Baked or Broiled?

 

I survived the heat wave of ‘09.  How hot was it?  Well, a few days the temps here in Portland were hotter than the were in Austin TX.  My drive home from work out in Hillsboro was 106 on Monday, 108 on Tuesday, and 113 on Wednesday.  113? WTF?  You know its hot when people on Facebook start complaining about the people complaining about the heat.

I’m not a huge fan of the heat, and exercising in that weather when your body isn’t used to it can be downright dangerous.  Props to the officials who canceled racing events or had some other creative ways of dealing with the heat.  Oddly enough, on Thursday when it was only 95 on the drive home we had the windows and sunroof open and no AC on.  Its good to be a mammal!

I took an alternative path to beating the heat.. I rested. :)  For 6 days my bike sat in the garage and I sat in my house sipping on Gin & Tonic or beer, and eating nachos in the AC.  The weather had cooler temperatures coming late in the week, so I busted butt at work to get everything done early, and took Friday off.  It was a great week.

The team sent a bunch of folks to Cascades last week, and they had a great time and brought back a lot of good stories.  With Cascades and the State TT Championships done and Crit Championships just around the corner, the road racing season is coming to a close.  Saturday rides become more mellow and training plans start to have threshold intervals in them again.  That means cross is right around the corner!

Contrary to some of the rumors out there, Pain on the Peak 2009 is in fact happening, and will be at the same location as last year.  Website and flyers are being built, sponsors are being finalized, and the course is being planned.  As with most of the world, the finances are tight so prize packages might not be as good as last year, but we are working hard to make it as exciting of event as it was last year.  Keep watch for more details!

Monday morning update

 

Hello blog.  Had a crazy week at work last week, and it will continue to be this way for a couple weeks rolling into a software release for work and a wedding on the East coast in a few weekends. Sorry for neglecting you, but realize training has suffered a bit as well.  Life pops up, ya know?  It's probably good that it happened as we really needed to get the house cleaned up. (What are these boxes from? Christmas?!?  How much laundry do we have to do?)

So, our house is cleaned up now.  (The downstairs mess migrated upstairs.. I guess that's clean?)  Clean enough for company!  We had an awesome time with our closest friends yesterday, including an appearance by the Crazy Prospector Dance Team.

The "Monster Cookie Beatdown part Tres", took place last Sunday (4/2) and was crazy hard ride.  11 PV race team folks along with about 40 club members descended on the state capital grounds for this annual ride put on by the Salem Bike Club.  The team left at 9am and rolled back into the finish around 12:40 with a quick stop in Champeog State Park at the half way point.  The Black and Blue Pain Train rolled through the 63miles at roughly at 23mph average and called out "on your left" roughly 2145 times.  Next year we think we might bring out the Cookie Wagon to run lead on the train.  I will also not start the ride hung over.

April PIR wrapped up this past week, with B-Rat taking a very hard fought April series that unfortunately went sour in the final moments.  A wreck in the final sprint took out Jeff Harwood from Ironclad along with Jeff B from PV and a couple other folks.  Jeff Harwood was the leader on the road at the time of the crash and was riding really strong.  Hope you are healing quick!  I think I took 3rd overall for April.  Not too shabby for only racing 3 races. This will probably be the last 3/4 race I do on Tuesdays for a bit, and just in time it seems.  Apparently there was a second wreck in my race when someone's pannier rack hooked another riders handlebars and dragged them down.  I mean seriously?  I'm all for folks commuting out to PIR via bike and the fenders don't cause issues, but a pannier rack sticks out well beyond the arc of your wheel and just shouldn't be out there in the peloton.  

In another "heal up quick" note, PV's own "Kromonster" suffered a compound clavicle, AC separation, and a pair of broken ribs along with a busted bike after saying hello to the side of a SUV.  Alex unfortunately overcooking a corner on Newberry earlier this week.  Anyone who's been down Newberry probably knows the corner being referred to.  Fortunately Alex was able to make it to the First Friday party the next day.  He's a machine.

