Climbing and Climbing

A bit of climbing over the past couple of days.

Wednesday was the usual ride up Highline Truck Trail. The length of the climb worked out well for a 20 minute TT test - although there were two downhill sections on which I had a hard time maintaining my wattage goals. In the end I hit an average of 317 watts - 5 more than my flat TT test 2 weeks before. I figure that my actual average wattage might have been a few watts higher if not for the downhills, but can't count what I can't prove. The 317 watt effort pushed my functional 60 min LT to 297... still not at my goal, but moving steadily towards it.




The ride also gave me a chance to pick Arnie's brain on some questions I've had regarding the relationship of Power to Torque, proper gearing for Mt. Evans and the Everest Challenge, and TT records up Torrey Pines... Floyd climbed it in what???!!!





Congrats to both Don and Josh for their rides @ the California State TT Championships!





On Thursday's plate was another healthy portion of climbing by way of north county's Palomar Mountain. Palomar is never easy, and with the previous day's 6000 feet of climbing complete with some race pace / post threshold riding it was slow going.





After turning up South Grade road it was time to work on 4 x 10 minute intervals. I didn't take it too hard, but it was stinging none the less. It was a little bit easier to climb in a harder gear, so I kept the cadence lower (actually, it was what Cody had set as a plan for today). It's a long, long climb - an so you just have to settle in to a good pace and watch the mile signs pass. By the top I was thirsty and planed to stop by the store for a drink, no such luck - still closed. I spun past Mother's Kitchen and headed up to the observatory. After some quick pictures, some luke warm water from their drinking fountain, I turned around an heading back to Mother's... still closed. What time is it anyway? So, I drove down East Grade. The climb back up East Grade should have been easier than the climb up South Grade, it's longer though not as steep, but the miles in the legs and the dry throat really hurt. I basically crept up the climb, just trying to keep the legs turning.

At the top I stopped by Mother's for the third time, finally! I grabbed a root beer and ran into Jack who had just finished climbing south grade - he's heading out to Mt. Evans as well. He's a climbing king (Looks a bit like Marco Pantani as well) and says he's be riding a compact with a 13-28. Sounds like a plan.

By the end of the day I had logged over 10,000 of climbing. Good practice for Everest.

By the Power of Greyskull....

A long, long week behind me. A missed endurance ride last Sunday meant moving it to later in the week and thus driving my weekly mileage to over 300. The added length along with over 20,000 ft of climbing made for a painful Monday morning - and intervals tomorrow... only makes you stronger, right?

Last week's intensity did allow me to retest my LT Power ratings. The chart to the left works well for calculating out your Power Training Zones. Basically, you do a 20 minute TT on either a flat or slightly uphill course - frankly I find it much easier to hit a higher Average Power on an incline. 93% of your Average Power for this test is a good measure of your LT for a 60 minute TT. The section titled "sweet spot" is what you can pedal in for hours - good stuff. These results come from the Wednesday ride up Highline Truck Trail; not a dedicated TT attempt. So, this week one's in order. The big news is that in the past 4 weeks I have increased my LT by 9 watts. So, with the loss of (or maybe in spite of) nearly 10 lbs, the training gets a gold star. We'll see about an updated LT this week.

New Shoes and Torrey Pines

On Saturday morning, I took a quick spin up the
coast to stretch out the legs. Low gears and even lower effort. A quick coffee up in Encinitas, turn around and a lazy return ride to work. At the base of Torrey Pines I decided to give it a go and push it up the 1.47 miles from park to flashing lights. To the right are the results...

Avg Watts: 383
Avg HR: 180
Time: 6:15

Not exactly flying, but the good news is that its 31 seconds faster, and 23 watts greater than the test I did in March. Faster, Stronger, and 5 pounds Lighter: actually the biggest factor is that I'm riding Smarter. By watching my power output I can manage my energy, keeping my effort consistent. Pretty cool stuff. Now, that being said - watching all that data too closely can make you second guess your efforts, backing off an effort when you should be going for broke. As Robert, a cat 2 racer for Cyclovets put it, when the race goes up the road you either go with the race or you don't - what your power meter says really doesn't matter - you gotta be in it to win it.



