Sunday, April 30, 2006

Rest Week

I rode 128 miles this week. This was a "rest week" in my periodization training plan. The idea is that I take it easier the 4th week and soak in the training I have done to this point.

The one big ride I did was on Saturday. I did a 78 mile ride with my brother Robert. We rode from my home in Nashville to Elkton, Kentucky and then to Trenton, Kentucky where my parents have a historic old home (Idlewild). Normally, a ride to Idlewild is a little difficult. It has several short steep little hills that always tend to leave me plenty tired. There are no big mountains but the number of little hills add up. Well, the ride Saturday was a relative breeze. And I do mean breeze. It seems we had a tail wind of about 20 mph the whole way up there. Sometimes we would be tooling along at 20mph and not even feel wind in our face. Traditionally, we were making pretty good time on this ride averaging 17.3 mph. I couldn't help but think, though, that I was not getting enough exercise for my big ride of the week. We also stopped to fuel up a couple of times and spent way too much time off the bike.

As we went on, the training ride seemed to degenerate into a sight seeing vacation ride. Robert had brought along a camera and stopped to take a picture of a "Not For Sale" sign on some land in an area where evidently quite a bit of development had been going on. We decided to take a few more pictures as the ride progressed and each time we spent too long standing around trying to take the perfect picture. I kept reminding myself, this was a rest week and I'll get in some good training next week. Maybe Robert will put the pictures on his blog or send them to me. We both think we need some pictures on our blog.

A couple of times we had to ask people directions to Elkton because Robert was unsure of the direction. He had previously ridden the roads from Guthrie/Tiny Town to Elkton but I had not. We stopped a Mennonite riding his Massey Ferguson tractor and he pointed the way one time. We flagged down a truck later and asked a couple. They gave us directions and then we discovered they they had both gone to high school with my mother. The man had been in my mom's class and the woman was a year behind them. Apparently, according to them, they had last seen us when we were little kids on vacation at Ken Lake maybe 35-40 years ago. They still knew our parents well and, in fact, called them at Idlewild to report on our progress before we got there. Both of my parents grew up in and around Elkton but they have lived in Nashville almost all of my life. I used to have grandparents in Elkton, but I have hardly spent any time there in the last 20 years.

So we talked to Johnny Bob and Nancy Power a few minutes and then left to find the Subway sandwich shop on the square in Elkton. There we ate an excellent roast beef sandwich and headed off again to complete the last 8 miles to Trenton where mom had a meal prepared for us. At Idlewild we ate steak, potato salad, fruit, and tea. By the way, did I mention that my diet is not going so well? It seems I can't stop eating.

No word on our Etape entry yet. Cyclomundo says no news is good news. They said our medical papers looked in good order to them. I still don't see our names on the Etape site.

Total mileage to date: 718
Total hours: 47:43
Current weight: too scared to look (goal 145)

Sunday, April 23, 2006

The Times They Are A Changing

I completed an 84 mile ride yesterday. And I felt ok during the whole ride. I did this ride a little differently than last week. I ate plenty of carbs the night before and the day before and I drank plenty of water. And, I went to bed early. We call this ride the Thompson Station Loop because it goes through Thompson Station, Tennessee which is the furthest point in the ride away from Nashville. The weather was perfect 75 degrees and sunny. I stopped in Franklin, Tennessee for water and then in Thompson Station again. That gave me enough to make it home.

I had not ridden this route in probably 4 years and the changes in landscape were significant. I could not believe the new development which has taken place on roads which could be described as rural a few years ago. Going into Franklin from Del Rio Pike, they have redone and rerouted the road and put up whole neighborhoods that were not there 4 years ago. Then coming back through Franklin, I missed a turn onto McEwen Rd off of Wilson Blvd because I saw what looked like a new city on that road where it used to be nothing but farm land accessible by a small wooden bridge. Now the bridge is big and concrete. and the farm land is full of houses. Going further down what used to be one of the most scenic roads on the ride reveals more development and new roads intersecting McEwen. Then I pass a new and large Liberty Park and notice the road has been enlarged and turns into Liberty Pike. Again, nothing was here before. I see that my old road McEwen still exists and goes off under a tunnel of tree limbs like I remember. I decide to continue down McEwen road and reject the new, big, traffic riddled Liberty Pike even though barriers at the continuation point say "construction traffic only". So down I go and the road still seems to be in good shape until about a mile down the road I see the construction. The road is completely torn up an I can't pass on the bike, At least not on the bike. Not even a Rivendell with its oversized tires would work in this construction zone. A mountain bike would work. Anyway I decided to get off the bike and hike about 1/8th mile to where I could not see but knew the old road used to be and hoped it still was. I found the old road (Huffins Ridge at McEwen) at the top of the hill where I sat down and cleaned mud out of my cleats while taking in the view over I-65. This used to be one of my favorite points in this ride. It's 60 miles into the ride and it's about a mile away from Franklin where I would typically fuel up for the mostly downhill ride back to Nashville. I rode on down to Franklin and then back home without stopping. I felt like I had ridden my bike through a life sized SimCity game. It also reminded me of the movie Back To The Future and I wanted to get back to 1985. Nice ride though. I actually enjoyed this one.