My own bionic knee is feeling much better after a regimen of stretching and deep tissue massage on the hip flexor and peraformis muscle group.  Rides on my road bike don't hurt that much anymore, and the diagnosis was further cemented by the amazing amount of discomfort when I was on the TT bike on Saturday.  (The more aggressive position on the TT leads to more stress on the regions causing the knee issues.)  I plan on hanging on for dear life racing the TTT this year with a few of the PV guys, so I'll be spending a lot of time stretching and adapting to the bike over the next couple weeks (hopefully!).

Ooops.

 

The year is 13 days old, and I've apparently neglected my blog.  Good reason though, I've been riding!  My knee has been healing nicely, stitches were removed and flexibility is almost back to normal.  Strength is another story entirely.  I have to gain back about a 25% muscle loss on my left leg and shred a bunch of scar tissue. 

Last Friday I had my first PT appointment with Dave McHenry of TAI over on NE MLK.  I've had my share of PT the last 11 years, having to rehab back from two ACL surgeries.  The thing that struck me about Dave was he didn't sugar coat things.  I've worked with people who say things like "you may feel a bit of pressure" and then spike your pain-o-meter to 11.  Dave, after doing the initial assessment of my knee and seeing the scar tissue buildup I have, said something to the extent of "Well, this is going to have to go and its going to hurt."   No bullshit.  I loved it.

I feel I rehab very well.  I get angry.  I vent the frustration into my sessions and push myself get to beyond where I was as quickly as possible.  I like to hit things straight on, and having a physical therapist that thinks like I do works well for me.

My endurance on the bike is coming back pretty quickly.  Last Saturday I took advantage of the decent weather (read: no rain) and rode with the race team.  Put about 3 hours in the saddle that day and was able to mix it up a bit which felt nice.  I inadvertently bypassed the two small climbing session that were on route after playing catchup due to a flat tire, which was probably a blessing in disguise.  Coming out of the saddle is about the only thing that hurts now.

(Note to those who feel their worn summer racers can hold out for "one more outdoor ride".  Don't speak of it out loud.  If you do, you've cursed yourself.)  The weather looks decent for the remainder of the week and into the weekend, so I expect to get out again this coming Saturday and Sunday.  Until then, it will be on the trainer.

Four bits gets you time in the racks

 

Every journey starts with the first step.   Today I was given the green light to start riding again, with the caveat that I may have to taper back activities to balance pain management.  Music to my ears.

So, at 3:35:07 pm PST on Monday December 29th, 2008, I started on my road back from injury and preparation for the 2009 season.  The result was a massive 35 minute effort at 36 watts, with a HR of 85 BPM!  EPIC!

I'd love to report that the ride was 100% pain free, but unfortunately that wasn't the case.  My range of motion is still a bit limited due to the swelling, and those first dozen or so slow revolutions really didn't feel too happy when my knee was at the top of its pedal stroke.  However, over time it became less and less uncomfortable and I was able to increase my cadence a bit. 

It wasn't much, but it's the start.

 

(Kudos to those of you who make the connection with the title!)

Step back to ride forward?

 

Rest is supposed to make you feel better. It allows for muscle to heal, wounds to repair themselves, the spirit replenish.  Last week I took as a rest week and took a step back.  I had noticed looking over my TrainingPeaks data that I was running a very high Acute Training Load, and my Training Stress Score was at its lowest point this season.  The last week of June and first week of July had seen a good 400+ miles roll by with a number of high intensity workouts mixed into the fold.  I did no hard rides during the past week with the hopes that the rest would allow me to hit that next level I'm searching for.

The off week was actually more difficult that I imagined.  My body felt restless, and my spirits raised by the coverage of the Tour.  I wanted to ride.  I was looking forward to the weekend.

Saturday the club route took us up one of the nasty small climbs in the foothills of Bald Peak, a road known as Unger or Iowa Hill depending on which side of the road you decide to go up.  I decided to take the Hammer & Nails group out on this day, which should lead to an entertaining ride.

I was happy to see that a number of new riders had joined the usual crew of PV racers and weekend hammerheads, the number possibly buoyed by a stern reminder I gave to the club about sandbagging in slower ride groups.  Unfortunately newcomers means unpredictable riding, the first ten or so miles were much harder than they needed to be.  A constant series of surges and braking to compensate for poor paceline work. 