I'm also trying out a new pair of shoes - the Continental Attack and Force tires. These Bavarian Beauties are front and rear wheel specific. The front sports a 22mm volume and a claimed weight of 190 grams (no, I haven't and won't weigh them); and yes you do notice the smaller size.

The rear is slightly beefier at 24mm and 210 grams. Overall impressions, granted I've only been riding them for a week, are pretty good. The front corners amazingly well even though the smaller profile did give me pause; and the rear seems to handle the massive amounts of power I'm able to lay down :)

For full disclosure, I have to say I did flat today, but I'm pretty sure the metal sliver I rolled over would have punctured pretty much anything short of a Jeep tire. After pulling out the offending foreign object the tire was as good as new (well five days short of "as new...") .

Well see how they stand up after a few 100 miles.

Beans and Burritos: Vol 2

Azucar

Fridays tend to be a slower day for me. Cody typically schedules an easy ride - a "Coast and Cappuccino" ride.

This Friday I took it even easier and headed out to Ocean Beach, actually it was more of an excuse to swing by one of my favorite coffee shops, Azucar.

Azucar is at the head of Newport Avenue, Ocean Beach's main drag. It specializes in Cuban pastries and coffees. Everything from cakes to cookies to scones to flat press sandwiches - good stuff.

Of course I chose my usual - a double espresso. For a little fuel I grabbed a tomato / egg / and cheese quiche - very tasty... for you meat eaters out there they make a version with ham.

Pick out one of their outside tables, grab the Union Tribune, and drive into the crossword - a prefect break for a lazy Friday morning ride.

I've tried some of their pastries, but haven't tried their Flan de Queso, Cinco Leches, or Turron de Havana, but those are just excuses to go back.

After wasting a half hour or so pretending to be a Euro Pro, ride down to the beach to check out the surf before heading up to Cabrillo for some climbing intervals.

Life's good in San Diego!

http://www.iloveazucar.com/

Recovery

Coming off of such a horrible training weekend, I entered this week with a little bit of trepidation. Was I sick? Was I over training? Was I just plateauing? I took Monday off after another sub-par day on Sunday, and entered Tuesday's schedule looking an interval session straight in the face.

Tuesday:

Fiesta Island, smooth, flat, and plenty of wind. 4x10 minute efforts at 95-102% of LT Threshold. I pushed the first one pretty hard to see if everything was working. Seemed good. I settled down for the remaining intervals - and was pretty happy that they were consistent. The big thing was that all the efforts were right at 96% of LT. Might be time for another LT test!

Interval 1: AvgWatt: 322, AvgHR 177, AvgW/Kg 4.2, AvgSpd 23.9

Interval 2: AvgWatt: 296, AvgHR 176, AvgW/Kg 3.8, AvgSpd 23.4

Interval 3: AvgWatt: 302, AvgHR 179, AvgW/Kg 3.9, AvgSpd 23.4

Interval 4: AvgWatt: 297, AvgHR 178, AvgW/Kg 3.9, AvgSpd 23.

Later, I did a short TT effort up Mt. Soledad. This is quickly becoming my daily Lunch Time ride - short, somewhat steep (6%), and close by. A fast 1 mile run down Garnet, dodging potholes and freeway bound drivers, then a hard right onto Soledad Mt. Road. The clock starts here doesn't stop until the lights @ the intersection with La Jolla Scenic Dr. It's 2.9 miles long and 650' tall; that makes it pretty close to the Lookout Mountain route in Golden, Co - my old training grounds.

Soledad: AvgWatt: 333, AvgHR 169, AvgW/Kg 4.3, AvgSpd 13.24 Time: 12:36

So, some solid training on Tuesday, even though I wasn't feeling 100%.

