The Great River ride in the fall. Id also like to set a personal best time in the local time trial series.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=238Wed, 19 Dec 2007 8:45:39 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=237Tues, 18 Dec 2007 9:50:23 ET
I warmed up for 10 minutes at 90 rpm, then alternated 5 minutes at 60 rpm in a big gear (50 x13), then 5 minutes at 90 rpm in the small ring. I was in the 150 HR range most of the time. 50 minutes total time on bike followed by a set of ab crunches on the excersize ball, and a set of pushups.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=236Sun, 16 Dec 2007 21:32:18 ET
Did some core excersizs and a set of pushups.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=235Fri, 14 Dec 2007 15:08:32 ET
Even with not being on the bike, I still lost weight and I am down 20 lbs since September as of this morning. When I made a change to my diet it was difficult at first, but I have gotten into a routine of planning out what I'm going to eat. ]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=234Wed, 5 Dec 2007 13:42:56 ET
After the bike, I did about 30 minutes of excersize ball, abs, pushups, curls, etc.

Feeling good about weight loss so far. I'm down over 15 lbs since mid October]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=233Mon, 3 Dec 2007 6:32:38 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=232Sat, 1 Dec 2007 11:45:06 ET
10 min warm up

8 min max effort @ 173 avg HR, 181 max, 90 RPM

10 min recovery

8 min max effort @ 165 avg HR, 175 max, 90 RPM

12 min cool down

I also did some abs and upper body training afer I got off the bike.

So my steady state heart rate should be 156 to 159 for the workouts. I'll try to do the max test about once a month to see what my progress is.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=231Fri, 30 Nov 2007 10:43:28 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=230Tues, 27 Nov 2007 21:42:15 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=229Mon, 26 Nov 2007 22:13:10 ET
At lunch I walked for 20 minutes to get up from my desk and get my metabolism going.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=228Sun, 25 Nov 2007 22:39:46 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=227Sun, 25 Nov 2007 11:22:10 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=226Mon, 26 Nov 2007 13:35:05 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=225Mon, 26 Nov 2007 17:44:53 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=224Fri, 16 Nov 2007 21:26:47 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=223Fri, 16 Nov 2007 21:22:31 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=222Mon, 12 Nov 2007 20:59:17 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=221Sun, 11 Nov 2007 20:16:12 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=219Sun, 11 Nov 2007 20:07:30 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=218Fri, 9 Nov 2007 9:13:47 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=217Fri, 9 Nov 2007 9:05:52 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=216Wed, 7 Nov 2007 10:17:22 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=215Wed, 9 May 2007 12:14:09 ET
I need to start somewhere so at least I got a good workout, and hopefully I can keep the momentum going and start training consistently]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=214Thurs, 3 May 2007 22:18:58 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=213Wed, 4 Apr 2007 11:38:46 ET
Avg cadence: 77

Max cadence: 115

Avg Speed 15.8
]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=212Sat, 10 Mar 2007 23:49:15 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=211Thurs, 18 Jan 2007 14:34:18 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=210Thurs, 18 Jan 2007 14:28:21 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=209Mon, 25 Dec 2006 21:45:07 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=208Wed, 18 Oct 2006 16:01:06 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=207Sat, 9 Sep 2006 20:12:24 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=206Wed, 6 Sep 2006 18:43:08 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=205Thurs, 22 Jun 2006 23:51:37 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=204Mon, 19 Jun 2006 23:39:57 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=203Sun, 18 Jun 2006 22:59:35 ET
<begin rant>

The group was a little crazy. There really wasn't any sense of organization. Nobody seemed to know how to ride a double paceline. It was really weird. Guys were all over the road, bunching up to 4 abreast at times. Guys would attack at random across the double yellow line. I swear a couple guys spent more time riding in the left lane! Then when people would chase them, they would just sit up an coast, but not get over to the right, so you had to slow down and get on the brakes. Really annoying. Also yelling "car back" really didn't mean anything to this group. Nobody seemed to make an attempt to single up, and cars were honking at us a few times. I don't blame them the way some guys were riding." One guy kept going to the front and puting the hammer down, but he just stays right in the middle of the road near the yellow line instead of getting over to the right side of the lane, so the paceline was out in the middle of the road blocking traffic. I don't think I'll be going out of my way to make this ride in the future.

</end rant>

I'm sorry if this offends anyone who was on the ride, but I just don't this some guys were riding very safe, and I don't think that is the way the club rides should be.

I still got in a good workout, and my legs were still a little flat from the effort of the triathlon yesterday.

I'm feeling a little streched out on the bike. I may need a shorter stem since the top tube is about a cm longer than my old frame.
]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=202Mon, 19 Jun 2006 17:26:03 ET
I got up at 4:45 am and got my bike on the car, and my final things together. My family came with me, so we had to get the kids up and into the car.

We made it to the Quassy amusement park at 6:00 am. I met up with my team, and got my bike into the transition area. I had my other bike with me, so I did a little warmup, then went down to watch the start.