The beauty of the H&N group is that it eventually becomes self sorting.  The weaker riders, or those with poor performing rides tends to drift off the back over the first half of the ride, a series of dropped chains, flat tires, and "bio-mechanical" failures.  It sounds harsh, but its designed to be difficult to elevate the performance of those who try and ride with the group, and it works. 

I remember the first time I finished with the H&N group last year.  I celebrated by shaving my legs for the first time.

Unger road loomed ahead of me, a two stage climb that can seriously work over those who are unfamiliar with the climb, and just puts the screws to everyone else.  The first time I went up the climb, I remember seeing a faster group ahead of me on the second stage and watching some members of the group tacking back and forth across the road to maintain their forward momentum.  On this day I was with the lead group of 10 or so riders at the base of the climb and immediately knew I was in trouble.  My legs just wouldn't turn over and my cardio system couldn't handle the stress.  With a bit of dismay I watched as the crew rolled away from me up the hill.  "This is Hammer & Nails, we don't wait."  I hear the words I spoke minutes before echoed ironically in my ears amid the pounding of my heart.  I relegated myself to grinding up the two sections of Unger, the blazing sun my only companion.

I eventually crested the beast and started the decent.  A sharp impact at the corner of my lip reminds me to be wary of the not so friendly  bees that have stung more than a few cyclists on this stretch of road.  I took a bee to the tongue two years ago and it's not a event I'd like to repeat.

On the descent Russ Patterson and Greg Magnus bridge up to me as I pull out the queue sheet, confirming that most of the group went the wrong way.  The three of us make the turn on Nursery Road and see Carlo and his father on the side of the road cameras in hand.

Greg and I decide to ham it up and engage in a mock sprint at a not so blazing speed.  The two of us are out of the saddle, our tongues hanging out like madmen.  I'm sure it will make for a pretty picture.   Greg's father Ron joins up with a short bit later and we make our way to Blooming Fern road and discover its been completely resurfaced.  I'm concerned as it will make an already fast decent down to Spring Fern Hill road even faster. 

We reach the bottom and stop to wait for the rest of the group, acting like sentries and watching for cars that could cause serious issues for anyone with bad brakes.  Fortunately the club members are familiar with the road and exercise caution coming into the intersection.  The final members of my group arrive and we depart for Forest Grove and Maggie's.

Maggie's Buns is a small off the wall bakery in the heart of downtown Forest Grove, and one of the clubs awesome sponsors.  If you've never had one of her famous cinnamon buns, you haven't done yourself justice!  "Best Buns in Town" isn't just a catchy phrase.  Maggie mans the water faucet and the two off us top of close to forty riders water bottles in no time at all.  I can't wait for our upcoming century that she is catering.

I retrieve my bike from the limited shade and see the swarm of cyclists that have gathered upon the small store.   I call out that the H&N's group is rolling out and head on our way back into Longbottoms.  A half mile down the road I glance back and the original two dozen that left at the start of the ride has swollen to close to fifty riders.  I formulate an evil plan.  The pace is causal heading out of town, allowing us time to warm our legs back up after the elongated stop.  As we approach the HWY 47 crossing, I ask Ron Babcock to park himself at the front of the line and ramp the speed to the mid twenties when we get across the road. 

The group is so large that a natural split occurs at the crossing.   "Play time's over folks!" I call out.  I hear Ben Johnson cheer with approval from behind me.  Ron obliges by dropping the hammer, with Ben coming up to lend a hand.  The group strings out into a long line as we cruise through the fields of overripe strawberries.  Another intersection splits the group further again, Sean and I find ourselves on the wrong side of a gap and work hard to close it around the traffic circles of Verbort.  A small Toyota pickup truck causes us to loose ground right as we were within striking distance.  Frustrated, we sit up and wait for more riders to join us before making another dig at the leading group.  We eventually catch them on the run up to Long Road.

Things cool down until we hit Hornecker.  I try to lead Bob out for a sprint but go too early for what limited strength my legs had left.  The remainder of the ride is thankfully low key.   