Total mileage to date: 588
Total hours: 39:52
Current weight: 156.4 (goal 145)

Friday, April 21, 2006

500 Miles

I rolled over 500 miles in total training yesterday. I rode with my brother Robert through the park. This was my 4th consecutive day riding. My legs are pretty tired at this point and I am taking a much needed rest day today. I hope I didn't hold Robert up too much yesterday. He made a comment on the ride that on those few days when he does get out on the bike, he likes to get in some training (implying I was riding too slowly for him to get any exercise). I reminded Robert that, unlike him, I had ridden 4 days in a row and I was basically on a recovery ride. Even so, despite what Robert says on his blog, I have not yet matched him in fitness. I may have closed the gap, but it has been my experience through the years that Robert needs about 1/2 the training miles as I in order to have the same fitness. And, of course, he does not have the weight problem I have. He talks about wanting to lose weight for the Etape and I just laugh. Yeah, he might need to lose 8 or 10 ounces. He could skip a dinner and be at race weight. Sorry Robert, you don't know the meaning of needing to lose weight.

Tomorrow I plan to ride from 65-80 miles. I might go on a group ride with the Harpeth Bike Club; however, that involves driving for perhaps a 1.5 hour round trip to get to the start. Alternately, I can do 65 or 80 miles starting from home on very familiar routes mapped out many years ago. I can also start earlier and be done by noon if I go by myself. I think I might have just convinced myself to ride alone.

My assessment at this point? I feel like I am making good progress. I am getting more into the routine of training and I have become focused. I feel good about going 80 miles tomorrow. I weigh 156 which is only 11 pounds from my goal. It was only August of 2005 when I weighed in at my all time fat peak of 180. If I stick with my current plan, I will achieve 2200 miles by the end of my training and be lighter than I have been since 1994. In that year I did a 6 hour Bridge to Bridge. I don't expect to be in 1994 shape because that year I had been doing bike races and was better able to adapt to changing race speeds, intensities, etc. I am gaining confidence though. A month ago I wondered if I had enough time to reasonably get into shape for this. Today, I know I can if I stick to my plan and have the required amount of luck to keep me out of trouble or injury. After this week, there are 10 more good training weeks.

Total mileage to date: 504
Total hours: 34:24
Current weight: 156.4 (goal 145)

Thursday, April 20, 2006

Avoiding Crashes

I rode through Percy Warner Park on Monday and Tuesday and twice on Wednesday. This is three days in a row which is the first time this year for that. I plan on riding today as well. My average speed on Monday was 15.4. This was a full park ride of 18 miles with all of the hills and so I was not unhappy with the speed. Tuesday I rode a little slower on purpose. Also on Tuesday, after climbing 3-mile hill I noticed a full sized fire engine and another vehicle stopped on the down slope. There was a group of a few cyclists there as well and one of them had obviously crashed coming down the hill. I had to stop on the hill before I could get by. A man about 20ish was lying on the pavement talking to a paramedic. He seemed alert and was talking but was obviously unable to ride. His friends thought it necessary to call an ambulance and I passed that down the road a little.

I thought about crashes and the upcoming Etape. The man who wrecked in the park may have been unfamiliar with the road, lost control or otherwise made a mistake and crashed. Or, maybe one of his riding partners turned too hard and crossed his wheel or braked too hard or ran into him. The point is, it may or may not have been his fault that he crashed and he was only in a group of 5 or 6 riders. The Etape is going to be a ride of 8000 or so. I assume most of those people will be unfamiliar with the roads and possess varying levels of experience riding in groups. There is no doubt crashes will occur and innocent people will be affected. I am most concerned about the downhills. I don’t plan on taking any chances going downhill. If possible I am leaving plenty of room between me and those in front. I’d like to get a respectable time but, really, I just want to finish in one piece.