Our swimmer Cara was in the second wave. She did 29 minutes for the swim, and I was surprised at how soon she came out of the water. She gave me the timing chip and I ran my bike out of the transition area and I jumped on my bike cyclocross style. I was surprised at how slow some of the other racers were getting started on the bike. Some were playing with getting their feet in their shoes which were attached to the bike. It seems like it would be better to take a few extra seconds in the transition area than to fumble with getting your shoes on on the bike.

Anyway I quickly got up to speed. The first part of the course was downhill, so this is where I needed to make time, so I put it in my 55x12 and I was passing a lot of riders right away. I passed one other relay rider quickly who had started a couple of minutes in front of me.

Approching a steep downhill with some corners I cought up to three riders who were staggered across the road. I yelled out "passing" but they didn't get over. It seems like that would get them a penalty if a referee saw the situation. We hit the steep downhill with corners, so I just backed off and followed them through the corners, then blew by them when the road straightened out.

Just past an intersection after the downhill, I passed a Team ESPN rider Kristen Baker who had a smokin swim split of 22 minutes for the mile swim.

I continued to pass more riders on some flats and even on some small rollers. Then we hit a long climb. I put it in my lowest gear of 42x23 and just cranked it out in the saddle. I started getting passed buy a few guys, but kept them in sight.

Over the top I got in my aero bars and flew down the hill. I had to really get on the brakes to make a right had corner onto Haweeneesee (sp). I got back up to speed and made it through some turns.

I got to an intersection and there was a police officer standing in the middle of the road direction me to the left. I yelled out "are you sure this is the way". He said yes, so I turned even thouth I had preridden the course and knew it was the next turn. There were even arrows pointing straight. There were two riders I could see ahead of me after the turn, so I figured if he was directing everybody this way, I guess it must be correct.

The "short cut" had a much steeper climb so I was really grinding my low gear to get up the hill. A woman passed me on the hill. She looked fast. I passed her back as the road flattened out, but she passed me again as the road got steeper. If I lost some weight, it would really help my times!

Over the top of the climb I got back into a tuck and started turning my 55x12 again. I started reeling in guys who had passed me on the hills.

On the long downhill I got stuck behind a truck who was waiting for a slower rider, so I had to get on the brakes a little. He finally passed the rider when the road straighened out.

I kept passing guys and finished the course in 1:06, which was the best bike split of the relay teams by almost 2 minutes. My time was 7th best for the bike overall.

I'm looking forward to the New York Triathlon. It is much more flat, so I should be able to do even better. There will be many more racers, so I guess passing could be a problem. Hopefully our swimmer will turn in a good time so I don't have too many people to pass. I will try to use my disk wheel for it, so that should help even more. I just need some new tires.

I will try for a sub 1 hour 40K. I think the best bike split there was about 57 minutes, so I'm hoping I can get near that since I was only about 2 minutes off the best time for this race.

Our runner Susan did a 54 minute 40K. She was pretty happy to do a sub 1 hour. She just start getting into running last year, so that is great. We finished 2nd out of 8 mixed relay teams.



]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=201Sun, 18 Jun 2006 21:13:40 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=200Sun, 18 Jun 2006 22:54:03 ET
I debated weather to use my TT bike with all the climbing.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=199Wed, 14 Jun 2006 22:00:14 ET
There was rain and thunderstorms in the evening so I caught a ride home and left my bike at work.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=198Wed, 14 Jun 2006 21:56:32 ET
I didn't use a disk wheel. I think I will just use my regular wheels for the triathlon on Saturday.
]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=197Mon, 12 Jun 2006 13:55:14 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=196Mon, 12 Jun 2006 11:22:27 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=195Mon, 12 Jun 2006 11:18:46 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=194Mon, 12 Jun 2006 11:15:33 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=193Mon, 29 May 2006 20:15:44 ET
At Norfolk we took Mountain Road. I had scouted out this road earlier in the year. There are some dirt sections, but it was hard packed and smooth for the most part, so it was passable on skinny tires. The road passed the edge of the Canaan Resevoir which is very scenic, and on the other side of Canaan Mountain there is a fun downhill past a dairy farm.

When I was planning out the ride, I saw a road called Cobble Road. To me that didn’t sound very smooth, so my original plan was to go farther to connect to route 63. When we got to Cobble Road, I could see that it was paved, so I lead the group right onto the road, but just after the turn, there was a sign that said “Road Closed.”

I was about to have the group turn around, but there were a few chants of “I’m sure we can get through”, so we headed down the road. Soon we could see that water was over the road. Scott lead the way, and made it around a few puddles, but the water got deeper, and soon he had no choice but to go through about a foot of water. After a few of us had ridden through, there was no going back. Water was above the botton bracket on the bike, and we all had wet shoes after the crossing.

There was a short hill before connecting to Route 63. We were only on Route 63 for a mile or so before turning onto Music Mountian Road. I had first discovered this road on a fall drive a couple of years ago, and ridden it in the opposite direction last year. Music Mountain is a gradual climb, and a very nice backroad. Just after passing a waterfall, we made the turn on Cream Hill Road. This hill is longer and steeper than I had remembered, but the climb is rewarded by a fun descent. I saw some other cyclists heading the opposite direction.