Short term pain for long term performance?  I hope that's what this rest leads to.

4x4ftw!

 

As I mentioned in my previous post, it's time for a recovery week.  This week my riding has consisted of commuting to and from work, a massive 9 miles a day.  My legs actually feel heavy when I get on the bike right now, so I'm hoping the light cycling load will be helpful.  I'll find out on Saturday when I go for some climbs with the team.

The light workload doesn't mean I'm not staying active however!  Any training regiment needs to be varied in my opinion, so I've supplemented my cycling with a weight program.  I believe it's important to have strong stabilization muscles to maintain form, and prevent injury.  So at the start of this year during my first training phase, I spent at least two workouts a week in the gym doing a high rep-low weight lifting regiment. 

From past experience, I've found I'm the type of person who can gain muscle mass by simply walking past a weight rack.  Oddly enough that wasn't something that very evident to me until a number of years after I was diagnosed as being diabetic.  My endocrinologist stated it probably has something to do with extra insulin I sometimes have in my system and went on to state that insulin is often abused by body builders and other athletes as a performance enhancing drug.  (Anyone want a hit off my insulin pump?)

As a result, I've found I have to be super careful when doing any sort of lifting program to not add bulk when increasing strength.  I'll have to admit its hard for me to go to the gym and complete sets of 30 reps with a really light weight.  Part of me knows that I can lift far more weight than what I'm currently working with.  I guess in some strange way it's an exercise in mental discipline. 

However strength work doesn't need to be done with free weights or machines!  This weeks strength routine I've named "4X4ftw".  A deceptively simple series of 4 different exercises done in a circuit 4 times.  As an added bonus, when you are done it feels like you've been beaten with a 4x4!  (I seriously wanted to barf last night.)  Doesn't that sound like fun?  Here is what made up the 4x4ftw circuit.

1. one leg squats:  I actually do these on the stairs as it gives you the ability to dip low.  This is your basic squat with one leg.  It works your quad/hamstrings, gluets, and calf muscles.  While you squat down, keep your core muscles tight to help with balance.  I tend to also do a knee lift with the leg I'm holding up to further emphasize the contraction of the core muscles.  It's like a standing crunch!  15 reps per leg then immediately on to...
2. planks: this is a ground based exercise, so having a yoga mat or something similar is helpful.  Start in the push-up position, then drop your upper body so you are resting on your forearms.  Here is a video demonstrating the exercise.  Engage the core muscles to hold your body as stiff as a "plank of wood".  Don't let your back round up, or sag down!  I try to hold the plank position for a minute.  It's harder than it sounds.  Once done, stretch the lower back, abs via whatever yoga pose you like, but don't take too long.  One of the purposes of doing something in a circuit is to keep your heart rate elevated.  Next up...
3. jump squats:  crouch low, loading the leg muscles with your body weight, then jump upwards using your legs and arms to propel you skyward.  When landing, absorb your descent with your legs again.  This is a standard plyometrics based exercise.  You don't have to jump to your max on every attempt, but do make sure you start and end each rep at your crouch or "loaded" position.  15 reps then on to...
4. decline push ups: there are a lot of variations of this exercise, but I put my feet up on one of those inflatable exercise balls, but you can use the stairs, a bench, or the edge of a couch to prop up your legs.  I personally like the exercise ball as I've found propping the legs up on an object that moves requires your core, lower back, and gluets to constantly shift and adjust making the push up more difficult.  As with most of these exercises, keep the core tight!   20 reps.

Once I finished a circuit, I move directly into the start of the next one.  You'll find that the the jump squats will elevate your heart rate, making the push-ups much harder then expected.  I normally take a short 2 minute break between the second and third circuit in order to hydrate.  A circuit will take me about 5 to 6 minutes, allowing me to complete the workout routine in 25-40 minutes depending on my pace.  The best part is all of this can be done at home, so its great if you need to shoe-horn a workout in.

The addition of strength and flexibility work into my routine has definitely paid off this year, and I'd strong suggest it to anyone looking to improve their performance.