Out with a local groups beginner ride today I sat in the wee ring (34t)and dragged them round the flat fens. I stayed exactly where I wanted (mainly Z1 HR). It was a tad breezy so 90-100 rpm one way and 60-70rpm the other way After leaving them I had a go at a local segment but still in the wee ring, lol I spun out for 7th (its only out of 442 though). I stayed in Z2 HR just
Hains Point Hämmerfest
Relatively small group this morning, and we dropped a few after the first one or two laps, so ended up being about six of us. Tried to do three laps at 26 mph, three at 27 mph, and one at 28 mph. The second 27 mph lap broke us (well, me at least) so the unofficial ride leader changed lap six to 25 mph so we could regroup and recover a little before the last lap.
During the last lap we always try to average 28 mph to the point, then break apart to sprint it out or do whatever until the end of the lap. We had a great paceline going through the point but I couldn’t get back on and rode out the rest of the lap at endurance pace.
No picture as the gates were open before dawn, so I was enjoying a bunch of endurance pace before the group showed up.
I had Deerhorn - 4 in my calendar today and I was WfH so I thought I’d go out after work. The only problem it was 43mph gusts at lunch time but given that it could be one of the last chances to do a workout outside, I though what the heck and went for it. Maybe I should have done it in a controlled environment but outside was more fun. ‘Under’ efforts were a bit too under and ‘over’ efforts were a bit too over
I think I need a new HR Strap though, into the wind it was barely registering
So VO2max/Tempo floats. That has value too.
My wife and I did the AlpenBrevet Silver route yesterday. 105km starting and ending in Andermatt with three passes totalling a bit over 3,000m. We weren’t speedy, taking it easy and having plenty of stops and photos, but it was a beautiful day out. 8h elapsed, 6h moving time.
A Z2 session Gaoith for me tonight. I recreated the workout in TrainingPeaks so I had something a little varying to follow. Its supposed drop 8deg C tomorrow under heavy rain (nearly 22 deg C colder than a week ago) so I went on a long Z1 cool down. I got a wee bit bored near the end though.
I reckon I could get more out though when I’m fresh. I can hold 100w+ more for 33s in 2024.
Typical, just when I say I need a new HR strap it works perfectly at low effort.
Nice to see another BMX’er on here!
The group ride went ahead partly because it was a gravel ride but mainly because a friend who lives 2.5h drive had organised to meet us. On hindsight I should have cancelled, 60 odd miles in heavy rain with a feel like of 10deg C (last night was 21deg C!). The inevitable after about 30 miles as I tensed up on a series of descents my fore arms went sore weak and numb and I mis controlled a real wheel slide and went down, The helmet seemed take 99%, the other 1% of it was my eye socket fortunately it was just bruising and it never closed up. The clothes seem to have escaped. I should have came back a road route at speed to keep warm but I continued the planned gravel route and the inevitable happened again circa 30miles later and the same but on road. Fortunately the following driver was on the ball. We were close enough to my mates home that two of them sprinted down to house to get a van which I gladly got in. I thought I was getting back to normal but I guess not my body, head and legs were warm enough but my now poor circulation saw the arms go :-/ Lol, the rain was due to stop when I got home but it was heavy showers on and off for the next 3 hours and it was a while before I got the bike fully clean,
Lol the altimeter seems to have stopped working with all that rain.
3h later
Managed my first 4,000m day yesterday, though I was just hanging on at the end. Started at the Mattmark reservoir above Saas-Fee. The two main climbs I picked out from the bottom of the valley were stunning, hardly any traffic at all, very off-the-bearen-path. The final 1600m push back to my starting point was less special, just brutal
Just “a little”. That is a solid effort!!
Bugger! Any rashing on you or the bike?
My ride today was a ~100km audax. (GPS computers from two other riders both read 99.91km. I’d feel a bit ripped off, & inclined to go around the block at the finish for the 100.)
I rode in from the other side of town which added 35km, mostly pre-twilight.
(sorry, my commute time was a bit tight, so decided not to stop. I snapped multiple pics & this was the best I could get of the cycleway alongside the river. )
Then started with the bunch at 6am. After realising there was a signficant difference between how I wanted to ride & how the rest of the group was riding, I decided to ride the whole thing like a TT. I enjoyed myself more once I made the call. Got to enjoy some roads I’ve never even driven on, let alone ridden. Made it back to the start point just before 10 (3h37’ active), wrote my time on the card, left it on the organiser’s car, & took off to go to a market, hoping to get there before all the stalls packed up.
Made it there in time with 150k on the clock, had me a second breakfast (with more than just the iced chocolate, I just didn’t take pics).
Looking a bit cooked. Yes I was getting tired, but it was more about the temperature. Well, I gotta get used to it.
Met up with a few friends, then headed off again. Headed NW to pick up something for a friend from a mutual friend’s place, then used the cycleways on Kedron Brook & alongside the Gateway Mwy to get home. Doing some quick maths I worked out that the whole ride’s distance would come out to the high one-eightys. Dissatisfied with that, I did some laps of the local kermesse circuit that one of the cycleways goes straight past, to get me the 200k. By then I was ready to get off the bike. Rated it hard on TR. Once solo I paced this one harder than other rides of similar distances, because this had less climbing so I’d be on the bike for less time. Tomorrow is red, & the following day is yellow.
And I earnt myself some nice tan lines today.
Consumed 400g of sugar in the first 5 hours. No gut distress. Definitely a win! Consumed 4L of water on the ride (besides what I’d dissolved the carbs in) & was thirsty when I got home, so I could’ve gone with more.
Scuffed hoods, levers and rear derailleur. It seems to be shifting ok though despite the latter.
Glad to hear your helmet took the brunt of it. Heal up quickly.
@Majoeric - whilst I ride, or better put, slowly race a BMX bike in both Cruiser and Class, I’d not consider myself a BMX’er. Long story short I was blessed with a grandson and when out with my wife in 2019 I saw a “bike” that had no pedals. They called it a balance bike. Found out they raced those things so at 2 he was on a track. At 3 he was on a pedal bike haven never seen a training wheel bike. At 5 he won the #3 plate on a proper 20" bike.
I decided, last year at the age of 63, that I might give it a shot so I bought a Redline Cruiser of the Internet. I was able to stand on the top step of my age group (uncontested) and the grandson also won his age group at 6. Great memories were made and hopefully a picture of us both holding #1 plates on a podium that will be looked at for decades.
Which region do you race? I’m in the Northeast and will be in New Jersey at the Gold Cup in October.
Nice in 2 weeks the Goldtour is on the schedule for me. I would do the silver in reverse so you can climb the gottardo on the tremola side but either way it’s a beautiful route and a hard one especially the Furka and Nufenen.
Did my last big ride before the alpenbrevet, legs weren’t good couldn’t really put out normal power on the Wildspitz climb. And after that it got really hot and I suffered from it a lot.
The last 3 weeks weren’t that great overall can really only do 1 hard session power week can’t seem to recover from it fast enough to do a proper second session.
That’s awesome. My son and I race in the south east. He’s currently 5 under intermediate and got 9th in the state last year. I’m currently 40-45 intermediate and won the novice championship last year. Not sure how much bmx we will do this year because MTB racing season is also starting at the same time.
Yes, we descended some of the Tremelo cobbles instead I was riding blind just following some randoms gpx off Strava, I didn’t realise he’d gone the wrong way