On another note, I faxed the newly requested medical letters to France and received confirmation from Cyclomundo that they were received and appeared in good order. That does not mean they were accepted but it’s out of my hands at the moment. I will let you know if we get in. If not, I am going to assume the Amaury Sport Organization has seen enough of Americans in their events.

Total mileage to date: 487
Total hours: 33.2
Current weight: 156.8 (goal 145)

Monday, April 17, 2006

First Organized Ride Of The Year

Saturday I did the Murfreesboro Bicycle Club “Two County Metric Century” with my brother Robert and some people with whom I work. I measured 63 miles total. I averaged 16.5 mph which I considered low given that I was able to draft off people for a significant portion of the ride. This ride covered areas of two counties as the name suggests. I personally don’t know which counties we’re talking about, maybe Rutherford and Williamson. Anyway, it was a beautiful ride and the weather was great. I felt very tired from the get go and after 20 miles I felt worn out. I really don’t know why. Maybe I was dehydrated or maybe I had not eaten properly the day before. Robert seemed fine throughout and had to wait on me again. After the ride I was really drained and it took me a while to recover. All of this has not helped my confidence for the Etape. It has, however, reminded me that I need to be mindful of proper eating and hydration procedures before long rides. And I will admit, I was not concerned with the length or difficulty of this ride beforehand. I was confident I could do it easily since I had already done a 4 hour ride last week and felt ok.

I need to have a big week of riding this week. I hope to do 150 miles at least and then next week I will drop down a little. I am trying to employ a periodization training schedule.

Total mileage to date: 422
Total hours: 28.90
Current weight: 158 (goal 145)

Thursday, April 13, 2006

Fit To Participate In Cycling Races

I went for a 29 mile ride Wednesday after work. I tried to up the pace as I am trying to get in a good ride on Wednesdays going faster than normal. Going harder on a ride during the week will help me increase my overall speed on the long weekend rides. I also plan on doing some speed work later in my training schedule for this same purpose. Speed work consists of sprints and intervals mainly. I averaged 15.6 miles per hour yesterday. That is faster than I have been going but a little disappointing anyway. Given how hard I felt like I was going I expected a little more, but, I am getting older. About 10-12 years ago it seems like my brothers and I would go out on the first ride of the year and average 16mph and think that was bad. No question I am improving though. My weight, on the other hand, is not dropping fast enough. I am going to have to stop eating. I really don’t want to go into June needing to lose a bunch of weight.

I saw Alan Jackson on my ride yesterday. He is a big country music star for those who don’t know. I was riding by his huge house on Moran Rd. and he pulled out of the driveway in a convertible Bentley. It was a beautiful day for a drive in the country with the top down but I wonder if he gets it. There is just more of a visceral appeal to riding a bike on a day like yesterday. It was sunny and 75.

On the registration issue, our doctor is drafting the official letter stating my brother and I are “fit to participate in cycling races”. I should be able to fax this tonight and cement our entry. I sure hope it works out that way.

Speaking of the ride, I noticed from a story on the “Only 187 miles to go” blog that they have posted rider entry numbers and starting sections for those who have been accepted to ride. Robert and I are not listed yet but it will be neat to see where we start. I suspect the back. You can check our slot following these directions:

Go to http://www.letapedutour.com/ and make sure you're in the French version. Under "La liste des inscrits", enter the surname or a portion of it and it should produce a list.

Also, notice a couple of links I have added to stories from Etape participants.


Total mileage to date: 359
Total hours: 25.10
Current weight: 159 (goal 145)

Monday, April 10, 2006

Problems with Registration

I only got in two rides this past week. I did an 18 mile ride on 04/03 and a 57.61 miler on Saturday 04/08. I went to St Louis for a Hockey game and was gone Thursday and Friday. When I arrived back home, Robert informed me his registration form for the Etape had been returned. I then discovered mine had been returned as well. It seems the organization is insisting that we have a medical stamp with the medical license number of the physician. Over here in the USA, doctors don't necessarily have a stamp. I had checked with Cyclomundo about this before I sent anything in since the instructions called for a stamp and they said we could have the doctor sign in the space provided. We did that and we had the medical license number in there as well. This apparently has worked in the past few years, at least for Cyclomundo. They sent an email stating they didn't understand the problem this year. Anyway, we have to get a stamp or draft a medical letterhead stating we are "fit to ride in cycling races". Ok, we have doctors all over the place here to do that. My father is a medical doctor and he signed the first forms but he never had any kind of stamp. I had a physical in February from my primary care physician and all came out well, but he didn't have a stamp either. I'll have a letter drafted. I hope that works.