We made a stop at the West Cornwall Store to refuel and fill water bottles. Coleman found an unopened Bud Light outside the store, so Scott drank some of it. Beer has lots of carbs … right? We set off again across the covered bridge, and started climbing again on the way to Sharon, CT. This was another scenic section of road that crosses the Appalachian Trail. In Sharon we cut across Lovers Lane, a dirt road that connected to Route 361, and headed north to Millerton, New York. We crossed route 44 and continued on some more scenic quiet roads. I saw more cyclists out enjoying these great roads and nice weather.

We connected with Route 22, but I saw that there is a rail trail that we could have taken to Taconic State park, and that would have been a little better way to go. Route 22 has a good shoulder, but more traffic.

We stopped at the Depot Deli across from Taconic State Park. It was a good place to stop for lunch. There are picnic tables outside. The Deli is right at the end of the rail trail, and there is a bicycle shop across the street. I got a turkey sandwich and topped off my water bottles.

We left the Deli and started the climb to Bash Bish Falls back over into Massachusetts. This is a very steep climb that I had done last year on the Berkshire 300K. We all made it up the climb and regrouped at the top.

After a fun downhill, we cut over to Route 7, but then missed a turn. Don’t trust Google Maps. They had the wrong name for a road, so we went too far on route 7 which was super busy with Memorial Day traffic. After a couple of miles we figured we had gone too far, so we turned around and backtracked. We turned on Maple Avenue and headed toward Mill River. I bonked at about the 80 mile mark, and fell behind the group. I just wanted to pull over and take a nap. I made it to the Mill River store, where we made our final stop. After a couple of ice cream sandwiches, I got my blood sugar level up, and I felt better.

There were two other cycle tourist at the store with fully loaded panniers doing a weekend trip. This is a really great area for bicycle touring. I struggled up the climb out of Mill River and back route 183 to Connecticut. After getting back into Connecticut the road has a lot of gradual downhill, so I recovered and feld better on the final miles down Sandy Brook, to Riverton, and back to home.

This was a really challenging route, but it was very scenic on backroads with very little traffic. It was a great group of people to spend the day with exporing the countryside. Eleven of of finished the ride.

With stops it took us about 9:30 with about 8:00 of actual time on the bike. I hope to make this ride an annual event.

The Map and Route sheet below have been updated after the ride.

Route Map

Route Sheet

Photos
]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=192Mon, 29 May 2006 20:05:48 ET
My K2 bit the dust. I discovered a crack in the chainstay, so I rode my cross bike with my lighter road wheels.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=191Mon, 22 May 2006 23:31:27 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=190Sat, 20 May 2006 23:07:33 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=189Thurs, 18 May 2006 12:55:58 ET
I hit a high HR of 187

]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=188Tues, 16 May 2006 9:03:51 ET
Now that I have my heart rate monitor back from being repaired, I did some intervals. I did 4 sets for 2 minutes of HR 165-175 and recovery until my HR came back down to 120.

This didn't work that well. 120 was too low, so to took me too long to recover. I think 140 is probably enough.

Also I can keep my HR around 177-178, so I would immediatly go past 175 and the monitor would start beeping.

I think in the future I'll just do time based recovery, and a higher HR on the intervals for a longer period of time. Probably 5 minutes on, 2 minutes recovery seems to work best for me, although it is good to mix it up with some hill intervals too, but the longer power intervals help me the most with time trialing, which is my main goal for this year.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=187Sat, 13 May 2006 18:48:37 ET
The loop has a hill, so I went hard up the hill 3 times, then easy down and back to the base of the climb.

Just before my third time up the hill I saw Wayne just heading out for a ride from Collinsville. He came with me, and he wanted to go north, so I rode with hime up 179 to Barbertown road, up some more hills, I came back 179. I was at least on my bike for about an hour.

I just got my Polar watch back from being serviced. It needed a new battery, but they sent me a new watch because it didn't pass there water resistance test. It has fogged up a couple of time in the past, and once it dried out it worked again, but I am very impressed that they sent me a new watch given that it was about 3 years old and past the warranty date.

I took the Polar OwnIndex test that is supposed to predict your VO2 Max. Mine was 41 which was average, but if I put in the weight I used to race at and retook the test, it was 54, which according to their chart is in the excellent range. So just by loosing weight, I could really improve my performance.

I think I have a good endurance base now, and need to start incorporating more speed work.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=186Thurs, 11 May 2006 18:08:19 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=185Thurs, 11 May 2006 9:58:45 ET
My heart rate monitor had a dead battery, so I didn't have that or a cycle computer with speed. I only had a watch, so I was just going on feel.

I rolled over to the start line, and only had about 10 second before I had to start, so I barely took my long sleeve jersey off that I had for warmup before I had to go. I had some trouble getting my shoe in the pedal, so it wasn't the best start.