Wednesday:

The Cyclovet Wednesday Ride. Turn out for this ride has been growing and growing. This week's ride had members from Swamis, Adam Avenue GS, Slow Step, Cyclovets, solo riders, as well as a few semi pro and pro "ringers." My game plan for this ride was to keep it slow and steady. For the past few weeks I've been trying to tackle the ride up Highline Truck Trail by riding steady tempo at or just under LT. It may seem counter-intuitive, but putting in less effort on the climb has made the trip up much quicker. I guess I'm more of a Jan Ullrich than a Marco Pantani.

So, this meant staying back when the group accelerated on the beginning slopes of Highline; keeping the effort around 290 watts. It saves the power until later in the climb (when the road ramps up to 8-9%). It also gives me a few quick flats and downhill sections to recover.

After connecting with the first group I put in a bit more of an effort, gaped the front, and soloed towards the 4 corners. I was caught by the group on the decent (I was going over 45, but...). The rest of the ride I tried to put in solid efforts and concentrate on building strength.

Thursday

I hadn't done one of my favorite rides in quite a while, Mt. Helix, and so headed out to La Mesa for some Climbing Intervals -5 x 10 minute intervals at 90% of LT. Helix is a forgotten gem of San Diego cycling. It has ramps of 15-16% as it winds it's way up to the summit amphitheater; good climbing!

Oh yeah, and the views are too bad either.

I was "feeling it" a little today so the first effort stung a little. The second was done with a little more smoothness. On the third I flatted, and no CO2. Pump kinda worked, but on the decent the tube went flat again. I limped home without doing any more intervals, but pushed it a bit up into Linda Vista.

Some stretching and using the foam roller and I'll be good as new. So far a good week of training.

Interesting...

Interesting that Tom Boonen is blaming his Cocaine Problem on his Drinking Problem...

Rest Week... Stress Week

This week was a quiet week, a few days off and relatively light training on the bike. So by Wednesday I was ready to grab my lunch pail and go to work. For the Cyclovets ride I took the bottom half of the ride at a fairly steady pace. After the stop at Jamul I pushed it fairly hard up Highline Truck Trail: 269 watts avg for 37 minutes. Felt pretty good. Another lighter day on Thursday and off again for Friday. Saturday's effort was to be a group ride with the Swami's B & L ride - strong riders and quick pace.

I rode up to Solana Beach from Clairemont to loosen up and add some miles. My legs felt pretty tight so I spun low gears up to the Java Depot for my caffeine fix. By the 8:15 roll out it was already a fairly large group and more joined on the way towards San Elijo. On the short climb up Levante I knew something was not right, I was working Way to hard... Before even hitting the climb up to San Elijo I slid off the back, legs cramping. Lungs were working, but I had no power at all. I pulled back a few riders in Elfin Forest and we worked together into Escondido.

There was no way that I could keep up with the group on the return ride so I headed out towards the Wild Animal Park and the climbs out east of Escondido, a mistake. Within the first few miles I was creeping along, anything above 150 watts made it feel like someone was shoving knives into my quads. I crawl back home with 84 miles in my legs but wound up sleeping the rest of the day. Today I only managed 20 slow, easy miles - still sore.

So, I added the Everest Challenge to my schedule (if my legs recover)... a 2 day stage race in the Sierras. Stage 1 features 15,465' of climbing over 102 miles; Stage 2 features 13,570' of climbing in 65 miles - pure pain. Over 29,000 feet, not too shabby. This with the Mt Evans Hill Climb should make my season complete. Now if I could only lose 20 pounds without loosing any power I'd be in business.

At least I have a Secret Weapon in my assault on the west's hardest hill climbs, actually a pair of secret weapons:

Shimano makes some killer wheels; they're not always the first name you think of when drooling over bike bling, but the new Dura Ace 7850's are nothing short of amazing. These are hand built, use angular contact bearings, titanium freehub body, and a carbon/alloy rim. 1380 grams of mountain climbing goodness.

And even at 1380 grams they track true, brake quickly, and handle riders much bigger than my 170 pounds. These are definitely worth a look and I'd put them up against any of Mavic's Kysrium or Easton's EC line ups. I think they even have an Ultegra version coming out now.

Beans and Burritos: Vol. One

Pappalecco





As far as food goes I have two passions; espresso and burritos!


