Mike and Mark's Weblog

February 4, 2006

I take Henry II on the 4 hills hurt yourself ride. At first, I think I've already hurt myself doing Mike's Sun Tzu week of workouts. That first rise that Mike and I attacked last week has me totally beat. All I can thing is this is going to be an agonizingly long ride. The first hill is reall¥ tough. I make it to the top and get a breather before Henry gets there. We then roll the rollers through the reservation and I feel a little better. Henry is still learning how to suck a wheel to help him stay in the group when he feels bad. He also is a recumbant rider recently converted to a road bike. So he doesn't like all-out descending. As the Fatman, it is the only chance I have. So I am quickly separated from Henry. I wait for him so we can enjoy the second hill together. It is as wonderful as I remember with those two 12% ramps. Thank the gods for the triple. Henry does fine. We descend and again I find myself alone. After regrouping, we then attack climb three. I manage to do it like last week, but the legs don't feel nearly as good. We then put in some miles exchanging the lead until we hit climb 4. Climb 4 sucks. If it was at the beginning of a ride it would be no big deal. But it is always at the end when the accumulated effort demands payment. Again, I fly away on the descent then we meet up for the spin in to town. Good one. We also dodge the rain which comes down hard in the afternoon. Temperature continues to be incredibly mild.

February 3, 2006

Tuesday's workout goes fine and actually helps bear the day of jury duty. It is a really ugly case-sexual assault.
Wednesday's workout is deceptively doable, but leaves you with dead legs.
I won't even talk about Thursday.

Friday night is beer night at the bike shop. I live for this. Steve and I have been doing beer night together for over 10 years. Homer Simpson said it best: "Beer good".

Mike's son Colin has received the second seed in our county high school wrestling tournement. Good luck Colin! It does cut short Mike's Friday night and he has to pass on the Saturday 4 hills hurt yourself ride.

January 30, 2006

I not only got called to jury duty, I actually was selected to serve. Shit! As I'm sitting in the jury room waithing for the judges instructions, Mike's training plan for the week arrives:

Tuesday 1.25  hours - with 3 intervals of six minutes with 8 minutes rest 85% - 90% of MHR

Wednesday 1.5 hours - with 2 intervals of  20 minutes with 8 minutes rest 78-83% of MHR

Thursday 1 hour - 4 intervals of 4 minutes each low HR big gear high tension muscle work 5 minutes rest

Friday rest

Saturday 4 hills (like last week)

Sunday 45 miles rolling

Man, I think trying all three days of last weeks plan was going to be enough.

Janurary 29, 2006

Dead legs. Mike and I both are barely turning the cranks. We are happy to let Dave get out in front and suck wheel. Rain is threatening all ride and begins softly as we finish. After we are home, it starts pouring. Luck is with us.

Dave is a commercial artist. Mike and I have been on him to design a jersey for the group. Our initial idea was " Exploding Rats". Rats, and all rodents, cannot burp or regurgitate. And they love sugar. So one of the most effective ways to kill them is to put out fresh bowls of cola soda. They take in all the carbonation and have no way of releasing the gas. Hence, exploding rats. For some reason, Dave isn't inspired by our enthusiasm for an exploded rat holding a can of cola. Drawn like the rat fink from the 60s.

What did get Dave excited was the concept of "Fatman". I am always last up the hill, but my momentum produces some pretty good descending. On a ride this summer as I was descending I started singing the old 60s Batman theme using Fatman instead of Batman as I passed members of the group. Dave was immediately inspired to see a silhouete of a fat cyclist in the sky instead of the bat. So he is working on a design. Mike and I better have a jersey to wear in Telluride.

The story of how Rice Krispie Treats got onto the jersey is for another day.

January 28, 2006

The weather continues to be unseasonably mild. Mike and I do our first "hurt yourself on Saturday" workout. Gary has joined us and we've warned him to stay within himself. We may not have mountains in our area of New Jersey, but we have no shortage of steep hills. Todays plan is to attack four of the local hills. Mike and I attack the first upgrade on the way to the hills. First climb is a doozy and Mike is quickly off the front . I follow Gary in my triple watching my heart rate. I finish the climb barely aerobically. Our next preferred climb is under construction with new sewer lines. So we pick another road up the hill and find two 12% ramps. I am heartened by Mike's maniacal cackle when he sees the second ramp. Mike always reacts with glee when the route turns sick. I make it up the climb in the triple, but faster than I expected. Climb three is a familiar long grind that I manage to stay with Mike most of the way. Climb 4 is usually the insult to injury for our long rides, but I get over ok. Gary does fine staying within himself on the climbs.

January 27, 2006

Since I'm still on English time (5 hours ahead), waking up early for the trainer workout isn't a problem. I decide to do Mike's Tuesday workout. Keeping in 78-82% MHR zone makes it hard, but not shattering. I feel pretty good after the workout. Of course, I am behind in the getting serious about the workouts department.

January 23, 2006

Yesterday, Mike mentioned that it was time to begin real training. Today I get his plan for this week:
Monday-rest
Tuesday-75 minutes with three 8 mnute intervals at 78-82% of max heart rate with 8 minutes rest between intervals
Wednesday- 1 hr with two 15 minue intervals of climbing cadence (70-80 rpm) at 75-80% of max heart rate with a 10 minute rest between intervals
Thursday-Three 5 minute ginders in highest gear with 10 minutes rest inbetween.
Friday-Rest
Only problem is I am traveling in England and don't get home until Thursday.

January 22, 2006

Sunday shop ride. Weather remains unbelievable for January. Five of us have shown up and Mike decides on a 50 mile ride at moderate pace to get some mileage. Unfortunatly, Peter doesn't know how to go at a moderate pace. Given the previous day's exertion, the distance and the high pace, I am dead at 35 miles and have 15 miles to home. Henry II is even more shagged than I am. I hate these kind of rides. It's also great preparation for getting on a plane to England, losing a night of sleep and going straight into a customer upon arrival. What I wouldn't have given to have been able to elevate my legs during that flight. Enough whining.

January 21, 2006

Saturday ride solo. Rain threatening, but weather remains incredibly mild for January. Mike and I do a Tuesday and Thursday morning ride that we start around the switch to daylight savings time. Tuesday is in the local hills. Thrusday is fast on the "flats" and both are about an hour. Today I am doing our Thursday morning ride and repeating some of the ride to get more mileage. Amazing how much appreciation you pick up for even slight uphill grades when trying to go over 20 mph. I keep up with Mike by wheelsucking; I can draft pretty well. No one to draft today and I go harder than I should trying to do the speeds that I do with Mike. I need to learn to moderate my rides when appropriate.

January 18, 2006

Get up at 5 AM for 1 hour trainer workout. There may be worse things than riding your wind trainer, but not with a bicycle. Push 5 1 minute intervals hitting AT during the workout. I keep telling myself, got to do this or Colorado is going to be a bad experience. Then I just listen to ZZ Top in the headphones. No TV; got to stay focused.