I set into a fast pace, and downshifted and backed off a little before the hill so I wouldn't totally blow up. I stayed in the aero position and in the big ring up the hill, and got out of the saddle just for a second to try and accelerate a little over the top.

There was a little headwind on the way out. I was in my 55x13 or 14 a lot of the way to the turnaround. I was gaining time on Dave at the turn around, so I knew I was going pretty well since he usually puts in a fast time.

I made a good turn and was in the right gear to accelerate out of the turn. I didn't see Pat for a little bit who started behind me, so I could tell I was puting time on him as well.

I was in my 55x12 a lot of the way on the return trip, and shifted to the 55x13 sometimes. Over the hill on the way back I stayed on the aero bars again, and in a 55x23. I was really closing in on Dave, but he put time on me again over the hill.

I was maxed out in the final K to the finish, feeling like I was about to pass out. I almost caught Dave at the finish, and I passed a couple of other guys in the final K.

My time of 18:45 was good enough for second place. 18:27 was the best time of the night. My best time last year in August was 18:33, and my firt TT last year was 20:05, so I am way ahead of last year, and I think I could go sub 18 minutes if I can get my weight down more. I also weigh 7 to 9 lbs less than what I was last year for the first TT, so I'm sure that has to help.

]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=184Mon, 8 May 2006 10:26:09 ET
Some notes from the weekend: I sold my mountain bike at the Benidorm consignment sale. It was about 12 years old, and I only rode it a few times a year, so I decided to get rid of it. I ordered some new tubulars for my TT wheels.

And the biggest bike related news from the weekend ... my daughter Annika learned how to ride her bike without training wheels! A few weeks ago I bought my kids one of those two wheeled scooters. I think that helped them get the whole balancing thing down, and after that balancing on the bike was no problem.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=183Sat, 6 May 2006 8:16:03 ET
My legs were sore from the long ride yesterday, and my shoulders and neck got tired in the TT aero position. I just need to get on the TT bike one a week or so to get used to the different riding position. I'm doing the bike leg of two triathlons as part of a team, and I'd also like to do a fast time in our club time trial, so I need to get used to the bike.

]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=182Thurs, 4 May 2006 20:28:17 ET
The hills on the course were not that bad. I think my TT bike will not be a problem on the uphills, and I think having the big gear on the downhill sections will help me make up time. I'd like to do the course at least on more time on my TT bike to see how I do, and get another benchmark time now that I know the course. I was feeling it the last 10 miles or so back up the hill to Harwinton. It was a hot day.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=181Wed, 3 May 2006 21:39:04 ET
Randy and I set a pretty fast pace for the start of the ride and we caught up to a big group about 10 miles down the road that included Doug and Coleman. We hung with that group for a while. Randy took off about the time we got to route 116, a long gradual climb before a turnoff to Shelburne Falls.

I was feeling pretty good, so I decided to go after him, and I set a pretty good pace up the climb. The big pack kind of strung out there, and one guy caught me and we rode together over the top. I could see Randy just ahead, but after the fast descent, I didn't see him. I made a turn toward Shelburne Falls, and backed off the pace a little. I though Randy may have missed the turn, but he was at the Coffee Shop checkpoint when I got there 45 miles into the ride. I ran into the bathroom and filled my water bottle and bought a big chocolate chip cookie.

When I came out of the coffee shop Randy had taken off, and Doug and Coleman were just pulling in. I added some Cyctomax mix to my bottles that I had with me, took off my wind breaker and stuffed it into my seat pack since it was starting to warm up.

I waited and started of with Doug, Coleman, and one other rider who looked like he was an experienced Brevet rider. I figured it was better to hang back at a more moderate pace that try to chase after Randy and end up riding on my own the whole time.

The next section of the ride was the best part. It made a loop into Vermont. The roads was a lot better, and there were some good hills, and great views along the way. There was a great downhill section on a narrow winding road that passed a covered bridge at the bottom.

I took a couple of long pulls as we rode along a river heading back to Shelburne Falls. The second checkpoint was at McCloskey's General Store in Shelburne Falls. It was a great store. They had a deli area, and a lot of natural and organic foods. I bought a large bottle of water and a peanut butter chocolate chip cookie. I also bought some sunscreen because my face was starting to get red.

The ride back to Westfield had some bumpy roads with a lot of potholes to look out for, but the route was a little different than the ride out. With about 5 miles to go I pushed the pace a little and finished alone. I felt great for a 125 mile ride this early in the year.

I could have gone faster, but it is more fun to ride with friends and enjoy the scenery than to go hard an bonk with 25 miles to go. My goal was to get in a good endurance ride and feel good at the end, and that is what I did.

Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bikeride/sets/72057594121299286/ ]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=180Tues, 2 May 2006 8:20:37 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=179Thurs, 27 Apr 2006 17:55:52 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=178Thurs, 27 Apr 2006 18:10:55 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=177Wed, 26 Apr 2006 8:48:26 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=176Tues, 25 Apr 2006 10:50:28 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=175Tues, 25 Apr 2006 10:49:55 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=174Wed, 19 Apr 2006 20:43:04 ET
Another $5 or $6 saved without driving the car to work. With gas around $3 per gallon, I'm starting to get more people at work asking me about riding into work, and a few people in the office have just bought new bikes.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=173Wed, 19 Apr 2006 20:28:47 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=172Wed, 19 Apr 2006 23:27:49 ET
In the morning I took our dog for a walk. I walked down and ran back up a steep hill that our friends live on top of. I did that twice and that took about 25 minutes.

Later at Bear Mountain I hiked about half way up Bear Mountain on the Appalachian Trail. It was pretty steep. That was about another 30 minutes up and back and was a good leg workout.

Plus we did alot of walking around the park.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=171Tues, 18 Apr 2006 11:01:14 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=170Thurs, 13 Apr 2006 23:14:45 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=169Wed, 12 Apr 2006 13:57:41 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=168Wed, 12 Apr 2006 13:58:28 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=167Tues, 11 Apr 2006 14:09:07 ET
On the way home I took a route through Burlington that was more hilly. Map of return route]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=166Sat, 8 Apr 2006 11:32:44 ET
At least I had my bike with fenders.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=165Thurs, 6 Apr 2006 21:53:26 ET
It was pretty cold out, and there was still some snow on the Road over Canaan Mountain. There were some dark clouds but it never rained. The sun finally came out about 5 miles from home.

I felt pretty good for this distance. My back, neck and shoulders got a little sore/tired. A good Endurance ride though.

Max HR 177. Avg 141.

Route Map]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=164Thurs, 6 Apr 2006 23:24:21 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=163Tues, 4 Apr 2006 14:23:34 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=162Mon, 3 Apr 2006 11:51:13 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=161Fri, 31 Mar 2006 22:14:05 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=160Thurs, 30 Mar 2006 14:26:21 ET Map I was going to ride into work, but I had to be home early, so I rode early in the morning for a hour before work, then went to the Gym at lunch Gym workout: Stretching, Abs, Squats (bar plus 110 lbs), Shoulder Press, Dumbell Shrugs (30 lbs), Hamstring Curls, Bent over dumbell rows (25 lbs), Leg Extensions, Lunges, Step ups (w 25 lb dumbells). ]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=159Wed, 29 Mar 2006 13:33:30 ET Map]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=158Wed, 29 Mar 2006 8:29:49 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=157Tues, 28 Mar 2006 11:35:11 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=156Sat, 25 Mar 2006 12:50:42 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=155Sat, 25 Mar 2006 0:43:35 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=154Thurs, 23 Mar 2006 12:02:41 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=153Tues, 21 Mar 2006 23:16:59 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=152Mon, 20 Mar 2006 14:41:28 ET
I'll try to get on the trainer tonight for an hour. This week the forecast is to be cold and windy, but I may try to ride to work at least once.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=151Sun, 19 Mar 2006 23:11:13 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=150Fri, 17 Mar 2006 22:59:21 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=149Fri, 17 Mar 2006 22:58:10 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=148Fri, 17 Mar 2006 22:43:34 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=147Mon, 13 Mar 2006 19:41:41 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=146Mon, 13 Mar 2006 19:39:32 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=145Mon, 13 Mar 2006 19:37:27 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=142Wed, 15 Feb 2006 14:33:23 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=143Wed, 15 Feb 2006 14:38:18 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=144Wed, 15 Feb 2006 14:50:22 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=140Sun, 29 Jan 2006 19:01:33 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=141Sun, 29 Jan 2006 19:04:40 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=139Thurs, 26 Jan 2006 18:33:13 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=138Thurs, 26 Jan 2006 18:21:03 ET
After I lost the turkeys, I did a mellow ride. It was nice to get outside to ride. My legs were still a little sore, but felt o.k. riding.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=137Thurs, 26 Jan 2006 18:10:51 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=136Thurs, 26 Jan 2006 17:21:02 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=135Thurs, 26 Jan 2006 17:19:40 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=134Fri, 13 Jan 2006 20:56:46 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=133Mon, 2 Jan 2006 20:50:14 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=132Mon, 2 Jan 2006 11:56:33 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=131Tues, 22 Nov 2005 9:20:56 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=130Fri, 11 Nov 2005 16:43:00 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=128Thurs, 27 Oct 2005 18:20:42 ET
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bikeride/sets/1145739/]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=129Thurs, 27 Oct 2005 18:06:43 ET
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bikeride/sets/1145739/]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=127Thurs, 27 Oct 2005 17:43:05 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=126Mon, 3 Oct 2005 13:39:31 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=125Sat, 1 Oct 2005 20:12:07 ET
I lost some weight mid summer, but gained most of it back now. I want to get back on my eating plan to maintain or lose weight, and get the best nutrition to stay healthy.

Even if I can't do long workouts, I need to do something almost every day. My goal is 5 days a week to eith ride outside, or on the indoor trainer, or go to the gym. Ideally I would be on the bike 3 days a week, and weight train 2 days a week.

