Trevors -- up to speed

Sunday... Trevors. Good and fast again. Again a great day, little more chill and a bit of this wind. But with a good strong group in front -- fun fast full speed ahead. Great job by Ryan!

Amazing -- just amazing this January

This winter so far is the warmest ever seen by Py out here on LI. This minor little snow last weekend was just a hint that we are having January, but it's all gone and today near 10C, blue sky, no wind, sunny.

What can you ask more for if you love riding your bike? And it looks one more day alike to come!

So on schedule the full version of RP2IPBP-JP.

6 riders, great ride as usual, good job everyone. And good to see you all staying on route with me :-) No one go behind or dropped, at least not for long. Thanks for joining me today, hope you all liked the route!

Just amazing this weather so far.

 

Some alternative activity -- Nordic Ski

Now as we got the 1st snow here on LI -- finally it has arrived also here all the messy stuff turning roads into a salty ugly material's nightmare -- why not go for the escape into the woods with some Nordic XC ski gear -- even better workout laying first tracks for big part. And not doing funky skidding around MTB as some buddies did, take the right gear -- it's even cheap compared to a good bike!

It was just enough snow cover not to touch ground, only a few sticks here and there. It's not going any fast either, but was fun alternative easy workout for an good hour twenty or such with Jerry and Tony :-) Fun out and back.

Also the new new Nordic XC suit from MtBorah combined with a base layer worked great.

Snowy MTB RP hills and Sound View

Just a little fresh air... sure better than trainer after the first little snow storm of 2012! Fun bike handling skills testing, essential smooth round pedaling not to skid on climbs :-) -- almost got lost once -- looks so different!! -- And hahaha, car stuck already at some climb. Plus quick shopping in town: 1 bunch of bananas, 1/2 gallon milk and 1/2 gallon Orange juice -- no need to clean up this damn car!! Then little snowy back roads hill repeats.... good to have a little extra traction?!?!?

More Dirty Disco commutes

Friday, the 1st dusting of snow on LI -- that's why Py is writing about it at all -- usually no blogging on commutes, etc.. So the first snow and with this the first load of salty junk on the roads. But Py's Dirty Disco CX machine is now well equipped for this misery -- 700x30C Michelin Jet and installed fenders to keep Dirt Disco a little cleaner and feet dry! Works! This machine is running smooth and like on rails :-) A notch slower, a notch more work and some extra fun and options to got on dirt roads or cut over this grassy field here and there -- hey not to bad at all!

A nice view of the frozen lake Panamoka

and here on "Gull Dip" at still undeveloped area, unpaved and nice clean and dusting of snow.

Monday Off Ride

A last minute decision -- early Monday morning was supposed even colder that Sunday morning -- but at first no to very little wind and it was supposed to steeply quickly warm up towards noon. So a 9:30am start for a 2 1/2 hours or 45miler seam very reasonable. Let's go!

Meeting Lenny and Robin at Tildas. No cars needed for this one -- well well, keep this up very good -- as every one rode to the start! Rolling off. A crisp cold wind from moving fast on North Country into his face -- the little climb and slow down felt good :-) Getting comfortable after this "warmup"... rolling on.

the Too Deep Freeze day

Not going to Trevors at -10C and 20+mph wind -- thanks, no need to instant frozen water and freezing feet&fingers. A good recovery day. Let's watch the local birds from home :-)

RP2IPBP

Today -2 .. 0C with 18..20mph wind. Py was curious who may show up, a little hoping for more company due to the deep freeze to be expected for Sunday. But just JL and Py. Put on the cozy snowboard helmet and Fugu jack, winter shoes + covers and while rolling out decided to stop by home again to grab the ski gloves as this felt necessary. Then pretty much all good to go.

Doing the regular old RP2IPBP route.

Bagel Ride -- Let's do this.

Sunday, back to Trevors the bagel ride. Timing this tight today -- 8:30am ride start -- 35mins ride to start -- leaving 7:53 -- leaving just a moment extra time to find a >bathroom< shortly before meeting the group at the "Bagels & A Hole Lot More" parking area. Just a tiny little morning chill in the air -- still amazing for January 8th. Py feeling a bit the little specialized work on reforming his power profile of the past days:

* We night MTB ride -- pushing this old heavy monster bike around the woods with a few good pushs...
* Thu RRL ride with an attempt of intervalls -- hurting a bit from the night before...
* Fri commute on new Dirty Disco with super heavy sticky knobby tires -- limiting to a good base ride...
* Sat -- RP2IPBP-JP with a few sets of go full speed ahead on hills -- rejoin -- keep pulling the group most of the time...
* Sun -- now let's go on:

Interestingly again only a few East End "A" riders and a majority of GABs. Times are changing, riders are coming and going -- just a little core group. 8:30 -- leaving with a group of T-G-O-C-K-C-P. Feeling comfortable now and starting carefully to figure out what is "left" in the tank. Interestingly he needed even more warm up time or recovery to spin/flush out last days damage a bit and finally towards boy scouts "dip" he got moving OK. Weird, fine. Group reassembly, rolling ahead, grabbing and opening a cliff bar to get a bite on the fly. Little fun flying South on Osborne. Quick snack stop on request after crossing 25 at the green light. Later just hitting this one climb up to the tracks towards the end of his pull with a little extra power -- obviously upsetting a few riders -- sorry..... hey, I did not dropped any one nor intended -- even told a rider before about the intentions --, so what? -- game on! Moving on and putting in one more good move shortly after passing the LIE bridge. And a few more including the little bumpy hilly road E. Bartelett and later back North.


Power Zones

Critical Power: 273

Zone	Description	Low	High	Time
Z1	Active Recovery	0	150	58:55
Z2	Endurance	150	204	1:04:13
Z3	Tempo	204	245	36:21
Z4	Threshold	245	286	22:45
Z5	VO2Max	286	327	10:29
Z6	Anaerobic	327	409	07:16
Z7	Neuromuscular	409	MAX	05:06

Here is a map with 30sec average power color coded track:

Z1 cyan,  Z2 blue,  Z3 purple, 

Z4 green, Z5 yellow-green, 

Z6 yellow, Z7 red.

Section of this ride (to start, ride, return, cool down):

Interval Name	Duration	Distance (km)	Work (kJ)	Average Power (watts)	xPower (watts)	Max Power (watts)	Average Heart Rate (bpm)	95% Heartrate (bpm)	Average Cadence (rpm)	Average Speed (kph)
1	39:40	16.1	362	162	171	625	138	153	91	26.0
2	2:24:46	82.3	1757	206	222	855	152	168	106	34.7
3	13:34	7.2	146	179	189	745	146	156	108	32.0
4	12:07	4.8	117	161	170	767	140	151	94	23.6

Training plans -- training plans specialized for what? Py is thinking lately a lot about this and collecting all kind of  "theories" from old fashioned to more modern training attempts even debating to work with a coach. Looking at the data collected from last season if training and racing and applying a little math and comparing numbers with the "statistical average" racer of all levels this gives a good picture and shows capabilities of all typical power duration ranges as pointed out by a team mate. Simplified there is a drop in power/weigh ratio for sub minute duration to work on -- while doing excellent for 5min and also fine for longer.

Now training in general is as simple as this: "do what you need to do better" -- but also do not neglect what you need to keep doing OK!

Let's leave all this books and plans aside for now and look at it within the context of what Py intends to achieve on long term as he likes those best -- good performance on longer multi day races. Composition: Mixed ITT/RoadRaces -- long with good climbing at it's best.

Needs: Excellent fatigue resistance on all time scales -- within a race on short term to withstand and may be even put on stress at a race with repeated strong climbs at it's extreme. On long term -- best and fasted possible recovery in between consecutive race days.

Let's do this. See above. And sure -- recovery days are to be put in between series high stress loads.


 

Epilog to this:

Like it or not it is all up to you and only you! Py is a scientist and as physicist he got tough to figure it out and understand from very scratch, not to follow any recipes, plans blindly. But also to dig, dig deep and collect all possible information and previous findings and theories -- for sure not neglecting -- but rethinking and reevaluating it all on his very own and adding "weights" to it all his and to adapt or even reinvent to solve the problem there is to tackle.

1st RP2IPBP-JP of 2012 -- what a day, spring, summer or what?

1st Saturday 2012. Looking like a one more nice day. The usual team of five showed up today. Good ride, full 61 mi loop. Magnificent weather, dry, sunny and warm -- 18C at time of return!

Good ride, gentlemen :-) Ready for a Catskills 115 mile loop with a few good climbs -- ala Rapha Gentlemen ride? If the weather holds up... we can do it now!

1st Trevors 2012

Starting over into 2012 on Sunday January 1st 2012 with a great near complete GAB team ride together with Trevor, Gerald and a guest rider "Torelli" -- Py is not sure if he saw him before, just run into him while riding down the road near the RP fire house at RP Landing/Hallock this morning taking advantage of the fact that the ride almost passes by his house. Figured out quickly he was about to hook up with the ride as well and we kept going at a nice warm-up pace towards Wading River where Py about expected the group to catch up -- what exactly was to happen. From then one a excellent smooth pace, he took a few good pulls in front -- what a nice and sunny day :-)

HAPPY NEW YEAR every one again!