Hello... you know how I "roll": pics first.... atop Caynonlands; Islands in the Sky Ride....
FridayMay 7th : La Salle Mtn Loop; Moab, Utah
One word....EPIC! This 80+ mile ride was amazing...it started out with about 30 miles of flat terrain(had a blowout in the paceline, but the crew switched my tire out like I was in the Tour; big problem because I thought I would hammer it back up to the group. Well...not soo much fun red lining it(Thanks Gordo for the pacing back) among free ranging bulls and cattle because as you guessed it...another 2+hr climb up to 10,000 ft lurked ahead...didn't get my wind till half way through(but I caught the 'boys...and took it out on an Epic descent back into Moab! And because the almost 5 hrs on the bike wasn't enough...you guessed it....a 5 mile "bricked" run through downtown Moab(never did find Taylor Swift or Justin Beiber as they were sited wandering through town).
Tip: Descending...when descending try to relax the upper body and shift your weight into the turns with your outside foot; foot furthest out pushing down on the pedal and your inside hand pushing down on the bars. A perfect example of this would be that of the motorcycle riders you see racing at speeds of 100+ mph and their knees are just about scraping the ground on the turns. To test this theory, stand your bike up and hold the top tube and keep leaning it toward you with your weight pushing against...you'll see you can just about go parallel with your bike. Therefore, practice and gain confidence on your favorite descent...your tires will grab the road, but not pebbles, oil or the like.
Saturday May 8th: Islands in the Sky; Canyonlands Ride
This was a pretty leisurely ride with a twist...well was suppose to be...let the 'boys be 'boys. There was a watts per kilo contest, breakaways and interval sessions completed in the middle of this ride. As Forest once said, "You Never Know What Your Gonna Get." Great fun. Lunch was thrown in the middle of today's ride and an option to ride back to the hotel from the Canyonlands National Park. Of course, I rode back...thought I was cool pulling the group out...only to be dropped and not have the ability to get back on...so like a dangling carrot I kept the group in site...the strong winds did not make the 30 miles back fun, but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. After all, there is no drafting in tri...right...and these guys in the lead I can accept being ahead of me...as they are sub 9hr IM guys.
Tip: Patience...know your pace! Check your ego at the door...especially in an IM race or training session with others of varying ability. After the day is done, its you that's reflects back in the mirror. Therefore, do not ride or train someone else's race or session pace. Keep the big pic of your training week or year in perspective. Don't blow it and a force 1-2 days or weeks off because you got into "match."
Sunday May 9th: Bike Packed(next stop OBX for R/R...well maybe...NOT, on the rest) and Long Run
Pretty standard day...2 hrs on the road except for the 13% climb out of Moab into the outskirts of town where I was being passed by Dune Buggys. At that point, I said, I better head back into civilization to complete this run. It went without harm or foul, but the legs don't move as gracefully as they did at the beginning of the week............Why?............ok, drum roll please....the TOTALS:
Swim: 3000 yds(Ok...I only did one token swim ;)
Bike: 403 miles
Run: 56 miles
Hours: 34 hrs of Training
Currently, taking a recovery week with 4 swims under my belt(ahh the shoulders so tired) and "Nights in Rondanthe" planned. For those of you who are not in the know, the Richard Gear drama took place here in the Outer Banks(OBX) where I am awaiting arrival of the Specialized machine to get some nice riding in amongst the beautiful terrain change of flats vs mtns. Keep posted, for some pics and further adventures...I'm feeling lots of Time Trialing coming on these "runways" with L-O-T-S of "Non Stroke Additional Pool Time," if you catch my drift.
Reminder, Next Monday the 24th starts the summer Computrainer Session at PCK. The plan is to hit interval sessions twice a week to supplement your outdoor riding(if you are venturing). Call Stephen at 609-393-1199 to RSVP(limited spots for summer). Hope to see you next week.
The Happy Traveler
One word....EPIC! This 80+ mile ride was amazing...it started out with about 30 miles of flat terrain(had a blowout in the paceline, but the crew switched my tire out like I was in the Tour; big problem because I thought I would hammer it back up to the group. Well...not soo much fun red lining it(Thanks Gordo for the pacing back) among free ranging bulls and cattle because as you guessed it...another 2+hr climb up to 10,000 ft lurked ahead...didn't get my wind till half way through(but I caught the 'boys...and took it out on an Epic descent back into Moab! And because the almost 5 hrs on the bike wasn't enough...you guessed it....a 5 mile "bricked" run through downtown Moab(never did find Taylor Swift or Justin Beiber as they were sited wandering through town).
Tip: Descending...when descending try to relax the upper body and shift your weight into the turns with your outside foot; foot furthest out pushing down on the pedal and your inside hand pushing down on the bars. A perfect example of this would be that of the motorcycle riders you see racing at speeds of 100+ mph and their knees are just about scraping the ground on the turns. To test this theory, stand your bike up and hold the top tube and keep leaning it toward you with your weight pushing against...you'll see you can just about go parallel with your bike. Therefore, practice and gain confidence on your favorite descent...your tires will grab the road, but not pebbles, oil or the like.
Saturday May 8th: Islands in the Sky; Canyonlands Ride
This was a pretty leisurely ride with a twist...well was suppose to be...let the 'boys be 'boys. There was a watts per kilo contest, breakaways and interval sessions completed in the middle of this ride. As Forest once said, "You Never Know What Your Gonna Get." Great fun. Lunch was thrown in the middle of today's ride and an option to ride back to the hotel from the Canyonlands National Park. Of course, I rode back...thought I was cool pulling the group out...only to be dropped and not have the ability to get back on...so like a dangling carrot I kept the group in site...the strong winds did not make the 30 miles back fun, but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. After all, there is no drafting in tri...right...and these guys in the lead I can accept being ahead of me...as they are sub 9hr IM guys.
Tip: Patience...know your pace! Check your ego at the door...especially in an IM race or training session with others of varying ability. After the day is done, its you that's reflects back in the mirror. Therefore, do not ride or train someone else's race or session pace. Keep the big pic of your training week or year in perspective. Don't blow it and a force 1-2 days or weeks off because you got into "match."
Sunday May 9th: Bike Packed(next stop OBX for R/R...well maybe...NOT, on the rest) and Long Run
Pretty standard day...2 hrs on the road except for the 13% climb out of Moab into the outskirts of town where I was being passed by Dune Buggys. At that point, I said, I better head back into civilization to complete this run. It went without harm or foul, but the legs don't move as gracefully as they did at the beginning of the week............Why?............ok, drum roll please....the TOTALS:
Swim: 3000 yds(Ok...I only did one token swim ;)
Bike: 403 miles
Run: 56 miles
Hours: 34 hrs of Training
Currently, taking a recovery week with 4 swims under my belt(ahh the shoulders so tired) and "Nights in Rondanthe" planned. For those of you who are not in the know, the Richard Gear drama took place here in the Outer Banks(OBX) where I am awaiting arrival of the Specialized machine to get some nice riding in amongst the beautiful terrain change of flats vs mtns. Keep posted, for some pics and further adventures...I'm feeling lots of Time Trialing coming on these "runways" with L-O-T-S of "Non Stroke Additional Pool Time," if you catch my drift.
Reminder, Next Monday the 24th starts the summer Computrainer Session at PCK. The plan is to hit interval sessions twice a week to supplement your outdoor riding(if you are venturing). Call Stephen at 609-393-1199 to RSVP(limited spots for summer). Hope to see you next week.
The Happy Traveler
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