I'd like to improve my TT times next season over what I did this year.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=124Mon, 19 Sep 2005 20:10:40 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=123Sun, 28 Aug 2005 19:45:48 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=122Tues, 23 Aug 2005 22:11:06 ET
I had the full aero setup with TT helmet, skinsuit, shoe covers, and disk wheel. I even put stickers over to valve hole on the disk.

If I can focus on losing weight over the winter I think I could improve my time a lot. The series is a lot of fun, and a good way for me to do a few competative events even though I don't really race any more.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=120Mon, 22 Aug 2005 11:45:07 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=121Mon, 22 Aug 2005 11:54:39 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=119Sat, 20 Aug 2005 9:02:37 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=118Thurs, 11 Aug 2005 12:43:45 ET
Anyway is is good to practice on the TT bike.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=117Wed, 10 Aug 2005 22:35:40 ET
]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=116Mon, 8 Aug 2005 22:19:17 ET
The ride was on really nice roads. I've been on most of the route before either riding or driving, but I don't get over in that area of Connecticut often, and it is a great area for riding. There were a lot of rolling hills, with a few step climbs.

There were quite a few supported stops stocked with water and bananas. I felt great until about the 60 mile mark, and then started feeling the fatigue set in. There was a bit of a headwind the last 10 miles. We averaged 18.2 MPH.

Back at the finish there were sandwiches, pizza, fruit, and drinks. There was an auction were someone bid over $2000 for a signed Lance Armstrong photo. In all, $57,000 was raised to help cancer related causes in the local community, and over 800 riders turned out to participate, exceeding the expectations of the event organizers.

This was certainly a ride I will look forward to doing again in the future.


More Photos ]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=115Fri, 5 Aug 2005 0:14:26 ET
I just put some new Vittoria tires on my bike. I actually used an older pair of wheels that I haven't used in a while, but are a little lighter weight than my regular set. I also installed some new Tacx bottle cages that seem to work fine with their unusual design.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=114Tues, 2 Aug 2005 14:44:12 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=113Tues, 2 Aug 2005 14:39:24 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=112Sun, 31 Jul 2005 22:20:10 ET
After the ride, I went with my family to the pool and did some swimming.

I was sore from weight lifting on Friday.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=111Sun, 31 Jul 2005 22:17:07 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=110Thurs, 28 Jul 2005 14:11:51 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=109Wed, 27 Jul 2005 10:39:37 ET
I probably started out too fast, and died toward the end when a lot of guys passed me. I'm sure I had one of the slowest times of around 16:30, but that will get better as I lose weight, which I am close to losing 20 lbs. My goal is to lose another 20 to 25.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=108Tues, 26 Jul 2005 10:52:43 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=107Fri, 22 Jul 2005 22:10:20 ET
My gears are not shifting well. I think it is time for a new chain.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=106Fri, 22 Jul 2005 21:50:04 ET
Anyway people were hammering right away around the lower Res. I was a little surprised at how hard everyone was going. It seems like most EBCC rides turn into a race with everyone trying to show people how strong they are. In my opinion, these kind of group rides are not all that fun. I'd rather do something a little more structured like go hard on the hills, and go easy in between, for more of an interval workout.

Anyway, the pace let up a little over the dam, then I watched as the group rode away from me on the first hill of the res loop. Craig was with me, so I hung with him up the hill, then tried to catch back on before the next climb, but The group was strung out and getting out of sight. I went hard up the next couple of climbs, but then backed off a little to wait for Craig since I wasn't getting anywhere on my own.

Craig caught up to me, and I took some long pulls, and we switched off. The big downhill was fun, then I faught to stay on Craig's wheel up the long climb to New Hartland. Five of use regrouped there, but the rest of the group didn't wait. My heartrate was over 180 for much of the Res loop, and I hit a max of 188.

It was nice to open it up after not doing anything intense for a coulpe of weeks, plus not carrying as much weight up the hills is nice.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=105Fri, 22 Jul 2005 21:33:45 ET
I felt pretty good on the ride to and from work.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=104Tues, 19 Jul 2005 16:30:18 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=103Tues, 19 Jul 2005 16:29:32 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=102Tues, 19 Jul 2005 16:29:16 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=101Fri, 8 Jul 2005 15:16:30 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=100Wed, 29 Jun 2005 10:29:40 ET
We still set the fastest times of the 4 teams that raced with a 37:58. It was super humid so I didn't use my TT helmet so I could get more ventalation. Also my heart rate was really high. I was holding it about 182 or 183, and hit a Max HR of 191! I must have been well rested.

I've lost 10 pounds in the last week by switching to a diet of mostly fruits and vegetables, so I'm going to stick with this and try to get my weight down back to what I was when I raced as a Cat 1 10 years ago. Back then, I was about 175 lbs. I was about 220 last week when I started this new diet, and this morning was 210, so I am headed in the right direction.

I've been reading a book called Eat to Live by Dr Joel Fuhrman that really breaks down how certain food that are standard in the Standard American Diet lead to heart disease or cancer.

