Base 1 Period Review

JUNE 25, 2012
DEL MAR, CA

     I'm back in the saddle again! Just finished the first three week base period of my training. There have been some major changes in the past few months. One of the biggest was my move to Del Mar. This did several things to interrupt my training preparations other than the obvious time off to complete the move. For starters, I needed to find new ride routes. Fortunately, since Del Mar is in the heart of the San Diego cycling community, and right next to the Pacific Coast Highway, finding new rides wasn't much of a problem.

Still getting used to this view when I wake up

     Next, I decided to take advantage of the new athletic facilities available at the new complex. From tennis courts to swimming pools, I wanted to mix up my training activities to keep fresh and not burn myself out on cycling early in this training period. With the disappointment from the first half of the season still looming over my head, its easy to jump on the bike and crank out the miles only to burn myself out by August. Its all about keeping your fitness high without losing interest.

     I also revamped my cycling torture chamber thanks to Performance Bicycle's awesome Memorial Day sale. Several new sets of tires, a complete professional tool set, tubes, cleaning products, and nutrition items, were just some of the things gathered in the spending spree. I also took advantage of Michelin's introduction of their new Pro Race 4 tires by purchasing several sets of their Pro Race 3 tires for 70% off their retail price. Although, a piece of glass managed to create a pretty large slash in one when I put them on my Tarmac. They definitely don't sweep the streets enough around here!

The New Torture Chamber!

Glass on the road is a bummer!

Yeah.... They had a sale

    Now on to the fun part-- The training breakdown! Here's the overall stats from the base period

• Bike Miles:   172 mi
• Bike Time:    12 hrs
• Strength Time:    3 hrs
• Other Time:     13 hrs

• Total Time:     28 hrs

As you can see, this period was spread evenly between the bike and other activities like soccer, tennis, swimming, and weight training. But that's not to say the bike miles I did put on were easy spins. I've taken advantage of my commute ride to put in my work with the hard climbing miles. My ride to work features some pretty steep, stair-stepping, climbs that total out to 1,300 ft of climbing in just 13 miles. Luckily, the ride back is much easier, and I can enjoy some downhill descents, but the winds from the west smack me in the face the whole time and crank up the difficulty. Furthermore, due to the hilly nature of San Diego, it still totals to 600 ft of climbing. Moreover, I've decided to train with some extra weight to get the most out of these climbing miles. I decided to take my heavier Specialized Allez to and from work (Shown locked up in the torture machine) and my commuting backpack filled with the necessary goodies. Together, they add around 20-25 lbs of extra weight when compared to my race setup. The added weight definitely stings the legs a bit, but I'm hoping it will all be worth it when I take out the Tarmac and feel light as a feather going up the longer climbs. Finally, Spin-up and isolated leg workouts were sprinkled in each week to work on my strength, cadence, and pedaling efficiency.

The commute is anything but flat.

     I'm pleased with the progress I've made so far, and looking forward to base periods 2 and 3. Luckily I have the Tour de France coming up to keep me pumped! I'm rooting for Frank Schleck despite all the turmoil in the Radioshack-Nissian-Trek camp, but I think the out-and-out favorite this year is Bradley Wiggins. We'll see how it all unfolds with "Le Grand Depart" in a few days!


It never gets easier, you only go faster.
                                                                 -Greg LeMond
    

First Half Season Review

JUNE 1, 2012
SAN DIEGO, CA 

     I've been enjoying a few weeks off the bike and finally had time to reflect upon my season so far. These transition weeks really help your body recover both physically and mentally from all the hard training done in the past 5 months. They also give you time away from the bike to re-evaluate yourself... for better or for worse.

The bike is getting ready to be back in action!

     It's easy to say that the first half of my season didn't live up to expectations. My goals for the first half were to finish the KOM Challenge and place in the top 50 overall for the L'etape du California. If you just simply look at my results, I didn't come close to completing those goals. I only finished 2 out of the 3 stages in the KOM Challenge and I didn't even finish in the L'etape.

     However, that isn't the whole story. A business trip forced me to miss Breathless and not complete the KOM challenge and a minor heat stroke during the L'etape made me skip the final ascent to Mt. Baldy. So in actuality, I didn't fall short of my goals due to a lack of form or mental toughness. These were forces that I could not control and I just have to accept the results. I acknowledge that I didn't complete my goals. Nothing can change that. But how many times have we seen a favorite in a major race pull out due to an illness. One would not criticize that rider's form or conditioning based on that specific performance, and one would look to future performances to determine their opinion.

     This is why the second half of my season is so important. I need to make a statement in these upcoming races to prove that my previous performances weren't a reflection of my quality as a rider. I need to prove to myself and to others that I am capable of quality performances and that my previous failures were nothing more than bad luck. There are only two major races for me in the months to come: the Tour de Big Bear and the Mt. Diablo Challenge. And specifically, my goal for the second half is to finish the Mt. Diablo Challenge in under 1 hour. The pressure is on, but my eyes are locked onto the road in front of me.

Giddy-up!