In SoCal The Burrito Rules. Forget your Baltimore Crab Cakes, forget your Philly Cheesesteak, forget your Chicago Deep Dish Pizza, in SoCal it's all about the Burrito - well, and Fish Tacos. And coffee? Man-o-man, there are some really good places who know how to draw the perfect shot with amazing crema. And if you can find both in the same place - Jackpot. Luckily, San Diego has both in spades! Part of this blog is going to detail my quest for both.


After Saturday's race I was winding my way through downtown, licking my wounds. I needed a little breakfast - That will make it better! Nearing Little Italy, I remembered Cody mentioning something about a coffee shop he used to go to when living in San Diego. Couldn't find that one, but did come across one sitting a few blocks to the east of India Street. Pappalecco, a little bit of Pisa in downtown San Diego.


Trusting in my fellow man I left my bike leaning against a planter and headed in. I ordered my usual drink, a double espresso. It seems a little early in the morning for gelato so I take a look into the pastry case. Let's see... Panini Caprese; tomatoes, basil, mozzarella... looks good; I'll take one of those as well.


I sat at one of the outdoor tables, next to an old man - complete with his 9am cigar. Even if it's California I can't complain - somehow it fits, it makes Pappalecco even more authentic.


And, as it turns out, Pappalecco is about as Italian as San Diego gets. It's owned by two bothers from Pisa and tries to stay true in both food and culture. Italian Pop music flow out of the speakers (It's an acquired taste - one I haven't fully acquired) and the flat screen is showing images of Miliano and Roma. It seems like they have a lot of locals and regulars here. Familiar greetings, drinks being made before the orders have been placed. All good signs.


The espresso is perfect, not too bitter, not too weak, the crema.. good stuff. I'm feeling much better. The Panini is tasty as well, good favors. It goes well with the coffee. Not too much, just enough to fill the hunger. It was well worth the stop. Next time I'll have to try the Gelatto.

Barrio Logan Criterum

As I've said before "I hate criteruims" and today's race was no exception. The course was a bit sketchy, which made the other riders a bit sketchy, which made me a bit sketchy, which all together made the whole race Way Sketchy.

I rode to the race from Clairemont, starting around 5 am, and made it to Barrio Logan just in time to grab the 49th race number! Lucked out since they were only letting 50 race. Getting there early let me warm up on the course for twenty minutes or so. The race was setup as a figure eight; the upper section surrounding an elementary school, the bottom section surrounding auto junkyards and new construction. Broken pavement, gravel, and dirt made it seem like a race more suited for a mountain bike.

The race began as soon as the Police finished towing the illegally parked cars from the course. The course's main features were rutted and gravel filled straight-a-ways, tight 90 degree corners, and a fairly long and steep uphill section a few turns before the finish. The first 15 minutes were pretty similar, sprinting out the corners and slowly moving forward in the pack. The pace settled down, but there were several riders that continually tried to pass on the inside of corners, squeeze each other out, not hold their lines... sketchfest.

With about 7 laps to go I put a pretty hard dig on the uphill to put a little sense of urgency into the race and wound up gaping the front by 40 or 50 meters. I looked back and saw no one following me, I had hoped to start a little break, and so sat up and waited for the pack. In retrospect I should have kept going, but...

With 5 laps to go things got really gnarly. The pace had picked up and we were stretched out single file for the better part of half a lap. Someone hit my rear wheel and threw my bike to the side, somehow I remained upright. With 3 laps to go two riders didn't hold their line and almost ran me into the curb; I only kept my self from crashing by slamming on the brakes and had to sprint back on. With one lap to go I moved up to 3rd position on the climb and tried to ready for the sprint. On the back stretch I looked down at my computer and saw my Heart Rate was pegged at 194, not to good, need to get some recovery before the uphill sprint.

Into the last run up the climb, two riders touched wheels and took out several riders right in front of me. I had to come to a complete stop and watched the race steam up the hill without me. I soft pedaled to the finish. Not the results I had hoped for, but just happy to make it out without touching the floor.