]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=99Mon, 27 Jun 2005 17:25:43 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=97Thurs, 23 Jun 2005 21:39:19 ET
Yesterday I just ate fruit and Salad. I dropped 5 pounds from yesterday morning to when I got home today. I've been reading a book called Eat to Live, and it is motivating me to eat more fruits and salads.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=96Thurs, 23 Jun 2005 21:32:03 ET
I ended up having a geat ride. I did some intervals to Riverton, then hit the climbs hard around the res loop. I cought up to another rider after turning onto the res loop, so we rode together until I turned off onto 179.

I was tired after.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=98Thurs, 23 Jun 2005 21:42:11 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=94Wed, 15 Jun 2005 19:58:24 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=95Wed, 15 Jun 2005 22:52:51 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=92Tues, 14 Jun 2005 10:42:30 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=93Tues, 14 Jun 2005 10:44:58 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=91Wed, 8 Jun 2005 8:47:30 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=90Tues, 7 Jun 2005 23:11:15 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=89Tues, 7 Jun 2005 8:46:44 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=88Sun, 5 Jun 2005 22:56:54 ET
A guy named Rich from Boston left with us from the start. He rode the same pace, so we ended up riding together the whole ride.

I really liked this ride. The roads were constantly going up and down. Coleman's altimeter said 7500 feet of total climbing. There were a lot of potholes, which seems normal for Massachusetts.

There were official rest stops at 25 and 100 miles that were well stocked with granola bars, fig newtons, rolls with peanut butter, gatorade, and water. They even had sunscreen.

The resevoir was very scenic, and we took some roads that were off limits to cars. We stopped to climb a tower that offered great panoramic views of the area.

At 50 miles, the Century route split off from the 125 mile route. We stopped at a convenience store to get some water to top off out bottles before heading on to Amherst. Beth and Rich mixed it up sprinting for a few town lines. I went for one, which was probably not that smart for a 125 ride.

We started a long climb to the 75 mile mark. It was getting hot at this time of the day. We stopped a the Wendell Country store and sat in the shade for a break. I bought some pasta salad, and some PowerAde. The powerade was a little too sweet. With it being so hot, I think it would have been better just to drink water.

After the rest stop at the store there was a fun downhill section. Then more uphill. It seemed like the hills never ended. The combination of hills and heat got to me at the 95 mile mark, and I was bonking.

We finally made it to the 100 rest stop. There were a lot of riders there since the century route also stopped here. I sat in the shade, ate a banana with peanut butter and recovered.

Rich and I rode together the last 25 miles, which had even more steep hills. Our pace was pretty slow, but we made it to the finish. Coleman and Beth took a wrong turn somewhere and finshed after us.

Photos

Max HR 182/ Avg 143]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=87Wed, 1 Jun 2005 19:09:32 ET
This is a great 50 mile ride. The climb up route 57 from New Boston, Mass. is very steep. It has to be over 15% grade (there is a runaway truck ramp for trucks that lose their brakes). The climb is the most steep at the beginning, then gets better near the top. Even after the first climb, there are a few more steep sections of road on the way to Granville.

My original plan was to stop at the Granville store, but I saw a sign to the Granville State forest with a road called West Hartland road, so I turned off early to explore. I hadn't been on this road before, but I knew where West Hartland Connecticut is, so I figured this road must go through. It is a dirt road, but pretty hard packed and smooth. There are a few steep sections with some washboard surface. It crosses a creek on a paved bridge. The dirt road lasted 3 miles, and goes past a campground and a forest service office.

At the Connecticut, Massachusetts border, the dirt road turned to smooth pavement, and not long after that the road came out on Route 20, which I have ridden on many times, and is part of one of my club's favorite loops. The sun came out for the final 10 miles of my ride, and my two water bottles just lasted the trip.

I saw another rider in an EBCC jersey heading the opposite way as I was heading back to New Hartford along the lower Barkhamsted resevoir.
Polar HRM stats:
2656 calories burned
73 avg cadence. 119 max cadence
16.6 Avg Speed
172 Max HR/139 Avg

I mowed the lawn after lunch for some extra pain for the legs, and then headed to work.

On the Web: Granville State Forest
]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=86Wed, 1 Jun 2005 8:43:06 ET
I got up too late this morning to ride to work, so I decided to ride the trainer. I'm thinking about doing the New York state time trial championship on June 18th, plus we have a club time trial twice a month that I'd like to get faster at, so I need to do some more time trial specific training.

I like the CTS videos, and last year I used the CTS TT AND Hill Climb videos a lot while riding my trainer. I think they helped me. I even won a time trial in Delhi New York last June.

The workout was hard. I can tell my fitness is under where I was last year. I couldn't use as big of gears as I used last year, and I quit half way through the final steady state interval. I'd like to incorporate this into my training once or twice a week.

I also did some stretching and some core strength training with an excersize ball.

