Vision Quest Coaching
Wednesday Training -- Mt. Figora
The mountain didn't worry me too much in the morning. But agreeing to swim with Gordo and his crew certainly did. Again, the 6am wake up. Coffee a snack and off to the pool.
"The workout today is 19 x 200 on a pyramid interval with some warm-up and cool down. Total 4400 yards." That would be my longest swim of the year. Not by much, but still.
The water got thicker around the 3000 yard mark. Swam 2:50s mostly with varying amounts of rest.
Food. Change. Faster than yesterday.
Borrowed a Trek Madone and threw a PowerTap on. I lost 4 pounds just like that. Sorry Il Giggolo, you're stayin' home today.
We ride out to Mt. Figora at a more or less steady pace.
The climb starts and I'm going OK. I'm not going too hard and my Trek is light, stiff and outfitted with a triple so I'm spinning when others are forced to stand. My competitors express their crank envy.
I handle the first part of the climb well and come over the top in a better position than I expected. The climb resumes after a little bit of downhill, but now its steeper and I'm hardly dancing on the pedals as I'm forced to stand. I don't really pass or catch anybody.
I can tell I'm starting to crack at the 55:00 minute mark. The bridge is telling the engine room we need 350 watts, but the engine is responding sending messages back:
"Captain, we have a piston down, we have a piston down!" All with a Scottish accent. I've resorted to my POLAR (Pace of Last Resort) and just 200m from the finish my roomate Mark catches me. I can't do anything but accept it and I come over a few seconds later.
I'm not at all dissapointed as I'm so much better than last year. I go over the top with the "Front Group". The descent in gnarly and strewn with rocks and tree branches so its pretty slow.
We regroup at the bottom and I see Mark and Gordo taking off. I want to get going so I jump on their wheels. Mark isn't happy with 31mph and thinks 35mph is more the speed he needs. I have to work pretty hard to stay on. We paceline for a while then its my turn. I can't come around Gordo and I'm pushing 440watts so I tuck my bike back in and tuck my tail between my legs.
We get back to Los Olivos and they turn around for more. I do too, but their wheels go up the road as I ride my own pace. All said and done it was a 60mile ride with plenty of intensity. I get back to the hotel and put anything I can find in my mouth eventhough I've been eating and drinking since that 4400 yard swim which seems so long ago.
I shower, get lunch, walk around town and do some bike handling drills with a group. We bump each other and practice balance--I really enjoyed it and found it rewarding.
I head out for a 45 minute run after the bike drills and then dinner.
Gordo gives a solid presentation on balance and training. I'm impressed with his focus and positive outlook.
Floyd is also there and he does some questions and answers and gets a few laughs out of tired crowd.
Pillow.
"The workout today is 19 x 200 on a pyramid interval with some warm-up and cool down. Total 4400 yards." That would be my longest swim of the year. Not by much, but still.
The water got thicker around the 3000 yard mark. Swam 2:50s mostly with varying amounts of rest.
Food. Change. Faster than yesterday.
Borrowed a Trek Madone and threw a PowerTap on. I lost 4 pounds just like that. Sorry Il Giggolo, you're stayin' home today.
We ride out to Mt. Figora at a more or less steady pace.
The climb starts and I'm going OK. I'm not going too hard and my Trek is light, stiff and outfitted with a triple so I'm spinning when others are forced to stand. My competitors express their crank envy.
I handle the first part of the climb well and come over the top in a better position than I expected. The climb resumes after a little bit of downhill, but now its steeper and I'm hardly dancing on the pedals as I'm forced to stand. I don't really pass or catch anybody.
I can tell I'm starting to crack at the 55:00 minute mark. The bridge is telling the engine room we need 350 watts, but the engine is responding sending messages back:
"Captain, we have a piston down, we have a piston down!" All with a Scottish accent. I've resorted to my POLAR (Pace of Last Resort) and just 200m from the finish my roomate Mark catches me. I can't do anything but accept it and I come over a few seconds later.
I'm not at all dissapointed as I'm so much better than last year. I go over the top with the "Front Group". The descent in gnarly and strewn with rocks and tree branches so its pretty slow.
We regroup at the bottom and I see Mark and Gordo taking off. I want to get going so I jump on their wheels. Mark isn't happy with 31mph and thinks 35mph is more the speed he needs. I have to work pretty hard to stay on. We paceline for a while then its my turn. I can't come around Gordo and I'm pushing 440watts so I tuck my bike back in and tuck my tail between my legs.
We get back to Los Olivos and they turn around for more. I do too, but their wheels go up the road as I ride my own pace. All said and done it was a 60mile ride with plenty of intensity. I get back to the hotel and put anything I can find in my mouth eventhough I've been eating and drinking since that 4400 yard swim which seems so long ago.
I shower, get lunch, walk around town and do some bike handling drills with a group. We bump each other and practice balance--I really enjoyed it and found it rewarding.
I head out for a 45 minute run after the bike drills and then dinner.
Gordo gives a solid presentation on balance and training. I'm impressed with his focus and positive outlook.
Floyd is also there and he does some questions and answers and gets a few laughs out of tired crowd.
Pillow.
Comment
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Comment by John Hutton on February 29, 2008 at 2:53pm - Great workout, shared with the group, great read!
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