I rode 18 miles Monday, none Tuesday, should ride Wednesday

Total mileage to date: 330
Total hours: 23.25
Current weight: 159 (goal 145)

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

If Ullrich Can Do It

Ok, I did not ride yesterday or today. I went to the Masters practice round yesterday and today I was too tired and lazy to get in a ride. That is too bad because tomorrow morning I am going to St Louis on the Budweiser Fun Bus and attending a Predator's/St Louis hockey game. My friend Seid won a free promotional trip and invited me along. I flew to Augusta and the Masters yesterday on a LearJet 55 courtesy of another good friend of mine, Danielle. I really must have some good friends and I appreciate these trips, but my cycling is suffering this week. I might not be back until Saturday and I can't afford to miss a long weekend ride. But then again, Jan Ullrich is putting off the start of his racing season again, true to form. And he is not worried about being ready for the Tour De France. He has knee problems again, a result of him cranking 53-13s over mountain passes in training, I suppose. He says he "may" ride the Tour of Italy. Imagine that: 3 months to the Tour and his knee hurts too bad to race and he might appear in a race in late April at the soonest, maybe not until May in the Giro? And he thinks he will be in top form in the Tour? Same old Ullrich. He waits until the last minute to get in shape, then finalizes his form in the Tour and has great form after the Tour when nobody cares unless it's an Olympic year. Ok, he did win the World Championship ITT once. What he should do is just announce his main objective is the World Championships and that he is using the Tour De France for training. He is not winning the Tour this year and he won't make the podium either. Anyway, big strides can be made in three months by me as well, and all I have to do is finish ahead of the broom wagon.

Tuesday, April 04, 2006

Off To The Masters

I am going to the Masters practice round today and won't be riding. I am flying via private jet with a member of Augusta National. Wow!

Monday, April 03, 2006

Some Old Hills

I rode 50 miles with my older brother on Saturday. He is also in training to ride the Etape. It was a beautiful day for a ride, sunny and 75-80 degrees. I had not ridden since Thursday. This is my longest ride to date since starting my training for the Etape. I felt weak within the first two minutes of the ride and thought I might have a rough time. Sure enough, I didn't have much energy for the entire ride. I had eaten early in the day around 9am but we didn't get on the bike until about 1pm. I don't think I ate enough anyway. Then, I didn't have as much Hammer Gel as I needed and I was probably dehydrated. This type of poor preparation is what I can't afford when in France. I will be careful when that day comes.

Other than my poor condition, the ride was good. We took a route that I have not ridden in years, but one that I had first mapped out about 15-18 years ago. It contained some fairly short but steep hills and it kept me tired throughout. We did pass a market on Franklin Road at Moore's Lane where I was able to refuel with water and Gatorade. (By the way, I hate to drink Gatorade on rides because it is too sweet and, depending on how hot it is, makes my stomach upset. That's all they had, though, and it's better that than bonk because I had nothing. After all, we were about 20 miles from home at this point. HammerGel works well for me because the sugar is in the form of maltodextrin and glucose polymers-no added simple sugars. Gatorade is simple sugar city. It tastes great for a thirst quencher when I have not been exercising.)

I am fairly sure I held Robert up for most of the ride. He doesn't have the obesity problem that I do and he regularly exercises when not in training for some ride. He will no doubt blow me away up all mountains in France if he gets near the training I do before the ride. My only hope is that I remain more dedicated to the training so that I can narrow the gap. I am not in a competition with Robert, I would just like to be able to keep up without slowing him down. I hope we do the whole ride together.

Total Miles: 237
Total hours: 16.65
Current Weight: 159.8 (145 goal)

Into The Night

03/31:
I rode 20 miles in the dark yesterday. I think this new light is really going to help me keep my training on track. I don't have to worry about getting out on the road before the sun goes down. I again rode in Percy Warner Park, a hilly and technical course. It gets incredibly dark in the Park. There are no street lights or any other light source in there and when it's cloudy its just black. My light is good enough to navigate but I have to go slower on the downhills and straights in case a deer walks across the road or something. Last night I was hit by a bird. I saw it fly into my path and then it hit me in the arm and side before bouncing off.
I again felt good on the bike. I didn't ride Wednesday though. That day I was extremely fatigued all day. I decided it was best to let Tuesday's ride soak in instead. I am more careful now about "listening" to my body for training.