I had to run to the store, so I stopped at GNC and bought some cyctosport recovery drink mix. I'll try it out and see if it makes a difference in my training.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=85Wed, 1 Jun 2005 23:10:32 ET
We went out to lunch at Baja Fresh after.

We walked around the shops, and went into Barnes & Noble and I browsed through a Bicycling Magazine. Typical Bicycling mag articles like how to train for a Century ride. There was an article on how to lose weight, that I could probably learn something from. It basically said cut out the empty calories.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=84Wed, 1 Jun 2005 21:01:33 ET
I held back a little going over Case Mountain so I didn't totally blow up. We took a new road that I hadn't been on before that connected to 20. I was able to take some good pulls on the way back, and keep up with the fastest guys. I feel like I am starting to get in shape.

I also did some core strength training using the fitness ball in the morning and some pushups. I'm going to try and start doing this more often. So far this week I haven't had a soda at work, so I'm trying to cut out some of the extra calories.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=83Mon, 23 May 2005 17:30:21 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=79Fri, 3 Jun 2005 1:20:31 ET
I cought a few riders who had been dropped from the race. Some guys just turned around and headed back to Torrington. I rode with Kevin from the Suway Team for a while until Norfolk. He was going to ride to the first feedzone. I turned off toward Colebrook to do a loop back home.

It was raining most of the ride, so I had all my rain gear, and I took my Litespeed since it was set up with fenders. I got a rear flat tire about 2 miles from home. While fixing the flat, I ran my finger along the inside of the tire to check for any objects sticking through the casing. I cut my finger open on a piece of glass. Note to self: Inspect tire without running your finger along the inside without looking! 25 years of riding, and I just figured this out! That was my first flat tire in a long time. Wet roads help the tires pick up extra debris.

After I got home, Melinda and the girls came with me to Torrington to see the finishing circuits and the finish of the race. Mark McCormack and Todd Wells broke away and gained enough time to take the yellow jersey. McCormack won the stage and the overall.

The race was probably better attended than last year, and there was a lot of family stuff to do. They had free face painting for the kids, and those big blow up jumping things. I picked up a lot of freebees including a few watr bottles from the TIAA-CREF booth (not that I need any more), and a couple of cowbells from the CT Tourism booth. My race cow bell collection is getting bigger!

The girls and I sat right in front by all the photographers for the podium ceremony, and I got a lot of photos.

I left my car at work on Friday. Melinda picked me up and we drove to New Haven to see the criterium. We have done that 3 years now. Time flies! I can't believe we have been in Connecticut that long. I'll have to ride my bike to work tomorrow rain or shine since my car is still there.

Tour of Connecticut Photos

]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=78Wed, 1 Jun 2005 23:05:47 ET
My butt was still sore from last Saturday's 300K. That is the first time in 25 years of riding that I was so saddle sore a layer of skin peeled off! I will be sure to get some chamois creme and better shorts before my next long ride. I put lots of lotion on before today's ride!

After not riding yesterday I wanted to go hard again. I went hard on the hills, especially climbing 179 past 219. I had my HR up to 179.

I had 3 cars pass me and then jam on the brakes to turn right. Why can't drivers just wait a few seconds to make a turn instead of endangering my life!?!? I just expect it, so I ride defensively and expect drivers to do this.

I saw 4 women out riding in a group on Simsbury road. That is cool to see them out riding together on such a nice day. They said hi as I passed and asked me if I'm the guy who rides out route 44 every day. I said there are a lot of other people with the same club jersey, although I do ride out on route 44 to New Hartford a lot

I picked up some cycling shoes and pedals for Melinda at the shop. I've got to get her on her new bike.]]> http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=77Tues, 17 May 2005 20:30:18 ET http://www.bikeride.com/training/training.asp?id=76Mon, 30 Jan 2006 21:58:49 ET
I made it to Westfield in good time, and found a place to park next to the bike shop about 4:15. Others were there in the dark parking lot getting their bikes ready. I went into the shop to sign in, and use the facilities.

I was going to meet EBCC members Beth and Coleman, but I didn't see them before the ride started at 5 am. I figured that the weather forecast scared them off. The forcast was for rain, so I took the bike with fenders, and packed my rain gear.

At 5 am we were off. I followed a lead group of about 15 riders, just cruising along for the first 20 miles until the climb of Jacob's Ladder on route 20. I saw another rider in an EBCC jersey named Chris, who I didn't know. He said he was using the ride to train for 24 hour MTB races.

I lost contact with that group as the climb started. I just wanted to take it at my own pace. I didn't see anyone else until the top of the climb when I stopped quickly to take a photo.

On the downhill portion heading to Lee it started to rain, but it only lasted 5 or 10 minutes, then stopped, and the rest of the day was great. So much for packing that rain gear!

As I was heading downhill into Lee, some dude was walking right down the middle of the road coming toward me with his fist in the air. I'm not sure what the guy was doing at 7 am, but I went to the other side of the road to avoid him.

Passing through Stockbridge the town was still quiet as the route took to some side roads on the way to Great Barrington. The first checkpoint was at the GB Dunkin Donuts. There were a few other ride